Simina fully moved into the castle when Nar ordered her things to be brought there. Three months had passed since the wedding and Simina was happy in her new life with Nar. Since Nar was now King, he took care of his Kingly duties, and sometimes, Simina helped him, knowing that since she was Queen, it was her duty to do so. Her father visited once, and she also went to Ernest's wedding. Sometimes, commoners even came to the castle with offerings and gave Simina baked goods.
One day, Simina and Nar were sitting in the Throne Room. Simina quietly knitted while she sat, and Nar watched her. She'd been learning how to knit with Matilda's help, and she was getting pretty good at it. Suddenly, the two great doors flew open. A disheveled, angry, ugly-looking man strode in, a pair of guards hot on his tail. Nar stood up, alert. Simina was startled, but she did not stand.
The man was short and squat, but very bulky. Brown, thinning hair hung down in greasy strands around his shoulders. Simina recognized the muddy boots, the fur cape, and the dull lavender eyes. She knew exactly who it was, and her blood curdled. He drew his sword from its sheath as he approached Nar. Simina's heart jumped. She stood. Julian pointed the tip of the blade at Nar's throat. Nar remained very still. Julian's eyes turned into slits, filled with determination.
"I challenge your throne," Julian hissed through gritted teeth. Nar raised an eyebrow, then his eyes narrowed, and his lips tightened. Nar drew his sword and pointed it at Julian's throat.
"You dare challenge my throne?" Nar whispered dangerously. Julian smirked.
"Yes. I dare."
"I accept your challenge," Nar said coolly.
"Three days?" Julian quirked an eyebrow. Nar nodded.
"Three days," he confirmed. Nar waited for him to withdraw his sword first. Satisfied, Julian withdrew his and re-sheathed it. He turned on his heel and strode out of the Throne Room. The two guards followed him, and the two doors slammed shut. Nar re-sheathed his sword, intensity etched on his face. Simina walked over to him.
"Nar? What was that all about?" Simina asked, getting a bad feeling. Nar glanced at her.
"He challenged my throne," Nar stated.
"What does that mean?" Simina's voice quivered. Nar sighed.
"I have to fight him. He's going to fight me for my throne," Nar told her. Simina knew that couldn't be good. Nar decided he better explain in more detail.
"You see, when a challenge is accepted, both competitors must wait three days before the challenge to prepare. During the fight, anything goes. There are no rules. The winner is only decided once the other dies," Nar explained to Simina. Pallor washed over her cheeks, chasing away the usual warmth. Simina couldn't believe what she'd just heard.
"What?" Her voice was a raspy croak.
"It's a fight to the death." Nar turned away from her, so Simina faced his back. He didn't want to see her expression. Simina rushed to him and grabbed his arm.
"Oh, Nar, you can't! Please, don't risk your life!" Simina pleaded, trying to talk him out of it. He turned his face away.
"I've already made my decision," Nar stated calmly. Simina shook her head.
"You can't!" Nar ignored her.
"My uncle must be destroyed. This is my only chance. If I win, Julian dies, and everything will go back to normal. But if I lose..." Nar trailed off.
"Don't say it!" Simina couldn't bear to hear it, even though she needed to. She didn't want to imagine what would happen if Nar lost.
"If I lose," he continued, "I will die. Julian will then take my throne, my land, and become King, taking everything that is mine." Nar finally looked at Simina and stared her right in the eyes. Something like heartbreak filled them. "Including you."
Everything around Simina faded, and her mind tried to picture herself as Julian's wife. The mere thought disgusted her. She'd have to kiss him, have sex with him, and be his. She didn't want that. Simina didn't want to be Julian's. It revolted her, and she wanted to vomit. Simina wildly shook her head.
"No! I'd rather die!" Simina cried, eyes flooding. Nar quickly grabbed Simina and held her tight in his arms and allowed her to cry into his jacket.
"I won't lose. I promise you. I don't care about the throne. I don't care about the land. He won't take you from me," Nar assured her with a fierceness. He pulled her back from him.
"Now. Listen. The Queen, which is you, has to be present for the fight." Simina opened her mouth to protest, but Nar held up a hand. Simina shut her mouth.
"You have to be there. If you like, Matilda will be there with you. If I lose—"
"Don't—" Simina began. But Nar put a finger to her lips, silencing her.
"If I lose...I want you to run far, far away from here. Run. You will go with Blu; he'll help you escape if something goes wrong. I don't care where you run. Just run, get as far away from him as you can. Promise me that you'll run." Nar removed his finger from her lips.
"I'll run. I promise I'll run," Simina mumbled and nodded her head. She looked down, sulking. She wanted to cry but wanted to be a strong Queen for her King. Nar tilted her chin and looked at her with a stern expression.
"Don't sulk. I already promised you that I wouldn't lose. And besides. We still have three days." Nar pressed a soft kiss to her lips. He pressed his forehead to hers and looked straight into her eyes.
