Calculated Chivalry

They say that all in love is fair

Yeah, but you don't care

~ Huey Lewis

Chapter 4

In revenge a man is but even with his enemy; for it is a princely thing to pardon, and Solomon saith it is the glory of a man to pass over a transgression. ~ Francis Bacon

The victors gathered in the hangar where their knight-armours had been brought after their duels. Katarina pulled the device that Leon had given her out of her pocket and offered it to him. "Thank you for letting me use your gi… your knight-armour."

She could so remember her manners, Anne!

The dark-haired boy grinned and shook his head. "Keep that as a souvenir," he told her. "It won't do much of anything if I'm not around but you should have something to remember the occasion by."

"Oh that's great! Thank you!"

"Ahem." Gerald swept in and took her hand. "My congratulations on your victory, Katarina. I knew you had it in you."

Katarina felt her cheeks flush. "Well, it's in my blood. You were great as well!"

He nodded. "It's probably best that I drew Julius as my opponent. Anyone but Alan or I fighting him would be lese majesty, but we are cousins so we have some degree of latitude."

What was lese majesty? Katarina was sure she'd heard the term somewhere, but like a lot of things that weren't actually useful to know most of the time she'd put it out of her mind.

"The three of you turned it all around," Alan said honestly, offering Leon his hand. "Given the way Greg handled me, I can't help but feel like I let you down."

Keith nodded as Leon shook Alan's hand. "I thought I was at least as capable as Brad, but I was wrong. I should practise more in case this happens again."

"I'm certainly not going to advise against practising more." Leon patted Katarina's brother on the shoulder. "But don't just practise for this. Practise against as many different people as you can - because there's no knowing what you'll be facing in the future. Duels like this aren't really much like an actual battle."

Gerald gave Leon an interested look. "I understood - no offence - that you were on the sidelines of the fighting for Olfrey."

"I was. I still got a look at it." Leon shook his head. "Anyway, I don't mean to be a damper. We won."

Katarina nodded. "Uh, what happens now?"

Gerald made a face. "Now we have to answer to higher authorities. The king and queen, Duke Redgrave, my brother… your parents."

A chill went down Katarina's back. "But… we won?"

Alan nodded. "That might help. I doubt any of them are really happy about Julius throwing his fiancee over for Marie Fou Lafan, of all people. But he's still the crown prince and our taking a stance against him suggests that both the Claes and the Stuarts aren't exactly loyal to him. And we were fighting for Angelica Rafa Redgrave, which suggests that three of the five dukes may be forming a power bloc opposed to the crown."

Keith groaned. "None of this occurred to you, Katarina? What were you thinking?"

"That Julius was being mean to Angelica, and then about fighting in a… knight-armour," she answered honestly. "Is Lady Lafan really that bad?"

"It's not a matter of her personally," Gerald told her. "The point of Julius marrying Angelica was that it meant that when he was king, he could rely on the Redgraves and their allies to support him. It would be nice if he got along with her - I know the queen was hoping for that - but that was secondary. The Lafans are an impoverished viscount's household. They don't bring any appreciable support to Julius. In fact, they're really more of a drain."

That seemed kind of sad to Katarina. Maybe it was for the best that Gerald and Alan weren't likely to become king. If one of them married Olivia it shouldn't matter too much that she was a commoner, so they could be happy together. As long as she managed to get away into exile rather than being flung into prison or killed… Then she gasped.

"Katarina?" asked Keith.

"Snakey!" she cried. "I never picked him up after the party. I need to make another one."

Alan started laughing while Keith and Gerald both sighed.

Before Katarina could start gathering materials, Mary arrived and she wasn't alone. For a moment, Katarina thought that the pale haired girl was Sophia, but she was too tall. "Oh, Violette!" she realised.

"Hello Katarina." Her cousin gave her a warm smile. "Are you alright? Chris didn't hurt you, did he?"

"Oh no, he just tapped me." She shook her head. "I'm sorry he hit his head."

