Chapter 1: The Prince of Riquezarra

Rodrigo:

A shiver ran down Prince Rodrigo de Riquezarra's spine as he stared out at the colossal arena of wood and stone around him. Cheers echoed from across the stands. From the commoners in their fine quilted tunics, the burgess in tailored doublets, and nobles in vibrant frock coats and dresses. Regardless of class or kingdom, the spectators cried out and chanted in anticipation of the festivities. All of their eyes lingered upon the jousting field before them. But soon enough, their gazes would fix upon him with expectations and judgment. Rodrigo shook and ran a hand through his thick, dark blue hair. He grimaced at the frozen sweat stuck to it.

"Not again, and now of all times," the prince sighed. However, a small but thick tongue soon licked his hair clean and turned to his face, gifting it with a cool sensation. Rodrigo smiled and turned to the dark blue and onyx pony-sized dragon standing over him with a wide grin and wagging tail. With another deep pant, he breathed icy breath into the prince's face before showering him with more licks.

"Ahh, alright, I'm ok, Blizzard." Rodrigo found himself grinning wider despite the nerves in his stomach hardening like ice. Soon, a fiery sensation chased the cold away when a strong arm wrapped itself around his shoulder.

"This is it, mon ami! Our first tournament!" The boy beside him stood a few inches above the prince with fairer skin, thick dirty-blonde hair, and deep blue eyes that gleamed in the sunlight. His smile matched the hot touch of his hand, which started to singe Rodrigo's tunic.

"Ouch, Arnaut!" Rodrigo yelped and touched the burning fabric with his left hand, freezing it.

"Ahh, sorry. Got a little too excited." Arnaut gave a sheepish grin, and Blizzard growled, his fangs out. However, the next growl boomed above Rodrigo's partner. An onyx and scarlet dragon with a slight size advantage over Blizzard placed himself in front of Arnaut and stared the blue dragon down.

"Easy, Inferno, no need to hurt Blizzard." Arnaut flashed another wide smile which his dragon mirrored. Blizzard, however, did not back down.

"Arnaut, not now. I'm nervous enough as it is." Rodrigo pulled Blizzard away and stared back at the arena, his hands trembling.

"Nervous? This will be the start of my future! Once all those powerful lords and ladies see what I'm capable of at this age, they'll line up at the door to have their daughters marry me when we come of age." Arnaut puffed out his chest and crossed both arms to emphasize his physique.

"You certainly have the confidence of your people." Rodrigo managed another chuckle. "But this isn't Royaume."

"As if us Conquetes' reputation isn't known here and in every other Kingdom in the south. We are the mightiest of the Royaume, conquerors of Doraulion, and greatest knights in the world!" Steam rose from Arnaut's body, and Inferno roared with a fiery intensity. Rodrigo tried with all his might to kindle a fire inside himself with his friend's enthusiasm but just trembled again after staring back at the field.

"I wish I had your confidence and skill." Rodrigo slumped over the railing while Blizzard tried to nudge him.

"You're only ten, mon ami. As your future leading baron and a Conquete, I will ensure you're a mighty warrior king one day. The Father knows the Kingdom of Riquezarra could use one," Arnaut said, the last bit in his native tongue of Royaume. Rodrigo looked out toward a private box, then opened his mouth. He went pale as an enormous figure loomed over them.

"Watch yourself, boy. Many here can speak Royaume, and we're a long way from your father's friends in Conquete or Doraulion."

Rodrigo and Arnaut grimaced at the sight of their instructor, who bore down on them with piercing green eyes. The knight stood six foot eight with a barrel chest beneath his yellow dragon-like armor and epaulet jacket cape. A massive dragon with scales the same color as his magicae armor backed him up and let out a growl at Inferno that rattled Rodrigo's teeth.

"Si, forgive him, Don Fero." Rodrigo threw himself in front of Arnaut before his friend could do anything rash. However, the knight instructor's harsh gaze shifted to him.

"Unfortunately, King Sancho insisted on seeing your prowess, Prince Rodrigo. I doubt that the old lion would be tricked by a staged match. So I must pit you against a capable opponent. Try not to make a fool of yourself for once. Especially with your father and Riquezarra's reputation on the line." Don Fero's words cut sharper than a blade, and Rodrigo struggled to stay upright.

"Si, Don Fero," he muttered and put a hand over Arnaut, whose skin turned bright red. The squire rocked back and forth. Steam shot out of his body as if ready to explode at Don Fero, who walked off.

"I'm going to melt him one of these days! Just wait till I'm of age, and he's a weak old man." Bits of magma dripped from Arnaut's clenched fist and Inferno's jaws.

"Please, Arnaut, just let it go," Rodrigo muttered, tears froze in his eyes despite Blizzard's nuzzling and whining. "We need to help Don Senio, anyway." Rodrigo led Arnaut past several other squires, tending to their duties.

