Author's Note: Hello, everyone! Thanks for viewing this chapter, I hope you like it. Also, if anyone of you're interested in watching tv shows, I would really recommend Bates Motel. It's so good and addictive. I finished the first season yesterday and I can't wait to watch the next two. Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga are exceptional actors so go check the show out. Anyways, here's the seventeenth chapter! I still don't own Game of Thrones.

Long Live the Boy-King

Chapter Seventeen: Ten for One

Corabella's Point of View

I stopped myself before gasping sharply at his touch. His ever so soft lips touched me again, my hand this time. His warm hand lightly grasped mine making my head spin again. This is all an act. Keep your mind straight. You just don't want to embarrass your house, Corabella. The little voice in my head kept me sane, kept my feet on the ground and I am thankful for that.

"You're so magnificent and beautiful," Tommen whispered to me, not letting anyone hear. We stared at each other for a while before I managed to clear my throat, alerting him that we are in front of other people. He snapped back to reality and nodded for us to move forward and center. I took the arm he offered me and walked briefly and stopping to see the new faces presented before me. By the time we halted, the hall erupted with applause and cheers. I can't help but smile and I felt the boy-King did as well. "Good luck, my Lady," he whispered once more as he sat back down to the Iron Throne.

I was left in the middle of the hall for everyone to finally see. All their eyes lit up and jaws dropped. Everything felt so loud and bizarre, even more overwhelming than the first time I was presented to these bunch of strangers. I slowly felt myself melting down from their gazes, my heart pounding fast, and my vision starting to blur. I almost regretted coming here in the first place. I shouldn't have listened to Cersei and show my face here. It's hard for me to admit it but I wish Mother was here beside me or even Tommen. Standing here alone felt like I'm being exposed. My knees started shaking and I thought I was going to faint until someone placed a hand on my shoulder.

I jumped in surprise and quickly turned around to see the hand of the King smiling at me. "My Lady, I think it's best if you sit down here beside the King," he said with a concerned tone. I followed his eyes to the direction of some sort of chair beside Tommen's throne. It was quite large with a wooden frame and red seat and back, which I guess is made from velvet. It looked elegant, like a royal throne, in fact.

I slowly nodded my head at Tywin without ripping my gaze off of my designated seat. He offered an arm to me which I gladly took before I grabbed my skirts. I walked carefully with Tywin and thanked him before he left me beside the boy-King. "Cozy," I muttered to myself as I leaned back and let my back rest for a moment.

"Scarlet seat, they call it." I turned to Tommen and saw his smirking face as he made a remark about the chair. "It's made for guests of honor," he added. I raised an eyebrow at him in intrigue and slight confusion about his tone. It sounded mocking and sarcastic to me. But I found my composure and knew it was best for me not to carry on with a conversation with him. I turned my head back to the crowd in front of us as the Lords started to queue in front of us.

The trumpets blared again, announcing the official beginning of the event. The Herald kept standing beside the stage to present the Lords. I noticed the diversity among the men. I've been told that there are ten Lords here today. Almost half of them were young but not younger than I am. Majority were handsome and seemed well-mannered. There were a few who looked quite old and intimidating especially when they stand straight. Oh, there were three tall and prominent ones at the back which made me feel a bit nervous. Their builds definitely has an advantage in winning for my hand but I'd make sure it won't happen.

Speaking of winning, I let my eyes linger around the room and saw Father standing beside Lord Tywin with a drink on his hand. We locked eyes from a distance but I felt the hardness in his look and how fierce it was. His eyebrows furrowed, making little crinkles on his forehead, and his lips was drawn like a straight line. I gave him the same expression because I'm not too excited about this event as much as he is.

Our staring contest reminded me of dinner last night and how he and Mother teamed up and force me not to duel with the dumb Lords. I spent hours last night thinking of some kind of loophole in the situation. I can't marry someone weak but I can't fight any of them either. I settled with one decision and I will push through to let it happen no matter how much he disagrees.

