The sun finally begins to set now as the guards around the area begin to light torches to keep the courtyard well lit. Zilo wiped the sweat from his brow as he walked back to his friends. They all looked just as relieved as he did after the queen sided with his demonstration of courtly etiquette. The prince hung his head and returned to Luther and the two of them began a very terse discussion. Maldrek returned to his employees and faced Aria.
"Aria, I need you to do something for me."
"What's that?" The woman asked.
Maldrek hung his head and mumbled a bit. Aria snapped his face back toward her and said, "Don't you pull that on me, speak straight."
"I need you to permit Zilo to do everything he can to win the next competition."
Aria's eyebrows furrowed and her eyes squinted as she stared at the tiefling. She plainly asked in a slightly annoyed tone, "Why?"
Maldrek breathed heavy, "It's better if you don't know, trust me. Grant him permission, and leave. I ask this of you for your sake."
Aria stood firm, arms crossed, and looking at the wizard. Zilo smiled placing his arms behind his head and turning toward his friend with a newly invigorated upbeat spirit and said, "You gone and done it now buddy, she will not budge. Better to just tell her."
Maldrek shook his head and finally resolved to tell her, "The last challenge was of court etiquette, the next one is... the etiquette of courting." Maldrek gave a very weak smile and a slight shrug as the group looked at him.
Jin immediately broke into a laugh while Leo looked at Zilo's reaction. Zilo's laid back demeanor had shattered. His stance remained, but he looked to be shaking, not daring to turn his gaze toward Aria.
"How far?" The woman asked.
"Beg pardon?" Responded Maldrek
"How far does Zilo need to get with the woman?"
Maldrek was shocked that Aria hadn't gone for the throat. He stumbled a bit and began thinking. He finally responded,
"Cannot say, the prince's side will be deciding that."
Aria turns to Zilo and breaths deep before exhaling a breath she had been holding since Maldrek told her the words. She held fast and spoke,
"This all because the prince knows we are together, he wants to trip you up, don't let him."
Zilo turns back to her nodding. Her face is emotionless as she holds a poker face as best she can. She continues her words, "That being said... I don't want you to do something you don't want to do."
Zilo notes that her eyes refuse to meet his and so he reaches and pulls her chin to make their eyes connect, and he says, "I never told you, most Fetchling partners are arranged like human nobility. It is a grave offence to violate these relationships."
Aira's eye water a bit behind her stoic expression as Zilo finishes, "That may be one of the only beliefs I still think my people do correctly." Aria leaps forward a buries her face in Zilo's shoulder. He pats her on the back for a moment or two before she pulls back and wipes the tears from her face and speaks,
"Knock'em dead."
"You got it."
Zilo turns just in time to see the prince standing before him. Zilo's smile melts away as the prince looks to the couple. The prince bows and speaks, "Before this next dual begins I would like to extend my apologies. I thought of this challenge the night I issued the challenge and despite my protests Luther ensured me it was my best chance due to" the prince glances at Aria for a moment before finishing, "circumstances."
Zilo turns away from Aria and speaks back, "It's still a low blow, no matter your intentions."
The prince glances downward and to the side, his hands still firm in place behind his back and he mutters, "I will not disgrace myself further, Sir Realms. This conversation was out of politeness for you and your woman." The prince turns on a dime and walks over to the gate of the court yard as he speaks, "Come we'd best get in position."
As the two of them stand at the gate, Luther begins to speak to the crowd,
"The next challenge will likely be the most unconventional of sorts. Both competitors will leave the courtyard now as the day turns to night with the intention of finding a woman. They will have 3 hours to bring this woman back with them to this area using only their wit and charm. Competitors may not use their position or their material possessions to persuade the woman."
Zilo begins to drop his gear other than his sword and the prince does the same. The prince also pull some more common clothing over his regal undershirt to disguise his nobility, much as he had on the night 2 weeks ago.