A few polished suits of armor and prepared lances, while others tended to the horses and equoferri. The two boys reached one of the Riquezarran knights, Don Senio, and helped him prepare. Arnaut aided him with his suit of armor while Rodrigo saddled up his massive equoferri. The gray, skinned horse-like creature huffed, and Rodrigo thought he appreciated his cool touch when he strapped the saddle in place, for the equoferri whinnied and nudged him with his head.

"I think I shall purchase a new armor set with my winnings. This one is getting a bit dingy," Don Senio spoke to no one in particular as Arnaut finished the pauldrons. Rodrigo glanced at the armor, which had no sign of decay or even the faintest scratch upon it and glistened in the sunlight.

"I can't see any issues with it, Don Senio. You're wasting money." Arnaut's blunt tone earned him an intense glare from the knight despite Rodrigo's attempted intervention.

"What he means, Don Senio, is that you should take a moment to consider the many things you could use the money on," Rodrigo pleaded with trembling eyes.

"Of course he did. You're fortunate the prince is wise for his age. Perhaps he's right. My dear wife has wanted to refurbish the well for our peasants. Money used on your peoples' well-being is well spent." Don Sieno's smile made Arnaut roll his eyes before he handed him his helmet.

"Don't forget you have to win it first," Arnaut muttered in Royaume under his breath while Inferno growled to mask it. Soon, Rodrigo, Arnaut, and the other squires huddled along the railing underneath Riquezarra's banner, a violet plain with a white dragon in the center. Across the arena rested the flag of Tierrero, a deep blue plane with a golden castle guarded by a dragon. There, the Tierreron squires likewise readied their first knight as a series of horn blasts whipped the crowd into a frenzy.

"The tournament shall now begin! Don Senio de Riquezarra will face Don José de Tierrero!" a herald cried out above the roaring crowds. Rodrigo watched Don Senio and Don José ride out carrying their families' coats of arms. Most of the audience was Riquezarran locals, and thus, they cheered for Don Senio, who raised his banner high at the crowd. Don Senio adorned his helmet with a rich red plume and other ornamentation. Don José, however, presented a much different picture. The Tierreron knight's armor had no decoration other than his sigil upon the breastplate. Rodrigo also took note of the numerous scratches across the plates; however, the armor itself appeared to be in excellent condition.

"I'm rooting for Don José," Arnaut whispered to Rodrigo while shooting an unsavory glance at their fellow squires, who cried out to Don Senio. Rodrigo's eyes lingered upon Don José, but he remained silent before his fellow squires. Instead, the prince's heart fluttered when both knights approached the top box, raised their visors, and inclined their heads before those inside. After this, they took opposite positions alongside the wooden railing in the field's center.

"Begin!" At the sound of another horn, the knights lowered their lances and charged. Rodrigo watched closely, studying the way they couched their lances and rode. He vibrated a little with the wooden railing when both equoferri ran at top speed. Then, Rodrigo and Blizzard jumped back when the knights made contact. Don José's blunted lance hit Don Sieno dead center and sent him sprawling to the ground. A collective groan fell upon much of the crowd while others let loose in overwhelming applause. The Tierreron attendants more than made up for their meager numbers in their fiery spirit. Rodrigo himself tried not to look excited but gazed in awe at Don José, who did not perform a victory lap but rode over to help Don Senio to his feet. However, the Riquezarra knight batted his hand away and got up on his own.

"Winner, Don José." The first round continued with another dozen knights. However, Rodrigo saw little variation among the contenders or results. Most of the Riquezarra knights wore extravagant armor compared to the Tierreron knights' scarred suits. Only three of the following twelve jousts resulted in victories for Riquezarra.

"Now we're talking!" Arnaut beamed bright red and shook in anticipation when the last matchup carried on to a brawl on foot. Rodrigo trembled when he saw the knights' swords clash, sending sparks mixed with grunts from punches and kicks as the men tried to grapple each other to the ground. Both had similar statures at over six feet, had broad bodies, and used masterful techniques. However, Rodrigo saw the Tierreron knight gain a steady advantage until he brought his opponent to the ground and stuck a dagger inside the visor.

"I yield!" the Riquezarra knight cried as he raised both hands.

"Hmp, how disappointing. I shall have to rectify the situation." Don Fero jumped Rodrigo when he mounted his dragon and donned his helmet. The other squires cheered him on, but Rodrigo and Arnaut remained silent.

"Now, Riquezarra's champion, Don Fero, is facing off against Tierrero's champion, Don Alvaro!" Rodrigo watched in awe and wonder as a black and blue dragon, bigger than Don Fero's, flew out from the other side. A knight in onyx magicae armor done up to look like a dragon with a dark blue epaulet jacket cape rode on his back and stared Don Fero down from behind his visor.

"Don Alvaro." Rodrigo's heartbeat picked up, and a bright smile lit across his face that soon spread to Arnaut.

"That's more like it. Now let's watch him kick Don Fero's butt." Arnaut grabbed Rodrigo by the arm and pulled him back to the railing.

