"Hear ye, hear ye!"

The fated moment had finally arisen, and as with everything else grand and magnificent, it had its own prelude given by the announcer speaking aloud just as grand and magnificently, his words accompanied by the muffled clang of the belltower chiming from above.

"I am pleased to deliver the news that our most honorable hosts and hostess have finally come to their fateful decision! The chosen few selected as champions, fighting for the highest honor, for the grandest glory… and perhaps also love everlasting!"

Hyper words to pump the hype factor all the way up to the ceiling, and the desired effect was easily achieved. Everybody gave a yell, a clap, whoop, and everything else in-between.

Somewhere within the thunderous applause, I shuffled my way over to an area in the back with a slightly better view of everything… it was a tight squeeze, but I'll make it work.

Almost thought myself clever for finding such a good spot… but then I realized only a few moments after that I wasn't the only clever person around here apparently.

"Hello there," greeted a man, a familiar man. A man so imbued with the gift of charm and suave, that a smile from his balmed lips alone could light up the darkest darks, the nightest nights, and, uh… the lightless... light.

As for me, well… I've kinda enough of that smile to last me a lifetime, or in my case, two lifetimes. I sighed, took my place to the side, and greeted him back without any snide, "General Leon."

Well, tried to anyway.

The announcement at the front drawled on and on forevermore with each sentence branching off more flowery than the last, going on about how esteemed of the highest honor it was of such pedigree and privilege or whatever the hell it was to be chosen to represent the princesses.

It got to the point where even the grand prizes themselves started to look dull and vapid up on their pedestal. I thought I even saw Amanda take a sneak glance at her phone once or twice throughout the whole ordeal.

"So, if you don't mind sharing… who did you go for?"

Kinda doesn't help that the Hero of the Land over here kept budging for small talk despite all signs and indicators from me clearly stating that I was not in the mood whatsoever.

"I saw you over there at the judge's panel, along with, uh - I think his name was Niles? Things looked a bit tense. Did you break that table?"

This guy sucks at body language… how the hell did he even manage to get the role of Sera's guardian, seriously.

"It fell," I whispered back, begging internally for an end to all this aside from me dropping dead right there and then.

"Fell…" He repeated, casting an amused dubious glance for no longer than a second, before he probed once again. "So, it's safe to assume Ash is your pick? It's the only obvious one."

There's something about hearing her name from his lips that just didn't sit right with me, especially in such a casual fashion… the confidence, the surety, like he's had her for all this time.

It's only fortunate that there was no other table around here… otherwise… I don't even know otherwise.

"Leon…" I began, a single eye towards his assertive smile. "If I told that Ash is my girlfriend, would you back - "

"I kinda guessed that already," He interrupted me fast, meeting my one-eyed gaze with both of his. "But I notice… you don't act like she is, and nor does she. I had a dance earlier, and - "

"I saw."

"Yeah," He smiled again briefly, and continued again immediately. "We had a nice chat, asked her about a couple of things… side note, I learned she calls you 'Master' quite often. Anywho, I questioned if you two were at all romantically involved with each other… surprisingly, she didn't have anything to say about it."

I saw a look in eyes, a dangerous glint that raised red flags all over, and I fully turned to face him, telling him firmly, "That's not a no."

"But it's also not a yes," He stated, his tone ever respectful. "Meaning to say, I don't really have any qualms taking her from you."

"Take her from me?" I scoffed. "You've known her all but a few hours, how presumptuous can you get? She isn't even interested in you… and even if you win this, that still won't change. She practically said it herself."

"That can be changed," Leon nodded, resolve unwavered. "I can change that. Not a problem."

He didn't know, but for the first time in his life, he's got his confidence placed in the wrong basket. I knew Ash would easily see through his charm, ignore any of his bold advances, because that's just the way her mind operates.

Leon could serenade her, bring her flowers each and every day, sing praises to her name and things would stay unchanged. So even if he does get what he wanted… he'll never get what he truly desired. It doesn't even have to be him, it could be anybody else, and the outcome would still stay the same either way.

So I'm not worried about losing Ash to anyone, cause it'll never happen. But still doesn't I'm just gonna let anyone take a go on her on a damn whim.

Was it petty? Was it possessive? Was it clingy?

Maybe.

Did that make me petty? Did that make me possessive? Did that make me clingy?

Definitely.

But I didn't care if it did. I don't give a damn how it reflects me as a person. This already happened twice, once with Jay, the other with Sera… and the fact that here was a third instance so soon of it was nothing but infuriating.

I never told Jay what he needed to hear, I never told Sera what I wanted to say, but here, but for Leon, I'll be sure to make it fucking clear as day now.

