I hate dissections.
Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*
Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics
if a pokemon talks
Chapter 18
The next morning, Red woke up with a throbbing headache – he had really drunk too much last night. Lance had fixed him herb tea though, and it ebbed the pain away in minutes.
They sat down to a hearty breakfast, and prepared to return to Indigo Plateau. They were just preparing to leave when they heard a commotion.
There was apparently a man in glaring yellow clothing harassing – hey, that was Whitney, Giovanni’s wife and Red’s somewhat sweetheart!
What was she doing here?
In any case, Red recognized Count Gold, so he drew his sword and prepared to give him another thrashing.
Lance gripped his arm. Red frowned, but then Lance bent over and whispered in his ear. “There are four men hiding in the bushes with muskets drawn. They’d open fire on you the minute you rushed outdoors to confront him.”
“Then… this….”
“I believe this is being staged for you.”
“Why?”
“The Cardinal loves to make his enemies suffer, Red…” Lance whispered, and said no more on the topic as Whitney was dragged off.
Red could feel his face coloring in anger, but he managed to keep a hold of himself.
He had to stay strong...
And they had to get back to Indigo Plateau.
It was perhaps a few days after they had all gathered, when Red spotted the beautiful lady with red hair that he had seen in the little town on the way to Indigo. She was arguing hotly with a gentlemen dressed in white. Interesting…
Well, in any case, he decided to play the gallant gentlemen and walked up to her. “Excuse me, my lady, but is this man bothering you?”
She really was very beautiful, with long red hair pulled up with sapphire hairpins – how exotic – and a heart-shaped face, brilliant blue eyes completing the ensemble.
She spoke in flawless French, though with a foreign accent, “Monsieur, I would greatly appreciate your help, if this man I was arguing with wasn’t my brother-in-law.”
“Why is he cutting into our conversation like this?” The man identified as her brother-in-law huffed. He boasted a slight English accent.
Red twitched. The man caught it and gave him a mocking smile. Within a few moments, they had decided on a date and time for their duel tomorrow.
The things people did for honor was truly bizarre.
The next day, the Englishman, who had been introduced as Lord de Winter, and three of his friends met Red and his three friends behind a convenient monastery. There were no Guards around, and as bows were made, each man picked out an opponent and began to battle.
“You can’t expect me to fight with you.” The noblemen told Lance. “Why, you’re not even using your real name!”
“I’m glad you recognize it as being fake.”
Lance leaned over and whispered something in the man’s ear. His eyes widened.
“Now do you think I’m a great enough nobleman to duel with you?”
“Yes sir.” The man bowed.
“I do pity you though. You see, I’m known to be dead and it would be very inconvenient if it were found out that I still live, so I’ll have to kill you.”
Meanwhile, Will and Brock had also whispered their names. Red bowed, and faced Lord de Winter, and the duel began.
Lance fought as methodically as if he had been in a fencing school.
Brock, who had been apparently been cured of his overconfidence in Viridian, fought with great finesse and caution.
Will, who had the third canto of his love poem to finish, moved with the speed of a man in a hurry.
Lance was the first to down his opponent. He gave him only one thrust, but it was fatal, through the heart.
Then, Brock’s opponent fell with a wound in his thigh. When he surrendered his sword without further resistance, Brock kindly carried him to his carriage.
Will pursued his opponent so well that he threw down his sword and fled the scene. The others jeered at him.
Meanwhile, Red limited himself to purely defensive tactics until he sensed Lord de Winter weakening… with a swift twist of his wrist, he disarmed him and put his sword to the point of the man’s throat.
“I’d kill you, sir, but I’ll spare you for the sake of your sister in law.”
Lord de Winter was delighted with the naiveté of the young man, and so invited him to dinner at his house that very night.
“You want to borrow my clothes?” Lance gave Red an incredulous look as he unlocked the door to his apartment. “What on earth for?”
“Well, I need to look nice.”
“Ah yes. You got a free dinner out of that duel. Well then, I suppose I can lend you something…”
Red eyed a dark suit with a matching cloak lined with crimson, but something in Lance’s eyes warned him not to pick that one, so he settled for sky-blue silk trimmed with silver. It fit very well.
Odd, Lance wasn’t that much taller than he was…
In any case, dinner was charming. Milady deWinter was breathtakingly beautiful, dressed in a long gown of silky dark purple velvet with a charming smile. Lord de Winter was a polite conversationalist, and Milady’s pretty maid kept winking and smiling at him behind her fan.
How interesting…
This might prove fortuitous after all…
End Chapter
Completed 4/20/06
Red: I’m such…
Phantomness: That is the way society was back then, love.
Lance: *Hugs Red*