.Elementals.

-53-

I had slept sitting in Audrey's armchair since she wanted me to stay, the poor maid that got frightened to almost death when I greeted her, she hadn't seen me in the corner.

I heard the whispers of the trial being this evening not morning and I guess it is because of Ethan. I also heard other whispers between the royal siblings about something happening.

I spent a bit of time with the elm as the skies cleared up, telling it about the whispers of this morning.

I didn't think much of it until the queen had called us mages out the the training grounds with the royal siblings and the council with a lot of the guard there.

I saw Ethan being shepherded over by four guards and understood it. He wore simple clothes, nothing of his once royal paraphernalia other then his own circlet.

"Ethan." The queen said in the same voice as I heard in the night when she discovered this. "You committed treason to the crown, you attacked the future queen of the land, harmed my mages." So she heard of him slapping me, not surprising. "Threatened my mages, stole from the riches and turned people against the future queen of their nation.... I should behead you for that." He for once had the good sense to remain silent. "Get on your knees and implore my pardon!" He dropped to his knees so fast.

"I deprive you from your titles Ethan, from now on you are nothing but a man, no, not even a man, a vermin." She took his circlet and threw it in the air, Belladonna catching it and mangling it completely with her magic before throwing it over her shoulder to be lost in the grass.

"The honor of my daughter has been damaged because of you but I'll be merciful." He had the good sense of staying silence. "You either walk away from here to never return with no honor or you stand and fight my daughter's champion for the little dignity you have left." He will not leave this place on his own if he chooses....

"I'll fight." He whispered but loud enough for us to hear, I almost sighed, knowing what was to come.

"So be it! court mage Mystery step forth." I knew it. I did it without a word, the guards forming a circle. "Ethan of no title you will fight the mage you disgraced, the silver dragon, the queen's beast, the silver monster, you will not leave this ring by your own strength."

Guards yanked him to his feet and pulled his shirt off leaving his bare chested.

"You know Ethan." I said, undoing my bracers and taking them off with the hidden blade and my gloves before throwing them to Em. "While you got what titles you had from being associated with her Majesty." I undid the corset lace and threw that to my fellow mage too. I pulled off my shirt too just so I could show him the achievements etched into my skin by ink, even more titles. "I earned mine through blood, sweat and tears!" I threw my undershirt, only my bindings left over my breasts, I could see people eyeing the ink, not many knowing that that was the meaning behind them. "All the marks left from past achievements." I said, waving my tattoos. "From my present achievements." I waves at the scars on my face. "I've earned them all unlike you."

I took a deep breath, eye blazing.

"Come at me Ethan of no title or loose all your dignity you might have left in you still."

He lifted his arms and swung at my face.

I stepped to the side and snapped my leg out, hitting him in his side and sending him down.

I waited for him to stand before I closed the distance enough to drive my knee into his plexus at full force.

He coughed as he backed away, grabbing his body as I kept balanced with my leg lowered enough to hover over the ground.

He wiped his drool away and tried to come at me again, I swung my leg back to take up speed and lifted it high, the top of my foot catching the side of his head and making him fall back.

The guards caught him and pushed him back towards me, making him run into my fist.

"Majesty this is insane! This is far to brutal for a prince!!"

"Council man Gustav that is not a prince and I am being merciful letting him live as this is an offence worth his head on a silver platter."

"But--" "You questioning my words?"

"N-no."

I didn't let him recuperate, when he got up he would be slammed down again and harder, my knuckles raw from his face.

This man was red, black and blue all over, a bloody mess.

"S-stop please!" He pleaded, backing up from me as I did a little hop before kicking him in the chest.

He looked in fear at the queen as I waited for him to do it, to stand again, he did so.... Stay on the ground, man.

I swung out my fist, catching his right eye, him now going down after one hit, barely standing.

"Stay down," I whispered, almost scared for him.... "Do not stand." I know he deserved this but I did not enjoy beating a broken man that couldn't fight back against me.

But he stood anyway.

I sighed and hopped back a bit to put some distance between us before spinning to put speed into my heel kick to his upper arm, he ate the dirt.

"Stay down." I repeated, almost pleading without it being a pleading tone in my voice.

He struggled to his feet, I almost saw something shinning in his eyes, the look of the man he should have been, hanging on what he still called his, the last of his dignity but refusing to give up while he still could get up.... I am amazed at myself for thinking this but I seriously think he can turn into a better man after this.

When I understood this I took a deep breath, slightly inclining my head in the barest bow as I saw the better man inside his heart, deciding to end this as he would stand again as long as he could still move.

I slide close to him and gave him a devastating uppercut right under the chin, his feet lifting away from it as my knees bent slightly from my own force.

He fell in a heap on the ground, struggling to push on his arms before falling over again.

"Ethan stand." The queen said but he couldn't. "Ethan if you still can stand, get up and fight." But he couldn't. "Guards bring him outside the walls, give him a bag of coins and set him on his way." The guards picked up his broken body and carried him away.

"Mage has your and her honor been restored?" I looked at Audrey before looking back at the queen and nodding with a low bow, for once done properly.

"Yes your Majesty." I said.

"This is a scandal!" A council woman, the same exact one that said Calypso was a spy, exclaimed.

"Council woman Elian you are hereby titleless and have no possession other then what you have on your back, now leave before I get my mages to make you."

She looked in disbelief at the queen before running away as she met my gaze.

"Is there anyone that agrees with Ethan that my daughter is not fit to be queen?!" She asked, two council men exchanged glances and unfortunate them the queen caught them. "Same goes for you council man Gustav and Melario, same as for miss Elian, disappear or face my wrath." They ran for their lives. "Let today serve at a reminder that I do not tolerate this type of behavior and it will be punished! dismissed!"

"Damn girl." Em said as I put on all I had took off. "You wiped the floor with him."

"I did not enjoy beating a broken man."

"Well your honor sure isn't tainted by his hands anymore."

"Yeah." I sighed, eyes closed as I turned my head up and opened them when I would only see blue skies. 

I wanted this day to be over soon but unfortunately it just started and there were still the trials to come.