Chapter 20: Trial 2
Everyone we up when King Roderick stood up from his throne, his skinny ass needing help from this fancy staff. When he spoke, magic made his voice boom across the whole arena.
"Today, two princes stand before you," the king announced, sounding stronger than his frail body looked. "But only one's walking away as the next in line for the throne of Lyranth!"
The crowd went fucking wild, with all the noble houses cheering for their favorite. Through all the noise, Arthur kept his eyes on his dad.
"The Trial of Arcane Mastery has three parts," the king continued. "First, elemental control—showing off your magic skills. Second, defensive magic—protecting yourself against attacks."
He paused, and Arthur noticed his dad's eyes nervously darting toward the royal mage. "And finally, as tradition demands when succession is contested... direct combat with full magical abilities."
People gasped all over the arena. Direct combat between royal heirs hadn't been allowed for generations. Arthur glanced at Gareth and saw his brother's surprised face quickly turn into a predatory smile.
While everyone focused on the king's announcement, Arthur's eyes wandered to Queen Isolde. Unlike her husband who was paying attention to the ceremony, the queen was straight-up eye-fucking Arthur. Her gaze slowly moved down his body, lingering on the skin showing where his shirt had been loosened for combat.
When she realized he'd caught her staring, she didn't look away. Instead, she gave him a little smirk before finally turning to watch her son.
Arthur checked out the situation, figuring out how much energy he'd need. With three phases coming up, saving power would be crucial. He activated Combat Mode, but just temporarily to check out his opponents and the arena.
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[Combat Mode: Activated]