Chapter IV: Testosterone rush

The knocks on her door woke her from her slumber. She rubbed her eyes, trying to remove the evidence of sleep from them. Straightening her dress, she walked to the door and opened it. Martha hopped into the room, a lilac dress in her arms.

"It's midday, your majesty, it's time for the tournament!"

She squeezed her eyes shut. Not this again, she thought. "And the dress?"

"Elder Alphonse had it made for you. He requested that you wear it to the tournament."

"More like ordered," she mumbled.

She had a bath and wore the dress. She sat vainly at the table, secretly seething. Martha didn't seem to notice, she put the final touches on her while blabbing about Silvanus. Charissa felt she was going to get a headache, the last thing she needed was her silly chatter.

"Finished!" Martha said proudly.

Martha dragged her to the mirror. She stared hard at her reflection, not recognizing herself. The purple silk dress draped off her shoulders and cut under her right arm to expose her right shoulder. The material was incredibly soft, clinging to her body, revealing curves she didn't realize she had. The gown was laced with purple cords that finally ended with a bow at her back. Martha had braided her long strawberry blond hair into a single plait, tossing it over her shoulder. A silver crown lay on her head and her neck, a silver necklace.

"This is wonderful, Martha!" She cried.

"Oh don't thank me, thank the elder."

She rolled her eyes. "Right...we should leave now."

They walked out of the room, heading to the arena.

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The midday sun was cruel, the heat almost unbearable. The people still gathered at the town square to witness the event. Nothing better than watching a bunch of fools manhandle themselves for some princess on a sunny afternoon!

They didn't say it, but she knew better. She carefully climbed the platform, ensuring she didn't step on her new dress. She was beginning to reconsider. If she fell, she would break her neck. She was certain the princes wouldn't want to marry someone with a broken neck.

She shook the thought away, realizing that if she fell she would ruin the dress. That, she felt, was worse than breaking her neck. She shivered at the thought of it. The men could go to hell for all she cared, there was no way she would ruin her dress because of them!

She sat on the plush chair, next to the elder.

"So nice of you to join us, Charissa. I was beginning to think you wouldn't show up. We wouldn't want the people to think we forced you into this, would we?"

She ground her teeth spitefully. "That's exactly what's going on!"

He chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Relax my dear, it will be over soon."

"It better be."

Soon, the men were entering the arena. She frowned when she saw the huge grin on Silvanus' face, wishing she could wipe it off. Despite the blazing heat, he had an air of arrogance around him that made her feel nauseous. His platinum blond curls stuck to his forehead. His tanned skin looked browner, at least she thought so. She could see the veins in his muscles as he moved. His grey eyes seemed darker.

"Maybe Martha wasn't entirely wrong," she thought, "He is quite handsome."

She closed her mouth when she realized she was drooling. She quickly wiped the spittle off her face with a napkin, not wanting to be embarrassed. But she wasn't the only one who thought he was breathtaking.

To her right was Martha, whose mouth was wide open. She didn't hide the fact that she thought he was handsome. Charissa face palmed herself. She quickly tapped Martha, waking her out of her daydream.

She leaned closer to Martha, her voice lower than a decibel."What are you doing?"

"I...um."

She wiped her face with the back of her palm, looking downwards. Charissa felt angry that Martha was openly staring at him admiringly. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She had no reason to be angry, she hated him. The servant boy served the drinks timidly. She didn't miss the look in his eyes, it was the same one Martha had when she saw Silvanus. He walked away quietly when the tournament began.

The first trial was an archery contest. It had blue, black, and red rings and a yellow center. She was a terrible archer herself, every time she shot an arrow, it went in every direction but the target. She sipped the wine in her chalice, watching intently.

The first runner-up was one of the princes she had met but forgot his name. He walked to the starting point confidently but seemed to lose his cool under pressure. Two of his arrows hit the white edge of the target, the other didn't. She chuckled as she watched him drag his feet off the field.

Next was Prince Alexander. His first arrow hit the red ring, the last two hit the yellow.

"He's good," she mumbled. She glanced at Martha, who was biting her nails.

"Martha!"

She stopped biting them and quickly pulled her hands to the side. The contest continued, but no one was able to beat his record.

The last runner-up was Silvanus. Martha's eyes sparkled when she saw him draw his bow. "Fingers crossed," she mumbled.

Charissa rolled her eyes. She froze when she saw his arrow hit the yellow center. She didn't like the feeling she was getting, she knew she had to leave.

She called the servant boy and told him to pour her a drink. As he did, she lightly kicked him, causing him to spill the drink on her.

"Useless boy!" Alphonse scowled. She flinched when she saw him deliver a slap across the poor servant boy's face. Something in her told her to apologize, but she ignored it. She quickly rose from her chair, beckoning Martha to accompany her. She hesitated, still staring at the prince.

"One more moment your majesty, it's just one arrow left!"

"I said let's-"

The thunk of the arrow ended the conversation. She slowly turned, and her eyes widened in horror. Martha squealed as she jumped crying, "He won, he won!"

All three arrows hit the yellow mark. Charissa held her dress up lest she stepped on it and marched to her room. She wasn't ready to witness his victory. She could hear Martha calling her back. She ignored her calls too, annoyed by how she had been acting.