69 Arranged marriage

Since a very long ago, from hundreds of years in the past and thousands of previous generations, arranged marriages have always been common among some cultures. Despite them becoming fewer and less common the more society expanded and commotion about human rights and laws spread out, there were still some places where these kinds of arrangements took place. 

One of the regions that still followed that tradition was the elf village.

Not everyone would be arranged for a fiance once they were born, but for families with higher status among the race, this was a common thing. 

Claus had known about this since he was very young. This was almost like a fact to him. This man is my father, this woman is my mother, and this girl is my fiance. That was how his world was formed. 

But what did it mean to be someone's fiance?

He had no idea. 

"What do you think?", he once asked of the little girl. Amelia was smarter than him, so he supposed she'd have an answer. However, the girl only shrugged her shoulder. 

"No idea. We will get married one day I assume."

"Mmm... that's weird. What if I don't love you when I grow up?"

He wasn't sure what love was, but he assumed it was something like the relationship his parents had. Thinking back at how he and Amelia were, Claus doubted such a bond to ever form between them. 

They'd grown with each other since childhood as they were almost the same age and their parents were also close friends. The two of them were always together. They played with each other, studied together, and spent their days adventuring inside the jungle in secret. They were best friends. 

But wasn't marriage different?

"Hmph! I won't love you even more, then!"

How did this conversation ignite Amelia's competitive spirit? Really, what was he going to do about this? Claus sighed in disappointment. Who would want to marry such a girl?

But there was nothing he could do. He had to wait and see what would happen once he grew up. 

....."It's still the same..."

After discarding any disruptive thoughts for over ten years and spending his days training himself as a warrior, Claus, in his 23rd year of life, found himself in the same dilemma as before. 

"Say, isn't it almost time you two got married?"

"I know right? I was thinking of the same thing. Amelia will inherit the title of the village chief in a few months, so wouldn't it be nice to arrange their marriage around that time as well?"

"I see no problems with that."

"....." "....."

Look at these elders, discussing someone's marriage so casually as if it were their own! These talks have been happening so many times recently that the two people in question were beginning to get used to them, but that didn't mean either of them was okay with the planning. 

"Just as I thought, I don't love you at all."

"Me neither. Even more."

Sitting face to face, the two confessed their deepest resentments regarding the other. They would check this with each other once in a while if there was anything close to love in their feelings, but they found none.

"So, what should we do?"

Even if she became the village chief, Amelia had no way to break this marriage. It was unacceptable to do so, even if neither of the parties were willing to engage in such a relationship. 

"What if I kick you out of the jungle?"

"Wait, what?"

Amelia shook her head, disappointed, "I doubt my father will allow it. Sigh."

"Wha- aren't you just abusing your power?"

"Then what do you suggest me to do? If these go on, we'll really end up marrying each other in a few months!"

That day, Claus made a very wrong decision. 

"Do whatever you want as long as it won't get me hung up or kicked out of this place."

Despite their being in such a situation now, they were still each other's best and only friend. Amelia wouldn't do anything that would harm Claus, he was sure of it. 

And he was wrong.

"Claus, my son, why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"

Standing in front of him was his father, his father who seemed to have heard the most devastating news of his life. 

"...Pardon?"

Stumbling closer, the man put his large palms on his son's shoulders, patting him multiple times. 

"It's... It's alright son. Even if you now find it impossible, I'm sure Evergreen is benevolent enough to bless you with the ability to bear children after your marriage."

".............."

What?

"There is nothing to worry about. But Claus, my son, I really expected you to come to me first when there is such a problem... I-I never imagined to hear it from the others..."

"..............."

What kind of... bullshit was this?

Where did he even hear such a thing-

"I-I thought they'd put an end to this arrangement if I spread out such rumors, but that didn't work. I'm sorry!"

"AMELIA!!"

The girl raised her hand up. 

"That was the best way that crossed my mind!" 

"You. You. Want. To. Ruin. My. Life?"

"L-Listen, my man, I only told this to my father I-I don't know how the others found out-"

"....The others? Who else?"

