Rivals

SOLVEIG

"Cain, you're not that mad at me, right?”

…

“Cain?”

…

“Cain? Please respond. Cain—"

"Solveig, can you just—... just stop it?!"

He moved before she'd even registered he was moving, one hand slamming flat against the wall beside her head, close enough that the rest of the corridor just sort of stopped existing.

No D’Igoll, no Rick, not even Isolde, just the two of them in a dimly lit part of the courtyard on the way out of that disastrous ceremony.

That very thought made her heart start beating really fast for some reason.

But Cain let go almost immediately, stepping back like the wall had burned him, staring down at his own hand.

Solveig looked at her boots solemnly. "Knew it…"

She scratched the back of her head.

"Well, I will be out of your hair then. You can consider me out of your life. But, don't forget I still have a duty of care to—"

His hand went back to the wall, and this time he didn't step back.

"What are you saying???"

"I-I made you mad, and n-now you aren't my friend anymore! Isn't that how it works?"

"Have you ever had an argument with a friend before? Or made a mistake?"

"N-No."

"Why, because you're perfect?"

"Because I've never had a friend before. You're m-my first!"

Cain gave a half-laugh. "Wow, you're really making me feel like I'm the asshole here."

He kept his hand right where it was this time, and for a moment he just looked at her, close enough that she had to tilt her head back to hold his gaze.

"Back there." His jaw was tight, and a sneer was almost pulling at his lips but not quite. "You really pissed me off."

"I didn't mean—"

“It takes a lot, you know. To do that?”

“T-to do what?”

“You’re the first person to ever push me over the edge like that,” he continued. “I’ve never wanted more than to shut someone up than it that moment. It’s impressive, how much you’ve already changed me in the short time I’ve known you. I don’t know a lot of things… but I’m almost sure… ninety-percent, you are part of why, tutor.”

Solveig hitched.

“You stood up there and made the decision for me. In front of the entire academy. Do you understand what that looks like?” Cain scoffed. “Now every single person in that hall thinks I can't handle my own fights."

"That beastkin was going to pummel that girl."

"Isolde? Unlikely. Besides, I know him. D'Igoll would have snapped back to reality."

"Are you sure about that…?"

"...No."

Cain grimaced, and something in his shoulders eased just slightly, the fight going out of him even as his hand stayed exactly where it was.

"Honestly… Isolde has never pushed harder than she did just now. That whole thing, to even talk about people clearly trying to survive… it was so blatantly evil. She must realize that, right?"

"Evil is relative, right? Not two months ago, I had three beastkin slaves myself."

"Okay, what?"

"Hey! I treated them well! Back in the day, people just used them in breeding programs, so I reckon I'm doing pretty well. Relatively."

"...We need to remove your right to speak when you so wish."

"Who's the relatively evil one now?!"

Throughout all of this, Solveig should have known better than to let her guard down. This place was chock-less of imminent danger she kind of just switched off and started to live. It was nice in the moment, but not paying attention usually lended itself to dire consequences.

Take for instance, not noticing Isolde was waiting for them past the colonnade, alone.

"Cain."

Both herself and Cain looked caught in a hunter’s crosshairs.

It was a hell of an entrance from Isolde, one that made Solveig’s hairs stand on end.

Was it possible for a person to look even more radiant in person? Honestly, from her experience with the beautiful lads and lasses here, Isolde seemed to be the peak of that kind of aesthetic.

And she had a gaggle of girls behind her, all looking slightly more variant persons of the same Isolde. They must really like her…

But Isolde didn’t seem to be the one for empty platitudes, as it turned out. She was a more straight to point type of girl.

Isolde whipped her fan out and covered her mouth when she said it:

"You forfeited."

Cain didn’t back down. “You were there for it, yes.”

"In front of everyone. For a demihuman."

"You got a problem with that?”

“I’m sure you can come to your own conclusions.’

“Isolde, you won. I lost. Isn’t that what you always wanted?”

"Winning is never enough when it comes to you. No, no, no… after your betrayal, even losing is pale in comparison to what you deserve.”

Solveig cringed. I hate important political figures and messy relationships… always made everything so complicated.

“And see how quickly you move on, even at this juncture. A commoner. Pff. Even the lowliest noble would be better than what you settled with. Why? Getting desperate?”

“You and I…” Cain said tepidly. “We never had anything to begin with.”

“LIAR!”

Solveig felt her spine go rigid.

That tone of voice….

It wasn’t something you could fake-act. What Isolde was doing was real, and at that moment, it was being directed at her student.

Who could implode any second now…

“Why do you always lie?!”

Isolde looked at Solveig for the first time. And in the glassy reflection of Isolde’s irises, Solveig saw exactly what she'd been reduced to.

A tiny cockroach.

"Little tutor." Isolde's voice was like silk. Her heels clacked the floor as she got closer, to the point their faces were almost touching. "My little Replacement."

KYAAAAAAAA!!!!

Then, Isolde’s fingers shot out and dug into Solveig’s chin.

“How’s it feel… to know I’m superior to you in every way? What have you gotten yourself into? Does it scare you, little Replacement—huh?!”

