Chapter 34

I saw as Zena threw a glance at me as though she was trying to see if I had just heard what Diane uttered, but I moved my eyes away from her.

“Do I need to answer that? It would be a great pleasure to take on the duel with her.” She chuckled and nodded her head to me. “But that is if he agrees.”

Everyone’s gaze turned to me.

“I have no business with whatever you both have going on! My baby in her womb is gone, so count me out from all this!” I scoffed, annoyed at the expressions on their faces.

“She didn’t just say a duel but a death duel where the winner is the one alive while the other has their head chopped off!” Zena's mother said with a frown, and I could sense fear in her voice.

“That is the fun of it!” Zena winked. “I guess she is tired of life already after having no baby in her womb.”

But Zena's mother didn't look convinced as she scanned Diane from head to toe, squinting into her eyes as if she was searching for something that was hard to find.

“She doesn’t look like she is tired of her life. All I can see is a girl who is burning in vengeance and wants to use this opportunity to get back at you.” She mumbled, glaring at Diane, who stood mute and maintained a fixed stare at the bare floor.

Everybody in the hall burst into laughter.

“Have you gone crazy?!”

“This weakling here is no match for Zena. She is a feral vampire and has been training since she was a kid. I can’t believe you are doubtful.”

“How could you underestimate your daughter!”

With different comments from different angles, everyone was certain that the fight wouldn’t even go past one minute before Zena would raise Diane’s decapitated head to the sky with a shout of satisfaction.

“I know all this, but I am confused as to why she wants to fight Zena, knowing how easy it would be to get killed. Doesn’t that make it all suspicious? I don’t want to lose my daughter to some tricks she has under her sleeve, so I am not in support of this fight to the death.” Fiona, Zena's mother, insisted, her eyes scrutinizing Diane in her weak state.

“Mum, I can’t believe I would be hearing this from your mouth!” Zena gritted angrily, disappointment written all over her face.

“Don’t worry, daughter; your father is here to support you. I strongly believe you can finish her up in a blink of an eye. You are the most powerful guardian in this kingdom.” He praised her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

“To make it fair, both can enroll in the training school.” I chipped in, and that drew all the attention to me.

“Who are you siding with?” My father asked, and I chuckled.

“Whoever is the winner, And we all know who that will be.” I smiled, looking at Zena, who was grinning with her eyes sparkling with joy.

“Isn’t two weeks too much?” She muttered, and, to everyone’s surprise, Diane said. “Let’s make it five days then.”

This time I was also shaken and fought hard to hold my reaction.

All eyes landed on her again; this time their brows were all raised with a questioning look.

“I see you have finally decided to commit suicide this way. Life has really hit you the hardest.” Zena's father laughed mockingly, but his wife was more concerned now, staring at Diane like she was a caged beast.

Fiona leaned in and whispered something to her husband. It seemed she was asking him to please take back his support for this fight, but he strongly disagreed.

“This wolfless girl challenged your daughter, and you are scared. I am so disgusted by your action!” He spoke out loud, and she was ashamed, lowering her head.

I don’t know what gave Diane the courage. Maybe she had figured it all out and knew five days was enough to get ready.

Diane was the last person who would allow Zena to kill her in front of everyone. She definitely knew she would win the fight, and now that the baby was killed, that rage would really spark the monster in her.

It hurts that she had to go through all this pain, but I knew it was the process she needed to become that great woman she was born to be. I believe her.

After she displays her vampire beast out there and destroys Zena with it, the whole kingdom will believe she was a vampire, not just anyone but the queen they needed to defeat Alpha Kane and his evil cohorts.

Then I will announce we are mates, which they will all be so excited to hear, because together this kingdom will be safe.

I really hope it all goes this way.

We all watched as the duel was fixed and stamped by my father.

“I don’t need to enroll in any school with her. She should do the training while I wait for her. Hopefully the training will help her last more than thirty seconds in the battle,” Zena boasted, glancing at me again.

She saw I was expressionless and then stepped forward and whispered to me, “I am sorry. She was the one who asked for this, not me. I really don’t want to kill her because of you.”

I let out a lopsided smile. “We may work out after you chop off her head; who knows? So fight with all you've got because that girl may have unknown strength.” I shrugged.

“I really thought you were in love with her even though you denied it. It seemed I was wrong.”

“Believe me when I say it was just the baby, and now that it is no more. You may not be wrong if you say I now hate her.” I whispered back, and her eyes gleamed.

“I love you…” she murmured with her brown eyes wet with emotion.

“Then prove it by killing her.” I said a bit loudly for everyone to hear.

. “I will…” he squeaked and hugged me.

I felt mugged.