A loud thud sounded when his opponent fell. That distinct clatter of metal against the ground seemed to echo in the arena.
There was a moment of utter silence that followed.
The fallen knight struggled to get up, visibly trembling as he willed his body to move. But alas, the last of his strength slipped away and he caved, collapsing onto the ground once more in a slump.
Applauses started to erupt from the audience, like a tidal wave, spreading from one side of the area to another. The people cheered loudly, their voices joining as one in a deafening roar.
They finally had a winner.
In the middle of it all; standing in front of the fallen figure of his opponent was the champion of the tourney. He was breathing heavily, his fingers still gripped tightly around the handle of his sword. It took a while for him to register that he had won. When it finally sunk in, the adrenaline started to leave his body and left an indescribable pain in its wake.
He staggered at the agony that burned his veins. In the two decades of his life, more than half of which he spent in knighthood, there had never been a time where he experienced so much physical pain he currently felt. Pressing a hand to his side, he was not surprised to see the tips of his fingers coated a deep red. If his rival weren't dead, the menacing glare that he sent could have been enough to kill him. But then again, the poor soul was only acting on orders and had already been defeated and knocked unconscious.
The sword in his arm suddenly felt ten times heavier and he dropped it as he began to feel light-headed.
Just what he was he doing all this for, anyways?
"Hajime!"
A voice called out his name as his sword hit the ground.
Clutching at his side, he looked up to the person who was frantically shouting his name. Squinting against the bright rays of the sun, he found the person he was seeking. She clutched the rails that separated her away from the rest of him and the rest of the audience, her expression filled with concern.
Despite the apprehension painted over her features, she still looked absolutely beautiful to him.
She was the woman that he loved...
... she was the one he was fighting so hard for.
Though the pain still remained, the sight of his beloved gave him the strength and resolve to pull himself together.
He took a deep breath and stood tall, taking in the pride of winning against one of the best knights in the King's cavalry.
And finally, when the cheers started to die down, he turned to the King and bowed in respect.
"It would seem like you've bested the colonel of the royal army." Regarding him in a manner akin to amusement, the King said, "I am impressed, Sir Iwaizumi."
"...Thank you, your majesty."
"As promised, you shall get one request as the victor of this tourney."
Iwaizumi felt the King's calculative stare before he lifted his head to see it. Forcing himself not to falter beneath that authoritative gaze, he asked, "May I make a bold request, then?"
For a split second, the ruler of the kingdom looked surprised. He then shocked everyone by laughing. It was a stark difference from the way in which the righteous King normally carried himself with discipline and dignity.
"A bold request for a bold knight. How fitting."
It was thin ice that he was treading on. That much, Iwaizumi knew. Though he was known to be a courageous knight, challenging the monarch as such was 'stupidly suicidal', his companion warned him earlier.
A smile, almost befitting a smirk hung on the King's lips.
"Go ahead, Sir Iwaizumi. I will grant your request so long as it is within my power."
Try me if you dare, was what the King was basically saying.
Iwaizumi stood his ground, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he pondered over how he should phrase his request. He glanced to the side of the king, where his beloved sat, biting her lip in fear. When she caught his eye, a smile appeared on her features – one she wore whenever she was trying to be brave – and he was brought back to the many times he fell in love with her.
"Your majesty," Iwaizumi started. "In return for winning the tourney..."
He glanced at her one more time before looking the King in the eye, professing in a loud, crystal clear voice.
"I would like your daughter's hand in marriage."
