The queue was long as multiple people stood just waiting to be checked into the arena’s training room. A month had gone by as quick as it could, and the day had finally arrived when a bunch of men were going to battle it out to become King.

A King in name because everybody knew that the Queen was not going to hand over her power to anyone. But that was for a later discussion.

“Next!” The lanky man yelled out from behind a table set right outside of the training room. He was there to note down the men competing in the battle. One by one, bulky and built men would come up to him and give him their name before they were let in.

Along the line of bulky men, there came someone, who surprised the man behind the table.

“And you are?”

The old man standing beside the lean fighter smiled down at the man. “Bran.”

The lanky man frowned but proceeded to write the name down. “Is he supposed to be a gladiator?” The helmet covering Bran’s face, resembled one of a gladiator and the old man smiled once more. “No.” He simply replied which confused the other man further as he inspected the man.

“Hm, well, he’s allowed to enter. You can go join the audience.” Bran felt her mouth dry up as she turned to look at her old companion. There was no worry or concern on his face, which concerned Bran further since she still felt like a baby reindeer who had just learned how to walk.

“You can do this, child.” The old man patted her back as he left her there, standing rooted in her place. She could only watch him leave. But she wasn’t allowed to do that for long since she was pushed from behind by another contestant. “Move it!”

“This way, please.” The man behind the table gestured for Bran, and she finally got back to reality. The reality that she was about to go into an arena filled with trained men. But she had also trained for an entire month, and she had just been allowed inside of the training room where all the contestants had to wait. She was a contestant as well.

The battle was going to be held in two parts. Each part would have half of the contestants fighting off one another until there was just one person standing. And then both the winners of the two parts would go head-to-head with one another for the final prize: the Queen’s hand in marriage. Yes, we are still in the times where women are treated as objects. We never moved on from that, if we’re being honest.

Anyway.

Bran moved inside of the training room, glancing from one man to another. All of them looked strong and dedicated, and then her eyes fell on her best friend, Felix. He was one of the leaner men there, but he still looked stronger than her at least. Bran turned away from Felix and walked further inside of the room, making sure to go to the absolute end of it, so she could be away from prying eyes.

Her armour and helmet were enough to hide her identity, but she still didn’t want to take any chances.

Setting herself down on a bench by the wall, she sighed to herself. She was busy eyeing the rack of weapons nearby when she was approached by a large man with a friendly smile. Straightening herself up, she turned her attention to him even before he could say anything.

“Are you a gladiator?” Bran frowned when the man chuckled before sitting down beside her on the bench. Bran felt offended since this was the second person to mistake her as a gladiator. Plus, he had no sense of personal space and had not taken her permission to sit next to her.

Pushing away her urge to say something rude to the man, Bran shook her head. “No. I’m not a gladiator.”

“Well, your helmet and fake abs seem to speak something else.” Bran looked down at the armour on her chest. Yes, the armour showed stomach muscles, but it wasn’t like she hadn’t developed some muscles of her own in her month of training.

It was just sad that she was unable to show them off since she had to keep her identity a secret.

The old man had told her to keep herself hidden so that nobody would expect her, not even the queen.

“This was the only thing I had.”

The large man nodded his head in understanding before he extended a hand towards Bran. “The name’s Victor.” Bran raised an eyebrow whilst chuckling as she shook his hand. “Is that foreshadowing?”

Victor bellowed in laughter as he shoved Bran in a friendly manner, but it had caused her to shake violently. “You’re a funny kid...” Bran straightened herself as she tried to look unaffected by that sudden action. “Bran. My name’s Bran.”

“Like the bread?” She shook her head at the man who laughed out in the next moment. “I’m just playing with you.”

Bran didn’t like his friendly attitude so much but at least he wasn’t being intrusive.

“So, you want to marry the queen?” Okay, Bran took back her previous thought. The man was indeed being intrusive, but she knew how to handle him easily. “Hm.”

Victor smiled at the vague answer. “Well, I’m just here to show off my skills.” That was a confusing statement since everyone was there to show off their training and expertise. Everyone had trained aggressively in the past month to be there. Victor could tell what Bran was thinking even when he couldn’t see her face. So, he continued. “I actually have a wife.”

“What?” Bran couldn’t believe that this man was here fighting for the Queen’s hand in marriage while being married already.

“I’m just doing this so I can become a guard. Hopefully the head guard.” That was a terrible way of becoming a guard, but Bran chose to keep her opinion to herself. Victor also didn’t force her to say anything or said anything more as they fell silent, aside from the loudness in the training room.

Suddenly, the lanky man from outside of the training room, entered inside. He looked concentrated as he was busy looking down at a board in his hands.

