"What horror have you inflicted on our clan today?" Lord Bleddyn scoffed from inside the house. He slowly opened the door, revealing that he wore a dressing gown and slippers. It was almost midday.
Lord Carrion shifted uncomfortably. "I have not done anything worth reprimand, Father."
Bleddyn finally noticed me. Eyeing his son one more time, he sighed.
"The sight of another swordsman makes me think otherwise. Unless this is a call to war, Lord Holden?" Bleddyn asked earnestly. I suppose I would want to see my long lost bride if I only recently found out she was still breathing.
"No, Lord Bleddyn. I simply wanted to make sure that Lord Carrion understood that all tournament champions were held in the highest regard." I dipped my head in respect to the man who held the title of Swordsman long before I did.
It was not exactly court etiquette now that I technically outranked him, but I am not exactly a court trained man. I prefer to think of my manners as more free range.
"Are you sure? The slew of clansmen that have come knocking at my door complaining about my son has me all out of sorts." Bleddyn rubbed his temples with his fingertips before letting his palms press into his eye sockets.
At least Bleddyn had more color than the last time I saw him. His temperament seemed not quite improved, but at least shifted away from the melancholy self loathing and into a more self righteous frustration.
"Eris and his father have never liked me! You know they are just jealous of our family." Carrion cut to his father in a slicing tone.
"All the more reason to give them nothing to complain about." Bleddyn spat back.
"Is everyone against me?" Lord Carrion threw his hands in the air in frustration.
Maybe I should not have been so quick to think I was the only one who voiced concerns about Carrion. I did not, however, express them so much to him. Somehow that made me feel less guilty.
I could feel the familial tension grow as Bleddyn stared down at his son silently. I do not know why Carrion thought he would find sympathy in the man he recently fought to a bloody end.
"I will leave you two to your conversation and get back to the royal box. I am sure engagement plans must be made," I tried to shrink away. No such luck.
"Engagement plans? How dare you challenge me for the honor of leading our clan just to use that power to propose again to Princess Alina!" Bleddyn exploded in a rage I had not seen since before King Caderyn passed.
"You would leave our clan and our country without a Swordsman in a time of war? How irresponsible can you be? I suppose it does not matter just as long as you get to be king? I raised a foolish son indeed," Bleddyn closed the distance between himself and Carrion.
In the face of his son, he spit on the ground. "You are no leader!" He raved barely above a whisper.
I pulled Bleddyn back from his son. I have no idea what happens in this house behind closed doors, but this family does not put the function in dysfunction.
"Lord Bleddyn," I began before Carrion cut me off.
"Are you quite finished, Father? Because your Swordsman would like to clarify something for his clansman." Carrion puffed out his chest and let his hand rest on the hilt of his clan's sword.
Lord Bleddyn stepped back under the guidance of my hand. A glance toward me let me see the confusion in his eyes.
"You should know by now that the ladies of the royal family prefer the clan of Stag." Carrion's voice trailed off allowing Bleddyn to connect the dots of who might be engaged.
"Sir John is engaged to Queen Valerie?" Lord Bleddyn vocalized as if he started making sense of how often the man was around the castle. I am sure my own expression must have mirrored his when the proposal happened.
"It seems he was to win everything today." Lord Carrion's cool aloofness settled back into his demeanor.
"You lost your match, too?" Lord Bleddyn questioned.
"I not only lost. I was disarmed," Carrion admitted.
I saw the match. I rooted for such an outcome. Hearing the vanquished admit defeat broke something in me. Maybe Carrion was not such a villain, simply misunderstood.
"If that is all, I think I have had quite enough of being a public disappointment today and would like to retire to be one privately. I am sure that the Swordsmen are not needed for the beginning stages of a royal engagement, but I am sure Lord Holden's presence is needed to celebrate. Good day!" Carrion pushed past his father to enter the house.
"I am sorry you had to see that, Lord Holden." Bleddyn straightened his housecoat, seeming to notice he was not properly dressed for public.
"It is just Holden if you don't mind." It was all I could think to respond.
"Not at all, Holden," hesitancy crept in behind my name, but not in a way that made me feel he was uncomfortable with the informality. "Was it a bad match?"
"I think it was Lord Carrion's best match of the tournament." I offered because it was the only one I felt he did not cheat.
Bleddyn nodded before his shoulders slumped. He seemed to be withdrawing into himself like he had after the tragic invasion of the Norads.
"I think next time, it would mean a lot to have your support in the stands." I hoped I had not missed my mark as to what both men wanted.
"Perchance," Bleddyn started before clearing his throat." Good day, Holden."
I made my way back to the royal stands with the confidence that Lord Carrion was at least contained for the time being.
I slipped back into my place. I thought my absence went relatively unnoticed except by Lord Garrison and Sir Gavin who stood next to me. Those two and of course Gella who eyed me from the moment I returned to my post. Nothing got past her.