Fructus {Fruit}

"Come on, let's go to the market. We're only here for a few more days so we might as well make the most of it." Yasmin tried persuading Silvia and Arya.

Normally, it would be Silvia who would propose such an idea but she seemed to have taken the lost pretty hard on herself. Therefore, Yasmin had made it upon herself to be the voice of reason and try to cheer her up. Yasmin's eyes met with Arya's. She was trying to plead the latter to agree with the plan so they could take Silvia out and allow her a breather.

"That's an excellent idea," Arya commented. "It would be wonderful to feel the breeze once more. It's as though I have become trapped in this castle."

Silvia looked up in surprise to see that Arya had also agreed with the plan. That only left Silvia. Both Yasmin and Arya gave her a look that said she better comply and under their scrutiny she grudgingly agreed.

The three went off to the market palace. Arya had not gotten a good look at the market place since the day she had received the ocarina from the old lady. She had the instrument safely locked up inside her room and she had not played it ever since that day in the faithful garden. Aaron had brought up her leaf whistle melody in one of their conversations but she had merely responded that it was something she had learned when she was younger. Arya did not feel complied to tell Aaron that the tune had been a small part of a beautiful piece on the ocarina.

"Oh that look's interesting."

Arya looked down to see that Yasmin had grabbed her hand and was dragging her towards a specific stall. The woman was young and her black hair had been pulled tightly into a bun which was fastened with a beautiful pin and various flowers. Her skin was pale and her lips were painted a bright red. Her stall was filled with various long dresses, umbrellas and fans.

Yasmin looked curiously at the clothing before she felt it under her finger. "It's so soft," she whispered.

The women nodded. "It's called a kimono," she said with a thick accent.

Arya had been trying to guess where the woman was from but now it made sense. She must be Japanese and she probably came with her emperor. They looked around for a few more seconds before moving onto the next stall.

As they walked around the market, sampling different treats and meals from around the world, Arya noticed that Silvia was now smiling and laughing alongside Yasmin. It gave her an unexpected warmness to see that the red head back to her usual self.

"Hey Yasmin, who was the man you were waving at yesterday?" Arya asked.

Yasmin looked up surprised that Arya had asked her such a question. "That's my uncle, he came from Egypt to watch my matches as well as attend to business with the King."

"So are you loyalty?" Silvia asked her bluntly.

"Technically no because he is actually my mother's brother in law but many consider us to be royalty although we aren't." Yasmin explained.

Arya nodded finally understanding the situation. The two of them talked more about Yasmin's background but something else caught Arya's attention. She turned around to see a red cloak but the blond strands escaping the hood were unmistakable.

"Is that Lady Zelie?" Silvia asked in a hushed whisper.

Yasmin turned to see where Silvia was pointing.

"Don't do that," Arya hissed. "You're drawing attention."

Silvia immediately dropped her finger. "It's her, isn't it?"

"Yes," Arya replied as her eyes were glued to the figure next to Lady Zelie. He was tall and burly and Arya immediately knew that it was Sir Samuel. Try as he might, the man stood out like sore thumb.

"Who's that with him?" Yasmin asked.

Arya bit her tongue. "Probably some guard."

But Silvia had other ideas. "Let's get a better look!" she cried out.

Under normal circumstances, Arya would not have agreed but today was about cheering Silvia and if spying on Lady Zelie made her happy, then they would do it. The three of them scampered around hiding behind stalls and merchandising while trying to get a good look at the man next to her. What seemed like forever, Lady Zelie and the mysterious stood next to a stall while Lady Zelie spoke to the merchant.

"Now's our chance," Silvia whispered as she pulled her and Yasmin closer.

Arya allowed the two of them to get a glance at the man while she hung back. She already knew who it was so there was no point in jamming her head between the two of them.

"That's Sir Samuel?" Yasmin asked looking at Arya for confirmation.

She nodded unsure of what they were going to do next. It seemed like Silvia still had other ideas. "Let's get closer." She suggested.

