Maya POV

They wake me before dawn. No warning. No explanation. Just three guards yanking me out of bed and dragging me through the corridors.

"What's happening?" I struggle against their grip but the stabilizer hasn't fully restored my strength yet. I'm weak. Vulnerable.

"The heir has issued a challenge," one guard says. His face shows no emotion. "Eastern tradition. Before any alliance, combat must prove worth."

My stomach drops. "Now? I just got here."

"The heir chooses the time. ...