{Third Person}
After entertaining the guests, the dancers withdrew with graceful bows, and the music softened.
A palace announcer stepped forward. "The next segnt is combat. This will be a duel. Not a fight to the death."
A slight shift passed through the arena. That reassurance did little for the Humans.
Monts later, two warriors stepped into the arena. They were bare-ard, dressed in traditional combat attire, their bodies marked with faint scars that spoke of experience. They circled each other once, then the first one shifted.
It happened in a split second. Bone, muscle, form—all of it changed.
Where a man had stood, a wolf now crouched low, its fur bristling, its eyes sharp and locked on its opponent.
The reaction from the Human side was imdiate. There were gasps and startled movents. So leaned back instinctively while others remained still.
Lila’s hand flew to her chest, her face paling. "What—" she almost choked, clearly unprepared for what she was seeing.
Even Torin stiffened beside her, though he quickly masked it.
Now, the Humans have been once again reminded of what species they had dealings with.
At the head table, Amara also suffered a small fight. Her fingers tightened slightly around her cutlery.
This was her first ti witnessing it. A human form... turning into an animal right before her eyes.
Her throat felt dry. She swallowed saliva, but it was difficult. Before she could fully process the scene she had just witnessed, the second warrior leapt forward and shifted mid-air.
The transformation happened in motion, fluid and terrifying at once, his body elongating, reshaping, until another wolf landed heavily on the ground, claws scraping against the surface as he lunged straight at the first.
The fight began. It was fast and brutal. Teeth clashed, bodies collided, and growls echoed across the arena, deep and feral.
The first wolf dodged, circling, then snapped forward, aiming for the other’s neck. The second twisted away, countering with a powerful swipe that sent the first skidding back slightly.
For a mont, the Humans remained tense. But as the fight continued, as it beca clear that this was controlled, so of them began to relax and even lean forward, watching what had first seed terrifying... slowly beco sothing else. A spectacle.
Amara, however, couldn’t feel it. Her eyes followed the movents in the arena, but her thoughts were elsewhere.
’Why are they always like this... so brutal?
The raw aggression, the way they moved, and the way they fought unsettled her.
Maybe... if it had been another ti, she might have found it impressive. But after last night, after what she had seen Alexander do, all she could feel was discomfort.
’They are all the sa. All of them.’ She concluded.
The fight ended after several minutes. One wolf pinned the other, its jaws stopping just short of the opponent’s throat.
The signal was given, and the winner was announced. Applause followed, louder from the Werewolf side.
Then the next pair entered. The mont they stepped into the arena, there was a different energy about them. They looked larger, stronger, and more experienced.
They didn’t circle for long. They attacked almost imdiately.
One shifted first, his wolf form larger than the previous fighters, his fur darker, his stance more grounded. The second didn’t wait—he rushed forward in human form, using speed to his advantage before shifting at the last second to clash head-on.
The impact echoed. They didn’t hold back.
One lunged low, aiming to knock the other off balance. The other twisted, using his weight to slam into him from the side. They rolled twice before separating again.
This ti, the attacks were sharper and more precise. One feinted left, then struck right, his teeth grazing the other’s shoulder. The second retaliated imdiately, gripping onto the first’s flank and forcing him down before releasing just as quickly.
The crowd responded. The Werewolves leaned forward, clearly enjoying it. Even King Sebastian watched with visible interest, a faint smile on his face as he lifted his wine and drank.
The fight stretched longer. Both warriors were evenly matched. They circled, lunged, collided again, each testing the other’s limits, each refusing to yield.
Finally, one fraction of a misstep was all it took. The darker wolf seized the opening, lunging forward and pinning the other firmly, his weight pressing down as his jaws hovered dangerously close to the opponent’s neck.
Amara couldn’t watch anymore. She quickly looked away. Her reaction caught Alexander’s attention. He just stared at her for a mont and scoffed.
’Looks like you are not ready to fit in here.’
Just then, the signal was given, and the winner was announced.
This ti, the applause was louder as everyone was more pleased with this round of combat. And with that, the combat segnt drew to a close.
Amara exhaled quietly and returned her gaze as relief washed over her. ’Finally.’
The music shifted again, returning to sothing lighter, and the atmosphere eased.
Guests began to talk, to eat, to drink more freely. Conversations resud across the arena.
But Amara remained quiet. There was no one she could talk to. As long as she was concerned, Alexander wasn’t an option, so she didn’t bother sparing him a glance, worth more attempting to speak.
And even if she had wanted to, there was nothing between them to say. So, she let her gaze wander across the crowd.
She found her parents. They were seated together, speaking in low tones, their expressions serious, as if discussing sothing important.
Amara watched them for a mont, then, almost instinctively, her gaze began to shift further toward where Lila and Torin sat.
But she stopped herself just in ti. Her eyes dropped back to her plate. Her fingers tightened slightly as her chest ached—a quiet, sharp pang that refused to settle.
She lowered her gaze completely. ’I just need this to end already...’
Now, more than anything, she wanted the banquet to be over. But unknown to her, Lila remained restless.
From ti to ti, Lila’s gaze drifted back to Amara, watching her closely, waiting for the right mont.
She sought a reaction, wanting Amara to glance her way so she could again use Torin to provoke and push her further. But Amara never looked. Not even once.
Each ti Lila tried, she was t with nothing. And it only annoyed her more.
Yet, at the sa ti, she found satisfaction in sothing else—the way Amara sat stiffly, the way her discomfort lingered and grew as the night dragged on. That alone was enough.
’Stay like that,’ Lila thought, a faint smile forming at the corner of her lips. ’It suits you.’
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