Page 161 of The White King's Favorite

Cessilia suddenly turned her head to Lord Yebekh, directing her rage to the one she held most responsible.

“Is th-this what you want?” she asked aloud. “A k-king that k-kills without a second th-thought?”

Her voice was fueled with anger over Yassim’s death, and resonating like thunder in the cave. She was shocked, sad, and mad, but she wouldn’t let the ones responsible for this go unscathed. Despite everything, Cessilia held some hope that she could stop this madness. After all, there were still many people present who were just as shocked as they were. In any case, it was now clearly the Yekara Clan against everyone else.

“A king that listens to his people!” shouted Yebekh, drawing out his sword. “Instead of listening to a pathetic, stuttering foreigner!”

“If you wanted an obedient puppet, you could have at least chosen a sane man,” scoffed Tessandra, who had come to the same conclusion as her cousin, “or is it you just wanted to stir trouble? No one will want that pathetic, insane piece of shit for a king! That guy’s obviously mad!”

“Oh, I’m not mad,” chuckled Rohin, “unless you mean furious, unrestrained, and dying to take back what should have been mine! My father had chosen me.”

He stepped forward, in Ashen’s direction this time, and the King directed his sword at him. However, Rohin kept walking in their direction very slowly, his expression torn between anger and calm.

“Did you know that, brother? It should have been me. I was the strongest, the smartest, and Father’s favorite son.”

“You weren’t his son.”

“Sure, maybe not by blood. But unlike you, Father actually chose me... Doesn’t that make me more his son than you?”

He smirked, obviously very proud of himself. However, he didn’t find the expected reaction. Instead, Ashen’s eyes hadn’t gone as cold as ice, but rather indifferent. Cessilia took her hand off his arm, leaving him to get ready for the fight. She knew this time, he was controlling his emotions. He had never fought for his legitimacy. On the contrary, Ashen almost hated being his father’s son all along. He hated his biological father, and he didn’t like his adopted siblings much more either. If Rohin had somehow hoped to make him mad with that statement, he was far off the mark.

“...What are you really doing here, Rohin?” asked Ashen.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’ve come to reclaim the throne! I wish I could have stayed away, but... see, since you’re doing such a poor job, I have no choice but to step in. It’s for our Kingdom’s sake, Ashen. The Yekara Clan believes I’d be a better king than you. So, are you going to yield?”

After those words, he suddenly took out a long sword, holding it with both hands. He was now just a few steps away from Ashen, and ready to fight. Grunting, Ashen prepared himself all the same, while Cessilia took a step back, and turned her gaze to the Yekara Clan.

“You’re c-commiting a g-grave mistake.”

“You’re the mistake, you swine of the Empire!” shouted Yebekh. “Everything would have been fine if the Dragon Empire had stayed out of this!”

“You traitor, Yebekh!” shouted the Sehsan Tribe Leader. “How could you ever bring one of King Ashtoran’s people in here?! After everything we went through to bring back peace, you’re just asking for another civil war!”

“Then another civil war, it will be!” he retorted. “We will fight for the integrity of our Kingdom! Blame your King for choosing a foreigner over one of his own people’s women! My daughter is the only one fit to become Queen!”

The cave was turning into chaos. Everyone present was slowly realizing the battle could start at any moment, and they were trapped in here already. A few from the tribes stood up, glancing toward the entrances and wondering whether they should make a run for it or not. However, it was already too late. Many of the people from the Yekara Clan had already run ahead, standing in the way and blocking those exits. Everywhere, people were drawing swords and weapons out, ready to fight. It was all going down much too fast. Some of the Royal Guards were even turning against their peers, positioning themselves like the Yekara people to block the exits.

“I knew it. Damn traitors...” hissed Sabael, his hand clenching on his sword.

Yebekh also got down to the arena, a smile on. Cessilia glared at this man. She really had underestimated him. This was never about the competition or his candidates. She wasn’t sure if he had planned his niece’s death or not, but she was now sure things would have turned this way, regardless of whether she won the battle or not; as long as Ashen didn’t repudiate her, this would have been the outcome anyway. This was all part of a plan, a trap, and they had walked right into it.

“King Ashen,” he claimed out loud, “this is your one chance to step down. We will let you flee to the Dragon Empire with the Princess, with your promise to never come back to the Kingdom again! You shall be considered a traitor, and banished from this land!”

“No.”

Ashen hadn’t hesitated a single second, and Cessilia felt a bit proud of him. Some time ago, this might have been an appealing offer, to leave this position he didn’t like much to someone else, and be able to be with Cessilia. However, this Ashen was determined. His eyes hadn’t left his so-called brother, electing him as his opponent, and no one else.

Tessandra stood ahead of Cessilia, between her and Lord Yebekh.

“...Sure you don’t want to fight, Cessi?” muttered Tessandra. “You don’t have to be scared.”

“...I’m n-not scared to fight, T-Tessa,” muttered Cessi. “...I’m s-scared of what I’m c-capable of.”

“Fair enough.”

The first clash of blades came from Ashen and Rohin. In a moment she had missed, the two former siblings had jumped on each other, starting their duel and the battle in the cave. This threw everyone on the stairs into even more panic. The other families’ people began to shout and try to run to the exits, only to be blocked by the Yekara people. Swords swung, and fights began all around the cave. Those who had weapons had decided very quickly to fight their way through, and even those without were trying to force their way to the exits, or attack the Royal Guards and Yekara people somehow. However, the number was overwhelming. With so many Royal Guards switching sides, the Yekara were almost as many as everyone else.

“You damn dragon bitches,” hissed Yebekh. “I’ll get rid of you two and send your heads back to the Empire, along with that wretched dragon of yours!”

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