The arena, built with prince's funds, was full of spectators. There were even children among the excited crowd. This left a bad taste in Cornelia's mouth. She had not Vardana's capital except in paintings but couldn’t shake off the feeling that this arena was inspired by one created by Virat. As she slowly looked around, standing at the railings of the royal lodge, she tried not to pay too much attention to her parents sitting in the center. Right now César was speaking with the king at this moment, receiving praises and good luck wishes.

It would be best if he, wearing shiny armor, with styled hair and a perfect smile, headed straight to the arena afterwards. However, it was just wishful thinking. She knew her brother too well. She could treat this event like another official gathering and hoped he wouldn't spoil it with childish tricks. But when had it ever stopped him?

César approached her, standing side by side in front of the wooden railings. He watched the nobles at the higher seats, close to the royal family, then looked around the lower areas occupied by commoners. His bright smile shone equally for everyone. Unfortunately, Cornelia was too close to be fooled by this charming smile.

"I see you didn't even make an effort to join me on this hunt," the prince scoffed, giving a quick glance at his sister's dress. "But that's a good thing. No need to embarrass yourself in front of such a huge crowd. Digging in the dirt suits you better."

César's smiling face contrasted with his words. They were too far away from any officials or guards to hear them. With all the cheering, even when standing right next to each other, the royal siblings had to talk loudly enough to be able to continue the conversation. Most of the people present could only see Castros' facial expressions.

Feeling like an ancient actor in a mask, Cornelia replied with a smile: "Of course, brother. You are perfectly capable of doing it yourself, killing restrained animals. A true hero that everyone should look up to."

A squire approached them carrying the prince's helmet. A polished metal with a visor shaped like a beak, encrusted with emeralds and decorated with feathers - a precious thing that no one would wear in a real battle. César took the helmet and waved at the spectators. The crowd exploded with cheering. César, openly enjoying the reception, turned around. It was time for him to leave.

But before heading toward the exit, the prince leaned in and whispered into his sister's ear, "Don't worry, one day I'll let one of those restrained beasts slip into your room. Oh, but maybe I shouldn't. What if my frigid sister ended up dragging it into her bed?"

"What the hell does…" she didn't have the chance to finish her. César was already halfway gone. Taking this as a sign, Kroghan moved closer to the princess.

"Is everything alright?" asked the vice-captain, looking at Cornelia's flushed face. She instinctively reached out to her cheeks - they felt warm. A long breath helped calm her down, as usual.

"Yes, it's fine. It's just that his teeth have become sharper. For every little success I achieve, César feels restless. But he can bite as much as he wants; my skin is already too thick for him to bite through."

Kroghan shook his head. He was eager to say something, but the gates had opened. One by one, the horsemen rode into the arena. The herald announced each noble house's representative, the participant, and the crowd enthusiastically greeted those they were fond of. César's appearance brought a great deal of screaming from young girls. The prince used this opportunity to ride on his cremello stallion around the arena, circling the barrier that protected the first rows of spectator seats. It might seem like bravado, but Cornelia understood his intentions immediately. César was looking for a woman to give the honor of dedicating his victory to. In other words, he was seeking a new mistress.

Cornelia took a seat and glanced at her sister-in-law. Lady Olive was sitting beside the king and queen with a look of complete indifference towards what was happening. Her daughter wasn't around; she had probably been left in the palace with a nanny. 'At least she doesn't drink,' thought Cornelia, looking at the glass of wine in her mother's hand. Her attention did not go unnoticed; the king glanced at the princess. Meeting with green eyes, just like hers, Cornelia waited a few seconds before averting her gaze to the arena. 'It's kind of unsettling to see how we resemble each other more and more as we age.' Appearance aside, small gestures and habits began to make their way. It took effort and training in front of the mirror to stop frowning the same way as her father did. César, on the other hand, inherited the annoying habit of tapping his finger on the table.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

A thundering sound of drums announced the start of the event. All eyes were drawn to the arena, where several cages were opened at once, releasing the first beasts that could only be found outside the wall. People often called them "chimeras" for their grotesque looks, with disproportionately large heads and long scaled tails. Scholars, more diligent than others, named them "furrgators" due to their animal's certain leg placement, which made its movements resemble those of a reptile. These beasts surely gave a proper impression on the crowd, despite the fact that in truth they were slow and clumsy animals, more scavengers than mighty hunters. As suspected, they didn't pose a significant threat to the knights.

Cornelia winced when the smell of blood reached her seat. She tried to relax her muscles, but the event turned out to be more challenging than any meeting with officials. Leaving too soon could leave a bad impression, and she couldn't allow herself to risk losing even a fraction of her reputation. She glanced at Kroghan. The man was handling the situation much better without letting any negative emotions show. 'Then again, Kroghan went through war with nereids and border conflicts. Watching a few wild animals being speared is not a big deal to him.'

As if reading her mind, the vice-captain leaned a bit further and asked, "Is everything alright, Your Highness?"

"Yes," hastily answered Cornelia, looking again at the arena.

The first wave was already dealt with, and a single cage had been prepared for the second. A special creature, a personal trophy for the prince, was brought out. The guards prodded the animal with sharp pikes, urging it to leave its cage. A soldier wolf ant, hissed at the humans, reluctantly stepping onto the arena. Alone, torn away from its swarm, the beast looked around, trying to find a way to escape. A horseman hit the spear twice against his armor, drawing the attention of the beast before spurring his stallion. The wolf ant took a step back, before running towards the approaching man. It jumped, aiming its sharp mandibles at the horse's neck. But they never reached their target. The spear, with a single thrust, pierced through the beast's throat.

A precise hit put an end to this brief encounter. The audience cried and applauded, cheering for the royal hunter. A soldier wolf ant lay on the ground, blood flowing from its mouth while its bright golden eyes grew dark and blank. César rode his stallion towards the spectators. He found a new prey - a beautiful noblewoman. She blushed as she gave him an embroidered handkerchief which the prince immediately tied to his arm. This led to more cheering and whistling.

Kroghan looked at the prince's chosen one. "She looks like a good person."

"I hope she is not though," Cornelia replied, and instantly felt a puzzled gaze upon her. Such a thing was to be expected, as her words contradicted any common sense. Feeling strangely tired all of a sudden, she explained, "Because my brother certainly isn't one. If she's a good person, it could end devastating for her, and I would feel bad as well."

"Why don't you try to help her then?"

"I will. But I've tried before, and it never worked. Women are mesmerized by César. And when I try to interfere, I'm just playing the role of an evil sister in their eyes. But I will try again, maybe this time it will be different," the princess rose up. The vice-captain offered his hand, but she shook her head. "You can stay here, Kroghan. But you'll have to excuse me."

"They are about to release another interesting species outside the wall," said the man. He didn't mention anything else, but the meaning behind his words was obvious. There were too many gazes observing the royal family, and it was risky to leave before a few more rounds.

Despite the wise reasons, Cornelia did not return to her seat. "I'm not enjoying seeing animals being slaughtered for fun."

"They are all dangerous monsters, and meeting them can lead to human death," retorted Kroghan.

"In the wild, yes," Cornelia glanced at the arena. The wolf ant's carcass had already been removed, clearing the ground for another challenge. "If I stay here any longer, I'm afraid I will come to dislike my brother even more."