Chapter 10
This was the moment that she had been dreading all day. Squall finished cleaning his gunblade and ran the blade across the palm of his hand, crimson blood running between his fingers and dripping onto the floor. Satisfied that it was sharp, he strapped it to his waist and stood up purposefully.
"Rinoa, it's going to be alright," he said, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes. She nodded in return, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to break through at any moment. "Are you coming?"
"I don't know if I can watch," she replied. She knew very well that she couldn't go outside to watch the duel, Seifer and her father would see her immediately. Her view from the balcony wasn't brilliant, but she would have to make do.
"Oh," was all he could manage in reply, secretly offended that she had said she believed in him and yet wouldn't watch. "Maybe she was lying," he thought. "Maybe she thinks I'm going to die out there."
"Please, Squall. Be careful," she shouted after him.
"Erm, Miss Heartilly?" enquired a tentative voice from outside the door.
"What is it?" Rinoa dried her eyes on her sleeve and hoped that the intrusion would only be a brief one. The door opened and Quistis entered.
"Miss, the duel is about to start and I noticed that you were not present. I was checking whether or not this was deliberate."
"I haven't forgotten if that's what you mean." Rinoa stared down towards the floor, hoping that the red circles around her eyes were not noticeable to Quistis. If she had noticed, she was far too polite to say.
"If I may ask a question, why are you not going to watch?"
"It's very cold out there," Rinoa replied, thinking quickly.
"Well, if you would like to remain in the warmth, there is a very good view from the kitchen. The other servants are there right now. I think Lord Leonhart would be quite embarrassed to know that we were all watching him."
"You mean he can't see you in there?"
"No. It has a perfect view of the grounds but it is very difficult to see inside."
"You're sure of that," pressed Rinoa.
"Yes miss," Quistis replied, puzzled at the attention Rinoa was paying to this little detail.
"Very well. I shall accompany you."
"Hey, Quistis. You're back." Seeing the company that she kept, the man quickly curtseyed to Rinoa. "I'm sorry, miss. I didn't see you there," he apologised, clearly embarrassed. She giggled slightly.
"That's quite alright."
"Miss Heartilly," Quistis announced. "This is Zell Dincht and Irvine Kinneas. They are also servants here." She shook hands with both of them politely.
"Don't worry. He'll win," Irvine whispered into her ear.
"Hey, Irvine, shut up. It's starting," shouted Zell.
"Zell. We have company," admonished Quistis. "Remember to be polite."
"No, really," protested Rinoa. "I don't want any special treatment." She was interrupted by the first clash of gunblades from outside, at which point they all ran to the window to get the best view. Squall and Seifer were now circling one another like vultures, both taken aback after the first skirmish. Neither of them had had a challenge in a long time.
Seifer rushed towards Squall, only to find the younger man prepared. He raised his gunblade to parry the blow, only to find Seifer quickly move his blade out of the way and underneath Squall's guard, almost breaking through. This tactic would have worked against a lesser fighter, but Squall was no pushover. He was far too accomplished, and too swift on his feet to fall for such manoeuvres.
"Seifer's good," muttered Zell in awe.
"He might be good, but all of his moves are straight out of a textbook," informed Rinoa. "He doesn't have the element of surprise on his side."
"How do you know such much about it?"
"Just a passing interest." She wasn't about to admit that she had seen Seifer fight many times before at the palace. At first, she had been impressed with his prowess, but after seeing a couple of his fights she had begun to realise that he repeated moves a great deal, and that diversity was not his strong point.
Seifer moved in to attack again, but this time Squall was fully prepared for what followed. He ducked Seifer's initial attack and brought his gunblade upwards in a sweeping arc. Seifer struggled to block, only just bringing down his blade in time. The sound of metal on metal reverberated around the whole of the grounds, as Seifer was sent flying backwards. Squall refused to press the advantage, wary of Seifer's counterattack. Irvine noticed the look of wonder on Rinoa's face.
"He's really something isn't he?" She nodded, her concentration never wavering from the battle in front of her. "He's by far the better fighter."
"Although Squall is the best fighter technically, Seifer is far more aggressive. You shouldn't underestimate him," Rinoa cautioned.
"You don't think he can win do you?"
"I do. Seifer's having a lot of trouble reading Squall's movements. If you look at Seifer's shoulders, you can see them moving and the muscles tensing quite easily. A trained fighter would be able to recognise these signs and know automatically what move would follow. Seifer's difficulty comes from the fact that Squall is much more natural with a blade in his hand. His movements are much more flowing and it is nigh on impossible to tell what he is going to do next." Irvine whistled.
"That's more than a passing interest." Rinoa wasn't surprised at the shock in Irvine's voice. They didn't have a clue that she grew up around this. As a child, she had always found the duelling competitions thrilling, and it had become a hobby of hers to watch the best fighters in action when they visited the palace. Squall though, had never been there.
"Probably because he's such a recluse," she thought.
