Page 19 of What Fury Brings (Wrath and Fury #1)

Olerra forced herself not to wince as Athon launched himself toward Andrastus. The prince managed to sidestep the swinging arms directed toward his stomach. He pivoted on one foot and drove a fist into the larger man’s exposed back.

The crowd shouted, and Olerra relaxed her posture. She, Ydra, and her cousin were seated in cushioned chairs beneath a canopy just out of range of the circling fighters.

“Very nice,” Ydra said.

“Don’t get too excited,” Glenaerys said from her other side. “My man’s just getting warmed up.”

Indeed, Athon shook himself off before throwing a kick and catching Andrastus around the ankle, sweeping his legs out from under him. Athon threw himself on top of Andrastus.

Olerra could see the panic on Andrastus’s face from here. Perhaps if the two men hadn’t been oiled up, it would have been over, but Athon slid as he went to his knees astride Andrastus. The smaller man managed to roll over the bigger one.

Then they were both standing once more.

“How will you reward him when he wins?” Ydra asked, and Olerra knew it was a barely hidden goad with Glenaerys present to hear.

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“You could have Stryan tend to him.”

Stryan was a eunuch trained in full-body massage. Talented though he may be, Olerra didn’t think for a second that Andrastus would appreciate such a thing.

Still, she said, “I’ll take it under consideration.”

“When Athon wins,” Glen cut in, “I’m going to ride him so hard, he will be unable to think of anything except being inside me.”

Ydra could not mask her disgust. “He won’t think of anything else until you inevitably break something of his. An arm or a leg. You are not known for showing the restraint you should in the bedroom.”

“My men are not being paid for me to be gentle with them. They’re paid so that I might have my way.”

Olerra scoffed. “I thought you said you were courting Athon. Wouldn’t that imply you were wooing him rather than paying him?”

“There’s no difference. I can pay him with money, or I can pay him with my attention and goodwill. Either way, men only care that they’re being compensated.”

Ydra shook her head. “Is there any problem you don’t throw money at?”

“I haven’t hired someone to take care of you yet.” And then Glenaerys’s gaze shot to Olerra for the briefest moment.

Olerra knew that Glenaerys was coming for her, but she hadn’t dreamed that she might come for Ydra, too.

Olerra’s lip curled as she leaned toward her cousin.

“This fight for power is between you and me. If you come for Ydra, I may just have to start hiring assassins of my own. And I have better contacts in that regard, you will recall.”

Glenaerys rolled her eyes, but Olerra could tell the movement was forced. A brief moment of fear had shown through her cousin’s stoicism. “I will concede that Ydra is off-limits as long as you don’t come after my harem.”

“Agreed.”

They returned their attention to the fight.

Andrastus had managed to get Athon into a choke hold.

Each time the bigger man tried to grip the arm around his neck, his hands slipped.

However, Andrastus didn’t exactly have the best hold.

He was trying to keep Athon as far from his body as possible, as though he detested their naked skin coming into contact.

“That man’s prudish ways might get him killed,” Glenaerys said gleefully, as Athon finally dug an elbow into Andrastus’s stomach. “Athon shouldn’t have had enough leeway to swing that hard. Tut, tut.”

Olerra massaged her temples as she watched Andrastus fall to the mat yet again with the bigger man on top of him.

She’d wanted to let Andrastus fight this one on his own.

To show that she believed in him and to give him some confidence in this country where he’d been taken prisoner.

But it would seem she’d let this continue for too long.

She’d given Andrastus his chance. Now she needed to intervene.

Olerra wanted to call for a respite, but she couldn’t do so while Glenaerys’s man had the upper hand. Olerra waited and sent a prayer up to Goddess Amarra that her chosen would gain a modicum of intelligence within the next five seconds.

Losing this fight meant looking weak in front of the nobles, the very people she was supposed to be winning over by wedding Andrastus. Olerra vowed to take greater caution where her cousin was concerned.

Andrastus managed to wiggle enough to get a leg between himself and the bigger man. He kicked, sending Athon backward. Andrastus stood, gaining the upper hand for a moment.

Olerra took the chance, standing and shouting, “I call for a respite.”

The eunuch jumped between the two men before Andrastus could descend on the fallen man. Glenaerys called to her, “What’s this about?”

“See to your man, and I will see to mine” was all Olerra said in return. She hurried to the mat, for she would only get a minute before the fight was resumed.

