42 Opening Ceremony

Freyr wanted to give the awards out as part of the opening ceremony for the competition. He thought it would be a good way to introduce Macha to the city. Freyr wanted all of Marseille to praise her. He even planned that Macha could view the competition next to him since she was not skilled enough to compete in the main games. This plan would allow him time to get to know her more and convince her that his feelings were sincere.

When the day of the tournament arrived, Freyr dressed in finely crafted clothes. He wore a red and black suit adorned with gold and jewels. His head was crowned with a golden circlet engraved with intricate patterns that wrapped around its entirety. The circlet was Freyr's official crown, but he rarely wore it. Despite being the king, he saw himself as a servant of the people. His title was not something he wanted, but he took the responsibility seriously.

Freyr arrived early to his viewing box. He wanted to verify that things had been set up according to his instructions. He wanted to create a romantic atmosphere that Macha could relax in. Freyr looked around and nodded with approval. He turned to a random servant and asked, "Anything else you can think of? Did I forget anything?"

The servant worried that if something was forgotten, this opportunity would be ruined because of him. He stuttered, "Uh... Umm..." Sweat beaded the man's brow.

Freyr realized his question carried too much weight for the man. He gave a warm smile, "Nevermind. If there is anything I forgot, it is my fault for not knowing her well enough." He moved to test the seats. He wanted to make sure they were comfortable.

All the staff understood that King Freyr had someone important coming to view the tournament with him. Tension among the staff was high. This marked the first time the king ever set up a date. Since the late king and queen's death, the palace worried about King Freyr's attitude towards producing an heir.

The die-hard spectators started entering the open-air stadium to take the best seats. Many of them wore colors reflecting the guild they cheered for. Some even held flags or signs to wave. Freyr watched from his seat as the stadium slowly filled up. He felt excited about meeting Macha again and wished the time would pass by faster.

****

Macha went shopping with Tyr earlier in the month, to pick out a set of armor. Tyr offered to buy her one, stating it was a business expense, but she wanted to get her first armor with her own money. Macha enjoyed that day. It gave her the same feeling of a new chapter turning in her life, as the day she bought her first bra. She felt like she was becoming more of an adult, which she thought was comical because she was already in her thirties.

Macha needed to get everything custom-made for her because of her small frame. This expense added to her costs, which cut into her quality. In the end, she purchased medium quality items but could not afford a full set. Macha selected a pair of pauldrons and bracers.

Tyr insisted that she get it in black for practicality. He explained that if she got a flashy color, it would be harder to hide while on missions. Macha, despite wanting it in a beautiful shiny blue finish, decided to go with the black. They shaped the pauldrons, so they had bat wings that extended into the air as if in flight. The bracers were in the same black and had a similar aesthetic to her pauldrons.

Macha originally wanted to wear a short v-neck dress that matched the armor. It allowed her freedom of movement and looked good on her, but Tyr had given her a guild tabard to wear over her clothes. He ordered her as the guild captain to keep it on the whole time at the stadium. He explained that she was representing the guild and needed to show her guild pride.

Macha looked at herself in her bedroom mirror. She thought she looked good. Not intimidating, but at least she looked pretty and would represent the guild in a positive way. She gave one last twirl to check that everything was in place and the armor had been put on properly.

Macha knew Tyr was waiting for her in the living room, so she walked out of her room like she was walking down a catwalk in a fashion show. When she got to the end of the hall, she struck a few poses and smiled, "How do I look?"

Tyr heard Macha's door open, so turned his head to stare down the hallway. He immediately frowned. The black armor had a luster that made Macha appear dangerously sexy. It reminded him of wet leather. The wings, which looked cute in the shop, now gave her a succubus appeal. Tyr also noticed that the daggers at her hips swung suggestively when she walked about. He thought about how all the men in Marseille were going to look at her today, and he became worried. Tyr loved that she looked so beautiful and sexy, but it was a secret he rather keep to himself until he could convince her to be with him. "I don't like it. I should've just let you get the blue armor." Now he regretted convincing Macha to get black. He knew blue would have been less dangerous looking. Tyr raised her tabard up to her chin, "Why is the tabard so low? I can see your cleavage."

Macha also frowned at this point. "I told you I wanted blue! I can't do anything about the tabard. You're the one who got it custom-made. It falls in the same place yours does." She looked down at Tyr's hand which lifted her tabard," Do I really look that bad? I thought I looked pretty good." Macha flapped the tabard's hem in frustration.

Tyr remembered that Freyr would also see Macha today. Freyr's personality was always so amicable that if Tyr did not soften his criticism, it would look bad later. With reluctance, he confessed, "You do look good. It's just too revealing. Why don't you change into some pants and a tunic instead?" Tyr also felt bad about making Macha so uneasy. He knew she was already nervous about receiving the award in front of the city.

