Elara froze mid-sentence as she caught sight of Cedric approaching from the corner of her eye. His strides were deliberate, his expression a careful mask of neutrality that did little to hide the simmering tension in his posture. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, to diffuse what she sensed coming, but before she could, Cedric was already at their side.
He stopped just in front of Luca, his imposing frame casting a shadow that felt heavier than it should have. Luca, of course, didn’t budge. He didn’t even straighten from his relaxed stance against the railing. Instead, he looked up at Cedric with the same infuriating smirk, his sharp eyes brimming with unspoken amusement.
“Cedric—” Elara began, but Cedric cut her off with a low, steady voice.
“Luca, is it?” Cedric said, his tone polite but firm, his gaze unwavering as it bore into the other man.
“That’s what they tell me,” Luca replied casually, his smirk widening just enough to edge into provocation. “And you must be Cedric. The knight with the perpetual frown. Nice to finally meet you properly.”
Cedric’s jaw tightened, but his composure didn’t waver. “I wanted to thank you,” he said, his words measured. “For helping Lady Elara during the battle. Your timing was… appreciated.”
Elara blinked in surprise, not expecting Cedric to offer thanks so directly. But the tension in his shoulders and the way he subtly positioned himself between her and Luca spoke volumes. This wasn’t just gratitude—it was a subtle declaration of where he stood.
Luca tilted his head slightly, his smirk softening into something more inscrutable. “Gratitude? From you? I’m flattered,” he said, his voice light but with an undertone that hinted he wasn’t taking this entirely at face value. “No need to thank me, though. I was just doing what felt right at the time.”
Cedric’s gaze didn’t waver, his tone steady as he continued, “You may have saved the day once because you were lucky. But remember your place.”
The words hung in the air like a dagger poised to strike. In an instant, Elara’s expression darkened, a frown etching itself across her face. “Cedric!” she snapped, her voice sharp with disapproval. “That’s uncalled for!”
Cedric didn’t respond to her, his piercing gaze fixed squarely on Luca, the tension between them thick enough to cut. Elara clenched her fists, frustration boiling as she stepped forward. “Cedric, I said enough—”
Before she could finish, Luca raised a hand, the gesture calm but commanding. “Let’s leave the men’s talk to men, shall we?” he said smoothly, his smirk widening. His words were laced with casual defiance, and the faint amusement in his tone only added fuel to the fire.
Elara froze, her mouth half-open as the audacity of his words registered. “Excuse me?” she began, her tone bristling, but Luca was already turning his attention back to Cedric, his sharp eyes glinting with a mix of curiosity and challenge.
“Remember my place?” Luca repeated, his voice light yet edged with mockery. “I wonder what that means.”
Cedric’s expression hardened, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword—a habitual gesture rather than a threat. “It means,” he said evenly, “that no matter your skill, no matter your luck, you’re an outsider here. Don’t think for a moment that saving Elara once changes that.”
Luca chuckled softly, the sound low and almost dismissive. “Outsider,” he echoed, his gaze narrowing slightly as his smirk turned razor-sharp. “Interesting. You talk about me as though I’m a wild card, someone unpredictable. And yet, here I am, standing before you unarmed while you cling to that hilt like it’s the only thing keeping you grounded.”
Cedric’s grip on his sword tightened ever so slightly, the movement subtle but telling. Elara’s frustration reached its peak as she stepped forward, placing herself firmly between the two men.
“That’s enough, both of you!” she said, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. Her gaze darted between them, fire in her eyes. “Cedric, you’ve said your piece. And Luca, stop provoking him!”
Luca’s smirk widened as he leaned slightly forward, his dark eyes locking onto Cedric’s with a mix of amusement and challenge. He completely ignored Elara’s sharp command to stop, his voice carrying a deliberate casualness that only served to stoke the tension further.
“Let’s say I don’t know my place, wherever that might be,” Luca said, his tone smooth but laced with subtle provocation. “What are you going to do about it?”
Cedric’s hand tightened on the hilt of his sword, his gaze narrowing dangerously. Without another word, he drew his blade in a single fluid motion, the steel catching the faint light as it gleamed ominously.
“I will make sure you remember it,” Cedric said, his voice firm and resolute.
Luca’s eyes flickered with a subtle glint, something sharp and calculating beneath the surface of his smirk. He straightened from his relaxed position, his coat shifting slightly as he took a single deliberate step toward Cedric. “Do you know what drawing your blade means?” he asked, his tone dropping to something quieter, yet no less sharp.
