Bad Romance Challenge
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By the time I was done with all my shopping, it was getting close to noon. The sun was starting its descent in the sky, casting a golden light on the city of Aydin. The wind picked up a little bit from the south, whipping at my clothes and hair as I walked through the crowded streets.
I had already seen most of this area when I first arrived here last night—the main street, the market square, the royal palace across the river, and down near the docks and wharf. This city felt like a maze to me, though—every turn and alleyway had another surprise hidden just around that corner.
I found a tavern called The Black Rose right next door to the guild hall. It seemed popular enough with both adventurers and merchants alike; many of them came for lunch or dinner, while others were staying there during their stay in Aydin.
When I entered the establishment, I spotted two familiar faces sitting at one of the tables closest to the fire pit: Larken and Jorlanna. They looked up from their meals when they saw me enter.
“Oh no!” exclaimed Larken in his normal excited way. “Not you too! Why did we have to get stuck eating lunch with some girl instead?” He was holding a piece of bread between his fingers and chewing away as he spoke. His eyes darted over to me.
“It’s okay,” said Jorlanna. She sounded almost resigned. “I’m sure she has plenty to talk about.”
Larken grunted. Then, turning to look at me with raised eyebrows, he continued in his high-pitched voice. “You didn’t tell us you were going shopping today? What did you buy?”
“Just a few things,” I replied. “A couple sets of clothing, a cloak, and boots.”
“What kind of cloak do you need?” asked Jorlanna. “We can probably find something better than what you’ve got.”
She had always been so protective of me since I was little; she knew exactly how sensitive I could be when it came to certain types of fabrics. And if there is one thing Jorlanna couldn’t stand, it was seeing me wearing anything but the finest silk or satin, preferably made by hand. So I never argued with her on any purchases.
As soon as I stepped closer to the table, Jorlanna leaned forward, trying to see inside my bag.
“How did you get these so cheap?” Larken chimed in again. “Why are they so much cheaper than what the merchants told us we should expect them to sell for?”
He had obviously gotten to his food before I did.
“They’re not really cheap,” I explained. “The merchants told me the prices are actually higher here than they’d be in the capital cities, because of the taxes and fees levied on merchants.”
“Taxes!” exclaimed Larken, sounding like an angry little boy. “That’s outrageous! That’s why I hate dealing with merchants.”
I glanced around and noticed another familiar face among those sitting at the tables nearby: Varian. He smiled at me and waved, causing me to wave back. After our previous conversation, I had decided not to say anything about the events of yesterday evening. Besides, it wasn’t even my place to tell Varian anyway.
Jorlanna leaned closer again, peeking into my bag. “Is that a new set of clothes you bought? Are they pretty?”
“No,” I answered. “These are old.”
“Old?” exclaimed Larken, his eyebrows arching together. “I thought you said they were nice. And where’s the other stuff you bought? Did you only buy these?”
“I didn’t have time to go through everything,” I explained. “And besides, these don’t mean anything special.”
With a slight nod, I reached into my bag and pulled out the two sets of clothing I’d bought. The first was a black leather jerkin made from some type of soft, stretchy material. There were several pockets sewn onto the front, along with two small straps attached to each side that would allow me to hold my shortsword and bow holster.
The second was a red tunic with three buttons running down the middle. The shirt had no sleeves and was open at the collar to expose the shoulders. But the best part was the pants—a pair of light, flowing breeches in deep blue with intricate designs embroidered on the fabric.
Both of the men gasped loudly when they saw me pulling them out and held their mouths still when I handed them over. Jorlanna’s mouth fell agape for a moment, and then she started to laugh, which caused me to join in, albeit in a subdued manner.
Then Larken grabbed the clothing and started spinning in circles, shouting, “Whoah! Whoah!” I watched him for a while, thinking it was kind of funny. But when he started doing cartwheels around the table, I realized he might have a bit of a problem.
I quickly pushed the items back into my bag, took a step toward the exit, and then stopped, realizing that I needed to go. “Excuse me,” I said as politely as possible.
But before anyone could respond, I turned my back on the other students and walked away without looking back.
***
I was halfway back to the academy when I began feeling guilty for leaving Jorlanna to fend off those two brutes. They must have already eaten, and she wouldn’t be able to handle them alone until dinner. But before I could reconsider my decision, someone called out to me.
I looked up and saw Torgar standing across the street from me in a dark green tunic. His hair, now grown quite long, was tucked neatly under his helmet.
Torgar was taller than me by far—probably six feet—but we weren’t very close friends, just acquaintances. Although he seemed like an intelligent fellow, he rarely spoke unless it was necessary to answer a question. I guess that’s what happens when you’re too smart for your own good.