The other girl's smile looked a little more like Mary's. "I'm sure he wasn't using it for anything." She looked at Alan. "Are you alright, Prince Alan?"

He looked abashed. "Yeah, my pride's a bit battered but I'll live."

Mary caught hold of Katarina's arm. She looked sideways and saw that her friend was watching Violette and Alan with a quizzical expression. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no." Mary shook her head. "I'm so glad you didn't get hurt fighting, Lady Katarina. I should have known that Arclight didn't stand a chance against you."

"I was getting a little worried," she admitted. "But at least he didn't try anything like Jilk did. The way he threatened Leon's family… I can't imagine why anyone would do that."

"I assume," the dark-haired boy observed, "That he was concerned about the political consequences of Gerald actually fighting Julius. Perhaps he thought that as long as that didn't take place, this could be kept from becoming too much of a scandal."

"That would be rather naive," Gerald told them.

"It was still a horrible thing to do." Katarina shook her head. "If someone threatened my family like that… well, I don't know what I'd do."

"Fortunately, you're a good and kind person who would never sink to that sort of villainy."

Mary and Gerald looked worried for some reason. Were they concerned she might start acting like a villain? Katarina shook her head in denial. Even in the game, that Katarina had never done anything that villainous. "Well of course not!" she told them. "Mother would be furious. Jilk's family must be terribly disappointed in him."

"It's a good thing no one here would do anything of the kind," Leon said.

Katarina beamed at him reassuringly. Yes, she'd stay well clear of anything like that! No villainy for her, that just led to death flags!

It would be somewhat inappropriate for Angelica to visit Prince Julius right after the duel without having at least one of her champions with her; and since none of Katarina's admirers were interested in being parted from her, the Redgrave daughter had the choice between taking all of them, four of them or just Leon. She'd chosen the option that wouldn't look like blatant intimidation.

Leon found that Olivia was sticking with Angelica, which was probably for the best. While the current scandal had been triggered by the duke's daughter, most of the foundation work was Julius' and Leon felt that Angelica could do with someone sympathetic with her. Olivia was more or less ideal.

Prince Julius was far too important to be left in the nurse's office - he was in one of the attached private rooms that were used for extended stays. There were valid reasons for having that level of medical support - between the dungeon and combat training, sometimes students really did suffer serious injuries.

Marie Fou Lafan was just leaving one of the rooms when they arrived and she squeaked nervously and backed into the room again.

"I assume that that's where Chris is," Leon noted. "Since if she's visiting Julius then they're breaking the terms of the duel already and I'd think that that's dumber than even they are."

Angelica nodded. "Unless they argue that it's normal school interactions." She sighed. "Honestly, if she's healing him I should probably make an exception."

Leon rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't suggest it unless his life is in danger, or at least permanent impairment is an issue. For that matter, Olivia here is probably better at light magic if you're really feeling guilty. Making exceptions is a good way to make this entire thing pointless."

"I suppose you're right," she agreed.

"I don't mind healing him," offered Olivia.

"Save it for if he's actually at risk." Leon found the right door and tapped his knuckles against it. "A few bruises may help him remember what Gerald said to him."

"Come in." Julius sounded subdued.

When Leon pushed the door open, Greg and Brad were inside with the prince. "What do you want?" Brad asked scornfully.

"We lost, Brad." Julius shook his head. "You and Greg did your parts, but the rest of us let you down."

"Yeah, but only because a bunch of people who hadn't got any reason to involve themselves butted in."

Leon chuckled. "What reason did you have to 'butt in' once the stakes of the duel were just whether or not Marie and Julius could spend time together? It didn't matter either way to you."

"But now that you've won, you can force her out of the school!"

Angelica pinched the bridge of her nose. "Something that no one involved has any interest in doing."

"Then what were you fighting for?" demanded Greg, pointing at Leon.

"Honestly? You idiots have been so offensive to just about everyone outside of your own little circle, I just wanted the chance to punch one of you in the face." He gestured towards the door. "I'm guessing that Lady Redgrave would like to clear the air with Prince Julius. Why don't the rest of us wait outside?"

