"Wraith Dasher, Champion of Princess Shjasta of Ysle" has a very nice ring to it, if I may say so myself!

But perhaps even better than winning this “Sacred Tournament” – a silly excuse Ysleans came up with to justify a blood sport – was showing everyone, especially the holier-than-thou Priestesses and their Princess, that the Gods have nothing to do with anything! We make our own fate!

Sure, everyone in attendance hated my guts after making fun of their oh-so-wonderful deities and their “Blessed” cutie Princess, and were hoping the other fighters beat the living shit outta me. And yet, I prevailed. The sweet silence that followed after the dust settled was so damned satisfying that even if there were no rewards for winning, just showing them the folly of their beliefs would’ve been enough for me.

And now I was arguably the second-most important person in the entire city, after the Princess: her “Gods-appointed protector and comforter”. Did this really mean that I’d have a chance to know that hottie Princess at a very personal level? She didn’t look very pleased when pronouncing me her Champion, truth be told, so I find my chances with her pretty slim. So what? That’s what you get when you leave those important decisions, like who’s going to be your glorified bodyguard, in the hands of your imaginary friends!

But even if those stories of the Champion being the Princess’s lover are total bullshit, at least I’ll have plenty of food and drink for the rest of my life! No more pit fights! No more dealing with assorted scum, or sleeping on the dirt! Only the good stuff from now on! A total win for me!

As soon as Shjasta declared me her Champion and the still befuddled people started to leave the stands, I was approached by two of those Temple guard chicks, beckoning me to follow them. They didn’t look too pleased with me either, but I guess they’ll have no choice but get used to it, same as everyone else.

The guards escorted me around the entire Temple Complex. The day of Shjasta’s Presentation was the very first time I crossed the Temple gates. I knew that it was a luxurious place for sure; you can practically see it from any rooftop in Ysle, as it was built right on the slopes of the North Hill, the highest point in the entire city. We walked past magnificent gardens and fountains, past the Temple proper and other auxiliary buildings – all of them built of marble and gold – until we reached the entrance to the so-called Spire of the Princess.

Once inside we headed to a little square room. One guard closed the door while the other pulled a cord dangling from the ceiling. Almost immediately the room started to shake, and I felt my insides gently being pulled down. We were ascending! Not bad at all! I wondered how the damned thing worked, as Ysleans are generally distrustful of magic… or at least the one wielded by Magi, as they consider it blasphemous.

After nearly a minute ascending the box stopped moving, and when the door was opened we were in a corridor that ended in another, much bigger and ornate door. A pair of girls were standing right in front of me, quite cute the both of them. One had long, straight black hair that cascaded down to her waist, while the other had her curly blonde hair barely touching her shoulders.

“Champion,” the raven-haired girl said while bowing. Her companion bowed as well. “We are glad to welcome you to your new home.”

They looked quite happy to greet me for a change! Probably they didn’t know what happened at the Arena yet. Or perhaps they simply didn’t care.

“Err... Hey there!” I simply said while waving my hand.

“Her Highness will arrive shortly.” the flaxen chick spoke next. “We are tasked with preparing you to be in her presence.”

“Preparing me as in…?” I could almost hear my right eyebrow rising.

“Well, you are all dirty and bloodied from the fighting in the Arena.” The black-haired cutie replied. “Your clothes are also… unbecoming of your new position.”

I looked down at my jerkin and pants, both made of sturdy black leather. Sure, they were dirty and worn, but they were comfortable!

“Do not worry, Champion!” The blonde spoke again. “We will have you ready and presentable for the Princess in no time!”

“No need to be so formal, ladies!” I smiled. “The name’s Wraith. How do you do?”

“Wraith… as in a ghost?” the flaxen girl asked in confusion. “What kind of name is that?”

“Strange name indeed! What were your parents thinking when they named you?” The black-haired one commented casually. “But then again, you are a foreigner!” She smiled.

“At least… he’s quite attractive, isn’t he?” The other girl commented

“Not what I was hoping for, but it could definitely be much worse!” Her friend said while holding her chin with her left hand in contemplation.

I chuckled. These two girls are total nutjobs, talking about me as if I wasn’t standing in front of them!

“Master Wraith, is it?” The black-haired one finally said. “We are pleased to meet you. My name is Alinah, and she’s Amirah. We are the Princess’ handmaidens, and from now on your own as well.”

“Please, follow us, Champion. Your bath is ready.” Amirah said while inviting me to approach the door.

