Fencer by Viola Grace

Chapter One
    M eena flipped the pages of the digital book she was reading. It was a lazy day off and she was making the most of it.
    It was her fourth book that day, and she wasn’t planning on stopping anytime soon. Reading High Nyal was tricky, but she enjoyed languages. Her current book was a treaty on the laws of fencing.
    Her com beeped from across the room, and Meena looked up. “What?”
    Her agent’s voice came through. “I know it is your day off, Meena, but we have an emergency.” Meena sighed and turned her book off. She crossed the room and turned on the visual. “What is it, Noree?”
    Her agent looked uncomfortable. “I am on handheld outside your door. Can I come in?” Meena got to her feet and opened the door.
    Noree’s butter-yellow features were flashing coral with her agitation. “Come in and have a seat? Can I get you some juice or sugar water?”
    Noree smiled. “Juice please. It has been a rough few hours. I have gone through all my books to find the best fighter for this, and it keeps coming back to you.”
    Meena got the beverage, poured herself some water and sat at her kitchen table. “Tell me.” Noree gulped at the juice, the sugar an intoxicant for her people. When she was calmer, “A Yinshin lady came to me and asked for one of our honour combat surrogates. I thought of you instantly, but she told me that as part of the combat agreement, if you were defeated, her cousin would take you to his bed in penalty.” Meena coughed as her water went down the wrong way. “What?”
    Noree raised her hand, palm out. “I know, I know. That is why you signed with me. I don’t pimp my fighters out. Anyway, I went through the roster looking for female fighters who could fit the requirements set out by the lady. I even contacted a few other agencies and that is when I found out the disturbing part.” Meena winced. “It gets worse?”
    “The lady said that her cousin had insulted her and that she wanted a female fighter to teach him a lesson. This pair of cousins has been picking fights with each other for the last ten years. They always get a female fighter, and she always loses.”
    Meena was getting suspicious. “That is statistically unlikely.”
    Noree finished her juice. “Not when the cousin you will be facing is Lord Makadan.” Meena coughed again. “The Yinshin Lord Makadan?”
    “The same one. Master Fencer and general jackass to use your phrase.”
    No wonder there were no female fencers that could stand against him. Lord Makadan was two hundred years old and was said to have picked up a blade five seconds out of his mother’s womb.
    “If he wants to fuck fighters, why doesn’t he just go to a gladiator world and take his pick.” Noree rolled her glass between her palms. “He wants to humiliate them before he takes them. You can’t do that with a paid whore, but you can do it to an honour fencer.”
    Meena groaned and flexed her shoulders.
    “When is the duel?”
    “Sunset. They even provided a costume for you to fight in.”
    It suddenly clicked, “They asked for me, didn’t they?”
    “His lordship has heard of your skill, so Lady Bivar agreed to obtain you for him.” Noree’s colouring took on a grey cast as she looked everywhere but at Meena.
    “What did you promise them?”
    “A duellist equal to or better than you. Unfortunately, I can’t find one.” Meena thought about it. “After this, strike them from the books, are we clear?” Noree nodded frantically. “Of course. You will do it then?”
    Meena nodded. “Yes, but is there any sense in defending the honour of someone who very obviously has none?”
    Noree grimaced and produced a pack from her bag. “Here is the costume. The terms are he apologizes or it is a fight to first blood. If you win, our lady gets her apology, and if he wins…well, you know that already.”
    Meena lifted the arrangement of blue fabric out of the bag. “I am guessing that he is improving the odds by exposing as much of my