I looked away from him as the Herald loudly pronounced the name of the first Lord. The first man stepped in front, letting me eye him from head to toe. He was quite tall and has very broad shoulders. He has a long face, beady eyes, but very round-shaped nose. "Lord Dagon of the house Ironmaker," the old man announced. I gave Lord Dagon a small smile which he returned with a smirk.

"My Lady, it is an honor to finally meet you," Dagon said as he bowed, kneeling with one knee. His hair was a muddy shade of blonde. He has a tanned face but when he bowed, I saw a harsh line underneath his shirt, revealing a fair tone.

I took a deep breath before speaking to him. "Rise, my Lord." He did as I told him and stood tall in front of me. "It is an honor to me as well. Thank you for travelling here on such notice." He nodded at me before walking back to his designated table. I noticed the lack of soldiers with the Lords and wondered if they travelled here alone. Maybe they didn't. They must have decided to travel light. But even if there were only ten Lords, the hall felt packed with people which I guess are only here to see the Lords, eat the food, get drunk, and find something new to gossip about.

For almost half an hour, Lords kept coming up in front of my seat as soon as their names were announced by the Herald. The old man's voice grew quieter with boredom as the Lords come and go. I found myself slumped back to my seat after seven presentations. They will always do the same thing. They will stand in front, bow and kneel, tell me how honored they are to finally meet me. Then, I will give them a lousy smile and try to convince them that I am delighted by their efforts as well. My fake attitude seemed real to the Lords because all of them had smiles on their faces by the time they go back to their tables.

There was nothing much special about them. They look different from each other and clearly showed… diversity. Some were tall, some were short. Some were young, some were old. Some looked strong and lean, some were skinny and awkward. Some had dark hair, some had light ones. They all looked different but I only sensed one thing in them; persistence to marry a girl they have only seen for the first time.

The eighth Lord was one of the most notable ones. His name was Yohn Farwynd. He was very tall with brown hair. He was quite handsome with his structured jaw and full lips. His tanned face had a scar on the left cheek which made him look quite dangerous. The creases of his lean chest showed through his tunic. From afar he looks very handsome but what I found the most interesting about him was his gray eyes. I first glance I thought they were green or blue but when I looked closely, gray specks twinkled in them. I melt down to my seat when he smirked at me by the time he rose up. "You're very majestic, my Lady." His voice sounded husky but manly. I smiled a genuine smile at him and we locked eyes for a second.

"Forgive me, my Lord. But there are two more behind you and they are waiting," Tommen interrupted rather harshly. He was leaning on one arm when I turned to look at him. His eyes looked straight at Yohn with all humor drained from them. His brows met and his lips thinned down to a line. Yohn stared at him with a raised brow and sarcastic smirk.

"Of course, your Grace," Yohn said before turning to me. He gave me a nod before leaving.

I waited for Yohn to get off the stage before I scooted closer to my right and speak softly to Tommen. "For a boy-King, you are very uncivil towards your guests who, I may add, travelled all over the country."

He huffed boringly as he leaned back to his throne. He didn't look at me but he replied. "You should have met my brother." I was taken aback by his remark. I know he wasn't very close with his cruel brother and he probably shouldn't have mentioned him but I sensed his annoyance at me and the whole event. But mostly towards Yohn. I didn't say anything more and decided to move farther away from him.

I sat up straight when the next Lord was announced. "Lord Heckle of the house Quagg." What an unusual name for a Lord. I thought to myself. But I guess it wasn't just his name that sounded unusual. The next Lord was somewhat… odd, if that is the nicest way I could put it. He was a very thin man with huge eyes, narrow nose, and buck teeth. I had to blink twice to get a clear view of him. He doesn't look like a Lord at all even if he is dressed finely. My eyebrows raised as he sloppily bowed down and kneeled.

