The Colosseum

Entity of Justice

Ten

Though it's the morning of the final test, my mind is still reeling from Kova's bombshell last night. My mother is Annette. And she said it loud enough for the drones to pick up on it, I'm sure. The reason I whispered when I told her about the hidden documents was to specifically avoid detection.

It's shocking, but I don't see how the audience knowing about her relation is such a big deal. If it were me, I suppose I would feel pathetic for letting my own mother beat me up on global television. Then again, my mother wasn't a Colosseum champion, but the queen of this hot land. And the more I access my memories from Annette's elixir and my dreams, the more I've come to realize how crooked she really was. And what were those documents about?

When I beat Ezra on the sand, I'll have the palace in my name, so I can find out for myself.

By the time the gladiators are herded into the cafeteria, it's almost afternoon. Today, Annette isn't leading the instructions on what to do for this finale. Instead, she's in the open gym, stretching and prepping for what's to come. "Today's test will be a duration of time: how long can you last against one of the most ferocious champions of the Colosseum? The top three fighters to stay on their feet the longest will get the placing points."

Perkily, Josephine's hand rockets up, and I already can tell what she's going to ask before she opens up her wryly stretched lips. "What if we beat Annette? Will there be any extra prize?"

Quickly, I propose a solution. I don't think these people are really capable of defeating a warrior like her, unless the rage Kova harbors is as ungodly as her mother in a ring. If someone beat me to a pulp like Kova was...I'd be pissed. I think of Ezra, and how he's beaten me to a pulp by straining me every day in this place. I am pissed. "At that point, there's bound to be a jump in your approval rating. The difference will contribute to your last trial. Any more questions?"

My gaze wanders to Kova, who sits perfectly poised in her chair. Posture rigid, eyes burning holes in front of her, and lips pulled into a tight grimace, her expression really does look like Annette. It's what set her apart from the others when I first saw her. Although now that I know about her seemingly close relationship with Ezra, and how alike they are, her reaction is a lot like his. No matter how grave the situation seems, it takes a lot to get them physically rattled. Rather than freaking out, they concentrate their energy inwards and work out a solution as fast as possible.

For Kova, that flies. But for Ezra, as a king, the story is different. He should take action instead of sitting in the safety of his throne, letting his kingdom role with the tides of time. The throne wasn't rightfully his to begin with, and it's so painfully obvious. I'll make things better. That crown is mine.

As I lead everyone to the arena, which is where Anette should be by now, I think back – yet again – to the Stryker bloodline. Despite being left for dead in the middle of a dustbowl with no real ties to anyone, Kova has somehow managed to stick her baseless roots into Ezra, displaying loyalty but disguising it as self-interest. If we had met under different circumstances, I think I'd have considered her to be a good person – someone with their own moral code and a strong sense of loyalty, but someone who also knows when they need to cut ties to save their own neck. But we met in the Colosseum, and rather than make a person more selfish per usual, it seems to have the opposite effect on Kova. Now, I'm not so sure she'd know when to jump ship if it came down to her or Ezra, and because of that, she's a fool.

Glancing back at her, I find her dark blue eyes glazed over in hazy thought. She's a fool, but now that I know she never had real guidance to begin with, perhaps I could try one last time to save her from the grave she's digging for herself.