Main Gauche
by Amaretto

Main Gauche

by Amaretto

"Victory to Epee!"

Cheers erupted from the small crowd gathered to watch the most recent duel - something that occurred at least daily. Ignoring them, Epee allowed his second to take his weapons and accepted a cloth to wipe the sweat from his brow. He grinned at the shorter man, "Not too bad, little brother. You really are the best second in town, thanks for the advice. See to it my sword is touched up?"

"Of course," the other man nodded his head politely. "Your fighting was excellent, Epee. But..."

"But?" Epee lifted a brow. "Out with it, Dagger."

"But your defense is getting sloppy. It does no good to always rely on offense, especially with your fighting style." He indicated the sword held in his hand.

Epee laughed, "Very well then, I shall have Sabre drill me tonight. That will improve my defense considerably. Anything else, Dagger?"

"No. You can pick up your sword this afternoon."

"Off with you then, stepbrother. I wouldn't want Hammer getting mad at me for keeping you from your work." With a wave Epee glided away into the crowd, responding to compliments and banter as if he were entitled to them.

Dagger sighed and turned in the other direction, heading down the main road until he reached a large blacksmith's shop at the end of it. Smoke was already billowing out, and he sighed again as he stepped inside. "Sorry I'm late, Hammer. I had--"

"Another duel. I figured lad. Which one did you play main gauche to this time?"

"Epee."

The blacksmith grunted, not pausing in his work as he spoke to his apprentice, "Those stepbrothers of yours need to learn to stay out of trouble. They won't come out the winners in every duel."

"Well they're not likely to lose any time soon, so convincing them to stop is impossible. As you say, aren't some lessons best learned the hard way?" Dagger finished tying on his heavy apron, pulling his black hair tightly back and rolling up his sleeves before getting to work on the various chores around the shop. "What's on the schedule for today, boss? Oh, I also told Epee I'd have his sword ready by this afternoon."

"Well, set his sword by the others and I'll have it ready for him. It'll cost him, of course."

"He knows it." Dagger was flipping through a ledger on the counter in the front area of the shop, "Rather light schedule today. I'm surprised. Did everyone decide to stop fighting for once?"

Hammer made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a grunt, "Hardly. I just didn't have a lot of scheduled work today. I'm sure we'll get plenty of 'emergencies' to keep us occupied. And the prince is about due for another visit," he paused briefly to peer at his apprentice. "Not that you would care," he said with a smirk.

"Shut up, Hammer." Dagger dropped the ledger back down on the worn table where it was kept and began to start sorting through the weapons and tools in need of repair. He paused as he came to set of three daggers, "Where did these come from? They're fine pieces, even with the wear."

"Some lord or another wants them spruced up for an auction."

"Ah. From one lord to another, eh? These should be used, not put on a rack and forgotten." His pale green eyes examined every detail of the finely made blades.

The blacksmith went back to hammering away at a sword, "You can work on those during lunchtime while I'm dropping off the blades I finished yesterday. And don't start worrying; I'll be back before his highness is here. Though it might do you some good to actually talk to him. All this mooning is driving me crazy."

"I'm not mooning!"

"Right. Guess they must call it something else these days. Looks like you got some company coming. If they want to drag you out to fight, I don't care. Just see you're back to work on those blades at lunch." Hammer nodded at the group of men quickly approaching.

Dagger groaned, "Can't they pick a fight without dragging me into it?"

"Hardly. It's your own fault for being such an excellent main gauche, isn't it?"

"As if I planned to be the most popular second in town," Dagger grumbled as the small group of men finally reached the blacksmith shop. "Hello, brother."

"Dagger, my boy." Sabre clapped him on the back, "Just the man I wanted to see. I'm having a bit of a quarrel with Lord Sharp and am in need of a second. Ol' Hammer won't mind if I borrow you for a bit, will he?"

Hammer waved them off, "Just see you don't borrow him for too long a bit, hear me?"

"We'll have your slave back in good time, never fear. Thanks, Hammer."

Dagger grumbled, "Funny how no one asks if I want to be a second."

"Of course you do, little brother. Better than never being in a duel at all, and besides you're good at it."

"Whatever you say." Dagger sighed heavily as for the second time that morning he found himself in the dueling square. He eyed the rather irate man on the opposite side. "What exactly did you do to annoy him, Sabre?"

"Actually," his brother said, "I didn't do it this time. Believe it or not I was just out to buy a new pair of boots. He picked this fight."

"That's odd."

Rapier nodded, "It's been rather an odd morning. Now, let's get started."

