Ivora was the most beautiful. A red dress, brown eyes, white face. She stood close to her, and Selene could feel her gentle touch and even her scent. Did she smell of lavender? Or perhaps mint? She had never quite learned to distinguish the scent of herbs. But it was fresh. Her hand trembled slightly, which was normal. Selene was also nervous, but as a queen, it shouldn't show.

  On her other side stood Valeris. Tall and dressed like a boy, as always. But despite that, she was beautiful. A pity she didn’t show it more often. She had prepared a dress for her, perfectly fitted, but Valeris wasn’t one for dresses, and whenever she had the chance, she would slip away to avoid wearing one. She had done the same now. Selene didn’t hold it against her; that was just how she was.

  Thalia, petite and innocent, dressed in white again, with parts of her hair braided, stood beside Ivora, also trying to appear as a worthy lady. She was proud of all three.

  Fenris and Rat were somewhere in the line as well. Both old men disliked crowds, but at moments like this, they had to be here. And these were all her closest people. Except for Jasmin. But she probably didn’t want to be here. She was comfortable in that hole of hers.

  The women living in Meihar and around it had also come to greet the guests. Selene loved to see this crowd of fiery hair. It reminded her of a field of grass. But not green, a red grass field through which anyone would give anything to pass and touch the flowers. Red was the symbol of blood; blood was the symbol of life, and women gave life its beginning. That’s why there were no men here. Some could be seen in the crowd, but they were too few, and most of them tried not to draw attention.

  The last time Selene had attended something similar was before the last Great Battle. Everyone had lined up in a similar manner, except back then, her mother, Lira, was in her place, and her sister sat in her wheelchair next to her. That was one of the first days Jasmin had her chair, from which she had not risen since. Not that she could, anyway.

  Those were also some of Selene’s first memories. She vaguely remembered Severin, then already a grown youth, waiting to take power from his father, something that happened shortly after. Severin walked confidently in every step of his father, the old king Oberon, and never left his side. And while she loved to run through the gardens and play, Severin looked majestic, serious, and, as her mother said, “regal.” Just like his father. Severin also had a younger sister, who had not come then, and later rumors surfaced that she had drowned in the Western Sea. No one confirmed it, but nothing more was said about her. So Selene didn’t ask.

  She, her girls, and everyone else in the kingdom had stood under the scorching Sun, not taking their eyes off the horizon. No one spoke. They were facing north, and ahead, from the fields that connected Volkar and Meihar, the figures of their first guests were already visible.

  At the front rode a strong and tall figure, wearing a helmet. The rider’s horse was black and approaching at a light trot. Just behind him, on a gray horse, rode another man, slightly leaner but also tall. However, he wasn’t wearing a helmet. He had black hair, not very long, and was slightly tanned. Father and son. That’s what Selene thought. She knew Severin had two sons. Something told her that this was the elder one. Probably Bromir.

  For a moment, she looked around. In this kingdom of women, the arrival of two large and strong men was somewhat dangerous. Almost everyone around her held their breath and stared. She could feel only Ivora’s nervousness, who was closest to her. She took her hand until she felt her calm down. Then she let go. They shouldn’t appear too close in front of the guests.

  A group of about five riders increased their pace and caught up with the two in front. Two of the group held flags with crests on them. The crest was the two wolves with raised front paws. She didn’t like their beautiful falcon to be displayed everywhere they went and didn’t understand why others did it either. But she somewhat excused them. And they were men. All men liked to mark their territories.

  Valeris, as the commander of her army, signaled with her hand, and three riders headed towards them. None of them carried a flag with the crest as their guests from Volkar did. And that was proper. Their three riders wore helmets under which their red hair fell. They were also women. But they were certainly better than all of Volkar’s men. Despite them being men.

  She again felt Ivora’s touch. Her slight trembling again showed she was nervous. Selene smiled. She felt like a mother to all three of them, but sometimes one of them needed more attention. Now it was Ivora.

  Their three riders reached those from Volkar. In the distance, their guests bowed, and the riders did the same. They waited for them to proceed first, lined up around them, and headed toward them together. That was the tradition, and that’s how it was done when a noble guest, as they certainly were, was expected.

