Miranda's world was in a turmoil.

She stood there, facing Edric, both of them having mere inches of distance as she tried to believe that the person in front of her was real -- that he wasn't in her dreams anymore, that he was not a figment of her imagination, that she could touch him if she wanted to. She blinked, and blinked again, still hoping this was all true -- that this wasn't her usual daydreaming where she would see Edric in every man that she'd set her eyes on, that when the guards opened the door, and Edric walked in, it wasn't just a random person, that it was him -- her fallen star.

He was here. He was alive. He was looking at her.

She slowly brought her hand forward, her fingers shaking. "Ed—"

"Your Highness," Edric stepped back, inclining his head. "It's an honour to be in front of you and battle."

She let out a shaky breath, instantly putting her hand down as she swallowed, wishing the air would dry out the new formed tears in her eyes. It took her a few seconds to realise that she wasn't in the meadow with him, alone and at peace -- she was at the throne room, where she was just ordered to fight the person she betrayed and she was stupid to think about the meadow, to caress his hair while the sun blew kisses on him as she admired him -- it was so, so stupid.

She nodded, her heart racing rapidly, her mind still not being able to do anything. All it wanted to do was pull him towards her and tell him the truth of her actions from seven years ago. She wanted to take his hands, ask him about the scars he had on his arms, ask him how he survived that night, how he lived all these years, how he did it all on his own.

She wanted to tell him that she stopped living the night she crushed his heart and she hadn't been the same after that. She wanted to tell him that she'd promised to never be happy after that night, that she'd live in agony, that she would curse the gods, until her misery would form into death and relieve her. She wanted to tell him that she was forced to do everything that she did to him and her only wish was to just stay by his side, back at the meadow, under the moon and the stars.

But she would do no such thing.

She cleared her throat, realising even her voice was shaking as she spoke. "We will battle with our swords,"

Before Miranda could even ready herself, the sound of a sword being unsheathed pierced through the heavy atmosphere, making the spectators adjust in their seats and watch with their utmost attention.

Miranda unsheathed her own sword, poising, aiming the sword at his chest and just like that night seven years ago, even now she wouldn't be able to hurt him, not a scratch, not even a graze of her sword against his skin. She would watch him, study his features -- his eyes that had lost their shine, his cheeks that had sunken, his cheekbones that had hardened, his face which had been still the entire time. She would realise that she had lost her star and it was entirely her fault. But between all that, she would thank whatever the gods there were: the Fates, the gods of Hearts, the gods of Elysia, the True gods, the gods ruling the skies -- she would thank all kinds of deities and divinities for Edric's survival.

She would be selfish again, and she would wish for him to survive again.

Edric was ready -- he even started attacking -- sending thrusts as the first thing, his sword so quick, the nobles were having a hard time seeing his sword at all. He continued sending thrusts, not being attacked back for once, his swords reaching Miranda's throat, neck, chest -- but the tip of the sword's edge never touched her.

Miranda could see Edric was getting frustrated at every second, not because he wasn't able to take her down -- but because she wasn't attacking him; she was giving him a chance to win intentionally and that was a direct insult to his hard works and all the hardships he went through to get this far.

Edric stepped forward, his sword aimed at her neck as he stepped closer than necessary, reaching the tip of her ear as she tilted her neck, dodging his sword as his weapon only sliced the air. "Attack me, Miranda," he said, his voice making Miranda's eyes widen as she stepped back, watching him, his words echoing in her ears, as if her ears couldn't take the effect of his real voice after imagining it for years.

Edric didn't wait for her and attacked again, his sword more quick and strong, and Miranda held her sword firmly, clashing her sword against his. The steels embraced one another harshly, creating a sound that made the spectators forget about the heavy sound of the rain outside as they watched, their eyebrows frowned, excited.

Edric pushed his sword, his jaw hardened, his eyes firm on Miranda, their faces almost as close as their swords. "You expected me to be dead, didn't you?" Edric asked, his voice quiet, still not being able to move Miranda's sword at all.

