and stepped forward to bow and wave to their quiet crowd. I scanned the area looking for Cole.
Each noble lifted off their helmets as they were announced by the speaker. Norok was announced first, and I could have
sworn that every female in the arena screamed, cheered, and shouted his name.
But by the seventh noble, Cole’s name hadn’t been announced. Panic started to rise in my chest until the very last knight
stepped through the line. He lifted his helmet and my heart stopped.
I had seen those eyes before, touched that very same face and felt those lips against my skin. He looked like Cole, but at the
same time, he wasn't. Standing before me was my shadow man. I knew it like I knew the way he smelt. Then I blinked, and he
was gone. As if a glamour had been put back into place, there stood Lord Cole as his name was announced.
“Her Royal Highness, Princess Ornella, will now choose her champion!”
My ears registered the speaker's announcement, but my mind reeled over what I just saw. Talia kicked me in the shin,
snapping me back to reality. That’s when I realised all eyes were placed upon me. Each noble eagerly awaited their chance to
shine.
For a moment I was frozen. Surely my eyes were playing tricks on me. Lord Cole couldn't possibly be my shadow man.
“What are you waiting for?” Talia came up behind me, whispering in my ear, “Cole is right there, claim him before
someone else does.”
Shaking my head, a little to remove such silly thoughts, I smiled at each and every man who stood there waiting.
“My champion shall be – LORD COLE!” I shouted.
The roar from the crowd was deafening. Cole stepped forward, holding his hand out to accept my handkerchief. His lips
pulled up at the corners, eyes dancing with excitement.
“It will be my honour, princess,” he said, staring up at me with those blue eyes.
He kissed my hand lightly, causing a shiver to run down my spine the moment his lips touched my skin. All the lords were
returning back to their horses and behind the wooden fence, to prepare for the first match.
Each match was more exhilarating than the next. I even left my seat a few times to shout and cheer. Father kept telling me it
was a wonderful idea as he patted me on the hand. Mother chose to leave halfway through, claiming it was ‘too brutal’ for her.
She excused herself to continue working on the final touches for Norok’s wedding, refusing to make any eye contact with me as
she left.
She was clearly mad.
Which put a smile on my face..
Finally, Cole came out to compete against none other than Norok. The arena fell silent as their names were announced. So
far, the tournament had been quite friendly, with very little damage being done to anyone or any of the horses. Yet, there was an