Macha huffed, "I guess I can, but we might be late. I have to take the armor off and everything. Can you help me?" She took a few steps back to her room. She knew if Tyr helped her take it off, it would be faster.

When Macha asked for help with her armor, Tyr gave an uneasy face. He needed to focus on his fight and mentally prepare, but Macha was making his mind do laps. He imagined going into her room and helping her undress.

Luna opened the front door without a knock. She looked at the two talking in the middle of the living room. "Macha! Wow, you look great! I wish I could look as sexy as you when I wear my armor. You're gonna have to learn to fight the guys off of you," she joked.

Luna's comment eased Macha's worries. Tyr's reaction had bothered her. He made her think it looked inappropriate. "Thank you. Luna, you look very elegant in your armor. I wish I could carry myself like you. Tyr said I should change into a tunic and pants, what do you think?"

Luna looked at her brother and laughed heartily. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes. She put her hand on Tyr's pauldron, "Oh Tyr, thanks for the good laugh. It helps get rid of my nerves." Luna waved her hand at Macha while shaking her head, "Don't listen to him, he's just being stupid. If you change, we'd be late. Let's go."

****

Macha felt nervous when she stood on the stage next to Tyr. She had never been the focus of so many people before. She hoped the audience could not tell that she was trembling. Freyr spoke to the audience using a short scepter that magnified his voice. Despite being close to Freyr, she was too nervous to pay attention to his words.

Freyr turned to Tyr and gave his cousin a handshake. Tyr leaned forward and Freyr put a medal around his neck. Tyr had the same bored expression that he wore often. He had received so many awards that the whole process jaded him.

Freyr moved in front of Macha. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Nervous?" He saw that her body shook and she looked like she was about to cry.

Macha nodded her head and looked up at his face.

Freyr put the medal around her neck and kissed her on the cheek. "Don't be. I'm here," he whispered to console her. He then turned around and waved at the crowd.

Tyr watched his cousin kiss Macha on the cheek and resisted the urge to punch him. He thought his cousin was a wolf in sheep's clothing. He would never have imagined that Freyr could be as smooth as Krystof.

The crowd hollered and cheered. This was the first time they saw their king kiss a woman. It excited them and many of the citizens gossiped, speculating whether the king had fallen in love after being saved. Some citizens, who recognized Macha as Tyr's secretary shouted out that it was a love triangle.

Macha snapped out of her daze to look at Freyr, the kiss surprised her. She glanced at the audience and blushed. She wanted to give him a warning look, but he already turned around to wave at the crowd. Macha touched where he had kissed her.

After the rest of the opening ceremony concluded, Freyr began to lead Macha toward his viewing box and Tyr moved to join the guild to prepare for the upcoming matches. Macha remembered that she forgot to wish Tyr good luck this morning, so she ran across the field to Tyr. Freyr stood on the field confused. "Tyr!" Macha shouted. "Good luck! Try your best!" Then she ran back to Freyr and they continued to walk to the viewing box together.

The spectators cried out again. They did not expect to watch a small drama when they came today. Many of the women took sides shouting out for the man they preferred.

When the curtains drew back for them to enter, the atmosphere amazed Macha. Freyr had filled the box with beautiful flower arrangements and petals were scattered on the floor. There was a bottle of champagne that rested on an engraved bed of ice for them to drink. An elaborate table of sweets and pastries towered in the corner, all of which looked delicious to Macha. The curtains that surrounded them, drowned out the noise of the stadium and created a secluded intimate area.

Freyr poured her a glass of champagne, "You look beautiful today." He handed her the glass and took a moment to savor being with Macha.

Macha took a small sip of champagne. "Thanks, you look good as well... Could I have water instead?" She hated to be rude, but she did not want to drink too much or give him the wrong impression.

"Do you dislike champagne? I can get wine instead," Freyr said in a worried voice. He looked back at the servant who stood in the corner.

Macha shook her head, "No. I have a match later today and I don't want to feel tipsy. I'm representing the guild and you just gave me a medal. If I do poorly it will look bad." She now felt she represented both the Obsidian Dragons and the king. This increased the tension and anxiety she had about her upcoming match.

Freyr realized he did not think of her tournament and silently cursed himself. He had forgotten that the new recruits also take part in halftime matches. "My apologies. I was inconsiderate."

A servant rushed to bring a pitcher of water. Freyr took the pitcher from the servant and poured Macha a glass.

While Freyr poured her glass, Macha smiled, "It's fine. I can pour it myself. You really didn't have to invite me to join you. I'm being difficult. Sorry." She was embarrassed that Freyr, who was the king, poured her water. Macha moved to try and take the pitcher from his hand.

Freyr held Macha's hand. Gazing into her eyes he consoled her, "You never have to apologize to me. I did this all for you, so if you are unhappy just let me know." Freyr would usually just sit in an open private stand, but today was a rare chance to be with Macha, so he went all out.