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“Let’s go,” I confirmed, striding toward the door with kingly, purposeful steps. I snatched the Iron Crown from where I’d carelessly tossed it earlier and placed it on my head as we exited into the hallway.
“Who do we have representing the Iron Realm?” I asked Drazen.
“Kriath, Artur, Savich, and myself from your guard, and I believe Anton and Slavian have also thrown their names in. There are some of the lesser nobles and a few members of the Iron Realm’s archery unit participating as well. All in all, maybe forty?” he responded.
“Wait, who am I representing?” Izidora jumped in, and my heart sang. She didn’t default to representing the Night Realm, and that gave me hope.
Drazen responded before I could open my mouth. “Well, since the Night Realm nobles have made it clear they still see you as their leader, I would say the Night Realm.” I sucked in a breath as we entered the stairwell leading us to the main floor. “But if you’d rather represent the Iron Realm, I don’t think we’d oppose it,” Drazen added.
Our footsteps echoed around the stone staircase as Izidora considered her options. “Why does the representation matter anyway?”
“The games we’ll play over the coming weeks determine an overall winner of the friendly competition. There will be group and individual prizes for each event as well. It’s mostly about bragging rights and an opportunity for the host realm to flaunt their wealth and wares,” I said, stepping onto the landing and holding the door open for my cousin and my mate to pass through.
“Prizes?” Izidora beamed with a twinkle in her eyes. “What sort of prizes?”
With an amused huff, I captured her waist and pulled her into me, planting a kiss on her wet hair. “Not the kind of prize I’d give you, sprite.”
Drazen rolled his eyes and shouldered past. “The Iron Realm most often awards gems and metalwork as prizes.”
“I do like gems,” Izidora sighed, and my stomach dropped because the one precious ring I had given her had been ruined by my selfishness and impulsiveness.
“Then I’ll have to get you some more, mate,” I whispered in her ear. “I want you to be dripping in more ways than one.” Her cheeks flamed as I pulled away from her, and a smirk played across my face as I received the reaction I wanted. Then, I dropped my hands and followed Drazen down the hall, leaving Izidora to jog to catch up with us as she recovered.
“So, what’s the rest of the schedule going to be?” she asked, slipping her hand in mine, and the ache in my chest that was always there eased immediately.
“Well, the first few days are competitions, like archery, swordsmanship, strength, horsemanship,” I elbowed Izidora, knowing that would be her favorite, “and tomorrow we’ll have a hunt for the males, and the females can go to the spa. Then there are a few days of celebration of the Goddess and her lasting peace, including a ritual offering, masquerade ball, artisanal fair, and lantern release. After that, we’ll have an entertainment show, and the last two days are spent celebrating from dawn until dusk,” I explained.
“And whoever wins the most of these competitions gets awarded a grand prize?” Izidora asked.
“Exactly,” Drazen replied. “So, who do you want to represent, the Night or the Iron Realm?”
Izidora chewed her lip, and my heart galloped in my chest as I waited for her answer. If she chose the Iron Realm, that meant I was one step closer to sealing our mate bond. But if she chose the Night Realm…
“Can I remain neutral?”
Fuck, if those four words didn’t both wound me and reassure me.
Drazen shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”
“Then that is what I will do,” she declared as we joined the throng of people bustling down the main hall and out into the afternoon sun.
Horses were tacked and ready to ride, and those staying in the citadel departed in droves down the long, sloped path into Radence. As we mounted and joined the fray, I observed just how many residents trekked to the arena set on the outskirts of the city, with rows and rows and rows of seating climbing toward the sky to give all in attendance a view of the competitors. The hum of excitement was palpable, given that these next two weeks were filled with drink, food, and fucking, a much-needed reprieve from the long, harsh winters and the back-breaking work in the mountains.
Izidora waved to people she knew as we passed them, and many Fae and Félvér stopped their progress to bow to their king. The lightheartedness and joy of my people managed to lift a little of that tightness from my shoulders, and by the time we reached the arena, I’d relaxed into my role.
A stage had been erected to one side, the wood planks creating a shelter from the wind that blew down from the nearby glacial peaks. The Demon Dragon sigil hung from a beam at the back, showing everyone in attendance exactly who was in fucking charge of the Iron Realm. The maw of the black dragon dripped blood, matching its fiendish ruby eyes and bright red horns. It was intimidating and powerful, which was exactly why I’d abandoned the sigil of my father, the late King Azim, in favor of it.
“Good luck, sprite.” I bid Izidora goodbye after we secured our horses, squeezing her hand before ascending the steps to the platform. I braced my arms along the back of the throne in the center of the stage, Queen Viktoria already seated off to my left. I nodded to the pregnant monarch, her hands resting across the furs piled over her belly to ward off the chill.
Then I turned my attention to the crowd of competitors and onlookers.
Five stations had been set up, each fully stocked with quivers filled with arrows, though each competitor brought their own bow. The throng of people filled me with joy as I saw Fae of every race, Félvér who lived in the Iron Realm, and the Telivér who had remained behind after I released them from their magical chains to the Iron Realm, mixing and laughing with one another.
This was how the continent should be.
Swallowing down my smile in favor of a smirk, I stepped forward, shooting a blast of black fire into the air to garner the attention of the crowd. A hush fell over it, and all eyes were on me.
“Béke is a time of peace, where all the races of Fae gather to celebrate our benevolent Goddess and her infinite wisdom. However,” I paused, allowing my expression to shift into a devilish one, “that doesn’t mean ourfriendlycompetition has to be boring. The Iron Realm plans on winning this year, so don’t hold back, because the competition will be fierce.”
