Amaru stalked around the courtyard, making a lazy loop of it, just as the king had not long before. The shredded crimson-and-white cloak draped over his back rippled as he walked. "I, Amaru of Casmir, have returned. And I come with great news." He spoke to the crowds but his green eyes remained set on Tauren. As he reached the foot of the obsidian throne, he turned his back on the king and dragged the cloak from his shoulders with a paw, letting it fall to the bloody sand. "I have slain the King of the Lion Court!"

Silence. Tauren slowly raised a brow. "Have you now?"

Amaru blinked. Then set a paw on the fallen cloak, letting his gray claws sink into the fabric. "I, Amaru of Casmir, have slain the King of the Snow Leopard Court!"

Murmurs rippled throughout the crowd.

Amaru took it as his chance. He strolled down the courtyard again. "While your king has been sitting comfortably on his pretty throne, I have been taking steps to protect our people. To protect the people that abandoned me. Why?" Amaru took his time with his words. "Because I actually care about this kingdom. About keeping it safe. Did you all know that rebellion was stirring in the Outskirts? They were working with the snow leopards to take over our home." Amaru turned to face the king once more. "I ended that rebellion. And now I am here to challenge you for the throne of this court."

The king flexed his ivory claws. "Is that so? You are but a child. A cub who has not yet grown his mane. A peacock flaunting its feathers. Do you really wish to throw away your life on so futile an endeavor?"

Amaru shook his scraggly ashen gray mane, the detail that betrayed his youth. "Do you accept my challenge or not?"

Tauren's copper eyes narrowed. A moment passed. Two.

"So be it."

The king leapt from his throne and prowled down into the courtyard.

Amaru shifted.

His gaunt human frame dwarfed the king, and Arya wondered if his green completion was a matter of fear or a permanent feature. A long dark coat of distinct Lynx make swept behind him. He stood there waiting as the king took his place.

"You know..." Amaru murmured loud enough for the crowds to hear, "as fun as it would be to play along with your little ritual, I really don't think it's necessary."

Tauren paused. "I think we've all had enough of your talk. You will fight me and fail just as everyone else has for the last fourteen years of my reign."

The challenger crossed his arms. "Ah yes, fourteen years. It's amazing how you can be king for so long and completely fail to see the true thoughts of your people." Amaru raised a hand and snapped. As if on cue, half a dozen lions leapt into the arena, stalking towards the center. "You see, King Tauren, it is I who holds the favor of the people. No frivolous rituals required." Amaru gave the approaching males a nod. "Bring him down."

The lions lunged for their king.

To his credit, Tauren faced them. He swiped at the first to come near, snarled at the next. Yet even despite his best attempts, even the king could not stand alone against six fully grown males.

Yet the attackers did not fight as one. Even as they tore into Tauren, they clawed at one another. Bit, clawed anyone else who had the chance to maim the king.

To them, this wasn't even a fight.

It was a power play.

A chance to prove themselves to their new king.

Only two of the males worked in tandem. Together, they fended off both the other males and the king. Arya recognized that pair. Malik and Bast.

"Arya..." Nandu whispered at her side. She'd been so distracted by the fight that she'd almost forgotten he was there. Yet now that she remembered him, she noticed just how wide his eyes were. Just how violent his quivering. "What is Amaru doing? Isn't that... Isn't that cheating?"

Arya gave a shallow nod as she gently rubbed his back, unable to take her eyes off the courtyard. "Yes."

His brows furrowed. "But... Why isn't anyone doing anything?"

Indeed. Arya scanned the crowds. They all seemed either fascinated or excited by the happenings down below. Not a single one of them made a move to halt the injustice. Not a single person spoke up.

Or perhaps they were all too afraid to.

She certainly was.

"Because there isn't anything anyone can do," she said instead. "Nothing anyone does right now will stop this."

Nandu's sharp little claws kneaded the bark as his brow furrowed. "But why? If someone spoke up, if someone went out there and stopped this... Where are the royal guard? Where are the people who are supposed to enforce the rules? They're always there when you or I or anyone else does something wrong... Why is Amaru allowed to do this?"

Arya surveyed the guards Nandu mentioned. The court members and nobles and elders all watched with steel eyes. Some even grinned. With a flash she recalled the all-too similar grin on 

Malik's face just this morning.

A cold rock settled in her stomach.

That was how.

They were in on it.

"Because..." She gulped, searching for words. "They all want him as their king."

More and more scarlet blood stained the yellow sand. Tauren's golden pelt was wet with the same substance, though Arya couldn't tell how much of it was his. None of his attackers remained unscathed, though the King certainly seemed to be wearing down. His swipes became sloppy. He missed a bite that should have been an easy mark.

The fight became a maelstrom of tooth and claw and fur, so much so that Arya struggled to keep up with the fight. Tauren scratched an attacker along the shoulder. An attacker lunged. The king ducked and rolled, popping up behind another male just in time to score his claws down the male's flank. Yet another attacker reached out and dragged his claws down Tauren's arm. Tauren whirled to retaliate.

Mistake.

Malik sank his fangs into Tauren's back leg.

It was a matter of seconds after that. Bast secured a grip on the King's shoulder with his teeth, and soon enough all of the other males joined in to hold down the copper-eyed King.

Nandu crept into her lap, ears flat. She wrapped her arms around him, but her attention remained transfixed on the battle. "I never thought he would be like this..." Nandu whimpered. "Ma always admired him so much... Am I supposed to admire him for this? Is this what good kings do?"

More questions she didn't have answers to.

Amaru stalked towards the scene, dark coat swirling around him. At first glance, he certainly didn't give her good king vibes. And yet the entire kingdom waited. Watched. Awaited his rise. The court had always been right before. Surely it was something she just didn't understand. They had to be letting this happen with good reason. She just needed to trust that reason, whatever it was.

Trust in the king and the king will protect you. The king makes the hard decisions so that you don't have to. Trust the king. Fear the king.

Nagala's lessons repeated in her head.

Out of his coat, Amaru pulled out what looked like a smooth stick. With a flick of his wrist, the stick unfolded into three segments that snapped together to form one, long, platinum pole, headed by a razor-sharp pike.

Lynx technology.

Another rule broken.

But no one objected. Somehow, they all knew something that she didn't. Some reason to let this play out.

So she trusted them. Trusted the wisdom of the court. They had years of experience. She was only a girl. A young woman with no real knowledge of the world. 

So she kept silent.

The copper-eyed king glared up at his successor. "Earth Spirit forsake you, Amaru. May the storms claim you and steal you from the eyes of history. Atholos shall never truly set on my reign."

"Poetic words," Amaru said, tightening his grip on the spear. "But your reign is over, Tauren."

Arya couldn't see what happened after Amaru raised his spear. The gang of males holding down the king blocked her view. For that she was grateful. For both her and Nandu.

That didn't stop her ears from hearing the awful wet sound of metal piercing flesh. Or the roar of pain that echoed throughout the courtyard.

Amaru raised his spear, blood dripping down the shining shaft. "My thundering reign... Has just begun!"

And the court erupted into cheers.

~~~~~

A new king... What do you think of him so far? Good? Bad? What will happen when he sees his mother, and new siblings...? Find out in the next chapter! But before you move on, please leave a vote and tell me your thoughts! I appreciate any and all comments.