Chapter 17: The Competition, Part 2: The Test of Skill
I. The Gauntlet Begins
The second day of the Royal Guard Competition focused on the Test of Skill—the martial trials designed to assess combat effectiveness and endurance. The twenty finalists were now separated into ten pairs for elimination rounds of one-on-one combat. The goal was to find the four best warriors whose skill and loyalty, combined with William's proven strength, would form the Prince's untouchable, five-person Guard.
Prince Evan watched with Martial Analyst concentration. He wasn't looking for the most aggressive fighter; he was looking for discipline, defensive integrity, and the ability to control the fight's tempo—the hallmarks of Kaelen's training.
Prince Theron watched from the opposite side of the dais, his gaze focused entirely on the remaining competitors' mental fortitude. He was looking for any sign of weakness or exploitable ambition.
II. Lysandra's Calculated Performance
Lysandra (The Shadow), still disguised, faced a massive, heavily armored contender. She knew that winning cleanly would draw too much attention. Her goal was to win just enough to secure a spot in the top five while concealing her true Wits and Will.
She fought not with power, but with evasive grace. She used her opponent's superior strength against him, relying on rapid footwork and precision strikes to joints and pressure points. Her style was all defense and counter-attack—a style eerily similar to the foundation Evan had learned. She won by forcing her opponent to fatigue and stumble, making the victory look like a fortunate, tactical maneuver rather than a display of overwhelming strength.
Evan nodded subtly. Lysandra had achieved the perfect political victory: she demonstrated sufficient skill to be worthy, yet kept her formidable intelligence skills hidden.
III. The Top Four Emerge
The elimination rounds were brutal, designed to simulate the prolonged exhaustion of real battle. By late afternoon, the field was narrowed to the final four, who would stand alongside William.
The four were an impressive blend of talent:
Lysandra: The master of evasion and tactical deception.
Sergeant Valerius: Evan's loyal aide showed disciplined sword work and exceptional composure under pressure.
Anya: The female archer with unnerving focus, who used a quarterstaff in the melee round with economical, precise movements.
Lord Cassian: A renowned but reserved defensive swordsman known for his unshakeable Stand and patience.
Evan felt a profound sense of satisfaction. These were not just powerful fighters; they were intelligent, disciplined assets who understood the value of strategy and self-control. His shield was nearly complete.
IV. The Strategic Sacrifice and The Clock
The final ceremony was set for the following morning—the moment the King would formally swear in the five Royal Guards and give Evan an impenetrable base of power. But the Sacrificial Magic had its own timeline.
Evan felt the familiar, cold burning intensify in his chest. The magic was demanding its due now. The final ceremony was too late; he couldn't survive the night without blood.
Evan excused himself from the dais, his Wits and Will focused entirely on the grim task. He found Baron Renwick—the self-important leech who had spent the day complaining about the "lack of nobility" in the finalists—drinking heavily in a private lounge near the servants' quarters.
Evan moved with the quiet efficiency of the assassin he had become. He confronted Renwick, baiting him with a calculated insult that would prompt a clumsy physical attack.
Renwick (Screaming, lunging forward): "You miserable little Prince! You dare insult my standing!"
The Baron's lunge was precisely the opening Evan needed. Evan didn't fight; he didn't struggle. He executed the Kaelen Maneuver: a swift, defensive sidestep, followed by a precise, lethal strike to a single point with a concealed dagger.
The death was instantaneous and silent. Evan watched the dark, icy pressure leave his body, flowing into the non-political, self-serving victim. The chilling stillness returned. The Strategic Sacrifice was complete.
Evan ensured the scene looked exactly like a drunken, aggressive altercation that went wrong—a consequence of Renwick's own arrogance. He left the dagger planted in a place that suggested the Baron had drawn a weapon first. He walked out, his composure absolute, leaving the body to be discovered by the morning guards. He had purchased his survival, proving to Kaelen's silent lesson that he could kill for survival alone.
The palace slept, unaware that the Third Prince's Royal Guard Competition had ended not just with the selection of five champions, but with a calculated, fatal act of murder. The new Master of Influence was now a man wholly defined by his ability to make life-and-death choices.
The stage is set for Chapter 18, where the full political fallout hits during the formal ceremony, and the King makes his final, crucial decision.