Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78507 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78507 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
The cardinal is a powerful political figure in his own right, however. Unlike the king, who was born to rule, the cardinal has schemed his way to the top. Part of his scheme involves elevating his own guard to nearly the same status as the King’s Guard. That’s been a subject of discussion at the academy for a while now. The cardinal’s guards used to be a handful of guys who weren’t good enough for the king’s main detail. In the last few years, they’ve grown to be a powerful force in their own right. There’s some who whisper that the cardinal is more powerful than the king right now, but that’s obviously stupid and wrong. It’s also not my problem at the moment. Right now, my problem is the fact that I just got caught dueling.
The man at the head of the cardinal’s guards has one of those square, boxy, smug faces that are pretty typical for country boys who have come to the city to make good. He looks like a stickler for the rules, and like he is not going to be cool about any of this in any way.
“Duels are illegal and have been for seven years! Well, you all know it. I shouldn’t be surprised to see you out here, Einar, Rafe, and Kirin. Typical. Not one of you seems to understand he is obligated to serve under the law as it stands, not as you imagine it to be.”
The guard starts absolutely roasting my opponents, which I enjoy greatly. I don’t know what he’s getting at, exactly, but it looks like there’s a pre-existing relationship here of some kind.
“Shut up, Stilton,” Rafe interrupts him impatiently. “Not a single one of us care what you have to say, and well you know it. Run along. This isn’t a duel. We’re dealing with a street rat.”
“None of you are King’s Guard anymore,” Stilton says. “And you’re not Nile Cops either. You have no standing to deal with rats of any kind.”
I snort. This is turning out far better than I had imagined it would. I don’t know these guys well enough to talk shit to them, but apparently Stilton here knows them quite well.
“You’re all under arrest,” he says. “You’ll see the inside of the cardinal’s dungeon for this.”
“That’s not going to be an option for me,” I pipe up. “I have to be back by seven.”
“Your mother will have to wait longer tonight, little boy,” Stilton says, now roasting me.
“I don’t have a mother,” I shoot back.
“I don’t care. It’s a figure of speech. Did you three pick the village idiot to kill for sport out here?”
Now he’s really insulting me. Fuck it. I came to fight, to test my mettle, to prove to myself that I am the equal of any man. I don’t really care who I do that with. These red-cloaked bastards are threatening my freedom, which is far worse than threatening my life.
I started to sweat when I was facing Einar. Now I’m sure that I won’t be able to fight effectively in all this clothing. There’s just no way. Fortunately when I get dressed, I keep the old motto in mind: if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.
I pull off my oversized top, and I kick my cargo pants off. They fall in a heap at my feet, leaving me standing in sneakers, short shorts, and a tank top.
“It’s a girl!”
The shout of surprise goes up, making me smile to myself. I love a good surprise, and this is a great one. There’s not a whole lot of time to enjoy the moment, but I make the most of it.
“Come at me, bros,” I say, twirling my sword again.
“Get her!” Stilton shouts the order, and the cardinal’s guards engage. Behind me the three men who were supposed to be trying to kill me now find themselves fighting alongside me.
The guards are instantly upon us, following Stilton’s orders. They have their swords drawn and they seem perfectly happy to kill us all.
One comes for me, his eyes flashing with vigor. Apparently the fact that I am a girl will not save me one little bit.
“Get the female! Get her out of here!” I hear Einar roar the words at Rafe and Kirin as he dashes forward to try to intercept the guards, but it’s all happening too fast.
Fortunately for me, I was not boasting about my sword skills without the ability to back them up. Years of training activate inside me and I react without thinking. Before I know what I’ve done, my saber has already gone through a cardinal’s guard.
Sword fights in movies last for long minutes. There’s a whole lot of clanging and banging and dancing back and forth. In real life, a sword fight lasts less than thirty seconds if the people involved know what they’re doing.