"Right. Your weapon?" Dagger held out his hands to accept his stepbrother's sabre, turning on his heel and carrying it to the center of the square to exchange weapons with the opponent's second. He carefully examined Lord Sharp's rapier, at last handing it back with a brief nod. "The weapon is approved."

"As is this one," the other second said shortly. The two returned to their respective duelists.

Dagger frowned up at his gold-haired brother, "Are you and Epee ever going to quit this? It's not good to duel so frequently."

"Pish-posh." Sabre ruffled his hair, laughing at the younger man's angry protests. "We're the best swordsmen in the village, Epee and I. With you as our second, things can't go wrong. Any words of advice, dear brother?"

"Sharp likes to use feints. Very seldom does he move as he initially seems he's going to. If he appears to move left, go right. Try to lure him into taking a strong offensive."

Sabre grinned and ruffled his hair again, "Thanks, little brother." He raised his sword, facing his rival. "My Lord Sharp, I--"

"Halt! Halt I say!" a commanding voice interrupted the proceedings. They all stared in surprise at the white horse rapidly approaching them, bearing what was clearly a royal messenger. "No duels!" The messenger came to an abrupt halt, sliding off his horse in one smooth motion and beckoning the duelers to his side. "No more duels, gentlemen." He addressed Sharp and Sabre, "Whom might you Lords be?"

"I am Sabre Rapier, this is Lord Sharp."

"Very well." With a flourish, the messenger pulled two envelopes from a bulky bag slung across his shoulder. "This, Lord Rapier, you may carry to your household. Lord Sharp, this is for you. There are to be no more duels until after the tournament, effective immediately. Consider this private disagreement postponed, understood?"

"Yes, sir," the two men chorused respectfully, bowing as the messenger mounted his horse and immediately dashed off to continue his deliveries. They looked at each other.

Sabre carefully tore open his own envelope, "Suppose I should have given this to father." He shrugged, reading the contents, "Well would you look at this. Dagger, read this. The King is holding a tournament to determine who is the most able fighter in his kingdom. Wonder why... wow, that's quite the bold prize."

Dagger took the elegant looking notification as his brother handed it over, frowning thoughtfully as he read the contents. "Whatever the winner wants? That doesn't seem very smart a thing to offer."

"It's because he doesn't expect anyone to win it. This is set up for the Crown Prince to win, I'd wager. Showing off his reclusive son to the kingdom." Lord Sharp was derisive, "It's a clever maneuver. I mean who would be dumb enough to defeat the Heir, even if they were able to? Besides me, that is. Well it should prove amusing, anyway. I'd better go show this to father and Epee. Better get back to work, Dagger. Tell Hammer I'm sorry for dragging you away."

"I will," Dagger watched his brother and the rest depart before turning and slowly making his way to the blacksmith shop.

He stumbled to a halt as he caught sight of the man speaking to Hammer.

The blacksmith saw him and grinned, "There you are, Dagger. His Highness here has been telling me some interesting news."

"Ah..."

Hammer's grin widened as he shifted his attention back to his visitor, "Anyway Prince Katan, your weapon will be ready by the day after tomorrow. I'll make sure it's good and ready for the tournament."

"Thank you, Hammer. I appreciate it; you're the best in the business. Have a good day," the prince turned and nodded absently at Dagger before hiding once more beneath the hood of his cloak and vanishing into the streets.

The blacksmith looked at Dagger, "You're hopeless if you can't even manage to say hello to the man."

"He's the heir to the throne! Even if I could manage to say anything, it's not like there's any point. He's way out of my league, Hammer."

"No harm in trying, lad. Better to try and fail than to never try at all."

Dagger was unimpressed, "Forget it. My catching the prince's eye is about as likely as my stepfather permitting me to learn to fight."

"You know how to fight."

"Doesn't change the fact that I'm not allowed to know. I may as well not know how to fight, for all the good knowing does me."

Hammer was thoughtful, "You know... you could just enter the tournament. If you win, all you need do is ask to be elevated to the status of noble."

"Are you kidding me?" Dagger laughed disbelievingly, "I know I'm good, but I highly doubt I'm good enough to win the entire tournament - especially if the prince is as good as the King likes to brag."

"But if you entered, at the very least you'd get to fight him. Wouldn't that be worth something to you? I think you should enter, it'd do you good."

Dagger made a face, "And just how do you suggest I enter? In case you missed my earlier statement, I'm not allowed to carry or practice with a weapon. I'm a peasant, remember?"

"An unimaginative one. Go in disguise. I'm sure you won't be the only one attempting such a thing. You know how to play the part of a lord; with the right weapon and attitude people will just assume you're a noble with something to hide."

