Luna was horrified that the battle hadn't officially started, and her husband was already threatening the other man because of her.

Her stupid husband still had this notion that Panterra was still challenging his ownership over her.

Luna clapped a restraining hand on her man's shoulder. "Apollyon—"

A flourish of notes trilled through the hazy air.

The trumpets had blown again, signaling the start of the sword duel.

Goddess!

The faeries were flying directly above them, that she had to cover her sensitive ears to muffle the loud sound.

They didn't give a damn what was happening.

They just wanted to see bloodshed.

The Feline King didn't break eye contact with Apollyon as he grabbed the sword Cederic had handed over to him.

Panterra continued in a rumble. "Better save your hostility for the duel, Apollyon, where you could vent it with honor for a worthy prize."

++++

Cederic had declared the rules of the sword duel.

Despite his size, his voice rang enough to convey the message well to the masses.

===

Conditions of the Sword Duel

1. The sword duel would be ended as soon as one duellist was severely wounded to be physically unable to continue the duel.

2. Using their supernatural powers isn't allowed.

The duelists were only allowed to display their brute strength and swordsmanship skills.

3. If they wish to stop the sword duel, they only need to say the word 'I yield.'

4. The duellists will use the 'Sword of the Black Rose' and the warhorse of their choice.

===

Both of the Kings had agreed to it and made an impromptu blood pact on the battlegrounds with the crowd at the battle arena as their witness.

Luna had the notion that the Feline King wasn't the type to back down from his oath, but Apollyon shouldn't be too careless that Panterra would honor it.

There was still a possibility of cheating.

King Panterra was a foreigner in their midst who had issued a challenge to Apollyon in their own territory, but Apollyon didn't seem offended by it.

In fact, he welcomed it.

Before the duel started, Luna and Catriona had a minute to say their words of encouragement and give a token of luck to their respective men.

By the smirk on Cederic's face, she wasn't sure if the military general had made this up.

Honestly, Luna had no idea what to do as the crowd watch her expectantly, probably wondering what the Empress would offer to the Vampire King.

She gave Catriona a sideways glance so she could follow her lead.

Perhaps, the concubine had more experience when it comes to witnessing sword duels and giving tokens.

"Wife." The Vampire King snapped a finger in front of her face repeatedly.

Luna broke out from her musings as she stopped stealing glances from Lady Catriona to look at her husband.

"Wife. You have to give me at least something." He lifted her chin upward to stare into her eyes, searching her gaze. "A good luck charm."

Tilting his head, Apollyon narrowed his eyes and whispered, "You must like Panterra so much that you couldn't remove your eyes from him while I'm in front of you?"

Apollyon's tone was serious but still calm.

She didn't think her husband was that angry, though.

It felt like he was asking a legitimate question this time.

"Husband." Luna sighed, deciding to tell the truth.

She wasn't frustrated at her jealous husband's possessiveness anymore.

She already got so used to it, somehow.

Luna gave him a sincere smile as she fixed the top two buttons of Apollyon's shirt so that no other women could see his exposed chest.

"I already had something in mind as a token of luck to give you." She moved closer to Apollyon until they were a hairsbreadth away. "I was merely watching what Catriona had done."

Luna caressed his broad shoulders and chest lightly, soothing him, seducing him.

"Should I give you a kiss?"

She didn't give the Vampire King any time to respond.

She had tiptoed to reach her husband's height, settled one hand around his nape while the other one dug into Apollyon's scalp as she scratched it lightly with her claws.

He quickly got her point as Apollyon bent his head, his mouth opening to meet her soft lips.

It was a slow, sensual kiss that was a sure-fire way to drive a man crazy.

Their tongues danced amongst each other in perfect unison.

Luna was very observant of every nuance of her husband's inaudible groans when he was aroused, so it was easy to figure out what Apollyon liked as long as she was attentive.

It seemed like her husband forgot that they weren't in the privacy of their own bedchamber when Apollyon pulled her close and tried to grope her butt hopelessly, which was, alas, covered in layers of petticoats.

Luna had smiled at her husband's grunt of disapproval between their kisses.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and hoisted her up against him, trying to cop a feel of that secret spot between her thighs in vain.

The daft man couldn't get it into his carnal mind that he had to get her naked first if he wants some action because she was too engulfed with layers of skirts, and he had to remember that they were acting like two sex-craved monarchs in front of their loyal subjects.

