<span style="font-family:Vidaloka">Tournaments in Rivethaer were very specific in their setup. There were guidelines for absolutely everything from how to approach your end of the arena to how to present yourself to the royal attendants. Obviously Wesley knew none of those courtesies or regulations, and on more than one occasion, a knight or another squire would walk past him and slap him upside the head for breaking one rule or another. There was no time for them to teach him, though. They just had to hope that he didn’t screw up in front of the king and princess. In particular, the knight who took him in had to hope that he didn’t screw up. <br/>
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<span class="fixed-color" style="color:darkmagenta"><b>“Just… do what the other squires do,”</b></span> he hissed at Wesley in a rather irritable tone. <span class="fixed-color" style="color:darkmagenta"><b>“I don’t need my neck wrung because of you.”</b></span> Technically, he didn’t even need a squire. He was just trying to help the lad out and it was making things worse. <br/>
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Wesley nodded and looked for the other squires. He’d fallen behind and he ran to catch back up. He ran rather clumsily, actually, because he was carrying his knight’s jousting spear. It was rather large and terribly unbalanced the way that he was carrying it. This was his dream, though, and not even the slaps he’d received so far could wipe the smile off of Wesley’s face. For just a few minutes, he felt like a kid again and he got lost in a daydream. <br/>
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<span class="fixed-color" style="color:darkorange"><b>“Psst! You!”</b></span> a squire even younger than Wesley called out to him. <span class="fixed-color" style="color:darkorange"><b>“Over here! Get in line! The king and the princess are getting ready to take their seats and we all have to be in line.”</b></span> <br/>
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The knights formed one line, closer to the observers, and the squires were lined up in back. It was fairly routine for most of them, but Wesley hadn’t the first clue. He did, however, do as he was bid and he managed not to look <i>too</i> out of place. Maybe… just maybe… things would turn out ok. <br/>
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An announcer stepped up to the front and trumpets sounded before he called, <span class="fixed-color" style="color:goldenrod"><b>“Introducing… his majesty, King Ezrah and her royal highness, Princess Alexandria!”</b></span> All that was left was for the two of them to take the highest seats and then everyone else could sit and the show would begin. <br/>
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As he saw her, though, Wesley’s eyes widened. He hadn’t the first clue that the woman he’d met the night before had been the princess and he stood frozen in shock.</span>