  Selene, Thalia, Ivora, Rat, and Fenris stood still and waited. None of them moved. Only the noise from the movement of the red-haired residents of the capital, standing around their beautiful garden, interrupted the silence. A light breeze kissed her face and hid somewhere behind Selene’s hair. Her back shivered. She had taken care to wear her best red dress, which blended with the color of her hair and the freckles on her face, which always blushed more when she was nervous about something.

  Just before they approached, all the riders, except for the two main ones in front, moved aside and left the first ones to come alone. Ivora lightly tapped her foot. She had noticed that she did this when she was nervous. She expected Thalia to be more anxious than her, but she was wrong. Thalia stood there and even smiled with her most practiced smile.

  The larger one removed his helmet. He bore no resemblance to the boy she remembered from the last time. He looked exactly like a king, as every one of his kind should. His armor was light, and his armor began at his neck, descending over his shoulders and down to the fingers, which gripped the horse’s reins firmly. Behind the armor was a royal black cloak, on which the crests of his kingdom were displayed again. The horse was of eastern breeds, its coat soft, and down towards the hooves, it became fluffier and denser.

  His young companion had similar attire, only much lighter, and apart from the lack of a helmet, the armor on his arms ended at the wrists. The lower part of his body was also freer. Both wore long and heavy swords at their thighs. Such swords were rarely seen in Meihar. Here, they were used only in training and by the young girls. But most later chose the spear. The spear was lighter and more convenient for the female hand. And it looked more elegant. Not that they couldn’t use swords. They could, but it wasn’t their thing.

  Severin was the first to step forward. Like a true lord, he walked past all of them who were waiting for him and bowed his head slightly while standing on his horse. He stopped only when he reached Selene.

  “Lady Selene!”

  Severin took her hand, raised it to his lips, and kissed it. This was not a custom accepted among them, which made some of the women watching from afar gasp. Others laughed, and some even called out. Selene didn’t stop him. He was free to act according to his beliefs. Severin greeted Thalia, Ivora, and Valeris in turn, doing the same with each. He only shook hands with Rat and Fenris. His heavy paw completely covered their small hands, which had never held a sword.

  The boy with him repeated his actions. He shook hands with Fenris and Rat, while before each of the ladies, he personally bowed. He kissed none of their hands. This slightly confused Selene. She didn’t expect it. He lingered the longest before Thalia. Everyone liked her, which was normal, but she still felt a bit jealous. The boy finally reached her and did the same as his father, only bowing more deeply. He had been taught all the manners. But his gaze. His gaze wasn’t pure. She could recognize it, and now she wasn’t mistaken. He was smiling, he was happy, but his eyes. There was something in his eyes.

  “Lady Selene, you have become a true beauty.”

  It felt nice to hear, but what did Severin expect her to reply? Didn’t he know that here it wasn’t quite acceptable to hear compliments from men to women? Why was he doing it? Had he forgotten or was he provoking her?

  “And who is this young man with you?” Selene tried to change the subject. “Bromir or Borin?”

  Severin looked at his son and smiled. Selene hoped she had managed to impress him with the names of his sons. She remembered them.

  “This is Bromir, Queen. My eldest son.”

  “He looks like you, Severin. Should we expect Prince Borin to come too?”

  Severin rested his hands on the hilt of his sword and looked away from her eyes.

  “Borin? Hardly. He loves ships. And now he’s on one. He set sail with them. You probably won’t see him soon. He’s not into royal matters. He prefers to travel.”

  “Just like your sister.” She slipped. She shouldn’t have mentioned her name. It was both a mistake and an opportunity to see how Severin would react. His face changed. He looked at the ground, then raised his gaze to her.

  “Yes, like Liora.”

  “This is Ivora.” Selene pulled herself out of the awkward situation and pointed to the lady standing next to her. Ivora smiled, and Severin’s face changed too. Selene felt relieved.

  “Ivora? Nice name. Strange,” he turned to her again, “As far as I know, you don’t have a daughter, Queen. And these ladies are as beautiful as you. All three of them.”

  She couldn’t tell if Severin was trying to compliment her or if he really didn’t know.

  “These are my three first ladies—Ivora, Thalia, and Valeris. The second one is Valeris.” Selene pointed to Valeris, who was standing alone, slightly apart from the others. “Valeris was the first to greet you. She is in charge of my entire army of fiery hair. She was the best warrior this kingdom ever had.”

  Severin looked her over.

  “You mean to say this is your warrior? It’s a pleasure to meet her.”

