Calista rejoined Jergen. Followed by the other regions, they exited Council, where they were greeted by their guard, and then solemnly strode to their respective carriages.
As soon as the door to their carriage closed, she moved over to Jergen and kissed him. She no longer needed his words of support. His final kiss would carry her through the battle.
T he Royal Arena stood several kilometers from Council. It received little use, usually only for an execution under the Queen of the Kingdom’s rule. Calista tried to remember the last time a Silent Night had resulted in a challenge. At least twenty-eight Silent Nights had passed since Queen Tethys claimed the throne – long before Calista was birthed.
After all the regions had entered the Royal Arena, Calista ascended the steps, followed by Jergen and her guard. She had thought she would be anxious, but her nerves were calm.
This is my destiny, she thought, and I will claim the throne tonight. For Arelia. For my father.
A merman of Queen Tethys’ guard bid her to follow him into the underbelly of the arena. From what she had read of Silent Night, she would prepare for battle in a room, then enter the stadium at the lowest level. The other regions would be seated in their designated sections on the colosseum risers surrounding the floor. The level where the battle occurred would be sealed from all sides and the top, after which it would be filled with water so the battle may commence. No weapons or armor were allowed. After Queen Tethys’ treatment of her and her disregard for the kingdom, Calista preferred it that way.
Jergen and her guard were not allowed in the room with her, but they followed her to it. She could not kiss Jergen again, as it would be improper, but they exchanged a look that spoke of their love and his unwavering support.
Alone in the room, Calista sat in the sole chair to await the battle. She thought of her father and all he had taught her about the humans and how to help merfolk survive. His ideals had been ingrained in her since her youth, and she reminisced about their last cycle together. He had not needed to die, and yet his death had prepared her for the rule of the Kingdom.
The door to the arena opened, and Calista rose from her seat. Taking a final deep breath, she exited and walked into the stadium as the guard who opened the door entered her room and closed the door behind him.
The regions watching over the battle cheered for Calista, who stood alone on the arena floor. She rotated slowly, taking in her soon-to-be subjects. Their upholding of her challenge was far more than she could have hoped.
“Rise for your queen!” King Ecthelion shouted from high above them. He stood in the Royal Box with the queen’s guard at his sides.
The rest of the spectators rose, and Queen Tethys entered the arena. No one applauded her arrival, leaving King Ecthelion with only furious words.
“You will honor the rule of your queen, now and after her challenger has returned to the sea. All hail Queen Tethys!”
“All hail Queen Tethys,” the spectators repeated without enthusiasm.
Calista watched Jergen and noted he did not hail the queen. Neither did Namiso or Tamesuko.
“After I have protected my throne,” Queen Tethys said, “the Kappa will search for a new queen and king, as Queen Namiso and King Tamesuko will be returned to the sea.”
She must have expected them to hail her after her ruling, as shock claimed her eyes when they remained silent.
“The Queen’s Guard will seize Queen Namiso and King Tamesuko for execution after the battle has finished,” King Ecthelion said.
“No!” Calista’s commanding voice filled the arena. “The queen has been challenged and, therefore, is not a sitting queen according to the law of Caethas. That nullifies your rule as her sub-mate until Silent Night is complete. In fact, the regions are not allowed to hail any queen – including Tethys – until after the challenge had been resolved.” She deliberately left off the title in front of Tethys’ name.
The Queen’s Guard did not leave King Ecthelion’s side, despite his orders. Calista wondered if they already knew how this battle would end. They would also know all-too well that if she defeated Tethys and they had disobeyed the law of Caethas, they would immediately be returned to the sea.
King Ecthelion spoke once more. “Let the battle of Silent Night commence!”
Above the floor, a transparent covering rolled out from both sides until it sealed in the middle. Water rushed into the arena, and Calista and Tethys shifted into their merforms. Being a Lorelei, Tethys had a similar form to Calista. That evened out the battle as much as it could be. Calista hoped her youth would provide her the upper hand, but she could not discount Tethys’ experience. After all, Tethys had already defeated one queen in the arena to claim the throne.
Tethys let out a battle cry and charged Calista, who had purposefully allowed her to make the first move. Calista easily swam out of her path and flung her fluke at Tethys as she passed. The strike landed on Tethys’ side, drawing first blood.
Tethys did not allow the blow to slow her down. She charged again, this time entangling her fluke around Calista’s left arm, leaving a gaping wound.
As her blood ran from her arm, reddening the water, Calista’s rage increased. She grabbed Tethys before she could swim away and sunk her sharp teeth into her opponent’s shoulder. She ripped away shreds of skin as Tethys screamed out her pain.
Calista raised her head and shrieked in delight, while part of her front tooth floated away.
Her triumph was not long-lived.
Tethys’ fluke knocked her in the abdomen, just above her tail, sending Calista spiraling backward. As Calista tried to regain her position, Tethys attacked again, gripping Calista’s already injured arm with her jagged nails, cutting her to the bone.
Calista fought the best she could against the fury of assaults, but she was losing blood at an alarming rate. She needed an opening to bring the battle back to even ground.
She found it as the aging queen tired. She kicked her fluke out, connecting with Tethys’ head. Tethys momentarily lost consciousness, and Calista took advantage of those moments, biting and digging her nails into Tethys’ skin in every possible location.
The blood loss, however, caught up with her quickly. The red waters surrounding them created a haze, making it difficult for her to see Tethys, who had floated away from her, toward the top of the water. Vertigo caught Calista, and she feared she might not survive. As she assessed her wounds, she, too, floated to the surface. Though the battle had been quick, it had been brutal. And, it had not yet concluded.
The audience must not have been able to see the contenders through the red waters to determine if one of them had died, and someone in the Queen’s Guard must have thought the battle had ended, as the water left the arena and the covering rolled back. Calista and Tethys were left flopping on the ground, both too weak to shift into their human-esque forms.
Calista managed her shift first, but she found trying to stand difficult. By the time she got to her feet, Tethys was also standing.
King Ecthelion’s voice boomed over the colosseum. “It seems we have reached a stalemate,” he said. “The law of Caethas is clear. In the event of a stalemate, the reigning queen will be awarded the throne, and the challenger will be returned to the sea.”
The door behind Calista opened, but she refused to look at the queen’s guard, still determined to fight, even if she had no strength left. As her gaze searched the colosseum for Jergen to look upon him once more before her execution, she noticed Namiso was missing from her seat. Quinanai had also abandoned hers. As she continued looking around, Calista realized every queen was gone. Had King Ecthelion ordered all their deaths during the battle?
“Council does not accept the stalemate,” Namiso’s voice said from the back of the arena floor.
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