Meanwhile, neither fighter had gained an advantage over the other, Seifer being fearful of Squall's quick, unpredictable movements, and Squall, because he knew instinctively that Seifer would wear down soon. This continued for several more agonising minutes, until Seifer made a fatal mistake.
He brought his gunblade down in a crescent moon shaped manoeuvre that Squall immediately recognised and knew how to combat. He quickly slid his blade towards Seifer's wrist and flicking it suddenly, sending Seifer's weapon crashing to the ground. The final move was made as the tip of Squall's blade snaked towards Seifer's throat, pinning him down.
"Alright, he won," screamed Zell, punching the air. Rinoa breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
"You are free to kill him if you wish," announced King Caraway, who had been watching from the gardens, making sure that all was fair. Squall shook his head.
"I do not wish to kill. I have done enough of that in my life already." Seifer began to laugh.
"You're not a warrior at all. You're a wimp," he taunted.
"Almasy, this man showed you mercy when most would have shown none. You would have killed him in a second, yet he spared your life. Do not mock him." Seifer lowered his head in shame, but remained silent. "Will you not answer me?" the King shouted. "Insolent fool."
"Fine, fine. I yield. What more do you want?" Squall pulled the tip of his gunblade away from Seifer's throat and turned away, walking back towards the mansion.
"Squall," screamed Quistis, Irvine and Zell in unison as they saw Seifer retrieve his blade from the ground and charge towards Squall.
He couldn't hear them.
"Almasy," boomed Caraway forcefully. At this, Squall spun round alerted to the sudden danger.
He was too late.
Rinoa could only watch in horror.
Seifer was already upon him, bringing his blade crashing down against Squall's forehead, leaving a jagged wound running between his eyes. Squall fell to his knees, blood clouding his vision. Instinctively, he stood back up. Tightening his grip on the gunblade, he slashed upwards, wounding Seifer in exactly the same place, but with the wound pointing in the opposite direction. Seifer immediately fell to the ground, unconscious. Squall, freed from the adrenaline of the fight became more and more lightheaded. Suddenly, everything turned black.
"Squall," Rinoa screamed running for the kitchen door as fast as she could. She swung it open, letting it crash against the wall. She headed straight for the unconscious Squall who seemed badly injured. "Squall, are you alright?" she asked, cradling his head in her lap, not caring about the blood that seeped into her clothes. "Squall. Answer me."
"Is he alright?" asked a worried Quistis, who had followed Rinoa outside.
"I don't know," she said, her voice shaking with panic. It was then that Rinoa noticed the man standing directly in front of her. She lifted her eyes to meet with his gaze.
Her father.
This was the moment that she had been dreading all day. Squall finished cleaning his gunblade and ran the blade across the palm of his hand, crimson blood running between his fingers and dripping onto the floor. Satisfied that it was sharp, he strapped it to his waist and stood up purposefully.
"Rinoa, it's going to be alright," he said, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes. She nodded in return, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to break through at any moment. "Are you coming?"
"I don't know if I can watch," she replied. She knew very well that she couldn't go outside to watch the duel, Seifer and her father would see her immediately. Her view from the balcony wasn't brilliant, but she would have to make do.
"Oh," was all he could manage in reply, secretly offended that she had said she believed in him and yet wouldn't watch. "Maybe she was lying," he thought. "Maybe she thinks I'm going to die out there."
"Please, Squall. Be careful," she shouted after him.
"Erm, Miss Heartilly?" enquired a tentative voice from outside the door.
"What is it?" Rinoa dried her eyes on her sleeve and hoped that the intrusion would only be a brief one. The door opened and Quistis entered.
"Miss, the duel is about to start and I noticed that you were not present. I was checking whether or not this was deliberate."
"I haven't forgotten if that's what you mean." Rinoa stared down towards the floor, hoping that the red circles around her eyes were not noticeable to Quistis. If she had noticed, she was far too polite to say.
"If I may ask a question, why are you not going to watch?"
"It's very cold out there," Rinoa replied, thinking quickly.
"Well, if you would like to remain in the warmth, there is a very good view from the kitchen. The other servants are there right now. I think Lord Leonhart would be quite embarrassed to know that we were all watching him."
"You mean he can't see you in there?"
"No. It has a perfect view of the grounds but it is very difficult to see inside."
"You're sure of that," pressed Rinoa.
"Yes miss," Quistis replied, puzzled at the attention Rinoa was paying to this little detail.
"Very well. I shall accompany you."
"Hey, Quistis. You're back." Seeing the company that she kept, the man quickly curtseyed to Rinoa. "I'm sorry, miss. I didn't see you there," he apologised, clearly embarrassed. She giggled slightly.
"That's quite alright."
"Miss Heartilly," Quistis announced. "This is Zell Dincht and Irvine Kinneas. They are also servants here." She shook hands with both of them politely.
"Don't worry. He'll win," Irvine whispered into her ear.
"Hey, Irvine, shut up. It's starting," shouted Zell.
"Zell. We have company," admonished Quistis. "Remember to be polite."