  “No. She might have been a warrior, but she got injured. That’s a story I can tell you later. Now she is just one of my ladies. The strongest, but also beautiful. A rare combination.”

  Severin looked around. He seemed to have just realized that everyone around him had red hair. He was inspecting most of them one by one.

  “You’ve already met Ivora,” Selene continued, bringing him back to the conversation. “And next to her is Thalia.”

  “Finally, a girl with a more normal hair color.” Severin laughed. Selene smiled at his joke but didn’t like it. She expected more from a king, not empty words and jokes.

  “We expected more people to come. Honestly, I’m surprised there are so few of you. All the rooms in the kingdom are ready for you.”

  “It’s true I’ve put on weight in recent years.” He grabbed his stomach, which wasn’t large at all for his build. “But all the rooms? One will suffice for me. Still, thank you for your hospitality.”

  “We’ve heard you’re leading an army.” Selene continued to cover what needed to be said.

  “I am, Queen. But the army is on the royal road.” Severin pointed with his hand. Selene knew where the main road was. Part of it was under her domain. “I thought you’d understand when someone passes through there.”

  “Apparently, no one has passed yet. Otherwise, we would have known.” With almost every word, he tried to hurt her. It wasn’t intentional, and she recognized these tactics. It was normal for any noble lord, when speaking to another, to do so.

  Severin looked surprised in that direction as if he could see through the hill.

  “My troops should already be down south. Bromir and I will join them later, after we talk with you.”

  “I know why you’ve come, King Severin. You want reinforcements, but...”

  “Selene!” Severin stopped her. He was addressing her by name. She did the same sometimes. “I’d prefer to have this conversation inside, in a more comfortable place, and over a glass of wine. The further south one goes, the sweeter the wine. Or so I’ve heard.” Severin smiled. It was strange to see such a large man smile. “And if your wine is truly good, I’ll leave tomorrow morning with pleasure.”

  “If you like the wine, you’ll leave? That’s strange.”

  “Wine gives me strength.”

  Selene didn’t continue. What he was saying was strange, and it didn’t suit such a big man to speak so kindly. She imagined the great rulers of lands, as he was, behaving more arrogantly and proudly. Severin seemed too soft to her. She hoped she was wrong. Her mother had once told her that kingdoms needed lords with iron legs and iron hearts. In recent years, she had begun to understand the meaning of this more. And Lira, her mother, had been right. As always.

  On the one hand, she was relieved that they wouldn’t have to host them for long. She didn’t like having strangers here. Especially men she hadn’t invited. But the Pact obliged her. And not only the Pact but also morality.

  On the other hand, she felt slightly offended. All these preparations for just one night? So much food and expenses, which normally would last at least ten days for the entire kingdom. And in the end, Severin had come only with his son and five of his people. And for just one night. She looked at Fenris and saw his gaze in return. He didn’t seem pleased either. Or at least she thought so. But on the other hand, these were still men. And the longer men stayed in the kingdom, the more dangerous it became for this place full of women. Not that they would do anything, but she knew her women, who rarely saw a man, and if a passing one was a bit more attractive, they would fight over him. This female instinct sometimes did them a great disservice, but more often, it helped them. It made the women more nervous and fierce, ready to fight. If a man managed to extinguish the fire in them, they became calm and lazy. And she didn’t want that.

  Selene looked for Valeris, then signaled to her. She, in turn, turned to the red-haired riders, who, without waiting long, began to push back the spectators and the crowd, starting to expand the perimeter around them.

  Fenris and Rat were already gone. They didn’t like such things and had used the first convenient moment to retreat. The kingdom’s stablemen took over the horses of Bromir and Severin.

  Selene stood at the entrance of her large castle and waited for the two large men from Volkar to approach. Ivora and Thalia stood obediently beside her. Bromir smiled at Thalia again. Now she was truly glad they were staying only for this evening.

  If you didn’t count Fenris and Rat, and a few people from the staff, having a new man enter here was strange, even for her. She felt fear, even though she knew these two had nothing to do to them. She had slight concerns about Bromir, but not about Severin.

  From afar, the sound of a horn was heard. Everyone briefly turned their eyes there. Selene saw Severin’s surprised face.

  “Don’t worry; they are gathering the young women. The tournament of the contenders will start soon.”

  “I’m not worried. I have people on the main road. Such sounds usually predict danger.” He turned his gaze to her again. “What contenders are you talking about?”