"I won't fail you, my Queen. Never," Nar vowed passionately to her.
A day before the duel, Matilda made Simina take a pregnancy test. Matilda suspected she might be pregnant because the day before she had thrown up during morning hours and she hadn't bled for a while. So Simina, with Matilda's help, performed a spell that would let her know if she was indeed pregnant. Upon completion of the spell, Simina's tummy glowed bright gold.
"What does that mean?" Simina asked her. Matilda smiled at Simina.
"It means you're pregnant," she said. Simina's eyes widened and her mouth hung slightly open. She couldn't believe it.
"What?" Her voice became an inaudible whisper. Matilda hugged her.
"Congratulations! I think you should probably tell Nar about this," Matilda suggested. Simina composed herself, trying to come to terms with this big news. She nodded and cleared her throat.
"Y-yes," she stammered and went in search of Nar. As she stumbled through the halls to his study, Simina's eyes began to burn with tears. Her vision blurred. On weak legs, Simina stumbled through the study door. Nar stood from his desk, alerted by the way Simina stumbled in. He rushed to her in a few quick strides. Blubbering, Simina pointed a finger at him.
"Nar, don't you dare lose tomorrow!" Simina shouted, voice cracking. Nar stood in front of her, eyebrows raised in concern.
"I told you, I won't lose," Nar assured her.
"You better not because I'm...I'm with child!" Simina blurted out. Her anger flared up out of nowhere. She grabbed the folds of his jacket and clenched the fabric in her fists. Nar's eyes flashed and widened. He was silent for a moment. Slowly, Nar raised a hand and placed it on her stomach, gently letting it rest there.
"I..." Nar swallowed. "I will not only live just for you now. I will now live for you and our child." Nar kissed Simina's brow. "I promise." Simina bawled and sobbed hard, clutching onto Nar with everything she had left.
The duel took place in the foyer at twelve. Blu conducted it to ensure everything was right and fair. Julian and Nar stood at least two feet apart. Blu stood in the middle of them, wearing a placid expression. He looked cold, like ice. He raised a hand and gave each man a sharp, calculated look.
"Draw your swords," Blu ordered with a flick of his wrist. Simina gulped, sweat trickling down her brow. Nar and Julian drew their swords at the same time. Blu raised his hand, palm down, just above his head.
"Raise your swords to the top of my palm, blade points touching," Blu instructed. They did so, and neither of them broke eye contact. Intensity radiated within the atmosphere, thick and ruthless. Blu lowered his hand but instructed them to keep their swords raised. The two swords formed an arc of steel in front of Blu. Then, he took out his sword and raised his tip to the same level as theirs.
"This is a duel. Both of you must keep fighting until one of you dies." Blu then looked over at Nar. "Nar. If you win, you will remain King and your throne, land, and Queen shall remain yours." He looked over at Julian. "Julian. If you win, you will become King, and the throne, the land, and the Queen shall become yours. Do both of you understand and accept these terms?" He glanced at them both. Nar and Julian nodded in unison.
"No one is allowed to aid you during this battle. Remember, this is a fight to the death." Blu lowered his sword and took a few steps back.
"You may begin," he stated calmly. At once, they rushed at each other, swords clashing with a loud clang. Simina's heart leaped. Matilda stood next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. Despite Matilda's efforts, Simina did not feel reassured.
Nar swept-kicked Julian's feet, pulling back from him, off-balancing Julian, and then lunged at him, slamming into him so hard that he stumbled back. Using his weight, Julian pushed back against Nar, shoving him back. Both swords clashed in midair, steel biting steel. Simina's nerves racked and jumped with each clang of their swords.
Simina hadn't taken notice of Blu standing beside her because of the fight. She didn't notice him until she heard his voice whispering in her ear.
"Don't worry, my Lady Queen. Nar is strong. Trust in him," Blu murmured sweetly to Simina, soothing her. His sweet, soft voice eased Simina's nerves and made her feel less tense. Matilda stared with awe, entranced by Blu. Blu pretended not to notice the look Matilda gave him because he was used to it.
Simina focused herself back on the battle, watching Nar and Julian's movements, but watching Nar's a little more closely. In the middle of a clash, Nar used his powers. He disappeared out of sight and reappeared behind Julian. Julian's eyes popped open in surprise. Moving fast for such a heavy person, he turned just in time to avoid the full blow of Nar's sword. Instead, Nar managed to slice him deep across the chest, cutting through his shirt and deep into his skin. A sharp, red line opened in his chest.
Julian howled with pain as the blood dripped, seeping into his torn shirt. Julian charged forward, seeing a spot Nar left open on his person. He raised his sword and sliced the blade deep into his right arm, the arm that wielded his sword. Nar cried out and stumbled back, a deep gash sliced nicely into his arm. Simina whimpered and put her hands over her mouth. Blood seeped out of the wound, gushing over his left hand as he clutched it.