After bowing before their monarchs, Don Fero and Don Alvaro's dragons shook the stadium with their roars. However, it was nothing compared to their clash. Rodrigo sensed Blizzard's rising adrenaline flood through him when the two adult dragons bit, clawed, and slammed against each other. While this happened, Rodrigo soon fixed his gaze upon the riders. A blue magicae sword clashed with a yellow one, with punches and other merciless blows mixed in. Rodrigo never wanted the match to end. After Don Alvaro's dragon landed a punishing blow with his tail, Don Fero's partner snarled with an intense fury.

"Here it comes!" Arnaut accidentally burned the railing with his fiery hands. Rodrigo and Blizzard also caught their breath and braced themselves for impact. Together, Don Fero and his dragon unleashed a barrage of yellow gemstones from their jaws and sword slash. The audience likewise cried out but became drowned out when the gemstones exploded into yellow fire across the onyx dragon and the ground.

A few gems flew toward the edges, but none flinched, for Rodrigo saw a dozen or so priests and nuns around the arena. With their hands outstretched, they absorbed the magic into the gemstones on their christograms without any magic reaching the audience. Don Alvaro's dragon wailed in agony, and Rodrigo's skin crawled thanks to Blizzard's discomfort watching it. A few black scales fell to the ground, but the dragon remained steadfast.

"Come on, come on," Rodrigo muttered to himself as his eyes shook. Then, with his head arched back, the onyx dragon unleashed a torrent of blue fire straight into his enemy. Don Alvaro aided the inferno with a jet conjured from his offhand via a punch. Don Fero and his dragon retreated before the fire, which vanished against the line of priests and nuns behind them. The fight amplified with another clash of dragons and knights, who imbued their magic into each strike, resulting in explosive bursts of fire and gemstones with every blow. Rodrigo lost himself to Don Alvaro's magnificent fighting style. Strike after strike, blow after blow, he never wanted it to end. However, the conclusion melted away the last of the ice inside him. His eyes lit up in glittering wonder when he watched Don Alvaro knock Don Fero's sword aside and then slam him off his dragon with a fiery punch.

"Oui!" Arnaut exploded with Inferno. In a matter of moments, Don Alvaro had Fero pinned down while his dragon did the same to Fero's.

"Winner, Don Alvaro!" the herald announced. Rodrigo cheered until his face turned red. He saw part of the railing frozen in his grip as he and Blizzard joined Arnaut.

"Be careful, my prince. The others might hear you," a warm voice chuckled. Rodrigo and Arnaut both jumped and sweated a little but soon exhaled in immense relief when they recognized him. A short, bald, plump priest with rosy cheeks and a thick brown beard stood over them with a broad smile.

"You're happy Don Fero lost, then?" His tone had no accusation, but Rodrigo felt the color fade from his face, and he avoided the priest's eyes.

"Maybe."

"Si, I know you don't get along with Don Fero, my prince. But you should never be happy about others' misfortune. Hate is a poison."

"Si, Padre Benito."

"Hmph," Arnaut scoffed. "I think he deserves it, him and the Invadores."

"And what if they thought the same of you, Arnaut? Would you like them to have that power over yourself?" Padre Benito's voice rose a little but remained stern rather than angry. Steam still came from Arnaut, but he remained quiet. Rodrigo likewise went silent. Padre Benito patted his shoulder again. "A wise king follows the Father's example and is benevolent like Saint Auxantentius. I know you have the makings of a wise king, Rodrigo.

The prince smiled a little until the cold sensation took hold once more when Don Fero returned alongside his dragon. The knight slammed his helmet into a squire's hand so hard it knocked him over. Blood dripped from several injuries across his rigid face, aflame with rage.

"I see Don Alvaro is as formidable as I remember. Still, I thought you fought valiantly, Don Fero." Padre Benito gave Fero the same smile he gifted Rodrigo and guided some water from his gemstone around the injuries. Within a few moments, they vanished before it, but Don Fero's expression remained.

"Hmph, you boys are up next," Fero snarled, and gemstones grew over his clenched fist. Like a hungry shark smelling blood in the water, he turned on Arnaut and Rodrigo.

"You, Conquete boy, you're up first. As for you, prince. I've decided you shall face one of your fellow Riquezarran squires." A faint grin matched the glimmer in Fero's eyes, turning Rodrigo pale as Blizzard tried to stand up to the knight. "Diego, you shall have the honor of fighting Prince Rodrigo."

"No!" Rodrigo blurted out, and Blizzard whined, his tail between his legs.

"Si, Don Fero," a terrible satisfaction echoed from the voice. Rodrigo's heart pounded faster with each approaching footstep until he saw him. A squire, Arnaut's size, pierced him with deep brown eyes and ran a hand through his thick-shoulder-length black hair. "I'll be sure to give the audience quite the show."

"Indeed, we shall," a deeper voice growled, and Blizzard hid behind Rodrigo when they saw a dark green horse-sized dragon emerge from behind Diego, fangs out in a sinister grin. "What's wrong, hatchling, scared?" he spoke as if he was a human.

