Chapter 96 Untitled Chapter

Chapter 96 Untitled Chapter
Rina stared directly at the king as she stated her request. “What I want is—”

Before she could finish her statement though, she was interrupted by the last person she’d ever expected it from.

“Wait.”

A single word. But it changed everything.

Everyone’s eyes turned to the newcomer in surprise and considerable interest. When Rina finally turned, her eyes widened in shock.

For the first time in a long while, her poise left her. Her? What was she doing here? Wasn’t this the one they called, 

“Frieda?”

Her face barely changed, the moonlight highlighting the harsh scar across her eyebrow. “Rina, I’ve come to challenge you to a match for the Luna challenges.”

Short, blunt and straight to the point. The female appeared suddenly like a hound from hell and thought she could request a match? Rina could barely keep from scoffing.

“What do you mean by challenge me?” She gave a short hollow laugh. “There can’t be any challenges tonight. It’s  

the festival of the new moon.”

Frieda refused to rise to her taunt. “There’s no rule that says that the Luna challenges can’t be held on the new moon festival, is there?”

Rina frowned, knowing that was the truth. But there was no way that they could actually have a match tonight. It wasn’t part of the plan. It would ruin everything.

Frieda continued, her dark eyes never leaving Rina’s. “As you all know I'm among the challengers chosen to fight for the match and I’ve decided that I want to do it now.” She cast the awestruck official a brief glance. “Or is that against the rules?”

The official cleared his throat. “No, not at all. According to the rule book the match can take place anywhere at any time.”

“That’s besides the point,” Rina cut in harshly, careful to keep her voice even. “My point here is that the new moon festival is a time for celebration not battles. If we fight now, there’s no telling what might happen. Innocent people could be harmed.” Not that she cared about all that, but she just couldn’t afford to fight now. Not when the new moon was so close.

It was especially worse because the moon affected her differently, in a way she didn’t like and she couldn’t let anyone see her.

The king spoke up then. “You should let us worry about that. I think the real question here is whether the people want this match to happen… or not.”

Just then several people in the crowd started hollering and before you knew it, a loud crowd began chanting for the match to take place. They might have come here simply to celebrate the new moon but throw in a high stakes match, where the promise of blood spilling was almost assured and their excitement went through the roof.

“Fight! Fight!” They cried in an almost deranged kind of high.

Shit. Everywhere she looked the people were shouting for the match to take place. Then she caught a glimpse of a triumphant smile curling the king’s lips and she knew she had just been played.

This had been his plan all along. He had known that she was going to come to collect the boon that she’d been promised and this was his plan to make sure it didn’t happen.

But he had gravely underestimated her.

If she had to fight another match. So be it. She would fight it and she would win, no matter what.

But she looked at the female in front of her, Frieda. How exactly had the king managed to pull her in on his plan? She remembered her human first impression about her.

Broody and hiding quite a lot of pain inside but good. Seems like she’d been wrong.

She turned to the king. “What about my boon? I’m still yet to request it.”

The king raised the golden goblet in his hand and took a sip, taking his sweet time to answer, “I’ll grant you your boon. After your match of course.”

Rina opened her mouth to protest but the king held up a royal finger. “Wait, let me finish. I know it may look unfair to you but there’s an even bigger reward waiting for you at the end if you win.”

Seeing he had his audience captivated, he leaned in further, “You see, Miss Rina, if you win this match, it’ll be your final match for the Luna challenges.” Rina blinked, the crowd gasped. “You’ll no longer have to fight any more contenders and I, the king, will step down and crown you queen myself.”

That left a bitter taste in Rina’s tongue. As if she wanted the king anywhere near her in her space. Then she spotted the smug smile and realized why he had made such an offer. He didn’t expect her to take it. He was saying this to rile the audience up. So that when she refused, he could find one excuse or another to throw her in jail and refuse to grant her her boon. 

It would all come together nicely and the crowd would support him in their anger at being thwarted.

Rina smiled slowly. She had sensed his game and she would beat him in it.

“I accept.”

There was more screaming. 

Then official hollered, “For the very first time in history, a Luna challenges will take place on the night of the new moon!”

As he kept on talking, Rina simply looked at the king and mouthed, “I’ll make you eat your words.”

The king turned an angry red under his robes. She grinned.

She hadn’t wanted the throne before . But now all she wanted was to see the king’s face as he placed that crown on her head.

She threw off her cloak on the ground as several omegas appeared on the field to get it battle ready.

Frieda sniffed and her eyes narrowed on the blood stain on the front of her dress. 

“You’re injured.”

Rina glanced down at her side, noting that the wound had stopped bleeding but had still not healed. Strange.

“Yes but that’s none of your business. Let’s get this over with.” She settled into a fighting stance.

Frieda’s gaze hardened and the official began the countdown.

“The rules of the game are the same as before. Whoever is unable to fight again is the winner of this match!”

As the people in the audience screamed, he shouted, “Let the games begin!”

And the bell rang.

Hybrid Rina watched her opponent trying to gauge her fighting skills. From the very little information she knew about the female, she was said to be quiet and kept to herself. This didn't tell her anything about her abilities but she knew not to underestimate the female.

From the moon light that shone above she could see that Frieda regarded her with the same watchfulness trying to pry for her weakness.

She would find none.

“Don’t just stand there. Come at me.”

Frieda crouched low to the ground and suddenly two daggers appeared at her side.

She grinned, bloodlust in her eyes.

“Gladly.”