<nc-section data-title="Version 1" data-color="red"> As I dismounted near the stables, a broad-shouldered man in polished armor approached me. His weathered face bore the scars of countless battles, yet his eyes held a warmth that put me at ease. "You must be Frederick," he said, his voice deep and commanding. "I am Sir Roland, Master of Arms here at Thornwall Castle. Your father wrote to me of your arrival." He clasped my shoulder with a gauntleted hand, nearly buckling my knees. "Welcome, lad. By the time I'm finished with you, you'll either be a knight worthy of the realm—or you'll wish you'd stayed home tending sheep." </nc-section> <nc-section data-title="Version 2" data-color="green"> A stable boy rushed forward to take Thunder's reins as I swung down from the saddle. My legs ached from the three-day journey, and I stretched them gratefully on solid ground. "Not bad form for a newcomer," called a voice from the shadows of the stable. A knight emerged, his silver hair catching the last rays of sunlight. He walked with a slight limp but carried himself with unmistakable authority. "Sir Roland?" I asked, offering a hasty bow. "The very same." He circled me slowly, appraising me as one might examine a horse at market. "Hmm. Thin as a willow branch, but there's something in your eyes. Determination, perhaps. We shall see if it survives your first week of training." </nc-section> <nc-section data-title="Version 3" data-color="blue"> The clang of metal on metal rang out from somewhere beyond the stables, and I followed the sound to find a knight drilling two young men with wooden swords. He moved with lethal grace despite his age, disarming both opponents in a single fluid motion. "Pathetic," he declared, though not unkindly. Then his gaze fell upon me. "Ah, fresh blood arrives." He tossed one of the practice swords in my direction. I caught it clumsily, nearly dropping it. "I am Sir Roland," he announced, raising his own wooden blade. "And your first lesson begins now. Defend yourself!" Before I could protest that I'd just ridden for three days without rest, he was upon me. </nc-section>