Enchantment

The Fight

Valerie kept her composer and she turned to face him, though her eyes narrowed into a calculating glare

"Are you challenging me? You should know that you have no place to do that" Her voice was stable and low, her arms at her side as she waited for him to make the first move. Because if he attacked first, then she could have him punished

"Oh, I have the place. I'm a noble, a high ranking one. I'm strong in magic, so are you. So yes Valerie, I AM challenging!" He shot fire at her, and she deflected it by sniffing it out

"You address me as Your Highness or Princess Valerie, remember that" He scowled, launching 5 jets of fire at her. She captured them all in large bubbles of water, making them increasingly smaller to douse the fire

"Gabriel, we are in a library. Cease the fire at once and let's duel in the arena" Gabriel gave a curt chuckle

"Scared? Do you think you'll have a better advantage at the arena? I'm not falling for your planned tricks" He sent forth icicles, but Valerie took them under her control and shot them right back at him. He flipped and dodged them, running for her

"I hoped this would be amusing, watching you struggle in your emotions" She jumped over him and quickly trapped him in a cage of shadow, forcing him to stop, at least for a little while "but this was sad. You had the gall to challenge me when you yourself are weaker, and you know it"

"Don't get cocky. You have weaknesses" He broke the cage, threw himself on her, and pinned the princess on her back. She struggled against his tight grip

"You see? You think you can outsmart me, but by being unpredictablely predictable, I outsmarted your outsmarting" He smirked, though Valerie's expression remained indifferent. The shadows started shrinking, circling around the pair

"You think yourself clever, but you jest" Valerie, being the crown princess of the main kingdom of the entire Foncé alliance, was obviously powerful. She had access to celestial magic, she was strong in shadows and stealth, she was trained in archery and throwing knives. But her greatest strength in that moment, was restraint. When faced with a stressful choice, one would say it's obvious to reach for your most powerful magic. Valerie thought otherwise. He was expecting this. He wanted that. If she used celestial magic here, in the library, losing her emotional restraint, she'd destroy her image of herself

He knew this. He years they spent together weren't for nothing, they were a claim for power for him. He knows her beliefs, her insecurities.

"You think I'm jesting? Fine. I'll prove I'm not" Before he could do anything, she took action and melted into the shadows, becoming them. He looked around confused as he had never knew she could do that trick. Which was what she wanted. Valerie appeared behind him again, grabbing the back of his neck and pointing a dagger at his throat

"I can easily have you imprisoned for my attempted murder. I could easily stab this right through your throat. However, I'm inclined to issue mercy despite my better judgement" her voice was controlled and even, as was her hand. She tightened her grip on his neck and he grimaced. The silence was stilling as he made pathetic sounds of uncomfort

"I surrender"