Chapter 43
Time passes by and before Leonna knew it, the most awaited hunting tournament is a week away.
Unlike the past few days Leonna is starting to get nervous, she could feel the weight of the competition and knowing that she hasn't fully mastered her powers just add to her anxiety.
"Riri, shouldn't we supposed to practice controlling my powers more?" Leonna asked Riri, the past few days Riri had been teaching her different things like archery, the basic of swordsmanship, horse back riding, dagger throwing everything you could possibly think of Riri had been teaching her.
But Leonna couldn't help but feel that everything he's teaching her is useless. She would rather train to master her powers than to learn how to ride a horse.
Riri flick her forehead and Leonna wince in the sudden pain.
"Don't under estimate the other categories of the competition brat, remember that you could get kill at any time, the moment you step into that competiton its to kill or to be killed. I'm not teaching you this basic things in order to win. The Grand Duke already told me that you only need to survive, and this will help you survive." Riri said to Leonna.
Leonna felt embarrassed, only then did she thought that Riri is right. She was too focused on her mission to meet them again that she has completely forgotten that the competition is very dangerous.
Leonna nodded in response "I'm sorry. I was just nervous and the fact that I haven't master my powers is agitating me."
"Its still not too late to back out you know." Riri said to Leonna. "No!" Leonna answered almost immediately which surprised Riri.
"I can't. I have to do this." Leonna stated. Riri wanted to ask more about why but he didn't. He knew just from her expression that it goes deeper than just wanting to experience the hunting competiton.
"Alright then follow my training, you only have seven more days to train."
Leonna nodded and got on her horse Mighty, yes Mighty is hers now Leon gave Mighty to her.
"Now, ride mighty for another round while practicing your Archery at least finish in thirty minutes." Riri ordered.
-
"Your grace the deadline for listing on the tournament is in three days, do you still intend to keep your promise to Lady Leonna?" Winston asked Leon.
Leon looked up at Winston and took a deep breathe, he leaned on his chair with his eyes closed and his arms crossed on his chest.
"Yes. She really wants to. I don't think I can see her disappointed face if I tell her that I change my mind." Leon stated.
"I understand your grace. Should I write Lady Leonna's letter for the listeing?"
"No. Wait until it's the last day to list Leonna's name." Leon stated.
Leon massages his temple out of stress then chuckled "I mever knew being a father is this hard."
"You're a wonderful Father your grace." Winston stated.
-
"Is this the girl?" Empress Vivian asked while looking at the blond haired girl in front of her.
"Yes, your highness." Another woman stated while presenting the little girl to the Empress.
"Hmmm.." Empress Vivian was contemplating weather to accept this girl or not.
Then suddenly the little blond haired girl bowed to the Empress.
"Your highness, I vow my loyalty to you, please choose me to help you execute your plans." The girl stated smiling in a smug way.
Empress Vivian was impress at the girl's action to be loyal to her, so she decided to accept her "Alright, you may rise."
The girl rose from her knee, "Thank you Empress."
"If you fail to do what I ask of you, the price will be your life. Do you understand?" Empress Vivian stated firmly which sends chills to the little girl's spine.
"I-I understand." She answered.
"Good. Have some tea with me while we talk about my plans. "
"Yes."
The Empress turned from her and started walking towards her garden, the woman and the blond haired girl followed her.
-
Meanwhile on the Musgravite kingdom. Kaleb and his parents are in the dining room eating their dinner.
"Kaleb!"
"Yes father?"
"Is your team ready to depart for the hunting tournament tomorrow?"
"Yes father, were ready to go." Kaleb answered.
"Good! That good my boy! HAHAHAHA! This year all the royal sons of the seven Emperor will be participating, do your best!" Emperor Maximus stated, excitement is his voice could be felt in the dinning room.
"I will father, I promise not to bring shame on our kingdom" Kaleb answered while slicing his stake.
"Honey, you don't have to pressure yourself, just have fun. Even if you dont win no one would dare to ask for your head. " Empress Filiana, Kaleb's Mother stated.
Maximus slammed his hand on the table causing the food to fall.
"If anyone dared to ask for my son's head will have hell to pay!" He shouted in anger, Filiana grab his hand and gently squeeze it to calm him.
"Calm down. No one would dare to do that or else they knew we would wage war against them." Filiana answered.
"Right! Your mother is right that's why our strongest military men will escort you to the Ruby kingdom, it is a way of showing the power of our kingdom." Maximus stated calming himself, Filiana wipe a grain of rice off his face with a napkin.
"Relax honey, don't stress yourself." Filiana stated. Maximus blushed in embarrassment.
"You're right my Empress, what would I do without you?" Maximus said holding his wife's hand.
"Father, rest assured I will be fine. I'm very much excited to meet a friend of mine on the Ruby kingdom." Kaleb said, smiling from ear to ear remembering his sweet friend.
"Oh? I didn't know you and the Ruby Kingdom's crown prince are friends." Maximus said assuming that who his son was talking about is Lionel.
Kaleb with furrowed brow looked at his father all confused. "What? Im not talking about Lionel."
"Oh? Then who were you talking about?" Maximus asked in shock.
Kaleb smiled at his parents, "its lady Leonna."
-
"Prince Jaljiz. Its late what are you still doing here?" Marlon, the Emperor's aid asked the young Prince.
"I couldn't sleep." Jaljiz answered from the branch of the tree he was sitting on he looked up the sky.
"May I ask why?" Marlon asked once again.
"Just excited for tomorrow."
"Oh. Tomorrow will be the day you and your team depart for the tournament right?"
"Yes."
"I understand you're excited about the tournament---"
Jaljiz couldn't help but chuckled at Marlon's remark. "I'm not excited about the tournament." He stated.
Marlon looked at him with such confusion. " oh then what were you excited about?"
Jaljiz looked at the dark twinkling sky full of stars and the memory of someone he saw at the darkest of night shining like the finest ruby popped in his head.
"Have you prepared what I asked for?" Jaljiz asked, invading Marlon's question.
"You mean the box of cookies you kept pestering the maids about?" Marlon asked bewildered at the young Prince's request.
[He kept ordering the maids to buy him the finest cookies since last week to take for the trip.] Marlon thought.
"I didn't know the your highness has such a sweet tooth, for you to buy every kinds of cookies in the kingdom...surprises me." Marlon stated.
With a smirk for a smile Jaljiz chuckled.
"I didn't either. Make sure to tell the maids to make those boxes of cookies their top priority when loading the carriage for tomorrow." Jaljiz ordered, he then jumped from the branch pf the tree landing perfectly on the ground without making a single sound.
"Yes?" Marlon answered still confused at why the Prince would take hundreds of boxes of cookies to the Ruby kingdom.
[I'll see you soon my cookie monster.] Jaljiz thought, smiling from ear to ear.
-
[End of Chapter]
[AN: ahhhh!!!!! Im soooo excited! My chess pieces are coming together! Stay tune were not even on the climax of the story yet. Hahahah]