Chapter 7: 07: The Villainess Gets to Duel

Ecclesia’s cape flutters over and hits Leonard in the face before anyone can react. 

“Anybody got a spare sword?” she says, striding to the middle of the hall. “Knife, dagger, anything. Knuckledusters. A stick with a pointy end?”

“I literally just said the word duel,” Leonard mutters, pulling the cape away from his face. He visibly thinks about destroying it with his bare hands –he couldn’t, he’s too weak, hah—but then decides to fold it in the crook of his arm instead. “Your Majesty? Lord Spencer? Do you give this idea your blessing?”

“I was hoping for something more along the lines of talking about it over some nice tea,” Ecclesia’s father says, his shoulders drooped. He looks sadly at Leonard. “You’re actually something of a gremlin yourself, Prince Leonard.”

Before Leonard can weasel his way out of this accusation, Calix’s voice rings out across the hall.

“Surely a duel is no way to decide what truly transpired.” His crushed-violet eyes flash. “There are better ways—more civilized, less barbaric—”

“Ara ara, this little boy’s scared,” Ecclesia says, lowering her head conspiratorially towards Leonard. “Esteemed colleague, can you believe it? He thinks he’ll lose. To a girl.”

Her voice carries like an icy wind through the hall, making crown prince Calix’s hair visibly stand on end. Dominion’s little face is frozen with shock.

“Oh noooo,” Leonard says, in the same syrupy tone. “Imagine. Him being so big and strong too. Honorable lady, I heard he bullied a little helpless child the other day. You’d think he’d jump at the chance to fight a young girl.”

The king is doing his choked laugh again, his hand pressed against his mouth. “It seems your honor has been brought to question, Calix. Will you let this insult stand?”

“Father,” Calix whines.

The king grins. “Calix, sometimes, among friends, the best way to settle things is a friendly scuffle. As long as there is no intent to truly harm, it gets rid of any bad blood that may cause trouble in the future. Former Archmage Triptych and I consider brawls to be our main method of communication.”

Calix’s face scrunches. He’s cute, in a pathetic kind of way. Pretty. “That is not the face of someone who wants a friendly brawl!”

He’s pointing at her. Wow. Princes were so rude these days.

Ecclesia raises her hands to her face and pulls down the edges of her manic grin. “I am the embodiment of gentility,” she says, trying not to sound too impatient for the fight. “Now, someone please give me a sword so I can show this little princeling what’s what.”

One of the advisors— a miserable-looking noble built like the spoke on a carriage wheel, wearing all white that makes him look like a sad ghost—actually tosses his sword at her. She catches it: it’s lighter than her training swords, pointier, meaner-looking: she beams at the man in gratitude.

He sighs. Despite his young face he carries himself like he’s four hundred years old. “Impress us, then, Lady Ecclesia.”

The rest of the advisors make hurr durr noises at him in disapproval. There’s ten of them in total, all in various stages of decrepitness: the rest of them are clustered a little ways away from this sadsack of a man. It’s understandable. This man looks like he sucks the joy out of any room he's in.

Ecclesia looks down at the sword he gave her uneasily. If it somehow curses her into being a buzzkill as well, she’ll be so mad.

You are reading story Thornheart: Isn’t Being a Villainess Too Easy? at novel35.com

“Prince Calix, don’t you want a sword?” asks Ecclesia’s father, who still looks like he wishes he was having tea instead. “I don’t advise dueling my daughter without one.”

Angrily, Calix grabs one of the swords that are being wordlessly offered to him. He comes to stand in front of Ecclesia.

The king claps. “We’re here to witness the duel between two parties, the petitioner, Prince Calix, alleging that he was pushed into a river, and Prince Leonard maintaining that he simply fell. This is almost pointless to ask, but will either of you call upon a proxy in this fight?”

“Ecclesia,” Leonard says, hastily. “Ecclesia’s going to be my proxy.”

“Right,” the king says, dry. “Never saw that coming. Prince Calix?”

Calix shakes his head, his face tight and dissatisfied.

“You’re being such a baby about this,” Ecclesia says derisively. “Respectfully. Your Highness.”

From his side, Dominion gives a little squeak. His fearful carmine eyes go wide when his royal father laughs.

“We tried etiquette lessons,” Ecclesia’s father says, in tones of great despair. “Nothing’s working. Lady Sanderson is going to wring her little neck one day and we can’t even blame her.”

“There there, Spencer,” says the king. “We’ll get you a cup of tea. Are the duelists ready?”

Calix sighs. To Ecclesia he says, “Best of three?”

Ecclesia bares her teeth at him. Her eyes are already starting to go hazy: her vision narrowing to a razor’s edge, focused on Calix, his movements, his stance, his form. Dominion’s pale face is a distant star in her periphery; she hopes she doesn’t scare him too bad. He might kill her in the future, but as a kid Dominion is pretty cute.

“Best of whatever you want, my prince,” she says, and twirls her sword in her hand.

Calix clenches his teeth. At his father’s signal, he charges.

Ecclesia is ten years old, but she is a prodigy. Ten years old, but there is a part of her that is only quiet when she has a sword in her hand. She likes the one that the sad man gave her: it’s light and pretty, and the way that it catches the light makes her think that that it’s itching for a fight just as bad as she always is.

Ecclesia smiles, and takes a breath.

It was time for some royally-approved violence. 

You can find story with these keywords: Thornheart: Isn’t Being a Villainess Too Easy?, Read Thornheart: Isn’t Being a Villainess Too Easy?, Thornheart: Isn’t Being a Villainess Too Easy? novel, Thornheart: Isn’t Being a Villainess Too Easy? book, Thornheart: Isn’t Being a Villainess Too Easy? story, Thornheart: Isn’t Being a Villainess Too Easy? full, Thornheart: Isn’t Being a Villainess Too Easy? Latest Chapter