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Encouraged, I continued, “Let there be a celebration, not a mourning, today. The contestants will live. The winner will become my husband.” I grabbed the gavel and hit the polished disk of the gong. “Let the best one win!”
The high, clear ring of the gong rolled over the river, and the contestants jumped into action.
Each aligned his board with a serpent gliding underwater, matching the speed of the beast. Choosing the right moment, they dropped their paddles. With a harness spread at the ready in their hands, they jumped into the water and onto the serpents’ heads.
Lord Adriyel was the first one to catch a giant snake for himself. Kyllen caught one just a moment later. He dropped the wide noose of the harness over the top jaw of the serpent, sliding it past the creature’s sharp teeth to the very back of its mouth where it couldn’t bite through it.
The second the serpent had been leashed, it lifted its head above water. Pulling on the harness with one hand to steer, Kyllen bent his legs, holding his other arm out for balance.
Councilor Delahon followed my gaze to Kyllen.
“The High Lord of Ellohi is a very capable serpent rider.” He nodded approvingly.
The councilor had accepted my assurances that there hadn’t been any illusion spells at the pledging of allegiance ceremony. I’d blamed my confusion on being tired, which seemed to have put his concerns to rest.
Kyllen had told me he was good, and now I saw it hadn't been just empty boasting. His bare feet appeared to be glued to the flat spot right behind the serpent’s head. His body moved in sync with the creature, as if he’d merged with it and they became one.
“All contestants are good,” I said, forcing my attention to another man.
I wasn’t supposed to have a favorite. Although my future depended on the outcome of the tournament, I was expected to remain impartial at this stage.
What I said wasn’t a lie, though. All contestants showed great expertise in the sport. Every single one had caught a serpent and not only stayed upright but rode the creature with confidence.
Kyllen had formidable competition. I sighed. Worry vibrated through me stronger.
Lord Adriyel yanked on the harness of his serpent, making the giant snake slide left sharply. Drawing the sword from the sheath on his back, he stabbed through the neck of a competitor.
I gasped, pressing my hands to my chest. Shock speared through me. The murdered man dropped into the water, a red ribbon of blood flowing in the stream.
“Why?” I demanded from Councilor Delahon. “Lord Adriyel didn’t need to do that! I changed the rules. He could’ve just knocked him off the serpent.”
The crowd cheered. Bloodthirsty gorgonians.
The councilor shrugged. “Murder is expected at the Royal Tournament. Some see it as an added benefit—an opportunity for revenge against the lords who’ve crossed them before. By changing the rules, you didn’t forbid killing a contestant, Your Majesty. You just added falling off the serpent as another way to lose.”
True. All I did was give them a chance to spare a life, assuming they would take it. Obviously, that wasn’t the case.
“I changed nothing.” I clasped my hands in anguish. The body of the murdered contestant floated down the stream where the attendants in palace uniforms waited to fish it out.
The councilor patted my arm. “Don’t be sad, Your Majesty. Your new rule does give the contestants a chance to survive. Some may still use it.”
I hoped so. Though all of them already had their swords out. Zipping through the water on their serpents, they brandished their weapons. The rules forbade attacking the snakes, but the men had no reservations when it came to cutting and slicing each other.
The calm waters of the Isafaris River churned and roiled, agitated by the giant bodies of the serpents.
A contestant steered his snake toward Lord Adriyel, aiming his sword at his back. Lord Adriyel was caught in a battle with someone else. He seemed oblivious to the threat, barreling toward him at full speed from behind.
The crowd gasped as one entity.
I held my breath, too, bracing for yet another unnecessary death.
Kyllen yanked at his reins, turning his serpent sharply. Crouching low, he slammed his elbow under the knee of Lord Adriyel’s attacker.
The contestant’s leg buckled from under him. He lost his balance and plummeted into the churning white water.
The crowd cheered.
Kyllen flashed a grin toward the benches. Cocky as ever.
I released a breath, unsure whether helping Lord Adriyel was a wise move on Kyllen’s part. The lord had proven himself a formidable opponent. He was steady on the serpent and confident with the sword. The crowd seemed to prefer him over anyone else. His spending so much time at the royal palace must have something to do with that. People could easily imagine him as the next king.
On the other hand, Kyllen’s assistance to Lord Adriyel put him in favor with the crowd, too. They seemed pleased, cheering and shouting encouragements to the High Lord of Ellohi.
Lord Adriyel sent his direct opponent into the turbulent waters of the Loop Bend. He then swung around in search of the next. Bypassing Kyllen, he went for another contestant right behind him.
He either didn’t wish to engage in a fight with someone as capable as Kyllen. Or…they had made some kind of agreement.
Judging by the pattern of the fight unfolding, I guessed, quite a few of the contestants had colluded with each other, at least for some part of the competition.
Worry gnawed at me, at the thought of Kyllen trusting Lord Adriyel enough to form an alliance. I wouldn’t want to rely on a partner like him.
For now, however, the advantage of the alliance was apparent. Both men were capable on their own, but together, Kyllen and Lord Adriyel seemed invincible.
Their serpents glided through the chaos of the battle with ease, taking down more and more contestants. When faced with the menace, some of them used the way out I’d given them by changing the rules. At least one of the contestants, a champion of a High Lord, jumped off his serpent to avoid being impaled by Lord Adriyel’s sword. He forfeited his chance at winning but stayed alive.
