TACENDA // Technoblade X Reader

26

"I could ask the same for you Lord Ilbertus." You said, glancing around you, taking in every possible weapon and escape route. 

Behind you, two armor stands - one holding a sword, and one holding a pike. Neither would be sharpened, but something was better than nothing. Your ceremonial blade was too far - there was no way you would be able to sprint all the way back to your room without Ilbertus jumping you. The windows in the hall could serve as an escape route, but only if it was your last resort, as the wall was high enough that you would break at least one bone here-

"I was just on my way to give your brother his birthday present." Ilbertus said, a simpering smile on his face. He changed his grip on the axe, and the blade caught the moonlight, causing a glint along the edge. 

Unhelpfully, your mind supplied you with an image of it slicing through your neck. 

"And I only needed to speak to the twins." You said, desperately hoping that your voice wasn't shaking, and that he would take the excuse. "I've been having terrible nightmares lately, and they've been a comfort to me-"

"Strange." Ilbertus interrupted you. "I could have sworn you were there by the balcony, peeking your little head around the corner; but when I went to find you, you were gone. And then, you come out of the Endermens' room. Suspicious, suspicious..."

You backed away from him slowly, cursing the rapid beating of your heart, and the goosebumps rising on your skin. "I haven't been near the balcony." You tried. "It must have been a trick of the light-"

"A trick of the light." Ilbertus repeated, grim laughter on the edge of his voice. He paced forward, the axe still resting menacingly in his grip. "Creative, I'll admit, but I think we both know you're a terrible liar."

"I can't just let you kill him." You said. "I won't allow it, not after everything he's put up with trying to secure peace." 

Ilbertus' gaze pierced through you, and his eyes narrowed. "I'm sure that's the only reason." He mocked. 

Were you that easy to read? You took another step back, and your back hit the wall. To your left, the armor stand with the pike. To your right, the sword. 

"You're the only one that'll miss him." Ilbertus said, grinning as he raised the axe above his head. 

As he swung downward, you pushed the armor stand that had been holding the pike forward, so that his axe collided with the metal plates and the weight of it caused Ilbertus to stumble backwards, losing his grip. With your other hand, you pried the sword loose from the other set of armor's grip and fit your own hand around the blade. It was dull, and a little unbalanced, but it would do. 

The last of the armor set clattered to the floor with a loud clang, and you squared yourself for a fight, hoping against hope that someone would have heard the commotion and woke. 

Ilbertus kicked aside a wrist bracer and his lips peeled back into a snarl. "You think you're so clever, don't you, making a racket so someone will come save you?"

You tried to stop your hands from shaking as you held the sword in front of you. 

"You'll be dead before they even rise from their beds." Ilbertus snarled, twirling the axe once before leaping forward and swinging it wildly. 

You ducked out of the way and rolled a few feet to the right, knocking down the other armor stand, again in hopes of attracting attention and hopefully help. Ilbertus followed after you, still swinging his axe. You hopped to your feet again just in time to catch the blade with your sword, struggling to knock him away. 

If you wanted to win this, you were going to have to be fast and think on your feet. Ilbertus was your superior with a blade, stronger physically, and had fought in real wars before. You had been trained in sword fighting at a young age, and had practiced with the twins, but you didn't have the quick mind of a military man. 

Ilbertus came at you again, and you backed away, knocking the axe away again. You should have stayed in the twins room. Your blade clanged against the edge of Ilbertus' axe. You should have just snuck away to get the twins instead of breaking the eye. You stumbled, and Ilbertus grinned, his fangs on full display. You could have really used that eye right about now-

The air shivered, and Deirdre appeared beside you, just in time to grab the handle of Ilbertus' axe and twist it away from slicing through your arm. 

"Deirdre." You breathed in relief. "How-"

"Technoblade was worried." She said, grabbing your arm. "Hold onto that sword-"

The last thing you saw before you disappeared into nothingness was Ilbertus winding up for another swing, pure rage etched across his face. But then the vision distorted and everything took a purple tint and you closed your eyes, feeling nothing but Deirdre and the sword until your feet touched down on stone floor again. 

You opened your eyes to see a guest suite, and Technoblade, angrily donning his armor, his hair disheveled, and muttering something about bad timing and 'having a good sleep'. At the soft noise of teleportation he looked up though, still halfway through buckling a braced around his arm. 

Red eyes met your own and you smiled. Relief flooded Technoblade's gaze and he opened his mouth to say something, only to be interrupted by Deirdre.

"Ilbertus is coming." She said. "Malcolinus will be on his way too-"

"Right." Technoblade said, snapping back to reality, and buckling his bracer on. He affixed his axe to his hip and grabbed the mask from his bedside table, tying his hair back and tying the mask on as well. "Y/N, do me a favor and stay near the back of the room."

You were just stepping behind Deirdre when you heard the door to the suite open, the creak of the hinges signaling someone new.