INTRODUCTION OF THE BATTLE OF THE NEXT BETA
ZARYA'S POV
I gathered everything that I could put on my bag. Tomorrow would be a judgment day if I could pass the first task to enter the game. I was in fear and Hali could not tell me not to be afraid of that battle. I hated to leave my brother alone.
I sat on the bed while looking at the mirror glued to the wall. I slowly stood up and walked towards it.
"You are the daughter of the Great Beta. If your father passes all the tasks given to him. Why would you not?" I grabbed plenty of heavy air and let it out deeply. My eyes narrowed in bravery, and the flashes of images came into my mind.
"Stand up! Show me that you are not just a woman who will give your body to the Alpha King of Water just to survive!" Hali made everything so difficult during the training. I was crawling on the muddy surface of soil while he was teaching me how to fight just using my hand, in the case of if my feet were broken.
I was so livid at him at that time. I felt like he was just tripping around and just love to punish me. "Stand up, you cunt!" He whispered into my ear.
I stood up even though my knee was trembling in pain. He hit that twenty times with arnis. The pain was unbearable that any moment I would drop. "You are not just a woman! Mark that into your dull mind!"
I managed not to react and not to show my madness to him. When I was rolling in the thousands of thorns, my body was bathing with blood. After the long day of beating me, teaching me to punch, kick, and strategies, he would take me at night. My shouts were giving me pity for myself. My sobs and cry and fear and trauma and sadness and sacrifice were all worth it when I heard him talking one of the nights.
"I am an asshole." I knew he was in pain due to the tone of his voice. I was pretending that I was sleeping, naked, full of bruises, cuts, and burns and all.
How can I sleep if I am feeling the deep scars in my heart? But that night was life-changing.
"Your road to The Battle Of The Next Betas will be so difficult." I felt his brush on my hair. He even fixed the blanket to fully covered my body. "All you've been through in the training would be repeated in that game. I wanted you to be ready. I wanted to see you on the platform with your head high and saying you are the daughter of the Great Beta…" His voice was never been gentle during the training. I cursed him because of that, but tonight he was like other people.
"... And even if you are a female, you will serve as the voice of all women to fight for their own. I like you not to be Zarya Wixx, the daughter of the Great Beta, but Zarya Wixx who is the life-changing woman who brings history to our kingdom. You will be the inspiration to all women who had been abused and belittled by men… You will be their hope. The model that will break the gender equality issues in the Elemental Kingdom." I felt his kiss on my forehead. "Looking forward to your success."
After that night, I understand Hali. Why he was doing all those things to me. Why he was so hard on me. Sometimes, I was still mad. So mad. It came naturally to him to be a Mad King. There were times, I wanted to kill him. However, every time I heard about his dream of me and how I would become in his mind, I stopped myself from hating him.
Going back to reality, someone was knocking on my door. When I opened it, Hali was there again, standing. He entered without even my permission.
"I won't sleep here tonight." His voice sounded like usual conversation.
"This is not your room, King Water."
"I know." He blew air as if he was so problematic. "Break a leg for tomorrow." That was all and he would leave me in an instant which I could not understand. Before he left, he looked back at me and said. "My water is always with you."
My forehead formed a furrow as I watched him away. My water is always with you? Does that mean… he loves me? No, that can be assumed, but why would he say that?
I ran suddenly as I could not take back my feelings anymore. He was walking in the hallway when I held his arm and whispered. "Can I take another minute of your time?"
"I have not much time. Spell it." His eyes were settled into my face which gave me tension.
I held the air in my lungs and blew it out. I pulled all my courage together and gathered all the strengths I had before I had the ability to say the magic words. "I love you, King Water."
It was obvious that he froze, and did not even know how to react or what to say.
"It's okay to not respond." I gave him a sad smile while the tears threatened the side of my eyes. "It's okay, really… I just like to say it and… I will bring that love fighting for your dream for me." The sob that I was holding back appeared on my expression.
"No crying," Hali commanded, so I stopped myself.
"No crying," I repeated as I managed to halt my tears and when I won against my pain, I smiled at him widely. "Thank you for all your teaching, King Water. I will always remember it."
He used his thumb to remove the tears from my cheek. "Five years will be long, going home will be hard, and training will be bloody." He glued our foreheads together. "Just come back. My command is my command."
"I will… for you." I tiptoed and gave him the sweetest kiss I had ever done in my entire life.
Without a response to my 'I love you' does not mean I will stop loving him. It will just be an inspiration for more better.
I lost my hope, you give it back. Now, you are the hope itself. Days with you were painful, but the happiest days of my life. If I would be given a chance to repeat the night my family got killed, I would not choose you again. No matter how loud your shout or no matter how rude you are.
Because I will forever love you without asking for a return. This is my sincere affection for the Alpha King Of Water.
*****
I walked with the proud on my face, chinned up with a bright face. Everyone was looking at me. Most of the women who joined the games were the daughter of the high-born families, they liked to have a strong one that would be a sacrifice to be a servant fighter for the Elemental Kingdom. My face was new to them or maybe they saw me as an Omega.
"Who is she?"
"Is she serious?"
"She will just die."
"She has no chance to be a beta."
The Alpha Kings were sitting in front of the Higher King, Lady of all ladies, Ministers, and other high borns. Hali was not shocked, he knew this, but his brothers were. Raiden's eyes were obvious that he liked to ask me why. The last time he talked to me, he gave me the advice to be with my brother in the Human World to avoid any threats in our life.
I showed my full face to everyone without a trace of fear and hesitation. "I am Zarya Wixx, the daughter of the Great Beta…" I looked up even high to show my confidence in my proposal. "Permit me to join The Battle of the Next Beta as I want to continue the legacy of my father's bravery and loyalty to the Elemental Kingdom." The rumors automatically whispered.
"The daughter of Zakan Wixx."
"She's still a woman."
"How can a woman survive? Even those high borns will soon die."
The hall was filled with different opinions of people which I ignored. After a few seconds, all of the attention came to the man who entered the hall. My eyes widened when he spoke up. "I am Khal Wixx, the firstborn son of the Great Beta, Zakan Wixx. Permit me to join The Battle of the Next Beta as I want to be strong like my father. I want to serve the Elemental Kingdom with all my body, blood, and soul."