Theron didn’t seem to react much to the words, but Oxon blinked so rapidly you’d think she might accidentally dry her eyes out. Her eyes bounced back and forth between Theron and Thessa.
“Oh my, Little Theron. Don’t tell me you have something going on with the princess consort? That’s so dangerous, you bad boy. I could swear I smell jealousy in the air.”
A flash of murderous rage sparked in Thessa’s eyes. It seemed as though she might lash out at any moment.
“I would be careful with your words, Oxon.”
Theron didn’t say anything other than that, but his implication was clear.
The last people to say such things about the princess consort ended up dead. And unlike them, Oxon wasn’t supposedly best friends with this princess consort at all. She’d have even less qualms about killing her.
There wasn’t even the slightest hint of sarcasm in Theron’s voice, and it sounded like he said it very seriously. Honestly, there wasn’t the slightest hint of a fault to find against him. Even if there had been a noble of substantial power here, it was doubtful that even they would dare to act on this much alone.
But that didn’t stop Oxon from quickly covering her mouth like a giddy little girl, or from flames sparking in Thessa’s hair.
“… I thought you were much better than this,” Thessa said with a seething heat in her voice.
There was truly no fault to pick with Theron, but she had lost so much in these last few days, and now she was being treated like a fool. She was already teetering on an edge, and Theron seemed to be kicking at her back.
“I’m sorry if I’ve offended you in any way—.”
“ENOUGH.” Thessa roared, her hair dancing in a fiery rain. She unsheathed a flaming sword, the air in the region superheating to the point that Thralix’s younger cousin was forced to take several steps back.
The young man had been quiet since everyone appeared, not that there had been much of a chance to speak. But it was clear that, unlike with Yonowai’s death, the Ironharts were taking Thralix’s far harder. He didn’t even look like he wanted to be here.
“Princess consort, I have no intention of fighting you,” Theron said seriously.
“Bring out your weapon, coward,” Thessa said through gritted teeth. “You can hide behind a woman, but you can’t fight one? What sort of man are you?”
Theron’s frown deepened.
“You can insult me if you’d like, but I won’t be fighting any unsanctioned battles against a noble, least of all a princess consort. My life isn’t worth enough, and I don’t have any protectors to swoop in and save me at the last moment.”
Thessa’s eyes spit fire.
“Are you trying to say I’ll need such a thing?!”
Theron didn’t even know how to respond to such an irrational statement. Clearly he was speaking about protecting his own life, but after shaking his head inwardly, he was quite calm.
’She’s more unstable than I thought she’d be.’
The plan was to goad her. But it wasn’t supposed to be so easy.
Judging by her reaction during the banquet, it shouldn’t be difficult to get her up in arms. This, though, made his job easier.
“I’m saying I have no intention of dying because of a noble’s temper.” Theron showed a bit of a hard edge for the first time.
“Do you think I need to rely on something like that?! If you want a sanctioned battle, I will give it to you! Do you think you’re someone now that you’re marrying into the Vermouth Clan?! You’re a shame to your parents! The only merit worth much of anything in life comes from yourself!” 𐍂Ɲꝋ𝐁ĚS̈
“Oh?” Theron’s gaze became icy cold. “And are you under the assumption that Earldoms just marry their talented daughters off to any commoner? If a sanctioned fight is what you want, then it is what I will give you.
“Ten moves,” he said, “if you can last through ten moves of mine you can have my head.”
Theron pivoted on his heel, a chilling aura surrounded him. The room should have been hot to the point of forcing even Mancers like themselves to twist, and yet several felt as though goosebumps were gliding up and down their skin.
Thessa felt some of the flames in her eyes cooling. The protector by her side suffered a slight twitch in his hand, but just barely managed to stop himself from drawing his weapon.
’Princess, we are leaving.’
A voice pierced into Thessa’s mind, waking her up.
Thessa frowned. “No.”
’Princess.’
Thessa took her hand away before it could be grabbed and marched after Theron, her fury returning.
These people wanted to control everything about her life. She wouldn’t have it.
The protector could only watch, frowning. At this point, taking Thessa away by force would only make things worse.
…
Gongs echoed through the Nightingale Pagoda. As one of the central economic hubs of the city—or rather The central hub—there were many more things to do here than just buy things.
There was no way the Pagoda wouldn’t take such an opportunity.
News of a marriage of the Vermouth Clan’s young princess had been spread almost artificially slowly… until it all suddenly exploded.
Knowledge that the Nightingales thought they had strong control over spiraled and soon a scenery was painted for the citizens of Thistle Brook…
A princess consort looking to prove herself…
A young commoner marrying into a Clan far above his station…
A man and a woman both pining for validation.
It was an interesting story to be sure.
One made maybe all the more interesting by an underlying insinuation.
Pining for validation? Or frustrated by their inability to control their own marriages?
A woman promised to a prince she had hardly ever met. A man humiliated into marrying into a Clan that wasn’t his own.
It sounded more like a fascinating love story twisted into a sickening plot of blood and vengeance.
But neither of the two seemed very aware of the changes to the outside world. At the very least… Thessa would have no idea until it was far too late.
As for Theron… he wasn’t in the mood to consider how smooth his plans were going.
…
The crowd’s noise faded to Theron. He didn’t even hear them, nor did he even see much of the arena itself. It had all faded away, and there was nothing else but a vague form before him.
He couldn’t see Thessa’s beauty, or even the curving outline of her silhouette. He had forgotten about everything.
Until something triggered in his mind. Maybe after he was finished, he would recall that that had been the judge’s command to begin. But right now, even that had faded.
He took a step forward.
[Bursting Water Shield] took form, looming large and mighty. Three [Water Bullets] formed behind it, curving forward and across blind spots.
Fire and water clashed, but a [Water Wrap] formed from the shattered [Water Bullets] the instant they splashed into a pool by Thessa’s feet.
She was ripped into the air, a tendril wrapping her ankle.
[Bursting Water Shield] shattered from an attack Theron hardly seemed to register, but the plumes of fire encased in water were sent spiraling in all directions.
Thessa was tossed into the air by [Water Wrap] just as Theron closed the final distance, his fist smashing into her face.
The princess consort landed heavily out of the arena as the howls of the crowd faded into a silence.
She twitched just once, her will alone seemingly wanting her to stand. Then… she lost consciousness.