The Crown's Entrapment

At Cordon Arena, Capital City

Clara's final fight with one of the members of her pack was just about to resume when the news of how the King entered the Princess's trial inside the thousand dreams reached her. It was the mood killer to end mood killers, and she couldn't help but feel spurned yet again by his actions.

"How could he do this!" she ranted out her whole body trembling in shock. Was it not enough for his life to be at risk by being connected with that Princess? Did Darius wish to seek death further by entering that thousand dreams trial?

[He did that because of his deep love for his mate. Can you really not understand the situation, or are you just refusing to face reality?] Sheba mockingly scoffed. [Come now. Ready yourself for a fight. I can't wait for you to get knocked down soon and wake up from your madness!]

Clara let out a wry smile. And who would even be able to afford to knock her out? Maybe Pinra or Bella would manage to do so in the finals? Well, she would rather have Bella defeat her… or maybe the Princess herself if she would be fortunate to get out of that forest alive.

"She has to get out alive," she murmured, knowing that Xenia's survival would also mean Darius's survival. "She has to get out and fight me," she mumbled, biting her lower lip hard enough that it bled, giving her a taste of her own iron-laden blood.

"Lady Clara, are you in any condition to fight?"

Clara heard a familiar voice, one that she had been trying to avoid for a while now. Tilting her head from her seat, she saw Gilas keenly staring at her with knitted brows. And… was that concern she was seeing in his eyes?

[Oh heavens, I just want to crack your head open already myself!] Sheba groaned. [He's your mate! Of course, he's concerned and worried about you!]

Oh right, she almost forgot… She had a mate, but she couldn't feel the pull.

[I can't smell him so it was hard to recognize the pull, but we can still clearly feel the instinct whenever we touch,] Sheba reminded her. [You just need to feel his body, and you will definitely feel the Pull. Touch him!]

Right… Apparently, her wolf only lost her great sense of smell, not the innate instincts that they always had. Still, she was in no mood to feel the instinct right now. Her mind and heart were still wandering about, worrying more about Darius than anything else. Instinct? For her, it was nothing but that wolf-like carnal desire! It was nothing more but LUST!

[I won't debate you for now because I'm trying to understand your feeling. It's a fact that we've been with Darius for long enough for you to grow attached to him, and I've witnessed how genuine your feelings for the man are as you grew,] Sheba conceded with a sigh.

[It's also my fault that this happened. If I hadn't lost my sense of smell, we could've recognized our mate as early as you were eighteen years old. But we didn't because of my incompetence.]

Her wolf groaned as she added, [But please, let's just move on from all of this after this tournament. Hmm, Clara? Let's start anew and move on from the King. Give yourself a chance to experience another sort of love. That's the only way for you to move on…]

Sheba insisted. [If you can let another man enter your heart and invade that space you have solely given to Darius, you'll be all the better for it. No other man would be able to do that but our mate alone.]

"You look so pale, Lady Clara," Gilas pointed out as he scanned her face.

"I'm doing fine, Lord Gilas," she insisted with a faint smile. "I'm just worried upon hearing the news about our King. Please don't worry. I am fit enough to fight."

Gilas didn't bother responding, simply giving her a curt nod before he returned back to his place. Watching him leave, Clara let out a long deep sigh.

Things were getting more awkward between her and Gilas after that shocking revelation of them being mates. There was only silence between the two of them whenever they met, and none of them dared to breach the topic.

Looking in Gilas's direction, she let out another sigh. Based on the dark circles under his eyes, it seemed that Gilas was going through something difficult in his life. And she could bet it was all because of Gilas's father.

She was well aware of the progress happening inside the court and the castle, including Xenia's trials. Hell, there were so many people who were following the Princess's Trials that those shrines that bore the runes to peek into the trials had way more audience members in them compared to this vast arena. There were a lot of empty spaces, and Clara was aware that most were watching the Princess's trials instead of the tournament.

[If you're right about Gilas and his problems… As his mate, we should comfort him.] Sheba suggested. [I'm sure Nasser will force him to do something, but you can help Gilas get away from the clutches of his father. And not only him, but Gilas's mother as well.]

[He's the Alpha of his own pack, Sheba, and not Nasser. He has power, but he chooses not to use it against his father. That means that it's his own fight. One that he should handle alone,] Clara rebutted.

[He should make the right choice this time. If he doesn't do anything at all and simply watches his father spread his wickedness, then I don't agree with you at all. Even if he's my mate, I will reject him. I don't want a man who doesn't have his own will to stand for what he believes in. Playing safe was always a coward's move for me, Sheba. Have you seen Darius act that way?]

Sheba didn't comment. Her wolf knew that she was right. Darius was never a coward. Yes, he acted on impulse, and he could be reckless at most times, but that was all because he stood firm with what he believed in. He took all responsibility for his actions, whether the outcomes of them were good or bad.

Even now, Clara couldn't help but feel envious of how Darius was handling the situation involving the Princess. But then, she should really try moving on like Sheba suggested that she would.

[How about backing down from this tournament for a start?] Sheba, who was listening in on her thoughts, coaxed.

[We can't, Sheba. Pinra is nailing every round,] Clara lamented. [I'm sure that she's one of Nasser's backup plans. We have to do something…]

[Does this mean that you'll really turn away now from your original goal of joining this tournament?] Sheba excitedly asked.

[Stop blabbering too much,] Clara shook her head. [It's our turn to fight now.]

Getting up on her feet, Clara prepared herself for another fight. If that was how the winds blew, then perhaps she simply had no choice but to follow.

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