The One

TWO

The cart was filled with young strapping men of the well cared kind.
Most notably, younger than him.

Figures, everyone his age must have been shipped off with suitable partners already.
But for a few stragglers like himself?

Weird though, the One was closer to his age. Were the frozen's courtship habits at a younger age then the other regions? Or was she going to have to deal with a husband 4 years younger than herself?

He shrugged to himself.

He kept going back to this, no wonder, it had been days and some of these younger men annoyed him.

They were complaining about nearly every aspect of the journey.
From having to poop in the bushes, the cart not waiting for you when break time was over to the food. Morten was happy he was getting anything to eat!

The cart stopped for a moment, the sound of a rider outside the cart, horses.

The cart filled with mumbling that immediately ceased as the back door was yanked open and a stern looking man stepped in.
While the cart slowly started moving again.

He wasn't a frozen.
He was wrapped in fabrics instead of furs and his skin had a tan that made him look warm even without furs.
Morten recognized the clothing, leather boots and round features.
He was from the middle region, the lands of Lords.

"Gentleman!" He spoke, in a light voice.

"I am glad to find so many of you here for the courtship, " he said in a well practiced tone, but Morten could see it in his face and hear it in the way his words lost some power as he spoke.
This man too had noticed immediately, the age of most was rather young.
"You are here for a special courtship event. And I am here to enlighten you on the details."

It turned out that most men there had been expected to be of some standing or had been advised to join based on achievements.
Morten could see from the lack of tattoos on all the younger men, none of them exactly ticked the last box... which explained the complaints about rather mundane things.

These were all Chieftain's son's, grandsons and nephew's.
Unlike him, who was the brother of a chief that wasn't born into it, these young men had all been raised protected and well fed.

They were not just here to court the one.

The one had 4 doubles, girls that were found all over the lands that looked a lot like the one.
To be her, to guarantee her safety. They were not simple chambermaids or body doubles, but had an assortment of roles and duties. To alleviate certain tasks and protect the One.

And all these doubles and the One were taking husbands.
All from different regions.
Which worked out nicely, seeing as there were 5 regions besides the land of Lords.
It was a brilliant plan and explained why they saw fit to change the number of doubles from 3 to 4 a couple of years ago.

This by itself had made the regions quite happy, a One for all the regions.

But that's where Morten stumbled upon a snare.
If all the regions had sent their softest high born boy? This was going to be a poor show for all parties involved. And all the One's would be stuck with a potentially useless husband that complained a lot about food and sanitary.
Worse, all 5 would probably be stuck with spoiled husbands that probably wanted to go back to their mothers.

Suddenly his courtship issues seem to be one of the least troublesome here.

One of the men to his left stuck his finger up, wanting to ask a question.
Which made him look so young Morten was momentarily transported back to writing classes with Misses Pearblum, he must have been about 7.