A Kingdom of Bloodshed

*¬*Chapter Three*¬*

Time slows to a crawl. The ringing in my head seizes. The world seems to align. I look at Tara, at the gleaming blade of the sword that's inches from my face and shift out of the way. When time speeds up again, her blade slices into the wall where my head was moments before.

"What?!" She growls. I don't waste another second. Swinging into her side, I hit her blow for blow. Tara begins to retreat, blocking my hits. She tries to swing with the dagger but her attempts are becoming desperate, sloppy. Hit after hit, I swing at her. Angry, free, and feeling like I've found something I'm good at, I don't stop.

When she swings with her dagger again, I reach up and grab her wrist, twisting it dangerously to the side, hearing her squeak in pain as the dagger falls to the ground. Then I whirl and flip her over my shoulder, smashing her back into the mat and landing with my knee on her throat and her arm twisted at an odd angle.

Tara snarls, "You can't do this. You cheated!!" But I didn't. She tries to squirm, but it's no use. "The more you squirm Tara, the closer you are to breaking your own arm." Tara snarls once more, spittle flying from her mouth. The resounding ding ends the match.

I've won.

Standing I leave Tara where she is, growling on the floor. She shoots to her feet and charges for me, but stops when Kazimir takes a step forward, "The match is over Miss Tara. If you proceed you'll be sent home."

"I can't lose. I NEVER lose. She cheated! She must have rigged the game. This is ridiculous!"

Heaving a breath and wiping the sweat from my face, I turn to Tara and say, "I didn't do anything of the sort. Your talking is what made you lose. If you spent half as much time reading your opponent as you do talking, maybe you'd have learned something." There's silent ooh's from the crowd. But I don't feel good about the win. I know I should but I don't. Turning I step off the mat and enter the group again. Lord Augustus and Kazimir announce me as the winner of the first tournament.

As soon as we are dismissed, I slip from the room and walk up the stairs. Bree slips her arm through mine, smiling.
"You showed her! Goddamn woman, I thought you were a goner for a second but then you kicked her ass. I've never seen anyone move like that. It's like you literally stopped time." I smile bashfully, "Thanks but I'm not half the warrior my mother is. She'd have been ashamed of me."

Bree shakes her head, "I doubt that. There's something about you that I can't quite lay my finger on. But I'm going to find out."

Upon entering the main level, I separate from the group and slip quietly outside, allowing the early afternoon air to hit my face. The breeze makes the throbbing on my face ache a little less.

"Are you alright? You took quite the hit." I don't need to turn to know it's Kazimir. "Thanks for the concern High Lord, but I'm fine. Don't pretend like you care." He stops beside me, I feel his hand reach for my face before turning it towards him. "What are you-" "If I didn't care, I wouldn't be out here asking if you're alright. Just because my Kingdom is one of darkness, doesn't mean that I'm all bad." I blink at him.

"You're being awfully nice to me. Why?"

He seems put off by that, his hand releasing my face but not before sliding a thumb over the cut in my lower lip. His eyes seeming to darken at my injury before he backs away and clears his throat. "You are the winner of today's tournament. I must check to see if your injuries are not too bad. I also came to congratulate you. Just because I am being nice, doesn't mean that you have to be rude."

I frown, but then shake my head. "Right. Apologies High Lord." He shakes his head, before looking away.

"You did well today, Althea." Then he turns and slips away into his mansion leaving me confused and wondering if maybe, the Lord of Night isn't so bad afterall.