The Vampire King was too eager to have her despite the witnesses in the battle arena, and the sword duel hadn't even started yet, damn it!

Luna pushed the Vampire King and let him go, but her blasted husband didn't take the hint and moved to nuzzle her neck when she ceased kissing him, instead.

She had to pinch her husband at the side of his stomach just to get him to stop pawing the underside of her breast.

It was proven effective.

The Vampire King stopped nibbling her neck and lifted his head to gaze at her with hooded eyes.

Her husband had appeared like he was woken up from a dream he didn't want to wake up from as his sapphire orbs watched her face, dazed and confused.

"Apollyon. You had to have a sword duel with Panterra, remember?" Luna had said as her eyes ricocheted towards the parade of curious gawkers from the crowd: peasants from the village, scampering children, castle servants, and a dizzying variety of masculine attentions from the warriors.

They gave them strange, knowing smiles as if they knew what was happening behind closed doors.

Luna blushed as she playfully punched her husband's chest in embarrassment when the lords and the knights at the side began to cheer and whistle at their public display. "Do you really have to act such a shameless pervert, Apollyon?"

"Hmm." The Vampire King said absently.

He properly donned his armor and outfitted the mount of his black stallion when it finally arrived as it trotted in front of them with its head held high.

They were too busy snogging each other earlier in front of an audience to notice the stallion.

They had to prioritize their performance for the crowd, and it was one they would never forget.

"Thank you for the kiss, my beloved." The Vampire King murmured. "I will make sure to destroy Panterra for his unwanted advances over you."

Luna scratched her head in frustration, for she had no problem with the Feline King, but Apollyon still kept on insisting.

Fuck, that Sea King Phorcys was even more impertinent than Panterra, but did her husband listen?

No.

'Fine. Let them do what they want.' Luna thought as she crossed her arms. 'I'm out of here.'

She peered at what Catriona had done as a token of luck for the Feline King.

Luna arched an eyebrow when she found Catriona untying the red ribbon clasped on her dark hair and tethered it unto the left arm of the Feline King.

She was confused at this display of support.

Was this supposed to be the tradition of giving tokens for the sword duelist?

The Vampire King realized what she had been frowning at and backed off, laughing at her discomfort. "You were supposed to tie a ribbon on the duellist's left arm, wife."

"Ah." Chagrined, Luna willed the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

She fought the urge to bury her face with her hands and whispered, "I'm sorry for that mistake."

"I prefer the surprise kiss, actually." The Vampire King caressed her face and gave her a cheeky grin. "I would battle more sword duels if that was what it takes for you to initiate a kiss first."

+++

Catriona and Luna had stayed on the battle arena's sidelines, but they didn't stand in the same space.

If they stood with each other way too close, there would be no witnessing Apollyon and Panterra's sword duel because they would be busy grappling and pulling each other's hairs.

It was a good idea that Cederic had made sure that the two of them were at a far distance.

Panterra and Apollyon materialized in front of them, and before she realized it, she had clenched and unclenched her fists in panic, gripping her skirts with her sweaty palms.

The Kings had muscled their broad-flanked warhorse at the battle arena as they swung their sword around experimentally, trying to get used to its weight.

There was no question that both of them appeared majestic as they sat on their stallions, but it was her husband who had caught her eye despite the silver helms hiding his features, making him look more daunting.

The Vampire King sat the saddle as if he had been born with it.

She never really thought that her husband would know how to ride a warhorse when he could already teleport to save his life and travel to places in an instant.

The armor beneath his quilted surcoat was fancy.

The warhorse pranced around the battle arena, its rippling drape mirroring the dusky greens and crimsons of its master.

The steel plates enhanced the chain mail attached to his armor at his elbows and shins.

Luna was against this sword duel, but she didn't know why she was fighting an involuntary thrill of excitement running down her spine as she stood straight.

'Don't speak above a murmur. It is unbecoming of an Empress.' Luna thought as she gripped her hand on the railing, trying to stop herself from doing exactly that, but she just couldn't help it.

She must cheer for his husband.

Luna will not care if it will strain her voice.

"Apollyon!" She screamed a word past her shuttered throat and waved her hands in the air, "Emerge victorious from this duel, and I would give you a reward that you wouldn't forget."