"Don Fero, perhaps there is someone more appropriate or a Tierreron opponent," Padre Benito took Fero by the shoulder pauldron, but he jerked away.

"No, King Alfonso instructed me to find his son a proper opponent. So I have."

"Don Fero, a word." Padre Benito's face hardened as he led the knight away. Rodrigo trembled before Diego, his worst fears realized.

"This will be fun. Your padre, madre, abuelo, and half the nobility get to see just what you're capable of, my prince-"

"Back off!" Magma dripped from Arnaut's finger as he forced himself between Rodrigo and Diego. "I'm still waiting for you to challenge me, pretty boy," Arnaut snarled with Inferno, following his example. Despite this, Diego did not flinch.

"Hmph, I wonder if you'll always have your Conquete dog around to protect you, Rodrigo?"

"Indeed, Diego. Indeed, one wonders how loyal the dogs will be if someone else offers them a bigger bone-" Diego's dragon cackled before Inferno headbutted him backward, snapping his jaws as he did so.

"Why you!"

"Easy, Slayer. The dragon's partner is a Conquete. Like our Tierrero neighbors, violence is their only language," Diego chuckled.

"Enough, you two! Arnaut, you're up," a nearby man-at-arms adorned in a violet brigandine breastplate, steel pauldrons, and a kettle helm led him toward the arena with Inferno. Rodrigo and Blizzard used the distraction to get away from Diego and back to the fence. There, they watched Arnaut and Inferno face off against a Tierreron squire their age with a two-headed dragon. Both bowed before the kings, then mounted their dragons and walked to opposite sides of the fields. Rodrigo's heartbeat picked up again, and the prince groaned when he saw Arnaut wink at several noble girls their age in the audience, earning a few giggles.

"Come on, Arnaut. Focus for once." Rodrigo winced when he heard Diego and the others muttering insults and jabs toward his friend. Arnaut had to win now. Rodrigo clasped his hands together in payer.

"Father, por favor, help him." A horn blast snapped Rodrigo from his prayer. He caught his breath when he saw Arnaut and Inferno race at the other squire with their lance lowered. The metallic clang and explosion of wood made Rodrigo jump off the wailing, but he let out a deep exhale upon seeing Arnaut still in the saddle. Without breaking stride, both youths drew their blunted swords and clashed. Rodrigo's eyes lit up with the bursts of magma and explosive sapphires imbued into each sword strike. Arnaut's roars became indistinguishable from the dragons, and he threw himself at the Tierreron squire, magma blazing over his left fist. The opposing youth likewise coated his helmet with sapphires just in time but still fell from his saddle and stumbled about on the ground.

"¡Si! ¡Si!" Rodrigo threw his own fist across the air while Blizzard mirrored Inferno's headbutt against the sapphire dragon. However, both went silent after the Tierreron squire parried Arnaut's next blow and blasted his chest with two sapphires. The blow sent Arnaut up and out of Inferno's saddle, and Rodrigo grunted for his friend when he hit the ground.

"Come on, get up!" Rodrigo tried to scream over the crowd and the taunts from Diego and his friends. The Tierreron squire scrambled over to try and tackle him while his dragon kept Inferno occupied by several blows with his sapphire-coated claws. However, Rodrigo cheered again when he saw Arnaut back on his feet. Like an exploding volcano, he threw himself back at the Tierreron squire. The second sword clash lasted far shorter as Arnaut's opponent knocked his sword aside with a sapphire-encrusted blow. The Tierreron audience leaned in while Rodrigo gritted his teeth and froze the railing again in his grip.

"Come on. Come on!" Arnaut had to win. He just had to. Then, the Conquete squire delivered a magma-coated uppercut that sent his opponent into a stumble. Rodrigo's eyes lit up again when he watched Arnaut grapple the Tierreron squire, forcing his sword away. However, both boys thrashed about, mixing magic into each of their punches amid the struggle. Arnaut slammed his opponent down, only for the squire to land a blow and throw him back down. Rodrigo remained on the edge of the railing when, at last, Arnaut delivered a final punch to the boy's helmet, melting part of it. As quick as a flash, he drew his dulled dagger and stuck it inside the opening.

"Yield!" The squire threw both hands up and the audience, even those from Tierreron, applauded. However, none did more than Arnaut, who sent ice several feet across the ground as he screamed and applauded. Blizzard roared, but as he did so, Rodrigo noticed someone in particular through his eyes. Applauding from the royal box sat a titan of a man, taller and broader than anyone else in the seats, wearing a crown and the sigil of Tierrero across his epaulet-jacket cape. His grizzled gray hair and beard fit his heavily scarred face. A titanic cyan dragon took up most of the box behind him and shared his rider's appearance with dozens of scarred scales and injury marks. King Sancho of Tierreron nodded toward Arnaut before his eyes fixed themselves on Rodrigo even from across the field. His smile and nod sent Rodrigo's heart back into a frenzy.