Greg stepped forward menacingly. "Sounds just fine."

"Don't start another fight here," Julius said tiredly. "Alright, Angelica. You want to talk, then we can talk alone. It isn't going to change anything though."

The four of them filtered out of the room and closed the door behind them. For a moment, Leon thought that Brad or Greg might start something but despite some glares they headed into the room that Marie was hiding in. The brief glance through the door as they entered confirmed that it was Chris'.

"Good thing that Marmoria isn't here," he muttered.

Olivia looked back at Julius' door. "Do you think Angelica will be alright?"

Leon sighed. "It depends how you define alright. She gave her heart to someone that broke it. I think she'll get better eventually, but that doesn't stop it hurting right now."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"Give her a shoulder to cry on," he suggested as the door from the nurse's office opened. "I don't think she'd trust me on that level - we barely know each other - but she seems to consider you a friend. Just try not to get sucked into any plans for revenge, that doesn't generally help."

"I'd have to disagree." The new arrival was a little disheveled, and not one of their classmates but Leon recognised her anyway. "But you're cute and you kicked Jilk's cheating ass so I'll forgive you."

"Truly you're a font of generosity." He pulled himself together and bowed politely. "Olivia, may I introduce Lady Clarice Fia Atlee. Lady Atlee, this is Olivia Campbell."

"My generosity is very selective," the older girl told him with a smile. "When it comes to lousy cheating scumbags, I'm only generous when measuring out the pain they should suffer."

"Er…" Olivia murmured weakly.

"Lady Atlee has the misfortune of being engaged to Jilk Fia Marmoria."

"Oh."

"Given you did me the very great favour of revealing what a putrid pile of pondscum he is, I think we can drop the formalities," Clarice told him. "You can call me Clarice."

"It would be ungracious of me not to return the courtesy then," Leon told her. "I haven't seen Marmoria, so I don't know if he's here nor not."

"Probably under some damp rock," the girl told him. "I'm not here for him anyway. I just heard you'd come here and I wanted to let you know that I've written to my father about Jilk. If the Marmoria's do try anything, I'm fairly sure that you can count on my family's support. They may be close to the king but they are only viscounts at the end of the day."

"Hopefully Viscount Marmoria will see how unwise it would be to double down on his son's stupidity." Leon shrugged. "But human idiocy has few limits so I'd be a fool to turn down the offer of support."

"I may be able to repay you in other ways, if you ever need a favour." Clarice added with a wink. "But right now I have other things on my mind. Let me know if you think of anything." (Leon's hormones were able to suggest several ideas but not being a drooling idiot, he didn't voice them. Clarice might take offense - or worse, she might take him up on the suggestions and then her father would almost certainly take offense.) "Is Angelica ripping Julius' balls off?"

Olivia flushed. "No! …I mean, she wouldn't…"

"I think we'd have heard the screaming if she was," Leon reassured her. "I believe Lady Redgrave is currently in either the denial or the bargaining stage of dealing with her grievance."

"The what stages?" asked Clarice, her expression shifting from anticipation to puzzlement.

Leon shrugged, "When dealing with a loss of some kind - a bereavement, a failure, or in this case the end of a relationship, there are a few fairly common reactions - anger, which I'd suggest is where you sit in regard to Marmoria right now?"

"You've got that right."

"I don't really need to explain that one further then. Denial is refusing to believe, deep down, that it's really happened. Bargaining is where you try to find some terms on which you will make things right, or at least feel better about it. I suppose a desire for revenge could fall into that stage as well. The other stages are depression and acceptance."

Clarice snorted. "Acceptance?"

"'Well, that didn't work out. Time to get on with my life.'" Leon looked at her expression and then shrugged. "It's not usually the first reaction, although it may be the healthiest. They're called stages because most people work through more than one. Everyone's different, of course."

"And you think Angelica should accept losing the prince to that little tramp?" the older girl asked sarcastically.

