When We Were Kings

On the first day, she met her match. Then she killed 16 men.

When tossed into the gladiator arena, the delicate girl in the fancy pink dress should be the first to die. She has other plans. Surviving is at the top of Leyli's list. Revenge is a close second.

Having grown up behind the sheltered walls of the Oberhame Palace, she knows what the crowd wants. Her country was built from the scraps of their neighbors. Gladiators are just one part. Evidently, political coups are another, and she's just become a pawn in the games of men. But why is she still alive? They've killed the heir to the throne. Have they gotten to her father? Is the king dead?

In the cell beside her, the man known as the Lion is impressed. The first day, they all cry. Men, women, it doesn't matter. But this one is different. Her tears don't slow her down. They make her stronger, and when he looks in her eyes, he sees it. Her desperation is feral. It means she won't hesitate to do what she has to. She might be cornered, but this bitch is the kind who'll bite.

When he offers advice, she takes it. When she manages to survive, he's pleasantly surprised. Little does he know, he's about to become her best weapon. Leyli isn't merely trying to live through the games. She also wants to protect her father's throne - but to do that, she needs to become someone else. She can no longer be the Princess.

The Lion has to forge the Wolf.