The next day was snowy, and the day after was the winter solstice.
As every year, to celebrate the first winter days, a knight's tournament was held at the Royal Castle, in the central courtyard. The battlements above were covered in snow and a dozen pages had to clear the courtyard so the knights could fight. When you looked down on the capital from a tower, you could see the thatched and slate roofs completely white, and the streets full of townsfolk carrying wood or clearing their stoops.
Comfortable armchairs covered in velvet and fur were set up on either side of the courtyard to allow the nobles to sit in comfort and warmth. Behind a wooden barrier, the rest of the public could watch the tournament: the large gate leading to the courtyard had been opened to welcome townsfolk and peasants wishing to take part in the festivities. Although they were forced to stand, they had at their disposal a large table covered with food - mostly small cakes and pastries - generously donated by the Queen on the occasion of the winter solstice. The royal family's banners were displayed on the walls : two golden keys intersecting, a stylized K between them, all on a deep blue background.
For her part, Queen Cassandra, dressed in a magnificent white and pale blue dress which enhanced her bright cerulean eyes and jewels, was seated on the highest armchair ; her husband, king consort Tobias, covered with an ermine fur-lined cape, was at her right ; at her left, Councillor Heimerdinger, his long elvish ears and several strands of his long venetian blond hair protruding from his silver fur cape, was pensively stroking his white moustache and short beard ; princess Caitlyn, dressed with the same colours as her mother, was placed before her parents, positioned so that the knights in the ring could see her clearly - as if she was a kind of living, inaccessible trophee.
Among the other lords attending the ceremony were Marquis Von Hoskel, Countess Shoola, Cardinal Bolbok, Marquis Salo and Duchess Mel Medarda of Noxus. The latter was, as usual, absolutely stunning in her dazzling white dress with gold stitching and her breathtaking golden make-up, enhancing her dark skin. As she saw her, Caitlyn felt relieved a bit : all the knights' eyes would certainly be on her instead of the princess - with her perfect posture and fine, charming smile, the duchess was like a shining sun in the midst of the assembly of nobles. This diversion would give Caitlyn the opportunity to relax a bit and let her thoughts wander to a certain pink-haired knight who was infinitely more interesting than any of those taking part in the tournament…
She was taken back to present when the herald stood in the middle of the courtyard and announced in a clear, loud voice:
"Hear ye, ladies and gentlemen ! In keeping with tradition, it is my great privilege to announce today the initiation of the annual knights' tournament to celebrate the twenty-second summer solstice under the reign of our beloved queen ! Glory to Queen Cassandra and House Kiramman ! Shall they remain prosperous for the sake of our glorious Kingdom !"
Cheerings and applause rose among the people's audience ; among the nobles, a silence filled with respect and deference settled in. Then, everyone bowed their heads reverently as they turned to the Queen, sitting impassively in her majestic seat, the sun's rays shining on the bright blue of the sapphires and royal diamonds encrusted in her crown of solid gold and velvet.
Finally, she waved her gloved hand elegantly, signalling the knights to begin their joust.
There were knights and volunteer nobles from all Piltover - each of them proudly wearing their lord's House crest. The first to clash were petty nobles, most of them from the less fertile lands of the kingdom's southern border, or lone knights with no land of their own. The spectacle greatly amused the public and managed to divert the attention of the great lords for a while; however, the real stakes only began when the champions fighting for the most important Houses of the kingdom took to the stage.
The first ones were Sir Adalbert, vassal of House Hoskel - thus bearing Hoskel crest, a golden rose on a brown background, on his shield - and his opponent Zir Ash, fighting for House Salo (zir shield decorated with Salo's silver falcon on a purple background). The tension between the two marquis during the fight was palpable ; the joust was much longer than the previous. Eventually, Sir Adalbert managed to unbalance Zir Ash on zir horse, and Salo's vassal fell heavily on the ground. As non-lethal rules were settled for this kind of ceremonies, this meant the end of the confrontation. Von Hoskel, victorious, laughed loudly, while Salo pinched his nose and grimaced haughtily : his disdain for Marquis Von Hoskel was well known at the royal court.
On her side, Caitlyn paid very little attention to the tournament. As for the last two days, she was thinking about her encounter in the dungeon with the prisoner. Silco… This name seemed to mean a lot for Violet Warwick, who said it with such emotion in her voice. Who was this terrible man, seemingly the knight's worst enemy ? There certainly was a complicated family story - and Caitlyn was eager to learn it - but how could she make the prisoner talk ? And would it explain how General Grayson died exactly ?
