Elias and Theo tried their best to keep the peace, but Leon was in no mood to cooperate.
He leaned back, his eyes dancing with mockery as he looked at Aira.
“Oh,” Leon laughed, his voice loud enough for the nearby guards to hear.
“So our great kingdom has reached such a state that we took small girls and made them big generals?
Is the army truly that desperate?”
The smiles on the trio’s faces disappeared as if they had never existed.
The air around them grew cold, and their eyes burned with a silent, dangerous fire.
Even the younger princes, Silas and Lucan, stepped back, sensing the sudden change in temperature.
Kael’s hand gripped the hilt of his sword so hard his knuckles turned white.
“In the North, we follow military rules,” Kael said, his voice a low growl.
“And the first rule is: if someone insults you, you give him a reply in his own language.”
As Kael began to draw his blade, Ria reached out, her hand trembling with her own anger, and touched his arm.
Remember…
he is a Prince.”
“Then what?” Kael snapped back.
“In war, I have killed many princes and kings who looked down on us.
Why should he be any different?”
Aira stepped forward, her voice erily calm, which was always the sign of a coming storm.
“Calm down, Kael,” she said.
Then she turned her piercing gaze toward Leon.
“If you have a problem with us—whether because we are Generals or because we are girls—then let’s settle it.
I challenge you to a fight.”
Leon smirked, looking at his polished boots.
“Oh, I don’t know how to use a sword against a ‘lady.'”
“Then let’s do it with bare hands,” Aira replied.
She was a blur of motion.
With a lightning-fast sweep and a powerful kick to his chest, she sent the 3rd Prince flying backward.
THUD.
Leon hit the ground hard, the air leaving his lungs in a sharp gasp.
He lay there in the dirt, stunned, looking up at the sky.
Aira stood over him, a dark smirk playing on her lips.
“Oops,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“It looks like the ‘Great Prince’ is knocked out.”
Kael and Ria let out a loud, booming laugh, the tension finally breaking into mockery.
The royal guards stood frozen, not knowing whether to help the Prince or run for cover.
Leon is sitting in the dust, his pride shattered in front of all his brothers and the palace servants.
As Leon hit the ground, the sound of clashing metal echoed through the courtyard.