Chapter 1617

Ten years ago in Valtara, Glenn Hagrid, a young man, was polishing a pool cue, but his mind was not on the game. It was fixed on Ron, who was lounging in the corner with a cigarette smoldering between his fingers. "Ron, I heard that the Blue family from South Florivera sent a bride your way. Instead of checking her out, what's got you stuck here watching us shoot pool?" At the mention, Ron took a couple of hard drags on his cigarette and crushed it into the ashtray. "So eager for a girl, huh? Why don't you marry her?" Glenn shot back with a grin, "I would love to, but our grandpa won't allow it." Glenn, Ron's younger cousin by a year, was always one step behind in the family's pecking order. In Valtara, where the Hagrids were top dogs, and the Blues of South Florivera were high society, a marriage between these families was no small affair. It was a power move, carefully orchestrated by the elders who were selecting and reselecting the perfect match. After much deliberation, the