Leon shrugged. "I can't control my own feelings, much less someone else's. If she does reach that stage at some point, it'll probably be better for her than spending the rest of her life crying over him."

Olivia nodded in agreement and Clarice made a face. "Well, if you're just comparing those two choices..."

Inside the medical room, it was Angelica who broke the awkward silence between her and Prince Julius. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you aren't seriously hurt, your highness."

The young man let his hair fall forward over his face, hiding his eyes. "Stop acting so pure and innocent after putting my cousin up to fighting me."

She flushed. "What you said during the duel - is that truly how you see me?"

"What do you mean?"

"That all I'm interested in is being the queen? Is that what you think of me?"

"Isn't it true?" the prince asked. There was no doubt in his voice.

Tears formed at the corners of her eyes. "No. It's not true. That might be why my father and your parents arranged it, but it's not why I love you."

"You don't even know me!" Julius looked up slightly, dark blue eyes peering at her through the fringe of hair. "Do you even know what my favourite food is?"

Angelica opened her mouth to say that of course she did, but then she bit the words back. Her mind went back to the words exchanged between Gerald and Julius. "I know what you most often ask for and seem to enjoy when I'm around, but you've never said to me it's your favourite. So if it isn't that chicken soup or the fish imported from the republic, is it something that you've never shared with me?"

Julius looked away, "I have a fondness for meat skewers," he explained. "I ate them once when I was out incognito, but I was told it was commoner food. Unfitting for a prince, so of course I couldn't tell you about it. But Marie knew without my telling her. The first time I left the academy with her, she invited me to a food stall that served them."

"How lucky for her."

"I thought it was fate," Julius told her with a smile that was heart-breaking, because it was not for her.

"I trained from morning to night to learn etiquette and everything else to be queen because that was the price to be with you, not because I craved your mother's crown," Angelica told him. "And yet she just walks into your life and then…"

"So why do you want me, since we've established you don't know a thing about me."

"If I don't see through your mask," she told him, "Is that my blindness or you hiding from me?" The blonde shook her head. "You probably don't even remember."

"Remember what?"

She looked away, out the window. Away from the boy she'd given her heart. "You said you'd look after me. No one else ever did that. My father wanted me to be the perfect marriage partner, your mother wanted me to be the future queen… but not even Gilbert even said that he'd protect me."

"So you wanted something else from me. Like you need someone to protect you!"

"I did. Today."

She heard Julius breathe in sharply.

Silence fell again.

"I am aware that I have insulted you. And your family," he admitted at last. "But it doesn't change that I love Marie."

"Then…" She prepared to throw her pride on the floor. If she had to accept Marie to still be alongside Julius then…

"No. I cannot love you."

…then even that sacrifice was not enough, it seemed.

"My heart may be a small and mean one to only have room for one woman, but that's how it is and the woman in question is not you," Julius told her. "I'm sorry if I'm breaking some promise I made when we were children, but I won't be untrue to her."

Angelica felt more tears flowing down her face. She'd wondered if she would be tempted to act the way Scarlet had when Greg renounced her, but she wasn't as angry as she was sorrowful.

"We both know that this won't end with the two of us," she said when she was sure her voice wouldn't shake. Offering him an out from the terms of the duel… wasn't something that she was willing to keep on the table when she was rejected so firmly. "But I stand by what I said before, I shan't try to force Marie out of the academy even if you did lose."

"Thank you."

She adjusted her skirt. "I regret that you ended up at swordpoint with your cousin… but I won't lie and say that I repent of it. At least I know who you are now. It's a shame you never tried sharing that before - or to find out who I was."

"It's too late now," Julius told her.

"If you say that then I must accept it." She'd shown him enough tears, the duke's daughter decided. The rest could be in private and then she would have to face her father's anger over this. "I… even now, your highness, I shall wish for you to be happy. Somehow."

She turned in time to see his eyes closed. Not even looking at her.

The door closed behind Angelica with finality. If Julius had any last words for her, she didn't hear them.

