Meissa had planned it very well in advance. Okab had helped her plan everything in minute details. They were both extremely sure that Rigel was going to lose and it was mostly because of the way they had planned it all.
She had sent information to every citizen of the Orion kingdom about the challenge she had thrown her brother's way. She had made sure that when he loses, there is everyone out there to look at his sorry state.
"Why did you throw a challenge at him?" asked their mother, Alina. She was clearly irritated by Meissa's decision. "I was fine with you being the Crown Princess of the Orion Kingdom, but that didn't mean that you had to take Rigel's life!"
Meissa took a deep breath as anger bubbled in her chest. "Mother, if you don't want Rigel to be killed, ask him to surrender to me and then I will throw him in the dungeons! Otherwise my decision stands!"
"What makes you think that you will win?" Alina asked, facing her daughter.
"I am extremely sure that I will win. Okab is there to help me. He will be my representative and he is a fine warrior. In case Rigel wins, then he has to reject his mate in order to ascend the throne. Will he do that?" Meissa asked, her eyes flaring with rage. "He would never reject his mate and so he would rather lose! He is nothing but a weak werewolf and he shouldn't be allowed to rise to power."
"Meissa! You are being mean," Alina snapped at her. "This is not the right thing to do. He is your brother. Being the Crown Prince, he could have thrown you in the dungeons, but he has accepted your challenge because he doesn't want you to go there. He is a kind Alpha and you should have treated him with some respect!"
Meissa let out a humorless chuckle. "Really? Mother? Now you are telling me that I should have treated him with respect when you were the one to deride him on every occasion with me and show disrespect to his mate? No, no, no, no. Now you can't back out. You were with me and I know that you fueled our father's temper too, to some extent. So don't play this 'kind' card with me. Moreover, if Rigel is kind, it is a sign of another weakness! He should be removed from the position of the Crown Prince. Since my father couldn't really make a decision, I had to step in!"
"Meissa!" Alina shouted. "You are--"
Meissa put her hand up in front of her mother's face to stop her. "Enough!" she snarled. "I don't have time for your gimmicks now. We have crossed that stage. I am going to the stadium where people have started gathering already. Entire Orion Kingdom is excited to see who would emerge as the winner. I am going there and I know that my people will support me." She turned and strode out of her parents' room with her hand on her stomach.
Alina watched her leave and once she was out of the bedchamber, Alina sank on the chair. A dry sob wrecked her body. She held her head in between her hands. What had she done? She had pitched her two children against each other. And that too for an enemy. Tears poured out of her eyes.
Tabit was along with Rigel who was being dressed by soldiers for the challenge. It was going to be a swordfight. She said, "Brother, what will happen once you win the fight?" There was worry etched all over her face. "Meissa is pregnant with Okab's child. Will she give birth to a child who would never see his or her father?"
A muscle feathered in his jaw and he chose to remain silent.
Tabit continued, "And if you win, will you reject Lerna after it. That is the only way father is going to allow you to ascend the throne."
"If I win, I will bring Lerna here and I will make sure that everyone respects her. I have had enough of Meissa and--" He inserted his sword in its sheath on his belt with force. "And Okab!"
Tabit gulped. She could see cold fury in his eyes. "Then I hope the best may win..." she breathed.
A loud cheer amongst the crowd in the stadium startled him. He hated the fact that Meissa was making it such a huge thing. She was showing it to all of them that she was the able leader. In small, she was doing her best to humiliate him. He wanted to throw her in the dungeons with her betrothed, but he couldn't. And after she announced that she was pregnant with a baby, his heart went for the unborn child. Another loud cheer pulled him out of his reverie. He watched them all from the room that was built below the stadium's main entrance.
The guards left and so did Tabit. He was all alone and knew that Okab would soon be joining him. He was sure that his father, mother and Meissa would be up there to watch him fight. And he knew that Tabit wouldn't be watching it. He chuckled at his emotionally overloaded sister.
"Are you ready?" a cold voice from behind came.
He turned his head over his shoulder but didn't look at Okab. He grunted as he heard his footsteps closing in.
"I think they want you dead, Prince Rigel," said Okab.
"I think you are-- Ah!" Rigel rasped. A sharp pain shot through his shoulder. Warm blood trickled down his back and he realized that Okab had jabbed him with a small dagger. Before he could balance himself, he saw Okab rushing out.
He turned and winked at Rigel. "That's just a small gift from me for all the humiliation I had to go through!" And then he walked out.
Rigel clenched his jaw as he took the dagger out of his shoulder and tossed it on the side. He flexed his shoulder and then walked out. He knew that his wound would soon heal up, but Okab wasn't going to let it heal.
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