**3rd Person POV**
Charlotte was not quick to respond to this request. For all she knew the vampire king could be throwing her into a ring of wild bears and asking her to fight them off as a game. She knew that such games were common here. She was not about to risk her life as entertainment to other people. She was of Royal blood and would not indulge in such a game.
“It would depend on the game, Your Majesty,” returned Princess Charlotte. The throne room was quiet for a full minute after that as everyone waited patiently for what the vampire was going to propose.
“My prince is the best swordsman in my kingdom. Now, I hear that you are the best in not just your kingdom but in your entire werewolf clan. They tell me that whole armies fall by your sword. Do I hear right, Princess?” quipped the old king. Charlotte did not like this; she had always fought for the honour of her homeland and not her honour or name. More so, the king was not asking for a mere game. He was asking for a compromise. If she defeated his prince, then she would be tagged a bad guest and would insinuate that she was ready to go to war with him if her demands were not met. However, if she allowed the prince to beat her then it would make not just her appear weak but the entire werewolf clan.
“You seem to be overthinking this, it is just a game. The results do not determine anything,” commented the king when he saw that his request seemed to have put the young princess in a dilemma.
“I would concede defeat then,” replied Charlotte. By doing this, she would keep the man guessing. However, the king of Dome was not one to take no for an answer.
“If you choose to do so then perhaps, Prince Harlin shall indulge me in another game? A very interesting game really…” The King of Dome had a cynical smile as he turned his attention to Harlin. Harlin felt strangely uncomfortable by the man's stares and he became a little bit scared. What if this was about Lady Francesca? Was this a threat?
Charlotte was thinking the same thing. It was possible that the vampire king knew about Harlin’s affairs. He could reveal his mother's trespasses or punish him for his current affair with Lady Francesca. Either way, the vampire king had her. She had to protect her friend.
“I wished to spare your prince from a sure embarrassment but I changed my mind. You are sure, Your Majesty, that this prince is your best? When I defeat him, I do not want anyone saying it is because you sent your second best,” Charlotte's eyes were red with anger. No one messed with her friends, absolutely no one. From the corner of her eye, she could see Reginald nod a little in encouragement. That was all she needed; her twin's support and she could take down even the devil.
“You are very proud but I assure you that my prince will defeat you. The stakes of the game are simple. You fight till you draw blood,” the vampire king smiled but Charlotte did not return his smile. He had challenged her and he was going to regret it.
The people moved to what Charlotte could see as a vast arena. She was standing in the middle of it all with only her sword. The place was dimly lit although to the vampires she understood that it was bright. It was not a problem though because she could summon her wolf's night vision.
Minutes later, a familiar figure strode into the arena’s open space. It was the vampire prince from the night before. Charlotte stood her ground; she was not scared of him one bit. She was very tall herself so his height was not intimidating to her and her body had been trained for war so she was prepared for anything. The man came closer and when he was within breathing distance of her, he said, “Where's your Thunder?”
He took two steps back immediately after so that Charlotte would be left pondering his words and not have a refute.
Charlotte scoffed. The vampire was trying to get under her skin. She was not surprised that he knew about Thunder. She had chosen not to bring her beloved horse on this trip but that did not mean she did not have a more fearsome horse waiting for her in the stalls. She allowed his comment to slide off her as water fell off leather.
She could spot a shadow of disappointment on the vampire's face. Clearly, he had expected her to be affected by his comment but she was not moved at all. She smiled, encouraging him to hit first and he did.
He found her smile to be taunting and more than anything he wanted to get rid of her sick smile. He lunges forward and with all his might aims for her midsection. His father had said he should only draw blood but he was going to fight to death and end this all in one strike. However, he had underestimated Charlotte who had seen him coming and had bent down so that the vampire hit the air and due to the impact of his strike found himself on the ground.
The vampire prince could not believe what had just happened. He was on the ground and he could hear his own people shouting ‘boo’ at him. He was incensed with rage. He was even more so when he picked himself up from the ground only to face his opponent who had a demeaning smile on her face and had her hands akimbo. His blind rage drove him forward again with full force. He was determined to give her a taste of her own medicine.
He aimed for the centre of her head this time but Charlotte who had learnt grace along with swordsmanship, somersaulted to avoid his attack.