  Perhaps she shouldn’t have told him. Every man, when he heard about battles and weapons, his eyes changed, and his soul began to burn.

  “Every year, we hold a tournament where young girls can prove themselves before their commanders and me. And in your honor, we’ve held it a bit earlier than planned. Of course, if you wish.”

  He certainly did. She could see it in his eyes. And in his smile. That smile of his, which didn’t suit him at all.

  “Why are we talking about wine and stories then? Where there are weapons, there am I.”

  She knew this idea would appeal to him. That’s why she had done it. In these times, to soften a man, you either had to give him a weapon or open your legs. And she wouldn’t do the latter for him. Although, she hadn’t embraced such a strong man in a long time.

  Thick clouds had gathered over Meihar. And the clouds brought rain. The rain washed the streets of the sand carried by the summer winds coming from the south and sent people back to their homes. In these places, rain wasn’t unusual, but it passed quickly. And it was the same now. And now the clouds had just gathered, and thunder was striking nearby, somewhere in the Western Sea.

  They were seated at the highest point of the stands, side by side like a man and a woman. As if they were king and queen. From time to time, Selene felt uncomfortable with his presence. To her right sat Valeris. Valeris had the greatest right and duty to be at the battles. She was the commander. Even her presence was more important than that of Selene or Severin. If it were up to her, she would have placed her at the top. Everyone down in the arena admired her. Well, almost everyone. Only Eliana didn’t like her. But that would pass too. Just two more years. She looked at Valeris. Her hand was on her leg. Where her scar was. She knew it hurt. It always hurt in such weather. It was humid, and the humidity intensified the pain. She could see the fear in her eyes too. She could almost read her thoughts with her gaze. She looked guilty because of the last time. It was the second day of the battles. The day before, she had expelled Freya because of her. Now Valeris had to defend her decision.

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  She remembered her mother. She was one of the first to die from the sand sickness. And then the disease had taken her four sisters too. Only Valeris had survived, and the disease hadn’t affected her at all. No one knew how the sand sickness chose its victims. But it had come from the wildlings. From the South. And it affected only Meihar and Solis. She remembered it because she was young, but not too young to not understand the panic. Most of the kingdom had lost its life. She still remembered how the skin of the sick would melt. First, their eyes would turn red. Then their skin would become rough like soil that hadn’t seen water in years. And finally, it would just start to crumble from the body. And the pain wasn’t strong in the first two days. But on the third, no skin was left, and everyone’s insides began to show. And almost no one endured until the end of the third day. How this disease left the city, no one understood. But it left the same way it had come.

  She had lied to Severin. The contender battles didn’t happen once a year, nor had she brought it forward because of him. In fact, they often did it, mostly because of Eliana. She didn’t want him here. It wasn’t a good idea for Severin to see how Eliana fought, and she had arranged everything so that he wouldn’t find out. But the stupid horn and its sound ruined that. Not that he wouldn’t find out later, but if he had already drunk, he wouldn’t care about it. She knew men, even though she hadn’t had much contact with them lately.

  To Severin’s left sat Bromir. To be honest, he looked better than his father, and his gaze was more warrior-like, tougher, and more authoritative. However, his gaze didn’t fall on the arena like everyone else’s. His gaze wandered over the stands, where all were women and all had red hair. Most of them, especially those closer, also often turned to look at him. She knew what those harlots were thinking. They wanted him. They were ready to betray everything the city had taught them just to have him. Most smiled at him, winked, and then saw her. And when they looked at her, they didn’t turn back. In other cases, she would have punished them, but now she would embarrass herself before Severin.

  “Is this your Eliana, Lady Selene?” Severin pointed forward. Selene knew his first task would be to look for her.

  “Yes, my lord. She has a personal commander,” Selene pointed her out, “Freya.”

  “Our Tristan also has a commander, though our warrior does whatever he wants. He’s so strong that no one can stop him. I even thought of taking him with me to the wildlings. A bit of wildling meat would do him good.”

  Selene didn’t reply. It was normal for him to boast, and he was probably exaggerating. Men often exaggerated. In his place, she would have done the same. But now he saw Eliana for himself. And soon, he could judge for himself.

  “I suppose you’ve come mainly to see Eliana?”

  Severin turned to her. He didn’t think so, but she said it to see his true intentions.

