11

The loud voice of the announcer echoed over the audience:

"Today we are here to witness the great finale of the games. Two young, talented duellists will fight for that victory crown, and, for their lives. Who will win? And who will die?"

The audience cheered like it had never cheered before. Hundreds, no, thousands of people were there to watch the big finale. But Saya's mind was somewhere else.

"And now, it is time to welcome our two finalists to the arena. Let's hear it for contestant number one: Wynn."

Wynn ran into the arena, straight to the middle of the field. She stood with her hands on her sword, smiling and taking in the applause. Saya tried to make eye contact, but it felt like Wynn deliberately looked away. Frustration mixed with the already present confusion in Saya's mind, igniting fiery flames in her stomach.

"And let's hear it for our second contestant: Saya."

The crowd didn't let her down this time. She ran onto the field as the clapping, cheering and yelling grew, if possible, even louder than it had for Wynn. Wynn didn't move her head an inch as she approached her, and kept staring into the crowd. What was wrong with her?

"Wynn, could you please just look at me?" Saya whispered when they were standing next to each other. "Or maybe just say something?"

But Wynn looked the other way. Saya wanted to yell at her, out of pure anger. Maybe she would have done it too, had the announcer not told them to get in position and, after a few moments of silence, given the signal. The first part of their plan had gone into action: deliver a realistic fight. And Saya was more than ready to fight Wynn.

Wynn's first move was predictable. She immediately took a step back with the intention the dodge Saya's first strike and observe her technique. Saya, however, had seen Wynn fight before, thanks to her little adventure a few days before. She knew what she was doing, and that first strike never actually happened. Instead, she too took a step backwards, her sword hovering protectively in front of her body.

Wynn was slightly disoriented by the unexpected move. Saya knew that she was used to fighting much more aggressive opponents than her. Opponents that would often immediately go for the most aggressive tactics. Wynn was able to flip the switch and went for the attack herself. Saya blocked her sword one, two three times, then right, then left and then right again. She took a step back to dodge another blow and used Wynn's vulnerability in that moment to strike back. Wynn was too quick and blocked it, but before she could completely recover from the impact, Saya had already lifted her sword for another strike, and then another, the fire in her stomach fuelling every move.

Wynn backed away and Saya followed, until they found themselves opposite of each other at the edge of the arena. Saya got closer, forcing Wynn to back up against the wall. She held her sword forward, pointing at Wynn. Wynn slowly sunk to her knees, continuously keeping her eyes at Saya's sword. Before Saya realised what was , happening, Wynn turned around, ducked under Saya's blade, got up and pushed Saya up against the wall instead. She held her sword dangerously close to Saya's neck.

She got closer and closer, until Saya swore she could taste Wynn's breath on her lips. Saya's heart leapt in her chest as a hand brushed over her hip and Wynn's shoulder pushed into hers. She could hardly even feel the cold blade pushing softly into her neck.

Wynn smiled, and the flames had no chance of survival. Saya wished they would rise up again, roar in her stomach, provide her with that anger she wanted to feel. But it didn't happen. She couldn't stay angry when she was feeling so many other things at the same time.

"What are you doing?"

Saya genuinely wished for the answer to that question.

Wynn just smiled and gave her an amused chuckle, which didn't help.

That was the moment Saya felt Wynn lose hold of her. She pushed her away and moved away from the wall, back to the middle of the arena, soon followed by Wynn.

When Wynn was close enough behind her, Saya turned around and stroke out again, then again. She dodged one from the right and tried to hit from the left, then from the right and left again. She tried to hit from underneath, and when that didn't work she made a full turn, building up momentum, giving the next blow everything she got.

This one may have been too much. Wynn tried to block the strike, but couldn't stop it from hitting her shoulder. Her shoulder plates protected her from any real damage, but in full surprise, she dropped her sword on the ground and grabbed for her shoulder with her other hand.

"Sorry, sorry," Saya said hastily. She felt guilty, but Wynn, surprisingly enough, smiled.

"You don't have to kill me, you know. That's never been the plan."

"I know, I know, sorry."

With the clang of Wynn's sword on the ground, the sound around them had suddenly come back to the foreground. The audience cheered and applauded her enthusiastically, loudly calling out Saya's name, who was now reminded of their plan. Their plan to get the desired reaction out of the king, still sitting peacefully in his little booth, protected by his personal guard.

Saya caught eye of the sword on the ground, looked at her own blade and threw it on the ground as well.

"That should do it." she said, looking at wynn with a all-saying look in her eyes.

Wynn smiled again, this time it was a little smile. A tiny bit of curling of the corners of the mouth, like excitement she was trying to hide.

"Alright, Let's do this"

Together they made sure to put on a show. They rolled over and under each other over the warm dusty ground, pulling each other down and trying to get the other in a good grip.

Every now and then, Saya's eyes wandered over the benches. The audience seemed to love every bit of what was happening, clapping and cheering both of them on. The king, on the other hand, became more and more impatient.

