Page 14 of Dueling the Suitors

Astoria whirled towards the commanding voice in disbelief. “Are you serious, Father?” she shouted and stomped towards the steps leading up to the royal box. “Or do you so desperately want me to marry someone who doesn’t watch his steps and doesn’t know the colour of my eyes?”

Emmett was with her in a blink and hugged her to his side before he turned and looked up at their father. “Can’t you accept that your daughter has proven herself powerful enough to beat the second most powerful Mage in existence, and by doing so, she has somehow become the second most powerful herself?”

The king rose from his throne and glared down at them. “Merely tripping him doesn’t mean she is, by any means, more powerful than Wizard Orion!”

“Fine!” Astoria stepped out of her brother’s arms. Her eyes swept around the arena at the audience who sat behind the protection barriers that Wizard Orion had provided. “One more round, and you, our esteemed guests, will be the judges this time.”

“Stor.” Emmett grabbed her arm as she turned to walk back to the center.

She met his eyes with a determined flare. “I’ve got this, Brother.”

He let go of her hesitantly, and Astoria walked back to her place. She asked her grandfather, who kept protesting she was the victor, to return to his safe spot. Then she faced her opponent again.

“You asked for this, Wizard. Go on.”

Two balls of light formed in the wizard’s hands. He swung his arms back before releasing them towards her.

Astoria immediately remembered something she had read from thePrince of Larklast night. She could defeat him withhispowers. She had never done this before, but she was morethan willing to try. No better time than now to see if the trick the nameless Prince of Lark used to backfire at his enemy would work for her too, just like most of his other tricks did.

Instead of dodging or creating a barrier, she brought her hands in front of her and caught the wizard’s balls of light in her hands. The wizard kept throwing at her, and with each catch, her collection grew.

Realization mixed with apprehension and then horror crossed his face. He stopped at once. Astoria took the chance and released all the energy she’d gathered towards him, along with a blast of her own.

The wizard cast a barrier in front of him, but the magic crashed through it and sent him flying to the ground.

A deafening roar arose in the arena.

Astoria tore her gaze from the fallen wizard and looked around her. Everyone was on their feet, clapping and cheering her name. But what caught her attention most was the howler that came from the royal box.

Emmett.

She gaped at him as he hollered and punched the air like not even his reputation as the stoic Crown Prince of Daliston would stop him from being her cheerleader.

Astoria grinned wide.

He then hurried down the stairs and ran towards her, crushing her against him in a hug. Astoria felt the immensity of relief radiating from him and melted into his embrace.

“I am so sorry I doubted you, little one. I promise, never will I ever doubt you again.”

Astoria squeezed him. “I know you were merely concerned for me. But thank you, Emmett.”

She pulled apart from him and stole a glance at Wizard Orion who was barely pushing himself back to his feet. Then she looked back at the royal box. Silas clapped lazily, a smirk tugging at hislips that said he was impressed. She smirked back and glanced at her father. He sat like a statue.

“I believe you accept me as the victor now?” she called out to him.

“Victor and second most powerful to Emperor Cyrus!” Grandpa Cassius declared from behind them, in his master-of-ceremonies voice.

Uh-oh. He shouldn’t have said that last bit in front of so many people, or at all.

Shut up, Sky. You cannot deny he isn’t wrong.Astoria smirked at her best friend, who was still on her grandfather’s shoulders.

I am proud of you, Astoria.Skylar’s mouth curved upward into a smile, with the gentle lift of his whiskers and the soft tilt of his head.

Grandpa Cassius grabbed her wrist and lifted it in the air, his face glowing with pride. “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the victor of both rounds of this magical duel—Princess Astoria of Daliston!”

Amid the cheer of the courtiers that wasn’t as loud as at first—blame the women who glared at their husbands and sons with disapproval for forgetting their station and shouting like the peasants would—and the embraces from her brother and grandfather, Astoria looked back at Wizard Orion.

No one spared him a glance, and he had his eyes only on her.

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