He caught my attention after last night’s events. It wasn’t often that I saw him wearing his armor; he usually only wore it in combat situations or when he planned to spar with someone. But since we were both students who lived in the city, he had probably been forced to put it on for our morning training session.
“Morning,” I said.
“Morning,” replied Torgar. “You look well rested.”
“So do you.”
He nodded and looked away from me and down the road behind me.
I glanced over my shoulder and tried to make eye contact with him, but instead, all I saw was his reflection. A chill ran up my spine, and I suddenly felt as though I couldn’t breathe. Then the air rushed out of my lungs at once, and I collapsed on the ground, unable to take another breath.
Torgar knelt next to me and put his hand on my forehead. His eyes grew wide, and he immediately dropped the rest of his body and lay flat on his back in order to shield me from whatever was coming.
A few seconds later, a group of five soldiers came into view. One of them carried a sword while the others bore shields, spears, and helmets. The swordsman had a thick mustache that curved over one cheek, and his face was covered in soot.
The other four soldiers wore the same facial hair, although it was more refined and tapered to a point. Their hair was tied back behind their ears and had a reddish tinge about the edges. All of them had bright smiles, but it was not friendly expression.
In fact, I couldn’t tell if the men had ever smiled at anyone else in their lives. They all had cold, emotionless stares and were staring straight ahead.
“Stand up,” commanded the swordsman. He waved his sword at us, and Torgar stood. “Walk toward us,” he continued, motioning for both of us to move forward.
Without being told, I obeyed, stepping past Torgar.
The soldier with the sword approached us carefully, holding his weapon low, and stopped a foot away from me. When I looked at his eyes again, they appeared to be dead black and devoid of any emotion whatsoever.
As soon as he saw that I knew what was happening, he drew his blade and stabbed it downward. I didn’t even see the attack coming. I only felt its weight on my neck as I toppled backward onto my back.
My vision darkened and everything went dark.
***
I awoke on my bed inside my room. My head was resting against something soft that reminded me of feathers, and my eyes felt dry and sticky, despite having just taken some water from my cup on the table. My throat and mouth felt sore, and I could feel the beginnings of fever starting. I groaned aloud and opened my eyes to find that Torgar was lying across my legs.
“Are you awake?” he asked me, shaking my thigh gently.
“Yes, I am, thanks.”
Torgar sat up and pulled the covers off me. After I got up, he helped me walk to the window and open the shutters. I leaned out of the window and took in a deep breath of cool morning air.
“That’s better,” I said.
Torgar handed me a mug of water and then fetched his cloak. “We should get ready for class today.”
I nodded and sipped at the liquid, letting it trickle through my lips. My headache had subsided somewhat, but I still had a slight feeling of vertigo that made me sway slightly when I stood.
“Did you have anything to eat?” I asked Torgar.
“No, sorry,” he replied, looking rather concerned. “I was busy this morning.”
With great difficulty, I managed to change into my uniform and pack my things for class, although I almost fell asleep half a dozen times. I thought my condition might improve by the time it was time to leave. That was how I always felt after I took some medicine and rested.
However, I was wrong, and I spent most of the day with my head resting against the back of my chair and my eyelids drooping closed.
“You don’t look very well,” observed Ollin when we arrived at our classroom before lunch. “Do you want to call it quits for today?”
“Actually, yes,” I said. “It seems I’ve caught some sort of illness that is making me feel dizzy. If I don’t start to get better soon, I won’t be able to continue on in class without getting into trouble with Master Arminius.”
Ollin frowned and shook his head. “Very well. I’ll let Master Arminius know that you aren’t feeling well and will return for your afternoon lesson tomorrow.”
I smiled at Ollin.
He nodded and then turned away and walked quickly to the teacher’s desk where he retrieved a book with a piece of paper stuck between the pages and gave them to Master Arminius. “Master Arminius, Lord Borte is not feeling well and has requested permission to take an afternoon break.”
Master Arminius wrote down what Ollin had said. Afterward, he looked up at me and said, “You’re excused until tomorrow evening.”
The following morning, I woke up and felt much better. The sickness had passed completely, and my head no longer ached as badly as it did the night before. I decided to make up for a lost time by eating breakfast and drinking a large amount of water.
I wanted to get rid of the last remnants of whatever infection was lingering in my system so that I’d be healthy enough to continue on in class.
The sun was shining brightly outside my window when I awoke, which meant that the previous day’s storm had finally blown over. I dressed and headed to the dining hall first thing. Torgar and I were supposed to eat in our room later and then go to class together.
When I arrived at the dining hall, the servants were already setting tables and filling platters with food. I was glad to see that they hadn’t given up entirely on serving meals. I took my plate from one of the attendants and sat down with Torgar and Ollin.
After a few minutes, I was surprised to hear someone come up behind me and place their hand on my shoulder. It startled me for a moment, and I nearly fell out of my seat.