  “Not at all, Lady Selene. I didn’t even know Eliana would fight. I would even understand if you had refused us to come here. I’m here for something else, but I prefer to talk about it later.”

  Selene didn’t reply. And what was happening down in the arena drew all the attention.

  The smallest circle, the battles were about to begin with the smallest ones, was surrounded by red-haired children. All of them were with their commanders, scattered around. The rain was washing their faces, their fiery hair stuck to their faces, water dripped from each of them. But none of them flinched. She always shivered at such sights. Because they did it for her. Not exactly for her, but for the kingdom. And usually, even now, it could be seen who would become a great warrior and who would wither early and return to their parents, never to touch a weapon again. The event was large, and the entire capital gathered around. Besides the stands, there were people in the vicinity, with everyone trying to find a place to watch.

  Ivora and Thalia were gone. The two didn’t care for the blood spilled in the arena, and she had allowed them to walk along the market street. Although most people were here today, it was also a day for trade, and merchants from other cities of the Meihar lands had occupied the empty spots and spread out wide rugs covered with various items, books, souvenirs, and crafts. Fenris and Rat, on the other hand, had stayed in the kingdom.

  The red hair of much of the Meihar population had turned the stands red. But their beautiful hair had been ruined by the rain. The arena was almost filled, and the sand had become heavy, sticking to the bare feet of the fighters. The little ones would go first. When the first ones stepped out, Severin leaned on his heavy chair and lifted himself. He could see that he liked the sight. All men felt this before a fight or intercourse with a woman. He was no different from them. A wild beast like all the rest.

  In front of the circle, there were wooden racks, each holding wooden swords, arranged in a row of about twenty.

  “Wooden swords?”

  Did Severin really ask her this? Couldn’t he figure it out himself?

  “The goal is technique, not strength.”

  “We give our children real swords. Whoever can get used to them becomes a warrior. Whoever can’t... Well, there’s a place under the Sun for everyone.”

  She didn’t reply. Instead, she continued to enjoy herself. She loved every single one of the little girls who fought with the wooden swords. There was so much fire in them. Not just in their hair, but in their bodies, their eyes, and their hearts.

  Two little girls, no taller than two large barrels, were the first to step into the arena. The rain had lessened, but it was still drizzling lightly. The first one pulled out one of the swords and gazed at its wooden blade as if seeing her reflection in it. She was imitating the real warriors. Applause and light cheers followed. Everyone was delighted by the little ones, and they weren’t nervous. Quite the opposite. One of them approached the audience and bowed, provoking even stronger applause. The other went and did the same. The applause was even louder. The crowd knew that the first battles of the smallest ones were for fun and just a show before the real ones. But for Valeris and the other commanders, this wasn’t the case. For them, it was important to sift the children even now. And for the children, it was important to give their best when Valeris was here. And when she was here.

  Selene looked around the crowd. You could always tell who the mothers of the smallest candidate warriors were. They were always the loudest and always stood ready to jump into the arena instead of them. Valeris wanted to ban women from supporting their children once they entered to become fighters, but Selene wouldn’t allow it. When they were small, they needed their parents. But Valeris wanted to make fighters out of them, and she wanted even these to be well-trained. She wanted to create fighters, and sometimes that desire made her blind. But the truth was that those down there were just children.

  “A speech from the Queen!” Someone down below shouted. She didn’t want it to come to this, but she expected it. She stood up and saw that all eyes were on her. She hated that.

  “Another contender’s battle. And today we have dear guests from Volkar. And before their eyes and mine, the strongest will fight, from the smallest to the most deserving. Show that your red hair doesn’t just make you beautiful; red hair is the color of the fire that burns within you. Show me and my guests that each of you is no less than any of them.” She looked at Severin. He wasn’t offended. “Show that when Florentina decided that men wouldn’t rule here, she wasn’t wrong. Show that you are the most deserving.”

  For a moment, there was silence. Then the crowd began to scream. Selene sat down smoothly.

  “A nice speech. Although I don’t agree with a lot of things.”

  She smiled. But she didn’t look at Severin. She didn’t care what he would say about her speech. She was just watching her people, her blood. They were more important to her. And suddenly everyone fell silent. They fell silent because the first two children were already facing each other.

