Prince Lourel presented the victor’s crown to her. That meant he had chosen her to be his lady. Victory on the one hand, defeat on the other. After all, she already has a fiancé. And why was she in such a hurry to choose.
Hilaria sighed enviously behind her back, and the elf rose leisurely. He had looked arrogant when he had fought, but now he was suddenly modest, even timid. But Marianne grew bolder.
«How is it that I did not notice you before?» She asked flirtatiously. – «Either I was blind, or someone put a magical blindness on me.»
«But you chased me from the window of the throne room a week ago,» Lurel admitted with a half smile. «Don’t you remember? You had my companions doused with boiling pitch.»
«Were you one of them?»
Perhaps she should apologize to him. But Marianne could not get over her pride. The chancellor, who had heard her speaking to the elf, was red as a lobster and began nervously fidgeting in his chair. What kind of a fly bit him?
«You don’t look burned,» Marianne looked at the elf’s clear skin. Elves don’t seem invulnerable. The burn must have healed instantly, but she pretended not to know that they healed fast. But how good-looking they were, she realized only now. People don’t have skin as delicate as lily petals. Nor do humans have golden eyelashes and eyebrows.
«Elves can’t be burned, not with pitch, flaming arrows, or boiling water,» Lurel explained kindly.
«Did I ever poison you with any of that? And you are not angry with me?»
«How can you be angry at the most beautiful princess in the universe?»
That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to her! It seemed that a kiss with him was a reward for her, not the other way around.
Marianne suddenly realized that her heart was already captive to the winner of the tournament. The fairies weren’t lying. This is love! Until now, the capricious princess had never suspected that she was capable of such feelings.
Only after the magic kiss did she notice how jealously Prince Cassian was looking at her and the elf. He grew increasingly gloomy and clutched the hilt of his sword nervously. He seemed to have encouraged the knights to chant some frivolous ballad about how it wasn’t proper for elves to steal girls away from Earth boys. The elves, who had long been eyeing the ladies in the stands, were visibly offended. The next round of the tournament was looming, in which mortals would surely lose. Marianne wanted to take some action. If she did not want Conrad to be without his knights, she could not delay. However, Lurel was the first to rush into battle. What if he wins? Marianne had a stray thought: what if he kills Cassian and frees her from her promise? She had heard something about how elves had no right to marry girls who were already betrothed to men. Let the duel decide.
«You’d better tell them to stop the tournament,» Hilaria whispered nervously.
«Why is it not? Let them compete with each other.»
«There’s a magic rule. I can’t remember exactly! But I think there’s a rule that says an elf must never fight A bridegroom of a girl he’s attracted to. Otherwise, something bad will happen.»
«How do you know that?»
«I heard about it when I was a child from my nanny, who was a witch doctor.»
«They hired a nurse who was a witch doctor?» Marianne was indignant. «Witches are not welcome in feudal castles.»
«Except those who heal and drive away evil spirits from the cradle,» she said.
«But no one chased the elves away from me, and now I feel as if I am in captivity.»
«Such are love spells!» determined an observant Hilaria.
Was it charms? No, it isn’t! Marianne sensed that her love was genuine. And the contest was gathering momentum. Magic had not yet gone against swords, but elves were still stronger than humans.
Yet the rules were not broken. There was nothing to be faulted. The mortal knights had volunteered to wrestle with the elves. Yes, this is tantamount to suicide. But a valiant knight has the right to go out to fight even against a giant. Stopping him without cause was not an option.
Marianne was troubled by one thought. She was like a bird in a cage, beating in her head. Hilaria had a point, even if she did not make it explicit. The tournament must be ended before the first kill. After all, there is some ancient law about which the old soothsayers, familiar with the elves, have so much to say. Something ruling out happiness if one kills the fiancé of the one the elf has glimpsed.
Lurel and Cassian faced each other in a duel. The mortal prince fought against the immortal elf prince. The audience screamed with delight. And the red and white roses on the armrest of the throne were dripping with dew as if they were tears.
Just then Conrad returned, pale as a dead man. He sat silently on the pedestal beside Marianne, as if the throne were no longer for him. What was the matter with him? She would have roused him with questions, but other things were more important now.
«Stop them!»
«Why is it?» Conrad looked up at her with a face the color of white chalk. Marianne shuddered. It felt like some evil fairy drank all the life out of her brother with her kiss.
«Fighting with elves is pure suicide! You are the king! It is your duty to prevent senseless bloodshed.»
«Forgive me, Marianne, but in a tournament everyone chooses who they fight. Even a king has no right to interfere. The knights must be brave, or if war breaks out with the elves, all the warriors will be hiding in the bushes.»
«Why do you speak of war with the elves?» Marianne became agitated. For sure her brother was hiding something from her. She was well aware of his habits. Now he was acting as if he had a guilty conscience.
«I am not saying that!» Conrad brushed her off.
A black mist, like a teain of darkness, stretched across the stands behind the king who had come to the tournament. The elves had cast magic against the humans. It was unintentional. In the heat of battle, no one thinks of methods. Everyone wants to win at all costs. Some wizards tried to stop Lurel and Cassian. Vines grew on their crossed swords, which intertwined between their blades and prevented them from fighting. Lurel whispered some magic word, and the vines burned.
Before Marianne could see, the duel came to an end. Cassian was dead. His auburn locks were strewn across the bloodstained place. The helmet flew off. Lurel was not triumphant, but victory was important to him.
«He didn’t notice the wedding ring on your hand,» whispered a voice coming from the roses.
«The elves broke the law of hospitality by killing the knights,» Conrad muttered. Menuel’s dagger decided to back him up on that and released from its sheath. It soared like a bird of steel and launched itself at everyone. Hilaria cried out in fright, but Marianne was more concerned with Lurel’s victory. Now she was free. She could remove her earthly diamond engagement ring from her finger, and the elf prince would give her a magic ring in return.