"Hmph, your dog has his uses, after all. One match closer to our fight." Diego grinned back at Rodrigo, who felt his skin crawl. At that moment, it was as if time itself sped up. Rodrigo hoped and prayed to the Father for the next matches to drag on. Despite his pleading, the jousts seemed to last but a few moments each. Three squires jousted on horseback against their Tierreron counterparts, with only one emerging victorious.

"There are still more matches," Rodrigo tried to tell himself, but it gave him little comfort. Another dragon squire from Riquezarra went up against a teenage Tierreron dragon squire. Despite his best efforts and a great deal of magical diamonds, the Tierreron squire emerged victorious, finishing him with a burst of golden light.

"Well, I guess we're next." Diego walked off with Slayer and left Rodrigo on the verge of passing out. He gripped Blizzard's head so tight that the dragon struggled to breathe.

"Don't worry about him, Rodrigo. Just remember everything you've learned. You're going to be a King. You have to be strong." Arnaut pulled Rodrigo off Blizzard and steadied him. Despite this, Rodrigo pulled out his Christogram and struggled not to freeze it in his grip.

"Saint Petronas, Saint Petronas, Saint Petronas. Father, please help me." He almost sobbed and mounted Blizzard. Rodrigo suffered under the weight of thousands of eyes fixed upon him the moment they entered the arena. Thanks to Blizzard's heightened hearing, the distant whispers and murmurs closed in upon him.

"This is King Alfonso's son?" one asked.

"He's so little."

"I hear rumors he can't fight."

"How can he be of King Sancho's blood?"

"Another fool who will bend the knee to the Invadores."

"Father, Father." Rodrigo covered his ears and clenched his eyes shut, longing to drown out their judgment but to no avail. However, that was not the worst of it. Soon, Blizzard's keen eyes fixed in on the top box and those who sat there. The first person made Rodrigo open his own eyes and steady himself. A woman, perhaps in her late twenties, wearing a regal blue dress and a crown atop her head, sat there nursing an infant girl in her arms. She had long black hair, deep blue eyes that matched Rodrigo's, and a female dragon the same shade as Blizzard wrapped around her. The beautiful woman looked into Rodrigo's eyes and flashed him a smile that gave him a moment of levity as if all his fear vanished into tender comfort. Blizzard likewise panted with his tongue out when the female dragon smiled at him.

However, this warmth vanished the moment he saw the man beside her, with an immense golden dragon around him. A gold crown rested upon his thick dark-blue hair, and an illustrious violet jacket adorned with thick golden epaulets hung around his shoulders like a cape and adorned with a white dragon sigil along the back. Unlike the woman, his green eyes did not watch Rodrigo. Instead, he remained engaged with a small, plump man draped in rich green robes of silk, a white turban over his head, and an abra of similar physique around him. Rodrigo knew his father could have flattened the little man with a single blow. Despite this, the ambassador laughed and sneered at the king's expense while Alfonso remained silent and watchful of the dignitary. Rodrigo longed for Alfonso to look his way, but the king only glanced in his direction for a moment and then returned to his guest.

"Padre." Rodrigo wiped a few tears away from his eyes with Blizzard's help. However, the titanic man, who was a few seats down, appeared more attentive. King Sancho's deep-blue eyes tore into King Alfonso and the Invadores ambassador beside him. When he tapped the wooden railing, Rodrigo felt the stadium shiver a little as if hit by seismic activity. However, when his cyan dragon nudged him, King Sancho turned and looked right at Rodrigo. The prince shivered when he saw visible hope and concern on his grandfather's face. Then, a deep smile emerged, and he nodded at Rodrigo. The gestures almost brought Rodrigo to his knees, but with Blizzard's help, he steadied himself. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he faced Diego.

"Poor King Sancho, first his son, now his grandson-" Diego jumped a little when Blizzard roared and flew at him a moment before the horn blasted.

"Eager are we, good," Slayer snarled back and hit Blizzard like a battering ram. Rodrigo grunted upon impact and tried to stop his rattling bones before Diego came down with his dulled sword. Rodrigo threw his blade up, but the blow rang him like a bell. Diego's strength lifted Rodrigo up and almost out of his saddle, and he had to blast the ground beneath him with ice to push himself back up. The prince came back around and channeled ice around his sword while Blizzard tried to shoot Slayer with some, too. However, their eyes widened when Diego and Slayer shattered their ice with a single blow each. With each passing moment, jeers, moans, and insults flowed from the crowd. These weighed down upon Rodrigo as much as Diego's relentless assault. Blow after blow threatened to break him, but he refused to give up. Not with so many watching. Not with his family there.

"Come on, Rodrigo! Come on!" Arnaut cheered with Padre Benito and Inferno. Soon, to Rodrigo's disbelief, he even heard a few of the Tierreron squires, including the one with golden light magic, cry out in support. Together, he and Blizzard howled. Reinvigorated, they fought back, channeling more and more ice with each blow despite Diego's might. For the briefest moment, Rodrigo had Diego held back.

"Hmp, you have some spunk, after all, hatchling. A shame it's all for nothing," Slayer cackled, and Rodrigo's heart fluttered when he heard another growl, but not from either dragon.

