Charlotte awoke, and the world spun. No memory of how she got here, but it wasn't hard to figure out. Someone had slipped a sedative into her drink and sold her off. There were plenty of people who'd want her head, and more than enough could afford to buy it. In any case, that was what had lead her to this humiliating position.

A booming voice, a woman's, brought Charlotte's hearing into focus, then sharpened her vision. The owner of that voice, a huge woman, stood a few metres away, apparently addressing someone well outside the small room the pair were in. Outside, past a raised portcullis, a huge crowd of people looked over a sand-covered, circular stage. A man stood in the middle, apparently who the other woman had been speaking to a moment ago. It appeared to be some kind of arena, and by Charlotte's understanding it was her and the other woman who were to fight the man outside.

How wonderful. She was meant to be sitting among the rich and influential, watching this very fight and discussing court politics. Instead, her captors had insulted her pride and sent her to scrap with the dogs. She wasn't sure if it made it better or worse that she'd have done the same thing, had their position been swapped. Still, at least they'd had the sense to leave her dressed as she was. Even if she couldn't act how she ought to be, at least she could appear that way.

Charlotte stood up, brushing the sand from her dress. Thankfully, most of the blood was in the main part of the arena, though one unfortunate knight proved an exception to that. Stepping past the big woman, Charlotte strode forwards, stopping about halfway between the middle of the arena and the room she'd just left. Looking about the crowd for a moment, she drew both her weapons, giving the estoc a short flourish as she did so. She spread her arms wide, and bowed mockingly at her opponent, daring him to make a move.