Elvira had never liked the winter games for as long as she could remember, The last time the game was held she didn't care about it at all she. It didn't excite her, it was just fools fighting for richer fools to win the king's favour but this game was different. She cared about this one, as the winner will become the king, and she really wants that person to be her son.

Since Alaric announcement in the survivor greeting, she couldn't sleep at night, even if she did find sleep, she found herself wide awake screaming from a nightmare.

She still didn't know what happened in the woods that night, but she knew she had woken up covered in the garden sitting area. She had dedicated a couple of nights to looking for whoever was in the woods that night, but they seemed to have vanished.

Whoever they were, Elvira knew they were the answer to her problem. She had advised her son against choosing the stranger who had tagged himself as Forge as his flag bearer, but for some reason he had stopped taking the most part of her advice.

It must be that whore she thought as her mind flashed to catylen's face, she knew the wild flower had been visiting her son's room, but she simply decided to keep quiet about it.

If the only way to keep his head straight was to keep his ball empty, then so be it, even if it meant sacrificing his step-brother's marriage alliance. Besides, she had more pressing issues to face.

Ida pushed Ivo through the field toward his tent, she pushed as hard as her dignity could let her. Ivo's face was plain of the feat he had just pulled, did he know that Melisa won't make it through the second round without help? Just how far has he thought ahead of this? Can she even trust that he trusted her?

His tent was blocked off by guards as they attempted to go inside but were blocked off, Ida opened her mouth to order them out of the way. “Get out” Ivo cried out as his body shook from anger and the guards swallowed hard and moved away.

They slipped into the tent, it was dark with a shade of night's sun—a green crystal that caught sunlight during the day and emits light at night.

The room was the same as they had left it before the previous round, a feather chair shaped like a plushie, and a bed. Simple and organized, except now the chair had been thrown toward the entrance to make room for the healers that crowded the room.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Move” Ivo called out as the healers turned to him and then Ida, some grumbled but moved regardless, giving Ivo a clear path to see Melisa, she was awake for the best part, but she was in the worst condition she could ever be.

Her skin was as pale as his, her eyes almost as red as her hair, she probably had internal bleeding and a few broken ribs. He couldn't even bring himself to look at her for long, but he willed himself to roll his chair to face her.

“My lo…lord” she managed to call out, but he shushed her and grabbed her outstretched arm

“Melisa, save your strength” he told her.

“But the last round” she added in a shaky voice.

“It's fine, it has been moved to tomorrow, it appears a snow blizzard is forming making it unfit to continue” Ivo informed her as his eyes wandered down her broken body “but you are not in the best condition to continue” he added.

Ida turned to Ivo, “we should forfeit” she said and Ivo simply nodded, but Melisa was already sitting up.

“I won't let that happen” she called out, barely able to hold her weight,“ please you have to let me finish this” she added.

“I wish I could Melisa, but you are far too important to me than one game,” Ivo said, though he wasn't sure. His mind pushed at him, was he really thinking of pushing his plans to next winter because of a handmaiden that wasn't even his handmaiden?

But he wanted to do it, he wanted to scream to hell with the throne, the king, and even you Ivo halfblood I quit I'm going home, but he couldn't, he had to finish it.

“No way you can't even stand less compete in the last round” a voice said from the corner of the room, Ivo slowly turned to see Ethan standing there with a tray filled with medical equipment.

He was no longer dressed in the tattered armor that he had on during the climb, but rather a large black overall with an apron to match.

“I can save her” he called out.

Ivo knew how difficult it was to help Melisa, he could have done it if he had the right modern medicine and equipment, but he didn't.

But from Ethan's confidence, he knew from one medical practitioner to another, he felt it that Ethan could do it, but that wasn't enough.

He signaled Ethan to draw close as he touched his hand, he felt it, knew it, saw it, years of training and skill he already had a cutting blade before he could spell his name. He was the best doctor he could find in this timeline or even in his.

“You are pretty good with the blade” Ivo commented

“And my hand” Ethan added.

Ivo smiled, he had tagged Ethan as timid and weak but from this interaction he knew he was not timid nor weak, he might just be the most important person he needed on his little team.

“It will be best if we stop the chit-chat and come help Melissa here” Ida said as she helped Melisa back on the bed

“Everybody out” Ethan called out, the healer turned to Ida who turned to her blade and then back to them, “you must have heard of the mad ice princess who chopped off hands of servants for the thrill of it out now”

Soon the room was empty, with only ivo, Ida, Ethan, and Melisa who couldn't move even if she wanted to.

“How long before she can move again, ?” Ivo couldn't help but ask.

“Tomorrow if the gods will allow” Ethan replied, his back to them.

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes, yes now leave you are distracting me, and please call a gods bride on your way out”