31. Winter Wonderland.

A knock on the door precedes Ryder’s hasty entrance.

“Where is the fire Mr?... what if she was naked?” Chastises Eislyn, adjusting the hem of my dress.

“Sorry babe, but the ceremony is about to start and I didn’t see you guys there.”

“Babe? Ceremony?”

“That was supposed to be a secret, idiot, before your daddy ships me off to parts unknown for corrupting his son,” Eislyn grumbles.

“Why do you have to be so bloody short? Maybe we should go with the six-inch,” She continues yanking at my dress.

“Sure, if you want her to face plant the moment she stands up, the girl can’t handle heels if they paid her to,” Ryder jumps in before I could defend myself.

My head is reeling from following the conversation back and forth not to mention wrapping my head around the competing for a mate part.

“How do you know Mahina?” Eislyn asks while still kneeling as she battles it out with the hem of my gown.

“The bar,” Ryder answers distracted as he continues studying me.

Eislyn shoots up so fast almost smashing my face in, “This is her?” she asks, turning to Ryder with a beam.

Not waiting for an answer, she continues smacking the side of her head, “Silly me, Mahi... Mahina, I should have connected the dots; this totally your fault for ambushing me with this shit,” she finishes with a scowl at her beau.

“How...” Ryder starts only to be cut off.

“No time for chitchat honey, we are running late,” Eis says hustling me towards the door, but I dig my feet in.

“No, my brain is tired of working out everything on my own, I literally had to wrap my head around a lot of shit in like a day and before I got through it, boom, kidnapped and now I’m in some kind of competition to get married. What in the actual hell!” I yell the last part huffing.

“I’m sorry but we really have to get there, but I promise I will explain everything later, I’ll even give you the little secrets from the rest of the contestants, funny how being a maid makes you invisible, I’m telling you we hear the weirdest shit, why...”

“Babe... breath,” Ryder says to Eis casting an amused glance at me.

“Wow sorry, I talk a lot sometimes, you must wish for someone else right now,” she says head drooping.

“Ah, actually I’m thinking about how the fuck you can talk that fast and still walk like that, slow down, my legs are twice yours and I’m in heels,” I reply.

“Oh right,” She mutters reducing her speed before she resumes her monologue, the vulnerable girl from before up in flames.

I turn to Ryder who is now beside me with what I’m sure is an incredulous look on my face.

“You’ll get used to it.

My answer gets drowned out as a wave of noise filters from the huge doors Eislyn just swung open not bothering to be discreet.

I stare at what had been a school cafeteria previously; it had been transformed into a room straight out of a Disney princess movie.

“Wow.”

I turn around in a circle trying to take in everything; the place looked like a winter wonderland.

Ryder pulls me from my gawking leading me to an elevated area that seemed set apart from the rest. It is then that I realise that other than the large circle left empty at the centre, the rest of the space including the upper floors had been converted to mimic theatre seats.

“Please tell me those are going to stay empty,” I plead horrified.

“Uhhhh...” Ryder starts.

“They are not, are they?” I ask resigned.

“Nope, that’s where everyone else seats, the entire Bright community will attend the opening ceremony and the rest of the events will be broadcasted,” he replies.

“Like daily?” I practically yell.

“Yes,” he answers with a grimace, “Is this a good time to tell you they’ll film your room too?”

I stare at him dumbfounded but he’s not done.

“I mean the cameras and audio stuff are already there, they just need to activate them.”

“No Ryder, this was not a good time.”