Episode 27: Part 2

The next morning, the snowstorm had subsided and the air had become unusually bright and calm. Fresh snow coated the royal palace and blanketed the icy city of Arctis Tor while the sunlight glistened off the reflective surfaces of the buildings. If the coming situation was not so dire, the serene sight of the Winter city would almost be a lovely distraction.

After a light breakfast, the knights were escorted from their quarters and brought to the throne room. The king and queen had not arrived yet but the chambers were filled with guards, lesser knights, and several Elven nobles of Winter. Near the head of the congregation, the humans recognized Lord Sigurd, one of the court's highest ranking members and the counterpart of Lord Gwydion in Summer.

While the spectators milled about, Connor, Quinton, and Noelle gathered around Laura to give her some last minute encouragement and grooming.

Quinton gave Laura a neck massage while Noelle fussed over her friend's appearance all the while voicing their concern over her. Connor stood by and crossed his arms with a worried look before tuning to the Winter Knight, "So it looks like you're going to be partaking a faerie duel for real this time, huh?"

"Yeah... seems that way," she simply nodded.

Connor grimaced and spoke quietly, "Well, I already know you're going to wipe the floor with that guy and you probably don't need me inflating your ego any more but... just do me a favor? Please be careful out there Laura."

Laura stopped and turned her head, gracing him with a small appreciative smile and nod, "I will... thank you Connor."

As Stephen moved to join them nearby, he was stopped when he felt a tap on the shoulder. He slowly turned and gasped in surprise when he found that it was Sir Tamlin... the fey knight who allegedly had been revealed as his true father. Tamlin glanced around quickly and spoke in a low voice, "Stephen... I... may I have a few minutes to speak with you? Alone?"

Stephen blinked several times and nodded silently before the two moved off to a far corner of the chamber to speak. Once they were clear, Tamlin studied the Silver Knight and gave a sigh, "You've grown into an impressive young man."

"Really? You're suddenly going to act nice... like you know me all of a sudden?" Stephen said defensively, "All I know is that you're going to go out there and try to kill one of my friends today."

Tamlin grimaced and looked away, "I don't blame you for being upset or suspicious Stephen, but you have to know that even though what Mab said is true, I never meant for you to be abandoned. I never knew you were still alive."

The Silver Knight breathed deeply to contain his emotions, "All right... if that's true, then tell me what happened. Everyone here in Winter seems to know except for me."

Tamlin nodded and spoke quietly, "I met your mother many years ago in the mortal world. Against my better judgment and the will of the Winter Court, I fell in love with her and carried on a long affair. In all honesty, we didn't expect your being born but when you did, Queen Mab found out and was furious that one of her high ranking knights had disobeyed her. She set out to punish me and sent her agents to try and kill you two. From what Mab has told me now, it seems your mother got you to the safety of a public shelter before the Winter fey took her for good. I had been told you were both dead and I should just forget you. Instead of being disgraced, this was my punishment... to live with that grief as my reminder to never defy the rulers of Winter again."

Stephen paused and nodded, feeling his anger abate and a hint of sympathy and pity replace it. Tamlin glanced up again, "I know this does not make up for my not being a part of your life, and I'm sorry you had to endure that. But I still wanted this one last chance to see you because I'm going to make amends today. I'm going to make things right by you and fight my last duel."

Stephen frowned in confusion, "I don't understand... what are you talking about?"

Before Stephen could say anything more, the soldiers snapped to attention as King Fenris and Queen Mab entered the chambers and took their seats upon their icy thrones. As they presided quietly over the coming battle, the other servants and guards cleared out to make room for the two combatants. Laura steeled herself and raised her ring to transform into the Winter Knight amid a blue light and burst of icy snowflakes. She drew her rapier and handed it to Stephen before striding forward to address the King and Queen of Winter.

As she stopped and stood alongside Sir Tamlin, she saw that the Elven Knight had girded himself in an impressive suit of light armor which was a step up from that worn by the rank and file Winter soldiers. He regarded her with a silent stony nod before they looked to the two seated monarchs and bowed. As the two combatants walked back to their respective seconds, a herald made the opening announcements and read the rules.

