There was silence as Alexus's declaration was made. Wilson wanted to remove his blindfold as soon as the announcement was made, but he decided to be a menace today. As his last day here, it will be justifiable to leave some mischief in his wake.
Alexus probably sensed his mischief and personally removed his blindfold. Wilson wanted to protest, but seeing the state Tyron was in, he saw why Alexus did so. His kick turned out to be stronger than he intended.
Tyron looked pained on the ground. He had been slammed to a corner from his position before he curled up to his side. His kick will bruise him physically and psychologically from how things are.
"I messed up big time, didn't I?" Wilson said warily. He instructed John to get help from the infirmary as he nudged Alexus to administer some first aid or something.
Alexus, being experienced with various injuries, determined it was just a minor injury. But to be sure, he advised Tyron to get seen by a doctor and have an observation to eliminate chances of internal bleeding. He stated that it is just a precaution as it will take some time for indications of internal injuries to show up.
Tyron's servant was relieved with the information and thanked Alexus. Wilson came near at this time and thanked Tyron for a good spar, giving a few compliments and apologies for the injury. He promised him some medical assistance for this incident.
Tyron looked amiable with the consideration. But before he could say anything, Raphael cut in and prevented him from saying anything.
"Isn't it too easy to have it just end like that?" Raphael said. "You've used too much strength that caused Mr. Mare to be like this. Your response is quite lacking."
"Then how would you like him to compensate Mr. Mare, Mr. Keills?" Diane asked Raphael. "Considering this is just a spar with both of them agreeing on the terms, I don't think Wilson's approach is adequate."
Raphael held up his hand towards the princess as he turned to her. "I'm not saying it is inadequate, it seems to be a little lackluster given the circumstances."
"So what? Do you want my cousin to give gold to Mr. Mare as well?" Chris said as he approached Tyron. "It's not showing anything serious to warrant more than the courtesy that my cousin extended. At the beginning of this spar, from what I heard, it was proposed by you. Although the princess had facilitated as a referee, why didn't you get a doctor to be here in the case of accidents?"
Chris can be quite sharp-tongued when he starts using his brain at times. He directed a hard-to-answer question to Raphael as he knelt next to Tyron. He then addressed the injured man.
"And you, Mr. Mare, I don't know what egged you to spar with my cousin. But you're asking for this seeing as he did give a warning beforehand." Casually he propped his shoulder with his knee and rested his head on his hand. "My cousin was never the type to joke around. His warnings always come with a prize for those who didn't listen to them."
Tyron was red-faced at the question. He found no words to respond to the question. But prideful as he is, he didn't back down to blame Wilson for his hubris. He might like to hoard achievement from his subordinates, but for something that is tied to his prowess in front of many peers, he knows how to accept his faults and assess and cut his losses in time.
He wanted to laugh off the whole thing, but his injury prevented him from moving too much. A little movement causes him pain with how fresh it is. So he can't go in that direction to make the whole thing less serious.
To save his pride, he could only say:
"It's certainly my fault for not accounting for possibilities that may involve anyone getting injured as I am now." Tyron stood up with the assistance of his servant. "Mr. Thymes has done more than enough to ensure my quick recovery. I truly appreciate it."
"Heard that, Raphael?" Chris said as he stood up and turned to Raphael, courtesy missing in his tone as he asked him. "The victim is fine with how it was handled."
Raphael didn't react much with what Chris was saying. Instead, he was looking at Wilson with a gaze that greatly annoyed Wilson. He was looking at his reactions like he was expecting something from him.
Wilson met Raphael's gaze with no fear. He smiled at the other who was mentally noting everything to report to the Third Prince for later. With little time, there is no doubt they are testing his worth to draw him to their side.
Tired of how poorly everything is being plotted, Wilson no longer wanted to play around with them.
"Raphael, I noticed how you seem to be targeting me for a while now." Wilson handed Daniel—whom Chris lent until John comes back—the sword in his hand, which Daniel accepted and presented to its true owner.
"How can I?" Raphael asked with a shrug. "I'm just showing a little care to a friend. I mean, this is something normal for those who care, right?"
"That is indeed true." Taking a towel that Daniel handed him. "But excess care is often reserved for something more. I don't want to think more than I should, but it's bothering me at this point. Does the Third Prince know of what you're doing?"
"Not really." Raphael made sure that everything is clean on the prince's side. "Everything is on me. Just take it as being too nosy. Sticking my nose at places I shouldn't be."
"I guess I'm just being sensitive." Wilson was quick to dismiss the whole thing. "Well for now, let's have Mr. Mare all fixed up. If anyone else wants to spar with me, I'm up for any challenge before I leave."
There were a few in the crowd who wanted to compare skills. Wilson didn't mind catering to them. So he went for a few rounds with them.
John was able to successfully bring over a doctor. Like Alexus's judgment, it was nothing serious. Tyron was instructed to rest and to administer a cold compress, and if the pain is intolerable, he prescribed some pain killers he can use until he is fully healed. And considerably, the doctor wrote a doctor's order that he will personally submit to the faculty for him to not attend class for a few days to make sure of his healing.
Without Raphael trying to make things difficult, the spars were uneventful as they could be. When everyone had enough of being sweaty, they refreshed themselves and changed their clothes to return to the hall proper. This time, the prince was quick to notice them.
And for the first time since the beginning of this farce, Alphonsus finally addressed their presence.
"Wilson!" Alphonsus said as he walked near them. "I'm sorry for not noticing you earlier. It's bad manners of me to not notice you when I had this party in your honor. I hope you enjoyed yourself so far."
"Don't apologize to me, Your Highness." Wilson replied politely. "I understand you're busy entertaining the other guests. I enjoyed the food you've prepared. I also had a great time at the courtyard as well. We've had a few spars to remember by before I leave."
"I'm glad to hear that." Alphonsus said with a sigh. "Again, it's bad for me not to acknowledge you earlier. I see you are with company. My dear sister, are you enjoying yourself as well?"
"I've enjoyed myself, dear brother." Diane said with a smile. "I see you've outdone yourself this time around. I've noted a few things I can use at my own party later."
"I'm happy to hear that." Alphonsus replied with an equal smile. "If you'd like, I can send a servant to assist you when the time comes."
"I'll take your offer later for later." Diane graciously accepted the offer.
"How about you, Mr. Davis?" Alphonsus addressed Alexus who was looking at him. "Was this party to your liking? If it is, I can give you an invitation personally at a later time for the next time."
"Everything is adequate." Alexus replied diplomatically. "I'll be honored to receive an invitation for a next time, Your Highness. I'll try to set aside time to attend it if I could."
"I take your word for it." Alphonsus looked pleased at his reply. He then addressed Chris. "Mr. Dane, are you enjoying the party so far? You're well-known for not being a social person. I hope the party didn't bore you much."
"I enjoyed myself, Your Highness," Chris said with a cheeky smile. "I liked the courtyard that was especially prepared. It kept me from boredom and I got to see something interesting today."
"Really? Would you care to share it with me?"
"Sure!" Chris said as he gave Raphael a side eye. "Your close friend here, Mr. Keills, had proposed a spar between my cousin and Mr. Mare. It was an exciting match to say the least."