The next morning, I get up, grab my things and head to the middle land clearing. I find Charmeine already there. She looks up as I approach.364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6oLshE4KHt
“Well, good morning, Luce,” she says with a smile.364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNxsmloluF
“Good morning to you, too,” I reply. “And don’t call me Luce,” I add.364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjMU8VLzIf
“Oh, come on.”364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEjxZntn3C
I shake my head with a smile. I set my stuff down and sit beside her.364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMNkyExPX7
“So, did you get a look at the list?”364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwiIarxjSn
She nods. “Yes, I did. And….”364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6d11FIG9Ag
“And what?”364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXYc5mBCji
She hangs her head in despair and puts her hands on her face. “We’re scheduled to fight each other. And we’re the last ones to fight.”364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1OCzLrsYz
I groan. “Why?”364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMSHhnA630e
She looks up. “So, what are we going to do?”364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPpRkSx3EO
I tap my chin in thought and gasp. “I know exactly what we can do. We can start out fighting each other and make it look like I’m defeating you. Then, we can start fighting together when they let out the animals.”364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRTtfRLr0E
“Well, what then?”364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡido5wmF4GG
“The guards will probably interfere and then we can fight against them together.”364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BC4hurPyc
“But why would they interfere?”364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeogmnI1YqO
“Because we’re supposed to be fighting each other to prove ourselves not fighting together to join kingdoms,” I explain.364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdyIHdLoqxj
She sighs and glances away. “I don’t understand why they want us to fight to prove ourselves anyways.”364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJOQB49Txb
“Well, we are royalty. That might be part of the reason. We’re next to take the thrones.”364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSr0VsWYAft
“I still don’t understand why we have to do this,” she says.364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xhx2FU5xI
I reach over and turn her head to face me. I lean in and lift her chin. I connect our lips in a kiss and I feel her hand go on the back of my neck.364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1o5MseCMO
I stop kissing her and she looks at me, face flustered.364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB42nKYwUUn
“So, how are your stubs?” I ask.364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDw0K40CEXd
She sighs. “They’ve gotten a little bigger. And they aren’t fluttering as much. If I’m correct, I only have about one and a half to two feet left before they’ll hide and I’ll have to tell them to come out.”364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBBk3OccNY
“Isn’t your sixteenth birthday coming up?”364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS78LVP0eW1
She nods. “Yes. That’s the date of the arena showdown to prove myself. It’s in about two months.”364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvfsm3QaXF
I sigh. “So we have two months to get this figured out. It seems like a long time, but in truth it’s really not that long. So if we want to figure this out, we need to do so. And quickly.”364Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6ZgW1WpHY
and then Add to home screen.