As I grew older, more suitors came to fight for my hand in marriage and so, one by one, I beat them.
By then, I had fought off twenty suitors. Camilla hated it whenever I had a fight so she would be out shopping or anywhere else but the Estate. Willow finally married my brother when I turned twenty-three and it was the most amazing ceremony I had seen. Willow would watch my matches with a happy smile and squeal whenever I put another man on the ground.
When I turned twenty –four, I met Mars.
It was a few months after Willow and Elias wedding anniversary. Elias had gone out on a trip with my father and had gotten kidnapped. My mother, Willow and I didn`t hear the news until two days later.
I had just finished a fight against my twenty-sixth suitor and came out of the arena with a satisfied smile. My smile dropped when I saw Cato talking to mother and Willow before they both burst into tears. I reached them in time to hear that father was in the middle of negotiating with a foreign rescue company that can save him.
"What?!"I yelled.
"Lady Marina?!"
I turned and stalked towards our home with my family trailing behind me. I took the stairs two at a time and sheathed my sword onto my back when I reached the doors of my father's study. I pushed the doors open with my powers and stalked into the middle of the room, "Elias has been kidnapped and you didn`t tell me!"
Father sat forward in his seat, "Marina, I am in the middle of something-"
"Why do I have to find out about this now?! Two days later! What`s even worse, mother and Willow were also kept in the dark!" I spat out as I heard the very women I was talking about enter the room.
"Theon!" My mother wailed as she ran straight to my father`s side, "Is it true?! Is Elias-"
"Yes, Laurel, "father said gravely as he stood and took her into his arms. Behind me, Willow burst into tears, "I was just going over what I know with the liaisons from the Elites Corps so they can go and rescue him."
I frowned, "Who?"
Someone suddenly cleared their throat. I turned to see two men standing in black and red uniforms with their eyes trained on us and I froze. One of the men stood with a PC in hand, his brown hair was gelled back and he had unusual grey eyes.
It was the second man beside him that made me pause.
His black hair looked like he had run his hands through it a number of times but it was his eyes that really distracted me. Blue eyes that was just like Marcellus. Blue as the oceans I loved. Blue like the eyes of the boy I loved as a child.
"This is Dalton and Mars," father introduced us. Cato stood up straighter and so did I. I remember that Marcellus had a friend called Dalton but this wasn`t him. Marcellus died fifteen years ago. This wasn`t him. It couldn`t be him."Gentlemen, this is my wife Laurel, Elias` wife Willow and my oldest daughter, Marina. Marina dear, please take off your helmet."
I slowly raised my hands and pulled my helmet off. I shook out my hair as it fell to my hips in disarray. I heard someone suck in their breath and looked around the room to see everyone gapping at me.
"What?"I asked.
"You're hurt Marina, "Willow said as she pointed at my left cheek. I reached up and touched it, "You`re bleeding."
I shook my head, "I'll be fine, "I then turned back to the Elites," You two? If our own people couldn`t rescue my brother. What makes you think you can?"
Dalton stepped forward, "When all else fails, we don`t. We`ll get your brother back in two days."
"Two days?"Willow asked with a sob.
"Two days or even a day," Dalton replied with a nod, "That`s how good we are."
And they did just that.
It was on the second day that Elias came running into our sitting room. My mother instantly launched herself at him. Next came Willow and finally Camilla and I. Standing at the doorway was Dalton, Mars, another tall Elite and my father.
With the return of Elias, my family and I were grateful to the Elites for rescuing him and willing to pay any price for him safe return but that was before I learned what we had to give.
"You promised him what?!" I yelled as I stood from my chair.
Everyone was at the dinner table when father announced that the Leader for Elites had asked for my hand in marriage.
"He has asked to marry you," Father repeated to the table.
"Why me?" I exclaimed.
"Why her?"Camilla shouted.
Everyone frowned at Camilla as she stood and pouted at father.
"Camilla, Mars asked for Marina," Mother stated as she put her knife and fork down.
Camilla turned red and huffed, "By why? She`s clearly not interested in him or any other suitor coming to her. She`ll just challenge him to a fight."
"As is her vow to challenge any suitor," Mother said calmly as Elias glared at our younger sister, "She`s making men fight hard to get her instead of picking the first man who comes to call and besides…. Mars is aware of her conditions. He is willing to fight her."
Camilla turned to glare at me, "You better win because I want him."
"I intend to," I replied with a sniff as we both took our seats.
It was there that my feud with Camilla began. She didn`t speak to me even after dinner when I left to go and practice.
"What`s on your mind , child?" Mother asked later on when she found me sitting in the gardens with my hands lit up with lightning.
I sighed and turned to her as she took a seat near me, a sad smile on my face as my magic faded from my hands, "I`m starting to think that there`s no such thing as happily ever after`s."
Amused, mother shook her head, "Child. I didn`t think you paid attention to those kinds of things."
I shrugged, "Every girl secretly dreams of it. Though I think life just doesn't want me to have it."
Mother pursed her lips as she reached over to push my long hair over my right shoulder, "Life was cruel to you when you were ten because it has an even more amazing happily ever after planned for you."
I shook my head but she stopped me by putting a hand under my chin and turning my face towards her, "And one day, Marina, you will hold your proof in hand and then you will know that your sufferings weren`t for nothing."
I searched her face before speaking," Did you find your proof?"
My mother smiled at me tenderly, "I see it every day when I see you, your brother, your sister and your father."
Oddly touched, I reached over and hugged her tight. My mother truly was the best.
Two days later, my fight with Mars was to take place at the Estate and for the first time ever, Elias told me that Camilla would stay and watch.
Her friends even showed up to watch and the place seemed fuller than ever.
"Your parents have invited everyone they know. Mars` Alpha Squad has also come to watch," Willow informed me as I donned my gauntlets.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because everyone is hopeful that he might be the one for you," Elias answered. He entered the room with my sword newly sharpened and my helmet.
"What makes everyone so sure he`ll beat me?"I asked as I took my sword and sheathed it before holding my helmet in front of me.
Elias took hold of both of my shoulders, "From the bottom of my soul and with complete respect to you Marina, you are good. Very good."
"But?"
Elisa squeezed my shoulders, "But I saw the way he took care of those kidnappers. Mars was deadly, Marina. He was precision. He is the very definition of next level fighting. He walked through that fight like it was nothing."
Willow added with a nervous smile, "I heard that his company is called the Elites Corps because they are the best of the best. And to train the best, you have to be better than anyone in the whole world. There was a reason why they are so better off. They have never failed in a mission or a fight. Even the Royal Armies give them respect since their rise. Mars is respected above all."
"Okay, doesn't really inspire my confidence but…"I said as I put on my helmet.
"But I guess there is a first time for everything," Willow pointed out.
I nodded and marched out of my room with my brother and sister-in-law trailing me.