To Love, Once Again

Chapter 35

Note from Tofu:

Sorry for prematurely posting a chapter ORZ ...... As a reader I know how u guys feel to see a new chapter of a book but then not be able to read it so,,,

Please accept my offering of an extra chapter!

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Dorne enters the arena, reveling in the attention on him. He raises both arms in the air and roars, the crowd responding in kind.

Sera's surprised to see the number of supporters he has. Rough looking manservants cheering for him made sense, but to see a few knights roaring for him was shocking. He was actually popular? That psycho?

Squinting to make out the features of the cheering people, she sees the footman that caused trouble for her and the girls when she was helping clean windows. There was also the maid that tried to run her over with a cart, jumping up and down screaming Dorne's name. Looked like all the people who disliked her were on the same page.

The others who reacted otherwise were silent, knights watching with arms crossed, stablehands, butlers and other maids that stood there with grim expressions on their faces.

While Dorne does his best to liven up the crowd as he enters the circle, which flares to life with flames beating back the crowd circling him, Lucien leaps off the platform like an agile panther, striding through the crowd that parts before him like the Red Sea. The crowd roars for him, much louder than it was for Dorne, sounding like one entity that vibrates with the beat of the drums, the soles of Sera's feet trembling at the noise.

Lucien unbuckles his sword belt and sets it on the ground, smirking at Dorne. The message was crystal clear. Lucien was showing everyone that he didn't need a weapon to beat his opponent.

Dorne easily responds to the challenge, grinning with a cheshire cat smile and dropping his sword on the ground, the clanging sound engulfed by the cheers of excitement that echoes across the arena. It would be a good-old fashioned fist-pummeling to the death.

The Red King vs. his wily half-brother. Bets were being placed now in one corner, the stacks of money increasing at a great velocity as more people laid their cash on the line.

Icaros suddenly appears, just like his master, next to Sera, who has a great view of the proceedings from her spot next to Lucien's throne.

His hair is rumples, with bags under his eyes.

"Not good" he mutters under his breath.

Sera quickly looks up at him.

"What's not good?"

Keeping his voice low, Icaros responds.

"New information about Dorne. An Eastern merchant recognized him, said he was known in the East as a traveling mercenary. He's Dorne the Honorless." Icaros presses his lips together, never taking his sight off the two men who both roll up their sleeves, facing each other.

"Who?"

"Dorne the Honorless. A mercenary willing to do anything for a price. They call him honorless because he follows no code of honor like the other mercenaries. He'll kill children, mothers, the elderly, all for a price."

"What's he doing here!" Sera asks, biting her thumb.

"Seems like he's wanted in the East, and somehow made his way here..." Icaros trailed off. The fight was about to start.