The Gift of Beauty | ONC2020

Chapter 1

"Victoria's not in love with you, Brandon. The sooner you accept it, the sooner we can all move on." Andrew said.

Brandon sighed. Andrew was his best friend, and had been for years, but love was something that he just couldn't seem to grasp. Brandon didn't choose to love her, and he couldn't choose to not love her. It was just there. Unexplainable, but incredibly powerful.

"Be quiet, I want to hear what they have to say," Brandon said, just as Victoria, hand in hand with the king, walked into the chamber. The king was a bad-tempered old man, with long grey hair, a thick, rugged beard and a strong fondness for ale.

But Brandon only had eyes for the woman at his side. Princess Victoria. The woman he loved. She wore a deep blue dress, of a similar colour to her eyes. Her long blond hair was tied into a knot at the back of her head. There wasn't a strand of hair in the wrong place, and not a single blemish on her skin.

In short - she was perfect.

And yet, something seemed off. She looked... different. Brandon couldn't put his finger on it. Her clothes and face were as smooth and flawless as they always were, but it just didn't feel right.

It was her eyes, Brandon realized with a shock. They was a redness to them, like she had just cried. And now that he knew what to look for, he could see it in her entire doing. Usually Victoria was the most happy and cheery person you would ever come across, it was one of the things that Brandon liked about her. But today she only looked sad, beaten down.

Andrew caught him staring at her and rolled his eyes, but Brandon didn't care. Andrew had never been in love. He didn't know what it was like to want her to be with you, with everything you do. To have her on your mind from the moment you wake up, till the moment you fall asleep. To not even be free of her in your dreams. To crave being together, every day and every night again.

Brandon didn't blame him. He hadn't realized how powerful it was either, not until he met Victoria.

And now she had called him towards the palace, her home. Granted, he wasn't the only one – there were at least two dozen men here, all of them young nobles of the city. Brandon couldn't wait to hear what she had to say.

But it wasn't Victoria that began to speak, it was her father. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice," King Edward said, his voice booming through the chamber. "You must all be curious why I brought you here, so I won't keep dawdle."

"As you all should know, in exactly one month from now, it is my daughter's birthday. I decided that on this day, she will marry."

Some confused murmuring rose up from the crowd. "Who? Who is she marrying?" Brandon heard it whispered, echoing through the crowd. He didn't blame them; he was as confused as they were. He hadn't even known that Victoria had her eye on someone, let alone that she was engaged.

After some time King Edward was sick of their discussions. "Silence!" he said, "Just let me explain, damnit." The voices immediately fell silent. King Edward continued on as if he hadn't been interrupted. "Each of you is here because you are of noble birth and as of yet unmarried. That makes every single one you a suitor. In order to find a husband worthy of my daughter's love, and, in time, the title of king, I have decided to send each of you out on a quest. A competition, if you will. The winner of this competition will marry Princess Victoria, exactly one month from now."

Once more the people in the crowd began to talk, much more excited this time. Brandon didn't care enough to listen to what they were saying. He finally had a chance now, a real shot at Victoria's love. It didn't matter that she had never shown any interest in him, as Andrew was wont to remind him. It didn't matter that his family was not as important or rich as some of the other families present here. He had a chance now.

Just like everyone else here.

Brandon's excitement died down almost as quick as it had come. How on earth was he supposed to beat the other nobles? He had been training with a sword since he was young, sure, but so had everyone else here. In fact, he knew for a fact that most of them were far better than he was. He also wasn't the fastest, or the smartest here. He couldn't think of a single challenge that he could actually beat all the others at. What kind of chance do I really have? He thought, bitterly.

And that wasn't the only thing that was bothering Brandon. He finally understood why Victoria looked sad, why she had been crying. She was forced to marry whoever won her father's competition. Her fate had already been sealed.

Brandon clenched his fists. He had to make sure that he would win. That was the only way that he could make sure that Victoria was treated well, and not just seen as a means to get the crown.

He had to win. For Victoria.

It took a long time for the crowd to calm down. When it was finally quiet again, King Edward explained. "The rules are simple. Victoria is known far and wide as the most beautiful of all. Whoever gives her the gift that is most befitting of such beauty wins."

He smiled and walked away, pulling Victoria with him by her arm. When they reached the door, he turned around. "You have exactly one month. Don't waste it." They walked out and closed the door behind them.

As soon as they had left the chamber, it practically exploded. Some of the men immediately ran out, wanting to make the best use of their time. Others gathered in small groups, trying desperately to come up with something that allowed for one of them to win. After all, while only one person could win the competition, the winner would become heir apparent, and would, in time, even become king. Helping a man become king would be worth their while.

"I told you that I would have my chance with her," Brandon said to Andrew.

But before the other could even respond, someone else answered in his place. "Don't lie to yourself, Brandon. You still don't stand a chance," Christian said. He had dark hair, a short beard and had a cruel smile on his face. He was wearing a dark blue tunic, made from the softest silk that could be found in the city. That was no accident; Christian's family was the most powerful in the city, save for the king himself.

Brandon hated him.

"You heard King Edward. Everyone has an equal chance," Brandon said.

Christian laughed. "He did. But not everyone has the same amount of... resources. My family employs the greatest tradesmen in the city. I will order them to work on the greatest set of jewellery for the entire month. Nothing will even get close to their beauty."

"Though I wish you the best of luck, of course." He was still laughing to himself as he left their table.

Brandon clenched his fists. Christian couldn't be allowed to win this easily. He wouldn't treat Victoria the way she deserved to be treated. No, Brandon couldn't allow her to fall into Christian's hands. He had to protect her.

Andrew put his head towards his. "Do you even have a plan?" he said, soft enough so only Brandon could hear him.

Brandon shook his head. "Not yet." He knew next to nothing of jewellery or fashion. Maybe Christian was right, maybe he really didn't stand a chance.

Andrew hesitated for a moment, then spoke quickly. "There's a new store in the north part of the city, in the peasant district. near the fish market. I overheard some of the servants talk about it. It's supposedly run by a couple mages who incorporate the energy of natural things into their clothing. Maybe they can help you. They can create a dress that smells like flowers or something," Andrew said.

Brandon shook his head. "Flowers won't be enough. It needs to be the most beautiful thing on earth. No. The most beautiful thing in the universe."

Wait. Brandon thought. The most beautiful thing in the universe.

That was it. That was how he could win.

He smiled, then quickly stood up. "Thank you, Andrew. I won't forget your help." He ran out of the chamber, leaving a confused Andrew behind.