Somehow, miraculously, Tigris had escaped the battle with nothing more than a concussion and a few gashes. Her body ached, but she warded off Leinos' attempts to get her to rest. Instead, she strode towards the throne room, pushing through the doors with Ivie in tow.

Her father waited, his face splitting with relief the moment he saw Tigris. He rushed towards her, cradling her face in his hands.

"You did it," he breathed giddily, "As I knew you would."

Tigris smiled. "Actually, I didn't."

The king's face twisted with confusion for a solid second until he saw who was behind Tigris, currently dipped into a curtsy. Tigris' father's eyes darkened, his lips curling with a sneer. "You!"

"She saved my life. Again." Tigris interrupted, moving in front of Ivie in case her father decided to try taking her to the dungeons himself.

The king's hands tightened around the gilded armrests of his throne. "You were supposed to kill the beast. Not some maid!"

"Ivie has shown more promise than any of my knights. That has proven to be true, considering that the rest of the knights who accompanied me tonight are either injured or dead at the moment." Tigris pointed to Ivie, "She killed the Atrex, father. She deserves to be bestowed the honour of knighthood."

The king seethed with rage. "You have no idea what you're talking about. If she had a shred of honour, she would have stayed in her cell and faced her punishment. Guards, take the prisoner outside!"

Tigris spun around, meeting Ivie's panicked eyes.

"Don't worry," Tigris promised her, "You will get what you are owed."

The words didn't seem to erase the nervousness in the steady girl's eyes as she was dragged out. Tigris felt fire lick up her heart. She sucked in a determined breath, readying herself for another battle as she turned towards her father.

"Father," Tigris began, "Ivie has shown more courage and loyalty than many of my knights. I cannot let her deeds go unrewarded."

She rolled her shoulders, feeling springy and disconnected as her father's refusal rang through the air.

Tonight was going to be a long night, but Tigris would keep her word.

Ivie would get what she deserved.

A/N: Here's a short chapter for y'all! I'm thinking that I'll need to split this story into two books on Wattpad because it is LONG. What do you think?