ZER

FIVE

When the Court's Great Hall comes to our view, my jaw slacks open. It's... grand. I count seven massive white marble pillars at front, and the biggest double door I have ever seen in my life. Our transport comes to stop and one by one every female walks out. Tra guides us inside and I cannot help myself but to gawking over the grandiose sight before me.

There are rows of pillars and hundreds of massive chandeliers, the marble floor sparkling to bright I feel the need to walk in caution so I won't flash my underwear accidentally. The ceiling perhaps as tall as four-story building and the floor to ceiling round windows placed neatly on the left and right sides. The size of the hall perhaps bigger than four football fields combined and in the middle, I can see a raised dais with two steps of stairs around it.

Tra leads us to a small double door in front of the dais and welcomes us in. "This is where we will wait until the event officially starts." I look around, several sofas places neatly against the four walls, with tables in front of them holding plates of snacks, fruits, and refreshments, there is a small fountain right in the middle and some of the females choose to sit close to it, it looks like a luxurious lounge room.

"There is a bathroom on that side," Tra pointing at a smaller door at the end of the room. "I will be outside helping for the preparation, if you need me I won't be far away." With that, he exits the lounge room.

Some females start to getting ready, some of them straightened their clothes, some of them preparing... weapons?

The scene before me is too real for my brain to wrap around. Here we are less than an hour before the event, The Choosing. We will walk out of this room to choose the one, and... and what? What will happen next?

Tra comes back too early for my liking, he has a small chest with him. "If I can have everyone's attention please," he calls for us. He opens the chest and I can see piles of... silver jewelry?

"These are silver bands. All paired males are wearing one. Please take one for each of you. When you walk out of this door and find a male you deem worthy you need to give this silver band to him to wear as a sign of your pairing." One by one the females taking a turn to grab one. "Whenever you're ready, please walk out of this room to the Main Hall. Everything is in place, please remember that you can enter the Hall in any time of your preference, anytime you're ready if you need more time don't hesitate to say so and you're free to wait here until you're ready."

Although Tra keeps reminding us that this event will go in our pace, I notice most of the females are already walking to the Main Hall.

"Kate," Tra calls me, handing me the last piece of the silver band. I take it with a shaky hand. "Do you need more time?" He asks me lowly, his perfectly round eyes looking at me expectantly.

"Yes... I—I'll just need to go to the... bathroom first." With that, I practically sprint to the bathroom. As soon as the door closed I slide down to the cold floor. My breaths are short, my heart races, my hands are shaky, and I can feel cold sweat on the back of my neck.

Breathe...

Breathe...

Breathe...

I've come so far. I've literally traveled to another universe to start my new life. I'm away from my source of pain, from my heartache, from my disappointments, from my fear.

I've come too far to turn back now.

"Kate?" I heard the soft voice of Tra. "Are you alright?"

I take one last deep breath and stand up. "Yes, just one moment!" I half yell. I turn on the tap and wash my hands, cup some water, and splash it to my face. My green eyes look dull and slightly red, my heart shaped face looks pale, my small button nose is a bit red on the tip, my plump lips are dry and lost their color, my shoulder length dark hair lays flat on the sides of my face.

Hello gorgeous.

I open the bathroom door and face concern looking Tra. "If you need more tim—"

"I'm ready," I told him.

Tra is walking behind me as I exit the lounge, now the room is empty, so assume all the females are outside. I push open the door and my eyes greet a sea of people.

Despite the size of the Hall, it's packed.

Females and males are passing by. From the corner of my eyes, I can see the raised dais, I see Tzar males line is one perfect row, they are shirtless, displaying their massive body to all female's eyes. Their dark, muddy color skin is reflecting the light from above making them look like they were carved from stone to perfection. Their pectorals are easily wider than both of my palms combined, all of them have unbelievably prominent twelve packs that disappear at the beginning their narrow hips, Their shoulders are broad and covered in thick muscles I can see where the deltoid ends and trapezius starts, and surprise, surprise, their biceps are bigger than my thigh.

All of them are tall, muscular, and deadly. I can easily tell that all the Tzar male presents for the Choosing are part of the army. I can see at one corner a female is sparring with a male Tzar, I guess it's common for the female to challenge a possible prospect male, to see whether the male is stronger than her or not.

I can feel that Tra left my side and I'm standing alone myself. I make around to keep looking at my possible husband to be, sadly, nothing caught my eyes. Though physically they all are impressive, I cannot help but feel how cold their eyes and how distance they seem.

With that in my mind, I walk to one quiet corner of the hall. By now most females are giving their silver band to the unpaired males of Tzar. As the clock ticking I keep thinking maybe I should just give my silver band to any of them, it seems each one of them is the same, cold, and distance.

Might as well to get over with it now.

Just as I take a step out of my quiet corner, the main door swings open. At first, I notice nothing but then the males start to stand straight and swing their fist on their chest, their chest puffed and they tilt their head slightly up.

Then, I see three Tzarian males walking in.

They are wearing a different color of the uniform. All of them are wearing black, the left one has a light blue color cape, the right one wearing a dark green cape, and the middle one...