Freya held Rowan back, trying to stop him from taking another step. She didn’t know what the law around here said, but these people looked too brutal and crude, and she was sure it would be the same with their fighting skills. She didn’t want to see Rowan bleed because of her.
"Are you worried about me or scared that I might lose?" Rowan asked, looking at the small hands that grasped his arm tightly.
Freya bit her lower lip nervously. "I don’t... you don’t have to fight. We can just go back," she whispered.
Rowan chuckled, raising his hand forward to touch the girl’s hair. He stroked it gently. "You’re scared and worried," he remarked with a small smile. "As much as I’m happy to see you worried about me, my pride is also hurt that you believe I can’t win a fight for my woman’s sake."
"I... I don’t mean it that way," Freya stammered. Her gaze on Rowan softened. She inhaled deeply, feeling his hand on her hair. It was a gentle yet comforting touch.
Rowan brought his hand down from her hair, gently taking Freya’s hand down. "I know... but let me fight for you. Let me prove I deserve to keep you beside me. Let me prove that I can protect you," he said, rubbing Freya’s wrist with his fingertips. So far, the girl had been calm despite seeing where he came from. She hadn’t tried to run back or look at him as if he wasn’t human. It was a good start, and she was taking everything well. He couldn’t wait to be done with the fight so he could know what she thought of everything and the place he came from.
"Hmm..." Freya smiled, moving closer and hugging Rowan tightly. "I feel so protected already," she muttered, causing Rowan to chuckle.
Rowan lifted her up from the ground and swirled her around. "You get pleased so easily. I haven’t even done anything yet." When he brought her down, he leaned forward to her height and pecked her on the lips. "So, if you see me doing anything, you just have to understand, okay?" Freya nodded with a deep sigh.
"Good. Don’t worry, I’m here. Nothing will happen to you," Rowan said with a reassuring tone. He turned to the leader of the event. "Please make her comfortable."
Cazimir nodded. "I will, old friend. You’re really serious with this one. It’s going to make tonight even more exciting. Something worth watching. All these other men have nothing to lose, but you do. Let’s see who wins; the one with nothing to lose or the one with something or in your case, someone."
Rowan turned to Freya and gave her a small smile. He stood there watching where she would sit, and when she finally settled down, Rowan stepped inside the cage.
Freya was made to sit in the front row, very close to the cage itself. That way, she had a better view of everything that was happening. She could feel the people’s eyes on her, but that wasn’t her main concern at the moment. At that moment, she was praying for Rowan’s success and that he wouldn’t be harmed by these people.
Inside the cage, Rowan stood in the corner, waiting for the fight to finally begin. He was really tense; this would be the first time he was fighting for himself. He had always fought for Avon and his very good friend Adric. Back then, Rowan wasn’t scared of dying, since he came into the world alone, nobody would have to mourn him if he died. But now, he was scared of dying and mostly scared of losing. Freya’s life depended on him. Though he was strong and able to take down more than five men at a time, the case was different when it came to his own people. They were just like him, rough and wild. They fought until death, his people.
As Rowan stood in the corner, his eyes itched to turn and look at Freya, but he knew he shouldn’t. He had to focus on what was ahead.
"Welcome to the best night, outlaws! We are going to start this wonderful bloody night with the fistfight. Get ready, and let the man with the highest thirst for blood win!" Cazimir announced, and the crowd cheered, some clapping and throwing things inside the cage. Others whistled and sang. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
Freya just sat down with her hands placed on her legs. She could feel small insect bites on her bare legs, but she had to endure it until the fight ended.
A long table was brought inside the cage, and on top of it were sharp objects positioned at strategic places. At the center of the table was a box that was free from any sharp objects. Rowan sat down on a chair. On the other side of the table was another young man who looked about the same size as Rowan, but he had a beard and tangled hair. Both men placed their hands on the box, now holding each other. Rowan used his left hand, while his opponent used his right.
"Begin!" A small bell rang, and people started cheering. It was a game of muscle, and the winner had to push the other person’s hand until it was pierced by a sharp object.
"You think you can come back and look like us? You’re no longer one of us," the man struggling with Rowan grinned, pushing Rowan’s hand down almost close to a sharp, rusted nail.
This caused Freya to stand up and shout, "No!" People around her started laughing, while some booed.
"Is that your girl? She’s crying for you," the man continued teasing Rowan while pushing his hand down closer to the nail. The people around started laughing, mocking Rowan’s strength. "You make this easy for me, but that’s okay. I will enjoy those sweet sounds she makes when I’m inside her."
Rowan, who had been struggling to keep his hand up, raised his face when he heard the man’s words. His eyes darkened with fury. In the next second, he didn’t just move the man’s hand down to pierce it on the nail, he also cracked a bone in the man’s elbow.
"Argh!!!" The man’s agonizing scream filled the now-quiet arena. Everyone stood still as they watched him writhe in pain on the table, trying to remove the sharp objects from his hand or deal with his twisted elbow.
"Don’t ever mention my woman in your jokes," Rowan warned sternly, glaring down at the man.
Cazimir rushed into the cage, pushing Rowan back. "That was against the rules, Rowan!"
"Was speaking about her like that in the rules, then?" Rowan asked, still looking furious. He wasn’t done with the man; he still wanted to beat him up.
Cazimir sighed, rubbing his temples. "You’re one of us, and you should know how we talk," his eyes fell on the man, who was still screaming in pain.
"I won’t accept that disrespect from anyone, not even you or all of them. What’s mine should be treated with respect." Rowan’s voice commanded respect as he pointed at everyone sitting in the arena. When his eyes fell on Freya, he quickly looked away.
Freya held her hand over her mouth, she could believe the brutal display of strength she’d just witnessed. Rowan was going against his own people’s rules for her, and he was still out there making sure her name wasn’t tarnished. If this wasn’t love, she didn’t know what else was.
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