“I do,” Cedric replied, his stance steady. “I challenge you to a duel.”
“Ho?” Luca’s smirk widened into a full grin, his dark eyes alight with something between amusement and exhilaration.
“Stop this!” Elara interjected, stepping between them with her arms outstretched. “Both of you, this is ridiculous! Cedric, put your sword away, and Luca, stop provoking him!”
Neither man acknowledged her. The air around them felt charged, heavy with unspoken intent.
“Challenged to a duel like this,” Luca continued, his voice taking on a mock-serious tone, “what choice do I have aside from accepting?”
“Luca!” Elara snapped, her frustration bubbling over. “This isn’t a game!”
Luca glanced at her briefly, his smirk softening just slightly. “Who said it was?” he said lightly, then turned his attention back to Cedric. “Shall we, Sir Knight?”
Cedric didn’t respond with words, but his stance shifted subtly, his sword angled in preparation. His gaze was steady, his intent clear.
“What? Wasn’t that cool?” Luca quipped, his grin returning as he casually adjusted his coat. “No? Tough crowd.”
“Cease your mockery,” Cedric snapped, his tone cutting. “And face me.”
“If you insist,” Luca replied, his smirk sharpening as he took a measured step forward, his hands still empty, his stance relaxed but exuding an air of readiness.
“Stop this, both of you!” Elara shouted again, her voice desperate. “This isn’t the time or place for this!”
But the two men were already locked in their silent confrontation, their focus entirely on each other. The tension was palpable, the faint sound of the waves against the ship’s hull the only noise cutting through the charged silence.
********
Cedric’s grip on the hilt of his sword remained firm, his knuckles whitening as he stared at Luca with unyielding resolve. His mind churned with frustration, a tempest of thoughts he could barely contain.
‘This is absurd. This bastard acts like he’s Elara’s savior, parading around with that smug grin as if he’s earned her trust with one stroke of luck.’
Cedric’s jaw tightened as he glanced at Elara, her pleading eyes darting between the two of them. His heart clenched at the sight, but his resolve did not waver.
‘Elara doesn’t need a man like him. She needs someone who understands her struggles, someone who’s been with her through the worst of it. Not a reckless fool who stumbled into a single moment of heroism.’
Memories of their shared past surged in his mind—Elara at her lowest, shunned and cast aside by her family, struggling to piece herself back together. He had been there, a constant presence at her side.
‘I’ve seen her broken, heard her cry when no one else could. I’ve watched her claw her way back from despair. Where was this Luca then? Nowhere. He wasn’t there when her hands bled from training, or when she collapsed from exhaustion.’
His eyes flicked to Luca, whose smirk remained, infuriatingly calm and confident.
Continue reading at empire
‘And now he dares to stand here, acting as if he knows her? Acting as if he’s earned the right to be by her side?’
Cedric’s heart pounded as he drew a deep breath, steadying himself. He couldn’t let this go unanswered. He wouldn’t.
Cedric stood firm, his gaze locked on Luca, the tension between them thick enough to suffocate. His initial intention had been clear—approach this man, give him a stern warning, and make it abundantly clear that Lady Elara was not someone to be trifled with.
‘He doesn’t belong here. I could feel it the moment I saw him.’
Cedric had planned to walk away after that, satisfied with delivering his warning. But Luca’s smirk, that infuriating mix of mockery and confidence, had pushed him past the edge of restraint.
‘This isn’t just about Elara anymore. It’s about showing this fool that he doesn’t belong here. He doesn’t deserve to stand by her side—not now, not ever.’
The decision to challenge him to a duel had been impulsive, but Cedric didn’t regret it. If anything, it felt overdue. This was his chance to settle things, to make it clear to Luca—and anyone else who dared to stand in Elara’s way—where he stood.
Cedric shifted his stance, his sword gleaming in the faint light as he prepared himself. Luca stood opposite him, still unarmed, his relaxed posture a deliberate provocation.
‘He thinks he can win with that smug look alone? I’ll carve that arrogance off his face.’
Cedric’s voice was steady as he addressed Luca. “You could have walked away. I would have let you. But now, you’ve given me every reason to make sure you remember your place.”
Luca’s grin widened, sharp and unyielding. “My place, huh? I suppose you’ll show me what that is?”
Cedric’s grip tightened on his sword. “Oh, I will. And when I’m done, you’ll understand exactly why you don’t belong here.”
CLANK!
With that the blade was drawn.