"The woman will then be scrutinized on her attractiveness and intelligence by both seconds and a third party who will not be privy as to which woman was brought by which competitor. Once judged the woman with the most impressive traits will earn victory for their duelist"
Many of the women in the crowd mumble and rumble in a slightly disapproving fashion. The men all either mimic the sentiment, look to the women confused, or cheer excited for the next competition. Zilo and the prince, now only outfitted with a blade for self defense and common clothing look to Luther and Maldrek.
"Begin!"
Unlike with the race Zilo and the prince casually stroll out of the courtyard, not wishing to gain a ragged appearance. Zilo begins his way out to a tavern or two, he notes a rather attractive looking woman serving drinks and calls her over with a motion. her long black hair and green eyes look the bard over as she rests her hands on her plump but curving hips.
"What can I do for ye messir?"
"I was hoping for a bit of time with your lovely eyes, they look vibrant as a new spring time glade ready to embrace the coming season."
"I meant tah drink." Said the woman in a stern tone. Zilo reach down for a coin purse only to recall that he left it behind for the competition. He smiles and speaks, "funny that, It seems I misplaced my coin purse, how else might I be able to pay a sweet beauty such as thou?"
"HEY BORIS! We got a funny talker wif no coin! Clear this table for me!" Shouted the woman as she walked back toward the bar. In her place came a large half orc with as many muscles as he had inches on his protruding belly. Zilo spent very little time at the tavern with only a short trip to the cobblestone outside the door.
He brushed himself off but as he looked to the dust on his shirt he had a new idea. He found a nearby alley and spread the dust across the rest of his cloths. He then waited until he saw a rather beautiful half-elf with short unnaturally grey colored hair and brown eyes. the bard unsheathed his blade and held his breath saying, "Okay, be very careful here now Zilo. You only need a flesh wound."
He grit his teeth and sliced at the underside of his forearm to make it look as if he halted the blade with his arm. He cut a little too deep and needed to use Cure Light Wounds to control the bleeding a bit before throwing the blade and it's sheath round the alley's edge and shouting, "AH!!!! THIEF!"
The half-elf looked to the alley and the wounded Zilo down and clutching his arm. She knelt down and spoke, "Sir are you O- Oh dear that looks bad."
"A man just stole my coin purse and took off, miss do you think you can help me up!?" Asked Zilo wiping his non-blood covered uninjured arm. The woman helped him to his feet and he met her gaze. Zilo feigned speechlessness for a moment as the woman met his gaze for but a moment before looking around for the false assailant.
"My word, it may just have been worth the attack if I was able to find a beauty such as you." The woman momentarily smiled before looking back to the wound and said, "Huh!? you're bleeding, but it looks better than I believed, come with me."
"As you wish my lady." The woman began to lead Zilo somewhere as he continued to play act a man who just cutely met the love of his life. The woman was much more concerned with not getting any of the fetchling's blood on her clothes. For a moment Zilo looked up with a smile as he saw the castle and spoke,
"Castle Deneval. What luck." As he said this the woman pushed him forward and he turned back to look to her. She spoke, "My husband is in the town guard, go look for Sargent Reynolds, he will help you."
"Husband?" Asked Zilo wind removed from his sails.
"Yes, I must be getting back to our children actually. I pray Morta heals your wounds and that Justitia exact justice for ye."
Zilo huffed as the woman lifted her dress and began running back the way they had come. He looked back to the courtyard and muttered, "So close." As he looked he saw the prince walking back toward the court and on his arm was an exotic looking woman from the far east in an eastern garb and medium length black hair. She looked exquisite.
Zilo stomped the ground and looked to the now blackened sky. Time was running low. As he began to walk back into town he heard a familiar woman's voice behind him speak in a light inviting tone,
"My you look worse for wear Mr Master of Strings."
Zilo turned to the voice and his eyes went ablaze as a victorious smile slid across his lips.
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