~ Chapter 131: Ildea’s resolve ~

[King Andarkuzzi Ammerandiel Kor’s point of view]

[During Coshun’s Battle]

The scene was set, the crowd was gathered and the traitorous snake who dared to make a fool out of me for so many years was going to be made an example for the eyes of all those wretched traitors to see! I was not a King whom they could disregard and ignore! I was not someone they could fool and betray! I was not a King who could have his own Queen whoring around with everyone in the Palace right under his nose!

No... No... No...

I was not a fool! I was not a man who could not spot a rat when he saw one! No, even Askarius told me so... yes... yes, even someone as kind as him told me about my own wife’s disgraceful behavior!

I knew it all! I knew it well! I knew it WELL!

Surrounded by traitors and fools, but no... No! No! No! I planned on showing them... I planned on showing them ALL that I was not a King they should take lightly!

What was I even thinking when I was young to think that Vermida was so beautiful and graceful? How could I even think that she maintained her purity for me out of... love? No... She fooled me! No! She fooled the others, she fooled everyone, but not me! No! No... no no... I was not fooled.

I knew it then... and I know it now too!

She used me to get the crown and now... now she was planning on taking it from me!

“Your Majesty?” someone called.

I turned around and saw the worried look on the Akutan Ambassador, Askarius Leden.

“Yes, my boy, what is it?” I asked.

It might have sound disgraceful to call him that, but you see, I gave it a good thought and... well, after his suggestion, I decided to adopt him as my son and have him succeed! This way, that wretched shikak’s plan would not come to bear fruit! Yes, I was a GENIUS!

“Your Majesty, pardon me from interrupting you when you were... meditating, but this Knight wishes to speak with you.” Askarius said and then pointed at the man next to him.

“I remember you... Commander Rustikus?” I asked as I narrowed my eyes at him, but I could not really remember when and where I met him before.

“Yes, your Majesty. I am Commander Rustikus, and I represent the 11th Brigade of the Kingdom’s Knights! I came before you because I have reason to believe that Princess Ildeanussi Vermida Kor may be hidden among the companions of one of the contestants in the tournament.” he declared, but when I heard that accursed name, I was immediately stirred in a rage.

“VERMIDA! HOW DARE SHE! That wretched Queen of mine, what did she do this time?!” I asked as I could already see her going down in the ring and making a mockery of my Kingdom, of my name as a Kor, and the entire line of this Royal Family!

“Your Majesty, please calm down, the commander said Ildeanussi.” Askarius was kind enough to point that out for me, then like magic, I calmed down.

“Ah... yes... Ildeanussi... my daughter, not my Queen... my daughter... she... she is here?” I asked as I rubbed my forehead, my skull was numb, probably from the stress and anger.

“Yes, your Majesty. How would you like us to approach her?” the commander asked.

“Yes, her... Wait.” I stopped and looked at him “Which contestant?” I asked.

“The one under the name of Alkelios Yatagai, your Majesty.” he replied.

“That name makes no sense... I see... a foreigner, no... a Human Hero? No, that has definitely made up. He is probably one of my Queen’s Shadow Guards, the fools who are still loyal to her, but... didn’t I kill them all? No... maybe...” I looked at the commander and then asked “How many Knights and Soldiers can you mobilize right now?

“About 500 Knights, your Majesty, but if you give the signal, all the Knights and soldiers in the Kingdom will gather at your command to listen with absolute loyalty to your wise orders!” he declared and made a bow on one knee before me.

That was good, he was a loyal one. I liked him.

“Have them all ready to step into the Arena at my command! I want to show the world what happens when they try to stand in my way! Also, give order to the soldiers to surround the Coliseum. No one shall enter or leave until I give the express order! If anyone dares... kill them or imprison them... whatever, just don’t let them out! That’s your order!” I declared.

“Yes... your Majesty.” he nodded and then looked at Askarius, who was smiling.

The commander furrowed his brow once and then left.

Once I was alone with the Ambassador, no, my future Crown Prince, I told him “Have them prepare one of those cages for slaves and criminals that are used to feed the wild beasts... I think I banned those, or maybe not? They should have one, if not have them prepare one right away... It should fit Ildeanussi quite well.” I smiled.

“Yes, your Majesty.” Askarius bowed his head and then moved back.

With this... my plan... my entertaining show and display of might in front of all the fools who thought it was wise to betray me was going to be... perfect.

[Alkelios’ point of view]

The finalists of the tournament were me, Coshun, Zeberan, and Sibesta, the woman who used two long thin swords to attack. The betting was at an all-time high, and I was even tempted a little bit to have Risha go and put down some money on me. There were so many people with a ticket in hand and looking with fervent eyes at the stage that any sort of interruption would be met with the rage of this mob.