The princess sighed : she did not have enough courage to return to the dungeon for two days. She did not even know why she wanted to do so so much - as a princess bound by royal obligations, it was not as if she could avenge Grayson's death anyway. She had no real reasons to return here… or at least she tried to convince herself to shut down an unknown and unsettling feeling deep in her soul.
The last fight caught her attention again : Sir Adalbert, who won all his previous jousts, was now facing the last champion, Lady Elora, vassal of House Medarda. The female knight was dressed in armour made of white metal and black leather : the golden sword painted on her white shield, representing Medarda crest, was the only hint of colour in her eye-catching outfit.
Elora bowed discreetly to the duchess, who smiled at her ; then she closed her helmet and leapt onto her magnificent shiny black horse, while Adalbert was saying something to his groom, before finally getting on his brown mare. They spent several moments facing each other from the opposite sides of the long arena ; as it was the last joust, the princess was the one who gave the signal for them to begin, by dropping an immaculate handkerchief on the ground.
At the very moment the tissue hit the soil, the two knights rushed against each other. As Adalbert's round-tipped spear had almost reached Elora, the latter suddenly lowered herself onto her mount and easily avoided the blow. The audience let out a cry of surprise, but they did not have much time to recover from their astonishment : with a quick and fluid movement, Knight Elora turned her horse 180 degrees and, with Adalbert's back still half to her, delivered a short but precise blow to his ribs.
Unprepared and completely unbalanced, Hostel's knight let out a grunt and fell from his horse. The audience stayed silent for a moment, trying to get what just happened ; then, they started to cheer and applaud the female knight's performance.
"Your vassal has quite an… unconventional fighting method," Caitlyn heard Von Hoskel say to Medarda, who simply answered:
"We Noxians have quite a different definition of war than Piltover, my dear. My sincere apologies for everyone who bet on Sir Adalbert though…"
Von Hoskel frowned and turned away from the beautiful duchess. The trophy was awarded to Lady Elora, who bowed before the Queen as she declared the tournament officially closed, then the festivities began.
A dozen musicians took place where the knights had previously fought and started to play and sing. Servants took away the wooden barriers and brought a long table instead, then various meals. The people who assisted the jousts could also feast on the many pastries and candied fruits the royal family offered them : it was a display of the crown's wealth and power. Of course, the nobles' meals were way more refined and subtle than those addressed to the people ; overall, all seemed plainly satisfied with the ceremony and the festivities, and the ambiance was joyful and relaxed.
While Caitlyn picked bits of food from several plates, she suddenly felt guilty : she was eating here, listening to music, comfortably stuck in furs and velvet, while there was a prisoner down here freezing in her small cell and probably hungry all day…
The princess looked around : nobody was paying her attention. Discreetly, she grabbed four or five small cupcakes and hid them under her fur cape.
Next to her, Counsellor Heimerdinger was chatting with Cardinal Bolbok about magic. The princess' curiosity was aroused, and she listened to them:
"Janna, our beloved goddess, definitely forbids the use of Zaun's unholy magic, Counsellor, " said Bolbok in a stern voice. "Whoever is this young mage you're talking about, you will definitely have my support to have him banished from the kingdom if the situation requires it.
"Thank you very much, my dear," Heimerdinger retorted in his high-pitched, charming voice, while absentmindedly stroking his pet poro's back. "I certainly will ask for your wise advice when I'll figure out the seriousness of the situation and the number of people involved."
Caitlyn's eyes widened : they certainly were talking about her friend Jayce Thalis ! After her visit in the dungeon, she completely forgot the battle mage and his story about the stones… She had to check on him and warn him about what was going on : Heimerdinger seemed to be plotting in order to banish him from Piltover !
"Are you feeling well, Caitlyn ?" her father's voice suddenly sounded on her other side.
She jumped a bit on her chair, then faced King Tobias, whose kind face displayed genuine worry about his daughter.
"Yes, Father, I'm fine. Sorry… I need to go now, I'm not hungry anymore."
"Wait, Caitlyn…"
But, before he managed to stop her, the princess stood up and quickly left the party.
She rushed through the dark corridors and headed directly to the Royal Forge - the most likely place where she could find Jayce. She passed a few servants busy bringing dishes for the banquet, or mopping the floor, taking advantage of the absence of the nobles inside the castle to do their job unseen : they bowed hurriedly, but she did not pay them any attention.
The Forge was in the Small Courtyard, north to the Great one where tournaments took place. For immemorial times, House Thalis provided all of the Royal Blacksmiths - until Jayce, who was the first of his clan gifted with magical powers. He was provided proper magical education, but as the heir of the blacksmiths' House, he still was responsible for the castle's weaponry : his role as a mage was to enchant weapons - a quite boring task, he once admitted to Caitlyn.
