“It is so.” Every audience member punches their gasp buttons. The room fills with robotic sadness and you’re careful to let it die down before continuing. “Bravos and I had our time. But in a few weeks, he becomes my enemy. Anyone standing between me and the finish line can only ever be that: an enemy.”

You know the words are lifted directly from your father’s first interview. The publicity team concluded you looked soft in the eyes of other contestants and that you needed to adopt some of your father’s intensity. Loom larger and look wilder. It was easier to take Father’s words and carve your own threats out of them.

The fan nods sympathetically before the interviewing mannequin goes blank again. There’s a lottery shuffle of faces and clothes before a thin man with dark eyebrows and a severely angled face appears. You smile as his eyes widen in surprise.

“Oh dear gods.”

You laugh. “A mere mortal most days. What’s your question?”

He blinks before speaking. “I was wondering about your training. The Chats say you were in Baybou last week and the Sunsickle Islands before that. Some of the other contestants post training videos every day. Are you really as prepared as Etzli or Revel?”

Bite the lip, exasperated sigh, firm eyes.

“I saw a few of those videos. Impressive, but nothing I saw in any of them has me worried. I’m one of three contestants riding a pureborn phoenix. I went to Baybou to get him accustomed to the thinner air. Then I visited the Sunsickle Islands so I could practice quick water and land transitions. People only ever see the pictures of me sunbathing on the beach or attending Crossing matches, but every hour in between the stolen photos is spent training. I’m ready, sir, and any competitor who thinks I’m not is just giving me one more way to beat them.”

Applause buttons flood the room with noise. The next fan doesn’t look a day over twelve. But she doesn’t stutter through a question or shake with nerves. She’s focused, a young Ashlord girl who looks like she’s trying to learn a valuable lesson from a worthy teacher.

“Pippa,” she enunciates clearly. “How are you going to handle the Longhand?”

Nod seriously, keep chin raised, show no fear.

“So you saw that announcement yesterday?” Proud smile, little wink. “I suppose the entire Empire’s heard about Adrian Ford by now. Looks big, doesn’t he?”

The girl gives a nod, grinning. “I wouldn’t want to wrestle him.”