9 LET THE FIGHT COMMENCE

ROSABELLA'S POV

Nothing you wanted came without a price.

And that was exactly what I was doing.

Paying the price for being who I was.

A Queen without a king.

I never thought it was going to come easy. Not for one second, but I never imagined it would be so hard to be accepted by your own council.

Once I had safely secured my top, I tied the breastplate across my chest. While the top was plain white in color, my skirt was blood red.

It wasn't surprising, honestly.

Lormeian's obsession with the color red really made me wonder how not normal we were.

The powers were enough to prove me right.

I picked up the belt from the table in front of me and began to wrap it around my waist.

"Your Majesty, are you certain that you don't need any support from us? We can help you get ready for the sword fight."

I looked at Lara's reflection from the mirror in front of me, and shook my head.

She was looking anxiously at me, like I would have her dismissed if she asked me one wrong question.

The top was sleeveless, but it came with separate sleeves that reached a little above my elbows. They left a good portion of my upper arm uncovered.

"Your Majesty, we aren't trying to dismiss your orders in any way but if you'd like than we would help to get you ready. We want you as rested as possible for this fight", said Mia.

I finished putting up my other sleeve and turned towards my three maids.

I smiled at all three of them, hoping to ease the awkward tension between us.

Any progress we had made this morning was all out of the window.

They were scared, or at least walking on eggshells.

"Mia, Lara and Delilah, all three of you have been wonderful maids to me for the past few days. But none of these clothes or pieces would help me get ready for this fight unless I truly am ready. So I duly appreciate your concern but I think I am good for now."

All three of them nodded with their shoulders finally resting down.

"As you say, your Highness."

Finally, not all the progress was out of the window.

I smiled softly while twisting my hair and tightly tying it around in a bun.

I looked back into the mirror and checked if I had everything I would require.

I would be given the sword when I reach the field, so other than that I was ready to go.

Ready to fight and prove myself to the whole of my kingdom?

Not so sure.

"Ladies, I am all dressed up for my fight. I just need to spend a few moments alone. I would appreciate it if you would wait for me outside my chamber."

Mia, being the most alarmed, nodded the first. Lara followed her and then did Delilah.

"Absolutely, Your Highness. As you wish."

All of them scurried off within seconds and shut the door behind them as gently as they could.

I picked my dress off the ground and folded it. I was a Queen, but I still wasn't used to being treated that way.

No one really treated me as their Queen except my maids.

Once the dress was neatly folded, I kept it inside the bathing quarter.

I came back to my bedroom and looked around for anything that was out of place.

When I realized that the whole room was cleaned up, I sighed.

Doing this makes me feel I have some sort of control over my life.

It didn't matter, or at least I pretended that it didn't matter if the rest of my life was a complete mess.

As long as something was in control, I could breathe.

I walked up to my bedside table and pulled the first drawer out. On my first night here, I had requested for a small table beside my bed. It was easier to store the things closest to my heart here and it reminded me of my old bedroom.

The one that I truly felt at home.

The first thing that I saw when I opened the drawer was a black beaded bracelet. The point were the two ends came together had withered but the moment I touched the beads, a sense of calm washed over me.

This bracelet belonged to my grandpapa.

He was one of the first men I had loved and I will always love.

I would have slipped the bracelet on but the threads were so delicate, I couldn't afford losing it now.

I closed the drawer back and made my way to the door. It was time now.

Nothing I could do would push this dreadful day away.

This was it.

----------------------------------------------*-

I had reached the field. It was nothing but a barren one. There were at least a thousand people that were standing around the field. I was certain there were hundreds of more beyond what i could see.

"The Queen to fight Ryker, our best warrior!", wasn't something the people could miss.

After all, more than half of them were waiting for my fall so they could have something to talk about in the months ahead.

I sighed and took off my coat.

Enough time had already been wasted.

I couldn't afford any more.

It was time to show these people that I could be just as good or even better than any male ruler they wish for.

"Good Luck, Your Majesty. However, I am sure, that you don't need any.", whispered Mia.

I smiled at her and handed her my coat.

I wanted to say that I didn't need any luck.

At least that's what I was supposed to say. But I didn't.

There was no way I could, when I knew that even though I was better than Ryker and that there was a good chance of me winning this little fight, my people still wouldn't see me the way I wanted them to.

