Lions or Men [End of Act Two]

Thick white clouds raced across the vast plain under a whistling wind.

Below, dust churned between the restless hooves of the Gaetulian cavalry and the towering walls of Carthage.

King Iarbas regarded Aeneas with open indignation, then craned his head toward the battlements.

“DIDO, SWEETHEART! Why send this boy out instead of greeting me yourself?!”

His roar still echoed through the air as he leveled his spear at the Trojan.

“…or… or is his blood meant to stir my passion before you finally submit to me?”

The queen grimaced, caught between concern and disgust, as Aeneas stepped forward.

“I... I won’t let you defile her name any longer!”

Iarbas blinked in surprise, then burst into booming laughter.

“I’d love to see how you think you'll pull that off, little man!”

He tugged at his collar, revealing a golden trinket glittering against his chest.

Aeneas swallowed.

Elissa’s necklace…

“As you can see, she already committed herself to me,” the king said smugly. “Which means I can defile her as I please.”

Aeneas clenched his fists.

“Whoever you think you were with… it wasn’t Queen Dido.”

Iarbas’ expression darkened.

“Enough! I didn’t come here to trade words with some scrawny runt. Step aside, or be trampled beneath my riders’ hooves!”

Aeneas drew a sharp breath as sweat trickled down his brow.

Slowly, he loosened the strap of his shield, letting it slide into his grip.

“A-are you not man enough to face me yourself?”

An amused smile crept across Iarbas’ face, though his eyes remained ice-cold.

“Careful, boy. At some point, the fun ends.”

Aeneas’ throat was dry as dust, his heart hammering in his chest.

I don’t want to fight. But…

He thought of Dido. Her smile. Her words.

She wouldn’t mind…

He took a deep breath. Then he shouted:

“THE WINNER GETS QUEEN DIDO!”

His voice rang up to the battlements, where the queen flushed red.

Iarbas’ smile faded.

“The loser...” Aeneas started.

“...dies,” Iarbas finished, leaping from his horse and slamming the butt of his spear into the ground, accepting the challenge.

“I… I was thinking the loser just gives up his claim,” Aeneas added nervously.

But the Gaetulian king's expression had already turned deadly serious, as he shook his head.

On the walls, Dido clutched the arm of her handmaiden Eshmunet, who shared her worried look.

“Don’t worry, Lady Elissa. He’ll be fine. I hope…”

Korydros stepped up beside them.

“You may trust Prince Aeneas, Your Majesty. He’s far stronger than he thinks.”

They turned their gaze back to the plain, though Dido’s heart refused to settle.

I’m the one who put him in this position. The one who commanded it. Was it a mistake? Was that… selfish of me?

As if he had read her thoughts, Aeneas turned his head once more, searching for her gaze, then gave her a small nod.

Maybe after this we can finally go on a proper date. Somewhere quiet. Oh! Maybe by the sea?

Suddenly, Dido sprang to her feet, eyes wide.

“Aeneas, watch out!” she screamed.

“Wha...”

At the last second, he twisted aside, the spear slicing past his face by a hair.

Before it even struck the ground, Iarbas had already drawn his blade and launched into an attack.

“She warns him? Faithless wretch…” he snarled.

Then he struck with fast, heavy blows.

Aeneas held his ground, blocking with his shield, absorbing the attacks, but each impact forced him a step backward.

“Fight back, you coward!” Iarbas spat.

Another blow slammed into the shield, the wood splintering, then a third, until it shattered and fell from his grasp.

Iarbas grinned.

“Now you can’t hide anymore!”

Aeneas jumped back, trying to gain distance.

“AND THIS IS WHAT CLAIMS TO BE WORTHY OF A QUEEN?!” Iarbas roared.

Dido swallowed and glanced uncertainly at Korydros.

“D-didn’t you say…?”

But the Trojan general only smiled and pointed toward Aeneas.

“Look…”

“What do you mean?” the queen asked, confused.

Hesitantly, she focused on Aeneas, who stood motionless before his opponent.

“My lord doesn't like fighting,” Korydros said at last. “In truth, he only fights when he has absolutely no other choice. But when that moment comes…”

On the dusty plain, Aeneas exhaled deeply.

SHIIING.

The instant the Sword of Troy slid from its sheath, his expression changed.

“…he won’t back down.”

Iarbas charged again, his blade descending, but Aeneas evaded, and countered with a rapid series of strikes that Iarbas barely managed to parry.

Thrown completely off balance, the Gaetulian king was driven back.

”What?!”

He tried to retaliate, but his attacks struck empty air.

Aeneas feinted, then, as Iarbas moved to parry, he sidestepped and swept his leg.

With a heavy thud, Iarbas hit the ground, rolling aside before scrambling back to his feet.

A murmur spread through the ranks of the Gaetulian riders watching the spectacle.

“D-don’t think you’ve already won!” the king snarled.

But Aeneas did not reply.

