Aren inhales and exhales before he speaks to her again. "Little girl!"

She narrows her eyes on him.

"Do you know you are younger than me?" Aren gives her a dark look. "I was already an adult when you came back to this world. You are still a little girl in my eyes. I have no such interest in you. I won't touch you." He wrinkles his nose as he scrutinizes her face. "There's nothing feminine about you, Cripple. Besides that, I am still popular. Many noblewomen would jump at me if I say the world."

And he's not lying. His father has been nagging him to get married to continue the line. He doesn't see the point of continuing the line though. It's not like the Starfire family will rule the higher realm again. 

"So, you need a noblewoman." She nods her head. "We don't have any noble blood here. The Dark God has given equal status to all living beings. There are only men, women, children, and spirit beasts."

He raises his brow. What does she want to say?

"I was already an adult though." Kresi scratches her chin. "According to the laws of Iravan, everyone becomes a legitimate adult at the age of thirteen. Besides that, my body might be young but I have been keeping my consciousness for years in another dimension. I was a year older than you when I left this world. Considering it all, I am still the older one."

"But--" Aren opens his mouth to refute her.

Kresi interrupts him, "In any case, you are an average man now. Just because I was calling you a royalty, it doesn't mean that you are one. Sure, I made a promise to you. You can stay here within the boundary of the castle. If you interfere with my life, let me tell you this: I also break my promises and throw people in the ring with spirit beasts. In fact, I have already told Mogrok to make a ring for fights here."

"You are talking like Andareanesi." Aren scowls at her. "Are you going to start ring fights here?"

"Andreanesi was selfish, but he wasn't a fool." Kresi tilts her head. "Why do you think that gods are doing nothing about the underground city? Evil will exist anyway. But we should control it in some form." 

"Can you control the fights though?" Aren crosses his arms. "They might not listen to you."

"The dark beasts are too uncontrollable after the Dark God is gone. They need a place to let out the steam." Kresi continues, "Instead of having them fight randomly, I plan to start a fighting ring legally until the dark god returns. Those who want to speak with their fists will get the chance to use their fists. The one who wants to talk can go to Mogrok. I don't have a well-formed plan yet, but yes, it's going to be similar to the underground city."

Aren doesn't like what he's hearing. If a second underground city starts in the Dark Realm, what would be the after effect? "We should be concentrating on the rebellion."

"To resolve the rebellion, I have come up with this plan." Kresi looks at her fingers solemnly. "I will ask them to come to the ring and fight me. If they win, they can rule the dark kingdom."

"Have you gone insane?" He steps closer to her and bends down his knees, grabbing her shoulders to shake her awake. "Why do you want to die so much?"

"You are wrong." She frowns at him, surprised. "I don't want to die."

"Then, why are you thinking of fighting them in the ring?" Aren scrutinises her face. "I don't understand you."

"I didn't ask you to understand me." The lines on her forehead become deeper as if she's confused. "You should mind your business, Arenyr Starfire."

He bends down on his knees and lowers his head, exasperated. "Your life is mine. I won't let you do dangerous things."

"About that…" She tells him with a light voice, "We can't go to the underground city, but we can fight in the ring. Let's fight after it is built. If I lose, you can have my life but you can't kill me until the dark god comes back. If you lose, you will leave the city and never show me your face."

The former prince doesn't know why he feels a pang in his chest. If he leaves, what kind of crazy things will she do? Sending a god to Qeshaya? Will she make another Qeshaya here? The girl already knows forbidden runes. Now, she can even do magic. Lastly, can she win if she fights the spirit beasts? Maybe she can. But he doesn't want her to be hardheaded.

There are people who only understand fists. There are women who don't understand the logic. If there's a right or wrong way to do something, she will definitely choose the craziest way that might involve building a sinning city or summoning Qeshaya.

"Let's fight then." He looks into her golden eyes, determined to bring her on the right path. Because of his mother, he feels partly responsible for her crooked ways. Maybe she was already crooked before she met his mother. Then again, he wants any reason to stick by her side. 

Furthermore, he told the light god that he would bring her to the right path. 

"Wait for a few days." Kresi pushes him away. "Also, I told you that I will break the finger between your legs if you touch me. Don't touch me again."

Oh, she's annoyed.

"Kresi." He places his hand on her shoulder with a smile. "My hand is not on your skin. There's a layer of clothing between my skin and yours."

The woman scrunches her brows, disgusted. "Lewd!"

"Why?" He chuckles with glittering eyes. "The flowers didn't teach you how to flirt back? Since you are a pretty woman who is 'older' than me, I will treat you like a woman."

"Crazy," She barks at him, slapping his hand off her. And then, she strides away from in a hurry. 

"No retort?" Aren trails after her, wanting to annoy her to death if it's possible. He says loudly, "I will really treat you as a woman. I absolutely don't mind if you come to my chamber tonight to raise my finger high."

Though she's been teasing him, she hasn't expected him to turn the table like that. Kresi halts in her tracks and turns around with a straight face. "You! I told you I don't have any interest in a small finger."

"Don't call it small if you haven't seen it." He laughs at her. "If you are curious, I can show it to you right now."

"We will fight on the new moon." She tells him off, "Seven days! Practice a lot if you don't want to lose."

"I won't lose." He leans closer, stopping only a few centimetres from her. The corner of her eyes quiver when he puts his arms on her shoulders. "You should be prepared for a new life after you lose to me."

She sneers at him. "In your dreams."

"We will see it then." He releases her. "Cripple, see me tomorrow. We should do something about your hand."

After saying his piece, he walks away from her.

"I won't see you," Kresi yells, watching his back.

A burst of hearty laughter responds to her. Aren waves his arm as he crosses the corridor to meet Mogrok and discuss how to end the rebellion.