The morning of the opening ceremony began with shouting.

Sia groaned, tugging her pillow over her head as Gideon, Cross, and Sage's voices leaked into their room from the hallway. From his side of the room, Oren fell into a series of curses, each more vehement than the last as the commotion only seemed to escalate instead of calming.

"Just kill him already," Sia mumbled into her bed.

Oren grunted his agreement.

Just as she'd reluctantly dragged herself into a sitting position, everything went silent. For a moment, she was concerned that Gideon might actually have killed Cross for slipping into Sage's bed while everyone was sleeping, but then Varya's chipper voice filled the silence and she slumped down in relief. Whatever had happened, the master or Lock must have stepped in to keep it from going too far.

Well, any further.

"I'm not healing him," she told Oren.

He peeked his head out from beneath his own pillow, exhaustion etched into his face. "Good."

That settled, Sia twisted about on her knees. Shifting closer to the window, she pushed the curtains aside to peer outside. Sunlight streamed over the capital and she almost groaned again.

"If we stay in bed any longer we'll be the ones getting yelled at."

Oren mumbled something incomprehensible. Figuring it was something along the lines of agreement--well, not in words, but in translation at least--Sia shifted off of her bed and set about getting ready for the morning. With each menial task completed, her nerves stretched further and further, until she was practically shaking with anticipation--but, prepared to leave.

At some point, Oren must have stumbled out of the bed as well as--without a word--he joined her on her trek out into the hall. It was thankfully void of Cross. Gideon, however, was lingering at the end of it, watching Sage as she talked with Waverly, her back pointedly in his direction.

Gods it's too early for all this. Sia rubbed her face and looked at Oren. "Breakfast?"

Instead of answering, he bumped shoulders with her as he trudged ahead. A smile on her lips, Sia picked up the pace to join him as she slipped past the others and down to the first level. That was where they found Cross, practically bouncing on his heels as he lingered near the front desk. His eyes tracked them as they entered the room, but he surprisingly didn't say anything, instead just looking back to the stairwell with an expectant air.

Well, she wasn't going to question it.

A short breakfast later and everyone was ready to head to the tournament grounds. It was a tense trip, broken only by Cross' determined conversation with Nova; Varya's chipper chatter with Lock; and Sky's excited bragging to anyone who would listen. Sia desperately wanted to bury her head in her hands and block it all out, but that would have drawn too much attention. So, instead, she felt her nerves slowly shred with each step closer they grew.

The Grand Tourney, or King's Tourney, took up a large portion of the capital. Despite the tourney itself only occurring every five years, the stadiums were more ornate than any castle Sia had seen. Hells, even Aether's temple had paled in size when compared to the main building. The side stadiums--connected to the center by small, roofed annexes--could have held two Starry Rose guildhouses stored next to one another.

"That's insane," she breathed.

"Wasteful," Oren countered. "What's the point when the tourney doesn't even occur that often?"

He had a point, Sia reflected as their party reached the crowded entrance path. Apprehension drew her shoulders back, until Varya grabbed Lock's arm and tugged him away from the regular path. Confusion knitted her brow until she spotted a roped off section to the side with stationed knights. The contesting guilds must have a separate entrance.

"The army uses them in the downtime," Kier volunteered. "The royal knights use the main building while the internal force gets to use the Aster and the external force the Lunar."

Sia twisted around, staring at the elf in surprise. It wasn't like him to take an interest in things outside of his current obsessions. "Where did you hear that?"

"That's--"

"The rules," Waverly mumbled at his side, her nose shoved in said book. "There's a history section."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Kier gestured at Waverly, as if to confirm agreement with her explanation. The movement sent his shaggy, deep green locks scattered across his face. No hat. She was surprised he was walking with Waverly at all. Given the upcoming games and the lack of care given to his clothing, she would've expected him to be suffocating Rhett.

As if reading her thoughts, the man in question spun to face his--friend? Lover?--with determined eyes as they stepped into the correct line.

"Rhetty, are you sure--"

"I'll be fine, Kier," Rhett cut in patiently. There was an easy smile on his lips, although it did little to hide the stress in his shoulders.

"Just tell me if you change your mind," Kier instructed. "I'll come get you."

Sia wasn't sure if she would have felt flattered or insulted in Rhett's place. Whatever his emotion, he simply murmured an agreement.

The master's voice cut above the crowd as a guard approached. "Starry Rose--we're participating."

The guard referenced their clipboard, then the guild marker in Varya's hand, before consulting with someone behind them. A quiet conversation followed, after which Gideon broke away from the front of the group and gestured for their party's attention.

"If you couldn't hear it, those who aren't participating can use the side doors with their guilds to guarantee easy entrance and can come and go as needed. Don't lose your guild marker or you'll be stuck with the rest of the crowd."

Sia self-consciously reached for her earring. She knew it was there, but it was still a comfort to feel the engraved circle between her fingers.

