The Crown's Entrapment

Temporarily cutting her connection with Darius, Xenia raised her sword against Pinra. Her vision still refocusing after enduring the lightning attack that just went through her. Behind her, Clara was still on the ground, audibly groaning as the latter struggled to get on her feet.

'Focus... Remember that last bit of information that Darius told you...'

Her eyes flew across the battlefield, she quickly assessed the current state of everybody present. In terms of potential allies, Clara and Bella were still out of commission. She wouldn't get any sort of support from them for a long while. Meanwhile, Ladies Evelyn and Benet had seemingly gotten some reprieve, all due to Pinra having wordlessly motioned for what remained of her minions to gather to her side. Just from the way their enemies stood, it was clear that they were planning something.

'Bella had already downed a few of them, at least,' she inwardly pointed out to herself. 'It's three against four... Very much doable. Although...'

Her grip tightened on her sword as she saw the glint of malice in Pinra's eyes. Xenia watched as the woman looked to the stands, her gaze quickly spotting Nasser as the two visibly exchanged a wordless conversation. Her opponent cursed under her breath, and her minions began moving as they circled around her.

"You'll regret coming down here, Princess," Pinra spat out. "Be grateful that I don't have the time to spend with you right now."

Xenia raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Running away, are we?"

"Don't you dare insinuate that I'm running away," Pinra growled, her hands already crackling with yet another salvo of dark lightning. "I'm being smart, unlike you."

*KRAKATHOOM!*

Once more, a loud thunderclap erupted across the arena. Xenia dove to the ground, narrowly avoiding Pinra's attack. She felt her hairs standing on end as the static energies flew over her, forcing her to stay still and wait for Pinra to call the attack off.

"Stay here and be a good Princess along with the other hopefuls," Pinra scoffed, her hands smoking with power as Xenia barely got a glimpse of her. "As for myself, I'm doing the smart thing and leaving."

Xenia gasped in anger. "Coward!"

Pinra didn't even flinch at the insult as she went ahead and left the arena. Meanwhile, Xenia could only watch and click her tongue at the cowardice on display. Even as she found herself stuck on the ground due to Pinra's preventative tactic of keeping her down, she couldn't help but growl in anger.

'What a cheap move,' Xenia inwardly spat out. 'And I'm sure that her minions will try and use this opportunity to get rid of me and the others.'

A few seconds later, the lighting disappeared, finally letting Xenia stand back up to her full height. A ways away from her, Lady Benet and Lady Evelyn had also stood back up, both of them seemingly looking at her for directions as they stood near her.

And of course, Pinra's minions stood at the ready in front of them, all of them looking ready to kill despite their leader having left them for dead.

"Right... Let's get this over with," Xenia sighed. Turning around, she addressed her allies, "Lady Benet, Lady Evelyn, feel free to leave these rabbles to me. Go ahead and secure your seats."

"What? Are you looking down on us?" Lady Evelyn asked in disbelief.

"We're more than capable of defending ourselves," Lady Benet scoffed. "If anything, you're the one that needs our help."

Xenia chuckled. "Well, if you two insist, then let's try not to get everyone killed."

With a snap of her fingers, everything seemed to fall into place as the three remaining minions lashed out at her and her group. Of course, Xenia was ready for them to come. Deftly dancing through their attacks with graceful precision, her counterattacks were equally as devastating. Likewise, her two allies held their ground, each of them keeping one minion busy as they fought three against three.

She fell into a trance, her focus solely on her opponents and the women she was currently protecting. Nobody got to her, and nobody got past her to try and hurt the injured. Still, her allies were tiring, and she knew she had to try and relieve them from battle somehow.

"Nghh...."

'Bella?'

Xenia took a passing glance at one of the injured. Sure enough, Bella started to stir, forcing herself to stand up as her eyes shot open with a hint of panic. "P-Princess?!"

Xenia's eyes quickly flashed with an idea. This was perfect. She could get Bella to try and get the rest to safety. "No time to chat, Lady Bella," she called out, her sword just having sliced through one of her opponents. "Go and get an empty spot along with the rest. I can handle this alone."

"R-Right..." Bella nodded. "Thank you, Princess."

Xenia could watch as Bella then went and convinced the rest to go with her. Seeing them leave, she could only shake her head at their obvious reluctance to leave. They didn't even notice their own exhaustion as they walked, their legs wobbling as they went up to the other vacant seats.

'Stubbornness doesn't belong on the battlefield,' Xenia wistfully chuckled. 'That's only for foolish heroes.'

It was the sensible tactic. The longer they stayed, the likelier it was for them to become mere liabilities for her to try and defend. She already had Clara and Bella to take care of. She didn't need two more bodies to protect.

'I just wish they managed to get Clara to go with them,' she sighed. 'I don't know why she stayed, but I just hope she keeps her distance.'

Unfortunately, they weren't able to carry Clara to safety as they left. It would seem that the latter refused to leave against better judgment.

'Still, this is doable.' she nodded to herself as she readied herself. 'Three against one... Decent odds...'

Xenia took a deep breath. Even as Bella left her along with her two tentative allies, she was more than ready to take on the three of them. One by one, they fell to her blade, the Princess forcing them to yield by holding her blade to their necks. All the while, she noticed Clara watching from a distance, seemingly in awe at her combative skills.

With a flick of her wrist, she announced the end of hostilities. All of Pinra's minions had surrendered, choosing to live another day instead of dying by her blade.

"Princess..."

Hearing Clara speak, Xenia turned her attention to the last remaining contender in the arena beside her. Slowly, she walked towards her, her blade still at the ready as she addressed her.

"Will you still fight?" she asked, her gaze leveled at the woman's own. "You're in no condition to do so."

"I know," Clara ruefully chuckled. "I don't think I'll survive against you as you are now even if I tried."

It was true. Clara was still wobbling on her feet, the poison in her system still keeping her weak as she stood relaxed. She wasn't going to fight. There was no way she'll win even if she did.

As if spurred by the moment, Xenia remembered that one time when she and Clara called themselves close friends. That one drunken night they spent together played itself in her head, making her smile at the memory.

"What's wrong?" Clara cautiously asked. "Why are you laughing?"

"Just recalling something we did together," Xenia wistfully smiled. "I still want us to be friends, you know."

"O-Oh... I... I'd like that," Clara warmly smiled. Shaking her head, she sighed, "Now that I say that, I guess I've fully let him go..."

Before Xenia could reply, Clara did something that she never expected her to do. Down on one knee, her once-contender fully bowed her head to her, completely showing her absolute surrender to her.

"Your Grace," Clara respectfully addressed. "Go ahead and take your seat. I concede my defeat."

Xenia didn't register the crowd's reaction as she stood stock still. She was surprised at what she just heard, and there was no way that she predicted this would happen.

"T-Thank you, Lady Clara," Xenia sincerely nodded.

"J-Just Clara, Your Grace," Clara weakly replied. "Let's have another drink sometime after this. I'd like for us to start anew."

In the end, Xenia was the only one left standing in the arena; Clara having kneeled in deference before her future Queen.

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