Merida and the Legend of the Valkryie

Games

That evening as Merida rode back to the castle she couldn't help but smile as she continued down her road on memory lane. She could just imagine her mother saying "The clans have accepted!"

Pausing once she'd walked through the double mahogany doors just stood petrified as her mother announced, "The clans have accepted!" Feeling a strange pang of fear linger at the back of her mind slowly walked in with a tray of pastries like she'd always done at dinner time. The triplets seemed to have mellowed out a bit over the years, but still couldn't resist the thought of desert- after all they were having haggis again. Not a favorite of hers either she might add, but what was she to do. It was as if she was having a spell of dejavous.  The topic of her betrothal had arisen once more.

"Mom, you know we've been through this already.." came Merida's cautious tones.

"Merida, you are already twenty-three, how much longer do you want to wait?"

Fergus who was as rowdy as ever always seemed timid under the glare of his Queen and often stayed clear of touchy topics such as these. Leaning in to his eldest son whispered, "And we all remember how that went." The boy just giggled eyeing the hill of pastries laying front of Merida taunting him from across the table. Everyone remembered what happened last time the Games were held. It seemed like the Games were going to be held this year once more, but how would it all go?

The Queen as sly as ever had managed to convince Merida with a little twist, " You do know, you can compete right?"

Merida was quite surprised, "I can!?" a glimmer of energy and hope seemed to appear as she jumped up and down like a little girl and grasped her mother's hands. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" She then left the dining hall feeling really happy "YES!"

Fergus looked to his Queen with an amused fishy stare, "What are you plotting?"

With a playful wink Elinor smiled and left the dinner table as well.

Fergus really loved his Queen and it was at times like these where he just kept falling for her charm over and over again.

A few days later, the festivities began, aside from the traditional games, they had a few new ones, thanks to the triplets who always seemed to come up with fun ideas such as the eating pastries contest- for obvious reasons. When the time came to compete, the sun was at its highest, illuminating all the green layers that painted a perfect summer's morn, blue skies, vibrant green grass, birds chirping their sweet melodies, not to mention the buzzing hum of the honey bees. It's true that much has changed in the Kingdom of DunBroch, but how much change had the other lands gone through?

 Better question yet, the three sons..were they going to be as pathetic as before? Merida's comical memories kept her quite distracted as she got ready. The dress followed the same blue underlay with gold rims and outlines, the only difference was that it was slightly bell shaped to allow for movement and the corset wasn't as tight either. Putting her hair in a neat braid adorned the crown  with an emerald at it's center hoop.  She really looked like a grown young lady now, though she still retained her child-like youthful appearance, everything else was but child like.

As she had taken her seat to the left of her father she looked below at the crowd below them who now had gathered.

"We will now commence with the presentation of the suitors." Played in Elinor's regal words.

The three boys who stepped up, weren't boys any longer which quite surprised the Viking Princess Merida.

Lord Macintosh was the first to present his son, Coal Macintosh, who had gone through much change. He stood a decent six feet tall, and gained some muscle mass and meat about his high cheekbones. His nose still drew center stage though. He'd tamed that wild lock of dark hair and had trimmed it at the front leaving a curtain of long fringes as he pulled the rest of his hair into a neat pony tail. His new regal look made him more attractive then on his first debut about seven years earlier. Merida was surprised to find herself quite drawn to him. Now that she'd actually seen his eyes, found that his soulful orbs had a fierceness that she found quite attractive.