"No, really," protested Rinoa. "I don't want any special treatment." She was interrupted by the first clash of gunblades from outside, at which point they all ran to the window to get the best view. Squall and Seifer were now circling one another like vultures, both taken aback after the first skirmish. Neither of them had had a challenge in a long time.
Seifer rushed towards Squall, only to find the younger man prepared. He raised his gunblade to parry the blow, only to find Seifer quickly move his blade out of the way and underneath Squall's guard, almost breaking through. This tactic would have worked against a lesser fighter, but Squall was no pushover. He was far too accomplished, and too swift on his feet to fall for such manoeuvres.
"Seifer's good," muttered Zell in awe.
"He might be good, but all of his moves are straight out of a textbook," informed Rinoa. "He doesn't have the element of surprise on his side."
"How do you know such much about it?"
"Just a passing interest." She wasn't about to admit that she had seen Seifer fight many times before at the palace. At first, she had been impressed with his prowess, but after seeing a couple of his fights she had begun to realise that he repeated moves a great deal, and that diversity was not his strong point.
Seifer moved in to attack again, but this time Squall was fully prepared for what followed. He ducked Seifer's initial attack and brought his gunblade upwards in a sweeping arc. Seifer struggled to block, only just bringing down his blade in time. The sound of metal on metal reverberated around the whole of the grounds, as Seifer was sent flying backwards. Squall refused to press the advantage, wary of Seifer's counterattack. Irvine noticed the look of wonder on Rinoa's face.
"He's really something isn't he?" She nodded, her concentration never wavering from the battle in front of her. "He's by far the better fighter."
"Although Squall is the best fighter technically, Seifer is far more aggressive. You shouldn't underestimate him," Rinoa cautioned.
"You don't think he can win do you?"
"I do. Seifer's having a lot of trouble reading Squall's movements. If you look at Seifer's shoulders, you can see them moving and the muscles tensing quite easily. A trained fighter would be able to recognise these signs and know automatically what move would follow. Seifer's difficulty comes from the fact that Squall is much more natural with a blade in his hand. His movements are much more flowing and it is nigh on impossible to tell what he is going to do next." Irvine whistled.
"That's more than a passing interest." Rinoa wasn't surprised at the shock in Irvine's voice. They didn't have a clue that she grew up around this. As a child, she had always found the duelling competitions thrilling, and it had become a hobby of hers to watch the best fighters in action when they visited the palace. Squall though, had never been there.
"Probably because he's such a recluse," she thought.
Meanwhile, neither fighter had gained an advantage over the other, Seifer being fearful of Squall's quick, unpredictable movements, and Squall, because he knew instinctively that Seifer would wear down soon. This continued for several more agonising minutes, until Seifer made a fatal mistake.
He brought his gunblade down in a crescent moon shaped manoeuvre that Squall immediately recognised and knew how to combat. He quickly slid his blade towards Seifer's wrist and flicking it suddenly, sending Seifer's weapon crashing to the ground. The final move was made as the tip of Squall's blade snaked towards Seifer's throat, pinning him down.
"Alright, he won," screamed Zell, punching the air. Rinoa breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
"You are free to kill him if you wish," announced King Caraway, who had been watching from the gardens, making sure that all was fair. Squall shook his head.
"I do not wish to kill. I have done enough of that in my life already." Seifer began to laugh.
"You're not a warrior at all. You're a wimp," he taunted.
"Almasy, this man showed you mercy when most would have shown none. You would have killed him in a second, yet he spared your life. Do not mock him." Seifer lowered his head in shame, but remained silent. "Will you not answer me?" the King shouted. "Insolent fool."
"Fine, fine. I yield. What more do you want?" Squall pulled the tip of his gunblade away from Seifer's throat and turned away, walking back towards the mansion.
"Squall," screamed Quistis, Irvine and Zell in unison as they saw Seifer retrieve his blade from the ground and charge towards Squall.
He couldn't hear them.
"Almasy," boomed Caraway forcefully. At this, Squall spun round alerted to the sudden danger.
He was too late.
Rinoa could only watch in horror.
Seifer was already upon him, bringing his blade crashing down against Squall's forehead, leaving a jagged wound running between his eyes. Squall fell to his knees, blood clouding his vision. Instinctively, he stood back up. Tightening his grip on the gunblade, he slashed upwards, wounding Seifer in exactly the same place, but with the wound pointing in the opposite direction. Seifer immediately fell to the ground, unconscious. Squall, freed from the adrenaline of the fight became more and more lightheaded. Suddenly, everything turned black.
"Squall," Rinoa screamed running for the kitchen door as fast as she could. She swung it open, letting it crash against the wall. She headed straight for the unconscious Squall who seemed badly injured. "Squall, are you alright?" she asked, cradling his head in her lap, not caring about the blood that seeped into her clothes. "Squall. Answer me."
"Is he alright?" asked a worried Quistis, who had followed Rinoa outside.
"I don't know," she said, her voice shaking with panic. It was then that Rinoa noticed the man standing directly in front of her. She lifted her eyes to meet with his gaze.
Her father.