Olivia Sparks

"What's going on?" Olivia asked in a whisper, all the while her eyes stayed glued on Maxen's retreating back. 

It was then that she felt something warm envelope the back of her hand. On instinct, her eyes snapped down to her hand that was planted on the table, and she saw Queen Isla's hands, cupping hers. 

Peering up to look at her mother-in-law, Olivia saw a smile ghosted the queen's face. 

"Don't worry," Queen Isla reassured Olivia. "Maxen just needs to shoot his arrow on the target. For tradition's sake."

"But." Olivia opened her mouth to protest, her head snapped left and right to look for the target which Queen Isla mentioned. However it was pitch dark, and all she could see were silhouettes of trees lined up on the other side of the lake. "Where's the target?"

"That's the thing, Livi darling," Grandma Lin explained from her seat. "This ritual is a collective effort of the married tribesmen. Don't worry. They were practicing earlier, and our handsome commander here will never let us down. Right, Wyatt?" Grandma Lin winked at Wyatt.

It wouldn't take rocket science to figure out what her grandma and Wyatt were up to because it was pretty obvious that they were in cahoots in rigging the ritual for Maxen's benefit.

"Mom?" Olivia asked, yet her eyes never left Maxen's form. "What's this ritual for again?"

"A silly ritual actually. Back then, archery was the first line of defense of the tribes. They use arrows to ward off pirate sh.i.p.s, or any kinds of sh.i.p.s that poach our seas," Queen Isla explained.

"And what's the connection with a wedding ritual? I'm so confused." Olivia's nose crinkled.

Queen Isla smiled at her daughter. She missed this part of explaining things to a child, and so she was patient into weaving the narratives for Olivia's sake.

"Back then, men had to prove themselves worthy and able to provide a life for a family. A simple requisite: A man must know how to use his strength with the use of bow and arrow to hunt for food or fight for enemies that threaten the peace in our island.

"That's why weddings in Nisia always happen at night when there's limited vision. Then all the married tribesmen would gather to shoot an ignited arrow to help the groom find the stake that is floating in the sea."

"Whaaat?" Creases formed on Olivia's forehead. She couldn't picture out what Queen Isla was painting for her. 

She didn't want to doubt Maxen's capability, but it was pitch dark in the lake and the moon was covered in clouds, it didn't cast a single ray of light to where they were.

"How many chances does he have?" Olivia asked, shifting her bottoms in her seat to face the queen.

"One." 

"That's cruel." Olivia's shoulders dropped at the revelation. How could their ancestors come up with such a stress-inducing ritual instead of something that would liven up the celebrations?

As if Queen Isla could read Olivia's thoughts, she quickly added on, "Not really cruel. It's a part of our ancestors way of living. Besides, I've never heard a story about a groom missing his stake. As I said, it's a collective effort."

Olivia wanted to trust her mother's words. After all, with how Grandma Lin and Wyatt prepared to ensure Maxen's success, she knew other entourages had somehow done the same and tweaked the results to their favor.

Deep inside though, Olivia knew Maxen wouldn't let an act of deception tarnish his record. So she held her breath and sat in silence, watching the ritual unfold before her eyes.

Momentarily, her eyes flitted to Oliver. She smiled at her brother's ever serious form. Olivia wondered if he had the same look on his face years ago during his wedding. 

Back then, she declined the invitation, deeply hurt that her brother's wedding was coincidental to her graduation ceremony.

Olivia scoffed. It's not a coincidence. Something told her that a loathsome man timed the wedding just so she would not have an excuse to fly home in Nisia.

Suddenly, an arrow swooshing in the air snapped Olivia from her trance. Everyone at the dinner table was jittery.

A ball of light flew like a passing comet across the lake yet it soon disappeared as it dipped in a plop in the water.

Queen Isla hissed. This should have been an easy task if there are a lot of married men in attendance. However, since this was a last-minute surprise, only two men could help Maxen.

"Isla? How much will you bet that Ali would miss the target?" Auntie Martha mused. She took a sip of her wine and angled her head to steal a peek of her friend.

"Are you kidding me, Mom? Of course Aunt Isla will place all of her fortune in Uncle's hands," Eli said astutely. It was when he glanced at Queen Isla that he realized how wrong he was.

"Omo. I'm actually looking for someone who would bet on him because sure as heaven, I won't," Queen Isla chuckled.

"Isla! I heard you," King Alistair warned.

"Heol. It's the wine talking, My King!" Queen Isla cupped the corner of her mouth to broadcast her response. It made the ladies burst in a fit of chiming laughter.

Obviously, the ladies were the only ones who seemed to be enjoying that part of the night while the men were sweating bullets.

Down where Maxen, Oliver, and King Alistair were standing, the three were in deep discussion whether they had an idea where that floating stake could be.

"F*ck it," Oliver cursed. "Where the heck is it? It won't float around, would it? If it's tethered to the dock, it should be within this range." 

With both of his hands in the air, Oliver used it to frame the expanse of the lake. He turned to his left to look at King Alistair for approval.

"I'll take the left side this time. Since it's not in the center, then it should be on the left. My light is limited, boys. Make sure to widen your scope. If we're unlucky, chances are, the stake got carried away to the right."

King Alistair and Oliver turned their heads in unison to the right where Maxen stood in silence. 

"Don't worry, Son," King Alistair trailed off. "If I fail, Wyatt can activate the locator."

"Yeah. It's okay, Max. Uncle used it. I used it. What matters is we keep our pride at the end of the night intact." 

Oliver clasped his hand over Maxen's shoulder. This part of the ritual was the hardest of them all.

Back then, it was easy for tribesmen to locate the stake because their senses were heightened and their eyes acclimated to the darkness of the night.

But years passed and the way of living changed, making it hard for grooms of Nisia to pass this ritual, hence, a locator is sometimes used.

It was akin to the green and yellow glow of a firefly, that nobody would notice it was a deception at all because of the abundance of fireflies Nisia. 

This method was a blood pact between men in Nisia to preserve their dignities on their wedding day.

The only problem was Maxen being Maxen. He dismissed the idea earlier. 

What's the point of standing tall after what you claim as your achievement was in fact you cheating? He'd rather miss the mark and still bed his wife senseless.

"Let's get this over with," Maxen uttered. He grabbed his own bow and arrow, dipping the spear in ethanol.

Bringing the arrowhead near a torch, he let the flames engulf it into a ball of fire. He nocked the arrow on the string and relaxed his shoulders.

King Alistair was in position, ready to release his string. And when he did, lighting forked in the sky soon after, illuminating the horizon.

Darkness enveloped them yet again but it didn't deter Maxen.

Maxen didn't blink. Maxen didn't breathe. At that moment, he stood a natural stance and raised the equipment in his hand. 

To Maxen, the instrument in his hand was not just a bow and arrow but an extension of himself. It was then that he didn't have second thoughts.

Everyone held their breaths when a swoosh echoed as the bowstring unleashed its tension and sent the ball of fire flying across the lake.

Olivia shot up from her seat with so much force her chair fell backwards. Both of her hands clasped together in a silent prayer for her husband's victory.