conviction

Katherine Pov

“A holmgang?” Castro raised his brows, laughing out loud for a moment.

“Is something amusing to you?” I glared daggers his way.

“I refuse,” he shrugged.

“You can’t, even the council knows that you cannot do that. If you do, the entire kingdom will by law be forced to turn against you and pick a new ruler by themselves. Your head will be cut off and as will mine but unlike you, both our deaths are a price I’m willing to pay,” I explained, knowing that the consequences were too brutal for him to reject.

His gaze changed from a playful smile to a death glare at me.

I had fearlessly challenged my sworn enemy to a fight to the death, leaving him with no option to refuse. The stakes were incredibly high, and the outcome would determine both our fates.

In my heart, I firmly believed that only two possibilities awaited us: either I would lose my life, or Casto would suffer his ultimate defeat. If I were to fail in the fight, I acknowledged that I had no rightful claim to r