The Dragon King's Heart

Chapter 116 - A Battle For Power

Imperium Battaglia. 

A battle for power. It was a tradition of Wolfenheim, passed down through the generations. The werewolves valued strength over everything else. Whenever someone wants to challenge another for a position of power, they can initiate Impermium Battaglia. 

Both parties would battle until one person yielded. The victor would have the final say. In Wolfenheim's history, there had been many cases of Imperium Battaglia. Some had been more prolific than others. 

Needless to say, Victoria and Kragen's battle would be one for the ages. Laina knew what it was the moment she heard it. She had read about it during her research into Wolfenheim. 

But before she could advise Victoria, she already gave her answer. 

"I accept." Victoria declared with confidence. 

The obnoxious grin that appeared upon Kragen's face, Laina already knew what was going through his mind. Since Victoria had already agreed to it, there was nothing more she could say. 

"Shall we do so now?" Victoria added. 

She knew well enough if they were to have it at a later date, Kragen would find ways to cheat. It was best for them to settle it right here, right now. Kragen was surprised by Victoria's decision. 

He had assumed she would want more time to prepare. Kragen was known to be a merciless fighter in battle. He had never lost in battle. Whether it was with weapons or without, he had never lost. 

"Sure, where shall we have it?"

"It's only fair for a battle between us to be in Wolfenheim, don't you agree? For all of our people to witness and see," Victoria smirked. 

She knew Kragen would be less likely to attempt anything shady in front of a crowd. Especially if the crowd was made of Wolfenheim's elite. If he did attempt something against the rules, he would be called out. 

"My my, how bold," Kragen teased, "The Colosseum of Champions then?"

"The very one."

So, it was set. Things escalated so quickly, Laina and the others barely had time to react. Even Dante, who had been observing from above was in awe. Laina dismissed her court session, she had to be there for Victoria. 

"But your Highness, we still have-" before the Royal Advisor could even get a word through, Laina swiftly cut him off. 

"It can wait. Margaret will take over the affairs for me while I'm gone," Laina instructed. 

"As you wish, your Highness," Margaret replied. 

Laina turned to Victoria, "I will go with you and cheer you on."

"Your Highness… you don't have to do this for me. You've already done so much," Victoria replied with tears in her eyes. 

Laina shook her head as she smiled, "Nonsense. There's so much more I can do. I know it's not easy for you. And you're all alone! I can't let you go into battle against him without any form of support."

Victoria smiled, grateful for Laina's offer. Though they barely knew one another, Laina had offered her help time and time again. She was eternally grateful to the Crown Princess of Kinshearth. 

Though Margaret was a little worried about Laina, she eased up a little knowing that Kol would be there to protect her. Now that it was an official trip to Wolfenheim, they used the portal gate to get there. 

After sending them off through the portal, Margaret walked down the steps with a smile on her face. But as soon as she felt a familiar presence, the smile disappeared. 

"I know you're here, there's no point hiding," Margaret announced as she folded her arms. 

Dante knew immediately she was referring to him. But he chose to remain silent, stepping ever so slightly towards the portal. But the handmaiden did not appreciate being ignored. 

She materialized her sword and threatened him with it. It was barely an inch away from his throat. Dante did not move. 

"Take one more step and I will not hesitate to cut you," Margaret threatened as she glared in his direction. 

Finally, he relented and materialized before her. 

"It's nice to see you too, Margaret," He greeted her with a smile.

"I can't say the same for me, Dante. What are you doing here?" She snapped at him. 

"I came to see Laina, but could not find the right time to meet her. So, I will take my leave now," he was lying. 

He was going to follow Laina to see where she was going and Margaret knew. But she also knew she could not stop him. Margaret withdrew her sword. She got up close to him. 

She warned him, "I have said this before and I will say it again. Don't you dare hurt her. Or you will have to face me."

With that, Margaret straightened her dress and walked off. She could hear the portal go off as Dane stepped through it. Margaret looked up at the sky as she let out a sigh. 

Tilting her head to look back at the portal, Margaret's expression was one of sadness. She recalled the memories of the past. She shook her head. 

"I just want to protect you, Laina. I can't lose you again," she muttered to herself as she gritted her teeth. 

Laina, Kol, and Victoria returned to Wolfenheim. The portal placed them in Adolfa, the Capital City. The moment they arrived, they noticed something was immediately different. 

As soon as they appeared, people from all around turned to look at them. For extra protection, Laina had brought six knights with her. All eyes were on them and it was getting a little uncomfortable. 

Clearly, Victoria was not used to the attention. She knew they were all looking at her. The aura surrounding her was unique, despite the fact that she was a werewolf just like them. 

Intrigued, many of them came forward, looking at her as if she was a specimen. A platoon of knights quickly found them. Each of them looked more ferocious than the next. 

The leader of the platoon knelt down before Victoria, "Greetings, my name is Matthias, General of the Royal Guards. Please follow me as I guide you to the Colosseum."

<Writing Prompt #16 - Breakfast for a lover>

Everything had to be perfect. 

It was their first year anniversary together and Bradley wanted to make sure everything was done perfectly well. He had been in the kitchen since the early hours of the morning, slaving away at the items he was preparing. 

He looked out the window. The sun was almost up. He cursed beneath his breath as he continued to beat the eggs with a whisk. He knew he could have done this with greater ease if he used his magic. 

But he wanted to make something special for his lover. Something he made with his own two hands. Bradley leaned over to look at the list of instructions. 

"Add a dash of milk into the mixture… a dash of milk? How am I supposed to know how much a dash is-"

"You don't, you have to feel it," a voice cut him off from behind. 

Bradley almost dropped the glass bowl in his hands. He turned to see who it was, heaving a sigh of relief when he realized it was his lover, Addison. She came over and gave him a hug and kissed him lovingly on the lips. 

"Surprise! I know it's a little late to say that now since you've discovered me," Bradley chuckled as he added some condiments into the egg mixture. 

"Well, I appreciate the effort you're putting into this. Thank you," Addison said as she continued to hug him from behind.

She leaned her head against his back. 

"But I think you could do with some help," Addison said as she rolled up her sleeves. 

It was much easier if the both of them worked together. As a bonus, they would be able to fill their bellies in half the time. When they finished plating their breakfast, they were impressed with the work they had done. 

Scrambled eggs with mozzarella cheese, grilled sausages, bacon pancakes, and a crispy hash brown on the side. For drinks, they had a hot pot of coffee and tea. The smell of the bacon was already making their mouths water. 

"This smells so good! I am already salivating," Addison said as she licked her lips. 

She looked around the table, searching for something. Bradley already knew what she was looking for. With a snap of his fingers, the bottle of chili sauce in the cupboard's upper shelf floated down and landed safely in Addison's hand. 

"Thank you."

"Always at your service, my love," 

As they dug into their meal, Addison indulged herself in the bacon pancakes. The crunch and savory flavor of the crispy bacon pieces infused into the pancake was a nice touch. The honey drizzle on the pancakes provided a contrasting sweetness, making every single bite that much more flavourful. 

"Why do you like that spicy sauce with your eggs, but syrup on your hashbrowns?" Bradley asked her as he took a bite of his hashbrown. 

"Well, that's because they are two different breakfast food items.. Each of which deserves its own unique pairing," Addison explained as she ate a mouthful of egg, "Also, chili sauce with hashbrowns is plain anarchy."