“What about them?” King Yuy said with no little irritation. Duo didn’t really want to push his luck, but he swallowed and forged ahead. “Whether or not I’m actually guilty of treason, Your Majesty, the Sweepers have done no more than follow their own oaths to me. It isn’t right that their fate should rest on the outcome of this battle.” The king cocked his head to one side, eyes narrowed. “They have pledged their lives to you. You don’t think that they should live or die by your skill? You doubt your own fighting ability that much?” Duo looked startled for a moment, then actually chuckled. “Oh, no, it isn’t that. I just want assurance that you won’t take it out on them when I win.” There was a moment in which even Duo wondered if he’d gone too far, before the king finally gave out a laugh. It was not a particularly pleasant laugh. “Is that what you were worried about? Very well. You have my word that if they do not interfere in the battle between you and Yusankyo’s champion, then no harm will come to them.” Duo let out a slow, silent breath of relief. Even if by some fluke he lost the battle, then his men would have some chance. “Well, all right then!” he cried, grinning like a maniac as he stretched exaggeratedly. “Let’s get this show on the road! Who’m I up against?” He went through an exuberant little dance that was actually a series of warm-up moves, enjoying the reactions he got from his audience and using the opportunity to size up the assembly of the king’s guards and bodyguards. One of them had to be the Champion. He stopped to look more thoroughly up -- and up -- and down the goliath that hovered protectively between the blond boy and the King. Duo decided that the heavily muscled retainer was most likely Duo’s new opponent, and set about taking the man’s measure as a fighter. He was without a doubt the largest man Duo had ever seen -- in fact, pound for pound he probably outweighed some small countries, livestock included -- but that didn’t necessarily translate to battle prowess, as Duo well knew. In fact, larger men often got cocky and overconfident when facing an opponent as small as Duo, although that was a weakness he couldn’t count on in the King’s Champion. Still, speed was often more important than -- His assessment was rudely interrupted, though, as the King moved his hands up to his throat and undid the clasp of his robe of office. He removed the ornately decorated cloak and handed it to one of his bodyguards, revealing a much simpler, more practical outfit underneath. Duo’s mouth dropped open as the King’s hand moved to the long, slender sword belted at his waist.
Re: Tenku no GUNDAM
Date: 2006-02-21 06:45 am (UTC)“Whether or not I’m actually guilty of treason, Your Majesty, the Sweepers have done no more than follow their own oaths to me. It isn’t right that their fate should rest on the outcome of this battle.”
The king cocked his head to one side, eyes narrowed. “They have pledged their lives to you. You don’t think that they should live or die by your skill? You doubt your own fighting ability that much?”
Duo looked startled for a moment, then actually chuckled. “Oh, no, it isn’t that. I just want assurance that you won’t take it out on them when I win.”
There was a moment in which even Duo wondered if he’d gone too far, before the king finally gave out a laugh. It was not a particularly pleasant laugh. “Is that what you were worried about? Very well. You have my word that if they do not interfere in the battle between you and Yusankyo’s champion, then no harm will come to them.”
Duo let out a slow, silent breath of relief. Even if by some fluke he lost the battle, then his men would have some chance. “Well, all right then!” he cried, grinning like a maniac as he stretched exaggeratedly. “Let’s get this show on the road! Who’m I up against?”
He went through an exuberant little dance that was actually a series of warm-up moves, enjoying the reactions he got from his audience and using the opportunity to size up the assembly of the king’s guards and bodyguards. One of them had to be the Champion. He stopped to look more thoroughly up -- and up -- and down the goliath that hovered protectively between the blond boy and the King. Duo decided that the heavily muscled retainer was most likely Duo’s new opponent, and set about taking the man’s measure as a fighter. He was without a doubt the largest man Duo had ever seen -- in fact, pound for pound he probably outweighed some small countries, livestock included -- but that didn’t necessarily translate to battle prowess, as Duo well knew. In fact, larger men often got cocky and overconfident when facing an opponent as small as Duo, although that was a weakness he couldn’t count on in the King’s Champion. Still, speed was often more important than --
His assessment was rudely interrupted, though, as the King moved his hands up to his throat and undid the clasp of his robe of office. He removed the ornately decorated cloak and handed it to one of his bodyguards, revealing a much simpler, more practical outfit underneath. Duo’s mouth dropped open as the King’s hand moved to the long, slender sword belted at his waist.