  Their movements were good, but their strikes were weak. They held the wooden swords correctly and bent their wrists well under their weight, but when they had to wrap their fingers a bit more around the hilt, their wrists couldn’t take it, and the swords hung slightly in the air. The crowd gradually began to increase the strength of their cheers.

  Someone shouted at one of the children. It seemed startled, turned around, and didn’t see the other had already swung the wooden sword at it. The frightened girl returned her gaze, but it was too late. The sword hit her in the face. A loud roar and shouts followed. Selene wasn’t sure if they came from the mothers or the fallen child. She saw the first drops of blood in the arena. The little girl on the ground was moving, her hand on her face. And it was covered in blood. Selene stood still, seemingly controlling everything in the arena with her gaze. Two of the healers quickly rushed to the child. Both were in long gray robes with covered heads. The other girl’s hand was raised high, and with the other, she wiped her tears. They were still so fragile, and soon they would face the next level.

  The injured girl was carried out in arms. Her face was covered in blood. The other cried beside her. But she had won. Selene looked at Valeris. She had stood up, raising her thumb approvingly to the winner below. The winner was crying. But she shouldn’t have been. Selene knew how Valeris thought. Valeris respected winners, and they had to be tough. No one else stood up. Most looked at the wounded below.

  The arena was cleared, and the next two girls quickly arrived. In appearance, they were the same, which wasn’t unusual in Meihar. And usually, the battles ended quickly. The children had no tactics or a vast repertoire of moves. No one had taught them that. It was only important to attack and defend. And the winner was the braver one. What they didn’t know yet or couldn’t realize was that all of them would advance to the next arena. And none would be eliminated here. But for the braver ones, the commanders would keep an eye on them. Bravery came with the person; they couldn’t be taught it. And most of the braver ones moved to the third arena, where the sieve was larger.

  “The little ones are amusing,” Severin was pleased. “You’ve thought it through well. We don’t show ourselves to the people that much.”

  “Are you afraid of prying eyes, my lord?”

  “Yes and no.” He answered without looking at her. “I don’t think it’s anyone’s business to know what level our army is at. But I’m sure nothing can stop someone if they’re determined to infiltrate if they want to. You probably have such people too.”

  “There’s no logic for us to have them. We are open. We have women who fight. Our training is visible, their strength too. And I can assure you, Eliana is better than Astrid.”

  “Astrid? I vaguely remember Astrid, but I know there was a lot of talk about her. And everyone underestimated her.”

  “You always do. You always underestimate the female strength and the female warrior.”

  “In the end, she didn’t win the great battle, so perhaps there was a reason. You’ve never won the battle.”

  “But we’re getting better. And after you see Eliana, you’ll surely be a bit more uneasy on your way back to Volkar.”

  Severin didn’t answer further. And in the arena, all the preparations were ready, the children’s victors had been rewarded, and the losers consoled. The wooden swords and shields disappeared. The children too. And in their place, the second groups, who were also young but stronger than the previous ones and more like women, though still young, stepped in.

  “At our place, at this age, they are already married and bearing fruit and continuing the lineage.”

  “I’m glad, my lord. But in Meihar, the laws and tradition are different.”

  “I didn’t mean to offend you.” Severin tried to look at her, but again fixed his gaze on the arena. “Understand me, Queen, it’s just strange for us. The men in our place, and all to the North, see a woman as a woman. As what she was created for, to bear a man’s offspring.”

  “It’s better not to speak like this in the rest of Meihar, my lord. And I prefer to change the subject.”

  The rain had already stopped, and the Sun was trying to break through the thinning clouds. At least the humidity had disappeared, but the temperatures were rising, and soon the sultriness would return. All twenty-six contenders among the young women lined up before the Queen and bowed one after another to Selene. Selene waved back shyly. Valeris looked at her. But not with that gaze of admiration or even joy. She caught a slight note of envy in her face. Yes, they were on her territory, but Selene was still the Queen.

  Each of the girls in the arena was already better dressed than the previous ones, with her style and weapon. Each had a different way of tying her hair, a different stance, and looked different. They had grown up and had nothing in common with the children who had fought before them.

  The first pair was already facing each other. Both wore helmets and light armor, just enough to protect against more severe injuries.

  The two girls were already fighting. One had chosen a spear, the other had a sword, which was no longer wooden. They were slender and had beautiful forms. The battles, once more amusing with the children, had now become intriguing. That’s why the crowd cheered after every unsuccessful strike or block. But the cheers didn’t distract the girls. Neither of them flinched.