“Good morning,” said Lord Jorgen. He seemed to be wearing less clothing than usual, only sporting his chainmail armor. This made him appear taller than I remembered him being before.
“Good morning,” I replied and glanced up to meet his gaze. His blue eyes met mine, and the faintest hint of a smirk appeared on his lips.
“You’re looking quite well this morning,” he said.
“Lord Jorgen, I’m glad you’re feeling better,” said Ollin, who was standing next to me. “We can begin serving now.”
Master Arminius nodded and then turned to Lord Jorgen. “Have you eaten yet this morning?”
Lord Jorgen nodded. “Yes, just a bite or two.”
My stomach growled uncomfortably.
“Well, if you would care to join us for lunch, I believe Lord Jorgen wants to speak with you about something,” explained Master Arminius. “Perhaps we could all find a table together and enjoy some of the good bread they serve here.”
“That sounds like a splendid idea,” replied Lord Jorgen. “How fortunate that I happen to be hungry this morning!”
Ollin and I exchanged glances. We knew full well that Lord Jorgen was only feigning interest in having lunch with us. In truth, I suspected that he was going somewhere else, either to talk privately with someone or perhaps to eat elsewhere.
As much as I’d liked the idea of sitting and talking with him, there was nothing I could do to stop him from leaving me alone for an hour or more while we ate lunch together. At least I wouldn’t have to sit at the same table with him as he discussed something secret with whoever he happened to be meeting. That was the best-case scenario.
Lord Jorgen left the dining hall with a servant following right behind. When it was our turn to order, Ollin and I ordered what everyone else usually did—a loaf of thick bread covered in honey, cheese, eggs, fruit, meat, and vegetables.
Then we waited for our meal. While waiting for Master Arminius to bring it out to us, Torgar walked over to me with a smile on his face. “It’s nice to see you up and ready for the day.”
I returned the greeting with a nod, although I wasn’t sure how happy I was to be awake. I didn’t feel great, but I’d never had a headache like the one that plagued me the night before. My throat still hurt occasionally, too, but it wasn’t so bad anymore.
When I got back to my room after lunch, I found that Ollin had been sent for again and that another messenger had come to see Lord Jorgen. Both of these messengers were waiting outside for me when I emerged from my room, but I ignored them as I went inside. I needed to clean up my room and take a bath before anyone came to fetch me again.
When I finally finished cleaning myself, I noticed that Master Arminius had arrived with Lord Jorgen. The master teacher gave me a quick wave before he disappeared into the kitchen, leaving us to talk.
Lord Jorgen stood up when I entered the room and offered me a warm smile. “Did you have a good time at lunch?”
I nodded. “We talked about the weather.”
He chuckled. “Yes, that much I heard. But tell me, where are your clothes?”
I looked around the room and then at the bed and chairs. There was no sign of the black tunic I wore to bed nor the brown trousers and shirt I put on every morning.
“Oh, I guess I forgot to take them off,” I explained. “I’m sorry.”
His expression grew concerned. “Are you unwell? You seem…different somehow today.”
I felt myself growing uncomfortable under his stare. Something must have shown on my face because he reached forward and rested a gentle hand on my arm. “Please don’t worry yourself over something like this,” he said. “Your clothes will be returned to you soon enough.”
“Thank you,” I replied, relieved that the subject of my missing clothing had been changed.
Lord Jorgen sat down upon a chair by the window and crossed his arms, resting his chin atop the back of his hands. I watched him, wondering what he was thinking as I continued to look around the room. I wanted to ask him why I’d lost my clothes but also worried that he might think I’d done something wrong.
“What is it?” Lord Jorgen asked, startling me. I hadn’t realized that I’d stopped breathing for a few moments.
“Ah…” I coughed and cleared my throat of any phlegm or anything else that might have been collected there. “Sorry for staring,” I replied.
“You’re not being stared at.” He grinned. “I merely wondered if you were planning on changing your mind about staying at the academy.”
A cold chill ran through my veins. I shook my head quickly. “No, never,” I assured him.
Lord Jorgen nodded. “Very good, then. It’s unfortunate, though. If you weren’t so stubborn, you could be a useful addition to my guard.”
“Why?” I blurted out without thinking.
The question seemed to catch Lord Jorgen off-guard, but his expression didn’t show it. His lips turned up in a knowing grin. “Because if you were part of the guardsmen here, they would never let me get away with half of the things I’ve done recently.”
“That’s ridiculous!” I shouted. “I know you wouldn’t hurt anybody.”
Lord Jorgen laughed out loud, shaking his head. “Perhaps not, but you needn’t think I haven’t thought about it. In the past, I’ve always had servants who took care of my needs. A lot of times it was just a young boy, but sometimes there was a woman.”