Biting his lip in thought, Dagger's face slowly softened from disbelieving to hope. "Do you actually think it possible? I seldom get to practice against actual people, and never against nobles that duel every single day."

"I've seen their so-called duels," Hammer said shortly, "You can beat most of them without even trying, the rest with a little bit of effort." He paused to wipe sweat from his face, glancing at his anxious apprentice. "The only ones you would have to watch for are your brothers - not because you can't beat them but because they might recognize you. And of course his Highness, because I would be willing to believe he is as good as they say. I care for his sword, I know how he uses it."

Dagger stared at the ledger on the desk without really seeing it. A duel with Prince Katan... probably the closest he'd ever get to the man... probably a dumb idea. "I'd need a better weapon than the old swords I practice with here."

Setting down his equipment, the blacksmith washed off his hands. "So are you going to do it?"

"Why not?" Dagger shrugged, "Nothing to lose and plenty to gain."

"Then I might have something for you. Something I made a long time ago, commissioned by a Lord who never came to pick it up." Ambling across the room, Hammer grunted as he knelt in front of a large, wooden trunk. Unlocking it and swinging it open, he brought out a long, narrow box. "Here we go. If I'm not mistaken... " he set it on the table and flipped the box open, "It even comes with your favorite accessory."

"The main gauche isn't an accessory... these are amazing, Hammer... why didn't you ever sell them? They must be worth a fortune." Gingerly Dagger lifted the sheathed sword from the box, "Just the sheath is worth a king's ransom." Stepping back he pulled the sword free, eyes bright with admiration. "Beautiful. You outdid yourself making this, Hammer. I've never seen such a fine sabre." His eyes strayed to the dagger still resting in the box. "And the main gauche is equally fine. These are exquisite."

Hammer grunted, "'Course they are, I spent an age makin'em. Got paid for the job, then the man never came to claim them - didn't leave an address to deliver them to either."

"Convenient for me, I suppose. I really don't know if I should be doing this."

"Too late now. I gave you the sword, so you're doing it. That's an order, apprentice."

Dagger grinned, "Yes, Master Hammer."

"Best see about getting yourself suitably outfitted. No armoring permitted, of course. So you just need to make yourself look like a proper lord." He stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"That's easy enough," Dagger said absently as he tried a few practice strokes with the sabre and dagger, "Epee and Sabre are always throwing out clothes, all I need do is alter some of their things. I can probably get a couple of the maids at home to help me out, they love little projects like that."

*~*~*~*

"I'm not participating."

"Katan, you seem to think you have a choice in the matter."

The prince's mouth tightened as he continued to glare at his father with heated dark amber eyes, "You're saying I don't? Iím the one you're making fight in this ridiculous competition. One would think that means I have a say in the matter."

"Well, you don't. I'm tired of your hiding away in this castle, doing nothing but practicing. If you're that obsessed with your swordsmanship then I may as well use it to get you out in public. The people need to see their future king, that they might gain confidence in you, come to respect you. No one respects a shadow, Katan. You'll participate in the tournament and from there you'll start to take a more active role in public life."

Katan said nothing, only nodded stiffly before turning and striding from the throne room. In the hallway, his gaze wandered briefly in the direction of the practice hall...but then turned away in the direction of his private chambers.

He brushed long strands of light brown hair from his face. What was his father thinking? The tournament was a foolish idea. It wouldn't be fair to the contestants if they had to go against the crown prince. Dueling the prince while the king looked on? Who would dare to actually try to defeat him? Even here in the castle, all with whom he practiced with threw the matches. Save for his trainer none would face him with their full ability. Such behavior didn't garner the favor his father believed it would.

He nodded tiredly to the nobles and servants he passed, barely acknowledging their comments and well wishes for the tournament.

256 final contestants there were going to be in all. He was grateful that his father had at least kept the tournament local, rather than invite other kingdoms to it. Katan frowned - no doubt if this tournament worked, he would make foreign competitors the next step. He was half tempted to throw the first match himself... but he knew he'd never be able to do it.

"Highness!"

Katan stopped and turned to the person calling him, "Lance."

The tall, red haired man stopped in front of the prince. "I've been trying to find you all morning. You didn't sneak into town again, did you?"

"No. I haven't been to town since I went to fetch my sword last week. What do you need?"

Lance shrugged, "Wondered if you were interested in practicing? I've been looking over the list of duelists and I'm familiar with some of their styles. I thought we could work on how best to counter them."

"What's the point? We both know very well that they're all just going to throw the matches anyway," Katan replied bitterly. "You're the only one who fights me without hesitation. And you won't be competing, mores the pity." He huffed in frustration and then shook his head in an attempt to shake off his bad mood. "Any interesting fighters on the list?"

