[P.O.V. Higher King Zyston]
Weeks ago when Adri and I talked to them to let them know we were stepping down. We told them we wanted our sons to rule together. But they were against it. They said they only wanted one king, like the rest of the kingdoms only had one king. So then Adri and I had no choice but to let one of our son's rule. We told the council that if only one gets to rule, they must handle it fairly.
Now, as I sit upon my throne, listening to what the council wanted my sons to do to get the crown made me angry. But I could see that it upset both my sons as well. This new Dwarf King is the great-grandson of Thodol Alcott, the first dwarf king. He has been ruling the Stone Kingdom for about a hundred years now. He's nothing like his father or his great grandfather. In fact, I think sitting on the throne so long without an actual fight on the battlefield has made him a real suck-up politician here in the kingdom.
The same goes for this Warlock King, Victor Creely. He is the forty-fifth king to rule the Dawn Goddess Kingdom. He has only been ruling it for about thirty years now. But, unfortunately, he is nothing like his very great grandfather, Blaise Creely, the First Warlock King. In fact, I dislike him a little more than I do the Dwarf King. Victor seems to be a bit of a snake that likes to hide in the grass.
Then there is my nephew Gabriel Michaels, who had to take over his father's throne two hundred years ago. By taking the throne, he is the new Werewolf King that rules the Moon Goddess Kingdom. After my late friend Tyler died, my twin Katrina was torn apart. So much that she almost turned savage. If it weren't for a witch to help her, Kat would have turned rogue. Before Tyler died, he taught his children well. Gabriel still has got a lot to learn, but thanks to Tyler's lessons on how to run a kingdom and about the battlefield, Gabriel shows potential.
Then there Vampire King Draven Valerno and the Elf King Elaran Beckett. With those two and including myself, we are the last first kings. The other three died of old age. These two have the final say on the council's decisions. If I want to change the council's mind about this, I would have to talk to these two. Tiring of the bickering, I silence them all. Everyone went quiet, and I excused them except for the two I needed to talk to.
[P.O.V. Riley Woods]
I don't really care how Jared and I are to win the throne. What I do care about is hurting my twin. The thing about the council doesn't know and understanding is that. Jared and I have always trained in private sessions with father. Jared and I had never seen each other combat technique besides once, when we were eighteen. We fought each other to see how strong we had gotten, and I defeated him. That was many years ago. Now Jared and I turn four hundred and sixty today. Our combat skills have grown since then, not only with weapons but with the magic we were born with.
Since I met my mate and the heartbreak I have felt for the first time since meeting her. It has helped me realize I don't want the throne. In fact, I'm fine with not ruling. I am fighting because I want Jared to earn the throne and show our people what kind of king he can be. If my plan backfires and I win, I will give him the throne. I don't care about what anyone has to say.
Standing behind the arena gate, it went up. Walking into the arena, I can see everyone packed in tight as they can to see this. Then there, Jared, he looks a little terrified to fight me. Although he looks to be the tough guy, deep down, he has the kindest soul. It because of that kind soul. It was one reason I won when we were eighteen. That and I have always been better with battle and fighting skills. It's one of my stronger strong suits. So I need him to fight me with all his might and show what kind of king he is. Grabbing my battleaxes, we walk towards each other, then we charge. Attacking him, our blades hit, and the fight begins.
After fighting for a few minutes, Jared leaves a small opening for me. Kicking him hard in the chest, he flies back a suitable distance. He's holding back; I know he is. He needs to show his true battle skills.
"Jared, show me what kind of king you are and give me everything you got!" Telling him through our twin bond mind link. "Don't be afraid to show how strong you are!"
I don't want to break the bond we have even more," Jared says back.
"Quit whining about a bond and get up and show me what you're made of!" Jared gets back up, and we fight some more.
"I wasn't whining..." Jared says, a little pouty and irritated.
"Sure you weren't," I teased him. Blocking his attack and fighting back.
"Riley, don't piss me off!" Jared fights even more fiercely.
Our fight goes on with weapon combat and a little magic combat. We're both tired, bruised, and even a little bloody. Now we were fighting in our wolf forms. After rolling and biting at one another, we separate from each other. Both of us breathing heavily, we stand our ground for a minute.
"This is pointless! I know you're better at combat than I ever was. It has always been one of your strengths." So Jared tells me tiredly through our mind links. "You will always be stronger and better than me when it comes to combat. I'm not the king they're looking for... you are. The strengths I have will only weaken this kingdom. I should give up now and let you win."
"It's not pointless. Even though I am better in combat doesn't mean you won't make an excellent king. You have every skill a king needs to know how to rule in our kingdom and keep order in the other kingdoms. If you quit now, I will never forgive you! So quit making excuses and fight me!" Telling him back.
Growling fiercely, I charge at him, using my magic. A wind vortex surrounded me. I will show how strong he can be to our people and himself. I will fight him with all I have left, so he has no choice but to fight me. In the vortex, electricity spun within it. Jared charges back with the same move, but instead of wind, it's water with electricity in it. When our vortexes hit each other, an enormous wave of power flew through the air. Strong enough, it separated Jared and me from each other.
That was a bad idea. Not only did I get thrown a far distance, but I could feel that some of my left ribs were broken, including my entire left arm. Sitting my head up a little off the ground, Jared was lying on the ground too. Come on, Jared, get up and show our people what kind of king you will be, be the king they need. Jared gets up, and the crowd is going wild. I'm going to stay down so our fight can finally end. This has been one hell of a fight. Jared showed his skills. He actually fought me. He is the king our people need. As Jared stands up completely, he was limping. His right leg must be broken. He held onto his right ribs. They too must be broken or hurt.
With the announcement that Jared won, the announcer holds his arm up in victory. Everybody here is cheering for his name. I finally get up, and the crowd went quiet. Jared looks back towards me with a face of not understanding why I didn't get up sooner. Instead of giving him an answer, I give him a nod. Then I remove myself from the arena. The arena gate behind me closes, and everyone went back to cheering. Sitting down in the dirt and laying back against the arena wall, I rest for a minute.
Ever since Jared and I were children, father has taught us everything we needed to be a great king. But Jared has always been better at learning the lesson father taught us. Except for combat, that was my strength. Even though Jared was amazing in combat, I was even better. I had to let him win this fight for the good of all kingdoms. It's because I know I would make a weak king, a king that would only bring this kingdom down. Only because I still have much to learn, so much that I shouldn't be running this kingdom. That, and I don't want the throne.
Sitting here a little longer listening to the announcer, everyone in the kingdom was invited to Jared's coronation tomorrow and wedding to his queen. Listening to the crowd cheering for him still hurt my pride a little, but it was for a good cause. A door opens, and Father walks through it and kneels in front of me and smiles proudly at me.
"I know what you did out there. It takes a lot of guts to give your rights of being one of my heirs to the throne to give it up like that. You're a lot like your Uncle Vincent." Hearing him say this to me washed the broken pride I was feeling. " He to had a thing to sacrifice everything of his for the better of his family. It can be of noble quality, and it can be a curse... Don't sacrifice everything, though, son. It's alright to be greedy sometimes and fight for what you want... Now let's get that arm and ribs of yours fixed up." Helping me up, he takes me to the medical room.