Honors and Celebrations

---Katherine---

I blinked, surprised. "Me?"

As the crowd thundered and cheered, Indigo nudged me toward the center of the stage. I hesitantly stepped out, looking out over a sea of waving hands and energetic people. The mayor shook my hand eagerly.

"Thanks to you, Eric is finally gotten rid of," he said smiling. "You are the true winner of the brooch of Goldhedge!" He took my wrist in his hand and raised my arm high into the air. I turned my gaze over to my friends. Aaron and Indigo smiled at me. I waited till the cheering turned down and then faced the mayor.

"I am very honored, but I'm afraid I can't accept the brooch," I said.

He looked taken aback. "Why not? You defeated Eric, you deserve it."

"First, it was never my intention to participate in this tournament, and so I have no right to take this prize from the people who have trained hard to try and win it." I gestured towards the contestants gathered in the front rows. "Also, I could have never defeated Eric on my own. I wasn't even the one to challenge him. My friends Aaron Kane and Indigo Clay are the ones who really deserve this honor." I took a step back and swept my hand in the direction of my friends. Someone ushered them two up towards the center of the stage.

"No, no, Katherine deserves it," Aaron said firmly.

"She's the one who ultimately defeated Eric, so she gets the brooch." Indigo told the mayor, who stood by uncertainly.

"No, Aaron, you're the one who figured out his plot and challenged him," I declined. "Indigo fought so well that Eric was tired out; I simply finished him off."

"No way Kath, you're the one who—"

We argued and pushed the honor around, none wanting to take the full glory. Down below, the fighters were whispering among themselves. Julian, one of the first fighters to participate, hurried up the stairs and whispered something in the mayor's ear. The mayor drew back and a wide grin split his face.

Walking over to the three of us, the mayor held up his hand again. "The contestants of this tournament have spoken and reached a decision. Katherine wins the brooch of Goldhedge—nuh uh, you can't argue with this—because all the fighters have unanimously agreed that you have shown the best swordsmanship of all. Congratulations Katherine!"

In a round of loud cheering and applause, I blushed with pride and stepped forward. The mayor held a purple jewelry box in which the glittering brooch sat on a purple velvet pillow. I bowed deeply to the audience before accepting the brooch. It was an honor I had never dreamed of having. I hope my parents would be proud.

The brooch was made of gold and in the shape of a flower, with six curving petals swirling out from the center. A shiny diamond sat in the center as a number of sparkling rhinestones and sapphires adorned the edges of the petals. Not only was this an exquisite piece of artisanship, this brooch was definitely worth a lot of money. It was a breathless piece of beauty.

The mayor quieted the crowd again. "However, the courageous acts of Aaron and Indigo will not go unnoticed." Aaron and Indigo looked at each other with surprise. "For unmasking Eric's evil plot, showing us how Reginald died, and proving that Eric is a cheater, the town of Goldhedge bestow onto Aaron, the cloak of Augustus!" Aaron's mouth dropped open as Alan and Reyna walked up the stage, carrying between them the legendary cloak of Augustus.

"Wow," Aaron breathed, running his hand through the material. "Really? For me? Thank you so much!" He bowed deeply to the audience, showing his gratitude, before carefully lifting the cloak and tying it around his shoulders. The silk-like material was lightweight but warm. I marveled at the silkiness and the softness as I felt a piece of it between my thumb and forefinger. The cloak was toffee brown and mid-calf length, complete with a hood that pulled over half of the face. Another priceless artifact.

"For showing bravery, loyalty, and excellent swordsmanship, the town of Goldhedge would like to gift to Indigo a silver dagger, part of a wedding gift to Augustus and Helena." The mayor held out a case, where a sheathed silver dagger laid on red velvet. "It came as a pair, and this is the one that the couple left for the town. Now we give it to you, dear child."

Indigo accepted the gift graciously, lifting the dagger in awe. A burst of silver light shone out when she unsheathed it. The blade was so smooth and polished it was like a high-definition mirror. One could see the individual strands of hair on that blade.

"It's thanks to these three brilliant fighters that the festival and tournament is restored to what it used to be. A great evil has been removed, and justice has been served. We thank you for that." The mayor, Julian, Alan, and Reyna bowed their heads in gratitude, and we hurriedly returned the gesture.

"Now that the tournament is over, let the festivities begin!" Fireworks exploded in the night sky in showers of brilliant pink and green and orange. Lucian, Ashley, Rachel, and Jason joined us as we came down the stage, only to have the fighters surround us. They showered us with congratulations and compliments. As everyone complimented me on defeating Eric, I smiled politely and replied to all praise humbly. But soon, their attentions were locked onto Aaron and Indigo. After all, everyone had seen the brooch before, but the cloak and dagger were prized valuables that most have only heard of.

Eventually I extracted myself from the crowd. Aaron and Indigo were still in the circle of fighters and fans. Lucian and Jason had run off again, probably looking for food, with Ashley and Rachel following after worriedly.

I went to a nearby stall and bought a cup of freshly made apple cider. Wandering the festival grounds, I found a haystack against a building up on a small hill, away from the masses of people. As I sat on the haystack, I brushed a finger over the brooch and looked out over all the hustle and bustle.

Everyone was happy. Aaron and Indigo got the praise and attention they deserved. They are destined for great things. They deserve the spotlight, and they handle it well. As much as I enjoyed being recognized for my deeds, I felt uncomfortable with too much attention, which is why I felt that I would never achieve as much greatness as my peers would. My aspiration is to walk the earth, bringing justice to the people and setting things right like all the righteous swordsmen and swordswomen who came before me. I wanted to be known for my swordsmanship, but whether or not people remembered my name was not a big concern. I just wanted to do what was right.

I took off my swords and laid them across my lap, brushing my fingers over them as I would pet a cat. The rosestone glowed a soft blue. I leaned against the wall and sipped my cider, watching the fireworks above and the happy people below, with my swords my only companions.