"Believe it or not prince, everyone is looking forward to seeing you. I don't think either you or your father realizes that your propensity to hide in the castle has made you an object of intense curiosity. Rumors abound about you - people are eager to see what it true and what is false."

"They really are bored then." He grimaced, "Five days of this ridiculous event. If you ask me, they can't come and go fast enough."

*~*~*~*

"This is a big mistake," Dagger muttered beneath his breath as he adjusted the black mask over the top half of his face. "I don't know what I was thinking. One mistake and I'll get arrested for impersonating a noble." His eyes wandered the crowd as he waited for his name to be called. Invariably they strayed to the man standing on the dais beside the king. He watched the prince and gave a resigned sigh.

"Main Gauche!" one of the officials called out. He ignored the curious looks cast his way as he approached the table.

The man at the table tilted his head, examining Dagger carefully. "Your weapons, sir?"

Dagger placed his sword and dagger on the table. The man raised his brow, "An impressive set of weaponry. I do not know many that fight in the old style." He inspected them carefully, at last nodding. "Weaponry approved. But have you any other name to give, sir?"

"It is my fighting that matters, not my name," Dagger said shortly.

"As you wish. But you understand that if his Majesty demands your identity at any time, you are to give it?"

Dagger bowed his head, "Of course, my lord."

"Very well then." The man waved him off and bellowed the next name on his list.

With a sigh of relief Dagger wandered back to his section of the tournament field, continuing to ignore the looks of the other duelists. Preliminary rounds had gone on all last week, whittling down the hundreds that had applied to just the 256 that would participate over the next five days. 128 duels would be fought today, four at a time. Then tomorrow there would be 64, the third day the duelists would be weeded out to 16 contestants. The fourth day would leave only two, and that last duel was the sole focus of the final day. His Majesty knew how to put on a show.

Five days he had to keep his identity a secret - assuming he lasted all five days. Dagger snorted. He'd be lucky to last beyond the first round. Ah well, best to be optimistic. "This is a big mistake," he muttered one last time before the tournament officials began ordering them into pairs.

*~*~*~*

"That was an incredibly long day," Katan fell with a groan on his bed. "An easy duel but all that standing around before and after... "

Lance shrugged, "Be grateful most of the duels went rather quickly. And you should be pleased - it looked as if you won your first round fairly."

"Yeah, I'm impressed the man made it to the finals. He really wasn't all that remarkable in the end. His style is entirely by the book. But he had a fine blade, it's a pity he didn't do it justice. Did you see anyone of interest?"

"Hmm... " Lance tapped his chin thoughtfully, "I couldn't watch them all but I did make note of a few. The Rapier brothers were both extraordinary. I can see where they got their reputation. If you face them you will no doubt have quite the fight on your hands, even if they do decide to throw it in the end. Who else... a couple of men from court whom you already know - Shurik and Mace. Oh yes, that interesting masked fellow whose blades I examined. Him you should watch for simply because you'll not be terribly familiar with his fighting style.

"What style is that?" Katan asked, raising himself on his elbows to look at the sword master.

"He still fights with a main gauche and from what I saw today he does it very well. He won his match about as quickly as you won yours, because his opponent wasn't sure how to handle both the sabre and main gauche." Lance sounded impressed as he recalled the duel. "It's no wonder he calls himself after the dagger. I'll be interested to see how far he goes in the tourney."

Katan finally dragged himself up, "Doesn't matter to me. Given the numbers left to wear down, it's unlikely I'll encounter any of them unless we all make it to the later matches. But I'll stay sharp, wouldn't do to lose through carelessness. Now I'm going to get clean and relax a bit before bed."

*~*~*~*

Dagger gritted his teeth and glared at his opponent across the ring. Epee would kill him if he knew it was Dagger he was facing. Luckily Epee was too busy being offended by the thought he might actually lose to bother noticing to whom he was losing. It was going to be close though; Epee had followed Dagger's advice and seriously improved his defense.

But Dagger wasn't about to let him win. This was day four, and there were only four of them left. He'd made it this far; there was no way he would let even his stepbrother keep him from the fight he most wanted. Though after all this was over he was going to sleep for a week straight. He was exhausted.

Two weeks straight, he corrected as the man once more came at him. He grunted as he blocked Epee's attack and deflected it to the side, sliding the opposite way and swinging up with his dagger to touch the point to the man's throat.

"End!" roared the official, "Victory to Main Gauche."