She remembered the young man's curiosity and ingeniosity : it would be a great loss for the kingdom if he were exiled - plus she would lose her only true friend. While trying to avoid this horrible thought, she rushed inside the forge and looked around, hoping to find her friend.
There was nobody…
"Can I help you…? Oh, Your Majesty !" a feminine voice sounded somewhere behind her.
Caitlyn faced the woman : it was Ximenia Thalis, Jayce's mother. She was carrying wood, probably to stoke the forge's fire.
"Lady Thalis, did you see your son recently ?" the princess asked hurriedly. "It's very important !"
"I… he… I don't know… the last time I saw him, he was with a friend of his… I think they went into town."
"A friend ? Who ?"
Ximenia seemed surprised.
"I don't know him, Your Majesty. He's a pale wizard with a cane, and he has a foreign accent…"
Caitlyn blinked, trying to work out who it could be. Jayce excepted, she did not really know many mages or sorcerers… Suddenly, she remembered what Jayce told her two days ago : "I thought it was that creepy wizard again… you know, the limping one, Heimerdinger's assistant.".
Yes, of course, she remembered now ! Indeed, Counsellor Heimerdinger had an assistant with a cane - a discreet, small man, Caitlyn never really noticed him or talked with him (she even better knew Heimerdinger's poro than his assistant). It could only be him…
"Thank you very much, Ximenia !" she thanked the old woman, before hurrying outside.
If Jayce was with Heimerdinger's assistant… was it too late ? What could she do ? As a royal princess, she could not just go outside the castle without a close-knit guard. She could try to sneak outside - but everytime she did that before, twice or thrice, she always was helped by… Jayce, who hid her with his magic.
No, she could not do anything. She had to wait for Jayce's return… anyway, they could not exile him without a proper trial ! She'll try to convince her mother to let him be - as hard as it might be.
As Caitlyn walked through the long dark corridors, trying to elaborate a plan to help her friend, she suddenly bumped into someone behind a corner…
"Oh, Your Majesty, what a rush !" said a melodious female voice.
Astonished, Caitlyn's gaze fell on the unmistakable white and golden dress of Duchess Medarda. The young princess then raised her eyes to face the beautiful woman's face. Medarda was slightly smiling at her, as if amused by something.
"Lady Medarda ? What… what are you doing here ? I thought you were outside, with the others…
"Oh, my dear princess, I'm tired of all of these festivities… but I could ask you the same question."
Caitlyn bit her lower lip and looked away, trying to determine whether or not she should be honest with the duchess. After all, she did not know the woman that well : Medarda came to Piltover quite recently, as the official ambassador of Noxus. She quickly became accustomed to the local customs, though, but was she trustworthy ?
"I'm.. I was searching for a friend," the blue-haired young woman finally confessed. "But it seems he's not in the castle…"
"A friend, you say ? Hmmm…"
Medarda's smile amplified, and it took several moments for Caitlyn to finally understand what the duchess was insinuating. Irritated, she raised her hands a bit as if to defend herself and replied without thinking:
"He's in danger, I heard Heimerdinger plotting to banish him from the kingdom because of some nonsense stuff ! I need to warn him before it is too late…"
"Heimerdinger, you say ?"
Medarda's interest suddenly increased. Caitlyn quickly thought : Medarda and Heimerdinger never liked each other. They were often plotting something against their political opponent. Maybe… maybe if she could convince Medarda so, the duchess would use her influence to protect Jayce ?
She decided the noblewoman deserved the truth - or at least, a part of it.
"Yes, Heimerdinger. My friend is a mage and he discovered something, something that would help many other mages and sorcerers, but Heimerdinger wants to remain the powerfullest mage in Piltover so he is trying to banish him."
Medarda was definitely interested in what she was saying.
"And what's your friend's name ?" she asked.
"Jayce Thalis.
"The blacksmith's son ?
"Yes, indeed."
Mel looked up, already working on a plan. Caitlyn patiently waited. Finally, the duchess met her eyes and smiled softly.
"Thank you very much, my dear princess. I'll see what I can do for you.
"I must thank you, Lady Medarda - I will owe you a great debt of gratitude if you successfully protect my friend."
They bowed slightly to each other in greeting, then parted as if nothing had happened. Caitlyn thought she did all she could in her position : with a chance, Medarda would help Jayce just to sabotage Heimerdinger's plans. And in the worst case, she still could try to negotiate and ask her mother a favour…
Without her perceiving it at first, she suddenly noticed her paces led her close to the stairs leading to the dungeon. It made her remember : the cupcakes ! She hid them in the folds of her dress to later give them to one of Violet's guards so that they would bring them to her. But now she was here… maybe she could just go downstairs and bring the cupcakes herself ?