The outside world had finally noticed what was happening. Or rather, they had had a chance to respond. While the academy wasn't really far outside of the capital, it took time for word to not only get there, but for it to reach the people who it concerned and for them to respond took a few days.

Somewhat to Leon's surprise, the first arrivals weren't representing the crown. Although… that had been how it happened in the book. He wasn't really sure why.

But whatever that factor was, it was still in effect. And thus, when Leon was marched into the rooms playing host to the guests - along with Angelica and her other four champions - there were two guests waiting. And they were marched, teachers had sought them all out and escorted them the whole way. The first guest was unfamiliar - a bearded man in his middle years, stood looking broodingly out of the window - but the other was known to Leon. Duke Jeffrey Rafa Stuart was lounging in one of the armchairs.

"Well daughter." The man by the window turned to look at Angelica. "I would have preferred to deal with this quietly, but it seems that you have forced my hand." That left no doubt who this was: Duke Vince Rafa Redgrave, perhaps the most powerful man in the kingdom after the king. For now.

Angelica bowed her head.

"Gerald, Alan." Jeffrey rose to his feet and strode towards his brothers. Both boys tensed but then he flung an arm around each of them and dragged them into a hug. "You aren't hurt, either of you?"

"No." Alan told him gruffly.

Gerald tried to pull back. "We're fine, Jeffrey."

There was a pause as everyone watched the hug. "Are you going to let go?" asked Alan.

"Never!" his oldest brother claimed.

"Well, so much for the dignity of the nobility," Duke Redgrave rumbled and then he reached out to Angelica. "Come here, Angelica."

The girl hesitated and then fell into her father's arms. Leon heard a sniffle from his side and glanced that way to see - beyond Keith who was for some 'mysterious reason' intent on keeping himself positioned between them - Katarina wiping away a slight tear.

The three of them allowed the family reunions to take place, despite betrayed looks from the younger Stuarts as they tried to pry themselves free from their brother.

After the two had succeeded, Duke Redgrave took the seat behind the room's one desk and Duke Stuart perched himself on the corner of it. "I trust you understand that there can be no reward for anything that the five of you did for my daughter," Redgrave declared. "So long as we treat this as a quarrel between children, the consequences can be contained to an extent - but if any of your actions were to be rewarded then it would have to be treated more seriously in other regards."

"None of us expected any rewards," Katarina declared confidently. "We were just helping Angelica."

The dukes eyed her for a moment, Stuart smiling somewhat enigmatically while Redgrave was more searching. Then the older man nodded and looked up at Leon.

The boy swallowed at the keen eyes examining him.

"Is this true of you as well, Lord Bartford? Unlike the rest of those involved, you're almost unknown to the upper ranks of the nobility. I could imagine a young man who has risen so far and so fast might have hoped for something more."

"That's an understandable concern, sir."

"And are you claiming it's not so?"

Leon forced a smile. "I have ambitions, yes. But this had nothing to do with them. You should know, unless you're quite out of touch, how serious a matter it is for most of the young men at the academy to find fiancees here. Prince Julius and his friends - with the exception of Lord Field - arrived with what most of us would consider the greatest possible treasures already in their hands: futures alongside quite admirable young ladies." He paused, letting the smile fade. "And they placed no value on their good fortune."

Redgrave nodded. "I accept your compliment of my daughter, although I had not heard that you are close."

Angelica looked pained. "Father…"

"Let him answer me, Angelica."

"I am on good terms with both of Duke Ades' daughters," Leon answered. "Although I doubt their father will be pleased with that, under the circumstances. And I respect Lady Atlee and your daughter. Perhaps, under other circumstances, we might even become friends. To look for more than that would be unreasonable of me, given our respective responsibilities."

The greying duke nodded approvingly. "Well said." His eyes narrowed. "A shame those who were supposed to be close to Angelica were less willing to stand up for her. While there should be no official sanction, you may have made powerful enemies."

"Respectfully, your grace. If they act on that then they will find that they have made a dangerous enemy themselves."