“What did you do that for?” Andrastus asked between heaving pants as she pulled him off to the side. “I had him.”

“You might as well be dancing with him for all the damage you’re doing,” she said. “Or playing keep-away. You’ve barely landed a blow!”

“If you hadn’t slicked me up in this horrid concoction, the fight would already be over.”

“Yes, but not with you the victor.”

He glared at her, as though she wounded him with the comment.

“We don’t have much time,” she continued. “You gave it your best shot. Now let me help you.”

“What, you want to take my place on the mat?”

“No, I’m not permitted. It’s a bout between you and Athon. But I can give you an edge.”

“How’s that?”

“My cousin thought to one-up me by courting the strongest man in Amarra. She knew I was taking a husband, and she wanted to stay evenly matched without having to leave Amarran soil. But she’s overlooked one very important thing.”

Andrastus looked over her head to glimpse her cousin. “What’s that?”

“Athon is my soldier, and I know how he fights. So here’s what you’re going to do…”

Sanos turned back to the ring. Sweat mingled with the oil on his skin, both his and Athon’s. It was gross, yet he knew he needed to take Olerra’s words to heart if he was going to win this.

Quit distancing yourself from your opponent. I don’t care if you have an aversion to naked males. You beat him, and you beat him good like you promised. I don’t care if your prick ends up in his face.

Such an eloquent speaker, as always, this princess of Amarra.

Her words were ringing in his head. He hated them because he needed them. He was disappointed in himself for not being able to handle this challenge on his own.

In all fairness, he was naked in front of thousands of women who were whistling at him, and he was covered in enough oil that the entire crowd could lap it up with bread. The weather was warmer than he’d ever experienced. The heat blared on his still-burned shoulders.

Given time, he would adjust to this style of fighting and work his way to the top, as he’d done with every other physical test that came his way.

Not that I’ll be around long enough for that.

Sanos pushed all of it aside. He ignored the sounds of the crowd, the smell of his sweating opponent, and the feel of the too-hot sun on his skin. It was just him and Athon and Olerra’s words in his mind.

“Fight!” the eunuch called, stepping away to give the mat to the two competitors.

Athon will always attack first. He’s spent his whole life trying to outplay the women he’s pitted against. His chances are greater if he attacks first and doesn’t waste any time defending himself. You must be faster. Strike first.

Athon was a big man, so Sanos struck low, getting inside the other man’s guard and kicking at his knee with the ball of his foot.

Athon was sent off-balance.

Get him on the ground as quickly as you can.

Sanos shoved him the rest of the way. Athon went down to the mat.

Once he’s down, you subdue him. Your arms aren’t big enough to do the trick against a man like that. Use your legs, and let go of your sense of modesty, for gods’ sakes.

Sanos looked up for only a split second. He shot Olerra a foul look before he joined the other man on the floor.

Olerra was riveted as she watched Andrastus wrap his thighs around Athon’s throat. He held the position, no matter how Athon tried to slap at him.

She also knew with absolute certainty that her prince was imagining it was her throat that he was squeezing and squeezing.

The way his eyes never left hers the whole while was proof of it.

His unfaltering gaze warmed her skin, no matter what emotions were behind it.

She had his full attention, and there was something undeniably alluring about that.

She watched him watching her, and she made herself relax, leaning back in her seat, laying an arm against the back of it.

The seconds dragged out as Athon continued to try to fight him off. Until finally, the larger man pounded his hand on the mat twice, and the eunuch called the match.

“Princess Olerra’s champion wins!”

The crowd was wild on their feet. They chanted her name, breaking it into three lovely syllables.

O-LER-RA. Some of the noblewomen in the front rows were clapping and chanting along.

Others sent her nods of goodwill. Others were studiously avoiding her gaze, desperate not to get on Glenaerys’s bad side.

As she stood, Ydra moved between the cousins and threw one arm over each of their shoulders. “Well, Glen, it may have been a wasted courtship, but at least you made Olerra look good.”

If Olerra hadn’t just bargained for her best friend’s life, she might have worried for it with the look Glenaerys shot her.

“Next time, perhaps find a man whose fighting style I’m not already familiar with,” Olerra said, trying to take Glen’s attention off her friend.

“Sleep with one eye open,” Glen shot her way before stalking off.

“Did you just threaten the princess? With a witness present?” Ydra demanded.