With a guilty shrug, she squeezed through the narrow passage and silently descended.
"Halt, who's there ?" sounded a male voice when she stepped into the dark corridor of the dungeon.
Caitlyn panicked at first, then rationalised her fear : she was a royal princess after all, she could go wherever she wanted ! She let the young man - she did not know his name, he was a new recruit - approach her, then she spoke in a severe tone:
"Do you think you are paid enough for your job ?"
The guard froze in place and started to stutter confusedly:
"P…p…Your…
"I repeat my question," Caitlyn interrupted him quickly. " Do you think you are paid enough for your job ?"
Shaking, completely out of breath, the guard only managed to nod, his mouth wide open.
"Good. So, for now : whenever I go there, you will receive one gold coin, but only if you respect my rules. Do you want to know my rules ?"
A new nod. The guard was still terrified - he had never seen the princess or any member of the royal family this close - but he seemed to understand what she was saying.
"So, rule number one : never talk to anybody about my visits. If you say even one single word, I'll know it and you'll be banished forever from the kingdom."
The guard nodded again, his eyes wide in fear : at least he wasn't ready to forget this rule !
"Rule number two," Caitlyn resumed, "whenever I go there, you'll leave the dungeon and leave me alone with the prisoner. You won't have to go far, only somewhere in the staircase, so that you can't hear us."
New nod. This rule was not so much about privacy, but more about security : if someone would go to the dungeon, the guard would descend and Caitlyn would know she had to hide herself.
"Is that clear ?" she finally asked, hoping the young man understood her well.
"Y…yes, Your…"
She interrupted him again with a wave of her hand.
"What is your name ?" she asked him. She had to know exactly who her new "ally" was.
"R… recruit S…S… Sting, Your…
"Thank you, recruit Sting," she cut him off again. "Now… do you remember Rule Two ?"
Sting hesitated a bit, before nodding again then rushing into the staircase. Caitlyn smiled, proud of herself : finally, her title was useful for something ! She did not know she could bear so much authority…
"Well done, Milady ! And I still don't know your name !"
She jumped. Someone - someone really ? - was applauding her from within her cell.
When she approached, Knight Violet was looking at her with her amused grey-blue eyes.
"Did I miss you too ?
"I just…I just brought you some cupcakes, they were too much of them for me, it would have been a food waste to not give them to someone else," Caitlyn lied while slightly blushing.
Violet raised an eyebrow and took a few steps closer to the prison bars. Caitlyn tried very hard to not stare at her broad shoulders and finely muscular forearms (she was wearing nothing but a sleeveless leather jacket and black canvas trousers, her shirt lying on the straw mattress that served as her bed).
"Cupcake ? Yeah, that might be the word…" Violet said mysteriously.
"The word for what ?" Caitlyn asked, frowning, as she passed the pastries through the prison bars.
"The word to describe you," the knight smiled at her somehow mockingly. "You know, I spent two whole days thinking about how I should call you : Fairy ? Nah, those are too naughty. Flower ? Yeah, you smell like one of them, but flowers are also passive and too delicate in my opinion, it wasn't fitting. Princess ?" At this word, Caitlyn's heart almost stopped. "No, a princess would never be brave or smart enough to investigate herself about the death of a knight."
For some reason, Caitlyn felt offended at this statement : a princess never chose her fate, it was imposed by the will of others ! She was just as much a prisoner, bound by royal etiquette, than the Zaunite knight facing her.
"But Cupcake ?" Violet resumed without noticing Caitlyn's frustration. "You're soft, but consistent and good ; you smell nice, but you're not too delicate." She took a bite of the cupcake Caitlyn gave her. "Cupcake is definitely an accurate word to describe you.
"Well, thank you very much for your little literary demonstration, Knight Violet," Caitlyn said somewhat coldly, "but now you're finished, I have to go to other occupations.
"Wha… Lady Cupcake, you have to leave already ?"
Caitlyn sighed : the pink-haired knight was looking at her with big puppy eyes. The princess internally mocked herself : she had not to be offended because of what Violet said before about princesses, she was just joking - she did not know Caitlyn was a princess after all ! Zaunite's sense of humour was less subtle and refined than Piltovan's, she had to forgive her involuntary clumsiness.
"Well… maybe I can wait a bit," she smiled at the prisoner, who seemed genuinely reassured. "Would you like to hear about today's royal tournament ?
"There was a tournament ? When ? Where ?" Violet exclaimed in amazement, her mouth still full.
Caitlyn smiled again : she was definitely growing fond of that strange prisoner.
They spent about two hours together, talking about knight's jousts and tournaments as if they were long time friends, before Caitlyn really had to go.