Summary: An cynical, sarcastic, and anti-social teenager named Kiera Blackthourne (pronounced Key-air-uh Black-thorn) is transported back in time and is asked to aid in the vicious battle between the houses Lancaster and York. What side will she choose and what sort of adventures will arise? Based on Duelist of the Roses.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so freaking SORRY! It's been like a month since I updated, due to the fact my computer hath fried and I have to work on a computer that I have access to for like an hour on weekends. This is pretty much my first fic and I never knew how long it takes to think up new ideas. If you wrote a story on my favorites list, I apologize EXTRA MUCH for yelling/damning/threatening you for not updating. Can you say extra much? I dunno. Oh well. Here's the fic!
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Chapter Two: Meet Richard of York
By the time Seto and Kiera had reached the castle, the sun was just starting to rise. After Seto finally got Kiera to wake up, they went inside to find Lord Crawford, Bones, Panik, Weevil, Rex, Para/Dox, Keith, and Ishizu sitting at a table in an elegant dining hall. Sitting in a throne facing the table was Richard of York
"Ah. Lord Seto, you've returned," Richard greeted, getting up from his chair. "And who is this young lady?"
"This is the Rose Duelist, Kiera Blackthourne," Seto gestured towards Kiera, who was practically asleep on her feet. Irritated, he nudged her in the ribs.
"Huh?" Kiera mumbled, now partially awake. "Were you saying something?
Everyone snickered and Seto whispered in her ear, "You're making me look bad."
"Sorry. Won't happen again," Kiera whispered back. "Who the hell are these people?"
"These are the Rose Crusaders," Seto replied. Kiera looked around in shock. Each person looked identical to someone from Yu-gi-oh.
"The Rose Duelist?" Richard repeated as whispers spread through the room like wildfire.
"She's a spy for the Lancastrians! Kill her!" roared a knight with blond hair tied back with a bandanna. He got up from his seat and drew his sword.
"Sir Keith! Restrain yourself!" Lord Crawford ordered before turning to Kiera. " I apologize for my presumptuous friend here. He's. . ."
"Very, very, very drunk?" she finished for him. He nodded solemnly.
"I AM NOT DRUNK!!" Keith screamed at them.
"Oh, so you're just stupid?" Kiera asked mockingly.
Keith was now shaking with rage and his fellow Rose Crusaders were laughing uproariously. He was about to get up and make this punk regret ever messing with Sir Keith, but Ishizu put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back into his seat.
"I swear I'm gonna kill that brat." Keith grumbled.
"Try it and you shall pay, Keith!" Seto yelled before he knew what he was saying. Everyone in the room turned to face him.
"What?" Seto snapped at them.
"Lord Seto!" Richard barked, getting them back on track. "I wish to know how your mission to obtain the eight Red Rose Cards went."
"Well, I confronted McMoron. . . " Seto began.
"Who?" Richard asked. The Rose Crusaders burst out laughing and Seto blushed in embarrassment.
"McMooran," Seto corrected himself, while glaring at the Rose Duelist, who was still laughing.
"What?" Kiera asked innocently. Seto continued to glare, but said nothing.
"McMoron, huh? I like it," Richard stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Continue."
"He, however, did not have them. He told me he had split them up to keep us from obtaining them, and that using the Rose Duelist, he would defeat us." Richard looked at the Rose Duelist warily.
"I see. Now young lady. . . " the nobleman began.
"Kiera," the teenager snapped. "I have a name. Use it."
Whispers once again spread throughout the room. This child had the nerve to disrespect the future king? All of Richard's followers were expected to treat him with the esteem deserving to a man of his social status. And the Rose Duelist was no exception. . .
" Such insolence." Ishizu muttered angrily.
"How dare you insult your King, insolent wench!" Keith yelled, once again drawing the sword.
"Tsk-tsk. Future king, Keith." Kiera corrected, shaking a finger at the belligerent knight. "I mean, how stupid can you be?" This was pathetic! Here Kiera was in the 1480's, and she knew more about current events than they did! Keith was still seething at her last comment, but managed to restrain himself from killing her. Lord Crawford laughed, amused at how this 15-year-old girl was messing with the more simple-minded of the Rose Crusaders.
