to his body to counter the attack.
Their pose — legs apart, swords ready, and driven clashes of metal — made a
splendid sight. The strides of their lunging legs shrunk the space between them and
William’s quick hand to eye coordination gave him an advantage. Samuel
countered the attack with a side step similar to a flanking action. Each man lunged
with an extended right arm as the left rested behind his back.
The prancing movement looked smooth and almost effortless. The swords
continued to meet. Duke William took the second point with a touch of the dulled
blade to the upper right of Samuel’s torso. Samuel had been distracted for a
moment. He would do better, he decided. His opponent smiled as he won the point.
William went on the attack again and pushed Samuel back aggressively, swords
pitted against each other as the long shriek of blades sliding against each other
burst into a thunderous clap in the otherwise silent garden.
Prince Samuel labored in the circle and William sensed weakness, but Samuel
countered his assault. The blades touched briefly as Samuel took a side blow.
William made a slashing move to win the third point.
They continued their match with Samuel thrusting his sword into William’s
middle, but William’s sword stopped his attack. The swords slid against each
other, and then they broke apart from one another as William’s sword was pushed
aside by Samuel’s for a brief moment. Samuel won his point with a jab to
William’s lower torso.
The match stopped and Samuel turned his back on the Duke to regroup before
the match would be renewed; he held his sword under his arm as he fixed his
glove. Sweat fell like droplets from his face.
The Duke grew angry at him for winning the point, so he thrust his sword
towards Samuel in frustration. Samuel turned with lightning speed and grabbed
William’s arm and flipped him to the ground. Stunned, William sat up.
Joanna was tired of the game and rose from her seat in disgust. She passed them
without a word and left the men to their fight. She moved quickly through the
garden.
Samuel offered his hand to William.
“I suppose I had that coming,” William said as he took Samuel’s hand.
“I am sorry. As a military man, it is all reflexes sometimes.”
“I am happy we are at peace,” William answered honestly as he stood up. He
brushed off his white clothes but the green grass stain had made a mark across the