Dagger tensed briefly when it looked as if Epee wanted to disagree - but with a muttered curse his brother pulled back and stormed from the dueling ring. He let out a sigh of relief and let his tired arms drop. Luckily it had been Epee - if he'd faced Sabre he might not been so lucky as to keep his secret.

The official startled him by speaking, "You're a remarkable fighter. I've been watching your duels every day so far," the sudden roar of the crowd drowned out his voice. The red-haired man grinned, "It would appear others think the same thing. Congratulations on making it to the final round."

Nodding faintly, Dagger thanked the man and then turned to kneel to the king. The king applauded appreciatively, "Well done, my masked fighter. I look forward to seeing you duel tomorrow." His voice rose, "Now, to the last duel of the day. Lance!"

The man who had congratulated Dagger nodded to the king before raising his voice to bellow over the crowd, "Last duel: Prince Katan vs. Sabre."

Dagger moved gratefully off to the side, careful to get as far from his brothers as he could. He watched avidly as the prince took position in the ring, eyes straying briefly to the... beautiful was the only way to describe the blade the prince wielded. An eastern blade for which the prince was named, a katana. Dagger itched to examine the sword and try it himself... at least tomorrow he'd get the chance to face it - and its owner. His eyes wandered away from the sword and back to the prince, following and carefully memorizing his movements as the duel began. Sabre was no match. His eldest stepbrother was strong and fast, but the prince was faster and cleverer - already he was picking up Sabre's moves and countering them.

The duel continued and Dagger continued to watch avidly - Sabre might be losing but he seemed to be going down with a fight. His brothers were good at what they did, even if now they had to admit perhaps they weren't the best. Dagger grinned to himself - it would almost be worth it to reveal himself just to see the looks on their faces. But then his stepfather would find out, and the very last thing Dagger needed or wanted was for Foil to know his unwanted stepson was a better swordsman than his own precious children.

He snapped out of his thoughts at the bellow of the regulating official, and his heart sped up even though he had known he would be facing the prince. Tomorrow it was really going to happen. Dagger jumped as he realized the prince was facing him, sword held up in a salute. He returned the gesture, nodding as he returned his blade to its sheath.

What was he going to do tomorrow? Could he actually win? What in the hell would he ask for if he did? Would they demand to know his identity? What had he been thinking when he let Hammer talk him into this idiocy?

*~*~*~*

"Any advice, Lance?" Katan asked quietly as his father gave a brief speech to commend all the competitors and build tension before the final duel.

Lance glanced at the masked man on the opposite side of the ring, "Keep an eye on his dagger. The main gauche might be the minor of the two weapons, but it often strikes the fatal blow by being underestimated. If you can knock it from his hand, you'll have a serious advantage - his style is built around it. Keep your speed up."

"Right."

The sword master grinned, "I think this duel is going to be the story of the century. The two of you have built up quite a following these past few days. He doesn't strike me as the type to throw a match either, the way I've seen him fight. So if you win, you'll win fairly. If you lose... well then you'll know for sure, won't you?"

Katan grunted, "If he defeats me I'd most likely do whatever is necessary to keep him around. I like the way he fights."

Lance glanced askance at the prince, "You appear to have lost the reluctance you began this tournament with."

The prince looked at him, startled. "... I hadn't noticed, but I suppose you're right. More fighters than I had anticipated fought fairly. Only a few threw the matches. And since the day before yesterday I have been eager to fight the mysterious Main Gauche."

Tapping his chin thoughtfully, the blonde man examined the masked duelist. "I do wonder why he hides his identity."

The prince shrugged, "It could be anything - perhaps he's an impoverished lord too embarrassed to show his face as he asks for money. Or maybe he just likes the attention. I'll figure it out after the match. Until then he can keep his secret." He tensed as his father's speech concluded in a burst of applause and eager shouting. A deep breath and then he stepped into the ring as the duel was announced.

He smirked as he lowered his sword from the starting salute, poising to begin his attack. "Are you going to keep this fight interesting? I wouldn't want to bore the audience."

The masked swordsman was silent a moment, then his pale lips curved in a smirk of their own. "I'm only as boring as my opponent."

Katan laughed, then dashed forward in a direct attack. He grunted unsurprised when the move was blocked by both dagger and sword and he slid away and back, bringing his sword up to block the counter attack. Barely in time he managed to block the sly movements of the dagger, grinning as he backed away. "You're good with that little toy."

The masked man took a defensive stance, "It's far more than a toy when wielded properly."

"Which you apparently do," Katan said briefly before bringing his sword up from below in a new attack. The sparring continued, the balance shifting back and forth until it became impossible for anyone to tell just who exactly would win the match. Cheers died down to an anxious, eager silence.