Diego stared down at him, and the prince blinked when he saw the squire's teeth sharpened into fangs. In two blows, Diego knocked Rodrigo's sword aside and then hurled him to the ground. His head spun, and his body cried out in agony, but before Rodrigo could even scream, all the wind flew out of his lungs. Diego slammed his foot into the prince's stomach while Slayer's body slammed Blizzard into the dirt.

"Winner, squire Diego!"

"Hmp, right where you belong. Your Highness." Diego's laughter almost faded in with the rest of the audience. Rodrigo wanted to shut his eyes and curl up, but Diego pressed down harder. The pain forced him to remain lucid. Rodrigo looked back at the box, and his eyes filled with tears when he saw the Invadores ambassador laughing and his father looking away in shame. His mother tried to get up and race over, but Alfonso restrained her. Sancho, however, narrowed his eyes. After a moment, he turned to Alfonso with a fiery gaze on his weathered face. Rodrigo shut off his senses, at last, and felt his way to Blizzard.

"Please, take me away from here. Take me away," Rodrigo sobbed, and Blizzard whined as he obeyed. It was not until they returned that the pain around his body faded.

"Ohh, Rodrigo," Padre Benito's voice soothed Rodrigo, but not enough to stop his crying. The priest finished up with his immediate injuries, then knelt down and wiped away Rodrigo's tears.

"Pathetic," Don Fero stared at him with scorn before the priest shot him a look.

"Perhaps if he had a better instructor," Benito retorted, much to Arnaut's visible delight.

"Don't listen to them, Rodrigo. This just means we need to train harder. I'll help you," the squire assured him, but Rodrigo still struggled to breathe.

"Hmp, quite the collection," a new voice silenced all others, for the accent was not Envidian. Soon, Rodrigo and everyone else fixed their eyes upon him. He was a pudgy boy their age with fair to tan skin garbed in the same green silk robes as the ambassador. He petted a dog-sized abra beside him and looked around at the lot with an amused smile. "This is the best kind of menagerie, one that lets you see the animals up close."

"Animals!?" Arnaut snarled, steam shooting from his skin. A few of the other squires soon joined him with a few muttering words like heathen and Invadores around. However, the boy ignored them and kept looking around.

"You barbarians certainly have interesting ways of entertaining yourselves. Though I suppose it fits your savage nature. Still, why my uncle did not insist on us arriving with proper fanfare from you animals when that creature called Sancho received it is beyond me. My uncle should offer additional tribute to the Celestial King for such an insult," the boy scoffed. Rodrigo's shame vanished, and in its place, a new icy sensation overtook him, one new to him. He stared at the Invadores boy with a terrible desire to strike him, to hurt him in a way he never wanted done to Diego or Fero. Almost as if he sensed this, Padre Benito placed a firm grip on the prince's shoulder.

"He is misguided, nothing more."

"Hmp, you and you fight each other now." The boy pointed at Arnaut and Diego. Rodrigo could not believe his eyes when he saw Diego and Arnaut stand shoulder to shoulder, united against the boy.

"We're not your playthings, heathen. My father is the leading baron of Riquezarra, and his father is the King of Doraulion's second cousin." Diego gestured to Arnaut, who nodded, fire in his eyes.

"Just wait! Once Rodrigo is King, we're gonna drive your empire back into the sea!" Inferno howled with Arnaut. However, the boy scoffed and looked at a mortified Don Fero.

"I suppose you can't expect animals to teach younger animals how to behave around civilized people. You had best watch yourselves. My father will soon reclaim all the lands your filthy ancestors overran. Once that happens, you creatures may prove useful as slave warriors. We could always use more Köleaskers. Or perhaps father will deal with you just like he dealt with King Sancho's son." The arrogance in his voice silenced the boys and adults alike. Don Fero shook, his skin trembling.

"Look here, you little brat-" the instructor started.

"Watch your tongue before we have it cut out." The boy gestured to his guards, including an abra rider, who approached Don Fero. However, the dragon rider did not back down, nor did his dragon.

"Keep away from Kıvanç," one guard growled.

"Peace. There is no need for anything rash." Padre Benito got between both sides when the world slowed around Rodrigo. His eyes widened, and his body trembled when he saw someone behind Kıvanç. A girl, perhaps nine years old, sat curled up on the ground, face buried in her arms and a chain around her neck. She also wore a pendant of a crucified man with a donkey's head. Unkempt black hair concealed her eyes and face. Her fair skin shored marks and bruises despite her tidy clothes.

"Slave," Rodrigo failed to finish the words, and soon he saw the same horror spread across the others' faces, none more so than Benito's. Even Diego and Slayer shook with horror at the sight of a real slave. Arnaut and Inferno tried to charge Kıvanç when they saw her, but the man-at-arms from before restrained them.

"Let's go-" Kıvanç started.

"Let her go," the words came soft, but before he even realized what he was doing, Rodrigo stood right before the Invadores lord. Tears still remained on the ends of his cheeks, and he still shook, but deep within, a fire lit in his belly.

