AN:This story is a byproduct of secretly watching the bachelorette late at night while reading avenger fan fiction. I had never seen the show before and to be honest probably won't again, but I did find it fascinating how upset everyone got about people coming onto the show for all the wrong reasons, which is crazy because, lets face it, only one person can marry the bachelorette and it is a television show. Anyways this story is all about people who have joined a romantic competition for all the wrong reasons but end up falling in love regardless.

Key terms:

Mages. Possess two recessive Mage genes. Considered blessed by the gods these people are typically royalty or high nobility. Powers highly varied. If descended from two mages can obtain either ability. If descended from a Mage and an enhanced/carrier will obtain power from the Mage. If descended from two enhanced/carriers will obtain new ability. In both Midgard and Asgard only mages can inherit the throne.

Carriers. Possess one recessive Mage gene and a nonmagical gene. Other than early childhood sickness there is no outward sign of being a Mage carrier. Carriers are typically of royal or noble birth however on rare occasions commoners may develop the gene through mutations.

Enhanced. Carriers that ingest a magic strengthening solution in early childhood develop heightened senses, super strength, faster healing rate, etc. Generally only those with money can afford to procure the necessary potion. Ingesting the potion without being a carrier may lead to death.

Shifters. Posses one or two dominant shifter genes. Considered a curse by the general populace this almost extinct ability is found only in commoners. When shifted the animal retains its human mind and when human the shifter retains some of its animal instincts and abilities. The shifter's animal half is determined by its first shift. A guided shift allows a shifter to inherit their animal form from a close family member, while a natural shift allows the shifter to pick up whatever animal best suits their personality.

Enhanced shifter. This rare combination of one shifter gene and one Mage gene has only been accomplished once in recent history due to class divides. The shifter's human half behaves much like the top tier of the enhanced, their strong bodies, sharp minds, and killer instincts making them a formidable opponent. However not much is know about the shifter's other half, as the only time it was ever spotted in mass was when it had destroyed the better part of a city.

Now, on with the story.


"Bruce! You'll never guess what I heard earlier today!" A brown haired, brown eyed teen chirped excitedly at the equally young man running the small, cave like apothecary.

"Oh?" Came Bruce's disinterested reply as he tiredly glanced up at the teen that often passed as his twin brother. "Don't tell me, the guards have finally caught on to your thieving ways and are coming to haul you off later today." He deadpanned, neatly sorting and arranging the store's best selling beautification potions.

"What? No! Be serious for a second here Brucey bear." The teen indigently huffed, ignoring Bruce's tell tail smirk.

"Fine. What is so important you saw fit to disturb me from setting up shop for the day?" Bruce playfully groused, pushing up his wire frame spectacles so he could glance fully at the teen. "Need I remind you that most of our meager earnings come from this little store."

"Our earnings are far from meager. Besides, most of what we sell originate from goods that I've... procured. Or have you forgotten?" The teen drawled, flashing a sly grin back at Bruce.

"No, no. I've not forgotten." Bruce sighed, running a hand through his thick brown curls. "Is it really so hard to ask for a simple, normal life, even if for just a day?" Bruce grumbled to the heavens as he settled onto the shop's lone, rickety, wooden stool. "Fine. What hair brained scheme have you come up with now?" He asked, eyes focused fully on the other teen.

"I thought you'd never ask brother." The teen grinned, teeth flashing in the store's dim lighting. "It's simple really. I've received news that a large majority of the nation's nobles, and the wealthier merchants, are set to leave town for a couple months, taking their abundant wealth and business with them. Most have opted out of guards in favor of swifter travel, leaving them open to attack. A thief's dream really. But perhaps the best news is that they are all gathering in one set, known, location."

"Oh? And where exactly are they headed?" Bruce queried, leaning forward curiously in his chair.

"Arcadia." Came the teen's soft spoken, hesitant reply, instinctively knowing how Bruce would take the news.

"The capital!" Bruce exclaimed, his eyes flashing green in shock as he knocked over his stool in his haste to get to his feet. "You want to steal from the capital!" Bruce sputtered, unable to believe the teen standing before him. "Kit, don't you realize how dangerous that is? If you get caught you'll get more than just a couple of months in jail. You'll be lucky to leave with your life once your registered as a shifter." Bruce cried, pulling the other teen close. "Your the only family I have left Katrina, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you too."

