Th_omas

" How about we help each other?" He says and I look up at him, eyes still wet from the tears streaming down my cheeks, heart freshly broken from the public humiliation and betrayal that was Lucas's breakup. I can faintly make out the first droppings of snow floating magically under the light of the street lamps. It's that time of the year, a time for wool coats, a time for relaxing, none of which I'll be doing. "I'm an orphan with a wicked aunt and a boyfriend who left her because she has nothing to her name, how could I possibly help you?" I say another sob escaping my lips. "Marry me" he replies and my eyes widen in anger. Is he mocking me?. I look into the eyes of this stranger and see he's dead serious. "I need a wife, you need a home, marry me and you'll have all you want". I nod.

A Snowy Marriage (A Christmas agreement)

It seems I've been staring at her, i had been staring long enough for her to actually notice my gaze, and the moment it snaps to me, I instantly shift mine away.

If there's anything that I do not want, it is a confrontation with that woman. For as long as I would spend here, I pray that I do not cross paths in any way.

I hasten my steps as i practically walk in front of everyone else. Okay I don't walk as much as I run, but still it is fear that makes me carry out this particular action.

If she sets her target on me, or if she notices me in anyway, I'm guessing that it won't be nice for me. That weird gaze that she had given me the first time she saw me, I admit it, the look still lingers on my mind.

It was something in between shocked and confused, and I wonder why anyone would be confused at seeing me.

"Jow about we stop here?" Adrian says, and I look back to see that he is practically out of breath, the others too are literally panting and I wonder if I had been running all this while.

"I wasn't running was I?" I ask them, and I don't know the words quite well.

"I can get why you were running though" Arden says and I smile at her.

It seems this little conversation has made us lapse into something of a more comfortable silence than I would have liked, and as much as I like the silence, I also dread it.

Adrian is meant to be preparing for a competition now, and we aren't supposed to be standing around doing nothing, but still I don't know what to do.

"Can you give me an outline of the games once more?" I ask and he nods his head.

"The only game that really matters is the fighting pit, well the only game that really matters to me that is".

Arden gives a little chuckle at this, like they had both shared a joke that I did not grab, and I think I make it known with my expression.

"I don't know why they don't allow girls to participate, at least it would have been more fun that way".

I wear something of a sad smile on my face at that.

It would be fun for all to participate, but if they had actually said everyone should participate, I'm pretty sure that i would have died there and then.

Even throwing the javelin, I can't, talk less of doing anything else, but for Alice, a spy, it will be considerably easier.

She might practically have been leaping over houses all her life, so she will be pretty agile, and her stature doesn't look weak either.

If they actually let females compete, she might have actually stood a huge chance, and I wonder why they don't.

"I'm guessing there's another backstory to that too" I say and Adrian releases something of a shy cough.

Chapter 115