"Let her go," Rodrigo tried to speak up, but his words still came out half-formed. Even so Kıvanç blinked.

"What did you just say, animal?"

"Slavery is illegal in Riquezarra, and everywhere else, the Father's children rule," Rodrigo said and looked back in his father's direction, praying that word of his bravery would reach him. "As prince of Riquezarra, I'm ordering you to release her this inst-" Rodrigo did not have time to finish before one of Kıvanç's guards slammed him to the ground.

"Rodrigo!" Arnaut tried to break free, and the others gasped as two Invadores guards held him to the ground. Blizzard roared and tackled one to the ground before two more restrained him, too. Rodrigo struggled to breathe and soon looked up at Kıvanç looming over him.

"Filthy, brainless, uncivilized barbarian. You dare to give me a command." Kıvanç's skin glowed, and an unnatural heat, like intense sunlight, surrounded him. He stomped his foot onto Rodrigo's stomach, filling him with a terrible burning sensation that made the prince scream. Blizzard howled in pain, and Arnaut burned the soldier's hand to break free. Despite everything, Rodrigo kept his eyes fixed on the slave girl and her chain. She was just like him, trapped, scared. No, she was worse off than him in every way. Rodrigo's eyes filled with tears as he recalled every story ever told to him of what happened to slaves. The chain around her neck would drag the poor girl from one misery to another for the rest of her life. However, as Rodrigo looked closer, a thought took form. She was chained. An ordinary iron chain.

"Ahh, forgive me," Rodrigo forced out despite the agony.

"Grovel before me, prince." Kıvanç eased a little and allowed Rodrigo to grab Arnaut, who almost punched one of the guards.

"Of course, we must grovel before him." Rodrigo hardened his eyes at Arnaut but then gestured toward the chain, which Kıvanç pulled closer to bring the girl over. A rag rested in her hands, and Rodrigo had to suppress his rage over the implications of her cleaning Kıvanç's feet after they groveled at it.

"Ahhh, oui. We forgot how blessed we were to have civilized people in our presence." Their dragons whined, but both boys got to their knees and laid down in front of Kıvanç, hands outstretched until they touched the chain.

"Yes, that's right, know your place, animals."

"Alright, boys, that's enough. They've learned their lesson." Padre Benito came in from behind Kıvanç, then tried to usher Rodrigo and Arnaut away. However, he tripped up and almost stumbled into the Invadores boy before one of his guards pulled him away.

"Watch where you step, animal!" the guard snarled and raised his sword, but Benito did not stop and soon walked out of sight in a hurry.

"Si, forgive me. I am a fool and a bit overweight. I shall remove myself from the young lord's sight at once," he said while trotting off, his back facing them. Kıvanç turned to leave when he noticed his chain became lighter.

"Huh? What the!? My slave!" Kıvanç screamed. His face turned bright red when he saw a shattered chain link. Chuckles and snickers echoed from the squires, and even Don Fero grinned. However, Kıvanç turned on Rodrigo and grabbed him with the intense heat back in his grip.

"What did you do, barbarian!? She is my property!"

"I did nothing! We were groveling before your feet. You and your guards saw everything." Rodrigo held his hands up, but Kıvanç kept shaking, his eyes on fire.

"I'm not leaving without a slave! I'll take you if I have to," Kıvanç could not finish before Don Fero forced him and the other Invadores back.

"There are limits, young lord, to what even you can ask. Search for your slave if you wish. But you shall get no replacement from Riquezarra." More men-at-arms and a few of the knights from earlier returned to back Fero up, and soon, Kıvanç's guards escorted him away. At this, Rodrigo and Arnaut breathed deep sighs and then raced after Padre Benito with their dragons. They soon found him in a secluded area of the arena, a broad smile across his face.

"Well done, niños. Well done." He moved a little and revealed the girl who devoured a shepherd's pie, cheese, and bread as if her life depended on it, tears in her eyes. However, when she saw them, the girl yelped and tried to hide.

"There, there, niñita. It's ok. Do you remember them? They broke your chains, niñita. Prince Rodrigo and Lord Arnaut." Benito cradled her into his arms and wiped away the girl's tears.

"Niños, say hola, to Seraphina."

"Hola, it's ok. You're not a slave anymore." Rodrigo's heart soared even as Seraphina continued to sob. Despite everything that happened that day, all of the pain, shame, and disappointment. The prince stared at Seraphina, and all of the ice melted from his soul.

"He's right. That jerk can't hurt you anymore." Arnaut beamed and patted her shoulder. Both saw the marks on Seraphina's neck from her collar and looked at each other.

"Let's get that off you." Arnaut put his hand on the collar and started melting it with a bit of magma while Rodrigo conjured ice into the other end to keep the heat from hurting her. After a moment, they pulled together, and the collar snapped off. Seraphina gasped for breath and held her throat, still marred by years of restraint.

