"Will you step aside or do I have to kill more of you?" the intruder asked.

"You will take her nowhere. Besides, she is dead," Lady Teel stood up and descended the stands.

"Not yet. There is still a breath of life in her," the intruder said calmly causing the prince to release a breath he had not known he was holding.

"Worry not about her life, she will die soon. You too, will not leave here with your life," Lady Teel said and dashed forward. She was before him in less than a second. She raised her hand and the intruder felt a spark of danger. This woman is powerful, he thought. He made to dodge, not caring about the naked princess he had come to save.

But her hand still reached him. His eyes bulged at her speed. Instead of a palm, it was a finger on his chest. He sucked all his energy into one point to shield that spot. Her finger broke through it and reached for him, but the shield had taken in most of the brunt. The vibration from her finger entered his body even before the finger touched him, causing him to cough out a mouthful of blood. Just when he thought he would die, a figure grabbed him away, faster than Lady Teel could follow. The fight had paused with an elderly man holding the intruder and Lady Teel only a step away from her initial spot on the stage, and the audience too confused; as their eyes had not caught how fast they were moving.

The audience saw Lady Teel pause as a figure appeared and grabbed away the now bleeding intruder. Lady Teel's eyes dissolved from a frown into one of shock. Her eyes rounded out at the person holding the intruder.

"How dare you attack my son?" anger could almost be seen like steam leaving the elderly man.

"An-cients," Lady Teel managed to choke out.

Lady Teel was stuck in place. Never had she thought that a random saviour would be an ancient. Not just anyone, but the son of the chief of the Marjiont Valley, Hiest Hane.

The king paled the moment he heard the words 'ancients', causing Prince Thelmus to sneer inwardly. This result he loved very much, but he did not let it show. He must remain filial at all times and not look as though he was enjoying his family's misfortune.

"I apologize Lord Hane, but your son should have declared himself," Lady Teel said with a steady voice.

"I will see this as your family defying the ancients," Lord Hane said.

"Your son interfered with a proceeding without making his identity known," Lady Teel said.

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"Are you saying if my son wants to stop this barbaric killing, he, as an ancient, is not allowed to?"

"Lord Hane-"

"Enough! The Teel bloodline ends today!" his words were like a command as shadows flashed in the direction of Queen Raine.

"Raine!" Lady Teel exclaimed. Ria was faster, positioning herself in front of Queen Raine. The noblemen stiffened and the ladies shrieked as Ria's body tore in two and fell in opposite directions. Her body had been vertically sliced, clean in the middle. This happened so fast, that Queen Raine was stuck in place. Looking at Ria's dead form, her eyes reddened and anger overwhelmed her.

Lady Teel was in front of her the next second. She swung her hands making an arc before her, causing the air to crackle. The shadows were repelled for a while.

"Lord Hane! You intend to kill my family because your son wanted to save an adulterer? Was he one of her lovers that he cared not for his family's reputation?" Lady Teel's voice reverberated across the entire arena. Yes, they were all thinking the same thing. Why would his son appear and save such a woman? Her words of scorn indicated that she knew the other Ancients were here and watching from the crowd. They would be judging you, were the words she was trying to pass along to Lord Hane.

Lady Steinhouse saw her uncle stiff expression and fear gripped her. These were the Ligrel clan's enemies and they wished to have her new aunt killed. The dangerous nature of this situation dawned on her.

Lord Hane cared not about her insinuations and raised his hand, manifesting a black spear the shape of a thorn and threw. The spear cracked through Lady Teel's shield and pierced right through her, coming out the other side. Lady Teel fell to the ground and was immediately surrounded by a black hallo.

"Impressive. The Teel family second life skill. It can grant anyone a second life," a fascinated Lord Hane said.

Silence hugged the arena. It took a second for Queen Raine to realise what was happening. Before the king could draw her to his side, Lady Steinhouse had enveloped her in a hug.

"Enough!" Lady Steinhouse said and Lord Hane raised his hand for the shadows to retreat. He recognised her. She was the last heir to the Ligrel clan. If he attacked, a war would break loose. If he did not, he would look lower than the Ligrel clan. He handed his son who had started to wake to a man that appeared behind him and his eyes descended into a frown.

"Lady Steinhouse, I'd presume," Lord Hane said. "Does the Ligrel clan intend to interfere in this?"

"Do you intend to kill the queen? The ancients are now looking down upon the first-rate kingdoms?" Lady Steinhouse responded.

"Step aside or I will kill you to get to her," Lord Hane threatened.

"Do you think I'm dead or what?" Protector Klienn's form manifested behind Lady Steinhouse.

Lord Hane paused. Protector Klienn was someone he could not fight. Everyone knew that the chiefs of the different ancients were not as powerful as the protectors of their clans. He too came to the capital with three protectors much stronger than he. Still, this would not end well, but he had no intention of backing out. He had to kill that queen or else he would become a laughing stock.

"You want an all-out fight here, Klienn? You will lose and you know that" he said.

"Move when you are told!" a young man appeared beside Lord Hane and growled, producing another dark spear from thin air and throwing it at Lady Steinhouse. Many thought Protector Klienn would move, but he did nothing. When the spear reached a radius around the entire stand, one could f

eel a delicate shield break.