“May I have all of your attention!?” Even before he said anything, everyone had already turned to him. Maybe it was the excitement or the thrill of getting the show started which had everyone falling quiet in mere seconds.

“You all have been divided into two groups. The first group is going to come with me and out into the arena, while the rest wait for their turn.” Bran gulped as she turned to look in Felix’s direction. He was visibly nervous, and Bran could tell, since she was nervous herself. But then her attention fell on the man beside her, and how calm he looked.

“I will call out the names for the first group now!”

Bran waited patiently as the names were called out. Victor and Felix were also called out, but hers was not. She let out a sigh of relief that she didn’t realize she was holding. Victor nudged her side as he gave her a smile. “Guess I’ll meet you later out there.”

Victor was friendly indeed, and even Bran couldn’t help but smile at his cheery attitude. “Good luck.” She managed to say as he stood up from beside her. “You too, kid.” Bran watched him walk over to the other men who were making their way outside the room. Even Felix was amongst them, and Bran prayed that he would be able to win this round.

But then again, she didn’t want to face him later either. She was conflicted on what to feel or want, but she knew that she was there with a mission, and she didn’t waste an entire month just to lose to anyone.

As everyone from the first group left the training room, the others left began to analyse one another. Bran could feel multiple people looking at her, but she didn’t see anyone in the room that could invoke some kind of fear in her.

She sighed to herself before leaning back against the wall.

There was no way for her to see the fight happening outside of the arena or even know how many people were there to watch. This was causing her unrest as well, but she didn’t want to think too much about it. And somehow, someone also didn’t let her think about it.

“So, you tryin’ to be a gladiator?”

Bran sighed as she was faced with that question again.

“Yes. I’m a gladiator.” Her words brought a loud laughter from the bearded bald man’s mouth. Bran looked at him with disgust since he was barely covering his privates, and he was spitting everywhere whilst laughing.

“You think Amelia would like gladiators!” Bran narrowed her eyes as she looked at the man and how he had used the Queen’s first name with a certain casualness which was bothersome. His loudness had even been enough to cause most people in the room to look at them. “I don’t care what she likes.” Bran mumbled which went to deaf ears.

“What? You too mighty to answer my question now?”

“You didn’t even ask a question.” Bran looked awkward since she was sure that the man had stated a fact to her. But her words had caused the man to change immediately. His menacing smile literally turned upside down and turned into a great frown.

Bran wanted to start baby-talking to him with sarcasm but chose to hold her tongue since the man already looked offended.

“Now you’re going to tell me what I did and didn’t do, huh!” That wasn’t a question either so Bran chose to remain quiet which irked the other man further. But before he could act on his impulse and unreasonable anger, the door to the training room opened.

“Everybody, get ready!” The lanky guy from before entered and looked around the room with a pointed look. His eyes remained for a few minutes more on Bran and the man looking down on her, but other than that, he didn’t interfere with whatever was going on.

Bran stood up immediately as she walked past the man in front of her. “Leave the gladiator alone, Klein.” Bran rolled her eyes when she heard the lanky man speak up suddenly. So, the idiot’s name was Klein. Looking back at the man who had been disturbing her, Bran inspected him properly. She wanted to keep him in her mind so she would know who to attack as soon as the match would begin.

Everyone in the training room had begun to go out the door but Bran chose to stay behind for a moment. She wanted to ask the lanky worker who had won the first round since they hadn’t been informed of that.

As soon as everyone was out of the room, Bran addressed the worker. “Who won the first round?”

The other man hadn’t expected to be asked that oddly since he frowned. “No one.”

“What do you mean?” Bran didn’t believe what she was hearing since she was told that the winner of the first round would go up against the winner of the second one. What did the man even mean that nobody won?

“Well, the rules established were that one should remain standing by the end, but everyone was on the ground.” Bran frowned at the awkward way of the other man’s explanation. It would’ve been better if she hadn’t asked him about it. Nodding her head anyway, she made her way out of the training room, not wanting to be rushed otherwise.

This time, a new worry began to settle in her heart as she kept thinking about how no one had won in the first match. Did that mean, the winner of the second match would be the victor overall? Speaking of, Bran suddenly began to worry about Victor.

But her worries for her new friend (?) were short-lived as she was guided through a hallway and up to a large opening. All the remaining fighters were there, even Klein, who had locked his attention on Bran with a smirk. She scoffed at his smug face but chose not to react in any other way. She was not here to have a battle of egos with the man. She was there to win this thing. And that she was going to do.

As the gates opened in front of them, Bran braced herself to face all the things she had trained vigilantly for. And she was going to make sure to win just so she could humiliate the Queen in front of everyone.

The men amongst her had drive, but Bran was the only one who had an entire background and determination to ruin the Queen, and she didn’t want to waste this opportunity.

She was going to make sure she wouldn’t.