Katan was panting as he continued his assaults, frequently forced to switch to defense. He had to get rid of either the sword or the dagger... Lance had said the dagger, but if he got rid of the sword the game was as good as won. He narrowed his eyes and shifted his attack last minute, surging forward to get much closer than his opponent had clearly expected. His sword swung out, flashing in the sunlight, his blow hard enough and low enough to achieve what he wanted - the masked man's sabre went flying.

Hissing in surprise the masked man twisted awkwardly away, grimacing at the pain in his right hand.

Katan hadn't expected that, and realized in a sudden dismayed flash that his balance was off. He wasn't able to recover in time. Still on one knee he half turned, too late as he felt the tip of a dagger pressed to the back of his neck.

"Not a bad move, your Highness."

Katan half smiled, "I should've gone for the dagger. Lance warned me; he'll give me hell for not listening."

The masked man circled around slowly, dragging the point of the dagger along his throat until he faced the kneeling prince. "No... you had the right idea. The main gauche is deadly when used properly but it is still the lesser weapon. It compliments the sword, nothing more."

They ignored the cacophony around them. Katan made no move to rise, though he let his sword fall to the ground beneath him. "So what were you hoping to get through tournament victory?"

Katan blinked in surprise when the man seemed to freeze, hesitate. "I hadn't actually..." the masked man shook his head, his voice softening. "I've already got what I wanted, at least as much of it as I can have." He looked up as he realized the King was speaking to them, mouth turning down in a nervous frown, then helooked back down at the prince. "I..." he hesitated a moment longer, then suddenly leaned down toward the prince. He withdrew the dagger at Katan's throat as his lips covered the prince's own.

The prince's eyes went wide in shock. Before he could even register the fact that the masked man was kissing him, the warm lips were gone. It was another moment before he realized the man was running away. He shook himself and ignored his father's shouting as he took off after the man, determined to figure out what the hell was going on.

But the man was fast as they dashed through the entryway and then the gardens that divided the tournament field from the palace. By the time he reached the main hall through which all guests had to pass, the man was gone from his sight. He kept going anyway, certain he'd see the man at the gates and be able to stop him there.

To no avail. Whoever the stranger had been, he was gone. Unhappily Katan made his way back to the field, ignoring the barrage of questions and conciliatory remarks. He paused as he reentered the dueling ring, watching as Lance approached him with two swords. Lance held out a sabre along with Katan's own blade. "He left this in his haste." The sword master grinned as he led the prince back to the palace and left the frenetic crowd to the king.

"So that was unexpected," the sword master said idly. "Did he say anything to you before he turned... affectionate?"

"You needn't sound so amused." Katan said lightly. He frowned in thought, "He didn't say much of anything. My impression was that he really hadn't expected to win. When asked what he wanted for a prize, he seemed thrown by the question. Then he said he'd already gotten what he wanted... the rest you saw for yourself."

Lance grinned, "Your face was priceless. And he runs with remarkable. I'll really need to yell at the guards later, he should never have been able to get away."

"I didn't see you chasing after him."

The blonde man shrugged, "I was more concerned with making sure no one else got a hold of his weapon," he looked at the sabre Katan carried, "A very fine blade, and unique in design. Definitely a noble's sword. I'd imagine asking around town will yield promising results, as I doubt he planned on leaving it behind today." He let out a short bark of laughter, "I bet he's kicking himself right now, realizing he left it on the field."

*~*~*~*

"You really are stupid."

"I said I was sorry, Hammer." Dagger bit out for what seemed the millionth time. "I didn't mean to leave the sword. I just panicked and fled. I never should have entered that stupid tournament to begin with."

The blacksmith glanced at him, amusement flashing in his eyes. "Yeah, it's only been a day and already I've heard all about your little stunt. Didn't know you had it in you."

"Neither did I..." Dagger muttered beneath his breath as he worked through payment slips.

"Should've demanded a bit more than that as a prize though, if that's what you had in mind."

Dagger turned red, voice a near shout in panic. "I didn't plan on kissing him!" He winced as he heard his own voice and immediately lowered it, "It just sort of happened. Can we please drop it already?"

"All right, calm down Master Duelist." Hammer snickered briefly before going back to his own stack of papers.

"Oh, shut up." Dagger glared at the bills he was working through without really seeing them. He jerked his head up at the sound of approaching voices, sighing as he saw Sabre headed his way. "Looks like I'm about to be dragged out again."

Hammer paused in his work and eyed the approaching man, "See that you're back before lunch, then."

