Page 314 of Elemental Becoming

Do you still need help with that?

Always delivered with a smile and always in front of an audience.

And then there are the rumors. I’ve heard the whispers and snide remarks that always find their way back to me.

She’s strong, sure, but is she really Fire Clan material?

A few months ago she was tending crops. Now we’re supposed to trust her with the future of the realm?

If Thane stopped standing beside her, how many people would still follow?

Power isn’t enough. Leadership takes more. And from what I hear, she still leans on Thane and the others too much.

Ardyn never says those things to my face. No. She lets the words travel, allowing them to settle into conversations and spread through the keep, planting doubt exactly where she knows it will take root.

And now, here we are.

I’ve worked too hard for this. I fought through doubt, through pain, through every voice—including my own—that ever questioned if I belonged here. And for fuck’s sake, there’s a war coming. This ends now.

My voice cuts through the hall.

“Let’s fucking go, Ardyn,” I say, my tone even despite the anger simmering beneath it. “Or are you just full of words and bullshit?”

A ripple moves through the hall. The other warriors who had been training fall silent, their attention shifting toward us. One by one, they begin gathering along the edges of the mat, drawn by the challenge now hanging in the air.

Low murmurs break through the quiet as warriors gather around the mat.

“Didn’t think she’d take the challenge,” someone mutters.

Another voice answers, amused.

“Oh, this is going to be good.”

A handful of warriors exchange glances and begin placing bets, the soft clink of coins changing hands carrying through the hall. The sound only adds to the anticipation building around us.

Ardyn looks pleased, as though this was exactly the outcome she wanted. Beside me, Lyra tenses, but I shoot her a quick look,silently urging her to stand down.

This is mine to handle.

The warriors around us step back, clearing space. The room grows quieter as we move onto the mat, every eye in the hall following us. But I barely notice.

All I see is Ardyn. Her perfect composure. Her measured movements. The challenge gleaming in her eyes.

I step forward, my gaze locked on hers. For the first time since this began, her smile slips completely.

Good.

I’m done letting her chip away at me with whispers and rumors. If she wants a fight, she can have one.

Lyra catches my elbow, her fingers tightening around my arm.

“You don’t have to do this,” she says, her voice low and urgent. “She’s jealous and throwing a tantrum. Fuck her.”

Before I can respond, Rowena steps forward as well, her hand settling on Lyra’s shoulder. Her expression is a complicated mix of frustration and protective instinct.

“No, Lyra,” she says firmly. “Amara has to fight now. This is the Fire Clan way, and no matter how angry I am at Ardyn, it’s too late to back down.”

Lyra stares at her. “Are you serious, Rowena? Fuck the Fire Clan way.”