"Poor thing." Padre Benito started cleaning the marks off with guided water. "I'll keep her safe until the Invadores party leaves. Then we'll ensure she's taken care of. Go."

"No!" Seraphina wrapped her arms around Arnaut and hugged him tight while Inferno nuzzled her.

"No, they'll come and get me. You, you're not afraid of Kıvanç."

"No, I'm not! I'll protect you from him!" Arnaut stood up tall, and Rodrigo smiled.

"What have we here?" Someone chuckled from behind. The prince turned pale, and he swallowed hard as an immense shadow overtook them.

"Hola, Don Alvaro," Padre Benito said back. Rodrigo, Arnaut, and their dragons jumped when they saw the Tierreron champion loom over them with his dragon and two other knights in similar black armor.

"Ddddon, Alvaro," Rodrigo stuttered, and his legs wobbled.

"Hola, Prince Rodrigo. I'm glad we could finally meet in person. Your madre asked me to find you. Also, I was asked to see if any of you had seen an escaped slave girl. The Invadores ambassador is throwing a temper tantrum worse than his nephew." Don Alvaro's eyes fixed upon Seraphina, who turned pale before Arnaut and Inferno stepped in front of her.

"Well, have you seen her?" Alvaro asked again.

"No, I cannot say we have," Padre Benito added, and Don Alvaro shrugged.

"Alas, I suppose the little heathen will have to go home empty-handed. Oh well." Alvaro gestured to his dragon, who nodded before leaning in to lick Seraphina's cheek while panting.

"Arnaut, you stay with her." Rodrigo looked at Padre Benito, who nodded. Rodrigo and Blizzard followed Don Alvaro but avoided his eyes. He longed to ask him a thousand questions and ask for stories about him and his abuelo. However, the shame from his defeat against Diego in front of Alvaro and Sancho sealed Rodrigo's lips.

"What did you think of the tournament, my Prince?"

"Ahh, I-I, you were amazing, Don Alvaro. All the Tierreron knights were," Rodrigo stuttered, but his eyes lit up as he thought back to the way Don Alvaro defeated Don Fero.

"Gracias. He is a formidable opponent. However, I wonder how skilled he is at instructing." Alvaro's words cut deep, and Rodrigo hid his face again. So Alvaro had seen everything and cast his judgment after all. Then again, could he really be surprised?

"I think you fought well, though. My Prince."

"Huh?" Rodrigo opened his eyes but barely saw the knight smile at him through his tears.

"¿Qué? But I lost. Diego made a fool of me in front of both kingdoms." Rodrigo almost broke down again, but Don Alvaro knelt down and took him by the shoulders.

"Rodrigo, when I watched you and Blizzard duel, I saw two boys who fought on despite knowing their opponent was bigger, stronger, and better. I saw someone who was willing to face their fears and try to prove to themselves that they could. I also saw someone brave enough to put their life on the line to save a stranger. I am very proud of you, Rodrigo. But I am not the only one." He gestured to someone else approaching, and the prince's heart leaped with joy.

"Mama!"

"Rodrigo." Queen Berengaria knelt and wrapped Rodrigo in a warm embrace that chased away any shadows of fear that lingered in him. Her dragon likewise nuzzled Blizzard, who turned onto his back and panted as she did so.

"Mama, I'm sorry I embarrassed you and papa-"

"Shh, it's alright, mi hijo. You did your best, even with two kingdoms watching. I'm very proud of you." Berengaria squeezed him tighter, and Rodrigo struggled to keep in his tears.

"I'm not the only one either." With a warm smile, Berengaria let go and made room for the seven-foot-tall giant of a man behind her.

"Rodrigo," Sancho's voice came like a crack of thunder but did not frighten Rodrigo.

"Abuelo." Rodrigo sprung up and into his grandfather's iron arms. He was amazed that Sancho did not crush him in his grip, even when the aging man squeezed.

"Abuelo, I'm, I'm sorry about Uncle Ferdinand." It had been three years since Ferdinand's death, but the pain still ate away at Rodrigo, and he felt tears dampen his hair. Berengaria likewise clenched her eyes shut, and her dragon soon nuzzled her.

"It's alright. He's with the Father now. Rodrigo, I am concerned. You are to be King of Riquerzarra, but your skills are not where they should be," Sancho's words made his knees wobble, and Rodrigo struggled to stay upright. "I have spoken with your father on the matter, and he has agreed to a proposition."

"Huh?"

"Si. I convinced him to ward you with your grandfather in Tierrero."

"With, with abuelo in Tierrero." Rodrigo trembled, and Blizzard panted in delight. Don Fero would no longer be his instructor. He would be away from Diego, away from the insults and neglect. The prince saw himself defeating Invadores champions, freeing countless slaves, and raising his Kingdom's standard over the enemy capital. There, King Alfonso embraced him and showered Rodrigo with praise, telling him how proud he was to be his padre.

"Rodrigo's dream. Wait, Arnaut can come with me, right, and Seraphina!?"

"Of course, Rodrigo." Sancho hugged him again. "Seraphina, who's Seraphina?"