Amirah and Alinah lead me through the corridor and the big door, into the most luxurious bedroom I’ve ever seen. It was very large and superbly decorated, with the largest bed I've ever seen in my life. The servants led me through the bedroom to another, much smaller door, this one leading to the bathroom. The entire place was covered in marble tiles lined with gold. In the center, over a raised platform, stood a circular bathing basin where at least five people could sit comfortably.

“Phew!” I whistled. “I can definitely get used to this!”

“We will be waiting outside,” Alinah said. “Everything’s ready for you to use. If you need us, use the bell we placed next to the basin to summon us. Enjoy your bath, Champion.”

The two maidens bowed again before retreating and closing the door. I wasted no time getting undressed and jumping into the water. It was heated to a very comfortable temperature and smelled like orange and sandalwood. Quite refreshing indeed!

These girls knew their stuff. Once I was done I felt the cleanest I’ve felt in ages! I rang the bell and they came with new clothing. It was quite similar to my previous ones. The only thing I insisted on keeping from my old gear was my bandanna. That’s the lucky one!

Once clean and properly dressed, I was shown to a bedroom adjoining the main one.

“The Princess will arrive soon and she will need some time to prepare for your meeting, so please stay here until we come back for you,” Amirah said before the two servants closed the door.

I simply nodded. My room was small and less ornate but it was still quite sumptuous. I decided to hop into the plump mattress, the softest I’ve ever rested upon. I was quite tired from the Arena battle, so it was inevitable that I drifted into slumber. It seemed I only slept for a few seconds when the girls came back and shook my shoulders gently.

“Sorry to wake you up, Champion, but the Princess is ready. She’s waiting for you in her chamber.” Alinah said very gently.

“How long did I…?” I yawned.

“A little over two hours.” Amirah interrupted me.

Figures! Women, no matter their social status, love taking their sweet time to get ready!

I just refreshed my face with some water, did my best to get my hair in place, smooth my jerkin and pants out, and followed the servants back to the main chamber. The Princess was waiting for me on the large balcony outside. It was quite late, and the sun was about to set, bathing all around in a warm golden light. It was an impressive view indeed!

A more impressive view than the city below was Shjasta. Her long, smooth platinum hair was tied in a ponytail that fell like a waterfall right to waist level. She was wearing a long, loose-fitting silken sleeveless gown of purple color that, while much less formal than the dress she was wearing earlier, somehow made her look even more regal. She wasn’t wearing any makeup or jewelry except for a plain golden armlet on her right arm. She was staring at the sunset intently.

“You wanted to see me?” I simply said, trying to sound as gentlemanly and formal as I could.

The Princess turned around to face me. Now only a few feet away I couldn’t help but notice how lovely her face was. Shjasta’s amber eyes shone as if they had a light of their own, and I noticed the mole right below her right eye, over her cheekbone. Her expression was neutral, neither smiling nor frowning.

“Well met, Wraith Dasher. I hope my handmaidens have treated you well.” She said with a tiny hint of discomfort in her voice. Maybe she was still upset at me from the Arena?

“They have indeed,” I replied. “So…”

“So…” She repeated.

Damn it if there was a more awkward silence than the one that fell around us!

“I assume you are aware of your duties as my Champion?” The Princess finally said to break the silence.

“If you’d like to explain them to me, I’d be grateful,” I replied, trying my best courteous smile.

“First off, you shall address me as ‘Your Highness’ or ‘Princess’, not ‘you’,” Shjasta said, a frown beginning to form on her face.

“As you… as Your Highness wishes!” I grunted. So much about the “intimacy with the Princess” these guys kept babbling about!

“Good.” she simply said before carrying on: “As my Champion, you are sworn to protect me from any harm. Which means that, wherever I go, you shall follow me.”

“Of course.” I nodded. That was the obvious part of the job, anyway.

“Now…” Shjasta started to blush a bit. “I’m certain you may have also heard… some things about the Champion’s duty to… comfort his Princess…”

“I heard a thing or two about that, yes,” I admitted. “So... is it true, then?”

“Eh!?” The Princess’s blushing became a deeper shade of red, noticeable even on her dark skin. “Well, it’s… it’s not like I believe you’ve heard!”

I couldn’t help it, but I smirked after seeing Shjasta so flustered. She looked so damn cute!

“So… would the Princess care to explain to her Champion how is he supposed to interpret the “comforting” part of his duties?” My grin got wider as I asked.

