Reborn in a Dating Sim: Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Chapter Fifteen

“I already know,” the words came from the mouth of one she had hoped to protect, “Satin had already discussed this with us. We’re in agreement that it would be wrong to hoard her to a single one of us.”

She tried to understand exactly what was being said there. She felt the fresh set of tears starting to leave her, and yet she couldn’t understand why this was happening. Didn’t Prince Apollo understand that she just wanted to save him? This girl was going to hurt him, and more to the point she was going to remove him from power. The power itself didn’t matter as much to her, but she knew that eventually there was a good chance he would end up as king.

“Prince Apollo, you must understand how this will look,” she said, her voice pleading, “Surely you understand what others will say about this. You’ve condemned yourself to being removed as a prince. At this point if you go forward with this you will be viewed as incompetent at best. Please, reconsider. I’ll understand a fling, I’ll even forgive it eventually, but please do not end things because you are just interested in some ple…”

She didn’t even realize the slap was happening before it landed. Her eyes widened in surprise at Prince Apollo. He’d slapped her. He had struck her, and it hurt. He stood there, his eyes wide in anger, and she felt fear. It was the first time she had ever been afraid of him, and it didn’t change what else she felt, but she wasn’t sure how to continue.

“Don’t ever say that phrase about Satin,” he said, his voice seething, “She is a kind and wonderful woman. She is full of warmth, and she loves me for who I am. She doesn’t care about my title, my claim to the throne, or anything else. She sees me for who I truly am. Do you not understand that?”

Her eyes went to Satin, and she stood in complete shock, “No,” she whispered, “Please, don’t do this to us. Don’t end things like this. You can’t throw everything away just because of her.”

“Leave me, now,” he said, his voice firm, “Diamond Tiara, there was a time that I would have considered you a friend, but seeing how easily you are able to cut down someone like Satin. I see a spoiled and entitled girl standing before me. I see someone that represents the worst in our society. How could I ever love someone as loathsome as you?”

The words cut deep, and she felt as if her very heart was going to collapse in on itself. Her determination seemed to be the only thing to keep her going. The words of her father, “What is that we do when we fall down?” rang in her head, and she knew what needed to be done. At this point there was no other alternative. Copper had been right to have her do this in private. It was a place where this spectacle wouldn’t be seen by the other nobility, but at the same time it left her very exposed.

“Prince Apollo, please,” she said, her voice on the verge of begging, “I implore you, please, do not do this. Your place is royalty, and do you not understand what this will mean for your mother and father? Can you not understand the hardship that you are placing upon them? /You are the first crown prince. It is your place to take up where your father will leave off. You cannot throw that away.”

She backed away as he raised his hand again, “I said leave,” he seethed, his voice hard as iron now, “Do you not understand that I want nothing to do with you? Can’t you get that through your head? I never thought that you were dense, but was I wrong? Are you actually incapable of rational thought? Tell me, why continue to try the same things over and over again? Do you not see that I don’t want to be with you?”

Each statement was a knife that was digging deep into her heart. Each one was a bitter pill, and she could not stop them. She wanted to, badly, but there was no way for it to happen. She had tried to warn him, and he answered with his displeasure. She had expressed his best interest, and he had returned the gesture with violence. She had tried, desperately so, to make him see reason, and instead he chose to leap willingly into lunacy. Seeing the one that caused it she could no longer restrain herself. Copper proved himself to be wise, but this was a straw that she could not bear.

Her glove left her hand, and she stepped closer to Satin. Before any of them could say a word she slapped the glove across her face. The redding mark left on her cheek brought her some pleasure as she watched the girl stand there in shock, “Pick it up you lowly little plebeian bitch!” she shouted, her voice hot with anger, “Pick it up now! Accept my challenge, and accept your place!”

“Pick it up Satin,” Prince Apollo said, his voice firm, “I will protect you.”

“Funny,” Platinum Reserve said as he stepped forward, “I was going to suggest the same thing.”

“Well, I can’t allow you both to outshine me,” Spear Point said as he grinned at them, “I mean, I’m the most skilled out of all of us.”

“I will never abandon my friends, or my love, “Mithril Shield said, his voice sounding like a delicate chime, “It would be ungentlemanly of me to do so.”

There was silence, and finally the fifth yawned, “Very well,” Posh Propers said, his voice sounding bored, “I will help. Mostly for Satin, but I suppose for our friendship. Well, what there is of it.”

She looked at the five of them standing there. All of them were skilled in their classes. And she had no one. She had come alone, and there was no one to help her. She had made the worst mistake of doing this without an audience, “Well, Diamond Tiara,” Prince Apollo said, his voice dripping with sarcastic venom, “It would appear that you have no one to act as your champion. As you know, per the regulations of all duels, you must get a willing champion before the settlement of the duel. I will allow you to call one of your followers. Perhaps they will assist you, but I doubt it.”

