Chapter 10
1602 Words
Annoyed, Roman got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He walked out into his bedroom and pulled on a pair of black pants and a sleeveless shirt. After that, Roman pulled on his boots and put his hair up in a bun. Suddenly, there was a soft knock on his door.
“Come in,” he said, and a guard opened the door, and Kralom walked in.
“Hey, getting ready for the big night?” he asked, teasingly, and Roman rolled his eyes.
Kralom was the queen’s nephew, and that was the only reason Roman tolerated him.
“Sure am,” Roman said with his head held high.
At that moment, Kralom’s face twisted into an angry and a revengeful stare.
“I can’t wait until you destroy that little b***h!” he snarled, and Roman looked at him oddly.
“What did she ever do to you? They found the girl on the outskirts of the land,” Roman stated, as he laughed, and Kralom looked at him in awe.
“No, sir. That girl and her human friend came through the forbidden forest. She killed Daven! Somehow, they made a trap for us,” explained Kralom in a high-pitched tone, and Roman looked at him.
“She killed your brother?” Roman asked in disbelief.
Kralom nodded, and Roman’s face twitched in anger. Even though he couldn’t stand Kralom and Daven, they were still part of his family, and he was taught all of his life that family protects family, no matter what. Angrily, Roman growled and Kralom looked at him.
“Don’t worry cousin, she will pay for his death. I will make her suffer before I crush her.”
Kralom nodded. He knew Roman didn’t care for him, but he really took family seriously.
“Where is she now?” asked Roman, as he crossed his arms.
“They sent her with Shane. I guess she needed to have a few adjustments,” stated Kralom, and Roman looked at him thoughtfully.
Even though Roman was arranged to fight Ashta, he still found her quite attractive. He shook the thought from his head.
Damn her tricks, he thought to himself.
“So, what happened to the human?” Roman asked curiously.
Kralom glanced at Roman and then glanced away.
“She is being dealt with,” Kralom said, quietly, and he wouldn't look at Roman.
Roman looked at him oddly for a moment, and then he dismissed his thoughts.
“Well, see you tonight.” Roman said, quickly, as he gestured to the door.
Kralom nodded as he got the hint and left the room. After Kralom had shut the door behind him, Roman leaned against his dresser and sighed.
Why is this becoming so stressful? he thought.
He had been in so many fights before, and this fight was no different. Or was it? Roman let his thoughts roll around in his head for a few moments.
You are letting that girl get to your head! he told himself, and he shook his thoughts away.
Frustrated, he walked out of his bedroom and he headed for the throne room.
********************
After Shane and Ashta had finished eating, Shane led her out of the castle and into a black car.
“Where is the arena?” asked Ashta, as the car began to drive down the driveway.
“On the outskirts of Taitum. Some of these fights can get pretty rough, so we needed a place that was big enough that could contain all of the action,” explained Shane.
Ashta thought for a moment and then looked at the man.
“Do you think I can win him over?”
Shane looked at Ashta with care.
“I think the prince isn’t interested in girls.”
Ashta looked at Shane in surprise.
“You mean the prince is…”
Shane put his hand up and laughed as she stopped in mid-sentence.
“No, I don’t mean that. I mean, he may have had one or two girlfriends, but I have not seen him with a woman in ages,” Shane said, dramatically, and Ashta giggled.
“Well, maybe I can swoon him with my charm,” she joked, and Shane laughed a hearty laugh.
“Honey, I think every woman across the land has tried to swoon that man,” said the driver.
Shane and Ashta looked at the driver for a moment, and then they all laughed.
“Well, maybe I can just beat some sense into him,” stated Ashta, and the driver laughed.
Shane gave Ashta a knowing look, and the three of them all laughed again. Suddenly, the car pulled up to an enormous dome-shaped stone building, and there were parking lots full of cars around the place. Ashta stared at the building in awe.
“Wow, this place is massive! Who has the prince fought, that they had to make the place so big?” Ashta asked.
“This arena seats about thirty thousand people at full capacity. No, we do not have that many that attend, but many come to see the live action. The competitors have been pretty large,” explained Shane, as the car came to a stop.
Slowly, Shane and Ashta got out of the car, and Ashta could see the long line of people waiting to get in and take their seats. Shane led Ashta through a back door, and they walked down a short hallway. Furthermore, he led her to a dressing room, and they walked inside.
“You do know how to fight, correct?” he asked, curiously, and she nodded.
“Good, because this guy is a very dirty fighter, and he will try to destroy your very existence,” he warned, and Ashta nodded.
She wasn’t scared. The prince was a pretty big guy, but the bigger they were, the harder they would fall. However, she really didn’t want to fight him.
What was the harm and trying to talk things out and come up with a solution? Why does everything have to result in violence? Ashta thought, as she shook her head.
She couldn’t worry about those things now. She had to stay focused. Horrifically, she was about to be thrown into a huge death pit with the land’s greatest champion, and she had to stay on her toes. Suddenly, a loud buzzer echoed through the room and Ashta quickly covered her ears and looked at Shane.
“That just means that fans are being seated,” said Shane, as Ashta put her hands down.
“I have faith in you!” he said, and she looked at him.
“You can do this!”
Ashta swallowed hard and nodded. She wondered if Roman was there already, and she wondered what could be going through his mind.
******************
Evidently, Roman’s car arrived at the arena, and he got out of the car.
“Look! There he is!” screamed a girl from the crowd, and two guards stood by Roman’s side.
Annoyed, he rolled his eyes. He couldn’t stand being harassed by fans, especially the girls that threw themselves at him. Don’t get him wrong, he liked the attention, but he also could choose to entertain the attention or not. The two guards fended off a group of girls that came charging from the crowd. Roman held his head high and crossed his arms as he looked at the group like they were beneath him.
“Ladies, compose yourselves!” snarled one of the guards.
“Roman!” Rocco greeted, as he made it through the back door of the arena, and Roman only nodded to his father.
Roman could feel a nervousness creep up on him, and he couldn’t remember a time he had felt this nervous. Roman rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck as Rocco looked at his son oddly.
“Are you alright?” he asked, and Roman nodded his head.
“Yeah, just nerves.”
Rocco put his hand on Roman’s shoulder and squeezed hard, making him wince.
“You better get your head in the game, son,” he stated, firmly, and Roman nodded his head, hoping his father would let him go.
His father had always taught him lessons by using force and aggressiveness. Aggravated, Roman shook Rocco’s hand from his shoulder and began to stretch. Suddenly, a loud buzzer rang through the building, signifying that the show was about to start, and Roman took his place as he waited for the hosts to announce his entrance into the arena.
******************
Shane led Ashta to her door, and he explained to her that she and Roman were on opposite sides of the building.
“Okay, they are going to introduce the challenger first, which is you, and then they will introduce the champion, the prince. Show all of them what you are made of,” said Shane, confidently, as he touched her shoulder.
Ashta looked at the funny-looking man and grinned.
“Any advice on how to put on a good show before I reveal myself?” she asked, and then she swallowed hard.
Shane thought for a moment.
“He has a problem with his left knee, an old injury from a couple of fights before this one. The prince is quick, so you will have to be quicker than he is.”
Nervously, Ashta nodded her head and took a deep breath.
“You can do this!” encouraged Shane.
Ashta nodded, and took her place in front of the door, as she waited for it to open.
- Writer
