Celine pointed the rapier in between them to start the match, and then she started the countdown, "Three. Two. One." She slashed the air, "Begin!"
Sir Brix attacked immediately, throwing a flurry of punches at Lucian, going for brute force. No strategy whatsoever. He was smart enough to know that he couldn't win against Lucian with wits, but he could wear him down with brute strength.
Lucian's constitution was much weaker than the average person's due to his origins, and Sir Brix used that to his advantage.
Lucian dodged most of the blows, blocking a few others.
"Come on, My Lord," Sir Brix teased, "Show me what you've got."
He kept pushing Lucian back, forcing him to retreat until he could no longer run away. Lucian threw a punch at Sir Brix, who grabbed it in mid-air before twisting Lucian's arm behind his back.
"What was that?!" Sir Brix mocked, "A mosquito bite?"
Damn her people, damn their attitude. Lucian twisted his body, freeing his arm and elbowing Sir Brix in the face, "You're not half bad," he told the man, who rubbed his jaw.
"Oh, that was cute," Sir Brix said, "Now, come on, I need a better challenge than this." He charged at Lucian again, tackling him to the ground. He pinned Lucian's hands above his head, grinning at him, "Let's see how you like this."
Humiliation, how Lucian hated it.
Instead of struggling or trying to free himself, Lucian leaned forward and smashed his head against the other man's nose without warning, breaking it. And then, he opened his mouth to bite at it, ripping the broken bridge apart.
"Aaargh!" Sir Brix immediately released Lucian and covered his nose, his legs kicking the ground, "My nose!" he screamed in agony, "You ripped my nose apart!"
Lucian spat out the piece of flesh on the ground and wiped the blood from his mouth, approaching the screaming knight with a crazed grin.
The fear in the knight's eyes was delightful, and Lucian felt a rush of adrenaline at the sight of the blood pouring out of his broken nose.
One step.
The knight backed away.
Another.
He tried to crawl backward.
And another.
The knight tried to get away from Lucian, but he caught up with the man, grabbing his collar and pulling him up to smash his head against his knee.
But a sharp point was pressed against Lucian's neck, making him stop. He didn't know when she had gotten there, but Celine was holding him at knife-point.
Lucian dropped Sir Brix, who dropped to the ground, groaning in pain.
"Next!" Celine called out.
No one moved. The fear Lucian inflicted on her men with his actions made them freeze and not move. They were afraid to face him. The blood still trickling down from the corner of his mouth and forehead made him look like a bloodthirsty demon.
Celine motioned for Patch to treat Sir Brix's injuries while she ordered again for one of the knights to get into the ring. It was no longer about fighting skills only, but about morale and fear of the enemy.
Nobody moved, unable to choose by themselves, they waited for Celine's next command as if waiting for her to do the thinking for them. Any name she would pick, they would follow without question.
Celine dropped her weapon, kicking it away from her, "I'll take you on, then."
"What?!" her men exclaimed, "Lady Celine! You can't do this! It's dangerous!"
Celine didn't pay them attention, circling around Lucian instead, "Taming wild beasts is my favorite pastime. Do you know why?"
Lucian's eyes followed her, his pupils dilating as the adrenaline in his system continued to rise. He didn't speak, the grudge hidden within his heart boiling to the surface at her words. From sweet to sour, from honey to vinegar, there was no point in trying to decipher the meaning behind her words.
She would say them to confuse him. She would say them to mislead him. To make him guess, to make him wonder, occupying his mind and his time with her.
He needed to stop falling for it, and instead of taking the bait, he had to take control of her surroundings to turn the tables. He needed to find out why she was acting the way she did, not through her, but through the environment she was in.
His grin grew wider as she did it again. Trying to take control of the situation. To get others to dance to her tune. He wondered how long it would be before she stopped treating him like this. How long before she treated him like an equal?
Celine got into a fighting position, her feet spread apart, her hands raised in front of her face, "Because it's so satisfying when you finally manage to get them under control."
Lucian didn't move, his smile growing even larger. "Yes, it is."
Celine's composure fell for a second, but he didn't allow himself to gloat in what could be her trap, not lowering his guard for a moment.
She threw the first punch, aiming for his jaw.
He blocked it easily, grabbing her wrist and pulling her toward him.