  The first battle was always the most interesting, and that’s why people paid the most attention to it. And with each subsequent one, the interest died down a bit. But the battles weren’t for the crowd. They were needed by Valeris and her. The contenders down there knew this and gave their all.

  Most of the winners were those with swords. Two of them won with spears, and two had chosen bows, but after being forbidden due to the safety of Severin and Selene, they still chose to fight with daggers. And both had won. And unlike the children, there were no serious injuries here. One of the girls managed to sprain her knee, but even on one leg, she won. That was the most interesting moment of all and was first called up to the higher level, where the best were. The best, who were soon to come out and fight.

  The defeated had a choice—either stay to train the little ones entering after them or join the regular army. Usually, they chose the latter, pressured to do so by the commanders of each unit.

  “I must admit, the girls in the second arena performed very well. And they’re so young…”

  “And they’re girls,” Selene added. “That’s what you wanted to say, right?”

  “Look, Lady Selene, if you think I’m trying to offend you, that’s not it at all. I really admire and acknowledge your fighting strength. And after all, that’s one of the reasons I came.”

  “So you finally spit it out. You want my warriors for your battles with the wildlings.”

  “I didn’t come mainly for that, but I really don’t want to discuss it here. And yes. That was also part of my plan.”

  “I won’t give them to you with great pleasure, Severin, but according to the agreement among the five, I’m obliged. And I trust the Pact.”

  “Believe me, if you ever need them…”

  “I don’t think so, my lord. The only battle I’m interested in is the one in two years. Nothing else matters to me, and I don’t plan to spill unnecessary blood.”

  Someone shouted down below. It was the women who were preparing the ladies for the most interesting and eagerly awaited battles. Selene stood up. She always did so before the last part. Seeing her, Valeris stood up as well, and then the entire crowd. Severin was on his feet too.

  The six best contenders were in the arena. Above them was only Eliana. And the six were the only ones who could challenge her to a fight and take her place. Or take her place if something happened to her. But that had never happened. It probably wouldn’t happen now either.

  Selene looked at Valeris. Once, she was there. She was even being prepared for the next warrior. And maybe now she would be in Eliana’s place if it weren’t for her injury. She deserved it, but Selene was glad she hadn’t gone. She liked that she was close to her.

  “The first two are Rena and Tara,” she told Severin. She was thinking of giving him exactly these six. Yes, it was risky to send her best warriors with him, but it was a gift for them. Letting them into a real battle was something exciting for them. Especially since they would probably never displace Eliana.

  Severin just nodded approvingly. And the battle below had already begun.

  Tara won and inflicted a huge wound on Rena’s thigh. The wound was bleeding even through her pants, but it couldn’t compare to Valeris’s from before. Rena would likely recover. And she could step on her leg, which was more important. Tara defeated her with a spear, which she then planted in the ground and cheered, taking up the crowd. She had the darkest red hair of all, and her hair almost turned black. It was believed here that the shade of the hair indicated the character of the woman in the kingdom. And those with dark red hair like Tara showed how fiery they were.

  “Zephira and Oriana,” Selene pointed again. She wondered when Severin would realize that she was preparing to give them to him for the battle with the wildlings. He nodded again and said nothing.

  Both ladies had bows, which was particularly dangerous in duels where it was advisable that no one got hurt. For that purpose, both wore additional breastplates that deflected the arrows, and the arrows themselves were entirely made of wood. Their flight was altered, which hindered accurate aiming, but when two such faced each other, duels usually ended with the small knives they carried as auxiliary weapons.

  The duel lasted long. They hit each other, but not so seriously that they hesitated. And as always in bow fights, it came down to knives. Oriana was more agile, while Zephira waited for her. And just when one gained the upper hand, the other attacked again. Even the crowd held its breath, and this had become one of the quietest battles of the day. And the Sun had already fully risen, drying the sand on their bare feet.

  Zephira was the first to tire, and Oriana, seemingly with her last strength, managed to press her blade to her throat. She whispered something in her ear that no one heard, but then both of their legs buckled, and they fell to the ground, exhausted from the humidity that filled their lungs and the lack of water. The healers came for the second time.

  “Who won?”

  Selene wasn’t sure, but she still answered him.

  “Oriana.”