We only had an hour to recover before our next big fight. I was expecting Coshun to be the one to fight against me first and the meet Zeberan on the stage for the final round, but luck seemed to work a bit strange today. He was picked to fight against Sibesta, while I was faced off against the paladin. My battle was the first one too, so the audience was eager to see the two big powerhouses duking it out in the middle of the Arena. We were both undefeated and uncontested champions so far, but it was only a matter of when until one of us had to fall.

Personally, I found it very unlikely for me to end up being the one to take the fall in this battle. It would have to be under some extremely ridiculous circumstances and completely against my will. In the end, I made a small wish for the upcoming fights to actually be fair and not feel like a big cheat.

“Hm, is it just me or did the number of soldiers increased?” asked Coshun at one point as he narrowed his eyes at the tribunes on the other side of the stage.

Following his gaze, I too noticed the rather abnormal number of soldiers.

“It’s not just soldiers, there are Knights too... do you think they noticed that...” Kalderan spoke with worry in his voice, but he did not finish his words, instead, he glanced back at Ildea, who was chatting together with Drumora, both of them were hidden by their cloaks and masks.

“I don’t know... let’s just hope they only got a notice of a possible assassination and nothing like what we fear. Just in case, you two know what to do?” I asked as I looked at them in the eyes.

They both nodded.

Last night, before we went to bed, we discussed our plans for today. In the remote case that the King found out that his daughter was hiding right under his nose, we were prepared to make a run for it. Kalderan would grab Amadeus, Risha would grab Drumora, Coshun would grab Ildea and Roshelle, we would have Tamara latch onto his back, while I would stay behind and hold the ground while they gained some distance from our possible pursuers. Afterwards, we would make camp and discuss our next move, which would probably involve me and a completely dangerous mission with the purpose of kidnapping or rather saving the Queen.

By the time the break time for the contestants was over, the number of Knights around the Arena and within the tribunes had increased to a significant amount. It felt like the worst was coming to be and that we would have to make a run for it. The staff of the coliseum at one point dragged this big cage to the left side of the ring and tied a big chain to it with the purpose of lifting it up above, but even after our break was over, no one was dragged there.

The nobles in the tribunes, especially the ones who were against the King’s latest policies began to show signs of worry and unrest as some sort of strange preparations were being made. From the sides, I could hear some of the people in the audience complaining that the soldiers prevented them from leaving early, and it didn’t matter to them that they were going to be late to work or that they simply had enough of the show.

“They blocked access to the coliseum...” Kalderan said.

I moved closer to the entrance in the Arena like any other contestant who was about to fight, but in the back Kalderan and Coshun already moved close to the people they were supposed to protect.

It was at this time, however, when the audience started to stir as the King made an appearance in the huge tribune standing high above all others. With arms opened and a big smile on his face, he welcomed the cheers of the people. With so many Knights and soldiers lurking around, no one had the guts to curse at him out of fear of being decorated with a sword in their guts.

“My fellow... subjects!” the King began to speak “With great... happiness... I come before you... We... the people of Ten Swords... are about to witness... history... in the making...”

As he spoke, I was about to shout out at him and ask if he was the reincarnation of a certain President from Romania. If he spoke any slower than that, the birds flying in the sky were going to fall asleep midair and crash land on some poor man’s head. Then again, it felt as though this manner of speech was purely intentional because his eyes were gliding across the audience, especially over the tribunes where the nobles were seated. There the soldiers showed up and prevented them from going out or making a scene. The Knights, with every word the King spoke, continued to gather in the Arena, to the point where there were a few hundred of them now.

The King’s speech, to put it in a few words, was about the greatness of the Kingdom, how much he strived to make it better, safe, and prosperous. He depicted some of his laws such as the increase of taxes, the death penalties for those who were against him, and the laws regarding the treatment of the Human Heroes. He compared this Kingdom with the ones around them and how this one was the only one still standing with the same monarch they had by right of blood.

Some people cheered at his words, but most of them remained silent. The nobles refrained from voicing their opinions, with the exception of those who literally had nothing to lose: the King’s loyalists.

At one point, the speed of his speech began to hasten and his way of talking returned to what I would call normal, but by now, all of his troops had been positioned. All the Knights that had to be in the Arena were in the Arena and all the soldiers who were supposed to be scattered among the tribunes were scattered among the tribunes, hand on the hilt of their sword and gaze sharp, ready to execute their orders.

“This doesn’t look good...” Coshun said as he saw several soldiers moving through the tribunes of the fighters as well.

“Yeah... it doesn’t...” I said as I looked up at the King, who lowered his gaze and locked eyes with me.

“Today, there will be many generous events that I wish to present to my most loyal of people, but for the beginning, how about we welcome onto the stage the brave fighter who managed to make it all the way to the last round, Alkelios Yatagai! Do give him his proper applause!” the King said and then the staff of the coliseum hinted me to walk up on the stage.