"Here stands Sir Tamlin, a champion of the Winter Court chosen by her Royal Highness Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness. The challenger today is Lady Laura Gremory, a Tuathan knight of Somerset Valley in the Mortal Realm. This is a duel to the death and it shall be conducted honorably. There will be no backstabbing, no throwing of weapons, or accepting of any assistance from the rest of those here present. You will attend to your weapons and begin on my mark."

Laura looked to her fellow knights and gave a reassuring nod before taking her sword from Stephen. She stepped forward and addressed Tamlin with a duelist's salute before taking a ready stance. The champion of the Winter Court did the same with his own sword and the main floor cleared out. Both combatants squared up and at the signal began to slowly advance, watching each others movements. Both knights wielded rapier type swords and approached each other with the careful calculating movements of skilled fencers. As she circled and looked for any sort of opening, Laura couldn't help but be reminded of her first duel against Connor a year ago. While that fight had technically ended in a civil draw, she realized that this was a must win situation against a warrior who likely shared her own fighting style as well.

Tamlin sprung first with a lightning fast thrust, but Laura parried the sword aside and countered only to have her rapier deflected as well. Both duelists rolled off the others momentum and broke apart, going back to neutral stances. Tamlin paced around slowly while staring her down and took several light probing slashes which Laura easily fended off. She growled as she kept her guard up. He was testing her and maybe even toying with her. As the nimble fey warrior circled around again, Laura feinted and locked blades with her opponent before sliding her blade in and using a whirling motion to cut through her enemy's guard. Tamlin gasped and backpedaled away just in time for the tip of Laura's rapier to score a long nick against his breastplate.

The human knights all gave hopeful smiles as Laura raised her guard again with determination. She had scored the first touch, but to win this match, her blade still had to find home with her foe's vulnerable flesh. Tamlin snorted with an amused smile as he readied himself again for another clash. "It seems I underestimated you Lady Laura. You've got some skill with the sword."

Laura held her ready stance and decided to try and goad her opponent, "Why don't you stop playing around and let me show you just how skilled I am."

Tamlin laughed and sprung forward with great speed locking blades with her again. To Laura's surprise, he threw his full weight forward and bullrushed her backwards which knocked her slightly off balance. As she raised her blade to push back, Tamlin parried and struck the side of her helmet with a vicious backhand punch. The Winter Knight staggered back again before she felt her foe's icy blade nick her in the thigh at a point that wasn't fully covered by armor plating. The magic of the blade sent an icy chill up her leg causing momentary pain and paralysis.

Tamlin continued to circle like a predatory animal while Laura regained her footing and gritted her teeth through the minor injury. She had boasted and now had been repaid in kind. The knights and the rest of the court remained silent, holding their collective breaths as the two lashed out again and exchanged a series of feinting slashes and thrusts. Tamlin pressed his attack and knocked aside Laura's rapier with a barehanded block. The Winter Knight quickly countered into an unexpected spin and surprised her enemy with a left hook to the chin. As Tamlin staggered from the punch, Laura followed through with her momentum and slashed him just under the arm where his armor was weak, giving him an injury as well.

Gasps were heard from the fey while the human knights gave a subdued cheer. On their thrones, the monarchs watched silently with amused smiles as the warriors squared up and tipped each others swords. Tamlin slumped to one side trying to compensate for his wound while Laura did the same keeping her weight off her injured leg. Tamlin slapped her rapier with his own in a threatening gesture, "What are you waiting for girl? Queen Mab is right! You are scared!"

Laura growled and tightened her grip on her blade, "I don't want to have to kill you Tamlin! We don't have to fight and you know it!"

Sir Tamlin glanced toward the Winter monarchs before looking to Stephen and back to her again. A conflicted look flickered across his face before he hardened his expression again, "Come now Lady Laura... don't you want to be a hero? Think about it. If you defeat me, you make an even stronger case for convincing Winter to join the Alliance. Isn't that what you want?"

"Of course!" Laura shot back as they exchanged a few more blows and used their agility to keep maneuvering, "But Stephen..."

