Last Man Standing

Chapter 2: Something Unexpected

Marcus and I stood at the back of the crowd as usual so I could make a quick getaway once my name wasn't called. It was also the best place to stand to get a good look at all the other eligible bachelorettes to figure out which of them wanted to be chosen and which prayed to be spared another day. It was no surprise to see every girl pining for Evander; not a single one was hoping to be looked over for this Bonding Ceremony. They all gossiped and snickered amongst themselves as they waited for the ceremony to begin.

"Place your bets, Candra."

I scanned the crowd for the prettiest girl, knowing that the most handsome boy in Kent would be drawn to someone like himself. Camilla was wearing a tight, white linen dress that really highlighted her body, but Valoria's hair was swept up in her trademark waterfall that was hard to overlook. Both of them adored Evander with every fibre of their being, but he never gave any indication of returning their affections. But of course, that never stopped them from stating their claim as the best wife Evander could ever hope for. They were persistent, so the smart thing to do would be to bet on one of them.

But I was always looking for a challenge; I preferred to take my chances and cut my losses when required.

I continued to sweep the crowd until I found the perfect girl to bet on. "Marcela."

"Marcela? Why her?"

"The gold necklace around her neck means her father is willing to give a huge dowry if Evander chose her. How could he resist?"

Marcus nodded in agreement. "Nice catch. But I'm going to place my bet on-"

He was cut off by the eruption of cheering girls as the curtain to the courthouse was pushed aside and Evander emerged into the sun with the Unionizer at his side. He hadn't bothered to freshen up, but at least he put a shirt on. The swooning began the moment he politely waved at everyone. I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of his eyes widening in fright as two or three of the girls fainted. Everyone cheered even louder as he walked up the steps to the Bonding Ceremony stage. I could tell he was nervous because he was biting his bottom lip timidly, and his eyes kept retreating towards the ground every chance he could get.

The Unionizer was dressed in his traditional purple and white robe, and his hair was combed back to cover his growing bald spot. The Unionizer looked so excited to be performing another ceremony. He was so giddy that he tripped over his own train and did a face plant into the stage. Everyone ceased their cheering and gasped with concern as Evander helped the Unionizer to his feet.

"Well, that's one way to silence a crowd!"

I smirked at Marcus' comment just as the Unionizer regained his composure and took advantage of the silence that followed. "Ladies! Welcome to another Bonding Ceremony! Some of you have really outdone yourself this time, and I think I know why!"

The girls cheered again as the Unionizer patted Evander on the back in encouragement. He gave a forced smile, and then his eyes retreated to the floor.

The crowd hushed as the Unionizer continued. "And a big welcome to the rest of you who have come out to witness this happy occasion! Thank you for presenting us with such fine young ladies this morning."

I noticed that there were more than just parents bordering the mass of bachelorettes, and a lot of them seemed to be placing bets as well. It seemed like everyone in Kent was just as interested in Evander's choice as the girls were.

The Unionizer began the ceremony with a prayer, and then recited the origins and rebirth of the Bonding Ceremony in a lengthy, exaggerated speech. Basically, the ongoing war between Romallia and Galacia had really diminished the population of the villages that rested between the two. To solve this problem, many of the leaders of the villages decided to revive the tradition to marry their citizens young to repopulate their people faster. On a boy's twentieth birthday, he had to choose a girl between the ages of fourteen and thirty to marry. Right after the proposal, the Unionizer married the two on stage in front of everybody. She had the right to refuse him if she so desired because the birthday boy would just choose another girl to take her place. But of course, this has never been an issue because no one has ever refused a proposal during a Bonding Ceremony. At first I thought it was because the girls were just too excited to get married, but then a realized that they just didn't want to become a social outcast like myself. I was content with the fact that I would never hear my name, but I continued to attend out of sheer curiosity. I also had to get enough gossip to report back to Gram.