The Courting Games by Missx Freedom (books for new readers .txt) 📕

"I need you to fetch me some fish from the market, Aldwyn," my mother said. She's bashing potatoes in a bowl while drizzling some milk in with the other hand. "Don't get cod, maybe some trout?"

"Sure," I replied. "Can I take Obi?" 

Obi is our dog, he's beautiful and gifted with a luscious deep brown coat and big, round eyes to die for. I found him on the street five years ago, abandoned and ill. We thought he was going to die at one point - but he pulled through. 

My mother nodded, though I could tell she didn't hear what I said. 

I would usually take to the market with my sister, Willow, but she had caught a fever earlier this week and was in bed resting herself back to health. She looked a little better than yesterday, and could now sit up properly; but walking for her would take at least another couple of days. She'd caught a nasty bug from an Elf, and didn't have the immune system to fight it off as easily as full-blooded elves.  

I grabbed my duster coat and head out. It's snowing heavily and most people are at home by now. The streets are empty, but the flickering streetlamps guide me to where I need to go. Obi is following beside me, tongue hanging and ears bouncing as he pads across the snow. We make it to the market in less than twenty minutes. Stannis, a kind fishmonger was sat behind her wooden stool, most of the fish she offered was gone now, but I could see a few trouts left rumpled on the blocks of ice. 

"Aldwyn, good eve, how are you my dear?" She asked, her eyes lifting at the sight of me. 

"Very well thank you, Stannis. I'd like a couple of your finest trouts please." I replied, stopping by the stall and observing the stock she had left. "How is everything?"

"Nothing to complain about," Stannis chuckled, grabbing a bag and wrapping it around the fish. "Theon is still asking about you." 

Theon was Stannis's eldest son, and was very much interested in me. We had met at the Tirian Elf event a few years back. It was an annual commemoration where many elves would gather around a massive fire and dance until the early hours of dawn. It was a celeberation of our city and the many wars we had faced. 

"I see," I replied, and hastly take the fish from her, replacing it with a few coins in her palm. "Well, do tell him I said hello." I pull the lead and Obi perks up. "Take care, Stannis." 

I was about to head west to go straight back to the cottage, but I halted when I saw a young man with a few older men by his side. Usually I wouldn't notice such things, but it was empty in the market and they were the only people lingering around.

He wore dark trousers and a top of a similiar colour, his hair was outstandingly shiny and curls dangled across his forehead. I could tell by the amount of men around him that he was wealthy. 

He turned and caught my eye, and I immediately felt myself redden; I had been caught gawking. How embarassing. I pulled Obi along and was about to start down the little path when I heard a loud, "Excuse me!"

I stopped and turned; the well-groomed man and his men were approaching me.

Had I done something wrong? Did he know I was a half-elf? Was he going to yell at me for staring? 

"I'm sorry," I blurted. 

His face was midly confused. "For what?" He asked. 

I was silent for a moment, what could I say? I'm sorry for staring at you? "I... don't know." 

A smile creeped across his face. "You're quite amusing, you don't need to be sorry if you don't know what you're sorry for." He laughed. 

I let out a small breath of relief, glad that he seemed less intimidating than his appearance.

"What's your name?" He asked. 

"Aldwyn," I replied hesitantly. He was a stranger, afterall.

"Bronn," he replied, putting out a hand to shake which I take in mine. "I'm roaming the streets of Menagreve, you see, Aldwyn, I'm soon to turn the age of 18, and I'm looking for a wife."

My eyes widened - why is he telling me this? "Uh, I see." I replied. "Well, I wish you all the best Bronn, but I really must be going. Its quite late and my mother will be wondering where I am." I try to excuse myself but the hunched men step in my path and prevent me from leaving. 

"Sweet Aldwyn, you must not walk away from the prince," Bronn said, though a smile still rests on his face. "I'm still speaking, and you will listen."

My throat tightens. He's a prince? Of course, it makes sense now. The deeply anticipated Courting Games are upcoming, in fact, its all the town can talk about. My friend, Brienne, had kept me filled in. There are apparently 9 women selected so far, and it will take only one more until it reached the max number of participants; that's what I last heard, at least. 

"I'm sorry," I said.

Bronn laughed again. "Now you really do you have something to be sorry for." He looked at me for a while, and I feel myself become clammy. "See, Aldwyn, I'm looking for my last participant for the Game, but I've had no luck these past few days, no woman seems to hold a spirit I'm looking for - it was just about hard enough to find the current nine. But you, you're beautiful. You've caught my attention, and finally, I've found you. You will be by tenth participant."