"My, my Kiera, you are quite the audacious character!" Lord Crawford chuckled. "And an oddly dressed one too," he added, eyeing her black windbreaker and nylon pants.
"You're one to talk about dressing oddly," Kiera retorted, regarding his red suit with a frilly collar and sleeves.
"Kiera!" Richard roared, startling said teenager. "If you are done slinging insults at my followers, perhaps we can get down to business."
"All right, sire," Kiera replied bitterly. She sat down in a chair next to Lord Crawford, putting her feet up on the table. "You have my undivided attention. So tell me, what do I have to do?"
"Defeat the Lancastrians," Richard answered. Kiera snickered.
"Come now, my liege," Kiera said, "That's the kind of unsophisticated answer I'd expect from Keith."
"Finally, some respect," Keith grumbled.
"That was an insult, fool," she told him. He snarled a lot and grabbed at his sword, but a glare from Richard shut him up. The nobleman proceeded to chuckle a bit before turning to Kiera.
"That is your duty, Kiera. To defeat the Lancastrians," Richard replied. Kiera's jaw dropped.
"What the hell? Isn't the 'conquest of a rival noble family' thing more of the army's job?" Kiera asked.
"In most cases, yes." Richard replied. "However, this is a very different kind of war. Let me tell you about the Red Rose Cards. . ."
"Is this gonna be long and boring?" Kiera inquired.
"But of course. Now then. . . Seto said that the Red Rose Cards have been dispersed amongst certain individuals. I think it's safe to assume that a large number of those individuals are his confederates currently located in France. I would like to ask you to enter France from Dover and retrieve these cards for our cause. . ."
"Milord! How can we possible send her out to defeat the Lancastrians single-handedly?" Seto asked, anxiety and fury in his voice. Everyone stared at him. Yet again.
"I'd prefer not to do things this way, Seto. However, I need you here in the likely event that the Lancastrians attempt to invade," Richard explained. He then turned to the Rose Duelist, who was tapping her foot impatiently. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Now then, I've heard that the Celts inherited their Red Rose Cards from the original inhabitants of Stonehenge. This would mean our enemy, Yugi, who comes from a long line of Welsh nobility would likely possess one of the Red Rose Cards." Kiera face faulted. Richard of York, an English nobleman, did not just mention Yugi, a character from a Japanese cartoon that wouldn't exist for another 500 years. She then realized she had zoned out and Richard was staring at her.
"Continue," Kiera stated, twiddling with a silver fork.
"What this means is those who oppose the Rose Crusaders are sufficiently equipped to duel us as equals. And given their desperate situation, they will retaliate with everything they have. It would be wise not to underestimate them. I'm counting on you. . ."
"All right. So when do I start?" Kiera asked.
"Wait a minute!" Keith interrupted. "How do we know that she's the one? The only thing we have to go on is her word!"
"The 'one'? The Matrix people could be suing your ass right now," Kiera stated, getting many weird looks. She then realized that this was 500+ years in the past and no one had heard of the Matrix.
"I say we test to see if this brat's any good!" Keith roared. The others nodded, since they did have their doubts about the tactless adolescent.
"I'm sure Kiera will have no qualms about it," Richard looked at her for an answer.
"All right. I hoped for more of a challenge, but why not?" Kiera sneered. But in spite of her cocky demeanor, deep down, she was quite nervous. In England, her friend Remus had taught her the basics of dueling, but not enough to take on one of the Rose Crusaders. And if she were defeated. . . Kiera had done much reading on medieval torture and never wished to experience any of it. Then something hit her. She knew all of Keith's tricks and stunts. Kiera had seen every episode at least three times due to 4Kids slowness at dubbing. Feeling a little calmer, she glared at Keith, who flinched at first, then glared right back.
"Then we shall go out back and witness the power of the Rose Duelist!" Richard roared. The other Rose Crusaders cheered and Kiera followed Richard outside, mentally wishing he would stop hyping her so-called 'power'.
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You like? Sorry if it was short. I wanted to post something before 2004 and going into detail about their duel would have taken way too long. So review and at least try to forgive me for making ya wait so long. Ciao!