Marked Ones: Advent of the Demon Prince

Once Thomas and Briene's wedding ceremony had finished, the audience rose to bow to the newlyweds and greet them as Lord and Lady Petra. One exception to that was Princess Lefae. Though even her parents had taken it upon themselves to bow before the gods and the union they blessed, Lefae stayed upright.

Briene gazed at the princess, though only for a moment due to the terrifying pressure she exuded at all times. She had no idea what it was they had done to upset the enigmatic princess, but it was clear that Princess Lefae intended to disrespect them publicly.

Instead of making an issue out of it, both bride and groom chose to ignore the situation and walk out of the cathedral. They were guided by members of the clergy and escorted to the massive dining hall where a feast had been prepared. The Lindtforth family provided the finest chefs they could find to cater the event.

Once the couple of focus had seated themselves at the head table, the rest of the guests were escorted in.

The royal family sat at the same table as the head couple, while everyone else was seated in order of hierarchy, with the lowest ranking guests sitting at tables furthest away. Again, Lefae declined to respect the seating arrangements and ignored the space that had been added for the royal family. Instead, she chose to sit with Rena and the oracles.

Several of the nobles had taken notice of Lefae's brazen behavior and shot her disapproving gazes. Though they were far braver, or far more stupid than Briene, she appreciated their support in the situation.

*****

Rena had no desire to attend her cousin's wedding. However, when the invitation arrived with the names of Adellia, Lyrah, Rubellia, and herself, she had no choice in the matter. Ignoring the formal invitation in her political position would have reflected poorly on Lucius.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Though he was already unpopular in almost all the human territories, Rena had no desire to make that situation any worse. On top of that, she did not wish to degrade her own personal standing any further. While she was in a weakened physical condition, she could not guarantee her own safety at all times. This was why Natali and Wally were constantly watching over them.

Wally also ended up receiving an invitation of his own, though based on the wording and design of the envelope, it was clear that they did not really wish for him to attend. Wally simply laughed at the attempted disrespect that was supposed to convince him he was not wanted. He had every intention of remaining by Rena's side as he had promised Lucius.

The wedding itself went well, though there was one aspect of it that Rena had found strange. That 'aspect' took the form of the strange and powerful princess who sat by her side throughout the ceremony and was now at the reception following it. Princess Lefae had not said much yet, but she kept a watchful eye over Rena the entire time, occasionally glancing at her belly.

After Thomas and Briene finished their couple's speech, Rena finally turned to Lefae and asked the question on her mind as well as the minds of her friends and family. "Your Highness, I appreciate you being so friendly and kind as to grace our party with your presence. However, I find myself curious as to what about us has attracted your attention."

Lefae gazed upon Rena with bright green eyes, not too dissimilar from her own. Her face and hair were flawless and though some may have felt a smile would have enhanced her beauty, the empty expression she maintained gave her an almost doll-like look.

"Much of the world bores me. There are those stronger than me and they are numerous in number. However, even they bore me." Lefae paused and nodded her head at Wally, "There has been one exception."

Rena felt a slight headache beginning to form. She had predicted something like this might happen with several people. At this point, the number of women with some form of interest in Lucius had reached five. There was herself and Kalliope, but also Jade, Natali, and potentially the princess of Arcadios.

Lyrah seemed to find the situation amusing and simply giggled off to the side. This indicated to Rena that she was slightly aware of this being a possibility. Rena had to resist the urge to shoot her a dirty look and instead rubbed her temples before sighing. "I'm guessing that exception is my husband?" Read latest chapters at empire

Lefae nodded quietly, her expression still unchanged. From the side of the table, Natali also nodded along. It seemed these two would be like two peas in a pod…

"What about my husband do you find interesting?"

Lefae's eyes seemed to glow with excitement for a single moment. "His potential."

"Is that so?"

Lefae went on to explain that she had witnessed his performance in the exhibition tournament. She was also present during his trial and heard of his exploits at the Arcadios Royal Academy. She, like almost everyone else on the damned continent, was attracted to his 'potential' given his capabilities despite his less-than-impressive rank.

Rena glowered at the black-haired beauty. Treating Lucius as an object of 'interest' had started to rub her the wrong way and she had become wary of anyone who felt that way. Wally moved from his own seating position across from Rena and asked Lyrah to trade him places. When he sat down next to Rena, he placed a gentle hand on her own.

She could feel his warmth and felt that he was trying to console her. "I understand your concern and feeling protective over Lucius. However, though Lefae is a bit of an oddball, she means well. She had no interest in taking advantage of Lucius. The young woman simply has a hard time communicating her true feelings."

Lefae quietly contemplated his words before nodding quietly. "I wish to meet him."

"Okay… why?"

"I want to fight him. He will lose, but I want to see him go all out. I promise not to kill or harm him, but something about him makes my heart move in ways I do not understand. It makes me want to fight him." Lefae answered. Natali again nodded along, much to Rena's chagrin.

Wally began to laugh, attracting the attention of several other individuals. Thomas and Briene noticed the commotion and decided to go ahead and visit their table next as part of their rounds of discussion.

When they approached, they both bowed before the princess. "Your Highness, thank you again for your attendance. Though I wonder why it is you choose to sit at a table of lower station than your family."

"Because, I only associate with the strong and those with potential. My father, mother, and brother have no futures. These people will accomplish something some day. I feel it in my bones." Lefae answered.

"And myself?" Thomas asked with a smile.

"You have less than my family. You are but an insect that is destined to be squashed."

"Why you…" Before he could finish his sentence, Briene placed a firm hand on his shoulder and shook her head. Thomas nodded and took a deep breath before forcing a smile and leaving.

"Weak."

Thomas stopped dead in his tracks and turned around, "Fight me. Right now. There is a practice arena just outside the exit doors. Meet me there in a few minutes, I will show you my worth, Princess."

"As you wish."

Lefae quietly stood and began to walk toward the indicated location. Thomas's words were loud enough to be heard by most of the reception hall and forced all ongoing conversations to immediately cease. Rena watched as Briene sighed slightly, but accepted that the deed had been done. There was no way for him to back out without losing face

There was a possibility that the situation could turn in his favor. If he managed to last against her for a decent amount of time, then his standing as a fighter would improve, despite a loss. Thomas quickly followed behind Lefae. They were followed by an entire procession of various nobles interested in additional entertainment for the evening.

Despite the guaranteed loss, Rena noticed that Briene's father had a look on his face that indicated he was impressed by Thomas's behavior. If he felt that way about the situation, Rena could not judge him. Many of the other nobles appeared to feel the same way. Rena and Wally, on the other hand, felt vastly different. To them, the boy was rash and stupid.

The battlefield itself was simple and clearly not frequently used. The stands were standing room only and devoid of any form of human comfort. Many nobles complained, but their concerns for comfort seemed to be mostly related to the upcoming fight itself.

"Alright," Thomas shouted as he moved to a position on the opposite side of the space that Lefae took. He had already removed his suit and donned light armor. "Unconsciousness, surrender, or maiming. No attacks that would cause permanent injury or death. Is that a deal for you?"

"Sure."

Rena stood in the stands alongside her family. There was no doubt in her mind about the outcome of this battle.