"Then I won't get caught." Katrina smiled reassuringly at her brother, watching as his magic bright green eyes slowly shifted back to their familiar brown. "I'm a master thief Bruce. I can steal in the capital just as easily as I can here in Rhodes. Besides, with most of our clientele leaving town I don't think we have much choice in the matter. We need the money."

Bruce shook his head in defiance, refusing to risk losing his sister. "No. You don't know the streets of Arcadia well enough. At least here you have back up routes on top of back up routes. As for money, we can make do without for a couple of months. We can save some by buying our own supplies, rather than relying on an intermediary. If need be we can even forage or fish for our supper, or even barter with our neighbors. We don't need to go to Arcadia."

"Bruce." Katrina sighed, running a hand through her boyishly short hair. "It'll be winter soon. You know neither of our animals can handle the cold for long. You become slow and lethargic and refuse to leave the den as your bear's need to hibernate kicks in. And as a desert fox I'm twice as frail in the winter chill as your average human. At least in Arcadia the land is magically climate controlled. It will keep back most of the winter chill and allow us to function normally."

"Fine." He acquiesced. "Suppose we do go. What reason do we have for being there? What's to stop the guards from hauling us off the second something valuable goes missing? We hardly blend in with the locals." He gestured at his slightly worn tunic with a frown. While it was undoubtedly well made and crafted from quality materials it was also considered severely old fashioned in the capital.

"We'll be going there for the same reason as everyone else." Katrina smirked, pulling out a slightly crumpled parchment embossed with the royal insignia from her coat pocket. "The capital is hosting a two month long engagement ceremony in which any well off, educated citizen is able to compete for the hand of either the crown prince or princess. So long as the contestant can pass an entrance exam, they will be provided with free room and board at the castle for the duration of the competition."

"So your plan is to throw off suspicion by stepping into the lime light?" He chuckled, patting his pockets with one hand as he reached for the letter with the other. "That's bold, even for you."

"Yes, well, I've found most people are prone to overlooking what is right in front of them." She taped the bridge of her nose pointedly, causing Bruce to flush as he realized he was already wearing his glasses.

He cleared his throat in embarrassment, and focused all his attention onto reading the letter. "It says that the entrance ceremony will consist of two main stages. The first is a written exam covering everything from politics and history, to advanced math and science. A score of 70 or above is needed to move on to the next challenge. The second test is a rigorous obstacle course in which only the top 50 contestants will be allowed to move on. This is followed by a ball in which contestants are encouraged to socialize with each other as they may be paired together on double or even group dates. Unfit candidates maybe eliminated at this juncture at the discretion of the crown prince or princess." He pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly. "All this just to qualify as a contestant? They'll be lucky to have anyone left after the first exam."

Katrina waved her hand dismissively at the comment, well used to his distrust of their fellow citizens' overall intelligence. "As our future rulers the prince and princess deserve the best. What better way to determine that then a classic test of brains, brawn, and beauty. Besides, This event is mostly for show. Prince Anthony will pick the first magical to catch his eye, most likely his childhood friend, Lady Virginia. And princess Natasha will likely be married off to crown prince Thor, so that Midgard can strengthen its allegiance with Asgard." Katrina sighed as she expertly folded and pocketed the letter. "Not that it matters much. We'll simply be passing through, taking full advantage of the chaos to lift a handful of high valued treasures from the snootier nobles." She rolled her eyes at Bruce's disapproving frown, adding a soft, "just enough to get by," to appease him. "We might not even have to take the test if we can find adequate accommodations else where."

Bruce scratched his chin thoughtfully as he rounded the desk and reached into the false bottom of one of the drawers, pulling out a small list written in a code only he understood. The highly guarded list contained the names of his top fences and informants in each city. "Hmm, I believe I may know someone who- ah ha, here it is." He pointed to a seemingly random set of symbols mid way through the list. "Laura, one of the top seamstresses in Arcadia, her booming business allows her to keep up to date on all the local news. She's the main reason we have managed to evade general Ross and his hunting squad for as long as we have. I'm sure, for the right price, she could find us a temporary den for the winter. We may even avoid having steal altogether if she's in a generous mood."

"Good, then it's settled. We leave in the morning. Pack everything of worth, I've already sent for a wagon and prepped the wards. Our only concern will be making it to Arcadia before the nobles."