Chapter 10

Groaning Dusty slowly started to come too.

While his head was still throbbing his arms felt stiff and tingly but his hands in no way hurt like they did when they were first broken. He groaned again as he started to open his eyes.

"Cut it out you baby," said Lori right before she smacked him hard on the chest.

Reflexively he threw up hands and realized that while they did still ache, they were no longer broken.

Now opening his eyes, which currently seemed to be light sensitive, he tried to look around.

Looking up he could see his head was close to Suzan's lap while she was seated in a chair and Lori's hand was still glowing white as it passed around his head.

"Quit picking on me, you should have seen the size of the other guy," said Dusty as he closed his eyes again.

"We did. You managed to break three ribs, one on each side, which severely bruised both lungs, partially dislocate his shoulder, and cause a lot of cuts and bruises about his face and body similar to yours.

"Breathing must have been pure hell for him and I'll never know how he swung that sword like he did to break your arm with his shoulder like that. I never would have thought someone would be able to beat you up like he did if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes first hand," said Mark as he looked Dusty over.

Over the season he had been married to Lori they had been on a few different missions with Dusty and he was sure that Dusty's form of fighting was something impressive and undefeatable the way he handled people using it.

But he had to admit, either Dusty was slipping or the other guy was in a whole other class to match Dusty as he did. Swinging around a two handed sword like he did with one hand was impressive, but to abuse Dusty so badly while doing it spoke volumes about his skill.

As he watched his wife fix Dusty's wounds he looked over to the other side of the room and watched as Rachel sat with Daniel. They spoke in hushed tones and Daniel was holding Rachel's hand and she looked subdued; happy, but subdued. They both took turns talking it appeared.

They looked like the perfect couple and their children would be beautiful none the less thought Mark.

"So how's it feel champ? We have to get you up and going in time for the final ceremony in a few hours, it's already been a couple hours since you won. Think you'll be ready?" asked Mark

"Not like we have a choice. The fates of two kingdoms depend on me getting out of this bed," said Dusty tiredly.

"Dusty, how did you bust up your right hand so badly? We saw what happened to your left when Daniel broke it, but your right hand I didn't expect. I realized how badly your knuckles were broken when I saw all the blood, so what happened to them?" asked Lori

"It was when I hit that S.O.B. Joseph. I busted them on his sword," said Dusty flatly.

At saying that Dusty heard a loud sniffle and he reached out his right hand and felt Suzan take it. She had a strong grip and was holding it tight.

"You know someone very close to you was over that wall in a flash and into the ring well before you hit the ground. I don't believe I've ever seen her move so fast," said Lori as she slyly looked over at Suzan.

Suzan still looked worried but she blushed as Lori looked at her. She thought she lost him when he fainted because she had no idea how badly the damage was until she saw him up close.

"I know, and I really don't deserve her at times. You know, I gladly broke them for the honor of my wife and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. No one makes fun of or harms her while I'm standing," said Dusty with his eyes still closed.

Dusty felt Suzan squeeze his hand and he smiled.

"Wow you started a battle like that with one busted hand and still came out on top? That's determination," said Mark as he looked at Dusty in admiration.

"How's Daniel? Did you already heal him?" asked Dusty changing the subject.

"He came around long before you did, but I saw to you first and then I healed him. I thought it best to let you sleep for a while before I saw to your minor wounds, but Rachel is seeing to his other wounds. To be perfectly honest she's been seeing to them for several hours now," said Lori smiling.

"Yep right at this moment he's getting the best care possible," said Mark as he saw Rachel now suddenly smile, and then grin as she nodded vigorously as she and Daniel were still talking. Daniel started to smile big as well. Suddenly they kissed.

"Are you saying my care isn't the best possible?" asked Lori suddenly.

"Not for the type of care that Daniel is hoping to get later. I like Dusty in all, but I'm not the sharing type when it comes to putting you in a situation like that," said Mark with a smile as he nodded Rachel and Daniel's direction.

Lori looked over and could see them making out as if no one else was around them.

"Good answer," said Lori smiling as she looked back at her husband.

Soon, other than a slight headache, all other pains were gone and Dusty decided to sit up and look around.

Once he was completely up and opened his eyes, Suzan leaned in and kissed him as deeply as she could and Dusty welcomed it as he pulled her tight and embraced her. He could feel Suzan smiling and she knew that everything would start to get better soon between them.

"Here, here you two get a room. We have impressionable youngsters around," said Mark as he nodded at Daniel and Rachel.

"Leave them alone, they've earned this," said Lori softly and she pulled her husband into his very own kiss.

Soon it was time for the two men to leave the infirmary and head out.

As they were going down the hallway Lori leaned in and quietly said "You know once they found out I could do White magic they asked me to heal that cur Joseph who hurt Suzan so badly. Seems that you may have done more damage to him than they led people to believe. Of course I refused as is my right, but they weren't happy about it."

