Chapter 41 Will He Save Me?

Walking towards the hub, Ryan looked at his map, thinking of places he should go to look for the girl he needed to acquire before the day was out.

He could contact Avery or Grace, whom he had contact information for, and most likely would be eager to have a second scuffle, but he would only do so if he had no other alternative.

It would be impolite of him to keep himself from the women who had never experienced Ryan's pizazz.

Not finding a place, he decided to walk into the hub and see if there were any leads.

The best option would be to ask Valery, but he felt that asking a girl who liked him if she could help find women to sleep with wouldn't go so well.

In either case, he was wary of her, seeing as she was part of the military that worked to remove his memories.

Walking into the hub, he looked around, not intending to go to the counter immediately.

Scanning the holographic screens on the walls, he saw an interesting section.

"Enhancers for hire" was the title of the section. Curious, he looked at the screens wanting to see how much they were charging.

Seeing the prices, Ryan's jaw slackened as he read aloud, "50 Campus points for a night? That's highway robbery!"

"Yeah, you'd be a fool to trust someone selling that cheap." A feminine voice sounded from behind him.

Turning around, Ryan saw a girl who appeared to be a first-year recruit.

She had on a short blue skirt with knee-high socks, atop which she wore a red v-neck that Ryan could tell was outfitted with a pushup bra.

"And how would you know that?" Ryan asked.

"You could say I help run this section." The girl answered.

Tilting his head, Ryan asked, "Oh, is that right?" Chuckling, he said, "Well then, what would you say my fee should be?"

Hearing Ryan, the girl suddenly got a glint in her eye and said, "I think a thorough investigation would be needed for such a thing. Why don't you join me back in my office?"

Nodding, Ryan smiled while being led back to the tiger's den.

===

Sitting in her mother's chamber, Mara sipped a glass of tea while waiting for her mother to arrive.

Hearing the creaking of the door behind her, Mara didn't turn around but just waited on the corner of her bed.

"Thank you for coming, Mara," Ester said, sitting beside her daughter.

"I've thought some things over, and there's something I need to tell you." She said, turning Mara's cheek so they were looking eye to eye.

Hearing her serious tone, Mara nodded, at least pretending to be willing to hear her mother out.

"For your safety, I can't tell you everything going on, and even though you won't believe me, I think it's important that I tell you this upfront."

Seeing Mara nod again, she continued, "Two days ago, I received a letter, inside which was a royal decree commanding me to inform you that you have been selected as the bride for Raven Kheaweth, the only son of the empress."

Mara shook at the news as she processed what this all meant.

After a minute of silence, Mara calmed down and asked, "Why would the empress choose to marry him to me?"

"If he married into one of the other three great kingdoms, our relationship with them would skyrocket."

Looking at her mother, she said, "No offense. . . mother, but securing your loyalty surely isn't worth the marriage of a prince."

"You are indeed wise, my daughter," Ester said. "All that money I spent on tutors didn't go to waste, I see."

Smiling bitterly at her mother, Mara only nodded again. Even though she switched back to calling her mother, she wouldn't be won over by a few half-hearted words.

"I do not know as of yet why this has occurred. All I know is that it is happening, and soon."

"What do you mean, soon?" Mara trembled out, her heart dropping at more bad news.

"The letter stated that the announcement ceremony will take place a week from today, and the wedding three months after."

'Three months.' Mara felt the world cave in, her last vestiges of hope falling into the void.

"Although the letter did mention something rather intriguing." Ester suddenly said.

"It mentioned that the wedding will be held in the medieval style, a tournament for the bride to be played the day of the wedding. I guess they want to show their might to the world."

Mara felt her hope sinking into the void suddenly reverse course and come flooding into her in force, multiplying as she realized what a medieval-style wedding meant.

Mara's face lit up, and her slumped posture straightened as she couldn't help but let out a giggle.

Once the giggle was set free, it was like a dam being released, and her giggle turned into delirious laughter as she held her stomach rolling on the bed in laughter.

Ester only stared at her daughter, her cold, calculating brain contemplating the various possibilities for her daughter's laughter, but finding none, she continued watching in silence.

Only catching her breath ten minutes later, Mara wiped the tears from her eyes and sat back on the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself," Mara said, hoping she didn't offend her mother.

"It doesn't matter," Ester said, "The last thing the letter said is that you are no longer a recruit at the academy."

"I'm sure you'll be pleased about that, seeing how much you detested me sending you there."

Mara was shell-shocked by the news but calmed herself down moments later.

Although she couldn't be with Ryan for the next three months, she could send a message to him.

All she could do was pray he cared about her as much as she cared about him.

"Will he save me?"