Princesses's POV

The royal balcony offered a perfect view of the arena, but Alina barely noticed the splendor of the surroundings. Her focus was entirely on the masked man in the center of the ring.

He moved with precision and fluidity, evading the Brawler earth mage's powerful strikes with almost casual grace. Alina's blue eyes sparkled with awe as she leaned forward, her fingers clutching the gilded railing. 

"Look at him," she murmured, her voice barely audible over the crowd's cheers. 

Beside her, Princess Isabella of Valendria sipped from her glass of drink, her posture calm and composed. Though she watched the fight with interest, she lacked the same fervent admiration as Alina. The masked man's tactics and swordsmanship were undeniably impressive, but Isabella's mind was elsewhere—specifically, on the upcoming matches where her brother, Cedric, and then Adrian would take the stage.