The black-haired young man's statement stumped Elaine. She suddenly recalled witnessing Nickolas' battle prowess in the Insidious Forest. What kind of damage could one human inflict upon a man who fought those monstrous creatures on equal footing? Her form finally relaxed, reassured by the certainty of the red-haired Emperor's triumph. Elaine had no interest in the affairs of the Léonas royal family. Her sole concern was for the story to continue in the intended direction. "Your reasoning is sound, Sir d'Amboise. I may have been hasty in forming my judgment," she apologized.

  Elias remained silent and refocused his gaze on the sandy floor. Elaine, too, shifted her attention back to the impending battle.

  At the heart of the arena's battleground, the two men circled each other, locking eyes in a dance of death. Remus initiated the first move and charged at Nickolas. His blade cleaved the air, aiming to pierce his opponent's chest. The young Emperor parried the blow. His movements, measured and swift, countered his younger brother. Their blades collided in a thunderous clash, reverberating across the arena and overpowering even the roars of the fervent crowd. Both men engaged in mortal combat, striking each other with unrelenting onslaughts. Steel against steel, echoing in a resonant rhythm.

  Remus lunged forward, directing his blade at his older brother's exposed sides. Nickolas blocked the deadly assaults with ease, riposting each of the hits and forcing the Second Prince to retreat. The young Emperor pressed his attack. His weapon struck with ruthless precision, spilling blood in its wake. The viscous liquid seeped into the golden sand, transforming it into a deep crimson hue. The blond-haired Prince staggered backward. Wounds riddled his body as he struggled to evade his opponent's incessant blows. Taking advantage of the other man's weakened defense, Nickolas delivered a decisive thrust, piercing Remus' right shoulder. The Second Prince sank to one knee and anchored his sword to the ground. He clutched its hilt, leaning upon it to salvage his faltering form. The Léonas Emperor retrieved his blade from Remus' shoulder and rested it against his neck.

  Silence rippled through the arena as the crowd held its breath, awaiting the final moment.

  The Second Prince looked up at his older brother and appeared to move his lips. This was the first time Elaine could discern his features. He bore a striking resemblance to the Empress Dowager, yet his golden eyes held a likeness to the late Léonas Emperor.

  Is he…smiling? Elaine knitted her brows. She was too far away to hear the defeated Prince's words, yet his expression puzzled her.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  In a single, fluid motion, Nickolas' blade descended, severing Remus' head from his body. The Empress Dowager's visage, now a mixture of madness and despair, plummeted from her seat. The erupted cheers and primal excitement of the entire arena drowned out her deafening scream.

  The young Léonas Emperor again silenced the crowd. "There is another event I have arranged prior to the Dürek," he declared. The guards swiftly cleared the Second Prince's remains, and from the concealed entrance, a dozen men emerged, each with a rope tied to their abdomen, pulling an enormous obsidian jar toward the middle. Another group of men behind them pushed a giant ladder with a wooden plank leading to the jar opening.

  Elaine leaned forward from her seat and stretched her neck to see its contents. Unfortunately, an opaque-colored cloth tightly sealed the lid and prevented her from peeking inside.

  Two guards escorted the matron onto the arena floor. Her clouded eyes and wobbling figure, mere shadows of their former self, slowly descended the stone steps. Nickolas was waiting for her at the bottom of the ladder when she reached the center. "This is my farewell gift to the Empress Dowager. She shall behold the event's grandeur from the most exalted seat in the entire arena." He pierced down at the older woman, who appeared decades older than just moments ago. The young Emperor's golden eyes radiated like the sun yet emitted only chilling frost.

  A man climbed to the top and unveiled the cloth covering. Upon the revelation of its contents, an audible gasp echoed through the atmosphere. Inside the jar were thousands or perhaps tens of thousands of crawling insects—their sizes and colors varied from tiny to large and dark to brightly toned. They crawled atop one another, devouring and ripping apart their rivals, each fighting for dominance in the condensed space. Elaine's stomach coiled after witnessing the unnerving and grotesque scene. Even though she was merely an observer, the anticipation of the event about to transpire sent shivers down her spine. Around her, while most people appeared perturbed by the insects-infested jar, the expressions of some high-ranking aristocrats and officials were more exaggerated than others. Their complexions paled while terror plagued their eyes.

  "Those are poisonous insects." The male protagonist's voice grabbed Elaine's attention.

  "What is he planning to do?"

  "I reckon you already figured the answer to the question, Lady Estella."

  Elaine stayed silent. Elias was correct. She and likely everyone else in the arena had already realized the matron's fate. It was a punishment worse than death.

  The guards forced the Empress Dowager up the ladder. When she gazed upon the jar's contents, the trance that had enveloped her eyes vanished, replaced by an overwhelming revulsion and horror. She struggled, seeking to turn back, but the guards confined her in place. "You cannot subject me to such indignity. I am the Empress Dowager," she shrieked, kicking and punching in a desperate attempt to escape.

  The guards ignored the matron's futile efforts and looked at Nickolas for instructions. After the young Léonas Emperor nodded, they immediately pushed the older woman inside and resealed the lid.

  "I curse you. I curse you. May the wrath of the Gods descend upon you. You shall not die a peaceful death," she bellowed from within the container. Her haunting scream and deranged laughter cut through the heavy silence. The men pulled the jar back behind the concealed entrance as Nickolas returned to his seat and declared the commencement of the Dürek.