Disguised Vengeance

Chapter 22

A large arena about twenty feet in diameter stood in the center of the amphitheater. The roaring of the crowd intensified as ten men, champions of the preliminary rounds, came into view. Clad in leather armor, the men were well-built, each wielding a weapon of their choice.

Upon hearing the loud blast of a trumpet, the people redirected their attention to the royal party entering through the West entrance. Mounted on a large grey stallion was King Damian, followed closely by Queen Leila, Princess Catherine and Prince Cade. Flanked by guards, the royals dismounted and ascended the stairs leading to the king's box.

Catherine scanned the arena while her father greeted their people and explained the purpose and process of the weapons tournament. The ten contestants were to be paired up based on a random draw. The winner of each pair would then proceed to the finals.  

The king's box had a very good view of the arena. Catherine breathed a sigh of relief upon discovering that Chris and Jase were not partners. On one hand, she hoped that her best friend would emerge as the overall champion for the sake of his pride and position as Knight Commander. On the other hand, she wanted Jase to be her escort to the ball. It would definitely make the tiresome night more bearable.

Unfortunately, Catherine's relief was temporary. As expected, both Chris and Jase defeated their respective opponents in less than fifteen strikes, proceeding to the final round where they would eventually have to cross blades. The pair was admired for their grace and skill, quickly becoming favorites among the crowd.

In the final round, each man was to take turns sparing with a different opponent. After completing four battles, the man with the most wins out of four is pronounced the overall champion. For the past two tournaments, Chris had won.

Weapons clashed, crowds roared and sweat poured as the five men battled in rotation. Catherine bit her lip nervously whenever it was Chris's or Jase's turn. 

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Jase took a step back from his fallen opponent and slid his sword back into its sheath. With a slight bow, he turned and exited the arena to prepare for his last fight – the fight he and everyone else present, excluding Catherine, had been anticipating for the past three hours.

Since arriving in Bellerania, Jase had always wanted to test his skills against the Belleranian Knight Commander. Chris and Jase were the only two who had won all three of their fights. They each had one more round – against each other.

"Good job, Sir Bretson," Chris congratulated when Jase walked past where he was standing. In reply, Jase nodded once.

Jase was given fifteen minutes to change and refresh before the trumpet blew, signaling the final showdown. He checked his armor, buckled on his sword and stretched his muscles. Splashing his face with water, Jase focused his mind and stepped out of the shadows.

At the same time, Chris materialized from the opposite end. The crowd went wild with excitement. Both men were well-built and good looking. It was impossible to predict the outcome of the fight. More money was exchanged as new bets were placed. 

While the men were preoccupied with their wagers, mothers scrutinized the two men to determine their eligibility for their respective daughters. Some were already plotting a potential wedding. The young ladies in the stand were dreamy-eyed as they dwelled in their fantasies.

However, both men had their attention elsewhere, on a particularly enchanting girl dressed in a golden dress. A golden crown perched precariously on the top of her head.

Catherine was exhausted and torn. Slumped back in her seat, she covered her face with her hands, dreading the result of the fight.

Jase watched from the corner of his eyes as the queen whispered something to her daughter. She sighed deeply before fixing her posture and dropping her hands, a cheerful smile plastered on her face.