Crown Duel
There are stories of honourable duels, but that was not one of them.
The Conflict
Prelude
On his deathbed Ashur II proclaimed that neither son, Ashar III and Ashur III, would be his heir, instead they were asked to share the crown. While they both agreed to this, the court splintered hours after Ashur Ⅱ died.
Both parties wanted to have the crown since it represented the power to rule.
Daniel Hiin, known as one of the best duellists at the time was tasked to steal the Xalnan High Crown and take it to his master, Ashar III.
Meanwhile, Naim Katara, known for his abilities as an alchemist, was asked to stop anyone from passing through the rose garden by his master, Ashur III.
Deployment
Daniel was walking briskly with the crown in a bag down the path between the roses when Naim hailed the newcomer and asked him to turn back, to which Daniel responded:
You stand in my path and you may choose to stand aside or be struck down.
Naim must have recognised the shape in the bag and the person in front of him because he responded with:
Daniel, you have chosen poorly in the grand scheme and it is my duty to challenge you to a duel.
Daniel accepted and drew his sword. Naim could only respond by drawing his dagger. In a normal duel the weapons must be the same to qualify as honourable, but for the first and last time Daniel ignored convention.
Unbeknownst to both of them an observer was present. Linnea Solana was a servant loyal to the now dead Ashur II. She only wanted to smell the flowers to help clear her mind when she overheard the talking and sneaked closer to get a better look.
Battlefield
The rose garden was set up between two sets of outer walls with roses lining both sides with a gravel laid path between them.
At one end there was a door that led to other parts of the castle and at the other there were benches around a gazebo with roses climbing up under which a small table and stools were placed.
There was also a small, locked, heavy duty gate which lead to the adjacent chapels crypt. This exit was well known, but not often used.
The Engagement
The fight was short, which wasn't surprising considering the circumstances.
Daniel took the initiative and struck first, hitting the chest and causing blood to immediately soak Naims clothes. Naim tried to hit Daniel with the dagger, but he instinctively raised the bag as a shield.
One desperate strike caused a small cut on Daniels hand, which he only glanced at as he pulled his sword out of the dead mans chest.
Daniel proceeded to clean his sword for a moment, gave Naim a small bow and proceeded to walk towards the gate. As he did so he started to move drunkenly to the point where he barely managed to get the key into the gates keyhole.
Just as he pulled the door open he glanced at the corpse and collapsed. Naims deadliest poison had claimed its last victim.
Outcome
Linnea was stunned for a moment and then rushed out, making as little noise as she could, and searched them, trying to understand.
That was easy to do once she pulled the now damaged crown from the bag. Once she had made the connection she made a decision in good faith and hope, but with a disastrous legacy.
She put the crown back in the bag, packed her few belongings and valuables and left for Venira, wanting their support to stop the succession crisis.
Aftermath
The bodies were found the next day, ending any hope for peace between the sons as their relationship was shown to be sour to the public.
It was also noted that Linnea had gone missing and the crown with her. It wasn't long before both parties blamed the other for their disappearance, using it as a call for allies to rally and for neutral parties to choose sides.
Historical Significance
Legacy
This duel became known among commoners as the time the war of misunderstanding started, but scholars disagree. They say that it was not a singular moment, but a process with many unfortunate steps.
What they do agree with is that this fight was the first open combat, which basically ended any possibility for a peaceful resolution.
In Literature
Linneas full account of the event were transcribed and once the War of Misunderstanding started it was sent to Hallfell along with the crown for safekeeping. The crown remains there to this day.
Quite interesting! I didn't expect for the military conflict to just be between two duelists, but I do find the whole account of it to be very unique. The fact that both participants were guilty of committing extreme violations in the normal etiquette of dueling was really well written though, I especially loved how Daniel suddenly just collapses from Naim's poison as the finale. I would definitely like to know more about the War of Misunderstanding, along with a few more details on the aftermath. Namely: How exactly did Ashur and Ashar react upon seeing or hearing this happen?