Not only did Shjasta’s blushing intensified, she even started to sweat a bit!

“It’s not what you are thinking!” She stuttered, averting her gaze from me.

“And what is it I’m thinking, Your Highness?” I pressed on, loving the way my eat-shit grin bothered her.

“You… you know well what I mean!” She blurted out. “The way a… a man comforts his… w-woman!!”

“And that is…?” I said feigning ignorance on the matter.

By this moment Shjasta's face was red as a tomato and sweating profusely. She was also starting to get angry as well.

“Gods, are you daft besides discourteous? What all men want from pretty women! Getting into their pants!” she exclaimed in sheer frustration “Do you understand now?”

“Understood. But what if you want to get into mine?” I promptly retorted.

“That’s not gonna happen! Ever! Not with a... vulgar man like you!” She snapped. “Your duty will be limited to being my bodyguard, nothing more!”

“So what if I’m in dire need of… you know… get into a woman’s pants?” I teased her further. “A man has his needs...”

“What you do with your private life is your concern, Wraith Dasher, as long as it doesn’t conflict with your duties!” Shjasta said with a wave of her hand. “Can we talk about something else now?”

“Sure, Princess…” I shrugged.

Shjasta sighed in relief, lowering her gaze as if thinking deeply about something. Then she looked back up at me and said:

“I know I... just said you should address me properly, but… when not in public… can you just call me by my name? It’s,” She lowered her head again. “It’s a bit awkward, you know? Being like this, with such formalities all the time…”

“As you wish… Shjasta…” I shrugged again. Can she make up her mind? “You are the boss, after all!”

“Then is it alright if I just call you Wraith, then?” She asked, flashing me a little smile, the first since she accepted me as her Champion.

“As I said, you are the boss,” I repeated.

“Wraith,” she talked again. “Since it seems we're going to be together like this for long, do you mind telling me a bit about yourself?”

“There isn’t much to tell,” I said quite frankly. “Came to Ysle two years ago with a band of mercenaries I was part of, but I decided to stay because I liked the place. Being a pit fighter ever since.”

“That’s it?” She insisted.

“That’s it,” I shrugged. “Perhaps one day I tell you more… if I feel like it.”

“But what about this ‘pit fighter’ business? What’s that?”

Now it was my turn to become bothered! “Oh, come on! You rule this damn city! Haven’t you ever heard of the pit parlors in the slums?”

Shjasta shook her head. I covered my face with the palm of my hand in disbelief. “You do need to go out more often, you know?” I sighed. “There’s a whole world just outside the Temple gates!”

“I… I’ve never been outside the gates,” Shjasta admitted.

“You’ve lived here your entire life?” I asked in amazement. “How are you supposed to rule Ysle if you don’t even know it!?”

“The Gods will guide me. They chose me, after all” she said matter-of-factly.

“Your Gods, if they exist, don’t give a fuck about this damned World!” I blurted out in frustration. “Do you really think they would pick someone that doesn’t even know the city she’s meant to rule?”

“They chose me for a reason. I’m sure of it!” She simply replied, her faith unwavering.

“And what about me being chosen as your Champion? Is that their will as well?”

“They always act with our best interests in mind, even if we don’t understand Them at first.” She mused. “Maybe they have set aside a special fate for you, one you’ll fulfill by being my Champion.”

“I might be overstepping my bounds by telling you this,” I said as I got closer to her. “But if you can get out of this shithole the other Priestesses put you in, do it! There’s no shame in admitting you aren’t cut out for the task…”

“I can't,” she simply said. “This is a burden placed upon me by the Gods.”

I rolled my eyes. “Fine! It’s your pretty neck on the line, Princess, not mine…”

“In any case… The fire will tell us all if I’m the right person to rule Ysle.” Shjasta sentenced, her gaze set upon me again.

“Fire?” I asked. What are you talking about?”

“The Lighting Ceremony, due to happen in two days.” The Princess explained. “It’s the final, most important ceremony of the new Princess’ Ascension.”

“More religious nonsense?” I laughed.

Her cute face was marred yet again by a frown. “Think what you want of it,” she said. “But the Gods speak directly through the Ceremony! If They believe I’m not the right person for the job, the sacred fire… or rather the lack of it… will tell everyone.”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine!” I laughed again. “It’s just lighting a bonfire, right?”

“It’s much more complicated than that, Wraith.” She hinted. “You will see soon enough…”