Although it's been hours since we left Ian and Aria, still, it was clear that Regalis remained unhappy. He couldn't even feign a smile. Sadness, on every line of his face.

"I'm so sorry" he said. "Sorry, you were born into a kingdom like this. Where our customs and traditions do not protect you. Do not consider nor regard your gender".

He sighed. While I rode on, silently beside him. We purchased an extra horse, after leaving the forge.

Ian's words rang in my mind. This bride collar can't be removed by an ordinary collar mage like me. Or by any other collar mage here in the North. Only returning back to the palace can set her free.

"I'd have ridden with you to the Capital, if I thought my father would see reason and call his collar mage to set you free" his shoulders dropped "but then, I know him, champion of barbaric customs. He'd never..."

"After, our first child" I said, "I will be free of the collar" I said, purposely encouraging his mind to keep thinking that my collar was placed on me, for the same reason other brides wore theirs "So, don't get worked up anymore" I said and looked away from him. Unable to stare at him, and bear his pain-filled countenance which hid nothing about how hurt he felt. About how being unable to give me freedom till 'I gave birth', broke him.

"I'll never stop trying to get that collar removed" he vowed.

It will only remove, when I end you. My mind said.

I continued riding alongside him, until minutes later, I noticed where we were. We were close to a tall building. And from there, noise emanated. A large crowd was definitely gathered there. A gladiators' match? If it was, it was there Randall's  slaves fought for their freedom.

"Come" Regalis said, after we came down from our horses, and he led me by the hand towards the tall building, for us to join the crowd. 

He passed a gold coin to the man at the entrance who let us climb a wooden stairs, to the upstairs part of the building, where there were fewer people, and we could gaze directly into the gladiators' pit (where the fight occurred between a slave and a massive bull, raised and brought from the Capital).

In the pit now, was a huge man. One of the biggest men I've ever come across! He had to be twice the size of the biggest man, most people would say they've seen.

He was fighting a bull. A large bull, whose body was as wide as a water drum, and whose horn looked like the sharpest knife one would ever need to make a quick, clean cut through the belly or torso of any mortal.

In a slave gladiators' match, only the fit survived. Gifts were not permitted to be used. You fight for your freedom with just your body. And one blade alone!

Regalis's knuckles cracked.

I looked at him.

"I hate this" he muttered to himself, beneath his breath. The words, coming out with almost the same amount of hate, he showed towards my bride collar.

"Maybe someday, when you're king. You'll end all this" I said, referring to the collars and slavery.

He looked at me, "have you ever met my father?" he said.

"Uh..." Was I supposed to say yes?
That the first time I met him, he and his sorcerers imprisoned my country people underground?

"No" I responded. "I simply received the edict ordering our marriage".

He chuckled, "if you have, you wouldn't you wouldn't say what you just said" he said "'cause if you knew him, you'd know, the old man is not about to let himself die anytime soon".

So, did that mean slavery would continue in Armalith for several more years? The thought of it made me sick. Marjol was not perfect, true. But, we considered slavery a crime. A big offence, actually! And of course, that was what led to our downfall in the hands of King Randall, who ordered my father to make tributes of twenty babies and thirty adults trimonthly.

I remember my father screaming, "never! We'll rather die than let any of us be slaves!" he bellowed.

I closed my eyes at the memory of it. Then, opened it a moment later, and watched as the huge man in the pit, finally sunk his dagger into the forehead of the bull, and it fell dead to the ground.

"General Cederic! General Cederic!!!" the song filled the arena as a young boy, of about eleven years old, dressed in rags, ran into the pit.

The young boy obviously was a slave, by the collar on his neck. And then General Cederic, the huge man and winner of tonight's gladiator's match, raised the boy's arms and yelled, "to his freedom!"

"To his freedom!" the crowd thundered, back. The building, rocking from hundreds of voices.

Soon, the words "to his freedom!" "to his freedom!" filled everywhere, and then, a collar mage entered the pit.

He moved towards the young boy of eleven, and touched the collar on his neck. Instantly, the collar came off! And the boy jumped into the arms of the huge man.

"Freedom! Freedom!" The crowd bellowed.

Wow! How wonderful! The huge man represented the boy in the fight against the bull. "Wow!" I exclaimed. I was not just impressed, I was touched. Deeply touched. It was wonderful to know that there were still kind hearts in this world.

