Chapter 44
"I can feel my stomach turning upside down." Leonna mumbled to herself the moment she opened up her eyes.
Tomorrow is the day of the tournament and she felt.....unprepared and nervous.
'I cant back down now, Im so close to meeting them'
Leonna shook her head to try and collect herself and on the process of her doing it, she felt her dad moving.
"Leonna? Its still too early. Go back to sleep." Leon said still close eyes as he pull Leonna to an embrace.
Leonna glanced at the Window of their Bedroom. Although the sun hasnt start to rise yet, you could see the ray of the sun giving light to the dark sky.
"I should train early today, tomorrow is the tournament." Leonna said to her dad, she tried to wiggle her way out of his embrace but failed, Leon just hugged her tighter.
"Daaaad! Let me goooo" Leonna whined pushing his dad.
Leon chuckled at her adorable attempt to escspe his embrace. "Leonna, today you wont be doing any training. Its good that youre training hard but you should also let your body rest before the tournament."
Leonna stopped struggling, her dad has a point.
"But.....I feel so un prepared like there's so much more that I should learn." Leonna stated while burrying her face on Leon's chest.
"Leonna you don't need to win, just survive. Thats enough for me." Leon said caressing her hair.
"What if I bring shame to your name? What if people look down on the Viosta name---"
Leon pinched Leonna's nose lightly before she could even finish what she was saying.
When Leon let go of her nose, he chuckled ragidly. "I didnt know you had thoughts like that. Don't worry about what other people say just having a daughter like you, represent the Viosta house in thetournament is enough for me to be proud of."
Leonna then blushed at her father's words. She nodded in response.
Then both of them tried to go back to sleep but for some reason Leonna could not sleep.
"Leonna." Leon called her attention. "Can you still not tell me why you wanted to participate in the tournament?" Leon asked.
Leonna covered her head with the blanket and aggressively shook it.
Leon sigh but instantly embrace Leonna. "I understand. I respect your decision, I hope one day you could tell me." Leon said as he kiss her forehead gently.
With teary eyes Leonna nodded, she felt guilty for hiding a secret to her dad but she promised them that she wouldnt tell anyone about them.
"Go back to sleep, later we have somewhere to go." Leon stated.
"Where?" Leonna aksed curiously.
"Its a secret." Leon answered.
Leonna pouted, Leon just patted her head. The two of them then went back to sleep not knowing at what will happen hours later.
-
Later that day when the sun is fully out the seven kingdom was in tourmoil after receiving the list of the tournament's list of participants.
On the Very last number un the list, they saw a name that shock them to the core, A name that sent shivers down their spine.
'Leonna Viosta'
The name itself is enough for them to be weary about their action.
But some after seeing Leonna's name couldnt help but be happy about this rare opportunity to kill the one and only heir of the Viosta dukedom without any consequences.
"Mother!!" Lionel was running to the hallway of the Empress palace with a letter on his hand.
When he arrive at his mother room, he saw his Mother also holding a piece of paper.
She was smilling from ear to ear. She turned around to meet his son's gaze "Lionel. This is the chance we have been waiting for!" Empress Vivian shouted in joy.
"I see you also got the list of participants Mother." Lionel smirk.
"Yes, this is your chance Lionel. Take back what that brat has taken from you."
"Yes Mother. I'll do my best to win." Lionel proudly said puffing his chest.
But a loud slapped immediately followed, a slap so hard that it sent a ringin sound in the young prince's ear.
He grabbed his cheeks and as soon as his hand had contact with his cheeks he wince in pain.
"M-mother?" He asked out of confusion and shock.
"Are you crazy?! Now that we learned that bitch is going to participate in the hunting tournament winning the whole tournament means nothing!" The empress shouted in anger.
Lionel was still a bit shock from what had happened that he could not even react to the Empress.
"Our original plan was to win the tournament and ask for the Empire to acknowldeg you as the Grand Duke's son. But things change with this given opportunity we should seize it."
"I don't understand Mother, dont you want me to win the tournament?" Lionel finally got the courage to speak.
"Oh my sweet prince come here." And as fast as the wind blew so is the Empress's attitude.
She pulled Lionel to her and hugged her, Lionel immediately forgot what has happened earlier.
"I don't care if you win or not, but you must kill that brat during the tournament at all cost." The Empress stated with firmness, her menacing look mixed with desperation set Lionel off guard.
"If I win I can just ask for her head Mother."
"Lionel Viosta! Listen to me!" Empress Vivian shouted, making Lionel Flinch in terror.
"If you ask for that bit!$'s head as a prize the Grand Duke would most likely bring this whole kingdom to hell! Why do you think other imperial wont ask for the head of other Imperials?! It will mean war between country! And with all this kingdom's military power mostly at the hand of the Grand Duke, theres a great possibility he will kill us for revenge! Thats why you have to kill that brat during the hunting tournament where it could be considered as survival or accident."
"I-I understand Mother." Lionel answered.
"Hmmm....looks like I would have to put my plan on hold." The empress mumbled to herself.