Wynn found herself on top, then Saya, then Wynn again. Saya dragged her down to the ground, and Wynn fell face first in the sand. She recovered quickly and managed to get Saya in a hold again

Wynn hung over Saya, holding down her hands with hers. Saya noticed Wynn's quick breathing, and then her own. Was it the sun, warming up the arena, that made her lose her breath? Or was it something else?

She suddenly noticed the king in his booth, who had stood up and was now talking with the guard. She looked at Wynn.

"it's happening," She said as she pointed out the situation upstairs with her eyes.

Wynn followed her eyes and saw exactly what she meant. The king went back to his chair as the guard left the booth.

"That guard is probably going to ask the jury whether hand-to-hand combat is allowed. My father is truly too predictable"

"Then this is our chance."

Wynn nodded, biting her underlip. "I agree"

"Are you sure you still want to do this? I would understand if you-"

"Yes, I'm sure. It's what he deserves, isn't it? I 'm ready." She took a deep breath. "Let's do this."

Saya took a deep breath as well. So this was really happening?

"Right or left?" she asked, referring to the two ways up the bleachers.

"Left is closer"

Saya knew Wynn wouldn't admit it, but she could see her eyes drift away and feel her clammy hands. She was nervous. So was Saya. But they were determined.

They stood up and their eyes locked as they both reached for their swords. They would need them for sure.

Saya gave Wynn a little nod as an all-ready signal and Wynn attacked, hacking and slashing left and right. This time it was different. This time they had a clear goal: getting up those bleachers.

Saya walked backwards, further and further away from the middle of the arena, closer and closer to the far left side, followed by thousands of audience-eyes. Saya kept dodging Wynn's attacks, who didn't go easy on her in the slightest. It had to look realistic, didn't it?

When she'd reached the benches, Saya sat one foot on the stairs, then another. She started climbing the bleachers, backwards. The crowd around her couldn't believe what they were seeing. The fight had never happened this close to their eyes. They cheered and yelled and applauded the dared move, while Saya and Wynn climbed higher and higher. The king either didn't see what was happening, or he simply didn't care.

As long as he thinks I'll die he's probably okay with everything, Saya thought.

The uprise of excitement and tumult caused the guard, who was now having an elaborate conversation with one of the jury members to look up, searching for the cause of the increase of sound. The moment he saw Wynn and Saya climbing the stairs was the moment he started charging towards them.

Saya saw it first, then Wynn. They shared a quick moment of eye-contact, and they knew. Thy knew they had to make a run for it. They had already gotten to the top of the bleachers and turned right, heading straight towards the kings booth. The king didn't look like he understood what was happening and he stood up, but before he could leave the booth, Wynn had already blocked the entrance with her sword. Saya stood behind her, outside the booth, and turned around as the guard, who had also made it up the stairs, ran towards her. Saya took it upon her to keep him away as Wynn dealt with the king himself.

The guard was a trained fighter, but he was not nearly as good as any of the contestants Saya had fought that competition. That being said, Saya was already tired from fighting Wynn, the guard wasn't. That turned out to be a significant disadvantage.

She barely had time to wipe to sweat off her forehead before she had to hack, hit and slash again, this time not just for show. In the meantime, she tried to follow the conversation happening in the booth.

Wynn tried to catch her breath before she spoke, holding her sword across the opening of the booth, blocking it entirely.

"I think you know why I'm here, father."

The king's voice was shrill and he sounded like he couldn't catch his breath either.

"I don't understand, Wynn. What is this?"

"You do. You have to. A person as horrible as you has to know it's coming at a certain point. At some point people are going to be fed up with you."

It finally seemed to come through to him.

"you're going to kill me." He said dryly. "Why, my daughter, has it come to that."

"Daughter." Wynn spit out the word like it was the most disgusting thing she ever tasted. "I have never been your daughter before. Why is it that you decide to drop that name for me now, of all times. Are you scared? Is that it?"

"I am not scared in the least. Maybe I would be, if I knew you had it in you to murder your own father. But you don't, do you? Even you know that."

"I have killed before," Wynn answered, changing the direction of the sword to now point straight at her father.

"Yes, I know. But it was never anyone important to you. It was never personal. They were all useless. Powerless. Like her."

Saya couldn't see what he was pointing at, as she was trying to not get hit by the guard's sword that came swinging towards her again, but she could feel it was her.

Wynn's voice changed pitch. "Don't talk to her like that."

"I'm not talking to her like that, I'm talking about her like that. This conversation is between you and me, no one else."

Saya, still warding off the guard, somehow got hold of her fighter's arm and managed to swing him two steps down the bleachers. He lay there for a while before climbing back up. Enough time for Saya to take a breath and yell at Wynn, "The time is now, please, I don't know how long I can do this anymore."