I walked into the rough ground and looked around. Ryker was still standing outside the ring. The first thing that I noticed was his size. He cast a shadow that nearly filled the room. The man was a mountain of roiling muscle. His outsize arms hung like menacing weapons from his sloping shoulders. His back had the texture of a bag full of angry snakes. The massive warrior reached down to grab his water. His corded muscles rippled as he lifted it to his face level.

He looked like a man who had picked up heavy objects and put them down, and then done that again a few billion times.

It wasn't the attractive kind of muscular.

It was the kind that made you think twice before talking to them because you were scared.

I quickly diverted by gaze when his eyes met mine.

Remember, you're his Queen, but right now, you both are two equals fighting on this ground. He isn't afraid to hurt you.

You wanted this.

I deafened the cheers around me, as we stepped onto the ground.

Was this foolish?

Too late for that Bella.

I took in a deep breath as the man with an exceptional voice that reached everyone in his sight spoke.

"Today, we gather to witness our newly crowned queen, Her Majesty, fight our famously known warrior for his strength, Ryker Antonov. Today will be a remembered for years to come. Grab your seats, O' fellow Lormeian, and let the fight commence."

The moment the last word left his mouth, both of our swords left the scabbards attached to our waist, making a screeching sound that set off a competitiveness within me.

I looked Ryker dead in the eye, ignoring the slight smirk on his face. Sword fights were always something I was good at.

I don't understand why the nerves within me were getting tied up into a bundle.

I waited for a second to let Ryker make the first move, but when he didn't, I didn't waste a second and rushed into him. He dipped and weaved right as I was about to reach him and slashed downwards with the sword. He parried with one of his gauntlets and the blade clashed against the metal strapped to my arms with a shriek that sent sparks flying into the air. I was quick and uppercut slashed at his arm but he sidestepped to the right just enough and the blade passed a hair's breath away from him.

I step away and we are back to the places we started.

None of us holding anything above the other.

This time, Ryker makes his first move and thrashes the sword forward, trying to make a jab at my chest. I move away, knowing his trick and lower my sword towards his leg. I manage to make a small cut on his left thigh. My smile slowly widens as blood begins to stain his white pants.

I played dirty and I knew it. But, I liked it.

That little cut sent a boost to my confidence and my adrenaline.

He groans a little, but I don't stop. I made a second jab at his face, and a neat cut appears on his right cheek.

I hear the crowd gasp, which only fuels my desire to further harm Ryker.

I step closer to him as we both walk in circles around each other.

My face, now bearing a huge smile, tilts as I see the smirk slowly getting wiped off his face.

I make thrash my sword to his dominant arm when he clashes his sword to mine. I pull away and try to make another jab at him but he blocks that too.

His smirk is back.

"Your Majesty, I admire you, but I admire my reputation more.", And with that he raises his sword toward me. I block his first two jabs, but for some reason, I couldn't block his third.

His sword slashes down at my right arm, and I hear the sound the blade makes when it pierces through my skin.

The pain doesn't hit me until he takes the blade out of my arm. It left a five inch cut that reach my elbow. The blood seeps out and ruins the clothes I just put on an hour ago.

"Apologies, Your Majesty."

I hear the smugness in his voice but I choose to ignore it. The loud gasps and chatter among the commoners was enough to make me deafen out his irritable voice.

I needed to win this.

This was my first, and probably only chance to prove to them that I was good enough to be their queen.

I try to ignore the sting of the cold air on my fresh cut raise my arm to block Ryker's next jab. The two of us move across the field, never losing balance, never coming close to stumbling; his finesse and my passion were able to light a spark that was apparently not only visible to us.

The crowd looked like they were on the edge of their seats, which I certainly believe that they were.

I point towards my left arm because I felt that he was going to jab towards it, but he doesn't.

He pulls something low for even a warrior.

He slashes the cut in my right arm, the one he made earlier and extends it even deeper.

The chatter among the crowd suddenly dies down when they notice.

I try not to gasp but a single whimper leaves my mouth.

The pain was in my dominant hand, and it felt almost impossible to fight back.

I need to do this, I think to myself.

I slowly breathe through the pain and raise my arm, rushed into him. i pointed at his chest, and stepped on the foot I made a cut on.

He hisses in pain, while the tip of my blade rests mere millimetres away from his chest. He tries to make a jab at my other arm but I quickly hold the blade, not caring how it cuts into my palm.

He couldn't move.

I looked him dead in the eye, and whispered, " I admire your reputation, Ryker, but I want the people to admire me more. Sorry sweetie."

The pain made a way back through the feeling of victory, but this time, I could easily ignore it.

Because I had won.