Before Arya could argue, Silvia had already started moving forward which only left her to follow behind. For the next half an hour, Arya felt that they were enemy spies trying to track down their target. When Silvia was determined to do something, she did it all the way out. Silvia had been ready to follow Lady Zelie into the gardens as well but that is when Arya had drawn the line. She had suggested that they head back to the market looking for a smell fruit which they could place in the boy's dorms.

Silvia had readily agreed forgetting all about Lady Zelie and Sir Samuel. They went back into the market smelling different fruits when Arya came across brownish green fruit with spikes. Instantaneously Arya knew the name of the fruit. It was called Durian and it was considered one of the smelliest fruits on earth. Arya led Yasmin and Silvia to the vendor and when they purchased the fruit, the two of them seemed pretty skeptical but Arya told them to trust her.

The three of them made their way inside the castle while trying to keep the fruit hidden from praying eyes. Once they made it to their floor Arya told them to wait outside while she went to fetch her sword. She grabbed Anaz from her room before making her way outside to where Yasmin and Silvia were standing.

"What are you doing with Anaz?" Silvia asked her brown eyes wide in shock.

Arya ignored her question. "Yasmin cover for us."

Yasmin nodded as Silvia placed the fruit on the ground and Arya commanded her to step back. Arya swung Anaz on top of the fruit effectively creating a horrifying stench. Arya blocked her own nose before telling the girls to flee. The three of them ran through the hallways trying to escape the smell. It was only when they made it outside the castle that the smell left their nostrils.

"That fruit really does stink," Silvia said in almost an afterthought.

"I wasn't lying when I said that it did." Arya said.

"You think we will get in trouble for that?" Yasmin asked pushing her black curls from her face.

Arya shook her head. "Quite the contrary, I believe that Lady Zelie will be very pleased; on the other hand, the maids in the palace, not so much."

"What shall we do for the remainder of the time we have before the jousting match?" Silvia asked the two girls.

Arya's grimaced slightly as she and Yasmin shared a look. "Yasmin and I have practice with Madame Kenna and Lady Zelie." Arya said apologetically.

Silvia's smile turned into a frown and Arya's heart pained for her. The girl tried putting a brave face, "that's okay; I'll just visit the library. I have been meaning to do that for a while anyways."

With a slight wave Silvia turned around back in the direction of the castle leaving Yasmin and Arya alone.

"Shall we?" Yasmin said as she began walking towards the designated training grounds.

Arya dipped her head in reply. She still felt bad for leaving Silvia behind. She could have asked her to come and train with them as well! Arya was absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't know she had bumped into someone else.

"Watch it," A low voice said.

Arya turned around to come into contact with Jennica's jade green eyes. "Oh, it's you." She said.

"Yep, it is." Arya said.

She wasn't sure what the other girl wanted but as they were about to leave Jennica spoke, "Defeat them for me." She said with a smile that looked very pained.

Arya wasn't about to open her mouth and tell her that if they were not fighting for her but Lady Zelie. Jennica's feeling did not play any factor in their matches.

Yasmin was the first one to compose herself as she gave Jennica a smile, one that didn't reached her eyes. "We'll try." She said at last.

"Good," Jennica said before flicking her brown hair and leaving in true Jennica fashion. Once she was out of earshot Yasmin and Arya both shared a look as if to say what was all that about? Arya shrugged her shoulders and the two of them made their way to the training grounds where Madame Kenna and Lady Zelie were waiting for them.

"You're late." Madame Kenna commented as the two of them came inside.

Yasmin curtsied and Arya followed in suit. "I'm sorry Madame, we just ran into some trouble on the way."

Madame Kenna sighed before accepting their excuse. "We must get right down to business now."

The two girls nodded and listened carefully to Madame Kenna and Lady Zelie's instructions. Unlike Sir Samuel, Lady Zelie was on the same page as Madame Kenna and they would often complete each other's sentences. Arya knew this was a result of their training; they were able to perfectly understand one another after spending so much time with each other.

Madame Kenna and Lady Zelie pitted Yasmin and Arya against one another and although Arya was the superior swordswoman, Yasmin almost gave her a run for her coins a couple of times. They practiced multiple moves and at one point, Madame Kenna and Lady Zelie even pitted themselves in a tag team duel against her and Yasmin. The former pair won but many lessons were learned.

