Page 12 of Forsaking All Others

“May I have a private word, Viscount?”

Intrigued, I nod and rise to follow him a short distance away.

“If she is a complete innocent, the viewers are going to eat this up,” he grimaces as I raise an amused eyebrow at his terminology, “what I’m saying is, it would be great if you didn’t kill her tonight. Let her stick around for a while and really garner some support from the audience. Her lack of knowledge will make for hilariously heartbreaking viewing.”

“You think to sway my decision?” I glower at the small man.

“No, no, not at all, Viscount,” he licks his lips nervously, “merely to ask that you let her tag along for a while and eliminate those more, ah, annoying contestants first — and let’s face it, she isn’t going to last long anyway.”

“I’m not going to eliminate anyone,” I murmur.

“I beg your pardon?”

“You heard. I don’t plan on killing any woman on this show.”

“But Viscount, the rules…”

“The rules say that only one must remain at the end. Have you been listening to anything these women have said tonight?”

“Ah, meaning?”

He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose with one finger.

“Meaning they’re mostly all deadly, avaricious bitches. Even those who aren’t are certainly capable of defending themselves and taking out their competition. I won’t need to lift a finger or show a fang. They’re all plainly intent on murdering one another for my hand.”

“But, but…” he splutters, “you said you were fortunate to be surrounded by such beauty….”

“I lied.”

“But, the bite. The bite is integral to the show.”

I sneer at him as he whines.

“How will we film without the bite?”

“That’s for you to figure out,” I snap. “Now, can we get back to it? Dawn is approaching, and I’d rather not be the first bachelor to fry on camera.”

He nods, his eyes widening as he checks the sky before hurrying back to his spot and clearing his throat loudly as I reclaim my seat beside Thorun.

“Are you ready to proceed, Viscount?”

“Yes,” I nod, now genuinely interested in the story behind the girl’s selection.

“And...Action!”

“I apologise for keeping you waiting, Thorun. So, tell me, knowing nothing about The Games, how on earth did you enter?”

“My grandmother,” she smiles, “there are literally no single men my age left on our island. Mostly we leave at twelve to go to school on the mainland and very few return, so….”

“You returned.”

“I never left. I couldn’t leave Gran or the island, I love both too much, and she never forced me.”

“So, your grandmother thought to enter you into a game show to find you a husband.”

“Yes. She and I only have one another, and she worries now that she’s getting on in years about what will become of me when she’s gone.”

“Well, she won’t need to worry now,” I reply dryly, draining my glass and pointedly ignoring the director. “You’re either going to marry me or die.”