  At that moment, one of the commanders—a woman with red hair—announced Oriana’s name. The crowd erupted. But both were lying exhausted. Shortly after their faces were sprinkled with water, they stood. Oriana raised her hands in victory and roused the crowd once more.

  “Melis and Helia,” Selene introduced the third pair.

  Severin looked at her. Perhaps he had finally realized. Then he squinted his eyes and turned again to the arena.

  Melis and Helia had swords, but the battle wasn’t starting. Helia was holding her arm and trying to fight, but the healers quickly stopped her. One of the commanders almost immediately raised Melis’s hand.

  Powerful angry shouts came from the stands. From somewhere, all kinds of objects, accompanied by vegetables and everything that was at hand, flew. Helia bent down and began to throw back everything thrown from the stands with her healthy hand. The stands became even more hostile. Two women tried to enter the arena, but they were met with the swords of the warriors around. One of them received a blow to the face, grabbed it, and fell to the sand. The other retreated on her own.

  Helia took her sword, pushed the healer aside, and prepared for battle. Melis smiled and stepped forward too.

  Melis circled around her, shifting her sword from one hand to the other. She watched her, slightly bending her knees. Helia held the sword with her healthy hand, but the pain was written on her face. Selene could see it was tormenting her.

  The crowd was shouting. They wanted a duel. Melis attacked and with one blow knocked the sword out of Helia’s hand. Her second slash went past her ear, and despite her retreat, part of her ear fell into the sand. Helia grabbed the cut place with her hand and tried not to scream. But she couldn’t. Melis continued and attacked again. She swung, but her sword was stopped.

  It was stopped by Eliana’s spear.

  Eliana was much stronger than Melis, and despite the desire and malice in the latter’s eyes, her warrior didn’t let go. She decided to wait a little longer before intervening. But Valeris didn’t think that way.

  “Drop your sword, Melis,” Valeris’s voice rose above the entire stand.

  Melis looked at her, then at Eliana. But she didn’t drop the sword.

  “Don’t do anything foolish, Melis.”

  Melis stepped back, knelt, and bowed her head to Eliana.

  The crowd started booing again. Yes, they wanted a spectacle, but they weren’t right.

  Selene saw Valeris. Her lady was descending into the arena. She hoped it would all be over. She looked at Severin. He did nothing, but Bromir was smiling contentedly. She didn’t like him. There was something about him.

  Valeris reached the arena. Eliana was holding her spear and had placed it on Melis’s throat. Exactly what shouldn’t have happened.

  The crowd started shouting again. They wanted her to kill her. Valeris drew her sword and headed toward Eliana.

  “Kill her!” Another shout from somewhere. Eliana looked at the stands and smiled. She was ready to do it.

  Valeris limped and threateningly advanced toward her with a sword in hand. Eliana finally saw her. She smiled and waited. Just before she arrived, she kicked Helia and pushed her aside. Valeris was now beside her, raised her sword, but Eliana attacked first. She was more agile and certainly more experienced. Valeris managed to defend herself. The entire crowd was on its feet. Everyone seemed to know it would come to this sooner or later. But it was a mistake. It was a mistake for them to fight.

  Eliana smiled while against her, Valeris was rather disgracing herself. She could fight, but her leg was hindering her. She could feel the pain through her. Selene knew what she felt. But she had made a mistake. From the side, Freya was rejoicing. She was happy that soon Eliana might injure Valeris. Or even kill her.

  She had to stop them. Selene could also stop them, but she would make a fool of herself in front of Severin. There was no right move. And even if Valeris won, her warrior would be disgraced. She didn’t know what to do. She had rarely felt this way. She tried to remember another case and couldn’t.

  And Valeris surprised everyone, even herself, with the very first move. And as if Eliana didn’t expect it and suffered a wound on her leg from Valeris’s spear. This surprised her, but it also made her smile. The people started shouting as if they were on her side. Selene knew them. They weren’t on anyone’s side. They just wanted death.

  “In the name of Queen Selene, stop!”

  The voice was male, strong, deep, and frightening. The crowd froze, and everyone around looked back at them. Valeris immediately dropped her sword, and Eliana left the spear beside her and fell to her knee. Both were looking up. At the topmost steps of the arena. Where Severin was.

  And he was right, with his sword drawn, and he had pointed it at them.

  It was one of the few times she could admit that sometimes male strength was necessary.