Drip. Drip.

Solveig’s jaw had been wide open this entire time, with a heavy bead of drool having already trailed down her chin and dripped directly onto Isolde’s manicured hand.

“Yes," Solveig whimpered. "Yeesss! I’m so scared right now!”

Isolde stumbled backward, wiping her hand furiously against her clothes.

“You… you animal!”

“I am!! Woof! Woof!”

Isolde looked at Cain incredulously.

“Tell me, Cain. Tell me what this dog is that I'm not?!

Cain said nothing.

“Unless you like dogs you can follow you around?! Like… like one of those interspecies smut books that have been making rounds in the capital?!"

Cain chose this moment to speak up. “Hell of a way to out yourself…”

Then Isolde cracked somehow. Why? She started laughing?!

“Hahahahaha!”

Just what kind of girl is she? She’s completely off the rails…

“You were always so funny, Cain.”

Isolde wiped a tear from her eye.

“Remember… remember that time on the observatory roof? We talked about our ambitions… the future, all of it.”

“Not particularly,” he replied.

“Well, let me remind you, then. The maid that spied on us? Hoh, what a day—”

“The maid did nothing wrong that warranted being kicked out, beyond the crime of being human,” Cain interrupted, finally turning to glare at her. “And for what, Isolde? Because she accidentally overheard you spilling your deepest secrets? Did it hurt you so much that someone else heard that you’re not as perfect as you—?”

“THEY WERE NOT WEAKNESSES!”

Cain started.

“You ruined my life! You made me a pariah in my own House! I had to crawl and beg and wade through shit just to be here again. Torture disguised tests in order to win back their trust… it was disgusting.”

“Perhaps subjecting a maid to a trip to the dungeons was a touch too harsh for my tastes.”

“I didn’t arrange her punishment,” Isolde countered coolly. “The collective dukedom and the Emperor himself decreed it so. It was noble law.”

“Then you should have paid more attention to Civics class to know reporting her would lead to such punishment.”

Cain turned back to the door, ready to wrench it open, but Isolde stepped closer. Her coolness completely vanished from her face.

“Ignore me as much as you’d like, Cain…”

Isolde gave a wide smile.

“But I’m still here. And I am still coming for you and your House, whether you like it or not.”

Cain hitched.

“I suspect you’ve known this for a while, but… it’s better to show my true intentions upfront to your opponent, is it not?” she whispered.

Cain growled. “Say what you came to say.”

“I will break whatever little pride you have left on the arena floor. Just like last year; just like the year before. I will triumph while you cling to your pathetic position on the Rankings with a slither.”

“You won’t.”

“Oh?”

The way Isolde said that had seemingly psychic-aphrodisiac effects on her body, but Solveig pushed on regardless.

Solveig shook her head. “I don’t know about academics… but battling? Don’t be so sure. Because you have to go through a battle-hardened Cain. Coached by yours truly!”

Isolde pointed. “You?! Little daisy sunshine buttercup? You! HAHAHA!”

“I’ve defeated more things than you will ever see in your lifetime, Isolde. Let alone people. You don’t scare me. You won’t scare Cain.”

“Then leave it on the arena floor.” Isolde then sputtered out a laugh after failing to hold it back. “With a student who can’t even cast a single fire spell. Bahahahaha!”

“He won’t need to use magic as a crutch anymore.”

“Pretty words. But I highly doubt that. Anyway…”

Isolde walked past Cain, out of the way and in the direction of the exit.

“I will expose you for who you really are, betrayer. And there is absolutely nothing you or your father can do to stop me.”

Isolde brought a hand to her mouth, sighing.

“Pity your brother isn’t here to stop me. Not that he could, anyway… but he'd at least have made my ascension so much more interesting. What a shame. You were always the lesser of the two.”

“What is going on here?”

Both Isolde and Cain whipped around, looking white at the gills.

“Mister Farhen!”

Oh great, an adult. Huh…?

But when the two of them were bowing, that caught her attention.

Solveig didn’t know many things in this strange new world, but when both the hero and the villain bowed at the same time, you followed.

But then Solveig caught the adult’s face.

Instantly, she felt a sense of deja vu.

Deja vu is underselling it.

Uncle… Hrafen…

The man could have been his twin. So, so much better than the pale depictions of statues and idols that the rest of the campus introduced.

“Isolde. You were being awfully loud.” His voice was like silk. It was a man’s—a true man’s—for the lack of a better word to describe such a traveled and fatherly tone. “And your tone of voice suggested… conflict.”

“It was a friendly argument… that’s all,” Isolde muttered.

Farhen nodded calmly. “I wish to intrude and speak to Solveig, if that’s alright."

M-M-M-M-Me?

“In private.”

Cain and Solveig looked at each other.

“And Isolde…” the older man continued.

“Yes, professor?”

“Go in peace.”

The girl looked visibly uncomfortable as she left.

What was that about…?

“Girl. Solveig, was it?” Farhen said.

“Yes?”

“Follow me, please. I, for one, am tired of the crowds and the drama.”