It was Isabel Walton's idea to have Henry's Guard Knight call Lambberton to the dueling ring. Obviously, her intention was to make Viscount Darlington aware of the purpose of the duel, so as to avoid involving Henry in the resulting private struggle between nobles.

For Lamberton, the main and most urgent problem at present was how to undo Henry VIII's reforms of Catholicism and punish the reformers who had hidden in the court. Therefore, Lamberton needed to do everything he could to bring the northern nobility together on a single front.

The old power of the northern aristocracy was used to exert pressure on the king and the royal family, forcing their king to cancel the Reformation and return to the arms of the papacy and the Holy See. Among the many nobles in the North, the Duke of Richmond, who was half of the royal lineage, was the one he thought was the most worthy of courtship.

However, this duel happened in a way that Lambberton Swift did not expect. Arriving outside the dueling arena, Lamberton tried to cancel the duel. However, Henry resolutely disagreed with the cancellation of the duel, looked at Lamberton coldly and said, "Lord Darlington, don't say any more. It seems that this duel is the one thing that will inevitably happen. ”

Lamberton said mildly and eagerly, "Duke, I can ask Edward to apologize to this female companion of yours, uh, Lady Isabel. That being said, he was skeptical of Isabelle, dressed in men's clothes and armed with a two-handled dagger. Perhaps, such a woman does not seem to qualify as the duke's female companion.

Henry glared fiercely at Edward on the field, and said in an unquestioning tone, "Sir, whatever you think of Lady Isabel, at least you can't change the hateful behavior of your knight in insulting her before me. ”

Seeing that there was no room for manoeuvre, Lamberton had no choice but to say, "Duke, I admit that this is true. Well, what are you going me to do. ”

"You and your eldest daughter will be used as circumstantial evidence to witness this battle of honor."

"So, duke, you are a witness?"

"Yes, I am not only a witness, but also a referee."

Caroline, who was on the side behind Lamberton, thought of something, walked to Henry's side and whispered, "Duke, although the duel of honor is gradually replacing the duel of justice, there is a certain etiquette for both. In other words, the two parties to the duel should exchange letters when discussing the duel, politely agree on the time, place, weapons to be used, and rules, and reach an agreement. In this way, a certain morality and the dignity of the identity of both parties can be reflected. ”

Henry was disgusted by Caroline's uplifted and reasoned look, and said expressionlessly: "Lady Swift, I know the etiquette of the honor duel. But today I must make your father's knights pay. ”

"Duke, you are right to want to regain the lost dignity for Lady Isabel. But if Ms. Isabel dies in a duel......"

"Don't worry, Lady Swift, my knightly squire has practiced swordsmanship for a long time."

Caroline laughed inwardly at the woman who could barely be called "lady", but at the same time developed a strong curiosity about this young woman. At this time, she suddenly had a strange idea: if the young female squire made it out of the dueling arena alive, she hoped that she would be able to get to know the Duke of Richmond's squire "lover" further.

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Isabel and Edward solemnly swore to each other and the Witnesses in their personal status and honor, promising to strictly abide by the rules of the duel and the referee's command and ruling, not to act on their own, not to take revenge in private, and to do no irregularities in the duel, and then the duel officially began.

Eager to see Edward, who insulted Isabel, punished, Henry placed the dueling arena in a crowded market. When he, a high-ranking nobleman, gave the order for a duel, many commoners and peasants stood on the periphery of the arena and watched.

While holding the sword in both hands, Edward raised the blade and pointed the tip of the sword above his head, looked at the duchess's waitress who had given up the right to a female duel with contempt and said, "Isabel, use your sword to duel for honor." ”

As soon as Isabel looked at the posture of the opponent's sword, she knew that this was the "top position" in the swordsmanship given to her by Sir Augustine. This stance allows the sword-wielder to remain ready to launch a top-down slash attack at any time. If the opponent comes blindly, this move allows the sword-wielder to end the fight with a quick and powerful slash.

Henry, as a witness and referee, glanced at the two people on the field, and counted down loudly: "3... 2… 1. Go! ”

As soon as he finished speaking, Edward, who was standing at the right end of the dueling arena, was eager to try with his sword in both hands, while Isabel, who was standing at the left end, had already taken off the long sword he was carrying, and held a short sword in each hand, was thinking about the extremely important matter of whether he could survive safely in this real sword fight.

She remembered Sir Augustine telling her that it was one thing to attack an opponent at risk, but it was another to defeat an opponent and get away with it. Therefore, the best way to prevent your opponent from hitting you is to strike first, and you should ensure and maintain your own initiative rather than passively waiting for your opponent to attack.

Since the two had agreed on the rules of who would strike first after the referee's agreement, Edward had been waiting for Isabel to attack him. It seems that he is a little unconvinced that Isabel can defeat himself, or even kill himself, even after losing 50% of his chances of victory. Therefore, the "knight" let her do it first.

Including two nobles, the eldest daughter of a noble family, and six knights of the noble guard, almost everyone inside and outside the arena held their breath, staring wide in anticipation of the upcoming life-and-death duel between a man and a woman in the dueling arena.

"Isabel, you always have to remember: you are fighting your opponent, not your opponent's sword. Don't just use your sword as a target to collide and resist, but not attack your opponent's body. Those who only pursue the weapon that attacks their opponent will never be able to possess superb sword skills! Sir Augustine's words rang in Isabel's ears again.

"Being in the wrong place at the wrong time, why not give it a go!" Elobel thought to herself.

The corner of Isabel's left mouth tilted into a confident smile. With the two left-handed short swords in his hand, he danced two sword flowers at the same time, and suddenly rushed towards Edward Cotton in front of him.

"It's finally here. Well, let my sword send you to hell in the name of God. Edward, who was standing in place with his sword in his hand, stared at the opponent who was about to rush in front of him, and said to himself.

Just as Edward raised the hilt of his sword in both hands above his head, ready to deliver a powerful slash to his opponent, something happened that surprised everyone present.

I saw that Isabel, who was running fast, suddenly fell to her knees with her left leg to the ground, and slid all the way with the speed generated when running. When the crowd was amazed to see her gliding from the right side of Edward's body behind her opponent's right side, Isabel sprang up from the ground and stabbed Edward through the back of the neck with the short sword in her right hand......