“Actually,” he said, looking at the king, “it’s not that. I’m confident that I would one day earn such a valuable gem if I worked hard enough. Sadly, there’s just one problem.” He glanced over at the princess, who still clung to his arm. “I’m already going to be in your debt for what I’m about to take.”

The king began to look a little apprehensive. “Excuse me? What do you mean? What do you plan to take?”

“The jewel you have given me is beautiful, but it is only the second most beautiful gem I have seen. I’m afraid this princess”—Lucas freed his arm from her grasp and wrapped it around her waist, tightly pulling her against him—“is mine now.”

“Young man!” the king shouted indignantly as he began pushing himself up from his wooden throne, but Bonnie’s blade was on his neck before he could rise up even halfway. The two guards next to her stood frozen in shock, paralyzed by confusion and clearly unsure of how they should act.

One of the players in the room pulled out his weapon and charged forward, but no sooner had he done so than Nick’s Force Shield erected itself between Lucas and the other players, leaving him safely on one side. The shield wouldn’t last more than a second if every person present attacked it at the same time, but no one else made a move to attack. Instead, they watched, seemingly fascinated.

“Unhand me at once, you foul philistine!” the princess shouted. “This is not the way in which a man conducts himself! How dare you try to take a woman against her will!” She continued shrieking, striking him in the chest with weak punches that didn’t even amount to a single full point of damage. Despite how ferocious her attempt at freedom looked, it was as if she wasn’t even trying.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Lucas said, picking her up and slinging her willowy Alfar body over his right shoulder. “You’re mine now.”

“What is the meaning of this? How dare you threaten me in my own territory?! Even if you escape here today, you shall not live for long!” the princess huffed, her chest rising and falling as she took deep breaths between each yelled sentence.

“I see that betraying those that put their trust in you for your own personal gain is a specialty of yours, isn’t it, brother?” Malik shouted from the other side of the Force Shield. “I’d tell Nick to wisen up, but if one death won’t teach him, then there is no hope for him. So, I’ll talk to you directly instead. I want you to know it’s time for our score to be settled and for you to die, right here in front of everyone!” Malik pulled out a large shield and blade as he shouted the last threat and then sprinted toward the Force Shield. He started swinging away at the barrier within seconds, his blows slowly leaving cracks in the translucent surface.