I'm thankful to Elias as he suggests playing Glory War. It keeps my mind off what was to come tonight.
The first game is a wash and we have to start over almost immediately when I mistake the weaker 'Militia' card as the 'Infantry Battalion'.
Our next one is intense and I think I've almost won until Elais surrounds my troops in a trap he layed at the start of the game.
When he leaves me alone to go the bathroom, my thoughts drift to Marinah.
I do not even understand why I'm so taken with her, but I am.
She didn't stick out to me when I took the exam.. well her hair was very pretty.
Maybe it was when she started getting angry with me. Her slightly red cheeks are so adorable and her green eyes seem to pull me into their depths.
It reminds me of how I used to look at Gabby.
Gabriella Tithy was a girl a year older than me, I had a crush on her for a long time.
My bumbling confession makes me cringe internally as I remember that day and her polite rejection. Harry had made fun of me for a bit until he realized how much it actually hurt me.
My thoughts drift back to Marinah and I still don't understand how I've become so smitten with her.
She's pretty and has laugh that makes me want to smile, but it's not enough to justify this feeling inside me.
Her straightforward nature? No, it's not that.
My thoughts are a mess as I realize I don't really know anything about her.
I feel my face flush as I try to think of reasons why I feel this way. My mind had directed certain parts of her womanly curves towards the front of the list.
"What sort of lecherous thoughts are going on inside that head of yours?"
The sudden question makes me break free from the internal dialogue I'm having.
"I'm not- I wasn't thinking of Marinah!"
Elias grins mischievously.
"I didn't say anything about Marinah.."
I realize my error as a wave of shame washes over me.
"Let's just continue the game! Stop asking stupid questions."
He mercifully agrees to my demand and time slips by.
I jump as a knocking comes from the front door.
Elias just murmurs, "I wonder who came first?"
The sitting room door opens slowly and my heart won't stop hammering in my chest.
Confusion takes hold of me as Dean and Jean, the brothers from the exam, walk inside.
Elias gives me a playful smile before answering my unasked question.
"I invited the people from our group we passed with."
I nod dumbly as the two brothers stare around in amazement.
"This is the biggest house I've ever been in!" Dean exclaimed while Jean nodded with his mouth open.
"Hahaha! Come on you two, sit down and chat with Kelric and I. The others will be here shortly, I'll get a bottle of wine when they do."
Elias plays the role of a host very well and makes the obviously uncomfortable brothers relax in short order.
After they're done gawking at the furniture and finery, their eyes go wide as they land on me.
"Holy gods man."
Dean elbows his brother in the side and apologizes to me.
"Uh don't worry about it..?" I'm not sure why he apologized to me.
I think it's because he's astonished by my physique, I'm in a lot better shape than most people and the shirt I'm wearing clearly defines my solid muscles.
I flex my bicep at Jean and nod sagely.
"If you work hard, you can have a body like this too."
My encouragement doesn't seem to work the way I intended and the brothers back up into the couch as if I threatened them.
Elias laughs loudly and another knock comes from the front door.
After a moment, death affinity guy walks in.
'Sobin? Gobin? Dobin?'
He's not as nervous as the two brothers were.
Elias gets a good flow of conversation going and I learn that the brothers aren't nobles like most students.
Their father is actually a cobbler from a different city who saved up almost all his coin so his children could attend the best academy.
Tobin is the death affinity guys name and I promise myself I won't forget it this time.
He is a noble and from a pretty influential family. He's the only son of a Marquess that supports Elias's father.
I don't really understand how noble politics and structure works, so most of the conversation goes above my head.
Tobin keeps glancing at me like the brothers and I finally understand why they're looking at me so much when he bursts out with a question.
"Kelric, why are you covered in scars?!"
Dean and Jean lean forward eagerly to hear the answer.
'I keep forgetting how tarnished my skin is.. I wonder if Marinah would mind if-'
I stop that line of thought and shove it down, there's no use in worrying about something that hasn't happened.
"I use to be forced to fight when I was as a slave in Kalabar."
"Oh… sorry."
My answer had brought the mood down considerably, so I try to help Elias a little in keeping the conversation alive.
"I don't mind talking about it so don't worry too much. I've had these scars so long I forget that their there."
My words bring about more questions and soon everyone present knows a bit about my past.
Jean was just in the middle of asking me what my hardest fight was when another knock came from the front door.
When Marinah and Kathlyn see me, my heart drops a little at their expressions.
I should've put on a long sleeved shirt when I had the chance..
Elias had sat everyone very deliberately and left only two seats available. The one by him where Kathlyn sat and the one by me.
Marinah's perfume enters my nose as I work up my courage. My heart hammers wildly as I turn my head to stare at her.
She was looking at me and turned her head away as our eyes met.
The conversation around us doesn't enter my ears.
'Come on Kelric! Stop being a coward!'
I reach out and grab her hands in mine to get her attention, she stiffened slightly at my touch and turned her head towards me.
She's flushed with anger again as her cheeks burn red.
'Stop hesitating!'
My words spill out lamely as I try to convey my feelings.
"I uh.. think you're pretty and stuff.. and it's just that umm.. ahem.. I-I like you.."
Her hands grip mine back, tightly. Our fingers interlocking. Her voice is small and shy when she speaks.
"I like you too.."
She leans over and pecks my cheek with her lips.
I'm stunned at her words and actions. I can't believe what just happened.
I think I want to try kissing her too, but our little world we had entered shatters like broken glass when Elias starts clapping and laughing.
The whole room is silent except for him. I see Kathlyn holding her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter.
My expression turns darker than black when he can stop laughing long enough to speak.
"I think you're pretty and stuff.. I like you~~"
His mocking words make shame burn hot inside me. Apparently the whole room had heard my confession.
I let go of Marinah's soft hands and glare hatefully around the room.
Everyone is laughing or trying to hide smiles.
Their tune changes rapidly as I pick up the big wooden table and prepare to thrash these hooligans.
"Kelric! It just a joke! C'mon brother, have mercy on me!"
I stop when Marinah tugs on my elbow, turning back to look at her, she shakes her head.
Quelling my embarrassment and settting the table down, I sit next to Marinah again.
I make sure to catch everyone's attention as I speak.
"Not another word about this or I'm going to start breaking bones."