"My Lady!" he almost screamed. His voice sounded irritating to my ears. "It is such an honor to finally be in your presence. You are very beautiful!" His voiced cracked at the last sentence which almost made my jaw drop in surprise. The whole room was filled with chuckles and whispers. Even Tommen covered his mouth, trying hard not to laugh. I found them very impolite and sensed the nervousness on the young Lord's face as he starts to lose his balance. Insolent brats. I held back any rude action. I don't want to embarrass the Lord further. My eyes lingered all over the room and saw everyone's faces. The tenth Lord behind him was the loudest of them all. He laughed and clutched his stomach while wiping an imaginary tear from his eyes. My eyes moved to my Father's and saw the expression he was giving. He looked confused and disappointed at the presented Lord. I was furious at how judgmental he looked. I was furious at how everyone is just so crass without even being subtle about it. I heard the young Lord gulp down loudly from nervousness.

I rose from my seat and slowly paced towards the still kneeling Lord. I looked straight ahead with a serious face while I held my hands in front of me Everyone's voices died down until only the sound of my slippers echoed through the hall. I let my skirts get dragged down to the floor as I gave a warning look at the people. I stopped when I was directly in front of Hackle. I put a hand out in front of the Lord which he hastily eyed. I urged him to take it but he didn't. He just shook in his place. "Rise, my Lord," I said loudly, letting everyone know that I am not pleased with how they are acting. Their faces dropped as we waited for Hackle to rise. He did in a moment and almost tripped on his own feet but I caught him just in time. "Are you fine, my Lord?" I asked. He didn't dare speak again and only nodded at me. I gave him a small smile before I took a step back. "I am very delighted to be make your acquaintance, Lord Hackle Quagg," I said with a loud voice, speaking more to the people around the hall instead of the Lord. "I am looking forward to spending time with you. I appreciate your efforts in travelling here."

Hackle nodded his head furiously, like a child getting a surprise gift. I even saw tears starting to well up in his eyes but he held them back and returned my smile before walking away. Everyone's eyes were on him until he sat down. I took a moment to look back at the whole room. The Lords and Ladies hung their head in shame which made me stand up even straighter, holding my head high. "If you're all done acting like uneducated street rats," I started to speak to them, lecture them, rather. "I would be pleased to meet the next Lord." I looked back at my father, who looked apologetic now, before making my way back to the Scarlet seat.

The Herald cleared his throat before bellowing another Lord's name one last time. "Lord Crawford of House Massey." Oh, the Massey fellow that the maids told me about. He was the one laughing loudly earlier. He approached me with a smug face. His chest was pumped out, attempting to look intimidating. His blonde hair matched the color of his coat and his green eyes looked straight at me with an arrogant expression. He looked handsome but I definitely hate him already. What the maids told me was right. He is definitely a boisterous brat who even has the guts to come near me. I looked at him without even trying to conceal my annoyance. I just wish I could cut him up like a piece of meat and wipe that look on his face.

He swiftly bowed down to my feet, lower than any of the other Lords. "My Lady," he practically shouted, clearly showing off to the crowd. The Ladies smiled and whispered to themselves, looking flushed. The golden boy seems to be popular around here. "The gods must have truly been in my favor. You are the most beautiful woman I've seen and I am more than honored to be in your presence." The Ladies almost swooned at his words. To them, it sounded seductive and magical but all I heard was a boy's voice desperately trying to impress me and the whole of Westeros. If there's one thing I know it is that I am clearly not impressed. He didn't wait for me to tell him to stand up. Instead, he rose himself up and unsheathed his sword, offering it to me. "Please, accept this gift of mine. I've forged it myself and kissed it, hoping that this would delight you." He cannot bribe me with weaponry, especially with this kind of blade. I don't handle something besides Bedocian. And I would definitely not handle a cheap blade from the hands of a spoiled Lord.

I looked at him before grinning menacingly. "Cosimo! Gino!" I shouted, startling him. The twins ran towards me faster than I expected and bowed. I didn't take my eyes off of Crawford and took advantage of his confusion. "Please take the sword from Lord Crawford and do what you please with it." And by that, I mean destroy it with their own swords. Cosimo took the sword from Crawford who still looked dazed from what was happening. "And what do you say to this good Lord, brothers?"

