Chapter 43: The re-duel!

Selena disheartened by the Falak dragon’s ominous prediction that Andrew would be the chosen candidate, was currently prancing towards the training grounds, her muddled up mind busy elsewhere.

She felt disgruntled that even after all her efforts, she still wouldn’t stand a chance to ascend the throne of Valyria. She reckoned that she should have aided the dragon’s advice and not pried further into it, then she could at least have the guts to try harder because she wouldn’t know the final outcome of the process.

Then she frowned as she realized that it had been her mother’s dreams to see her ascend the throne, not hers and she felt no connection whatsoever to the citizens of Valyria. She was merely here so that she could get revenge. She had never rose above that and maybe she didn’t deserve the throne because of that. What use is a Queen who doesn’t care about the citizens of Valyria?
Her sole purpose to ascend the throne was purely because of selfish reasons, that is to make sure that the concubine and her daughter who had bullied and murdered her sister doesn’t last much longer in the royal palace.
Having made up her mind to study more about Valyria and its citizens sincerely and to bring down her arrogance, she started kicking the pebbles lying on the ground out of her way carelessly as she made her way into the city.

She was strolling through the grounds in a dazed manner that she didn’t quite realize that the royal concubine had been glaring at her from a distance.
As she approached closer, the concubine raised an eyebrow at her and snapped with venom dripping from her shrill voice, “What? Went to visit your little pet?”
Selena frowned at the concubine, intending not to get into a nasty brawl with her and ignored her existence and tried to move past her but to no avail for the royal concubine had absolutely no intention of letting her go just like that.


She strode forward confidently, and Selena found herself frowning at the concubine, rattled by her bold and determined strides towards her. It was as if she had made up her mind to pick a fight with the first princess.
“Whoever you are, there is no doubt that you are not Mia Langdon”, she snarled, her fangs showing out of anger.
Selena flinched and quickly rushed to compose her expression but for an advanced, conniving strategist like Natasha, that split second of hesitation on Selena’s face was enough to tell her that she was indeed on the right track.

“You claimed the loyalty of the Blood Sword as well as the service of the Falak dragon, the last dragon standing. You can’t have done that if you didn’t have certain tricks up your sleeve. Being a noble born, you have some powers, don’t you? Why the hell are you hiding them?”

With every word she said, she poked a hole into Selena’s chest and Selena found herself glancing around her, desperate to call for help as she was caught in quite a tricky situation.
Seeing that no one was around to come to her rescue, she started attacking instead and snapped in an annoyed tone, “I don’t think you have much free time in your hands to concentrate on a little old fly like me. After all, your daughter’s reputation had been tainted and the rumors are running wild in the kingdom. As her almighty mother, shouldn’t you be doing something about it?”

The royal concubine winced at the supposed first princess’s attack, then narrowed her eyes dangerously at her as she replied haughtily, “Count your days my child. Your days in the palace are numbered.”
Selena titled her head and laughed out loud, right in the concubines face, faking the confidence that she didn’t quite feel and responded back by letting out a fake ass shudder and saying, “Oh! I am so scared….Not!”

The concubine’s eyes flashed with anger as Selena stuck out her tongue teasingly and winked at her, then went on her merry way, shoving the concubine out of her way.
As Selena walked away from the concubine, she clutched a hand on to her chest nervously. She had been beyond nervous at the concubine’s sudden attacks and it had taken quite some effort for her not to fold and fall.

Selena stopped for a second as she saw Caro approaching her from a distance and Selena instantly took into a run towards him without thinking much and leapt into his arms not caring if they had an audience or not. For once, she was just happy to see someone on her side, as she was completely rattled by her run in with the malicious concubine.

Caro stumbled backward, taken aback by Selena’s sudden hug. He hesitated for a split second before his shoulders slumped in relief as he hugged her back tightly.
Selena finally realizing what she had just done, let go of him and took several steps backward, not being able to make eye contact with him. Caro found himself grinning widely as he saw that his future Queen was blushing furiously.

“Is everything all right?”, a bewildered Caro questioned her and Selena nodded meekly.
Then another naughty thought entered Selena’s mind as she asked, “Can we have that rematch now?”
Caro raised both of his eyebrows in surprise at Selena’s sudden warm approach to him, when she had spent weeks giving him the cold shoulder. It was obvious from the direction she had come that she had just paid a visit to the Falak dragon and whatever it was that the dragon had advised her, it had deeply affected his bride to be.

The last duel between the two of them had ended in a tie. And he had no doubt that with the intense training that Selena had been receiving from both Demetri as well as her foster father, the General that she would certainly have him landed on his ass this time. He had realized that she was a well oiled warrior the last time they had a duel and he actually considered her a worthy opponent.
“Why? You already won last time”, he asked cautiously.
Selena snuck a tongue out at him teasingly and her face erupted into a cheerful smile as she declared, “I didn’t win all the way through and a half win is never a win.”
Caro heart beats picked up pace as he finally saw a glimmer of the real Selena beyond her usual stoic mask. He found himself smiling widely, just watching her smile and Selena reached out her arm to him.

Caro eyed her out reached arm warily, then shook it firmly, accepting the challenge gracefully.