Chapter 172


    Chapter 172: The Heir Apparent


    To say the dress looked amazing on me would be an understatement. I fucking rocked this damn dress,


    and I knew it. "Damn... I look sexy as fuck."


    The high slits on the side of the navy blue dress did wonders for my legs, and the way the bust perked


    up my boobs made them look like I had a five-thousand dor boob job which made me smile. Even


    with me being young, my boobs didn''t honestly sit perky like most would think. I was heavy-chested,


    and these girls-though they sat nicely-weren''t porn star tits.


    Turning from side to side in the mirror, I smiled at my reflection. "What do you think?"


    Ansley stood beside me, quiet as always, her eyes gazing over my figure before a smile yed across


    her lips, and she shrugged her shoulders. "I think it looks like perfection. You definitely fit in with the


    royals around here."


    "Royals?" Iughed, shaking my head. "I don''t know if you want to call us royals, by all means. I''m just


    as normal as you or anybody else. I don''t sit on a high pedestal like some of these people may do, but I


    do n to try and make everybody proud in the position I''m being given."


    At that, Ansley got quiet and stared at the floor once more. She let out a small sigh. "I know it''s out of


    ce of me, but could I give you a piece of advice?"


    Considering how she was when she first walked in here and started dealing with me freaking out over


    the smallest of incidences, I was honestly shocked she wanted to give me advice, but I was more than


    happy to receive it.


    "By all means, anything that you can tell me that I might need to use would be wonderful."


    Taking a moment, she seemed to ponder over whatever it was that she had to say before her eyes met


    mine, and she let out another heavy breath. "Be careful of Solina and her brother. They''re pretty upset


    that you''re being called the heir apparent when they think that it should have been them."


    I wasn''t all that surprised she said they would be upset. In all honesty, I expected there to be a few


    people who weren''t happy, considering I was new, had just arrived, haven''t really earned my way


    around this ce, and now I was being cast ahead of all of them and supposed to rule over everybody.


    Or that was the idea I had in mind for being an heir apparent.


    "Thank you for letting me know, but you don''t need to worry about them. You''re with me now, and


    you''re safe. And if for any reason they give you any kind of trouble, make sure you let me know, I''ll


    handle them ordingly."


    Reassuring her the best I could that I would take care of her was a step I didn''t think I would ever take


    for anybody else. Granted, I had a big heart, and I was always there for my friends, but dealing with the


    levels of hierarchy in this ce wasn''t something I was exactlyfortable with yet.


    I was a rebel at one point in time, a badass with a name that people made sure they knew, however,


    coming here, I was just like anybody else. I was a nobody. My name was big now. After Odin, my


    grandfather, proimed me the heir apparent,


    I hadn''t shown anybody what I could really do.


    At least not in a normal sense.


    Giving myself another nce over into the mirror, I nodded my head in approval, ready to go meet


    whoever it was I was supposed to be meeting in the Grand Hall with Odin.


    Leaving my room, I made haste as I headed down the hallway toward where I was supposed to be


    meeting everyone. I would have expected someone toe get me, but ording to Ansley, she was


    informed I was supposed to be arriving there on my own.


    Not that I cared, but it would have been nice had someone told me what I needed to do.


    The moment I got close to the Grand Hall doors, I could hear the murmured sounds of voices and


    laughtering from the other side. No one waited outside the doors to greet me, and for the first time,


    I felt the nerves about what I was about to do flow through me.


    Taking a deep breath, I pushed on the massive wooden doors with gold ornate handles and set my


    eyes on the hall and everyone in it. There were various people before me I didn''t recognize, but some


    that I did. Freya, Frigg, and, Odin were all present.


    Yet, as I stepped forth into the hall with everyone''s eyes on me, I felt like I was the outsider among


    them all. Even the ones I knew.


    "There she is!" Odin bellowed with a smile on his face as he stood from his throne in furs and with a


    horn in his hand.


    "Everyone, this is Castor, the heir to my reign."


    The announcement he made caused whispers to flow around me as he gestured for me toe forth


    toward him. There was no way I would reject such an offer, and stepping forward towards the throne,


    my stomach fluttered from the anxiety flowing through me.


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    "You asked for me toe," I replied softly as I held my head high, taking my grandfather''s hand as he


    helped me up to thest of the steps to stand at his side.


    The moment I turned at his side to face the people in front of me, uneasiness washed over my body


    that kicked in my flight response, urging me to escape. There had to have been at least one hundred


    people in front of me of all sizes and races. The colored eyes of creatures watching me as if they were


    looking for me to make some sort of mistake.


    "Yes, Cassie..." he chuckled before turning back to the crowd. "Today, I have gathered you all hear to


    introduce Castor, or Cassie as she prefers to be called, to talk about the uing Solstice games that


    will happen in a few week''s time. As per tradition, Cassie will be required to take a suitor and select


    those who will be part of her reign..."