Miranda's sword weakened just for a second hearing him. "I had a reason for everything I did," she said, her voice shaking like Edric's grip on his sword. She wanted to stop this battle, to look him in the eyes, to tell him the truth that had been weighing her heart for the past six years.

"For killing my mother? For helping the usurper?" Edric asked, strands of his hair falling over his eyes because of the sudden burst of air coming through the windows. "For betraying me?"

"You won't forgive me no matter what I say—"

Edric pressed his sword more, his Adam's apple bobbing. "You could've told me -- whatever struggle you had, whatever made you do what you did. I would've done something. I would've done anything if it came to you." Edric hated how his voice sounded -- so desperate. How he still wanted Miranda to justify her actions, just so he could explain his mind that maybe he didn't have to hate her so much, maybe he could finally relieve himself from loathing her because it was rotting his heart, suffocating it, and making unbearable to even breath.

"This was different. You don't understand how my father is. You don't stand a chance against him. Nobody did and nobody ever will," Miranda backed off, moving her sword away and attacking him for the first time, her thrusts quicker than Edric, giving him no chance to attack, and only parry. Edric tried to do perform a riposte, but that only ended up in failure when Miranda immediately clashed her sword against his, making her opponent defend himself by backing away, keeping his sword firm against her attacks.

"The usurper will fall, I assure that," he said, his mind finally understanding the way Miranda's attacks works -- she was quick, that was for sure and attacking her wasn't easy -- she doesn't attack when she catches her opponent off-guard, or when she finds a weak spot of theirs, or when she finds a chance, or strategises -- Miranda did no such thing. She simply attacked.

And that was a terrible thing because that meant Miranda needed no such thing -- Miranda was skilled enough to not come up with strategies, she was skilled enough to keep attacking until she figured out the way her opponent operated without needing any kind of plans, she was skilled and quick enough to defeat him by just simply attacking.

Edric lost count of the amount of times he sword battled with people, and that uncountable amounts were the reason why he was able to defeat Meridia and label himself as a decent swordsman but right now, he was doubting everything. He was doubting his seven years of sword battle practices, he was doubting his strength, he was doubting his skills, he was doubting his sword battle sessions with Jeril and Meridia -- he was doubting it all because he could not read Miranda's attacks at all.

They'd been attacking each other for almost twenty minutes, and all of Miranda's attacks were so abrupt and quick, Edric was surprised that he wasn't cut in half by now. They came out of nowhere, Miranda's attacks, as if from thin air, even though her sword was basically in front of him but he was never able to pinpoint from exactly where she raised her sword and brought it down his neck before he dodged it and saved himself from getting sliced.

Edric never underestimated her, he knew whose daughter she was and it was expected of her to be good with her sword but this was straight up torture at that point. He still hadn't gotten a chance to attack her at all and he wondered if he ever would, considering how Miranda wasn't even sweating while blowing those heavy strikes, her eyes unreadable along with her expressions.

"You must leave this place," Miranda said, her voice low, opposite of he strikes.

"This is my home," Edric clenched his jaw, anger radiating off from the way he parried her attacks aggressively.

"You won't survive a minute here when they know your identity," she hissed, lunging towards him and throwing strikes after strikes. "Go back and live quietly, like you've done for the past seven years,"

"Were you always like this, Miranda?" The question rolled out of his tongue unintentionally, his voice so quiet Miranda wondered if she was imagining him again. "Always cowering in front of what is right and siding with the wrongs?"

Miranda opened her mouth, and closed it, not knowing what to say. She attacked again, her attacks only getting parried as Edric flourished with his sword, his sword quicker than before. "You're making a mistake, Edric,"

Edric resisted himself from laughing out loud. "I am the rightful heir to the throne. I will fight the gods and the Fates if I must, but I will take what is mine," Edric backed away from her attacks, giving himself the time to raise his sword high and bring it down. "Don't you dare tell me I am making a mistake."

