Alexandria's Knight

The Claim

Adriel

Dria's gaze draws a line between me and Sahir and back again.

"Now who's not being calm?"

"I am calm," I say. "I'm going to calmly kick his ass."

"That isn't necessary. Sahir gets the picture."

"With all these people watching, I think I need to make sure the picture is as clear as possible." Besides, I need someone to take my frustration out on and Sahir is a nice, solid target.

I move Dria's hand holding me back off my chest.

"I'mma do what I should've done thirteen years ago."

"What's that?"

"Let The Underworld know where I belong."

Alexandria's eyes widen. Then she just smiles and shakes her head.

I walk up to Sahir, rolling my shoulders and ready to go, but he gives me the most serene, dark eyes.

"How do you want to play this?"

"Wasn't expecting that." I raise an eyebrow at him.

"I'm not a fool. It took Alexandria this long to accept me as her King for a reason. I now know that reason is you. I mean I'm a close second for her but there was obviously always another man."

"Are you saying we should have a fake fight?"

"I like Dria but I'm not willing to get my ass handed to me over a fight I've already lost. You need to stake your claim publicly. I want to make it out of here without getting my head ripped off. How do we gain here?"

I think about it for an instant. Then I draw my sword. There's no holy fire on my blade because I realize I have no intention of killing him.

"Keep up," I tell him.

Someone fetches Sahir a broadsword. Good. I don't want him unarmed. When they say I won, I want there to be no doubt. Of course he doesn't make the first move. It kind of ticks me off that for him it's only a staged fight for the benefit of the demons watching. I move first and we clash, swords ringing.

I'm coming at him like it's real. Too bad for him. I'll make him pay for every lingering glance and every caressing touch he's ever laid on Alexandria. Its not the guy's fault that I wasn't available and he was. Doesn't mean I have to like him though.

Sahir stumbles and manages another block and evade. Ever since I resigned myself to watching suitors come in and out of Dria's life, there's been this anger building up inside. It's why I want Sahir to fight me for real. It's why I'm fighting for real. Not because I have anything to prove really, but because I really need to vent even though the person I'm truly angry with is myself. Me. The one who denied myself Alexandria's love for so long. I wonder as I bear down on Sahir if he's just a pretty face. I wonder if this fight wasn't essentially one-sided would he be fighting for real. Our eyes meet over our blades. His arms tremble. A dark desire inside me says to keep bearing down until I snap that sword in his hands and cut off his head. I'm aware Sahir isn't fighting me at his full strength and if I go too far...

"That's enough," Alexandria calls it.

Pushing down that dark desire, I take a big step back away from Sahir. He swallows and straightens, tugging at his collar like he knows how close he was to getting beheaded.

The crowd jeers but no one says anything to challenge Dria's decree. Good, because I've never viewed myself as the kind of man or demon who just slaughters someone regardless of the situation. Maybe that's the angel in me.