Free Web NovelChapter 181: Chapter 181 The Challenge
Amber’s POV
The crowd has gone eerie silent, as me and Josephine exchange pleasantries, and when the challenge is a reality a surge of excited mumbles moves from the front to the back. Chase and Blaze are holding each other back, they both want to rip the dragon girls throat out for threatening me, but I couldn’t care less. I finally had enough of these tedious idiots who refuse change no matter how many times both their and my goddess throw fate and prophecies in their heads. They will close them anyway and agree they haven’t seen or heard anything about it.
’Easy guys. Go make sure this will reach even the most remote sites of the Kingdom, and make the clearing ready. I got this.’ I mind-link my two very angry and concerned mates. I know I’m pregnant, but this will not be a hindrance for me. The baby/babies will be fine. I switched the connection.
’Doc, a question?’
’Yes, my Queen.’
’I’ve been forced to enter a challenge. Can I shift into Ignis if necessary?’
’A challenge, my Queen? Yes, you are just on the right side of the pregnancy to shift. A couple more days and my answer would have been no.’ I close that connection again, just in time to see Chase nod, indicating everything is ready.
"If everyone will please follow me." I gesture to the crowd, who makes a passage for me and my family to walk in the front. I notice they close just so Josephine and her cronies can’t follow us but have to stay at the back. I can just barely hear my opponent complain and scream for people to move, but nobody does. I count it as a small victory to have all these dragons protect me before I have to fight on my own. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
We arrive at the clearing where the castle staff has done magic. It’s been turned into an arena in the short amount of time they had since Chase announced the challenge. I know the castle mages have contacted their colleagues in the other parts of the Kingdom to put up screens and transmit the challenge to them. They are also advertising throughout the cities and countryside what is about to go down.
As we reach our side of the arena Melody and Elina are waiting for us, both pairs of eyes are shining with concern.
"Momma, are you really going to fight the bad lady?" Elina asks, her voice shrill, her arms going around me immediately when I’m within reach.
"Yes, baby. I have to fight her. She is trying to steal papa and daddy from me, and the Kingdom, so I have to kick her ass and show her her place." Elina nods with wide eyes. Melody narrows her eyes and crosses her arms.
"We can get rid of her, mommy." She says with a wicked smile, raising an eyebrow. The raise reminds me so much of someone I know.
"You are ever so sweet to suggest that, Princess, but I need to do this on my own. I need to be the one to beat her, so our family can finally be left alone." Melody nods, all though her eyes telling me she’s not happy with my answer.
"What about our siblings, mom?" Elina whispers so only I can hear her. What is all the realm?
"Sibling? Elina, sweetie, we don’t know if there is one or.."
"There’s two, mom." My mouth opens slightly.
"How do you know, honey?"
"I can hear them." She answers with a sweet smile. I close my eyes, listening to the sounds around me. I close off the ones from the clearing - the animals in the treeline, the mages doing different spells to keep everyone and everything safe from the fire we have to conjure, my family arguing about the challenge and the crowd gathering to witness this. I can also hear the people around my opponent, getting her angry and telling her the goddesses will be on her side. I narrow it down by only hearing my own heart beat, beating for me and the unborn children in my stomach. And Elina is right. There’s two heartbeats drumming in my womb. Two little innocent babies counting on me winning and surviving the day. They are a sound of angels, coming to me in the deepest time of need, along with my daughters and mates.
I open my eyes again, smiling down at Elina.
"Aren’t you a clever little Princess?!" I lean down and kiss her head. Chase walks over to us, carrying a sandwich and a bottle of lemonade. My hero!
"Here, baby. Eat and drink I’ve postponed the start of this until you’ve gotten food. Doc said we needed to maintain your blood sugar so you don’t pass out during the challenge. I made sure to get them to take breaks between the tasks to get you food." I raise an eyebrow.
"What did you tell them?"
"That I’m their King and I don’t give a fuck if it isn’t proper protocol, because my MATE will not be starving just because of some slutty bitch." I look him up and down, licking my lips. Never have I been so horny in such a public place, but that was hot as fuck.
"Damn, babe!" He laughs.
"Save that for when you kick her ass. We are also waiting for the other Royals to teleport here. Normally I would be the judge, but seeing that you are participating, I needed to find another way. The other Royals were the only solution we could agree on. Especially with one pair being completely new, and they don’t know you." I nod just as an announcer tells the public the same thing Chase just told me.
"We have half an hour to polish your Dragon lore knowledge off. Ready?" I nod, my mouth full of food. Delicious, tongue melting ham and cheese goodies. Mmh! I don’t even hear what Chase says to begin with, my pregnancy brain only wanting to concentrate on the feeling of the melting cheese on my tongue. "AMBER!" He says with a laugh.
"Huh? What?" I ask, a small blush creeping up on my cheeks. Chase shakes his head.
"Maybe we’ll take it after you eat. You heard nothing just now, did you?" I shake my head, my eyes apologizing for my lack of concentration. Blaze comes over after talking to Berion, who will also be one of the Judges. His eyes are worried, but he keeps smiling and joking to keep the girls calm. Both of them go over the most rare lores to the Dragons, and explain some of their most sacred rituals to me. These are secrets no one shares with a non dragon, and I am the first ever being invited into this world of traditions and laws of old. Most of the more common knowledge I know by heart, but this will be most valuable to me. Luckily for me, Berion has lent me his library ever since I came here, and I already know some of the traditions they will ask me about.
Half an hour later the other Royals have arrived and are seated. Josephine and I are called into the sacred circle where you can’t lie, cheat or deceive. No one can mind-link you with detection and no one can hold up signs with answers. We are alone in these tasks.
"Ready to be defeated?!" Josephine asks all smug, and I narrow my eyes at her.
"I’m ready to beat your ass, yes." I answer. We turn our attention to Berion, getting the rules, do’s and don’ts.
