The One

SEVENTEEN

Teddy took a shuddering breath.

Morten cursed under his breath,
this meant he had left teddy, his 17 year old brother behind, in the capital of their nation.
During a time of change and friction.

" We discussed our options. And there is only one... "
She stepped away from Teddy and gestured at him.
" Teddy will be the blue that is to marry one of the five. "

Talk broke out,
It wasn't protest, finally it was Roran who said what most men had been thinking:
" So, I can basically kick the other frozen down some stairs and win? "

That shut everyone up.
Morten hated this guy, but at least he dared to ask.

Councilor Libby looked at the man and spoke very carefully, " No, you think we will allow a man to take such an important position in our council if he uses violence to get there? "

She looked daggers at him,
Morten understood, Roran was exactly such a man,
having put Teddy's brother in this situation all the way at the start.
Was that the only reason Roran was still here? Because it hadn't been another frozen?

While the mumbling continued, the questions and the general disorder on both sides,
One stepped up.

Her hair was thickly braided back and she was in a black wrap around dress of a thin quality that showed way more of her slim muscled frame then anything they had seen before.
Night gown, Morten assumed.

She walked at Teddy who had looked like puking for the last 5 minutes,
especially after hearing Roran's words.

He wasn't shorter than her, but somehow he did look uncannily childlike in his oversized knitted and braided top and skinny legs.

She embraced him.

Kur, who had been asking several questions about safety shut up to join Morten and Agnus in their quiet vigil.
She stepped back from Teddy, who was actually crying, without sound but thick tears.

She put a hand on his face and smiled.
In all their time there, she had not smiled once.
She nodded towards the exit and Teddy shuffled after her, holding her hand.

A moment later the door had slammed shut behind them and everyone had stopped talking.

Libby nodded, "good,"
She said, breathing in slowly.

"I'd like to speak to the man." she said.
The five immediately shuffled around and the redheaded banshee sternly walked at them like a pissy shepherd dog.

Morten wasn't given any eye contact with four, she was to busy talking to two.
But he saw five, looking around in concern, making eye contact with Agnus.

She knew something, Morten thought.
He had not been paying attention, but wondered if she had been able to convey anything to Agnus during the announcement.
He turned to Agnus, he wanted to speak.
Agnus noticed his search for contact and he softly shook his head holding eye contact with the girl being ushered out of the room.

Counselor Libby started speaking, but she commented on the girls leaving the area.
In that split second, Agnus spoke under his breath.

"Don't do anything or go anywhere. Don't even respond, just nod. two o'clock."

Morten's brain gurgled, wtf? He realized what two o'clock meant and had to stop himself from obviously looking. He hid his involuntary movement with a little cough.
Which also allowed his eyes to stray to two o'clock.

There was a guard there, Morten righted himself.

Knowing there had been a guard there he suddenly realized there were more.
In the shadows, all around the walls. Their armor matching the color of the walls.
This must be a room they had meetings in more often.

He then realized the counselor had started speaking in their direction.
"As you may have realized, we have realized, things are getting to a point where you may pose a danger to each other. We have considered the options of splitting you up.
But you are adult men that should be able to make choices for yourself. On top of that, you are constantly under watch and we have pretty hefty murder charges."

Morten couldn't miss the 'adult men' part, they had taken Teddy out of the equation.
They were truly, all adult men in the eyes of this region now.

"With choices, I'd like to offer you this.." she said and turned slightly towards the door behind her, swaying her arm slightly in it's direction.
"You are welcome to leave, at any time. To leave for your homes, your tribes, your families. To step out of this.." she seemed to be unsure what to call it, "courtship."

For some reason, Morten had expected the shorter sand to step out. But he did not.

Maybe even one of the Ash's, as they were friends and only one had received a gift from one of the five. But then again, if he had ended up here with Wolf, he wouldn't have left him behind in this situation.

Libby nodded after a short pause.
"Good."

She sighed, looking somewhat sadly at them.
"We can not guarantee your safety, let that be clear. You may always leave, but please let us know."

She did a small curtsey their way, in some type of greeting or dismissal and turned.
Leaving them in the room.

~

"So, does this mean Teddy is stuck with One?" Asked Kur, as they stood in the hallway in front of Agnus's and Morten's room.

Agnus eyed Teddy's door. "They haven't come to remove his things, but.."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his beard making a crispy sound.
"It seems likely, either way. I doubt he'll be back."

"What? Why not?" Asked Kur.

Agnus looked a bit surprised,
"Because he's at huge risk? Young and kind."

Morten frowned, "You really thing anyone be stupid enough to try and take anyone else out?"

Kur scoffed at him, "really?"
He gestured towards Morten's leg, "you of all people should know?"

Agnus shook his head, "It's not just us taking each other our. Morten? Don't you think Roran would be much easier to manipulate then you are? His values are murky at best, there's probably plenty of people that rather have him over you. Same counts for the other sand, by now everyone knows Kur is a former slave. His loyalties are pretty obvious. They can remove both of a region and bring in a new party that's sympathetic to their cause if there is such a thing and this being politics? There probably are several causes."

Morten swallowed,
why had he never, for a moment, thought about this?

Then a door behind them creaked, Agnus's door.
Agnus turned and walked towards it, frowned and opened the door a tiny bit to lean in.
He nodded and turned to them,

" I have to go " He said and entered his room.

Kur blinked in confusion, "Is his wolf in his room?" he asked.

Morten shook his head, "I'm not sure... but, unlikely?"