-
"W-what is this?!" Prince Jaljiz in anger crumple the piece of paper he was holding.
He could not believe what he just read.
"Ha. What is she thinking?" He asked in frustration seeing Leonna's name on the list.
[Does she even realize that she could be killed during the tournament?!]
I came here to see you now you're telling me that I'll have to compete with you?!
-
"HAHAHAHAHHA!! I knew she wasnt like the other noble ladies!" Prince Kaleb laughed loudly seeing the list of participants.
"Who would have thought that the next time I see her will be on the hunting tournament?" He said to himself smiling from ear to ear.
For some reason seeing Leonna's name on the list made Prince Kaleb even more excited for the hunting tournament.
-
Later that day the news about the only heir of the Viosta Dukedom participating in the hellish tournament has reach the ears of the public.
The news travel far and wide reaching every kingdom in the continent.
And with the news of Leonna participating she became the hot topic of the high society.
"Where are we going Dad?" Leonna asked Leon while the two of them walk hand in hand to the Viosta Carriage.
"Hmmm.....to my secret place." Leon answered, he escorted Leonna to the carriage before riding on the carriage himself.
Before they depart Leon looked at Winston, "Don't bother me."
Winston just nodded in response. "Yes your grace."
The carriage ride was an hour long, and during that time the two if them spent that time talking and laughing.
When they arrive at their first destination, Leonna looked around. "Where are we?"
"Relax, were not there yet." Leon said chuckling at Leonna's reaction. They were at the outskirts of the Viosta Dukedom in the far south of it.
"We have to ride via horse starting from here." Leon stated.
A knight from the Viosta dukedom was waiting for them to arrive to give them their horse.
"Mighty!!" Leonna leaped in joy seeing her precious horse. She patted mighty and caressed his hair.
"Were going to ride Mighty?" Leonna asked.
"Yes, don't worry my secret place is not far from here so Mighty won't be too exhausted for tomorrow." Leon answered before carrying by her waist Leonna and gently putting her on Mighty's back, when he secured Leonna he then followed after.
"Dad you know I can ride a horse by myself." Leonna pouted.
Leon shuffled her hair "I know but I still want to ride with you, when you grow up you might be too embarrass to ride with me anymore."
Leonna flinch at her dad's statement. "No! That will never happen. I'll ride horses with you until I grow old!" She yelled.
Leon laughed lightly at her response, it warms his heart and filled it with pride and joy.
Leon held the reign of the horse and gently tapped Mighty's leg with his foot for them to move.
And Leon was right from the time they rode Mighty it only took them fifteen minutes to reach Leon's secret place.
Its a hill, and on the hill you could see the whole Viosta Dukedom below. From its large tall gate, from the main mansion, the east and west mansion where the knights were training, the south Mansion where the Maids are residing and the North mansion that stood out because its the only part of the Viosta dukedom that was covered in Crystal.
"Wooow!" Leonna said in awe looking at view from the hill.
"Leonna, I brought you here to talk to you about the tournament tomorrow" Leon stated, he sat on the hill and Leonna followed suit.
"What about the tournament tomorrow?"
"The tournament will last for seven days, this years tournament is going to be different than the previous years."
"Why?"
"Because all of the Crown Prince and Princess from the different kingdoms will be participating that's why they made the tournament twice as hard--" Leon sigh, [and if I'm correct all of them must have already read the list of participants by now, and seeing Leonna's name on it will make her the number one target.]
"Leonna..... listen to me and listen well, there will be people who will want to kill you the moment the tournament start, many of them are my enemy which makes them yours aswell. Those people will do anything to stop the Viosta bloodline to contiue."
Leonna nodded in response, she knew well why people wants her dead.
"I understand. I'll be very careful not to make you worry." Leonna said.
"Yes you should, because if something happens to you..... I'll wipe out the whole continent to dust." Leon said firmly, Leonna could feel the menacing aura on her father.
[He's not joking. ] Leonna thought.
"Don't worry dad. I'll be fine." Leonna hugged Leon, and immediately Leon's anger subside making him blush.
"Dad what's that?" Leonna asked pointing at a tree behind them. Leon looked at what Leonna was talking about it seems like there was something on the tree that caught Leonna's attention so Leon went to the tree and took a closer look.
There he saw a very unique carving on the tree it's an initial L and V carved at the center of the tree.
"L and V? are you the one who carved this dad?" Leonna asked in confusion. Leon with furrowed eyebrow looked at the initials carved on the tree. "No. It wasn't me." Leon answered, immediatley he felt uncomfortable, he didn't know why but something is making him feel uncomfortable looking at the initials on the tree.
"Maybe someone else did? Maybe you're not the only one who knows of this place." Leonna said and Leon could only nod in response.
[Well its not impossible for someone to find this place although this hill is steep and hidden, people specially mercenaries could still find this.] Leon thought trying to rationalize the carving in the tree.
"Its getting late, we should head back." Leon said.
-
[End of Chapter]
AN: Hello!! if you are reading this can you do me a little favor? could you leave a review on my story? if yes thank you! if no that's ok enjoy reading. lot of loves. mwah.