I feel my body numb. Obi's lead fell from my hand but he doesn't move from my side, he's resting again, clearly tired of waiting and has found a place to settle. 

"W-what?" I stuttered. 

"Yes, Aldwyn, I wish for you to be my last participant." 

I expect that he expects me to be happy about this, because the smile upon his face is still existent. 

"B-but I can't," I replied, and his expression faultered. I say quickly, "It's just - I'm a half-elf, I could never be part of the royal family." This is partly true, but its mostly because I don't wish to have any involvement with the royal family. I'd heard reckless stories of their families torturiously murdering half elves just because they 'felt like it'.

There family were evil and wholly entitled. 

"Nonsense," Bronn replied. "I get to pick my wife, and there's nothing to say half-elves can't be a part of the royal family. I suppose its more that its not particularly... welcomed." Bronn was close to me now, he put a hand out and stroked the side of my face with his glove. I wanted more than anything to move away, but terror halted me from making any rash movements. "You will participate, do not worry of your status. I'm a prince, and no one will dare speak against it. Otherwise I will personally deal with them myself." 

There was something about Bronn that scared me. Perhaps it was his smile that sat on his face while he spoke so ruthlessly, or maybe it was how entitled he came across - picking any woman he desired off the street and forcing them to battle to become his wife.

"I see," was all I said.

"Take me to your home." Bronn demanded, and all the colour in my face drained. What was my mother to think?

"I-I-"

"Now." Bronn stated.  

I was speechless. Wired with thousands of emotions at that point, and I simply nodded, not sure of how I was going to explain this to my mother and sister.

I grabbed Obi's lead and we silently treached back to the cottage. I felt my heartbeat fasten as my home came into view. Just behind the dimly lit window of the cottage stood my mother, her glasses hung on the end of her nose as she flicked through pages of her recipe book. Tears pooled across my eyes. Would I ever see her again? Would this be our last meal together? 

I knocked gently on the door and my mother opened it, she smiled warmly at me but it dropped when she realised I wasn't alone. 

"Who is this?" She asked, grabbing my arm warily.

"Prince Bronn, part of the Royal Elves, I have come to inform you that your daughter will be participating in the Courting Games this year. Congratulations." He smiled. 

My mother's face was shocked, she looked between both me and the prince, and then at the three men that stood behind us. 

"Can we come in?" Bronn asked, althought it wasn't really a question.

My mother stood silent for a moment longer and then, slowly, pulled the door open. Bronn brushed past, followed by his men and took a look around the small cottage. He then pulled out a wooden seat from the table and sat, crossing a leg over and linked his fingers together.

"Lovely home you have. What is your name?" He asked my mother.

"Elora." My mother said quietly, she was still by the open door.

"Beautiful name." Bronn said, smiling. "Well, Elora, I shall send my men back for Aldwyn tomorrow eve. I've put a containment spell over the house, so Aldwyn won't be able to leave until she's formally escorted out by us. It's just for precaution. She won't need to take anything either, we have everything at the palace, and do not worry, you will be formally invited to watch the Games when they commence. Perfect seating and outstanding food service." Bronn says, as if speaking from a script he had used so many times before. 

"Will I see my daughter again?" My mother asked, her face a mixture of worry and desperation. 

"Well, provided she wins, yes of course. You and your family will be put into a proper home as you will be a new part of our  family. We treat family with honour."

"And if she doesn't?" My mother asked quickly. 

Bronn looks down at the floor for a moment, knowing full well he couldn't just spurt out that she wouldn't see me again because if I didn't win the Games, I'd be dead.

"Then no, you will not."

My mothers eyes are glassy, and she turns away. "Must she do this?"

"Yes. You should feel honoured that a Prince has taken such a liking to your daughter, and that your daughter has a chance of becoming a princess," Bronn replied nonchalantly. 

My mothers lips pursed, an expression she so often did when she was angry. "I see." 

Bronn ran his hands across his trousers and then got up, placing the chair neatly back under the table. "I should be heading off now. Do take care. I will see you tomorrow." Bronn looked over at me and nodded his head before him and his men left. 

My mother and I looked at one another, no words came from us, and for most of the night, we drowned in tears and sorrow, and spoke words of love, as if we had accepted a fate of death.  

I said goodbye to my mother in the morning. My