Calm, controlled breathing. Sword steady in his hand.

“They say Prince Aeneas is the son of Venus herself! You won’t defeat him!” Korydros’ voice rang out from the battlements, hands cupped around his mouth.

“…A demigod, is he?” Iarbas muttered, eyes blazing.

Suddenly, he snapped his head toward his army.

“SWORD!”

Seconds later, a second blade spun through the air straight toward him, caught cleanly in his hand.

Now dual-wielding, he tested the blades, then faced Aeneas again.

Then he charged.

Their blades clashed again, but now Iarbas’ attacks were faster. Heavier.

Aeneas dodged, but the two swords moved as one, and he was increasingly forced onto the defensive.

At first, he managed to parry, but the twin blades of his opponent gave him no time to breathe.

“H-he’s being pushed back again…” Eshmunet observed anxiously.

Meanwhile, Aeneas ducked under one strike and nearly landed a hit with a daring counterattack, but Iarbas pulled back at the last second and retaliated.

A heartbeat later, blood ran down Aeneas’ cheek where the blow had struck, leaving a deep gash.

Dido sprang to her feet in horror.

“AENEAS!”

She spun around.

“Do something, Brasidas!”

But the Captain of her Queen's Guard did not move, his expression rigid.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. But that would insult his honor as a warrior.”

Dido swallowed hard.

But if this keeps going like this, then...

The next strike came crashing down.

Aeneas parried, but Iarbas used the momentum to knock the sword from his hand with his second blade.

It spun away into the dust as Iarbas leveled his sword at him, grinning.

“We have more in common than you might think…”

Aeneas froze for a heartbeat.

“Because the name of my father… is Jupiter-Ammon.”

🏛️🏛️🏛️

High above the clouds, far beyond the mortal world, the desperate groan of a goddess once again echoed through the halls of Olympus.

Venus slammed her fist against the basin, the image of the duel rippling across its surface.

“Why-does-everything-always-go-wrong?!”

She rounded on Alexios and grabbed him by the collar.

“That savage is going to kill my Aeneas! What am I supposed to do?!”

She shoved him away, pacing.

“…And I… with that reeking savage, I even had him…” She gagged. “I’m going to be sick…”

“Is Iarbas truly a son of Jupiter?” Alexios asked, still unsteady.

“How should I know?!” Venus snapped. “There isn’t a single day that man doesn’t jump some mortal woman!”

She exhaled sharply, forcing herself to focus.

“Guess I have no choice but to intervene personally again…”

“If you do that, you will bury your son’s fate for good.”

Venus spun around.

“Juno.”

The queen of the gods stepped forward, calm and composed.

“Saving Aeneas from monsters like Achilles or Diomedes in the chaos of battle is one thing. But from Iarbas? In a duel?” She snorted. “Who would still follow him if you intervene here?”

Venus ground her teeth.

“Then you’ve already achieved your goal, haven’t you? That's what you wanted!”

But Juno shook her head, her expression grave.

“I want a future for Carthage! And for once, a realm ruled by a capable queen, one who has more on her mind than war.”

A pause.

“Unfortunately… her fate now depends no less on your Aeneas. Which is why I might be willing to… help.”

Venus narrowed her eyes.

“…What are you suggesting?”

Juno extended her hand.

“A temporary truce.”

A brief hesitation. Then Venus took it.

“Fine. But no funny business!”

“Need I remind you that it was your foolish scheme that led us here in the first place?”

Venus muttered under her breath but didn’t argue.

Juno turned to the basin, her fingers brushing the surface. Ripples spread through the image below.

“We can't intervene directly,” she said. “But we can… adjust the conditions.”

Alexios frowned.

“The conditions?”

Juno’s smile sharpened.

“Let’s just say… the weather is about to change.”

🏛️🏛️🏛️

Aeneas’ sword still lay in the dust, right between him and Iarbas, who wore a confident, victorious grin.

“I have to admit, you’re stronger than I expected. But it was still foolish of you to think you could take me on.”

Aeneas said nothing.

On the walls, Dido’s breath caught.

No…

Her fingers tightened against the stone.

This isn’t how this was supposed to go. He...

Her chest tightened.

I sent him out there. I did this.

Her gaze locked onto him. Her lips parted, but no sound came.

Move…

Then, she mustered all her strength, inhaling deeply.

“AENEAS!!!”

Her voice tore through the storm. Raw. Loud, and unrestrained.

Every head turned.

“BEAT HIM!”

Her hands slammed against the battlement.

“DON’T YOU DARE LOSE LIKE THIS!”

Iarbas’ brow twitched as he glanced up to her, annoyed and dismissive.

That moment was enough.

Aeneas moved.

“…What?”

Iarbas’ blade shot forward, but Aeneas twisted aside at the last instant, the strike cutting empty air.

Aeneas’ hand slammed into the dust, closed around the hilt, and he came up on one knee.

