The Lady's Knight

He heard wagers being made in the background, piping up from the rest of the low buzz and murmur as the crowd widened to allow a ring of open space. Suzaku stood in the center of the circle, locked in by a barrier of Britannian spectators. He was on display, and they looked on with smug eagerness or mocking sneers. A bubble of anger tried to rise to the surface, but he smothered it completely. On the outside, Suzaku smoothly tugged off his gloves and undid the fastenings of his jacket – it wouldn't do to have a slippery grip or risk getting snagged. A slender, gloved hand reached out to take the articles and drape them over her arm. He presented his sword to Euphemia for her to kiss the blade and give her blessing.

"My brave Knight, go forward and fight honorably in my name." Her address had the steady automatic tone of ritual while she gently motioned for him to stand. Straying from tradition slightly, she smiled and mouthed the words, 'Please be careful.'

Suzaku bowed his head in acknowledgment and grasped the hilt comfortably. For a decorative weapon, at least it had good balance. A pity he couldn't have used a Japanese sword, but that was nostalgia speaking. Though it had been the style he learned as a child, the opportunities to use it were few and far between. He had to admit that his Britannian swordplay was now the superior of the two, no matter how the truth discomforted him.

Well, he should be grateful for whatever experience he had. When dueling had been listed among his duties as a Knight, he'd assumed that only meant as a Knightmare pilot.

Suzaku took his place and saluted his opponent, a young noble who had been more than willing to battle the newly-made Knight of Princess Euphemia. After all, such a distinguished position must be given to only the most skilled. Surely, a little bit of a show would be welcome at this gathering. Duels were so popular back in Britannia and the Princess must be feeling homesick here in Area 11.

He found that he was perfectly glad to give them this demonstration, and didn't wait for the other to make the first move. If not for that tiny spark of incentive, Suzaku would have gone about the whole thing with veiled indifference. Just because he wasn't inclined towards boasting didn't mean he downplayed himself. He knew perfectly well what and where his limits were, and the other young man couldn't really compare. His form looked all right, and he wasn't sloppy, and he was certainly creative, making it difficult to predict. However, he was showy. His swordplay was abundant with unnecessary little flourishes to make the audience gasp and twitter. He was full of openings. Suzaku let them enjoy the exhibit for a while, waiting for the choice moment when he could finish this without anyone getting hurt. This wasn't a duel to the death, because it "wasn't proper" as party entertainment, but no one had stated explicitly whether they'd end at first blood.

Suzaku wondered briefly what they'd hate more: a Japanese winning over an upper-class Britannian, or Japanese blood on their floor. But then again, one of those could be cleaned and forgotten about.

He twisted and his opponent's weapon clattered harmlessly from a surprised hand. After a choking pause, the noble acting as arbiter announced, "Victory goes to Kururugi Suzaku, Knight Champion of Princess Euphemia Li Britannia."