I clapped harder and harder, along with the other spectators as the huge man - Cederic, left the pit, holding the now free boy.

"Come" Regalis said, laced his gloved hand with mine and led me down the stairs into a private tent outside, as the crowd dispersed.

As we entered the tent, the first thing I saw, was Ashton screaming with joy, and jumping on Cederic, the fighter from the arena.

"Oh. Come on. Calm down" Cederic said.

"You were incredible!" Ashton announced, his hands and legs, still twined around Cederic's body.

"Mother of Light! Come down, Ashton".

And Ashton climbed down Cederic's big body, with a glare at Regalis.

Regalis and I reached where Ashton and Cederic stood. And before I uttered one word, Ashton hugged me "we missed you" he said.

"I missed you more" I replied, honestly.

"Uhhhh..." Ashton rolled his eyes and touched his very beautiful dark glowing cheeks "it's not your fault dear" he said "people just fall more in love with me, than I, with them, wherever I go" he added.

I laughed. Ashton and his jokes.

"I'm Cederic" the huge fighter introduced himself.

"Xemein" I replied.

At a closer look, he was good-looking. Not as good-looking as Ashton, but if based on face alone, I could see why Ashton found him attractive.

"I've heard so much about you. It's nice to finally meet you" Cederic said.

I grinned "nice to meet you too".

Cederic. He was the fourth person who completed Regalis's close friends. The one, with super speed and strength as Gifts.

At that moment, Brayton and Nadia opened the flap of the tent and walked in.

"Full house" Ashton joked.

Nadia walked to me, "It's so lovely to see you glow again" Nadia said and hugged me. Her greeting referring to the last time she saw me. The night, she saved me from Caterina, at the torture centre.

"It's nice to see you too" I said.

And lastly, exchanged greetings with Brayton.

I faced Cederic again, and before I get too distracted to mention his impressive feat back at the arena, I said, "you were amazing in the pit. You, competing to save that boy. That's so gracious of you".

He smiled "thanks. But I think, your husband deserves that praise more" Cederic said.

I turned and looked at Regalis, whose attention and thoughts were not clearly on our discussion.

"Regalis?" I said.

Cederic nodded. "He has fought over fifty fights and freed over fifty teens. I, less than thirty".

And it made me think of Konstanza. Orabella, once confided in me, that Konstanza wasn't her blood. Instead, Regalis saved Konstanza, as a child, from slavery, and since then, put her in the care of Orabella, who had always wanted a little one to raise.

No wonder Konstanza adored Regalis so much. Had he not fought for her freedom, so, that mammoth bull in the arena would've been her fate.

And I remembered James too. The boy I followed to the torture centre. Another person, Regalis saved.

And then, a thought entered my mind. The orphanage kids! They too had all been saved by Regalis from slavery. It made me wonder how sad and miserable, their lives would've been, if someone had not had the courage to fight for them. How less colourful their view of the world would be.

Ashton patted Cederic's chest. While shaking his own head and batting his long lashes, "Regalis may've freed more kids but your fighting skills against the bulls are more impressive" Ashton said.

Wow. Ashton has a huge crush - a massive phenomenal crush, I must correct, on Cederic. Every move of his hands on Cederic's body, flirtatious.

I held in my giggle. If Ashton found out, that I find how much he liked Cederic, entertaining to watch, he'd say something 'savage' to me.

To solve the matter of who fought better between Cederic and Regalis, Nadia said, "each of us take turns fighting in the pit. That's what matters".

I was speechless.  Nadia fights in the pit too? Against those bulls, without her Gift?

As I get used to seeing her as a female, and she comfortably acting and laughing as one around me, it was sometimes difficult to imagine her, wielding a ten-foot spear, talk more, of fighting a bull thrice her size. Damn! She was inspiring.

And the fact, that each of them here, Ashton included, has fought in the pit, made them heroes to me.

"You're formidable, Nadia" I said.

She grinned "thanks. That's what I've always wanted. Helping the weak" she said.

The reason she obviously became a soldier. Despite the risk of her gender being exposed.

"Are we done here?" Regalis faced us and said, "we'll be returning to the camp to get prepared.

A war is coming to Armalith".