“How can you even say such a thing?” I demanded.
“Because the way you’ve been looking at me has given me an idea of what you might do someday,” he said. “But it’s not worth worrying about. No doubt the men who serve Lord Arminius will be more than capable of handling you if it ever comes to that.”
For some reason, his words only made me angry. I clenched my fists at my sides, trying to control my temper, but it kept getting worse. Before long, I found myself standing in front of him, glaring at him. He didn’t even try to hide his amusement, which only infuriated me further.
“If you think I want to follow your lead—” I began.
“Calm yourself,” he said, rising to stand in front of me. He reached forward and gripped my shoulders, gently turning me around and holding me by the elbows. He leaned forward and lowered his voice until only I could hear him. “You’re too much like my sister for me to let you walk out of here with all that anger inside of you.”
His tone sounded so much like one of her lectures that I felt my blood pressure rise further. She used to speak just like that—like she was trying to teach a lesson instead of simply talking to someone. I tried hard to hold onto my self-control, but the harder I did, the more intense my feelings grew.
“It’s my father’s fault! It’s his fault!”
At last, I gave up the effort to keep quiet and screamed at Lord Jorgen. “It’s not my fault! My mother died when I was eight years old! How can anyone expect me to live up to her memory? What am I supposed to do?”
My outburst startled Lord Jorgen, and he backed away from me, holding himself still in case I decided to attack. His eyes widened in surprise and his mouth fell open in shock. “You’re mad,” he whispered, barely above a whisper.
“Mad?” I cried out. “Mad? Mad is what I am!”
I grabbed hold of Lord Jorgen’s tunic and yanked him toward me, pushing his chest against mine. I shoved him backward, causing us both to fall backward on the bed. He landed first, catching himself before he tumbled off. As I looked up at him, fury coursed through my veins like fire.
For a moment, we stared into each other’s eyes, neither saying a word as our minds raced in opposite directions. But then I saw something strange. For a second, Lord Jorgen’s face looked almost frightened. Then his features hardened, and he raised his hand, bringing it down hard upon my head.
I gasped in pain but didn’t make any move to defend myself. The blow knocked me senseless, and Lord Jorgen pulled his hand back and hit me again. Each time he struck, I winced and bit my lip to avoid making a noise. When he finally let go of my hair and stood, I slumped back against the pillows, stunned at how badly his blows had hurt.
I felt weak. So very weak. I couldn’t believe it. Not after everything I’d experienced in recent months. I knew I shouldn’t have been surprised by anything else. This wasn’t the first time that Lord Jorgen had hit me. But now, I was different. Now, I was a man. And no matter what he wanted to think about it, nothing he did would make me submit to his authority.
Lord Jorgen glared at me for another moment, then walked over to the sideboard and poured himself a glass of wine. Without taking his eyes off me, he sipped at it while he paced across the floor. Once I caught my breath enough to breathe more easily, I pushed myself up from the bed, feeling a little stronger now that I hadn’t allowed myself to collapse on top of him like that.
The wine had helped me recover somewhat, but not nearly enough to take away my fear. Lord Jorgen could strike me again if he wished, and I doubted that even a dozen blows from him would kill me. I knew better than to fight him anymore because I could already feel my strength leaving me once more.
At least my mind was clearer. I had managed to put aside most of the pain and confusion. All that remained were my fears.
“What are you planning to do?” I asked when he returned to the bed and sat down beside me. His hands were still gripping the chair in front of him. If there was one good thing about this situation, it was that Lord Jorgen had apparently stopped drinking altogether.
He set down the wine glass and took a deep breath before answering me. “I’m going to marry you.”
I froze. My heart started pounding in my chest. I had never expected Lord Jorgen to ask me that question, yet somehow, I found myself expecting it.
A thousand thoughts ran through my head at that moment. A hundred of them filled me with hope, while others caused me to worry endlessly.
“Why?” I finally asked. “Because my father has a new lady friend?”
My words were bitter and cold, and they stung Lord Jorgen’s pride, although I hadn’t intended for them to sound that way. In truth, all I felt was rage and bitterness toward him for forcing me to endure such a life. Even though he was my father’s closest friend and advisor, I couldn’t stand him, and I hated how he treated me.
“Of course,” he said. “That’s why my family is doing all that it can to get us married. We don’t want to embarrass your family or cause them embarrassment, nor do we wish to bring discredit upon our own house. Your father would never approve of such a union. Neither would yours.”
“I’ll bet,” I muttered. Although I was too angry to care about Lord Jorgen’s feelings at that moment, I knew that my words had hurt him deeply. “So what are you going to do when I tell you no?”
Lord Jorgen smiled sadly and looked down at the bed. “Perhaps then, you will understand.”
The End