My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 258: The Dam Breaks

Chapter 258: The Dam Breaks

The late afternoon was the perfect place for someone to spar in the mage’s practice area. Most students had gone off to their apartments within the city or into the library of the mage’s quarter to study the concepts they had learned and practiced during the day.

Only the best of the best mages from Magia were allowed to practice and learn in the palace so they were all known to take their work very seriously.

This gave Quinn and Stephano the perfect opportunity to head outside and begin their spar. It had been quite a while since they approached one another in such a way so they both found themselves eager to see how the other had changed in their tactics–perhaps not changing at all was a possibility as well.

The proposition of a spar was premature. The temperature was dropping and both Quinn and Stephano were prone to the cold if they weren’t firing their mana.

Just like the day before when Quinn didn’t let Leonor warm up, he lit up his hand with silver mana. It immediately thawing off his cold fingers.

"You don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into," Quinn taunted immediately.

Stephano unnerved him, but magic was the one thing he was confident in. He had carved a path using his abilities alone. He even knew that the King wasn’t such a nice friend to offer him the position he was in without merit.

Even though he would never have Stephano where he wanted him, he would at least have his admiration as a mage. That would have to be enough just as it had been for the better part of a decade.

Stephano tossed his cloak onto the ground, uncaring of its fine embroidery or the expensive material it was woven with. Material possessions were meaningless when someone was doubting his abilities just because his focus was on the kingdom and not his magic practice.

"Even when I didn’t pay attention in class, I could still outsmart you with little effort, Quinn," Stephano responded. "Don’t forget who taught you how to fine tune everything you know."

"I’ve outgrown you," Quinn lied.

Stephano walked towards the center of the training area and Quinn followed him with the front of his body, never letting the King have his the upper hand or his back. The silver mana continued to glow over his hand, threatening the monarch constantly.

"Please, give me your best shot," Stephano raised his hands, gesturing for him to give him a challenge worthy of his time.

The King’s taunting was getting under Quinn’s skin and he knew that while he played with mana he could be hotheaded. At least he knew he would never be more hotheaded than Stephano.

Regardless, Quinn started stalking forward and raising his hand as the mana surrounding it became a sphere and he acted like he was going to throw it.

Little did the younger mage know, Stephano had enchanted his cloak that he had thrown onto the ground. It glowed gold and moved in a haunting pattern as it floated off of the ground and started to raise behind him like some sort of phantom, ready to possess his body at any moment.

Quinn thought Stephano was being arrogant by keeping his hands tucked behind his back. However, the King was gesturing with his fingers and controlling the cloak. It was hard to do it otherwise.

When the sphere lifted off of Quinn’s fingers, Stephano put his hands in front of him.

In the nick of time, he brought his fists together in front of him and the cloak that was once floating behind the silver-haired mage hugged him and threw his mana sphere off course. He was tackled to the ground and cried out in irritation.

"What a cheap trick!" Quinn cried as he freed himself from the cloak.

A bit of the fine garment had been singed due to Quinn’s defensive mana.

"Were you going to throw mana at me that could burn me in such a way?!" Stephano exclaimed. "I ought to tell my guards that you hold contempt for His Majesty!"

Quinn’s light eyebrows lowered and he quickly sprung to his feet as he threw the ruined cloak back onto the ground.

"How dare you!" Quinn shouted.

Stephano was only kidding, but he was happy to see Quinn responding to him so easily. He seemed more malleable than normal. It was nice to have his friend back even if it was for just a moment.

Quinn knew he was being reactive but his frustrations were making a head and he was intent on taking out the King with brute force even if the soldiers just outside of the palace entrance were subtly watching the match. He knew that they would step in if they felt Quinn was being excessive.

Quinn had learned a lot in his spar with Leonor and he had been practicing with defensive mana a bit more considering it was one of his most underused mana categories. With a fist lit up with a silver shield, he sprinted forward and attempted an uppercut towards the monarch’s chin.

They were nearly the same height and the punch was extremely impactful due to this.

Luckily, Stephano managed to fire up his own defensive mana and hold it up just in time so his face wouldn’t be too badly affected by the brute force Quinn was using to try and take him out.

"Using one of Leonor’s tricks, how cheap!" Stephano shouted.

Immediately, his fist went up in response the second he dropped his shield, but that punch was lit up with golden fire rather than defensive mana.

His fist met Quinn’s cheek and he knew there was going to be a bruise in a few hours, but he needed to show the younger mage just what he was made of. His time on the throne hadn’t dulled his skill any. The Royal Mana was unlike any other. His father was terrified he would never pass along his genes because he was of the last who could pass along his Royal Mana.

Quinn was thrown back a few feet and he put a hand over his cheek. His bell had been rung and he was dizzy for a moment before deciding to run forward with a few more blows of his own.

The fight was starting to seem more physical than mana related. Almost as if it was personal–at least for one of them.

There was a flurry of action between the two of them.

The silver-haired mage’s attacks were from above while Stephano heavily relied on the dirt and rocks around him to take on the blasts and leave himself unscathed.

However, a misstep caused Stephano to trip and where he sent one of the clumps of dirt wasn’t enough to block what Quinn was sending towards him.

The spherical silver mana ball made impact on Stephano’s chest and he flew backwards, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. The wind was knocked out of him and he found it impossible to breathe in for a few moments.

Despite his lack of air, Stephano held up a defensive shield around himself, but his lack of focus was making it weak.

Stephano wound up on top of him and punched through the golden shield, making contact with the King’s shoulder, getting blocked before he could hit his face, and landing a final good one in the gut. ’

With Stephano’s head turned, he saw a guard start to walk towards them, but he raised one of his hands to stop him. He felt the situation was in his control as he witnessed Quinn become unglued.

Stephano was on the ground beneath Quinn.

Rather than hitting him any longer, Quinn simply pressed his hands into the young monarch’s shoulder and gazed down at him with anguish etched into his features.

"Stop treating me like a child!" he pleaded. "Treat me like a man, dammit!"

Stephano could only lay still and stare up at the mage in shock. He knew that he could take down Quinn if he wanted to, but there was something about the younger mage’s frustrated expression that made him think a damn had broken. He was finally unleashing something he was feeling and he was punishing his tormentor.

However, what Stephano had done to Quinn to make him feel such a thing was beyond him.

"Quinn," Stephano tried to keep his temper in check and calm down the mage before the guards could rush forward on their own accord. "Shh, Quinn."

Since Quinn was sitting on his legs, he couldn’t move anywhere. Stephano held his hands up in defeat, showing the younger man that he had no intention to attack him more.

Only one of Quinn’s hands remained on Stephano’s shoulder. The other had covered his face with his arm and he looked just like the kid who insisted on hiding his sadness all those years ago when he was at risk of losing his scholarship.

It was ironic considering he was pleading for Stephano to treat him like a man when his mannerisms were still that boy.

It was strange having Quinn on his lap, but Stephano sat up and placed his hands on Quinn’s shoulders.

"What have I done to you, Quinn?" he asked quietly. "I will fix whatever it is."

"You can’t, Stephano," Quinn admitted his defeat, escaping the grasp of the king and standing up. His posture was rigid and his expression remained miserable. "I’m too far gone."

Stephano had more questions than answers, but he felt that there was some sort of understanding being formed. Besides, Quinn had finally called him by his name rather than the ridiculous title he was forced to carry.

It felt like progress.

Full of intense emotions and littered with new bruises and scratches, Quinn and Stephano were forced to present themselves in such a way for Desmond and Leonor once they realized it was nearly time for dinner and there was no time to clean themselves up properly.