Leon circled his opponent half a circle in a smooth motion, then struck the guard with his sword, causing him to release his grip slightly.
In the same motion, he placed his foot behind his leg and pulled it with perfect lightness.
The guard lost his balance and fell on his back before realizing what had happened.
The next moment, the tip of the wooden sword was resting in front of his neck, and silence prevailed.
The confrontation only took a few seconds.
Leon lowered his sword and extended his hand to the guard to help him stand, then said as he turned to his sons:
“Strength alone does not make a victory.
If you can read your opponent’s move before it is complete, you have decided half the battle before it even begins.
As soon as Leon finished speaking, applause rang out throughout the garden.
The princes and princesses were impressed by what they saw, and even the guards and servants made no secret of their amazement at their king’s skill.
As for Arthur, he kept looking
As for Arthur, he kept looking at his father with wide eyes.
He couldn’t hide his admiration for the way he knocked down an opponent larger than him in a matter of moments.
For the first time in a long time, he felt proud to be that man’s son.
Leon smiled lightly, then looked around among his children and said “Now… who among you wants to confront me?”
Hands rose immediately, and the princes raced to get the chance to stand in front of their father alone, while Arthur remained standing silently, content to watch the scene.
Leon’s eyes wandered among them for a moment, then he uttered one name “Arthur.”
Silence prevailed.
Arthur’s eyes widened in shock, and he stared at his father, not believing what he heard.
Me…?
His heartbeat accelerated, and he felt an overwhelming joy that he had not known for years.
For the first time, his father chose him from among all his brothers.
As for the rest of the princes, they exchanged their eyes in astonishment.
Some of them had sarcastic smiles on their faces, while others showed signs of surprise, and even some jealousy, as no one expected that the king would choose a son whom he had always ignored.
Arthur walked with hesitant steps until he stood in front of his father.
Despite his confusion, a small smile appeared on his face, as he thought that his father had finally given him a chance to confess to him.
Leon returned that smile… but it was different, a smile that Arthur couldn’t explain.
The king extended his hand to one of the guards, took a wooden sword from him, and then threw it at his son.
“Pick it up.”
Arthur’s eyes widened in shock.
He took a step back as he stared at the sword that had settled before his feet.
He had never carried a sword in his life, had never received any combat training, and had never even imagined that one day he would stand up to his father.
He looked up at him, fear evident on his features.
As for Leon, he kept looking at him with a rigid face, devoid of any sympathy “Come on… what are you waiting for?”
Arthur swallowed his saliva, then slowly bent down and extended his little hands towards the sword.
As soon as he grabbed his handle, the sword tilted under his weight, losing its balance for a moment, but he tightened his grip with all his strength until he was finally able to carry it.
One of the guards took a step forward and said anxiously “Sir… he is still a child…”
Leon interrupted him in a stern tone, without taking his eyes off Arthur: “He is the son of a king.””
Leon drew his sword, then pointed his blade at his son “Come to me.”
Arthur froze.
His little hands trembled as he clenched the sword with difficulty.
His stance was restless, his grip was wrong, and even the sword seemed too heavy to control him.
He had never learned the basics of combat and had never held a sword before this day.
However… he was now facing the greatest swordsman in the kingdom.
He tried to take a step forward, but his feet did not respond and fear paralyzed his body.
All he wanted was to prove to his father that he wasn’t useless… but he didn’t even know where to start.
As for Leon, he remained standing in his place, looking at him with eyes devoid of any pity.
“What are you waiting for?”
Arthur couldn’t answer.
Whispers began to rise among his brothers, then turned into sarcastic laughter among some of them.
“Even carrying a sword seems difficult for him.”
“Is that why our father doesn’t care about him?”
On the other hand, a number of guards contented themselves with looking at him in silence, with signs of pity on their faces.
They saw in front of them a child who was no more than eleven years old, but he
He stands in a position beyond his age
Leon’s eyes narrowed at people’s talk about Arthur, with shame and disgrace at his son Arthur
In the blink of an eye… he rushed towards Arthur.
The boy couldn’t even raise his sword.
A sharp impact sounded, and as soon as Leon’s sword touched his son’s sword, the handle slipped out of Arthur’s hands, and the wooden sword flew away to rest on the ground.
Arthur lost his balance and fell on his back, and before he could comprehend what had happened, the blade of his father’s sword had settled just before his neck.
His body froze and all he could hear was his racing heart.
His breath was held, his hands began to tremble, while tears slowly gathered in his eyes.
He didn’t understand what happened in those few seconds, and he couldn’t even comprehend how he ended up on the ground.
Leon bowed slightly, without moving the sword away from his son’s neck.
“You know why you won’t become a knight like your brothers?”
Arthur couldn’t answer, fear had paralyzed his tongue.
Leon looked at him with cold eyes, then said in a voice heard by everyone in the square:
“Because you are the disappointment of this palace.”
Silence prevailed.
No one said a word, but Arthur kept staring at his father with tearful eyes, as those words sank deep into his heart.