Sabre smiled pleasantly at his brother as he entered the shop, "Would you mind terribly, Dagger? Sharp is insistent we conclude the duel we had nearly begun before the tournament. I would have thought he'd abandon it but he is being rather adamant about the whole affair."

"Sure, I'll come. Hammer doesn't mind."

"Excellent."

With a sigh, Dagger followed his brother to the dueling square.

Hammer worked in solitude for nearly half an hour before the sounds of the smithy were interrupted by a deep, familiar voice.

"Hammer? I'm sorry to interrupt."

The blacksmith looked up, "What can I do for you, Highness?"

The prince unwrapped the long strip of cloth he carried carefully in his arms. "I was wondering if you recognized this sword? No one I've spoken to can place it."

Hammer shook his head, "I remember the swords I make, but I seldom remember what sword go with which person. My apprentice is far more likely to recall its owner but I'm afraid he's out playing main gauche right now."

Katan jumped at the terribly familiar words. "Playing what?" he asked in an uncertain voice.

The blacksmith looked at him beneath raised brows, "Main gauche. He's often called to serve as a second to his stepbrothers and a handful of other men. He's got an eye for picking out weaknesses in fighting styles and the like. He should be back before long. You can wait 'til he comes back, if you like. Else you can find him in the square."

"If you don't mind, I think I'll go find him in the square."

"Suit yourself, Highness." Hammer shrugged disinterestedly. He smirked as the prince turned and left.

Katan pulled his hood up as he left the blacksmith's shop, turning toward the town's dueling square. Surely it wasn't possible... for one thing peasants were forbidden to learn such skills... not that peasant hadn't learned anyway. It would explain why no one recognized the sword. But why would Hammer keep silent? Unless he didn't know. The prince shook off his thoughts as he reached the square.

Which was currently in mayhem. Katan rushed forward as he realized something was wrong, then forced himself into a stumbling halt as the shouting reached him.

"You cheated!" a young man was yelling in outrage at a sneering lord across from him. He knelt beside a man who was holding a bleeding shoulder.

The injured man was trying to calm down the shouting one, "Dagger, stop it. There's nothing you can do. Just let it go; we'll let the officials handle the matter."

"No!" The outraged man surged to his feet, still looking at the man opposite him. "If you wanted to use a dagger in your fight, you should've presented it for inspection. You cheated pulling it out in the middle of the duel. As Sabre's second I demand recompense for your reprehensible behavior."

The man's voice was condescending. "And what sort of recompense could you possibly demand, peasant."

Dagger knelt to grab his brother's sword, pointing it at Lord Sharp in challenge. "You'll fight me, to first blood. I win, you give up your sword for a year's time."

"Stop it, Dagger," Sabre said desperately, grimacing in pain. "You don't know how to fight, just stop it!"

Katan frowned, reaching up to throw back his hood and end the matter when Dagger's next action froze him in place.

"I'll be fine, Sabre." Dagger smiled tightly at his eldest stepbrother. He turned to address Sharp, raising his sword and pulling from behind his back beneath his shirt a familiar looking dagger. He either ignored or didn't notice Sabre's wide-eyed expression. "Are you ready, my Lord?"

"Let's get to it brat." Sharp charged him, movements quick and hard - and sloppy. He still held onto the dagger with which he'd stabbed Sabre, but it was clear he couldn't use it properly in a duel.

Katan watched them in wonder, recognizing each and every one of Dagger's moves but unable to associate them with the gentle looking blacksmith's apprentice before him. Well, perhaps not so gentle right now...

Dagger smirked as he blocked the man's latest attack and sent him reeling back. Striking out with his own sword, he feinted back before striking once more, his own dagger a blur of movement in his left hand.

Blood poured from Sharp's right shoulder, his sword falling clumsily from his grasp. He glared at the other man, "Peasants aren't permitted to know swordsmanship. I hope this little spat was worth your arrest."

Katan had seen enough, "No one is getting arrested save you, Lord Sharp." He dropped his hood as he spoke, satisfaction rippling through him at both the dismayed look on Sharp's face and Dagger's panicked expression. The man was without a doubt his Main Gauche. He motioned to the town guards who had waited uncertainly for the soured duel to conclude. The injured duelist was being tended to; other guards were dispersing the crowd... which left him free to deal with the elusive Dagger - who was rapidly trying once more to run away. "Not this time," Katan muttered, whirling away to beat the man back to the smithy.

"Back already, Highness?" Hammer asked in mild surprise.

Shaking his head, Katan said nothing as he positioned himself just inside the door. Sure enough, a moment later a breathless Dagger came through the entryway, and Katan latched onto him.

Dagger fought to break free, but Katan was having none of it. "You may as well hold still," he said with an easy grin, "I'm not letting you go until I get a few answers out of you."

