Page 14 of A Game of Love and Betrayal

It Would Behoove You Not to Act Like Animals

Captain Ryker Elias Waterborn, Head of the Army’s Fae Division, wrapped a black silk tie around his neck with the smooth precision of someone who had attended dozens of lavish parties where younglings were to be seen and not heard.

His light brown hair, streaked with red, was still damp from the shower. The ends tickled his pointed ears. He raked a hand through his locks, letting them settle where they wanted before he pulled on the black suit jacket slung over the back of the only chair in his room. The space was much smaller than his apartment, but he hadn’t come into the Choosing expecting the accommodations to be luxurious.

Striding over to the desk, he picked up the red rose that had been delivered this morning and pinned it to his lapel. Even though they wouldn’t see the women today at the Opening Ceremony, they had to look their best. After all, the cameras were always watching.

That would be… odd. Difficult to get used to.

Many Representatives, including Ryker’s parents, kept their families shielded from the public eye. He had been raised in private, and after the Incident six years ago, he’d allowed that same privacy to wrap around him like a shroud, hiding him from the world. Now, he was stepping out of isolation and letting the world watch him find a bride.

All because of a promise.

Once he was happy with the placement of the rose, he slid his feet into the black shoes matching his silk shirt. He meticulously tied the laces, taking care to work with precision.

When other children played tag and chased each other through parks, Ryker was learning how to tie a tie, ride a horse, and never speak to an adult if they weren’t directly addressing him. By his tenth birthday, he already had a decent amount of control over his birthright water magic. By his eleventh, he accompanied his mother to the monthly meetings of the Representatives in Golden City. Always under guard and hidden from the press, of course. By his fifteenth, he was already training to join the army.

When he Matured and came into his full fae strength, Ryker was the youngest captain the army had ever seen. One did not rise in the ranks as quickly as he had without having an innate understanding that laws were the reason order existed in the world. Rules and regulations were the backbone of his life.

Through all that, Ryker had always known that one day, he would participate in this event.

Two thousand years ago, when the Founders of the Republic of Balance first established the Choosing, they decreed that each Representative’s oldest eligible offspring would participate in the Choosing when they came of age. It was a way to keep the peace among the many people who made up the Republic.

It wasn’t a completely choice-less process, though. Children of Representatives decided when they would participate in the once-a-decade event. Ryker had planned to wait another two or three decades before seeking a wife, content to live in his bachelorhood for a little while longer, but when his father fell ill…

Cyrus Waterborn had begged Ryker to enter the Choosing now and find a wife. He wanted to see his son married before it was too late. Ryker’s father was many things, including a provider, and he loved his children deeply. He refused to Fade without knowing that his son was settled. It was an old-fashioned idea, but Ryker didn’t have it in him to fight with his father. Not after everything else that had happened.

Reluctantly, Ryker had agreed. He hated that this meant he’d have to come out of hiding, but he would do anything for his family, including this.

With that thought in mind, Ryker rose and gave himself a once-over in the mirror. He adjusted his suit jacket one last time before slipping out the door to join the other eleven men in the Ruby Lounge.

Their group was a good mix, or so he thought. It was symbolic of the current mosaic of citizens that called the Republic of Balance their home. The merfolk were the only ones who didn’t participate in the Choosing. They preferred to remain in the sea and govern themselves as they always had.

Ryker was the last to enter the Ruby Lounge. The men stood in clusters of two and three, murmuring amongst themselves as they glanced at the door. Nervous energy thickened the air as they waited for the Matron to arrive with instructions on how today would go.

Ryker went to the bar, where a Light Elf with spiked hair was serving drinks. “Coffee, sir?”

“Yes, thank you.” Caffeine was part of Ryker’s everyday routine. He needed it to function. His younger sister River teased him about his addiction to the drink, but she was only twenty-one and didn’t yet understand how much he needed it. One day, she would.

The Light Elf passed Ryker a red mug filled with steaming brown liquid. Ryker’s nose twitched at the decadent smell of freshly ground beans, and a smile spread across his face.

“Thank you.” Ryker ceded his place at the bar as a blond shifter approached him and asked for the same drink.

When Ryker had first arrived at the Hall of Choice, the shifter had introduced himself as Therian Firebreath. If his name hadn’t been enough of a tell, his size was proof of the dragon living beneath his skin. Even in this form, Therian made Ryker look lean.

Coffee in hand, the shifter turned. “Morning, Captain.”

“Morning.” Ryker shook Therian’s hand.

Both men were in the military, although they were in different divisions. Ryker had heard of Therian before, but he’d never met him. The shifter was a skilled fighter, known for the size of his black dragon. Therian had a reputation for never starting fights but always finishing them. He could either be a good friend or a formidable foe.

Ryker had a rule that it was always better to befriend those who could possibly cause him problems in the future. That was how he acquired his two best friends, Atlas and Nikhail.

“Those interviews yesterday were something else, weren’t they?” Therian asked as Philippe, an Earth Elf, came over to join them.

“They were long,” Ryker confirmed.

Philippe asked, “How did your quad do?”

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