Blu leaned close to Simina, whispering, "Don't worry, my Queen. If things go south, I am prepared for what must happen."
Julian smirked, seeing his advantage. He lunged at Nar, blade at the ready for a final blow. But Julian should have known that it wouldn't be that easy. Nar's left hand shot out and a gust of purple, misty smoke blew Julian back. Julian landed hard on the ground a good two feet away, his sword clattering to the floor with a clang. He skidded across the floor on his back. Julian grunted at the impact. Nar made his sword disappear and reappear in his left hand using his magic. He strode forward toward Julian, an angry grimace stretching his face. Alerted by Nar's pursuit, Julian scrambled to his feet and grabbed his sword just in time to engage with Nar's.
Nar's grasp on his sword was not as strong as before, since his right arm had been hurt, and he could barely move it. Sweat trickled down the side of his face. Using Nar's weakness against him and his strength, Julian pushed back against his nephew so hard that it threw Nar off balance and left him open for attack. Before Nar could raise his sword to defend himself, Julian sliced Nar across his chest, tearing his shirt and cutting deep into Nar's flesh. Nar let out a yell of pain and fell to the floor, his sword falling out of his hand and landing uselessly a foot away. Nar's chest and arm stung with hot, biting pain.
Simina screamed. "Nar!!!"
Nar's vision started going black at the edges. He could feel the blood seeping out of his body. It slowly began to pool on the floor around him. As he lay there, he looked at Simina across the way. She was crying and reaching for him, sobbing out his name. Blu was restraining her from going to him. Simina kicked and thrashed against Blu's hold, eager to get away from him and help Nar. She didn't care about the rules; she had to help Nar. Blu was holding her around the waist, clutching her small, writhing body against his, trying to still her flailing arms pushing on his hands.
"Let go! Let me go, Blu!" Simina shouted, tears streaking all over her cheeks. Blu gritted his teeth as Simina stomped on his foot.
"Simina! Stop it! You cannot!" Blu warned. Simina grunted, straining, and somehow managed to escape his hold. She pushed him back with her butt, elbowing him in the side, thrusting her hips back. Blu grunted, releasing her, and Simina ran out into the foyer that had turned into a battle arena. Blu cursed to himself.
"Nar!" Simina called and ran to him. Nar heard her voice, but it only sounded like an echo. She fell to her knees next to his limp form on the floor and picked up his head, cradling him.
"Nar, oh Nar, please don't die," she pleaded, tears flowing. Nar looked up at her.
"Simina...get away from here," he rasped. Julian was approaching, the look of pure outrage on his face.
"Simina! Get back here; you are not supposed to interfere!" Blu shouted and strode across the foyer floor toward Simina and Nar. Blu reached her and grabbed her by the arms. He began to drag her away, but Simina lost it.
"No! You let me go!" Wooziness flooded her brain, her vision blurring over with dark yet sparkling spots. At the sight of Nar's blood, Simina fainted, her arm still outstretched, reaching for him. Matilda gasped. Blu caught her before she hit the floor and held her limp body in his arms. Matilda ran up to Blu as he held Simina.
"Take her to the Queen's Quarters," Matilda said in a rush, flustered and worried. Blu hurriedly carried her away, out of the foyer.
Seeing Simina faint like that renewed Nar's resolve. No matter his blood loss, he would defeat Julian once and for all. Nar saw Julian's pursuit, about to give the finishing blow. Using what little strength and magic he had left; Nar made his sword appear in his left hand in a delicate swirl of purple mist to block Julian's oncoming blow. Nar raised his sword just in time as it clashed against Julian's. The impact was so great that it reverberated through the bones in Nar's arm and all throughout his body, causing him great pain. Nar gritted his teeth and grunted. Julian pushed, straining.
Nar used his remaining strength to shove him back, and then, while Julian was momentarily stunned, Nar disappeared out of sight in a collection of smoke and reappeared on his feet behind Julian. Before Julian could even turn around or react, Nar ferociously drove the blade through Julian's back, impaling him. Julian gasped in surprise; eyes wide with pain. Nar shoved the blade deeper, up to the hilt. Julian coughed out blood, sputtering. Nar leaned up close to his ear.
"Goodbye, Uncle," Nar spat. With a swift motion, he yanked out his sword and watched his uncle collapse to the floor. Julian glared at Nar one last time before the light finally died from his eyes. He bled out all over the floor. As soon as it was over, Nar collapsed, dropping his sword. He landed with a thud and passed out. Matilda rushed to him, concerned. Blu returned and went to help. Luckily, Nar was still alive; he'd just lost a lot of blood. Blu carried him to the King's Quarters. He ordered some soldiers to clean up Julian's body and the blood, which they did with haste.
Once in the King's Quarters, Blu stripped off all of Nar's clothes, revealing his wounds. Blu quickly used his healing magic to stop the bleeding, then cleaned and dressed his wounds. He let Nar sleep, to heal the rest.