Shyra paced the Palace's courtyard, spinning a dagger in her hand absentmindedly. Her mind kept replaying the incidents and her unconventional decision to pin the birds on the opposing team. Her face burned at Tuhin's righteous reaction to her methods, but she felt no shame or regret, and if given a choice, she would have done the same thing all over again.

"This is for my people. This is to alleviate their problems," she muttered over and over until she sensed someone enter the courtyard from behind her. Pausing in her tracks, she gripped the dagger and hunched her shoulders, waiting for a rebuttal from whom she thought to be Tuhin.

When he didn't offer any words, she took up his mantle and spoke in a bitter tone. "Tuhin. I understand that you're upset about what I did, but it isn't that big of a deal. It wasn't explicitly stated in the rules that I couldn't pull something like that. And besides, I'm not doing it for fame or glory. I need the reward money to help my people. Please understand my situation Tuhin."

"You're doing it for your people?" a soft voice responded. Its familiarity sent shivers down her spine and she turned around at once and bowed.

"Prince Mahi," she said with her head still bowed. "I... I didn't expect to see you here. I apologize for my words. They were meant for someone else, and I should have looked before speaking to..."

"Shyra, why are you still so formal? " he said with a slight admonishment. "Have you already forgotten the wonderful time we spent together yesterday?"

His last few words had a twinge of sadness to them, and they struck up guilt in her heart. "I haven't forgotten, Mahi," she said, looking him straight in the eye and offering no more explanation for her words. His intense stare took her breath away and she couldn't do anything else but stare at him until he cleared his throat and looked away. Shyra noted with amusement that he seemed to be blushing as he fumbled around for something to say.

"Ah, right," he said finally, looking back at her. "What was it you were saying? Your people? Is Ziya in such dire need of money that their Princess has to compete in the Games to receive funds? If that's the case, you could have appealed to our court. I'm sure dad would've granted you emergency funds until Ziya could get back in shape."

"Ziya is functioning fine. But we're barely hanging on," Shyra whispered, looking at her toes. "It's a long story, but trade is getting impacted by the absence of our Asteroid Path. It's cutting into our income to a drastic extent, so much so that Ziya is only depending on itself for food and necessities. But I don't know for how long we can go on like this. The reports I've seen of struggles and suffering..." her voice broke, and she took a deep breath to stabilize herself.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know," Mahi said, cheeks reddening with embarrassment. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed him extending his hand toward her. Realizing that he was trying to comfort her due to her unstable voice, she cleared her throat at once and straightened up. He got the message in an instant and took his hand back with a little cough.

Shyra was about to diffuse the mood and dismiss his apology when his eyes widened as he processed something she'd said. "The Asteroid Path. Is that what's bothering your planet? Is it because of the Path's absence that trade has become difficult for Ziya?"

Shyra nodded.

"Then that means... that means you're going to commission a RePathing!" he said breathlessly. "Shyra, you must know this. The RePathing has only been attempted once, and the path wasn't fixed in place like it used to be. Even if you have the money, it's a very unreliable process, and the results can vary based on..."

"Whatever you're saying now," Shyra interrupted, "has been told to me millions of times. I've weighed all the pros and cons with meticulous attention and come to this conclusion. I'm sorry to put this in a blunt manner, but your words will not be swaying me from my path."

"Let me help you then," he said without a pause. "Let me stay by your side and support you through your path. If you win the Games, I'll help you implement the RePathing. And if you lose, I'll appeal to dad and mom myself and make sure you get your funds."

Shyra felt her breath hitch in her throat. "But why? Why are you helping me? Why are you going out of your way to help a complete stranger, someone you'll probably never meet again?"

"That's up to you to find out," he responded with a wink. Shyra flushed and looked away, suddenly interested in the grass growing beneath their feet. She heard Mahi chuckle and saw him extend his arm to her.

"Let me help you train now," he offered. "I doubt that you have brought your trainer with you, and in that case, I would love to be of some help. I'm good at judging someone's fighting style, and I could give pointers on how to prepare yourself according to his style. The decision is yours though. If you're uncomfortable in training with me, you only have to say so."

Shyra glanced at his outstretched palm and contemplated her choices. On one hand, she knew herself well, and could work on her strengths and weaknesses today. On the other hand, she didn't fully understand how Tuhin fought, as she was a bad judge of skills, so it would be beneficial to train with Mahi.

Plus, the emotional part of her mind whispered, you'll be training with THE Prince Mahi. The attractive prince you've been noticing since day one.

Shut up, she admonished herself and shook her head to clear her thoughts. When she realized that Mahi was still waiting, she pushed all her doubts aside and placed her hand in his.

He smiled charmingly and gripped her callused hand. "Let's begin, shall we?"