"You're free to go now," Lady Zelie said after their duel.

Arya looked up to her in surprise. Her midnight blue hair was all over the palace and she was drenched in sweat. Lady Zelie on the other hand looked perfectly regal with not a hair out of place.

She let out a sweet laugh upon seeing Arya's expression. "The jousting match will begin soon. I don't want you to miss it plus you are going to need the rest before your match this evening." Lady Zelie said.

Arya nodded before her and Silvia both curtsied and left the training grounds all together.

"They are both spectacular fighter!" Yasmin cried once they were out of ear shot.

Arya almost let out a laugh at her excitement. This had probably been the first time Yasmin had a private lesson with Lady Zelie and Madame Kenna. The two of them chatted about different fighting strategies until they reached their rooms where they separated in order to get changed and ready for the jousting match.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The area was fully packed. In fact, there were people on the outside as well just waiting to be let in. Arya was seated with the other academy girls. She had been sandwiched between Silvia and Yasmin and behind her she could hear Jennica chatting with some other girls. It seemed that everyone had come to watch the match between two of Kalvaria's finest knights. The arena was buzzing with energy as the two knights clad in the royal blue uniforms stepped forward.

One hand was around the reigns of their horses while the other held their blades. Arya took a great amount of time to analyze their weapons. It looked heavier than the average sword and the gems that lined the pommel displayed how much the weapons were worth. A similarly dressed man stood in between them with a flag in his right hand.

Arya peered closely making sure that it was indeed Sir Samuel that would be overlooking this jousting match. Arya supposed it was only fair that the Commander of the Armed forces take reign of the match since he knew his knights best and would be able to prevent serious injuries.

King Rupert held up his hand signalling the crowd to fall silent. It took longer than expected but pretty soon there was pin drop silence in the stadium.

"Before the semi-finals for the Heres Gladii begin, we will be having a jousting match between two Kalvarian Knights in order to allow the students of the academies to have something to strive to become." King Rupert spoke.

"I would like to welcome Lady Vivian Montcroix and Sir Francis Pierson, two of the most esteemed knights of Kalvaria." As King Rupert introduced the knights they bowed to the king and then waved to the crowd.

"I will now allow Sir Samuel to finish explaining the rules of the jousting match." King Rupert concluded his speech.

Everyone's eyes flickered from the king to Sir Samuel who let out a small cough before stating the rules. The riders would be on their horses and since they were wearing armour and chainmail, all blows were fine. The first to lose their sword would be the looser. The two knights shook hands before they mounted their horses and awaited Sir Samuel's signal. Once he brought down his hands the knights were off.

The horses neighed as the galloped forward. The animals did not seem to be afraid as they were facing each other head on. Arya knew that this was due to extensive practice and trust between the rider and the stallion. Arya watched with keen interest as the horses avoided a head on collision instead veering in a path that allowed their riders to clash their swords.

The knights continued to manoeuver their stallions as they exchanged blow after blow. Arya found the exchanged particularly interesting because she was able to see the patterns and moves of the knights. The battle continued for some time until the Lady Vivian charged with such force it knocked down Sir Francis sword to the ground.

A loud cheer erupted from the area as Lady Vivian was crowed the victor. She took off her helmet and raised his sword towards the King displaying her loyalty. She did the same to Lady Zelie and then to Arya's surprise, she bowed towards the Narvian Academy girls. Sir Francis and Lady Vivian shook hands as a sign of reconciliation before the two were off the field. Arya knew what would be coming next; it was time for the semi-final matches for the Heres Gladii.

Sir Samuel remained on the field indicating that he would be judging the next two matches as well. He moved to the middle of the battle field before announcing the next pair to fight, it would be Yasmin and Aaron. Yasmin got up from her seat with the sword in her hand as she made her down the aisle and passed Arya she light grasped her hand.

"Be extra careful." Arya said to Yasmin.

The curly haired girl nodded. A few moments later both Yasmin and Aaron came onto the field dressed extremely differently than how they had been moments ago. They were both wearing armour and Yasmin's hair had been pulled into a tight bun. Sir Samuel called the match and it began.