Miranda looked at him hopelessly, her eyes tired, defeated and softened, and Edric's grip on the sword loosened seeing her in that state -- so fragile, so innocent, and so broken -- as if she wasn't the reason why he was in that state, as if she wasn't the reason why his world shattered, as if she wasn't the one who took his heart, toyed with it, crushed it and then threw the remnants right at his face. It made it so hard to loath her existence. It made him want to drop the sword, hold her, and tell her that he was tired of it all, that he didn't want to do any of this, that the only thing he ever wanted from the gods was to stay by her side until life had left his body.

But Edric did no such things. He only listened to her next words. "Please, Edric. I won't be able to save you this time."

Edric swallowed, not being able to bear the way her voice shook, close to tears, as he brought down the sword, placing it right beneath her chin. A single tear rolled down Miranda's cheek, reaching her chin, and finally the tip of Edric's sword that was resting against her chin. He waited for her to attack back, or do something against his move but she moved no muscle -- she stood there, her sword in her hand by her side, her eyes glistening with tears.

"You never saved me, Miranda. I wish your father had taken my life that night," Edric said, bringing down his sword when the whole throne room applauded for his victory, half of the nobles standing and clapping their hands -- everyone but Mèrikh. "I wish I had never found out the truth about you."

The usurper sat silently in his throne, glaring at his daughter, his fingers curled around the handstand of the throne.

He finally spoke. "The renèi Possessor has impressive skills. He will certainly be an asset to the throne and the court as a swordsman," his eyes searched for Kael. "Kael will be rewarded for finding him."

Kael grinned widely, giving Edric a firm nod, to which Edric showed no expression and waited for the usurper to continue.

"But just being good with his sword isn't enough to earn a place in the court. The renèi Possessor doesn't stand a chance against the Ezèrian, we are all aware of that,  but a test is a test, and all candidates must go through it. The renèi Possessor will battle an Ezèrian in his next duel," Mèrikh glared at Edric. "Your luck won't save you next time. State your renèi Possessions, boy."

Edric kept his head high. "White Wing Possessor of Wing Possessors, Memory Eraser of Memory Possessors, Mind Manipulator of Mind Possessors, Dream Creator of Dream Possessors, Body Possessor, and Curse Breaker of Curse Possessors,"

"It's a rare sight to see a renèi Possessor with two possessions because of their limitations in their bodies. How did you acquire that many?" Mèrikh asked, curiosity in his eyes.

"I have an abundance amount of renèi space inside my body, Your Majesty,"

"And you are patient and determined enough to perfect all of them?"

"Working by your side is the reason for my determination and patience, Your Majesty."

Mèrikh was flattered, but he didn't show it. Instead, he walked out of the dais, walking towards him, meeting Edric's eye level. "Lower your eyes when you see your king, boy,"

Edric didn't lower his eyes, looked even coldly now, as the rain increased, the raindrops hitting the windows aggressively, followed by thunder.. "So much rage within your eyes, Resrei Yeurez," Mèrikh turned on his heels. "You are an interesting one. I look forward to your duel."

Edric watched as Mèrikh walked back to his throne, sitting in the very seat where he should've sat, where he'd held his dead's brother's hand, where he had covered his face with his brother's blood to remain inconspicuous, Mèrikh sat there, dismissing everyone, calling the meeting off, and dismissing Miranda at the end.

Miranda still hadn't moved from her position, her eyes glued to the floor, sword secured in her hand. She finally looked up, meeting Edric's eyes. "Run away," she mouthed, her voice low. "They will kill you—"

"Did I not make myself clear, Miranda? Did I not dismiss you all?" Mèrikh raised his voice, his voice holding anger as Miranda turned around, facing his father before giving Edric one last glance, desperation and fear in her eyes, making Edric only look away because he couldn't stand it anymore. His feet had already stepped forward involuntarily, towards her, to assure her that he'd be fine, that he had come prepared, that she didn't need to be so distressed about him, to relieve her from her worries.

"The duel will take place tomorrow. Kael will tell you where to stay for the night. Prove yourself to me tomorrow and you will be placed in the court, no questions asked." Mèrikh declared once the nobles were all gone, leaving only Edric  and Kael.

Edric bowed, his mind already set on tomorrow and winning the duel, his mind leaving thoughts of Miranda for once, not paying heed to his heart's demands. "Yes, Your Majesty."