The Crown's Entrapment

Walking out of the manor, Nasser was at least hopeful that his son would be able to do what was asked of him. Surely, his instructions were basically foolproof this time, what with Gilas already showing promise by wooing Clara onto their side.

“At least he’s actually doing something this time,” he scoffed as he boarded his carriage. “Driver, take me to my niece.”

With a simple command, the Elder felt the carriage move, taking him to his next destination which was to see what his niece was doing. Pinra had been poised to enter the Trial by Combat for a while now, and he should see to it that her training was productive enough for his tastes.

Still, with what he knew of his niece, he was sure that she would at least be well ahead of what he expected. Pinra was nothing if not efficient, and she would surely fail to disappoint even if she tried.

Feeling his carriage come to a halt, Nasser wasted no time in getting off, his gaze immediately going to the training yard where he saw his niece currently training. Even from a distance, he could tell that her strikes were meant to maim, to disable, to kill whoever it was that would be unfortunate enough to be right in front of her.

“Uncle Nasser,” Pinra turned to him as he approached, giving him a nod as she settled into a more relaxed position. “What brings you here?”

“I’ve come to see your progress in your training,” Nasser coolly replied. “Surely you know that the trials are fast approaching?”

“I do,” Pinra nodded, showing naught a single speck of emotion on her face. “I’ve made sure to be prepared for what’s to come.”

Nasser couldn’t help but smirk at what he saw. Truly, Pinra was a purely bred killer. A weapon for him to wield freely so long as he saw it fit to do so. And all of that cold malice being hidden behind her angelic face as well. She was the perfect tool…

“Good,” he nodded. “Any thoughts as to how you’d go about winning the trial?”

“I have a few ideas,” Pinra nodded. “For one, breaking all of my opponents’ legs would be a viable outcome for me to take. There is also the option of simply killing all who stand in my way. From then on, there will be no other choice but for the king to proclaim me as the winner.”

The Elder smiled, “That’s all well and good, but perhaps there are ways for you to do so without completely arousing suspicion of foul play?”

Pinra coolly placed a hand on her chin, her thoughts running at full speed before she replied, “It would be doable, but it would require a bit more planning on my behalf. Would you like to hear of a few ideas that would make it so that my victory would be assured without looking too suspicious?”

“Indulge me,” he insisted. “How would you go about winning without completely wiping out the competition?”

Pinra coldly hummed, her eyes dull and dead even as the malice within her grew. “Perhaps a bit of subterfuge before the trial by combat… A dash of poison in the other participants’ meals…”

“Subtle, but requires a lot of things to go right before it can be implemented,” Nasser nodded in consideration.

“Another form of sabotage then,” Pinra quickly pointed out. “Blackmailing one or more of the participants to focus on the others.”

“Again, it needs a bit more time to execute,” Nasser shook his head. “Besides, we’d need the information or threat to be dire enough to have the participants throw the competition. And I’m pretty sure most of them would rather die than do so.”

“Then I don’t see the point of going in quietly,” Pinra coldly pointed out, her eyes glowing despite the lack of an expression spreading on her face. “If anything else, I’d think that you are simply testing my resolve to win the upcoming trial.”

Nasser chuckled. “On that, I admit, my niece,” he confessed with a smirk. “Still, it’s a good thought exercise on whether or not you’ll be able to adjust in the middle of the trial. Plans can change as soon as they make contact with the enemy after all.”

“I’ll keep that in mind then…”

“See to it that you do,” he directed her without so much as flinching. “For all we know, we might have to reduce or increase the intensity of your assault.”

The Elder simply watched as his niece gave him a nod before returning to her training, shadow boxing against an imaginary enemy as he noticed the bits of dried blood crusting over her knuckles. It would seem that she had a few scraps from before he arrived. If anything, shouldn’t she be training with live soldiers right now?

“Have you not any sparring partners?” he asked.

“I did, but they broke far too easily for my tastes,” she coolly replied, not sparing a glance even as she fought against her own shadow. “In the end, my own imagination would have to suffice for now.”

“You did have a knack for brutality,” Nasser chuckled in amusement. “Still, if you ever decide on killing them all, see to it that you spare Lady Clara from your tender mercies. She still has use for me yet.”

“I shall see to it, Uncle,” Pinra nodded.

Nasser nodded in approval. If everything turned out just as planned, he would have Gilas gaining even more power for him in the form of Clara’s pack, adding it to his own powerbase as he vyed to take full control of the Kingdom.

Turning around, Nasser smirked at a job well done as he left his niece to her own devices. It was clear that she was shaping up to become an absolute menace on the battlefield, and if she could somehow kill that human princess, should the Princess be lucky enough to pass the trials inside the Element Forest, then it would all be better just to see that king weep for his so-called mate.

“I’ll see to it that you fall, my king,” he darkly chuckled to himself. “It’ll be a fitting end to your rule…”