I took a step forward and then another until I reached the ring. The Knights moved to the side and led me to the middle like they were doing some procession. I wasn’t letting my guard down for even a single fraction of a second. Even if I was a Breakthrough-er, a single mistake was all that was needed in order for me to end up dead by the hands of the weakest of them.

This... ‘welcoming’ was met with a round of forced applause. Wherever you looked, you could see the soldiers threatening the audience to clap their hands. The pointy end of their swords was a mighty fine persuasion tool.

“My beloved citizens... fellow nobles and even commoners alike, you may all know that recently, I was plagued with the unfortunate betrayal of one of my most beloved people to me... Although born of my blood, although raised by my hands, she dared to bite back and show her fangs at me... so here we are... faced with the dilemma of how I, a King, a father, and fellow human alike should deal with this matter. Though she tried, to no avail, to bring an assassin close to me, I still wish to forgive her, and maybe listen to her words.” he declared.

There was no doubt that we knew about who he was talking about. When I turned around to look at the tribunes, I already saw the Knights and Soldiers encircling the others. Coshun didn’t bother to show that he wasn’t going to go down with a fight and unsheathed his sword, Risha and Kalderan weren’t far behind, but among them, Ildea was looking not at the threat before her but at the one standing at the top of the platform.

Taking off her mask, she then revealed her peerless beauty as the Princess of Ten Swords, deep green eyes, platinum blonde hair, a white milky skin, and a fair complexion like that of a doll. Even without a makeup on, she could still leave a dent in the confidence of some of the most beautiful women here.

“Father...” the single word could not reach my ears, but just by looking at her lips, I could tell what she said.

“My daughter... after so many months... no, years have passed, I can barely tell if you aged at all... or if you became even more beautiful than ever. Maybe treason chipped off the ugliness that you hid behind in front of me?” the King asked.

“Father, I never betrayed you!” she shouted.

The Knights and soldiers stepped forward, but they were met with Coshun’s sword. They were forced to stand their ground, but in the case that a fight did ensue, then they were no match for the draconian, so I could feel at ease about this.

“And yet, here you are, trying to take the first place with your friends so that you may have them slit my throat while they are on the podium, isn’t that right?” he asked.

Such a declaration from a parent towards their own child was... unbearable, in my own opinion, but I couldn’t see Ildea being immune to this sort of mental attack either, yet she held on.

“That is a lie, father! I never once wanted to use the winning prize for something like this! I just heard that mother is unwell and wished to use this chance to have my friend have an audience with her and...” before she could finish her words, the King shouted.

“LIES! You and that wretched woman are all on this together! Do you take me for a fool, Ildeanussi?! Do you think I cannot see that you are out to get my throne?! But, no matter, you will never get it anyway.” he declared with confidence in the tone of his voice at the end and a big smile on his face.

“I never wished to claim the throne that wasn’t going to be gifted to me by you!” she retorted.

The King waited for a moment before he replied. His eyes were darting left and right, looking at the nobles, at us, at the Knights and then back at the nobles.

“Let us... Let us say you speak the truth... for this, I wish to test you.” he declared.

“Test me?” Ildea was surprised by his words, but so was everyone else.

“Step into the cage and have your friend here... declare that he will renounce the first prize, but to prove that you speak the truth, he will fight... barehanded... and without armor... against my Knights!” he shouted at the end.

The audience, hearing of such a fight, all cheered in joy as they wished to see something spectacular. It was true that according to the rumors, I was more powerful than a Knight, but was I more powerful than a hundred, or several?

“Something like that... I...” Ildea looked at me in worry then back at Coshun.

“Just say the word and we’ll take you out of here.” he told her.

At this time, however, the King added one last line that patched the deal.

“But do note, daughter of mine, that if you choose to flee or reject my proposal, I will just think that I was right and thus act accordingly. At that point... the arena might be stained with another’s blood.”

“Father... you... you wouldn’t.” Ildea said and covered her mouth with her hands.

“A traitor or an adulterous woman, who cares if her blood gets spilled today... except you, maybe?” the King asked.

I could feel a knot in my throat.

“This is sick...” I said.

“Alkelios... can you do it?” Ildea asked me across the stage, looking straight into my eyes through the rows of Knights who were armored up and ready to fight to the last breath with me.

I smirked and showed her a thumbs up.

“Today, Princess Ildeanussi, I wish for the Heavens to be on our side, for us to come out victorious out of this predicament, and for our opponents to feel the dread of having messed with us. If I can do it?” I declared out loud and then showed her a big grin “Even a million of them won’t be enough to put me down!”

Which was true, if worse came to worse, I always had [Itsy Bitsy BOOM!].

“Then...” Ildea looked up at the King with a new and strengthen confidence in her eyes and then declared with a firm tone of voice “I accept your deal. I will prove my innocence to you on your terms. Alkelios will fight for me, and I will stay in that cage while he does so. I had never and never will betray you, father!”

The whole audience cheered when they heard her resolve.