*Jane Crakewood*
Jane tightened the belt around her waist. She now wore a lightly armoured suit of iron, with an interlocking scale of bronze chainmail. "Ugh, by Ulton!", Jane stretched above her head, her body aching slightly. "Your tired already, my Queen", Lyonel asked his tone slightly amused. "It is tiring running around after my little brother, as you well know", she said with a cold indifference. "I do know", his mind trailed off for a moment pondering something. The chamber was cold and even more dreadfully bland than usual, she felt a slight shiver run down her spine as she waited for Sir Lyonel to continue.
'We are the heart of the north, the wood that burns to protect the many'. She recited it, over and over watching Lyonel with a keen eye. Time seemed to become a blissful nuance, as the memories of her mother played in her head.
It was a memory full of heartache and sorrow. Her mother was kind and always thoughtful, she helped Jane with sewing and threading when she was little and they used often walk together along the cold corridors, whenever they had time. But when Grey came along, it all disappeared, the lovely morning walks and calming voice all left her side. It didn't take long for Grey to ruin it all. When her mother's screams echoed in her mind. She begged her father, clawed at his feet, clung to his coat.With tear soaked eyes, she asked him to let her die in her mother's place. But she was only a child and couldn't understand the gravity of the situation or what she was doing. But her father wanted a son, and his wants came over her needs. It was foolish now, Jane thought looking back on it. A child shouldn't have lost their mother so young and gained a brother the same day. But she did and it was her task to raise him. To fight for him, to take care of him, when all the maids were commanded not to. When her father said, Grey was too weak and small to live. She couldn't just let him go, she couldn't loose the last memory of her mother with that child. She had to fight for him, but now he was growing up, nurturing him was no longer an option. He won't always need her.
Lyonel finally leveled his gaze, as Jane's mind stopped it's wandering. A silent tear ran down her cheek, but Lyonel didn't acknowledge it and she was grateful for that. "My Queen, do you believe, without doubt that you can beat Lord Godfrey", Lyonel wore a serious expression. "Will there be any doubt, am I not as renowned as renowned can get?" "You are without a doubt, My Queen. But still he is a ferocious man". She placed a calloused hand on his shoulder, "There is no need to worry, as if there is".
Jane and Lyonel departed the chamber and made their way onto the still snow covered courtyard. Where they were met with Grey. He's cold and yet he has a burning determination that I never had, within his eye. "Grey!" She called for him. He came abruptly to her side, "What do you ask of me, sister?". "Why are you so determined to defy me Grey? Staying out in this temperature when you could catch a cold", she asked, in a low calm voice. "It's simple sister, if the balance of one individual contradicts another. Then that one individual has an advantage. But if the quality of said another out weighs that other advantage, they may end up being the victor". Right so he basically said that in order for me to win. He must stay and watch. Okay then. I'll play his game.
"But what if there is more than one quality, so does this then in turn mean, that the one individual that originally had the advantage now becomes the lesser prepared of the two". He did always have quite the understanding of a situation. "Just leave me watch". Jane shrugged and her iron glistened in the sunlight, making her seem all the more magical. Her brown hair, in the warrior braid and the armour that was both beautiful and deadly shone like diamond in gold dust. Was like a calm before the storm that would follow in the dual. "You can just be careful", she said turning from him and making her way back to the practice arena.
The aching was gone and in it's place was the cold void of thirst for battle. "Interesting choice, my niece. But none the less astonishing", Lord Edmur's voice was low and commanding. Lord Dolmar stood awaiting the confrontation. Clad in the black armour of his house, which was passed from father to son, but in not every generation a man could bare the armour, so in that case the armour was often seen hanging from the rafters of the great hall of Dog's Den, the castle of House Godfrey.
She moved to the center of the practice arena. "Shall we begin?, my Queen", Lord Edmur asked. "I see no reason not to", Jane responded. Watching from beside Edmur was his son and Lord Dolmar's, and beside them Grey and Sir Lyonel. "We shall begin. No death today."
The clash of steel was hard, Lord Dolmar's rough blade pressed Jane into the snow the crumpled beneath her. She slipped to the side, her armour more agile and swift. Dolmar's weight carried him forward, falling slightly. Switching her grip to an inverted hold, she sliced at his gut. But the armour would not yield so easily. It's as thick as a tree trunk. A thrust from a sword may pierce, but not my hatchets. I must use my speed to the advantage.
Lifting his blade from the ground, he sliced at her. She barely managed to move as the blade whipped past her face.
With a flurry of movements she swung at Dolmar's weak points, his eyes, mouth and under arm. But every time he blocked or parried the slice.
And once the opportunity revealed itself, Dolmar pounced, like a cat. With one strong kick he knocked Jane to the ground. Against the rules by right. But my Lord Uncle seems less concerned with that and more with his compatriot winning. The snow flew up in a white haze and did little to give Dolmar the advantage.
The snow was soft and cold beneath her finger tips, as she sat on the icy white, that made Grey look at her with empathy for the first time. Damnit. He had broken a rib or two of her's. And Jane most definitely wasn't going to give up. But the mixture of climate and pain was unbearable, she needed to end it sharply.
In the haze that was left by Jane falling. She sprung towards him on the off side. Clutching her side with one hand and a hatchet with the other. His smug face came into view almost immediately and Jane found herself smiling. I'll wipe the fucking grin off his face.
With a loud hit of her axe, his helmet fell. His head and throat were left open for an attack, and with that opportunity he found her axe pressing against his neck.
"Yield!" She barked, through the wincing pain. "This fight has concluded", Lord Edmur clapped his hands together.
Jane was pulled off of Lord Dolmar by Sir Lyonel. Dolmar grumbled as he got to his feet, "You live for now, but loss shall arrive for you yet. Mark my words", with that Lord Dolmar and Lord Edmur left with their two son's.
Hours later, Jane sat in her throne after a meeting with some Lords. Her side was bandaged, but the pain was ever present. Lord Dolmar 'The Dog', I'm surprised I defeated him. I thought he could rival men twice my ability like Sir Conrad Sewell or Sir Arthur Keyle 'The White Knight'. But I guess his skill is as exaggerated as his nickname is.
Lord Sterwyn entered Jane's great hall, the door's flung back as he approached urgently. "What is it, Lord Risinger?" her expression still motionless. Bowing he said, "My Queen, there is a tournament going to be held at Lorcamir, and King Lorcan Riage VIII wishes that all ruling monarchs on the continent to attend. "All the leaders, of the Five Great Realms will be there", she sighed before continuing. "I guess I must go two".