Chapter 3

Kinna watched the suitors training, her handmaidens giggling along as they spied on them. Hinata, one of her other handmaidens had pointed out several men that she thought were promising, as had Ovinna, the two of them acting like children as their faces reddened along with her own. Kinna had watched Liu Kuan at first, but her gaze always strayed, lingering on another young man who looked no older than she did, perhaps because his face seemed familiar somehow.

"Don't gaze at him so much, Lady Kinna... that is Vior Faden, his family were traitors you know?" Ovinna told her sternly, tugging at her dress' sleeve.

"Traitors?" Kinna asked, still staring at Vior, he seemed no more handsome than Liu, but there was something about him that drew her in, was it truly that familiarity? or something else...

"Yes, his grandfather declared himself emperor under God the year you were born, the other clans and kingdoms eventually defeated his armies... but many of your father's brothers died during the fighting. The whole Faden clan were put to the sword... all but Vior, he was spared by your father as he was only a baby... even raised him for a short time" Hinata explained, keeping her voice low.

Kinna's eyes went wide, she'd known him before? when they were children. She studied his face as he trained, it was the eyes she recognised at a deeper glance. Her heart fluttered as he seemed to stare directly back at her for a moment.

"Does he make your heart flutter so, my lady?" Ovinna asked, easily noticing her red face.

Kinna nodded shyly, how many men would elicit such a reaction? she felt so immodest. Hinata took her arm and led her away with Ovinna, the three of them giggling like small children.

Kinna knelt upon a soft pillow beside her father, it seemed only yesterday that prince Liu had stopped her from... she took her thoughts away from that time and watched as the competitors paraded before their box in the arena, she recognised Liu Kuan immediately in his emerald green armour and riding a pure white stallion. Her father noticed her expression and smiled.

"That's Prince Liu Kuan of Giou, fourth in line to the throne. You could very well be queen should he rule one day, the Liu's are constantly at war, especially his father... I've crossed blades with King Huang several times. A most unpleasant man, but Kuan seems to be of a different cut from that warmonger" he explained, clearly happy that she was showing an interest in her suitors.

"I believe he is" she replied, knowing he was one of the best men here, in personality if nothing else.

Liu looked up to the royal box and waved to her, his face lighting up with a broad smile. Kinna smiled back, glad to have someone like him competing for her hand.

"This man should be interesting, my daughter," her father said as a large man in gleaming golden plate armour rode past, saluting them both with his lance.

"He is Sir Eldric Garbrand, fourth son of Hulich Garbrand, lord of Florinia. His skills reside in horseback warfare... the knights of Florinia are the best in the known world. I fought alongside his grandfather during the Faden uprising, a fearsome thing a massed cavalry charge" he mused as the large knight passed them by.

Kinna felt rather frightened at the possibility of the knight as a husband, he seemed so intimidating in his plate armour, though he was fair of face and had a pleasant disposition.

"Now, here we have the wildcard, my daughter... Vior Faden, the last of his lineage, many have tried to kill him during his short life... but none have even come close, he is the same age as you now that I think about it" her father told her, a little pride in his voice whilst he spoke.

"He lived here... didn't he, for a time?" she asked, looking down at the smiling face underneath the black armour.

Her father nodded, taking a deep breath. "I'm surprised you remember Kinna, you were only eight or nine when he left us to live with my cousin."

"Why did he leave us?" she asked, curious as to why he would leave such luxury and herself behind.

Her father was silent for a moment as Vior passed them by and the next competitor approached.

"Because you followed him everywhere, my daughter... you were seemingly infatuated with him. Back then, I had no intention of letting you marry into such dishonour, but now... now he has amassed such honour and reputation, it was impossible for me not to invite him for the chance to win your hand. He is handsome, is he not?" he asked her, his face pleased at her interest and willingness.

Kinna smiled at her father's tale, so she had been in love with Vior when they were children? it would indeed be romantic should he win her hand. Though such a thing was only true in fairy tales told by her wetnurse when she was young, yet still...

"Would he be a good husband to me, father?" she asked, concerned he was nought but a warrior now, was anything remaining of the boy she had loved?

"Perhaps, it has been seven years since he left here after all. Who truly knows what he is like behind closed doors" her father replied, unwilling to make assumptions and ease her mind.