Jeffrey snorted. "By all accounts I've heard, when Viscount Marmoria's son threatened the Bartfords, you threatened his entire family in turn. Is that right?"

Leon nodded quietly.

"I suppose I should not expect you to be easily intimidated then." Redgrave nodded in satisfaction. "That may serve you well, if you survive. I think that between Duke Stuart and I, your family should not see themselves facing too much in the way of even informal displeasure. The king himself has professed himself willing to brush it off as boys being boys - if you will excuse being included in that, Lady Claes?"

"What?" the girl asked. "Oh, that's alright."

Keith covered his face in despair and the duke's lips quirked. "The Claes may also elect to extend their own protections. While Luigi isn't directly impacted by those young men's foolishness, I think Miranda is most aggrieved for her nieces' poor treatment."

"And my wife wouldn't tolerate anything happening to young Leon," added Jeffrey cheerfully. "She's taken quite a shine to him."

"Wh-what?" Angelica exclaimed.

"You've met Suzanna?" Gerald exclaimed, looking at Leon.

"Er… yes?"

Vince chuckled darkly. "I had no idea such a dark horse was lurking at the academy or I would have warned you to cultivate him, Angelica."

"What's so surprising?" asked Katarina. "Isn't Duchess Stuart…" She paused, frowned slightly and then tugged on Keith's sleeve. "Keith, have I met Duchess Stuart and just forgotten about it?"

"Our sister-in-law is famously reclusive," Alan told her. "I doubt you've met. She only attends a few formal occasions, just enough to meet her obligations."

"Indeed. A very great beauty, but Duke Jeffrey keeps her to himself," Redgrave confirmed. "And how did you come to her notice, young Bartford?"

Well I doubt most of the people here know she moonlights as a department head at the Ministry, Leon thought. And I've no cause to let them know - it might even annoy Duke Stuart. "We met briefly at the ball celebrating my mother's elevation to Countess. As to why she would remember me…" He shrugged.

"Suzanna likes interesting people," Jeffrey reminded his brothers.

"Thus her disinterest in most of noble society," Gerald riposted with a chill smile.

"Exactly!" His oldest brother threw his head back and laughed as if that was something to be proud of.

Katarina raised her hand for attention. "Is Angelica still going to have to marry Prince Julius, after all of this?"

"Certainly not!" exclaimed the old Duke. "My apologies, Angelica. I intended to tell you later but since the matter has arisen, I would absolutely not allow that person near my daughter in the future."

"I understand, father." Angelica lowered her eyes. "I agree that this is for the best."

"It will be necessary for you to be discreet in the future, particularly as many other matters remain undecided," Vince Rafa Redgrave continued. "The arrangements for your summer are being reconsidered, you can hardly stay at the palace as was previously envisaged. In general I would suggest that you all stay out of the public eye..." He looked at Leon and raised one questioning eyebrow.

"I will be doing a little treasure hunting a good long way from the continent and assisting on my family's islands," he answered unprompted.

Angelica looked intrigued but her father took her hand. "Not at the moment, Angelica, although if Lord Bartford is amenable then you may accompany him some other time." Then he turned back to Leon. "Speaking from my own experience, young man, I recommend caution when you are well out from your known haunts. An adventurer alone on the frontier may find themselves particularly vulnerable if there are those in the kingdom who would prefer you not return alive."

Leon bared his teeth slightly. "It would be silly to say that I would be careful, given the risks being an adventurer brings. But discretion is not entirely impossible." Besides, my plans don't involve adventuring on the frontier, as such, he added to himself - referring to the extent of the kingdom's borders that didn't border any organised realm as yet. While the aerial nature of islands meant there were few hard and fast boundaries, the Bartford barony and many others clustered along the sparsely settled region beyond the Duchy of the Ades. Most of the islands there had been settled over the last few generations and the sky beyond was believed to have few if any more within ready range of most skyships.

Hope sprang eternal, of course - and it was where he had found Luxion. But he wasn't planning on anything that random in results for his summer.