The Queen’s Gambit      

 

Lydia clenched her fists, frustration bubbling over. "Not again!" she shouted, her voice barely cutting through the roaring crowd.

 

"How much longer is this going to continue? It's obvious they're cheating right in the open!" Her glare burned toward the Elven officials overseeing the event. "Aren't you going to do something about this?!"

 

But her words were lost in the deafening cheers and chaos. The audience, blinded by spectacle, either didn't notice or didn't care. The battlefield was in turmoil, and all they saw was another dramatic twist, another battle to feed their entertainment.

 

Above them, seated on her high throne, the Queen of the Elves slowly rose, her emerald gaze sweeping over the elders sitting beside her. Unlike the frenzy around them, she remained composed, regal, as if she had already foreseen this outcome.