"Thank you, good Lord!" both of them screamed. Crawford smiled warily at them and to my surprise, the whole hall erupted with applause and cheers inflating Crawford's ego even more. He turned to them with both of his arms in the air as if saying "Yes, I did it! I pleased the Lady!" Oh how stupid. He turned to me again and moved closer. Then, he grabbed my hand and kissed it. I felt my face burn in anger. I wanted to slap him right then and there but I kept on playing with him. After all, you have to raise a stupid boy's expectations first before stepping down at it. I eyed Tommen who was not impressed by the exchange as well but I decided to turn back to Crawford and smile at him. He smirked once more before going back to his table.

"Don't trust that man. I've seen him here every year and he is very—"

"What makes you think that I trust him?" I cut Tommen off and met his serious eyes. "Don't think of me as an idiot, boy-King." His eyes widened in surprise as I talked to him with all emotions drained from my face. I didn't wait for him to respond or do anything. I quickly rose up and returned at the center of the stage and faced the crowd. Everyone quieted down as I clear my throat. This is the part where I lay down my own rules.

"I am beyond pleased and honored to welcome all of you in my presence. I am certain you are all exhausted from your journey. Yet, here you all are in front of me, longing for me to be your wife." I sounded egoistic but they didn't seem to notice. Their eyes remained glued on me, hypnotized by their own desperation. "Lots of Lords tried to be wedded to me but as you can see, I am still an unmarried Lady. You see," I paced around like I am lecturing all of them before continuing. "I have my own ways of knowing those who intend to be my betrothed. I put you all to the test for my hand. I do not judge you from your looks, your family name, even your words or gifts. I like to see you all challenged mentally, emotionally, and physically. That way, I would be perfectly certain that I am ready to take you as my other half."

I took a moment to look at every Lord. Their faces showed confusion but determination to have me. It's flattering, truthfully, but I'm not taken by flattery. I'm not moved by their looks and persistence. If they can't protect me, their façade would crumble down to pieces. And I am willing to brush them off my way. "I would be glad to do this said test that I usually give to the other Lords," I smiled menacingly, remembering how I wounded my past admirers. My eyes darted towards my Father's. He looked nervous and furious at the same time but I smiled at him innocently. I've already debated with myself last night. I even practiced this speech in front of the mirror.

"However, I respect the Westerosi culture and beliefs and my parents think that it is not wise of me if I did these… tests." Confusion was plastered all over their faces. Father couldn't believe his ears but he knows I'm doing something different, something even more demented. "So, I changed it up, altered it to my own liking." I took a step forward and dropped my delighted features to serious ones. My voice lowered and grew stern as I spoke again. "To have me as their wife, the ten Lords must fight each other until only one stands." Whispers and confused glares came my way but I continued further. "If one of them loses at their first try, they will not be given another chance. The duels between the Lords must continue until only one is declared a victor. They will fight for themselves and serve as their own champion for their own house. Of course, if you don't agree with my test now, I would be willing to let you go."

"You'll kill them," I heard Tommen whisper behind me. I turned around with a smirk as I saw him look horrified, almost at the edge of his seat. His knuckles were white as he gripped his arm rest tightly.

I turned back to the chaos starting in the Great Hall. "No one is to be killed. I am not that cruel to anyone of you. You're allowed to call a forfeit or I could stop the match if all of us could clearly see the losing half." I smiled even wider and cleared my throat, making everyone stop and listen to what I'm going to say next. "I am giving you three days to train. I hope you use your time wisely. That is all. Enjoy the feast." I started to walk down the stairs and somewhere besides this place. I couldn't breathe properly. The room felt too stuffed with people.

"I will fight for you, my Lady. I will not hesitate to kill if I have to!" A loud voice shouted, shutting everyone up and making me refrain from walking. I turned with wide eyes and saw Crawford Massey standing tall and proud. All eyes were on him as we locked eyes. "I will do everything for you."

