16 Annual Tournament
"What do you think, Your majesty? Your Highness?" the man turned to look at both Kings. He had beads of sweat forming in his forehead as he was under the two Rulers' scrutiny. Who could blame him? He was just a lowly court member compared to these two divine beings. He waited for their reply as if his life depended on it.
"Well.." the man who had his brows furrowed trailed off. He was sitting on a luxurious chair decorated with runes of gold and velvet. He slightly touched his lower lip as he was making his judgement. His silver hair was carefully swept back and his red eyes looked at the court member as if he was a mouse. Well, it wasn't like that but that was what the people inside the hall thought. His presence exuded power like he was a giant but he looked rather young. That was far from his age of course. He was so handsome and charismatic. If people didn't know who he was, they would openly stare and appreciate his attractiveness. However, he was the Emperor of the Vampires so one had to bow before him.
His beautiful face shifted into a more relaxed expression and he opened his mouth to speak.
"I think it is a good idea. Since Hermana predicted that this year's legacy from Amilia will be something.... out of the ordinary. It would be better to award it to the kingdom who did their best in the tournament." he said then glanced at the man seated beside him who was of equal standing as himself. He was guessing what the man might say.
The man had an air of indifference. His golden hair and tan skin made him look very handsome despite his stoic expression. The build of his body screamed masculinity. He was more muscular compared to the other man and looked a bit older but they didn't differ in age. That's why the people in the court were more afraid of him. In fact, the former was older than him for a decade. However, that didn't matter in their case. He clasped his hands together and narrowed his eyes.
"I agree. It's been a long time since our Ladell Kingdom received Amilia's grace. It would only be right to receive an equal chance to obtain it."
The man with the silver hair replied immediately to see what his reaction would be.
"That can't be helped since conditions in Ladell are extreme."
The man then frowned at his statement.
"That is true." he replied not wanting to prolong the discussion further. "Then I guess it's settled." The man stood up and his subjects stood up as well. He didn't want to stay in this meeting any longer.
The figure beside him followed.
The court members breathe out a sigh of relief. Finally he was done with his presentation and the Kings even agreed with it. He patted himself for doing a good job even under such extreme pressure.
The Kings who went out from the meeting room stood side by side, followed by their loyal subjects behind them. When they were already at the exit they halted their steps and their subjects followed as well.
Emperor Ramier, the silver haired man, was the Ruler of Altria. He turned his body to face the King of Ladell, King Cadmun who was the man with gold hair. They looked at each other, both exuding dignity and pride.
"I look forward to seeing you again in the tournament. I hope we both do our best.. And accept who ever wins Amilia's grace."
"Yes. Likewise, Emperor." King Cadmun replied.
They bowed at each other and King Cadmun left along with his subordinates. Seeing this Emperor Ramier turned and left, heading to the Palace. They both made up their minds to prepare carefully for the tournament.
Two weeks have passed since then. The kingdom of Altria was now ready to hold the annual tournament between both Kingdoms.
The venue was a giant colosseum that could hold at least 50,000 spectators. It was located at the center of the Imperio, the capital city where the Royal Palace was established.
The streets of the capital city were bustling with the citizens from both kingdoms. The whole kingdom was lively since this was such an important event signifying the alliance of both countries.
The two kingdoms represented the two races that used to be enemies. The kingdom of Ladell located South of Altria, was where the race of werewolves dwell. It was of extreme temperature that only werewolves could handle.
Vampires were the ones who resided in the kingdom of Altria. Contrary to Ladell, Altria is located in the North. The climate is opposite to Ladell, having cold and winter dominate the land. However this year was rare since Altria was able to experience spring. This phenomenon happened only once in twenty years.
One can say that it was the perfect opportunity to hold the tournament and revelation of Amilia's legacy.
Every two years, Amilia would grace her presence and give her legacy for both Werewolves and Vampires. Amilia was the deity who granted power and peace to both races thousands of years ago.
She was the one who created the continent where both vampires and werewolves inhabited. She was the original being who ruled both races and passed her powers to the chosen Vampire and Werewolf families who later became the Royal families.
She then disappeared and left the responsibility of maintaining the balance to the two Rulers. However, she left something behind.
It was a gold box. That was inscribed with strange symbols and writings. The box was of wonder and nobody knew what it's purpose was. The people took it as one of her possessions not knowing what the deity's intention of leaving it behind.
At first, her worshippers kept it in a temple as it served as an artifact from the deity. But something strange occurred to the box. Once in two years, the box would open and reveal an artifact. They thought that it was odd since it had an unbreakable lock. No one or nothing could open it. So when they saw it open just by itself, they knew that the box was special. Even more, is the contents of the box each time it opened. It was said that those things were from Amilia. It was her blessing and reminder that she was still watching over the people of the continent.
It was then called as Amilia's grace or Amilia's legacy. The artifacts were kept in the Royal Museum inside the Royal Palace. Some of the items were given to Ladell but that rarely happened because the environment in Ladell was scorching hot. Some items would melt or wither depending on what item it was. Another reason was that it has become a custom to store them in the city of Imperio because the past Rulers of Ladell didn't mind.
This year, however.. both kingdoms decided to have equal chance of taking home the legacy. The kingdom of Ladell specifically requested to have the legacy this year but many disagreed so they asked the members of the court. That was when the idea of obtaining it through the tournament came to light. Whatever happens to the artifact, the losing country should not hold any concern towards it.
Last year, the High priestess Hermana predicted that this year's legacy was out of the ordinary. Not that the previous artifacts were considered common, the citizens had much more anticipation for this year's item.
The city was clearly busy as it accommodated a lot of people. The citizens soon flocked the entrance of the colosseum. It was only a matter of time before the tournament started. They were excited to witness two important events transpire in one day. They couldn't wait for the ceremony to start.
An hour later, the colosseum was now full with spectating werewolves and vampires. The sound of trumpets echoed around, signalling the arrival of the two rulers.
The two rulers appeared before the crowd. They greeted each other and proceeded to their seats located at the high stage. It was where they will spectate and present today's remarkable prize, which was Amilia's grace. It was the first time for the artifact to be presented to the public. It will be awarded at the end of the tournament.
After the two were seated, the tournament officially commenced. The king and emperor gave their respective speeches and each kingdom showcased their talents through performances. Different types of entertainment were performed and it took three hours till all were finished. The last performance then ended.
The people in their seats held their breaths in excitement. They knew what would happen next. They were waiting for this.
The box!
The golden box will now arrive.
The crowd grew extremely quiet. Once again, the sound of trumpets echoed through the entire venue. This time it signified the arrival of Amilia's Golden Box. The box was encased in glass and velvet. The two servants who were carrying the box were very careful. The stepped towards the platform where the two Rulers were and carefully laid the box in front of them.
With this, the agenda for the event started.