"....."

The girl took a step back. 

"U-Um, look, this is a small village so words spread quickly- H-hey, why are you taking out your bow? Wait, Claus!"

Hastening her steps, Amelia rushed out of the house while raising her voice in the meantime. 

"Ain't you listening? What can you do with that bow, huh? You think you can actually take me in a fight?"

A green hue emanated from her body as she rushed to the woods, followed by fierce arrows that targeted her back. Not bothered the slightest by the rain of attacks, she jumped from tree to tree, dodging or deflecting the arrows one after another. 

"Bro we can talk things through- Hey! Hold up!!"

As if something interrupted her previous mood, Amelia's tone completely changed midway through her sentence. Sensing this even in the middle of his outburst of rage, despite finding it hard, Claus lowered his bow and ran to where the girl was.

Upon reaching where Amelia stood, he understood what interrupted their spar. 

"...Is that a human?"

Sitting under the trees and basking in the sunlight, the figure of a beautiful female human could be seen. 

"But her ears are kind of... Not like the humans."

Indeed as Claus said, they were somewhat larger than normal, but not enough to be called an elf.

"A mixed blood?"

"Probably..."

After discussing it for a while, they decided they couldn't ignore such a person. They couldn't allow an outsider to find the village, nor could they let someone wander in the dangerous regions of the jungle. Moreover, the person could probably harm the forest as well, so it was best if they approached her to see what her business was. 

"You are searching for your father?"

Their conversation went smoother than they could imagine. The girl confessed everything as soon as her eyes lay on the figure of the two. 

"Yes. My mother was a villager living outside the jungle, while my father was an elf."

According to her, her father, an elf, met her mother at the boundaries of the forest and they fell in love. However, after some time, once the elf got to know about the news of him becoming a father, he left the human and never appeared beside her ever again.

"Hmmm...."

"Hmmmmmm...."

That sort of thing... How... peculiar.

If there was such an elf in the village... they had to be punished. 

The problem was that, how were they to look for that elf or what were they supposed to do with this mixed blood? Since he had half a human blood in her veins, the elders would protest, not letting her enter the village. 

But wasn't it only right for an elf to stay in the village, pure blood or not?

"Let's sneak her in!"

The suggestion came abrupt and shocking. 

"Amelia, that's a crime!"

"Who's gonna know? There are a lot of empty houses. We'll hide her somewhere for the time being. Isn't it more dangerous if the scouts find her trying to sneak in through the boundaries of the village?"

"...."

In the end, they did as Amelia suggested. 

They helped the half-human girl sneak into the village.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It wasn't easy at first, but they managed to sort things out after a while. Sneaking her in, hiding her in their hoses, and searching for the elf responsible for such a deed, one by one in order.

The girl mostly stayed in an empty house, a home that was built for the future village chief and her husband to reside at after the wedding. As it was currently empty, no one would know that anyone lived there. Then came the search for her father, which using the memorials she'd brought from her mother, was a smooth task. 

But there was one problem. 

"I think she has a massive crush on you."

"Huh? Who?"

"That girl Emma. I'm sure of it."

"Huh???"

Once he looked up from his arrows up to the girl, a shiver ran down his spine. There was such a scary look on Amelia's face that Claus didn't dare retort. He took a step back out of caution before responding to her. 

"Why would she? You're being delusional."

"Am I?"

BAM

The table they were using violently shook, as well as Claus who sat on the other side of it. 

"....."

What was that? Why so angry?

"S-so what if she has?"

"...."

The girl's ears twitched up upon hearing those words and her eyes narrowed to two lines. 

So what if she has? 

"What about you?"

"Huh?"

"Since we don't want this marriage, why won't you be with someone who likes you?"

"What kind of bullshit?"

"Isn't it the ultimate plan?"

"....."

For Amelia to say so much nonsense at once... She really seemed to be in a bad mood. Claus found it safer to leave the place as soon as possible. 

"That's enough! Forget about whatever you're thinking of right now."

He left a note behind before leaving the room.