I gave him a small smile and said, "I do not wish for anyone to be killed, my Lord. Maybe just a little bit wounded or scarred." I saw his jaw drop and so did everyone in the hall. But I didn't waste another moment in their presence. I resumed walking out of the Great Hall, finding escape.

Lorcan's Point of View

I didn't bother to go down to the Great Hall no matter how annoying Mother's pleading were. I don't want to be around arrogant Lords, drunk men, and garrulous women. And I just can't bring myself to be there in front of Corabella. Even if I didn't agree with Father's plans, I felt like I betrayed her. I know she trusts me even if we've met only a couple days ago. And I trust her, too. I don't want to lose a friend. I don't want to lose her.

With my armor and boots on, I made my way down to the training grounds. Surprisingly, just a handful of soldiers are present and training. Some of them must be in the feast or ran away to the brothels to have a good time. Pigs. I took the liberty to set up dummies to train with. The others were already busy with their own partners and I didn't want to intervene. I started stabbing and cutting and slashing the wooden dummies for a solid hour. I didn't take breaks to drink or wipe my face. The sun hated me today. It shone directly at my face, trying to blind me but I didn't care. I just swung my sword, kicked my legs, and elbowed the dummies until my knees gave in. I fell down the mud as I catch my breath. I'm so exhausted but at least I'm not in the feast, drinking until I pass out. I'd much prefer to be sober today. The taste of wine didn't fancy my tongue well. I just wanted to clear my head. It took me a moment before I got up and decided to rest somewhere else. Somewhere quiet and peaceful.

Before I knew it, my feet were taking me to the gardens. I've never spent much time here among the trees and flowers but I figured, maybe it's not so bad. I'd rather inhale fragrant plants than have sweat, blood, and mud invade my nose. Besides, the view of the sea looks magnificent especially at this of the day when the sun is at its highest. I instantly felt at peace by the time I walked down the benches while finding a good spot. Unfortunately, she was there. Her back was towards me, letting me take a quick glimpse of her beautiful curly hair. Why is she here? Isn't she supposed to be in the feast? I think it's best to leave her alone than snoop on her business. She just might be exhausted.

I turned on my heels and started to walk back but I stopped immediately as she called me. "Lorcan?" I had no choice but to acknowledge her presence. I sighed deeply before turning to her with a smile.

"Corabella. Aren't you supposed to be in the feast mingling to your Lord-admirers," I teased before sitting down beside her. She giggled and rolled her eyes at me before staring back at the majestic sea. "It's inappropriate for a Lady to roll her eyes, you know?" I remarked.

She groaned under her breath. "You sound like my Mother." I laughed at what she said because she sounded childish. Adorable. "I haven't seen you in the Great Hall, Lorcan. Where were you?" she asked without looking at me. I gulped down the lump on my throat, finding an excuse in my head. She must have sensed my internal debate because she turned to me with serious eyes. "And don't lie to me."

"Why would I do that?" She only shrugged in response. I felt a little guilty because I did think of lying. "I decided to train," I said flatly and waited for her to reply but she didn't. She just looked at me with no readable emotion whatsoever. "Is there something wrong?"

She breathed in before answering. "No. Nothing's wrong. I'm just really thankful that you're here. You're the only friend I have," she said innocently. I felt my heart pound fast and my stomach churn. My face burned partly because I was surprised at what she just declared. It meant so much to me to be called her friend. But at the same time, I felt guilty because of my Father's plans on getting us married. I feel sorry for her. She didn't have to put up with all these arrangements. She's still so young and far more complex just to be thrown around in the hands of the Lords. She's smart and strong and beautiful.

"I was bored to death, trapped within the castle walls," she breathed softly before turning away with sad eyes. "Everyone expects me to be the good girl, the perfect Lady but I'm not perfect. No one is. I just want to be in the now, you know? I just want to enjoy the present and not care about all this marriage and politics, about this grown-up things. I just want to live."

She sounded so sad. She didn't have anything to do with this yet all the people around her pressure her into doing something she doesn't want to. "I'm sorry," I muttered to her quietly.