Aaron was the first to attack and Yasmin barely managed to block his blow. She had to grind her legs into the crowd to keep her balanced. They were in a deadlock for a few more seconds before Aaron jumped back quickly and swung at Yasmin's legs. Yasmin intercepted his movements and used the weight of her own sword to keep him at bay. Both of them stepped back and circled on another. It seemed so far that they were both equals both Arya knew that only time would tell them of the real winner.

Yasmin began a flurry of attacks and to Arya's surprise, Aaron blocked all of them without moving an inch from where he had been standing previously. Arya knew that it was a testament of his strength. She also knew that Aaron was doing fooling around as his eyes darkened and mouth turned grimmer.

Yasmin was panting from her attacks and that is when Aaron took advantage and turned the tide of the battle back into the sea. He began attack, his moves as lighting as he pranced around the field giving Yasmin a multi-sided attack. She tried to block all his attacks but it seemed that Aaron was too fast for her as he skipped around her sword to bring down his own.

Arya could also envision Yasmin's thoughts. She knew that Aaron had frazzled her mind and she was quickly forgetting her attack combination. Her mind was all over the place and she could not think clearly in order to lead a counter attack. In the midst of her thoughts, Yasmin had left her back open. Before she could open her mouth to say anything, Aaron had pointed his sword to her back. The two were both panting heavily but Aaron had a huge grin on his face.

"The match goes to Aaron Letholdus Henderson." Sir Samuel called.

There was a loud cheer from the Narvanian boys as they clapped from Aaron. The girls of the Narvian academy looked crestfallen at the lost. Arya knew she had to win the next match, she was the only hope that the academy had left now.

When Arya made her way onto the field she strangely felt calm. She tuned out the world and instead focused on her opponent, Damien. His forest green eyes seemed to be trained on Arya as he gripped his sword tighter. Arya had never seen Damien so focused and she had a good inkling that this would be one of her toughest matchups.

Arya was vaguely aware of Sir Samuel lowering his arm and the battle began. It was Damien who attacked first but Arya intercepted his movements and shielded herself from his sword. She turned her body in a way which allowed her to slip under Damien's sword and then she swung Anaz at his right calf. Damien seemed to predicate her move as he held brought back his sword quickly to parry her thrust.

The two metals echoed loudly and Arya could hear the faint cry of birds as they were probably startled by the sound. The arena had become quieter and Arya couldn't help but be thankful. A quite palace allowed her to think and formula a strategy. Arya glanced around the field trying to see if anything would allow her to get an upper hand on Damien.

The terrain was smooth and there wasn't really much that could help Arya at this point. She quickly formulated her next assaults as she tried to predicate Damien's moves at the same time. It was like playing chess for two sides and while some people would find it tedious, Arya knew it was necessary in battle to read your opponent. After exchanging a few blows with Damien, Arya had gotten a read on his patterns. He hid them well but when she had switched up her attacks, it had allowed her to see his different moves as well.

Taking a deep breath Arya closed her eyes and opened them again to stare at Damien. The she picked grasped Anaz slightly and began her attack.

Left, right, thrust, parry, slide, right again, centre around, block.

Damien managed to block all of her attacks and he looked quite satisfied with being able to do so. Meanwhile on the other hand, Arya smiled.

She had gotten him exactly where she needed.

She dove forward with both hands on Anaz and pointed the sword towards his heart stopping mere inches before it would actually puncture the skin.

"I win." She mouthed to him.

Damien looked both shocked and horrified as he realized his mistake. Arya had deliberately planned all her moves and how he would respond to get him into an area in which the sun would directly be in his eyes.

The stadium was in pin drop silence before Sir Samuel announced Arya as the winner and suddenly the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Arya raised her sword to acknowledge everyone but the only look of approval she was looking for was from Lady Zelie. So, when she raised her eyes to see Lady Zelie smiling at her softly, Arya's heart felt it was in the right place. She was going to the Heres Gladii finals and she was going to make her Lady proud.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So What did you guys think about Arya's prank? The fight between the two knights? Arya's match? Comment below I'd love to hear your thought. Please remember to vote as well! And wish me luck with school because it feel as though I'm drowning right now...