Laughing loudly, Hammer hefted himself from his seat and vanished out the back door, "Don't take too long, I've got work that needs done."

Katan smiled briefly in Hammer's direction, then refocused his attention on the panicked looking man in his arms. "Will you stay still?"

"... Yes."

"Good. I think I already know the answer, but is this your blade?" Releasing dagger he slowly retrieved and unwrapped the sword he'd hastily set aside a moment before.

"No." Dagger looked briefly at the sword before directing his eyes to the ground.

"Oh really?" Katan quirked one brow, then startled the man by reaching around him to pull free the dagger he knew the man kept there. "Odd, this matches it exactly. Why are you lying?"

Dagger's head snapped up, "I'm not lying! Hammer lent them to me, nothing more. They don't belong to me... I just hadn't returned the main gauche yet, seeing as I lost the sword." He looked away again, arms crossed defensively in front of him.

Katan examined him thoughtfully, starting to see more of the duelist in the nervous young man in front of him. Though up close he could see the man was about his own age. It was only his slender build that made him look younger at first glance. "Where did you learn to fight like that? It is rather strange that a peasant can fight as well as you did."

"Because I wasn't always a peasant," Dagger spoke slowly. "I just became one when my mother died and my stepfather didn't feel like adopting me. I'm lucky he didn't throw me out completely. I learned how to fight starting when I was young, but the lessons stopped and never resumed after we moved here."

"I see." Katan frowned in annoyance when Dagger once more looked away. He grasped the man's face carefully and forced him to look up at him. "Why did you join the tournament? Why did you run away?"

"It was a stupid thing to do. I seem to be good at that lately," Dagger said bitterly, recalling that now Sabre knew he'd been the masked man in the tournament. "Running away seemed like a good idea at the time. Still seems like a good idea."

"Well it's not," Katan said shortly, eyes examining every inch of Dagger's worry-clouded face, lingering on the pale lips he'd been unable to forget since the final duel. "Running away doesn't solve anything. Believe me, I've been trying it for years. All it got me was stuck in a five-day tournament... though in the end it wasn't so bad I guess... why did you join the tournament if you thought it was such a bad idea? Especially since you could have asked for anything. Even now you could be a noble, if you had remained."

Dagger glared at him, "No, I think my actions effectively ruined any chance of my getting any sort of prize. Besides... " he drifted into silence.

"Besides... what?"

The apprentice shook his head, breaking free of Katan's grip. "Initially I had thought to ask for a rise in status, to break free of my stepfather. But even before the duel started I knew that wouldn't work - I'd be disqualified the minute it was discovered I was a peasant. And it wasn't the real reason I wanted to fight anyway... "

"Yes, I'm eager to hear this real reason."

Dagger was clearly reluctant to explain, "I... I've worked here for Hammer for almost seven years, since I was fifteen. You started coming here when I was sixteen... I always wanted you to notice me, but I was always too tongue-tied to figure out how to do it. And I'm only a peasant anyway, hardly worth a prince's notice." His shoulders hunched as he continue explaining, "Hammer convinced me to join the tournament - not only to be asked to be made a noble if I won, but also so I could at least interact with you."

Silence fell, as Katan groped for words. For all that he'd wondered why on earth the man had kissed him, he hadn't actually expected this. At last he let out a soft laugh, "Well you certainly succeeded at getting my attention." Hefting the sabre in his hands he thrust it toward Dagger, he grinned. "I'm recently informed that you are quite the popular second in town, a living main gauche. Is that correct?"

"What?" the dark-haired man was surprised by the question, "Yes, my stepbrothers and a few of their friends often ask me to serve as second."

Katan nodded, "My father is quite insistent I take on a more public life, which means I'm in need of a companion to travel with me. Normally Lance stays with me but he has too many duties to leave the castle for long periods of time. I was wondering if you'd consider taking on a more permanent role as my main gauche."

Dagger's eyes went wide. "Are you serious? I'm only a peasant, there's no way I'd be allowed--"

A finger over his lips silenced his protests. Katan snickered, "A peasant who bested every fighter in the kingdom. I highly doubt anyone would protest - even my father is anxious for me to locate you. And like I said - you've thoroughly captured my attention." He pulled his finger away slowly, "I'm rather eager to learn what you'll do the next time you manage to best me in a duel."

Managing a weak laugh, Dagger forced himself to look at the prince, "I really hadn't planned on doing that... it seemed like a good idea at the time though..."

Katan nodded and smiled warmly, "As I said, I look forward to our future duels. I'm rather hoping we'll have a great many of them."