"Remember what I taught you," Mahi whispered as he escorted Shyra to the Arena. "Tuhin is a right-handed or left-handed fighter?"

"He can use both," she whispered back, stopping in front of the entrance, "but he almost always fights with his right hand, which means his left side is less guarded than his right."

"Good," he said. "And what is his fatal weakness?"

Shyra tapped her finger with her chin and thumbed her locket. "He's too focused on his immediate surroundings and threats. He does not know how to anticipate unexpected attacks, ones beyond his immediate sight."

"Very good," Mahi said with a swift exhale. "And you're going to use that to your advantage, alright? You're going to use all these points to your advantage."

"Relax, Mahi," Shyra chuckled. "I'm the one who's competing in the Games, but it seems like you're more stressed than me."

Mahi rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled as well. "That's just because I can't help but be concerned for you. Something about you just..."

The bells tolled loudly at that moment, blocking out the rest of his words. Shyra turned toward the gates at once, glad for the distraction and excuse to turn her blushing face away.

"I am grateful beyond words for what you've done for me," she said with her back facing Mahi. "If there's any way I can repay you, I would be glad to."

Before hearing his response, she marched towards the gate with flaming cheeks and a bright heart.

I'm going to win this. I know I will.

Before long, she was standing in the Arena once again, but this time she was opposing Tuhin instead of standing alongside him. Both of them sized each other up with hostility.

Looking at Tuhin's righteous anger at yesterday's incident made Shyra sigh exasperatedly. For how long was he going to grudge her for that?

Their combined hostility and harsh expressions created a juicy drama that drove the crowd wild.

Whatever said and done, in the end, these people just want a few days of free entertainment, Shyra thought with a curl of her lips. All these thoughts soon faded to the background when the anchor announced that the remaining two competitors would face off in a traditional battle against each other, and the winner would be the one who holds the other at killing point. All the weapons they needed were already provided to them, so now they just had to make use of them.

Her whole body tensed when the anchor started the countdown and the terrain around them changed again. This time it became a barren dessert, the kind that had apparently inhabited Earth once upon a time.

The ground before them was level and dusted with a heavy layer of yellowish grains of sand that felt coarse when Shyra picked them up. The monotonous landscape was broken by heaps of the sand that marched across the sand in uneven clusters. A slight breeze stirred up the sand, creating whorls of dust that swirled across the air in translucent ribbons.

The anchor finished his countdown and a hush descended the audience as Shyra and Tuhin drew their swords and held the tips at each other, both waiting for each other to strike.

The kshanas ticked by until Shyra drew back her sword and swung it at his face, nicking it and drawing a small wound. He reeled back and jabbed at an undefended part of her armor with his right hand, as she had expected. She blocked the attack and hit his unprotected side with the hilt of her sword.

The blaze of pain seemed to infuriate him further, and he paused for a kshana to scan her armor for chinks. She didn't wait for him to finish his scrutiny, and with a yell, drove her blade at his heart. He ducked to the side and tried to kick her legs and make her fall. She jumped over his sweeping leg and brought her fists down toward his head.

He rolled to the side and avoided her strike, then jumped back to his feet and swished his sword in the air, the metal creating a zing that sharpened her senses. She slowly and deliberately walked up to him and struck an intense duel that had the audience hold their breaths in awe.

Soon, Shyra lost herself to the adrenaline of battle, and the only things her brain processed were the sharp clangs of steel and the blur of metal reflecting light across the Arena. A small part of her mind reacted when either of them got hurt, but she pressed on harder than ever until their swords locked in place and she found herself breathing heavily on his face. His eyes were leveled with her, and they stood in a tense deadlock on the sand.

Her breath fanned out as she analyzed all her options. He does not know how to anticipate unexpected attacks, and his left side is always undefended; Mahi's words came unbidden in her mind.

An idea struck her mind and she pulled back from the deadlock, stepping back carefully until her foot struck a sand dune, as she'd planned. She stepped on it and measured its sturdiness with calculated footsteps, watching Tuhin for a reaction. Luckily, he seemed amused by her attempts and was using her actions to take a small break and catch his breath.

A wicked smile briefly crossing her lips; she reached the top of the dune and took a step back, preparing for a short run. By the time Tuhin realized what was happening, Shyra sprinted across the Arena and headed for him like a missile. He yelped and pointed his sword at her to defend her attack.

But instead of charging headlong at him, she changed track and ran toward the sand dune to his left. Using the sturdy heap as a spring, she placed a foot on the dune and sprang up using her other leg, landing behind Tuhin in the process.

He tried to swing at her during her short run, but she weaved out of his reach and swung her sword again, this time coming to a stop right on his throat from behind him. She could feel his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed roughly and admitted defeat.

When she lowered her sword, the watching audience erupted in a riot of cheers.