A Wicked Game [The Crown Saga II] (Under Editing)

Soul of the Inferno

Earth Iridis had altered the Battle Arena into an unrecognizable room. The plain tribunes had been pushed back and turned into a seating area more suited for the nobility attending Caiden's birthday celebration.

Pillars towered in every corner of the room, each top dressed with intense flames hot enough to melt the flesh of bones. Naked trees with branches as thick as my thigh sprouted from the stone flooring between each pillar, damp from the spray of the waterfalls pouring from a long opening in the wall behind.

I sucked my lower lip inward, trapping it between my teeth to keep myself from gasping aloud when I caught sight of Master Cadoc greeting the arriving guests. I immediately pulled the curtain back to its flaccid state.

Master Cadoc had been almost as cruel as Miss Penny throughout the past week while teaching us this routine that would be the opening act to initiate the celebration of our crown prince. It would serve as a demonstration for the nobility to assess our progress and get a closer look at each suitor.

I gritted my teeth as I once again considered the new variety of potential answers that this trial could demand from us. A ball only left a limited number of examination options, but this—

A live demonstration before an audience of the guests we were to engage with afterward left countless more.

It was entirely possible that this trial wouldn't be determined by the golden royals but by a majority vote. I just didn't know how or what rules applied.

"Do you see Prince Altas?" Calla whispered behind me, her airy sleeves tickling my neck.

I chuckled and shook my head. "Sorry. Not yet."

We hadn't seen him all day, leaving us with no option to congratulate him on his twenty-second year.

"Line up, girls!" Evie shouted just before I felt my uniform being tugged backward, forcing me into the line with the other suitors. "Water goes first, then fire—"

I rubbed my sore throat from Evie's brutal handling of my aching body, but I didn't say anything. Crossing Evie when stress bounced from her brow wouldn't be wise.

Azure shifted her weight in front of me, tugging at the fur collar tightly wound around her throat. The heat here had to be unbearable for the Water Iridis in their elemental uniforms.

Thick ponchos with fur edges cascaded down their shoulders, a thick belt molding the poncho to fit their waists. White shin guards wound tightly around their shins and knees, while golden bracelets wrapped their naked arms.

I didn't know what their ponchos concealed, but I couldn't imagine it being their naked skin. Their uniforms were made to shield them against the cold, leaving them vulnerable in the heat.

Fire, on the other hand, wouldn't stand a chance against the icy mountains in the north. Their uniforms closely resembled the Flare Warriors' uniforms but without the immaculate details of the stitching and wires. Their boots were different, too.

Instead of brown leather boots with windings around their calves, they wore copper-colored over-the-knee boots with a golden ring acting as the cuff to keep them in place.

The brown bodices also included an extra attachment that served as a holster for their weapons when they needed both hands.

Calla, Haylee, and Elle wore uniforms like mine, while the Earth Iridis wore uniforms more modest than the other elements.

Silver knee- and elbow pads protected their vulnerable skin against the rocky surfaces of the mountains they tamed. Various belts framed their waists and thighs, carrying countless tiny pouches to carry seeds of various plants.