Bride To His Darkness
Chapter 176: Start Of The First Round

Chapter 176: Start Of The First Round

"That woman, who is she?"

"Isn’t she the same woman that got humiliated in the capital’s town square? That seat is reserved for the future Queen, so why is she sitting there?"

"I heard she was the reason GreenHollow returned to the land during the blood moon. It would be questionable if His Majesty didn’t marry a gifted woman."

"Gifted?" Another lady scoffed irritably at her companions. "She’s Samantha Dufort, the daughter of the late King’s special advisor, the man who caused GreenHollow to lose its wealth and nature in the first place. Isn’t it suspicious that the Orb was never found, but she ends up possessing the powers of the Orb? Not to mention but her eyes are green too, she could be an undercover witch, and I don’t trust her intentions."

"Hmm." One of her male companions hummed in contemplation, "but let’s face it, she is good-looking. Didn’t you see what happened during the court of public opinion? When she made an entrance and exposed Prince Eamon’s crime to the people? That day was like the sudden flip of a switch, how the accusations no longer focused on His Majesty but Prince Eamon. I admire her daring feat."

"Is she going to become the Queen?"

"His Majesty invited her over in front of everyone, it’s a silent declaration."

As the crowds continued their murmur of anticipation, Samantha took a deep breath and stole a side glance at Ivan only to find him staring at her demeanor. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, the type that made her heart triple beat with a slight blush creeping in, and she really wished he wasn’t staring at her like that in front of so many people.

"Your Majesty, the Herald is speaking." Samantha tried to divert his attention to the Herald who was still standing in front of the field. Ivan’s crimson eyes reverted to the Herald almost immediately, and he schooled his composure, to Samantha’s quick relief. Lucy nudged Samantha’s arm and winked at her friend, receiving a second-hand blushing as she too had noticed what transpired between them just now.

Behind the stage where the contenders were getting ready, Maurice stood in front of the mirror, wearing his half-finished set of armor. He finished buckling his chest plate with sweat damping his forehead, eyebrows knitted in frustration as he struggled to keep the buckles in place.

"By the beard of Odin! Why won’t this damnable armor fit?!" He exasperated, but the mocking laughters behind him had Maurice stopping to see who thinks his situation presently was a joke. Turning around, he wasn’t surprised when the group of men turned out to be vampires, and from the auras that emanated from their being, he could easily deduce with his intellect that they were from the middle-rank.

"Look who’s joined the fray," one of the vampires jeered in his direction, "a mere mortal trying to stand out against the immortals. Quite hallucinatory I’d say."

"Forgive me but It can’t be considered hallucinatory when it’s about to happen." Maurice retorted calmly, to their surprise, and he squared his shoulders. "What if this mere mortal is ready to prove that courage and skill can overcome immortality?"

"You really have no idea what you’re getting yourself into, competing with us." The leader of the group stepped forward with a sly smile, his presence emitting dominance as everyone else backed away in fear, including humans and vampires. Maurice wasn’t new to being bullied, even in their hometown the kids around their neighborhood would bully him, and it was his sister who always came to his rescue since he was more of the frightened one back then.

The past never ever fails to haunt the present.

The man who appeared to be as young as him came to stand right in front of him. He had a roguish countenance with a scar running from his left eyebrow down to his upper-cheek bone. His presence was intimidating, and it was pretty obvious he had harassed everyone else with his assertive dominance. However, Maurice refused to be swayed, at least not today.

"The battlefield and the prize belongs to us, we don’t need you filthy Humans rubbing your shits on our domain." He taunted, "now be a good boy, and stay within your pretty limits!" He patted Maurice’s shoulder, a promising intent flashing in his dark pupils, but he instantly stopped when he heard a voice behind him.

"Is everyone set?"

Turning around, a hush silence fell within the space as Tobias and Alistair stepped forth. To Maurice’s surprise, the vampires who acted like they owned this place were the first to bow their heads in respect. Everyone else followed as the vampire Prince approached where Maurice stood, and Tobias’s serious gaze scrutinized everyone before he said.

"Remember, this is not the time to forge enemies or make threats." He hinted, "we all gathered here today to prove that blood ties do not define one’s valor– the fact you took the first step to be a part of this proves the beginning of your intrepidity. You are all champions, bound by honor and the love for our Kingdom. This might be a competition, but at the end of it we all work together on the battlefield, so I demand you show some respect to your opponent during this event– be it a Human or a vampire!"

"Just like he said, we all get to work together on the battlefield regardless of how it all ends." Alistair simply added, "it doesn’t matter if you don’t come out as the champion out there, the greatest test of courage on Earth is to bear defeat without losing. As you start, I hope you keep this in mind, and give it your best."

"Yes, your Highness!" Everyone chorused their agreements, sounding more alive and feeling confident with themselves.

"Carry on." Tobias gave them permission to continue getting ready. Maurice inadvertently glanced at the one with a scar, and he didn’t miss the roguish smirk that painted his facade before he dismissed himself. Of course, now he has a bully tagging along his tail.

"Aren’t you Sam’s younger brother?" Alistair, who took in their resemblance, narrowed his eyes with a slight smirk on his lips. He took in the lads’ features before twitching his lips. "Physical strength doesn’t apply to you in any way, so let me hit you with a little piece of advice when you’re out there."

"Advice?" Maurice inquired, quite stunned to be getting one from the Masters of the arena themselves.

Alistair stepped closer and murmured, "Stay on the defensive side, and never draw your sword to attack first. You have the brains, don’t focus on your opponent’s strength, but his weaknesses. When you find it, that’s when you strike!" And he pulled away as Tobias was starting to leave, "have fun!"

When they left, Maurice pondered on the little trick the vampire Prince had given him. Finding their weaknesses? But how will he know which one is their weakness??? Unfortunately, getting the answer was impossible since the vampire Prince had already left.

Back in the open field, Helena, Abdiel, the assistant commander named Henry and Lucius were seated on the judging table. The Herald proceeded to call upon the first contenders, and Samantha’s heart nearly flew when her brother’s name was mentioned.

Before the open field, Maurice stepped into the light, his eyes squinting at the harshness of the sun rays. He came to stand in the middle of the field, his opponent approaching as well, and to his relief, his opponent was a fellow human, but from his well-built structure, it would be difficult to bypass him.

’No Maurice, you’ve trained! You got this!’ he emboldened himself before fixing his demeanor.

"The first round will consist of hand-to-hand combat. You will engage your opponent in a battle of strength, agility, and wits. Prove to all that you possess the finest combat skills."

The two contenders nod in affirmation, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"Should a combatant yield, faint, or fail to land a blow upon their opponent for thirty seconds, they shall be eliminated." The Herald stated firmly, and the crowd immediately grew silent as they awaited the start of the first round.

Maurice glanced through the crowd to find his sister sitting beside the vampire King, and when she gave him a thumbs up despite her own nervousness, Maurice could feel his strength inexplicably grow. He glanced at Ivan who also nodded his head, a silent good luck wish that Maurice understood.

After explaining the rules, the Herald raised his hand and signaled for the trumpet blare. Maurice shook hands with his opponent, and the sound of trumpets could be heard after that, signaling the start of the first round.