She stood in complete shock. Her challenge wasn’t only accepted, but it had been accepted by everyone. What was worse was the fact that she finally noticed Posh Propers had his magical tablet out. It was out, and she could hear the voices from it. As she stood there she could see the faces of the ones that had seen it. He’d contacted all of the most influential members of their area. More to the point, they’d contacted everyone else as well. Everyone had just seen what happened, and it hadn’t been in a place where she could control it.

She stood there, her eyes nearly pinpoints. Was this really the moment that she lost everything? Was she doomed to lose the one person she had sworn to be loyal to? She felt the ache deep inside of her. She felt cheap and used. A part of her wanted to wallow in the humiliation like a hog would wallow in filth, but her pride as a duke’s daughter kept her from doing so. She hung her head high, and looked toward the tablet.

Finally a voice from the tablet itself rang out. It was someone she had considered a friend, long ago, “Dia, you’ve gone too far,” Silver Spoon said, “Sorry, but none of my vassals will assist you.”

That was the clincher. She had hoped that Silver Spoon would lend her aid. But if she wouldn’t then it really didn’t leave her much choice. She would have to fight on her own. She looked toward the offensive magical tablet, hoping that someone would offer their aid, hoping beyond all hope that there was someone who believed she was worth the risk. There was nothing. She felt the weight of it all beginning to rest on her shoulders. This was the place where everything ended.

She resided herself to accept her fate to be nothing more than some plaything for a noble far below her station. Instead the door to the room opened, and she heard confident footsteps. The footsteps came closer to her, and she felt a presence beside her, “I heard everything,” Copper said as he stood there, “So, I wanted to do this in person. I’ll be her champion. I have absolutely no problem with it.”

There was a stunned silence from the others, “You do understand what this means,” Prince Apollo said after a moment, “You’ve accepted a challenge from the Crown Prince of this kingdom. By accepting it you are practically committing treason,” he stressed, “All of your future conquests will be meaningless. You do understand that, correct?”

He grinned at him, “Oh, no that’s where you’re wrong, Apollo,” he said, stressing the name, and not adding the title to it, “See, the school, and the kingdom, has very specific rules when it comes to duels between students. The moment one is set there are no titles. It’s as if the two dudes fighting are nothing more than commoners. That means we’re just a couple of guys that’s going to fight over a couple of girls. Something that’s existed since the very beginning of time.”

Diamond Tiara saw Prince Apollo look stunned for a moment. She understood now. He had planned for his title to protect him. He had never planned on having to duel anyone, and yet someone she had only known for a couple of days had come to her rescue. He’d done so simply because she was in trouble. She felt relief at it, but also an intense amount of worry for her new friend, “Baron Copper, are you sure?”

He laughed, “Right now it’s just Copper,” he stated, “And yeah, I’m sure. It’s a chance to beat some sense into that head of his.”

Prince Apollo rolled his eyes, “Very well, Copper,” he said, his voice nice and acidic, “Select another four individuals to assist you fight.”

“He will need only one,” Artemis said from out of the room as she entered, “I will assist my Captain. Whatever the job is, I will assist him. Should it be simply teaching a lesson, or complete annihilation I will ensure that his goals are met.”.

“You’d bring a servant into this?!” Mithril Shield asked, his green hair flowing as he began to laugh, “Are you so friendless that you have to rely on your servant?!”

“Artemis, don’t do anything, yet,” Copper said, “No, she’s here of her own accord. As for anyone else, I don’t need it. Artemis will be a second only if something happens to me. Otherwise I’m going to fight the five of you. And since I’m the underdog here, how about I set the duel. Does that sound good to you?”

Prince Apollo seemed to consider it, “Fine,” he said, as he crossed his arms, “Tell us your duel idea.”

Copper smiled, “We have a battle with armors. I fight all five of you, one at a time. Over five matches. If I win, then you, Prince Apollo, must agree to stay away from Satin. If you win then you want Diamond Tiara to leave your relationship alone, right?”

He nodded, “That’s correct. I want nothing more than for her to simply leave us in peace. If she can agree to that then I will not push the issue further,” he said as he looked at him, “With that said, you do understand that fighting us in a battle of armors is not to your advantage. We’ve all trained in armor combat for years at this point.”

He laughed, “Sure you have,” he said, as he grinned at them, “Just know what I said stands. Oh, let’s do this tomorrow. First thing in the morning. I’m sure that everyone here would like to get it out of the way so they can just go back to their pampered little lives.”