Wynn looked at her. The expression on her face was hard to read. She was struggling, that much was clear. Saya wanted nothing more than to help her, but the guard had stood up again and was ready to slash her out of existence.

Wynn turned back to the king as Saya turned back to fighting the man behind the helmet.

In the middle of her dodging another one of the guards strikes, the king suddenly spoke up,

"Greyard, enough. Let her go. Let her come to me and leave, please."

Greyard, which was apparently the guard's name, looked Saya in her eyes. Without words, Saya and the guard came to a truce, and they both put the swords down.

As he turned around to leave the arena, Saya looked at him once more, warning him with her eyes to stay far enough away from her, before she turned to Wynn. Wynn was still holding her sword up, pointed towards the king, who stood calmly in front of her, like all they were doing was having a friendly conversation.

"Saya, isn't it?" The king asked, while plucking carelessly at a rogue hair in his grey beard.

"If you say so."

"Saya," he repeated. "What a beautiful name. Have you ever wondered what it means?"

Saya raised her eyebrows. This is not the conversation she expected. "No, never," she said while looking at Wynn, but she seemed just as clueless.

The man grinned. "It means 'shadow'"

Saya's eyes were question marks. "Okay?"

"Do you know what my daughter's name means? No, probably not. 'Wynn' means 'fair', 'joy', or 'pure'."

"What does this have to do with any of this?" Wynn asked him.

The king looked at her, visibly annoyed, and continued,

"Don't you think these sound like opposites? Like the two different sides of the sky, like they could never, ever, be one."

Saya felt the long lost fire in her stomach rise up again, this time for almost opposite reasons. So that's where he was going. How did he know? How could he possibly know what was, or wasn't, she still wasn't sure, happening between her and wynn? She looked at Wynn. Did she tell him? But Wynn looked just as shocked as she was.

"Given by the silence, you had no idea how much I was aware of what was happening. But you forget, this is my kingdom. I know what happens in my kingdom, and especially when it concerns my own daughter and her love interests."

Wynn, wobbling from one leg to the other, had had enough of it.

"Stop, just stop." She yelled out. I'm tired of you trying to manipulate me, us and the entire kingdom. You- you are a terrible person, you don't care about your job, your kingdom, you only care about yourself. I have never been your 'daughter' before," tears welled up in her eyes. "So why am I now?"

Saya, shocked by Wynn's outburst, took a step closer to her and raised her hand to rest it on her shoulder, but Wynn looked at her, her eyes wet, and pushed it away. She turned back to the king.

"You are a monster, a creature not worthy of the name 'Human'. You don't deserve your crown, you don't deserve your power. All you've ever used it for is control over harmless individuals and your own wealth. These games are just a way for you to indirectly take lives of innocent people for your own good, and there is nothing as disgusting as murdering for one's personal gain."

"And what," The king spoke with raised voice, "would you call you, murdering me, if not for your own gain. You get the crown, is it not?"

Saya couldn't believe she hadn't thought of that before. Who was she to suggest a girl to, firstly, murder her own father, and secondly, take the crown of an entire kingdom? An enormous amount of guilt crept over her. She looked at Wynn to see if she was just as surprised as she was. Wynn was just as much set aback by his words. She managed to recover quickly and said,

"That is up to the people. They shall vote for the one they want to rule their land. If they want me as their queen, I shall be honoured to take the crown and I will do my best to serve them well. If not, someone else will do it for me. Anything is better than you as king."

She fell quiet, seemed to think for a second and then scoffed a short laugh, as if to realise something.

"you were right." She said to the king in a low voice as she stepped closer to him. "I have murdered before, but it was never personal. It was never anyone close to me. Now, let it be a coincidence that you," She shook her head. "You aren't close to me either."

She took another step in his direction and was now holding the sword against his throat. The man didn't move as a small trickle of blood started flowing down his neck.

Saya felt proud of Wynn standing up for herself, but she couldn't help be a little scared of her.

Wynn continued,

"I have enough personal issues with you, yes, but this wouldn't be personal at all. This is not just for me, this is for all the people you torture and abuse, all the people under your control."

Wynn took one final step closer to her father, moved the sword down from his throat to his abdomen and whispered,

"They. Deserve. Better."

As fast as lightning, she retracted the sword a bit and gave it all the power she had as she thrusted it forward, point first into his stomach. The king fell backwards on the ground from pain and surprise, as she pulled the sword back, leaving a gaping wound, and stabbed him once more, hitting him critically in the chest. Saya watched it all play out, feeling hopelessly unable to help her, but it didn't take long before he was lying dead on the ground, in a puddle of his own blood, Wynn on her knees by his side.

Wynn stood up and turned around to Saya. She looked terrible, blood on her sword and clothes and hands, dirt on her face. Tears filled her eyes to the brim until they were falling down her face, leaving streams of sand and mud on her cheeks before they fell to the ground. She dropped her sword at her feet and ran up to Saya, who caught her in a comforting embrace. It was over now.