"We'll split after entering. The eight of us in the tourney need to head below to prepare for the ceremony, while the rest find the seats reserved for participating guilds."

There was a buzz of understanding, after which he returned to the front of the group. Tension twisted Sia's stomach, threatening to upend it as their party started through a large archway that cut up through the coliseum's stone walls. As if sensing her hiking fear, Oren nudged her arm.

"The bet," he reminded her.

She almost laughed. Right.

Just like that, the knots in her gut detangled. After their training session, everything else had to be a piece of cake. How could any game top getting accidentally choked out, then healed with your own image?

"Just remember to hold up your end when I win," she quipped.

Oren shook his head and then it was time to separate. Even Varya broke away from the party, shooting them a final wave and wish of luck before she darted off in the direction of the stands.

Sia shot Rhett a sympathetic look as Kier lingered, once again fixated on reminding him that he didn't have to participate, but didn't bother to stick around to hear the rest of his complaints. Instead, she stuck by Waverly as the girl wandered over to the others, her eyes never lifting from the rule book in her hands. Had she been too sick during the trip to read it earlier?

"Find anything interesting?" Sia asked.

Waverly shook her head, casting her twin tails about her face. "No."

As eloquent as ever.

Sia tried again. "How are you feeling? Still nauseous?"

Finally, Waverly peeled her teal eyes off her current page. Her nose wrinkled as she glanced up at Sia, expression clearly questioning why they were having this conversation.

"I wouldn't come if I didn't think I could support the guild," she stated.

Yeah, she'd deserved that one.

"You'll do great," she said, shifting gears. "They won't know what hit them."

"I know."

Why did she even try? As Waverly dropped her attention back to the rulebook, Sia had to remind herself that there was no point in trying to engage her when she got like this. It wasn't that the fae meant anything rude by it, she just had a strict one-track mind unless questioned by certain guild members--a list in which Sia was included.

"Everyone over here," Sky called.

Sia picked up her pace to draw even with the others as Sky waved her hand to pull in any stragglers. Then, together, they all started down a dark stairwell to the levels beneath the coliseum. An odd silence took over the hall as they descended, despite the fact that the further they went the more populated the area became.

The other participants were relatively easy to place into their guilds--not many organizations were as varied as the Roses.

For example, the first group they passed was stock full of oversized humans in clunky armor. The Steel Knights. Rhett covered one of his ears as they passed, a grimace on his face as a helmet went rolling across the guildroom. Sia nearly voiced her sympathy--Oren's similar reaction during training curling through her mind--but, held back in the chance he hadn't shared that particular encounter.

The second room contained a collection of strangers--one of whom had Sia stumbling over her steps and staring, before she hurried to catch up with the others. Thankfully, she'd been at the back of the group so no one seemed to notice her fumble.

'Was that Caelum?'

He was older, of course, but near identical to the cleric of her memories. Snowy hair, golden eyes, and a distinct scar over his nose--it all matched. A small thrill flickered through her echoed by apprehension. As happy as she was to see someone else from her temple, it was equally embarrassing. After all, Caelum had left before everything fell apart.

What would he think knowing that despite all her father's insistence that they would last...they hadn't?

Focus, she urged herself as their party slowed. The third room must have been theirs, because everyone piled in, before tossing their bags into the various cubbies displayed along the walls. Sia--unfamiliar with a lot of enchanting magic--watched as Sky pushed her guild marker against the magic circle etched into the bottom of hers, before a brilliant white glow cubby for the barest moment. Theft protection? Were there really people stupid enough to steal from mages able to compete in the grand tourney?

Regardless of her thoughts, Sia mirrored the action with her own token the moment her things had been stowed.

"That book of yours say what comes next?" Sky called, her attention likely focused on Waverly.

The girl didn't reply. Sia's lips twitched as she glanced up--at least it wasn't just her being ignored today. As Sky drew in a sharp breath, no doubt about to demand her "due" attention, Gideon sighed and stepped between them.

"Next, we wait for the ceremony to begin," he explained. "There will be a speech from the king, then the crown prince, followed by some sort of display--usually a song or dance. After that, the games will be announced and we'll be given thirty minutes to decide who takes which challenge."

A chill crept down her spine at the announcement. Gods. They wouldn't even be able to support each other--the first day was all about wheedling down the eight teams into four. Her skin felt like a thousand ants had taken up residency as she sunk onto one of the benches that ran the length of the room.

I can do this, she repeated to herself as her fingers curled over her knees. The others fell into chatter about what was to come, with the exclusion of Waverly who had--for some reason--dropped down next to Sia, her nose still stuck in the guidebook. It's fine. I trained. I did everything I could. Whatever happens, happens. It's amazing enough that I'm here. Win or lose, I'll be happy.

Even she didn't believe that.

Sia wanted that impossible win.

She wanted to topple gods, just like she'd promised.

"It's time."

A prayer on her lips, Sia climbed to her feet to follow the others.