Corabella smiled at me and said, "Don't apologize. You didn't do anything." Oh, if only you knew the things my father has been cooking up. I felt like I was part of the blame. I felt like I was part of the accused even if I wasn't. She doesn't have to find out about the business we have with her family. I won't let her know because I wouldn't let my father achieve his goal. I'll do everything to stop him. Without thinking, I hugged Corabella, took her in my arms and just held her. She tensed up to my touch but I didn't care. I just let myself protect her, my head buried against her hair. It wasn't long before she hugged back. For a moment, I felt like she was letting me protect her and I will do just that.

To my surprise, a low grumble erupted from her stomach, making her let go of me in embarrassment. I just laughed at her and she joined in before clutching her stomach. "You're hungry. Come, there's food in my chambers. We'll talk there."

She gave me a wide and bright smile before nodding her head. "I think that's a great idea. I suppose you need to rest as well. You look tired from all the training you've been doing." Without waiting, I rose from my seat and offer my arm to her which she took in an instant. We walked in silence until we reached my chambers. I opened the door for her before I entered myself.

She looked around my chambers as I made it to my table to fill a small plate with cheese and bread. I offered it to her and apologized if it wasn't much of a meal. "No, it's fine," she said. "I'm not too hungry. This would be enough." I nodded at her before going through my trunk and picking out more comfortable clothes. I settled with a simple shirt and loose breeches. I sat myself down to my bed before untying the cords of my armor. I glanced towards Corabella, who was not looking at a mounted head of a bear on my wall. "This is amazing."

I chuckled under my breath as I removed my dirty shirt and throwing it down the floor. It was stained with sweat and mud. I hope the maids wouldn't have too much trouble cleaning it for me. "Yes, it is. I actually watched the late King, Robert Baratheon, hunt that bear down. I was very little back then."

"You must have enjoyed it. I bet you la—" I heard her gasp sharply as she stopped midsentence. My head quickly snapped to her direction and saw her head turned to the side and her eyes closed. She looked scared or concerned. "What are you doing?" she asked. I frantically put on my shirt realizing that she must have seen me undressing.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that in front of you. Sorry." She didn't say anything. She just kept her face away from me and her eyes closed tightly. I felt embarrassed and at the same time amused at the sight of her. "I have a shirt on now," I said to her teasingly. I watched her slowly open her eyes and face me. We locked eyes for a moment before she turned away to place her plate down. I watched her every move, with amused eyes and a small smile. She gathered her hair away from her face and put them on her side, exposing the fair skin of her neck. My jaw dropped and my heart raced wildly.

She turned to me and stood straight. "Well, thank you for the food, Lorcan. But you clearly need to rest now. I'll go back to the feast." She didn't wait for me to respond. Instead, she turned on her heel and paced briskly to my door and shut it after she left.

I gulped down, remembering the sight of her. Her delicate skin exposed in front of my eyes. I felt like touching her, holding her there. My heart pounded and sweat rolled down from my forehead. I felt the heat burn up inside my body. Something I shouldn't feel. It gathered on my face, down my chest, and my stomach. Then, it slowly crawled down lower and lower and lower.

"No." I said to myself as I forced my whole body to fight the weird feeling in me. I curled into a ball and breathed slowly, trying to regain my composure. I shouldn't be thinking or feeling like this. Seven hells, she's my friend! What is wrong with me? This is so wrong. I pressed my legs tightly and cleared my head, hoping everything goes away.

Oh, Corabella. What are you doing to me?

Author's Note: So that's the seventeenth chapter! I think this is where everything really turns weird and complicated. I know I've been focusing more on Corabella's life in the past chapters but I promise you, knowing her story more really does affect her relationship with Tommen and even Tommen's life in the future. So, stay tuned for that. *Wink wink*

Qs:

- How do you feel about Corabella's new rules for the Lords in order to have her hand?

- How do you feel about Corabella and Lorcan's friendship?

- What would you want to happen next?