    My heart dropped into my stomach as I turned to him trying to understand why he was telling these


    people this. Of course, I was told about finding a mate or two...but I didn''t think the games were


    honestly about that.


    "I know your sons will make fine warriors in the games, and the winner will win the right to marry my


    granddaughter as tradition dictates."


    The crowd cheered as smiles crossed their faces. I didn''t know what tradition he was talking about


    because thest I checked in the history books back home, Odin had always been in charge. Then


    again, the human history books did have his entire personapletely wrong.


    "What do you mean the winner will marry me?" I asked as I turned to him with confusion, trying to


    understand why he hadn''t thoroughly exined the games to me before throwing me to the wolves in


    this room.


    "It''s not that big of a deal. Didn''t you learn any of that while you were at the school?"


    Opening and closing my mouth, I stared at him wide-eyed. "No... I literally have been here a few


    weeks. How was that supposed to have been taught to me?"


    Odin seemed a bit lost for words at myment, and after a moment, he slightly narrowed his gaze


    and leaned in. "Don''t make this difficult, Cassie. You agreed to this, don''t forget that."


    I hadn''t forgotten that, and in fact, I had thought about it multiple times since I had allowed my brother


    to agree to giving me his powers. It was because of what he did I was allowed to reside where I was


    instead of being in limbo, but at the same time, limbo sounded better than before forced to marry


    someone I didn''t want to be married to.


    -As Odin cast his gaze to approaching figures, seemingly satisfied with my silence, I decided to y


    along, even if deep inside me I was angrier than a viper whose nest had been disturbed.


    "Odin, its good to see you again," a young man not much older than me said as he approached.


    His blonde hair and blue eyes were style to perfection in loose waves down to his shoulders. While his


    bare, unmarked chest glistened in the light, highlighting each and ever curve of his well defined


    muscles. Something about him didn''t set right with me, and the woman at his side made the feeling


    even worse.


    She was just as beautiful as he was with long blonde hair braided in sections going straight down her


    back, while the white, tight-fitting dress hugged her small breasts and flowed down over her body


    towards the floor.


    "It''s good to see you as well Mani, and Solina...my you grow more beautiful every time I see you," Oldin


    replied with so much confidence I almost forgot he once had normal conversation with me. Right now,


    he wasn''t a grandfather showing off his grandaughter. He was a god showing off his reign.


    When Mani''s gaze turned towards me, he seemed pleased to be in my presence yet, behind that warm


    gaze was nothing but irritation. I could almost feel it pouring off his entire.


    persona.


    "Cassie, you''re as beautiful as I dreamed you would be."


    "You dreamed of me?" I asked with a small smirk on the corner of my lips. "I didn''t think I was that well


    known yet as this is mying out party."


    Odinughed at myment while Mani''s happy gaze quickly narrowed and his sister stepped forward


    trying to obvious diffuse the growing issue. "I think that what my brother means is we look forward to


    being the best of friends...especially since we will end up being family."


    Family...this man was bold. I will give him that.


    "I didn''t realize we were going to be that close...I take it you''re entering the contest?" I asked with


    sarcasm.


    "Enter?" he replied with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes, "I n to win, Cassie. I mean, the reign


    needs a male to sit upon the throne, and I have plenty of knowledge to help you lead in ruling the


    kingdom as needed."


    Again, the man was confident in his thoughts of winning the battle for my hand and the games hadn''t


    even started yet. "I guess we shall see if you''re really up to the standards I expect in my match. The


    games won''t be easy for you to aplish."


    "What are you talking about?" he scoffed as he stood just a bit taller.


    "I mean, if the games are going to be for my hand then I want to help in their creation. It''s only right that


    with new generationsing along, I get a say in certain things. Is that right... grandfather?"


    Myments seemed to surprise Odin as he stared at me for a moment, as if contemting what he


    wanted to say. I''d expected him to say no and that it wasn''t how things work, but instead he smiled at


    me. "If you''d like to help design the games, by all means you can. I''m actually intrigued to see what you


    come up with."


    Mani didn''t seem very happy that my grandfather had agreed, and though he wasn''t happy, he couldn''t


    say anything. This was Odin. When Odin said something, it was final and his word wasw, or at least


    that was what I had learned since being here.


    With Solina and Mani put in their ce, there was nothing else for them to say. They casually nodded


    their head, bowing their respects before turning away, whispering to each other as they walked to the


    far side of the room.


    The event was in full swing and as more people approached, I found myself slightly overwhelmed with


    it all, but if I was going to end up being the heir apparent, it was something I was going to have to get


    over.


    Through all of it, though, I knew one thing was for sure. Mani and Solina were people I would going to


    have to watch out for, especially since Ansley had exined to me what Solina had done to her