“Copper,” Diamond Tiara said, her voice sounding uncertain, “Are you sure about this? All five of them are accomplished in armor battles. It would be reckless to go forward with this plan.”

He grinned at her, “Trust me, I’m going to be fine.”

“You are far too arrogant for your own good,” Prince Apollo said, his expression was one of righteous confidence, “You should have been humbled far before now. The fact that you’ve made some small glimmer of success shouldn’t have gone to your head. In truth, you’re little more than some backcountry baron. A hick from the fringe of the kingdom that simply doesn’t understand his place. I shall make it my sworn duty to educate you.”

“Go ahead and try,” Copper said, his voice relaying the calm he felt, “The entire group of you are nothing more than a bunch of pampered ninnies that have had their entire titles and fortunes handed to them. Diamond Tiara has more of a claim on the title of noble than the entire group of you combined. She at least has done a dungeon raid in a serious situation.”

“How dare you!” Mithril Shield shouted, his eyes practically blazing with anger, “All of us have raided the school’s dungeon!”

Copper felt himself laugh, “Yeah, as a joke,” he said as he looked at them, “None of you took it seriously. All of you thought of it as nothing more than playtime. I saw the way you acted when Professor Honeypot called people out. You had your guards as backup, and you knew that you were never in danger. No, that’s not nobility, that’s rich kids playing at adventurer when they understand they have nothing to lose.”

He held up his own magical tablet showing that he was broadcasting as well, “I didn’t want what we discussed to not be aired,” he said as he looked at them, “I mean on the off chance that you get cold feet, or of course decide to change the rules of our duel before hand. So, I thought that we should include the school’s faculty in on it. All of them heard our discussion, and all of them know the rules of our duel.”

He turned, laughed, and began to walk out, “See you sweethearts tomorrow.”

He didn’t have to look back to feel the look of hatred coming from Satin. He could feel it piercing through his skin. The fact that she obviously hated him with every fiber of her being was there. He wasn’t sure why it felt so good to have her angry at him, but it felt awesome. It honestly felt like it was justification for some slight that she had done to him long ago. Beside him Diamond Tiara attempted to figure out why someone like him would be so set on helping her out.

He was new money, absolutely, and even with the laws of the Academy, and the Kingdom itself, in place there was no doubt that his dueling the Prince was suicide for him in a political standing. He would become a pariah. At least he would become more of one. The fact that he had a demi human female servant was more than enough reason for him to be disliked. It was flaunting that he had no regard for tradition in the faces of those who stood for the more traditional aspects of the kingdom.

Girls that flaunted their own servants were angry that he dared to show up with one. They were upset that he didn’t seem to care about their opinions of them. All of them called him some demi human lover that would rather find some subservient bunny girl than find a woman that could challenge him. And they were all talking about what he might be doing as compared to what they were doing. She was not foolish enough to believe that a single one of them never took their servants to bed with them.

They left the Prince’s room, and once out she touched his shoulder, “I can call this off,” she said, her voice quivering a little, “It will be an embarrassment, but it would be better than what you’re most likely going to face. I don’t want to see you kill your political future here.”

He looked at her, “It’s not going to be what you think it is,” he said as he looked at her, “Sure, I get that things are going to be rough for me, but this is something that needs to happen. Prince Apollo needs to have his head set on straight. He doesn’t realize the kind of damage that Satin will cause, and he seems to be ignoring it completely in order to just hang around her,” he stated as he kept walking, “Besides, I’m not going to leave one of my party members hanging.”

She followed after him, “You are truly so bizarre,” she marveled, “How can you be so calm about the possibility of losing everything? Don’t you get what may happen to you?”

He laughed, “Sure, and trust me, I don’t really care.”

She shook her head as they walked toward the exit. Both of them, no the three of them left, and she looked up at the night sky, “I don’t think that I can honestly thank you enough,” she said as she looked up, “I mean you’re risking everything for me, and I know that you understand where my heart lies. It makes me wonder if I may be misguided.”

“Maybe,” he admitted as he walked, “But does that really matter? You know who and what you want. I can respect that. The fact that you’re honest about it makes it better. Look, whatever happens, know that I’m here to support you. Again, you’re my party member, and that means a whole lot.”

With that she watched as he walked off with Artemis. Despite what might be thought of him, she had nothing but respect for Baron Plum. Relief seemed to cover her, and a fresh wave of worry followed it. She wasn’t sure how this would turn out, but she was certain that whatever happened it was something that desperately was needed. So, she headed toward her own dorm, allowing the night to cover her like a blanket. Some part of her screamed that she was allowing someone that could be considered a friend to place his head on a chopping block.

Another part screamed that if it saved Prince Apollo it was worth it. She quieted both of those parts. She quieted them because for good or bad, tomorrow would be a day to remember.