"Well we'll have to play it by ear. While I'm satisfied, that might not be the end of it," whispered back Dusty.

The rest of the time passed in silence as everyone headed back to the arena.

Once in the arena the applause was deafening.

Dusty let Daniel go first and he led the way holding Rachel's hand the whole way.

Dusty could see some scowls from some of the women close to the exit in the stands, and it was only later he learned that Daniel never let any of the women sit with him during any tournaments or publicly held their hands, so this had to have stuck in their craw.

The longer the two of them held hands and stayed together it was obvious something major was going on.

Next was Dusty and Suzan holding hands, and they waved to the crowds.

As they did they got a standing ovation.

With Daniel leading the way they approached the raised pavilion where the Queen was able to watch all the fights over both days.

Dusty made it a point not to pay much attention to her because he didn't want to give the impression he was here for anything but this tournament, but as they closed on her he got his first good look.

The Queen was older than him, it was apparent to all she certainly was a stunning beauty.

As he approached the makeshift dais, he got his first good look at her.

The first thing he noticed was her extremely red hair. It was so red that the sun shining on it was almost blinding. Dusty wasn't sure he had ever seen anyone with hair so bright and shiny and he was dumbfounded, until he looked her in the eyes.

They were so blue he couldn't believe he had ever seen that color on anyone before, but once he got past those devastatingly blue eyes, which were an interesting deep sea blue, he found them capped by thin lightly arching eyebrows.

She also had a cute pert nose and full red lips. But her skin was so pale and flawless that it looked as if she never got any sun. Dusty couldn't believe anyone's skin could be that pale or free of blemishes.

With all of this offsetting her red hair, it made her face a stunning package.

If Dusty had to guess he would put her in her very early forties, but that wasn't anything to detract from her appearance at all, if anything it only added to her deep appeal.

Her figure, while one would not expect to see the build of an eighteen year old on her, she looked extremely well built in a dress that looked as if she got up and had it painted on her, complete with a tightly laced corset and large breasts spilling out of the top of the dress.

There wasn't any excess fat to be seen anywhere on her or as tight as that dress was it would have shown as rolls on it. The term "busting out all over" came to Dusty's mind when he saw her.

As he stood staring, almost with a gapping mouth, the Queen barely and lightly laughed at him as Suzan savagely elbowed him in the side. It irritated her that he would be staring so openly at another woman like he was while in her presence.

The Queen's guards stood at attention and tried not to frown as their duty was to protect her and not to judge.

Speaking with a light voice the Queen said "So you are my new Champion of the festival. Well done. I didn't believe anyone would ever best Sir Griffith. How are you referred to?" asked the Queen.

"Dusty your highness, no surname, just Dusty," said Dusty as he cleared his throat and spoke.

"You are not a Knight of your homeland or another foreign land, are you?" asked the Queen.

"Uh, no your Majesty," answered Dusty curious where this was going.

"Good enough. Kneel Dusty," said the Queen as she stood.

Looking bewildered Dusty knelt at her feet looking up.

"Now, now head down please, this is delicate you know," said the Queen with a jovial expression.

Lowering his head Dusty looked at the floor of the pavilion.

As he did the queen turned and an attendant was at her elbow with plain thin, yet brightly gleaming sword on it, and the Queen picked it up and turned to face Dusty.

Tapping each shoulder with the delicate sword and then his head the Queen finished and said "Arise Sir Dusty a new Knight of Patella. Today you have earned your right to be seen as one of our nobility."

Standing and confused Dusty clearly forgot that as the winner he would be knighted. He then recalled the words of the soldier from Trestenall but he thought he was exaggerating.

Standing, a dazed Dusty looked at her as she smiled again.

"Well that is that. Since Sir Griffith was already a Knight and a noble that wasn't ever an option and he was never one who had a request he wanted to make, other than to be crowned Champion.

"My ancestors you know had the good common sense to Knight his entire family long ago as protectors of this land. He comes from a large family of warriors and mages you know," smiled the Queen.

Looking at Suzan he was still stunned to find out what the young soldier told him was true. Before he realized it he was knighted and had no idea what was expected of him as one of her Knights.

Dusty wondered how this would complicate things. He wondered if after the fact refusing was an option any longer.

"Daniel is this one of your newest conquests, or is she possibly more?" asked the Queen as she turned to look at Daniel still holding Rachel's hand.

"She is what I believe I've been looking for. I thought I'd seek a long courtship at first, but I can't think of any reason why I should and we talked and she doesn't either, so we talked in great detail about what we wanted and we both reached a decision.

"As the second place winner and one who has never exercised any of his rights as former Champion I would like to finally make a request, if your majesty wouldn't mind. Would you please perform a simple ceremony now?" asked Daniel to the shocked looks of Dusty and Suzan.