"Ash belongs to me," That confidence, that certainty, that surety, I made sure it was heard loud and clear… not just by him, I needed to hear myself say it too. It's the only way it'll ever be true. "And I won't let anyone else have her."

Leon formed another smile, but this time there was something peculiar to the curve of his lips. It didn't look as lax, it didn't look as confident… yet all the same, he smiled anyway.

"Then to the victor goes the spoils," He proclaimed, raising a hand outstretched towards me, his palm wide open.

Slowly, I offered up my own, and before I even had it fully extended, he went ahead and reached, squeezing it with a firm iron grip, the gaze in his ocean-blue eyes just as tempered.

"And for your sake, I hope you aren't just saying that for the sake of saying it," He continued on. "If you really want to stand a chance against me, you better have meant it."

It wasn't by my own choices, but I've watched him for so long already, it wasn't even funny. I've been stuck under his constantly looming presence for as much as Nick. I've seen much of what he could, and what exactly he is capable of… but in the same vein of that basis, I also knew just what I was capable of too.

My hand slipped away from his iron-clad grip, easily, seamlessly, effortlessly, to the extent where even he had taken notice of it, and had a brow slightly elevated.

"I guess you'll just have to see for yourself," I told him, straightening my gaze to the front once more.

Faintly, I heard him chuckle.

"I suppose I will," He said.

You both will.

Leon diverted so much attention to himself in that span of time, that so much has already happened in the foreground while I had my eyes away. All the sudden, there was a large desk placed adjacent to the thrones, and on atop of said desk were rolls and rolls of scrolls stack to the size and width of a mini pyramid, and right beside that were small, round objects that kinda resembled dimes in both shape and size, stacked just as abundantly.

To make matters worse, the spiel rolling off the announcer's rather exuberant tongue was in regards to something else entirely. Now, he was talking about rules, the points system, the match systems, the trial the chosen champions would be facing and I essentially heard absolutely nothing about it.

Even if it wasn't deliberate, which I'm pretty sure it really wasn't, I still blame Leon for this.

"Now!" The announcer took a step back to one edge of the table, hands clasped, a pause for dramatic effect, as a slow shifting stare fell over the crowd. "Within these scrolls are the names of the champions that would be pitted against one another for the ultimate prize."

Still ever so dramatic, he slowly hovered a hand over the pile, and plucked a scroll at random, toppling over a fair few in the process.

"Once you hear your name called, you are to come forth - " his other hand reached for the table again, taking one of the dimes in the bundle, and raised it up high for everyone to see, "Pin one of these crests to your attire, symbolizing your loyalty to your chosen princess, and take your place beside them."

After ensuring all was understood, the announcer cleared his throat, unraveled the scroll already in his hands, and took a large audible breath… before his lips spread wide apart.

"Leon The Valiant!" boomed the echo that resounded. "Fighting for the glory of Eshwlyn the Elf-Princess! Please come forward wherever you may be!"

A round of vigorous cheering erupted from the crowd at the reveal of the first candidate. One that got louder for every second that passed.

"That's lucky," I heard him mutter to me, before he began his march with his head held high, but not before turning to face me once again, that charming smile seemingly permanently stuck. "Hope to see you there."

It didn't take him long to reach the front. Once there, the ovation reached a peak as he took a grandiose wave of his arm… in a matter of seconds, he bore the white crest of the Elf-Princess proudly on the side of his left shoulder, standing below the throne.

As per tradition, Ash greeted him with a bow to which he returned promptly and perhaps to happily too.

Then immediately right after, another scroll was already unfurled, and the next name came resounding in the hall at once.

"Nick the Gallant Giant!" The announcer's voice thundered. "For the hand of Princess Riona, you may step forth!"

I heard him before I even saw him. In fact, I think everyone did. The way he slowly lumbered forward, and how the crowd took great efforts just to clear a path for him, it was a sight like no other.

When he reached the thrones, he received a standing ovation, albeit not as enthusiastic, and once the black crest of the Princess of Astra was firmly pinned to his chest, he silently took his place right beside her.

Amanda was smiling down at him, whether it was a genuine one or not is anyone's guess.

On one side, Leon stood firm, determined.

On the other, Nick's demeanor was as hard as stone, and probably just as immovable too.

Two daunting rivals to contend with, atop of many, many more. The announcer took another scroll from the pile that has yet to even slightly dwindle.

More names called out, more crests bearing strong resolves, more rivals to face.

But I wasn't worried. Not anymore, I wasn't. Now, I was just as determined as Leon, just as immovable as Nick.

I'll show them that.

I'll show them all...