The mixture of victorious shouts and angry jeers filled the entire room. The winner of the match puffed up his chest, resulting in more roaring from the audience from all directions. The loser laid down on the ring, blood oozing from his nose and lips, shivering from the pain he must feel in every ounce of his battered body.
I pursed my lips as I stared at King Davian. He continued clapping for the winner as he leaned into his bodyguard to say something. I turned my head when he looked in my direction. My pulse jumped as I tried to make it look like I was casually looking around, surrounded by my gang.
For one terrifying second I thought he'd recognize me.
Then I remembered I was masked.
A sigh of relief escaped me as my erratic pulse calmed down. I didn't need to grow nervous over King Davian. That man proved time and time again that he was as clueless as a person could be. He was an inept leader and an even worse negotiator. There was a reason why Solennes Jubar was in so much debt, and it was all due to his foolish decisions. That alone meant he wouldn't recognize me even if he tried. There wasn't much of a brain there to begin with.
I stared again, seeing King Davian start speaking to another suited man. A spark ignited inside of me, and I had to crush it in case it made itself tangible in my hands. However, I itched to hear whatever he had to say without the filter he used to speak to my parents in their reign or to speak to me presently.
What was King Davian really like?
Standing by the edge of the gang, I glanced around trying to figure out how I could get closer to the king. My eyes darted around until I saw the darkness between each bleacher. I bit down on my lip and stepped away from the Tenebrosus Bleeders.
Bachus continued speaking about the plan to raid King Rasmus' palace, so everyone was focused on him, recording his words in their brains. I took that as my chance to escape.
In a swift motion, I was in between the crowd, pushed around like a rag doll. I struggled to find my footing, but I managed to make my way to the bleachers. People cheered around me, screaming in Jubarian towards the ring as the winner flaunted his win.
I thought the fighter would've been gone by now. Then again, Jubarens were known for boasting about their successes. The king couldn't follow in the tradition. He was so nose deep in debt that there wasn't anything he could do to make his kingdom progress, thus nothing to brag about.
I snickered to myself. He kept blaming everyone around him instead of realizing that he was the problem. He didn't know how to make a kingdom blossom, he knew how to whine.
I ducked under the bleachers, and, using brisk steps, I made my way to where King Davian sat. Sweat and beverages, mostly rum, dripped down from where people sat as they continued on cheering the winner.
I grew annoyed. When would that winner get out? Was he going to stand there for a whole hour? What a waste of time. They should get another match going if they wanted more time to stay in there.
As if hearing my thoughts, the two were escorted out of the ring, one with a ragged medal and the other in a gurney. I watched between people's legs as another pair of men got inside the ring and the crowd rioted once again.
Jubarens really relished violence.
Then again, it was the only thing to get excited about in this dump.
"I heard about the issue with Queen Antonella."
I perked my ears. The man beside King Davian looked over at him. I wish I could see his face to remember who he was. His voice was thick with amusement, just like the other kings were during the impromptu meeting.
My fingers twitched.
"Ah, yes," King Davian started, "she is being difficult. The child has no idea how to rule a kingdom."
And you do?
"I imagine so, she was too young to inherit the throne."
I rolled my eyes at the other man.
"Too young and too stupid. She doesn't even know what a war is. She has no idea what's coming for her. Her kingdom is going to collapse before she realizes it."
Anger boiled inside my body, but I willed it to simmer down. They were always underestimating me, thinking I couldn't rule my kingdom. Maybe I wasn't as prepared as I wished to be, but I knew the worth of my people. At least I didn't have people in nothing but rags, starving, and begging on the streets on a daily basis. Or the use of slaves because they couldn't pay royal personnel.
Pathetic.
"How are you all going to take the Inlustris?"
There was a silence between them, which made me impatient. I needed to know. I had to protect the Inlustris with every bit of me. That was the most important role the ruler of Potentia Flamber had. The Inlustris had to be protected and preserved.
"There is still much to learn," King Davian responded.
The idiot had no idea how they would do it.
Typical.
"However, there is a raid happening tomorrow. We have all been particular about destroying Potentia Flamber. The best approach is to go slow. A raid would be a warning, and with any luck all Flambers will go against Antonella and make her hand the kingdom to us herself."
Hostility wasn't what I felt anymore. It was a full-blown rage that boiled all around my body, threatening to turn itself concrete for King Davian. I wanted to make him take back everything he said, but I knew that only time would make him do that.
Now I knew that there was a raid happening the next day on Potentia Flamber. I needed to make a quick call to Philip using the brume to let him know what was happening. He was most likely in a frenzy lying to my royal servants and trying to find out where I was days after my escape.
A few days later and I had already gathered information on a surprise attack. If Philip was angry at me for my rash decision, I knew in my heart that I was doing the right thing as a queen.
Even if I was battered, bruised, and a little dizzy from all the hits, I was doing this for my kingdom.
"I offer my good luck for your raid. I have no doubt you will accomplish exactly what you aspire to do."
I breathed in deeply.
The crowd went wild, but when I looked at the ring, the two men weren't fighting. Instead, Herc stood there yelling at everyone, threatening them. He spoke both Flamberin and Jubarian, switching between the two.
Now I knew Herc was Jubaren. I didn't know why I was surprised. His soft and light skin glistened with the lights but was hardened, no doubt, by the struggle of living in Solennes Jubar. Moreover, that surname of his screamed his heritage louder than any cheering Jubaren.
"How dare you threaten the Tenebrosus Bleeders," he yelled. He continued in Jubarian, but I didn't understand. The crowd screamed back at him. While I didn't understand what they were saying, I detected the hint of question and confusion.
Who threatened us?
I moved around the bottom of the bleachers, trying to locate the rest of the gang. People's feet shuffled, blocking my line of view every second. I wanted to grunt in frustration, but that would mean letting others know of my attempt at spying. If I was caught by the king's bodyguards, I had no idea what they would do to me. I wasn't about to fall before fighting for my kingdom.
My frustration eased when I was able to see Marisole. She paced in front of the bleachers, looking up, searching. I frowned, but decided to look for everyone else.
I saw Orion holding a dagger, his scowl ever-present. He went around the ring, pushing around people who dared block his way. His golden eyes searched around too.
"Kidnapping a member of our gang will only result in death," Herc continued. "And our daggers don't discriminate. We don't care about social status. You disrespect us, we cut you up."
Kidnapping?
I searched for the rest of the gang. I shuffled around under the bleachers trying to find a glimpse of everybody else.
My eyes darted around until I saw Kora prancing around holding a dagger. She flipped it every once in a while, eyes flashing. I pursed my lips and continued looking.
Adonis stood beside the ring, right underneath Herc. He looked around too. The veins on his neck popped. He didn't hold a dagger like the others, but his knuckles were fisted. Those muscles seemed to be his weapon of choice. Herc was the biggest man in comparison, but that didn't mean that the rest of the men weren't any less built.
Seeing most of the gang meant that I had yet to find out if the kidnapped one was Gaia or Jax. When I found both standing side by side, Gaia with a dagger and Jax with a sword. I furrowed my brows in confusion.
"Just because we had a new recruit doesn't mean you have the right to kidnap one that hasn't learned the ways of the Bleeders. You will suffer greatly for this act."
My heart dropped to my stomach.
I was the kidnapped one.
I scurried away from under the bleachers. Immediately, I was trapped in between so many people. I looked up trying to meet eyes with someone from the gang. In their concern, people either ran away or stayed still, which made my attempt to get to the gang almost futile.
"Herc!" I managed to let out as people knocked me over.