Chapter 197: we both have reason to fight!

Marianne pov

"Does father know you are here?" I asked, hoping he would get distracted so that I would attack his weakness.

I was seriously regretting wearing the long dress, it was getting on my feet while I was trying to move.

"Your position is not strong enough for attack form, increase the gap between your legs, yes and bend there, good. Now try. And no father didn't know I am here, but mother does. You know how father is biased towards you. He would never let me come here." 

"There was a time when father was biased towards me, brother. He did not love me anymore." i said as i took a step back to defense but he jabbed towards me.

"Brother, do you really want to kill me this time?'' I asked with a glare. I knew he was not using his complete strength but he was not showing mercy too.

He raised a brow at my statement, 

"Don't throw your weakness over me. You have become weak and pathetic" 

As he brought his sword towards me, I used plenty of force to block his attack and launched my own attack in 1 swift move. I held my sword in such a way that I could effectively block his attack while hitting him with my sword at the same time.

"That was way better than crying, darling. But you still need two lives to win against me" he said as he blocked me easily.

I wanted to shout that the second was also not enough the way he was attacking me.

My eyes felt on his lower region, should i use underhanded methods!

"Don't you want to see your niece and nephews, Mari? How could you even think about it?" he asked, amused and annoyed at the same time.

He stepped away from my sword and attacked my arm with his sword when I tried to move towards his shin.

"You are not giving me any choice brother '' I sighed as I took a flip in the air but almost stumbled on my dress when landing.

"Who have asked you to drape yourself in the clothes worth covering the whole palace." he chimed as he looked at me stumbling and I gaped.

"I want to see what my sister in law wears then and how you would behave later." 

"Marianne, are you crazy, why are you even provoking this brute." we both heard the voice of Cassius that was filled with anger.

And shouted at the same time

"Did you just call me brute"

"Did you just call my brother brute"

"I mean a man with the brute force." he improvised but it was such a lame attempt, 

'Tch… now  he was gone! But at least, I was safe. Serve him right, hmph!'

"Then why don't you come here and show me how attacks are planned and executed by the intellectual man" added my brother with a smirk and I took two step back indicating I was out of this battle now.

"I am not here to spar with you, you are my guest here and we did not spar with guests' ' he added as he took two steps back but i could see his hands were already on the hilt of his sword.

"I thought i am also a guest here Cassius, but we have sparred twice, or have you started treating me like a family?" came the voice of Philip from the other side and I wondered when he joined the scene.

"Do you still have excuses left or are you finally going to fight like a man?" My brother challenged and Cassius took out the sword with a sigh.

"Only brutes are dependent on fight, intellectual play chess. Do you have the courage to have a round of chess with me?" he tried his last excuse and I literally wanted to check his brain.

Did he think that my brother did not know chess? Yes he did love fencing and sparring and archery but it did not mean that he was not good at chess or other things that needed intellectual skills. He was a commander or army for Christ sake! He had made many attack and defense plans. 

Had he lost his thinking capacity in front of my intimidating brother.

James raised a brow as he looked at Cassius.

"So you actually think that i am brute, huh!! Alright, let's have a match of chess, the intellectual man but let's make it worth playing, shall we?" he asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"How are we going to do that?" asked Cassius with a sigh of relief as if he had escaped the calamity with a narrow path and I shook my head.. He had called for a bigger calamity to ruin his peace. Before he would have been beaten only, now my brother would make sure to humiliate him.

"Well, it's simple. The winner could ask the loser for one thing to do in exchange." said James, throwing his sword towards me and I moved forward to try my best to hold it perfectly or I would be mocked again.

"Marianne" he called with a worried voice, why was he treating me like a kid! 

I held the sword perfectly by its hilt and even gave it a swipe in the air as I looked at him with pride and his eyes moved back to my brother who was looking at him with amusement.

"I want the prize to be specific," said Cassius, concentrating back on the bet.

"Why? are you not sure of winning in chess too!" Jamie provoked and Cassius took the bait.

"Fine, but then do not turn back on your words!" he provoked back and Jamie laughed.

"I am a soldier full of honour and pride, not a cunning diplomat who feed themselves on lies and cunningness" 

"That is diplomacy, Sir James and you can be  accused of treason for your words."

"You dare."

"I do dare"

"Alright, both of you, show your prowess in the game or sword wielding. Don't fight like a kid over nothing." i tried to mediate and they both looked at me like i was dumb

"I have reason to fight with him"

"I have reason to fight with him"

They both said simultaneously to me and then glared at each other.

[Don't stop voting and comments, i don't know why but these days there is heavy downfall in comments and voting. I hope you will leave a comment and i promise i will try to improve. PS unlock the chapter with coins if you can]