"My son understands what's at stake here!" he roared, "If you still don't, then maybe the ring of Winter should have chosen him instead. If you're going to attack, then come at me as if you really mean to kill me!"

Tamlin charged forward and broke through Laura's guard. He slashed her in the side, but her armor protected her. As the blow knocked the wind from her lungs, he kicked her backwards but she stopped her fall with a desperate rolling tumble. The court gasped again as Tamlin moved for a downward slash which was countered by Laura. At the last minute, she sliced upward and wounded Tamlin's forearm causing him to drop his blade. Laura immediately sprung in desperate fury and knocked him backward, driving him to the ground. Before Tamlin could react, she put the tip of her rapier right to the gap in his armor at his exposed throat.

"Well done!" King Fenris cheered while Mab applauded in sadistic glee, "Now... finish the job Winter Knight."

Laura stared at the king and queen panting in exhaustion before glancing back to the fey knight at her mercy. He looked back to her with a stony expression, as if he was accepting the situation... that a younger stronger winter wolf was about to clamp down on his throat. Both duelists took a moment to catch their breath as Laura remained indecisive. Tamlin panted and fixed his eyes on her, "Well? What are you waiting for? Do it already!"

"I... I can't," Laura said quietly, "Stephen might not have his true mother anymore, but I'm not going to be responsible for taking his father."

Tamlin glanced toward Stephen on the sidelines and then back to Laura forcing a scoff, "You speak as if you knew his mother. You know nothing about her! She was nothing to me!"

"What?"

"You heard me! She was a fool!" Tamlin said sharply, "A stupid whore who couldn't resist a handsome face and a few kind words. Pathetic!"

"Shut up!" Laura growled in growing fury as she felt the need to defend her own friend. On the sidelines, Stephen watched fearfully. He winced at the words being said, but he understood why Tamlin was saying it. He needed to goad Laura into following through. Tamlin was sacrificing himself so that the Grand Alliance would have a chance of forming. It was daring in its own way... suicidal, honorable, and daring.

Tamlin scoffed again with a bitter laugh, "Don't tell me my son Stephen has put the same spell on you. Is that all you are? Is that all you're going to amount to? A scared stupid pathetic little whore?"

In that moment of pure blind emotion, Laura let her rage and indignation get the better of her. She drove the blade home and Tamlin leaned into the rapier as well. The court fell silent and the human knights all stood speechless while Laura stared into the face of the dying fey knight. Blood began bubbling from Tamlin's neck and pooling on the frozen floor as Laura straightened up and let the moment of fury pass. She looked down in shock and horror and what she had done but Tamlin smiled back to her with a serene nod. He wheezed and coughed a few small gobs of blood before leaning his head back and whispering to her, "Thank you."

The Winter Knight breathed heavily and slowly rose to her feet before looking to Fenris and Mab. Laura bowed her head slightly and turned to glance at her own fellow knights with a shell shocked look. She dropped her sword to the floor and let it clatter away while the noise echoed in the chamber. Without a word, she slowly limped away and headed out the doors of the throne room leaving every person there still silent in shock, fear, and awe.

Once she had departed, Stephen slowly walked over and knelt down beside the fallen form of Sir Tamlin. He placed a hand on Tamlin's cuirass and spoke quietly, "I do understand... but I'm sorry this had to happen. If it helps to secure the Alliance and ensure victory over Balor... then there's only one thing I have to say... thank you."

He felt Noelle put her hands on his shoulders from behind in a comforting gesture while Connor and Quinton stood close by with somber looks on their faces. Queen Mab watched the grieving Silver Knight before giving a sigh, "He was a good knight of Winter and he did his duty. I would be proud of him too."

Stephen looked up slowly, "I am... and with respect, I'd like to ask that he be given a proper burial with honor."

Mab nodded and turned to Lord Sigurd before departing with the king, "See to the Silver Knight's request."

Sigurd bowed and looked to his guardsmen as Stephen, Quinton, and Connor began to lift the fallen warrior up from the ground, "The Queen gave an order. Now who will help the mortals carry Lord Tamlin?"