As she wondered about her potential future You Dian and his brother Kian passed by, both in their clan's yellow robes, You Dian was the older and more handsome of the two, though Kian was nearly a head taller if not as fair in face. After them, came Tai'ishi Hamata, third son of the lord of Yishin to the West, his face remained behind a ceremonial mask of a red demon. Her father remarked that it marked him as a warrior of great skill. The mask scared Kinna though, to not see his face was bad enough, but to hide it behind such a grotesque mask was frightening.

Kianna couldn't help fantasising about Vior coming to her rescue from such a man, the thought making her blush and miss her father's explanation of the remaining suitors. Until the last of the contestant made himself known, Rassan Mulhan of the Southern kingdom of Sandar. He had a long dark beard oiled straight and white robes gilded with gold weave, he carried his ornate gold chased helm underarm and spun his long spear in one hand beautifully. She watched amazed as he bowed gracefully from the saddle, his long hair spilling over his shoulders. She giggled involuntarily, getting a stern look from her father and a perfect smile from Rassan. Her father stood as the last of them took their place in a long line before them.

"All of you gathered here are skilled and gifted beyond most men, as such, there will be five contests to find the best of you. The first contest shall be archery, the first three to miss the target will be eliminated, the overall winner shall have one hour with my daughter this night to know her better, supervised by my guard, naturally" he announced, though Kinna pouted at the joke made at her expense.

Kinna put her hands together in excitement though, there were so many handsome men vying for her hand, and the tournament was something extremely exciting for her.

She stood up with her father as the servants rolled back the cover of their booth, the sun's warmth shining down upon them. As they came to the edge of the booth to watch, she could now look over the whole field, her suitors were now strapping on armour, tying back their robes and hair or removing unnecessary pieces of armour in order to draw their bows back properly. She could now clearly see the common folk sitting on the twin hills on the far side of the arena, with many gathered at the edge of the field to watch the competition, the seated areas all allocated to visiting lords and family members. Below her, in a lower tier knelt her sisters and brothers, her mother, and her father's other concubines and wives also knelt, arranged in order of importance, her mother occupying the seat of honour. After a short time, two of her father's chosen men took out a target, ranging it twenty metres away from the suitors.

"When the target is set, they will look to you for the signal to begin, my daughter. When you are ready, drop this to start the competition," her father told to her, handing her a silk handkerchief embroidered with the family sigil.

Before long the suitors had decided the order in which they would go, Liu Kuan, stepping forward with an arrow ready to shoot. She took a deep breath and raised the handkerchief high in the air, then, pausing for only a moment she dropped it to great cheers and applause.

The prince looked hard at the target, then in a single fluid motion raised his bow and loosed the arrow, it soared through the air before hitting the target plumb in the middle, she clapped her hands, realising she'd been holding her breath the whole time, perhaps hoping Liu would win. The prince's shot wasn't, however, a one-off, every one of the men hitting the target and as they were only required to hit it, none were eliminated.

Her father's men emerged once more, moving the target back now to forty meters. Again they all hit the target, though several now struggled and the target went back once more. This time to sixty meters to a few frustrated faces. This time many of them struggled, Liu barely hitting the target as three of the contestants she had missed went out, Rassan was the only one to get a centre hit, however. Again the target went back, now to eighty meters. Liu went first, his arrow flew high, striking the top of the target but missing the rings. Her father ruling that the arrow had stuck and so would count. Next went Vior, calmly raising his bow and loosing with the arrow and striking slightly off centre.

The next six contestants all hit, including Sir Garbrand and Kian Dian. You Dian, stepped up next, he took a deep slow breath before releasing his arrow, it flew like the wind... straight over the top of the target, he looked down dejectedly at his feet in disappointment. And with his elimination, the contest had concluded but for a winner.

He hugged his brother before standing back to watch the last contestants compete. Several others missed as well, but it was the first four that were eliminated and it was simply a case of who would get an hour with her tonight now. With a chaperone of course.

Rassan was last up, he confidently nocked his arrow and loosed it with a flourish.

Kinna watched as it whistled magnificently through the air, then hit an inch above and to the right of Vior's arrow.

The crowd cheered as Kinna realised that the young man she had loved so long ago would be with her tonight.