Viktor was surprised at Emma's audacity. The way she said that the ship had sailed made him furious instantly. "You realize that the Wilyra Kingdom is a powerful kingdom and you are standing on the grounds of this kingdom, rejecting an offer from the king himself?"
Emma chuckled, "But Your Majesty, you didn't make an offer. I rejected it before you could make it."
Viktor jerked his head back. He really wanted to snap her neck, which he was going to do soon. "Then get out of this kingdom. I banish you from Wilyra. If you try to step in it, I am going to order my guards to shred you into pieces!"
"She is not going anywhere!" Lazarus's voice boomed in the darkness of the night. "Emma is my mate and she is going to stay here!"
"Lazarus!" Viktor retorted. "If you are so hell bent upon staying with her, then you can also go to Wilyra. And if you want to stay in Wilyra, you have to reject her!"
Lazarus narrowed his eyes on his father. "My mate isn't going anywhere nor am I. This is my land and I will live here."
"This is mutiny! I can behead you now!" Viktor growled.
Lazarus stepped closer to his father. "Look around you. Your guards abandoned you are they became food to the dragons. Yet you think that you can behead me?"
Magnus and Jasper came forward, flanking his side. Jasper lifted his chin up and said, "We are with Lazarus. If you punish him, we will not tolerate it. We will rebel!"
"You all have gone insane!" Viktor yelled.
"No father," Magnus countered. "It is you who has gone insane. Lazarus had always and always only thought of benefitting the kingdom in one way or the other, but you have used every power in your capacity to make him look like a villain in front of his brothers and sisters. Since you could never spoil Lazarus or me, you spoilt all your other children. You never developed them as leaders because if you would have done that, you feared that they would take up your place. Look what you did to three of my brothers? They are dead only because they fought against Lazarus when they should have fought against you!"
"Magnus!" Viktor roared. "You are getting out of your character. You are nothing but just a fly in the kingdom. You think that by being with Lazarus you will be given heavy portfolios? Well, let me tell you a fact. Lazarus is so cunning that he is using you to satiate his desires."
Magnus chuckled. "I think you are speaking it all with your experience because I don't see Lazarus in that light."
"How will you?" Viktor mocked a chuckle. "He wants the throne for himself. He got Maeve to help him with it, but Maeve was smarter. She allied with me and told me all his intentions! I will never let Lazarus rule Wilyra. He is not capable of it and I will kill him now!"
There was a stunned silence on the ground when Viktor exposed the truth. Maeve had allied with him? But she was Lazarus's betrothed?
"In that case father," Lazarus growled. "I challenge you to fight with me in this arena. The winner will get the throne and the loser will die!"
"No!" Emma rasped. She rushed by his side. "You can't do that, Lord Lorza!" Dread skittered down her spine. The king had the necklace and he would never die. The necklace would heal him.
He cupped her cheeks. "This is it, Emma. I am fed up with playing games with him."
King Titus walked to him. He put his hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to do this, Lazarus. You can come with us to the kingdom of Yizinia. You are Emma's mate and we value true mates."
Lazarus's lips curled up. He placed his hand over Titus's hand. "That is very generous of you, King Titus, but that would paint me as a coward. I have taken the decision of challenging my father consciously. The kingdom of Wilyra needs a change. Even if I die along with him, I will be happy that someone else will rule Wilyra."
"No one will rule Wilyra other than me!" Viktor roared. "Only I will stay on this throne forever!"
Titus snapped his head to Viktor. "King Viktor," he said in a menacing voice. "Do you know that my dragons can char you to death in a minute? The necklace that you are wearing will also turn into dust with you. So stop banking on it that much. And—" he gritted his teeth. "Don't provoke me to fight against you. I can take over your reign with my six dragons. Imagine what would happen if I got my army of dragons with dragon riders. This whole kingdom would be razed to the ground in less than a day! So start counting your days. Even if you win over Lazarus, you have me to confront!"
Viktor paled. His gaze flitted from Titus to Lazarus. Viktor realized that Titus had given him a soft warning. It was like you better lose or I will kill you if you won't lose.
Lazarus's chest swelled with pride. He ignored his father. He never knew that his mate was related to such a strong king. "Thank you for your support," he said to Titus.
"Anytime." Titus was surprised when he assessed how alone Lazarus was and yet he stood against his father who was extremely powerful in multiple ways.
"I should have killed you the day you were born," Viktor growled. Then he looked at Titus. "I am not scared of you, King Titus," he sneered. "Wilyra isn't that weak. If you will attack us, we will revert with more force! I accept your challenge, Lazarus!"
Lazarus chuckled. His father had forgotten about the vow to the Lore he had made to his mother, else he would have never accepted the challenge.
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