"Get us some popcorn, will you?" Queen Saralee whispered to the Ice Guard standing closest to her.

"Are you serious?" Raliyel groaned. "How can you eat here? This is disgusting!"

"Oh, shut up, will you?" Selaeyah spat. "In case you can't tell, I'm trying to enjoy the opening of my warmatch!"

"It's alright, we won't get any blood on our clothes," the Ice Queen assured her friend. "We're outside the splash zone."

"And, besides, this is just the Picking," King Fenorel laughed. "No one dies today."

"Wait a second..." Raliyel trailed off, squinting as she leaned over in her chair. "Who's that girl?" She pointed to one of the shorter contestants who stood timidly to the side.

"How should I know?" Saralee shrugged. "She'll be dead in a week, by the looks of her."

"Seriously," Raliyel rolled her eyes. "Who is she?"

"Let me check the contestant roster," King Fenorel reached into his pocket to retrieve a small Aurascreen. "Cascadia Ervine, Scientist Clan, East Arabella Province," he read.

"What!?" Raliyel gasped. "No, it can't be! Let me see that!" She hurriedly took the Aurascreen from the King's hand, tears welling up in her eyes as she read the names.

"Is something wrong?" Queen Saralee frowned.

"That's my cousin!"

"Oops," Selaeyah smirked.

"You have to Pick her, Sara, you have to!" Raliyel begged.

"Why?" Saralee raised an eyebrow. "I have a one hundred and three year winning streak going. I'm not about to give that up for some random girl."

"No, pick her!" Selaeyah grinned evilly. "Pick her so that I can finally beat you!"

"My point exactly," the Ice Queen sighed, gesturing to the Scientist Chief.

"...as usual, our lovely Queen gets first pick!" The Icehearts looked down to see Lasydra Kay concluding her opening announcement.

"Oh," Saralee smiled, rising from her throne. "I have to go down there."

"Please pick her!" Raliyel begged, grabbing the Queen's silky sleeve. "We all know you're going to win again, and your heartless friends never bestow Mercy Tickets. Being on your team is Cassie's only chance of survival!"

"She has no experience in the arena," Saralee frowned. "She'd be dead weight. She'd slow my team down!"

"But she's only fourteen!" Raliyel persisted.

"...Fine, I'll think about it," the Ice Queen sighed as she began to descend the steps to the stage.