Iarbas' teeth gritted as he readied himself again.

“You cheeky little...“

Suddenly, something began to drip onto Aeneas' helmet.

At first slowly, then increasingly faster.

“…Rain?” Eshmunet remarked.

All eyes turned upward.

The sky had turned pitch black, and in an instant, a raging wind swept across the plain.

It wasn’t long before thunder roared and bright lightning tore through the heavens.

“More like a storm!” Korydros corrected.

Moments later, rain came crashing down in torrents upon the two duelists before the gates.

Aeneas removed his helmet and let it fall to the ground.

“This is better…” he murmured, as blood and rainwater mingled

Iarbas grimaced.

“I thought it had struck you speechless! Giving up? Begging for mercy? Go on, then, but I won’t grant it!”

Aeneas said nothing at first as the rain darkened his blond hair.

Then he smiled, before breaking into soft laughter.

“What’s so funny?! Have you finally lost your mind?”

Aeneas shook his head.

“It’s just… I’ve heard words like that before.”

“Words like that?”

For a moment, the Trojan prince seemed lost in thought. Then he drew a deep breath.

“There are no covenants between lions and men…” he said softly. “No peace between wolves and lambs…”

Iarbas raised an eyebrow.

“And who said that?”

Aeneas’s expression darkened, his gaze turning cold and focused.

“A man far more terrifying than you.”

The Gaetulian snorted, anger flaring across his face.

“You’ll see just how terrifying I can be. I’ve had enough of you. Prepare to die!”

Lightning tore across the sky as their blades met.

They spun, dodged, parried, struck again.

But with every exchange, Aeneas’ reflexes sharpened, his movements steadier, his attacks more precise.

Suddenly, the fight was even once more.

Iarbas raised his blades, and attacked again.

ZZZT! CRASH!

A sudden bolt of lightning tore into the ground before him and the world flashed white.

He lost his footing, slipping in the mud, as his blades skidded to a halt at Aeneas’ feet.

“Ha! Looks like the gods themselves want to punish Iarbas for his insolence, what luck!” Korydros exclaimed.

But Aeneas didn’t seize the moment.

Instead, he studied the blades, almost thoughtful.

Then he kicked them back to his opponent and readied himself once more.

The surprise on Iarbas’ face lasted only an instant before fury carved deep lines into his brow.

“That… was your death sentence…”

He attacked again.

Aeneas managed to deflect the first strike, but the second grazed his upper thigh.

“Hngh...”

The cut wasn’t deep, but it burned.

Iarbas grinned, satisfied, and pressed the attack at once.

He feinted from the right, then switched direction at the last instant, forcing Aeneas to shift his weight the wrong way.

He seized the opening and struck, but Aeneas slipped aside, ducked, and pivoted past him.

In the same motion, Aeneas counterattacked.

Step by step, Iarbas was driven back, until he stumbled.

In a final effort, he raised his swords for a powerful strike.

But this time, Aeneas was faster.

He parried, turned, and struck with the pommel of his sword:

a short, direct blow, straight to the temple.

The Gaetulian reeled.

His swords slipped from his hands.

“B-but… sweetheart…” he gasped.

Then he collapsed.

Unconscious.

...

Silence.

Only the fading rain and the distant rumble of thunder remained.

Aeneas stood over his fallen opponent, breathing heavily, as the clouds slowly parted and the storm drifted away.

I… I did it…

His sword slipped from his grasp, and he dropped to his knees

He reached down… and took something from the ground, as the gates of Carthage opened.

“AENEAS!” a familiar voice soon called from behind.

Slowly, the Trojan prince turned, and met the tear-filled eyes of Queen Dido, who was already running toward him.

She stopped just a step away, her eyes wide, her breath unsteady.

“Aeneas…” Her voice trembled.

He pushed himself to his feet, swaying slightly.

Then he held out his hand, something glinting between his fingers.

“…I believe this belongs to you.”

Her breath caught as she took it.

“My necklace…” she whispered.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The battlefield, the soldiers, the city, everything seemed to fall away.

Aeneas scratched awkwardly at his blood-smeared cheek.

“S-so… now that that’s settled… w-would you maybe…” He trailed off, glancing at the ground. “I mean… could you perhaps imagine to... go somewhere with me?”

A pause.

“…just the two of us.”

For a moment, she simply stared, until her lips parted slightly and a smile broke through.

Bright. Unrestrained.

Then she stepped forward and threw her arms around him.

The impact almost knocked him off balance.

For a heartbeat, he froze, until his arms slowly wrapped around her in return.

She buried her face against his chest, her shoulders trembling.

“You idiot…” she whispered. “Do you have any idea how worried I was…?”

Aeneas let out a quiet breath.

“…Sorry,” he murmured.

Above them, the clouds finally broke apart and sunlight spilled across the plain once more.

Tears glimmered in Aeneas’ eyes as well, his hand tightening into a fist.

Yes! First date, here I come!