Chapter: 18: Rules of the Game

There were so many rules.

The list was endless and seemed even longer with the added rules that applied to me as the wildcard.

Evelyn didn’t stop reciting more rules until we’d reached late noon.

“I understand we have presented you with a lot of information within a short period of time.

“The file in front of you contains everything I’ve told you today, so please read through the pages until you feel comfortable with the rules.”

She pointed at the documents in front of me, and I grabbed the corner to flip through them.

It was a lot of text. I loved reading, but this was too much, even for me.

Then I reached the final few pages, and the paper changed from a dirty white to buttery yellow.

I stopped flipping and turned to the first yellow page.

The word ~wildcard~ was written in red cursive letters across the page. Below the title was a short description of my role in the Crown Trials.

Following the first page were several more documents containing the rules that only applied to me.

I sighed, defeated.

There were still two weeks until I was meant to leave my family, but much of my time would probably be spent looking through this file over and over again.

Evelyn put her icy hand on top of mine as she sensed my sorrow. “The ten most important rules have been summarized on the first page. I recommend you start there.”

She winked at me.

Hopeful, I closed the file and opened it again on the first page.

I don’t know how I could’ve missed it.

Itemized, the first ten rules were listed right there in blue.

I read them quietly in my mind to make sure I didn’t have any questions before Evelyn left.

~1. The suitors are only to engage with the prince when he addresses them.~

~2. The suitors are only permitted to discuss their relationship with the prince with the other suitors or during the ~Crown Show~ when asked directly.~

~3. If the prince asks for the suitor’s company, they are only to accept during the second phase.~

~4. Participation in the ~Crown Show~ is mandatory.~

~5. Active participation in courses is mandatory.~

~6. If a suitor is found in a physical fight with another suitor outside the battle arena, the respective suitors are automatically disqualified from the Crown Trials.~

~7. The suitors are to remain in the castle during their participation unless other arrangements have been made.~

~8. Hobbies are limited to the chambers and the parlor.~

~9. The dress code is to be honored.~

~10. Participation in the trials is mandatory.~

Some sounded familiar, but the others seemed to have been erased from my mind among the excessive amount of information I’d received.

As Evelyn mentioned, these were merely summaries of the actual rules. The following pages featured additional details and further explanations.

“I know I’ve already recited this rule in the beginning, but I cannot stress how important it is for you to remember it.”

Evelyn began flipping through the pages until she reached the yellow pages again and pointed at one of the bullet points.

~The wildcard’s training with the master is only to be discussed between the two parties and the king. Never with the suitors or the crown prince.~

I read it over a few times, so I was sure I understood every word.

It made sense I couldn’t discuss my training with the suitors, but the prince was just as involved in my participation as the king, if not more.

Naturally, I had no desire to establish intimate ties with the prince, but I still couldn’t see the logic of it.

I decided to leave the question lingering in my mind instead of bothering Evelyn with my trivial questions and taking more of her time than necessary.

She probably had more suitors she needed to visit before the end of the week.

“How many know of my position?” I asked instead, confident that she didn’t mind me asking that.

Evelyn smiled as if she’d expected the question. “Not many, but enough,” she said, straightening her back. “To list the people: me, the golden family, the suitors, and a minor part of the staff.

“We decided to involve the suitors to simplify your situation. The suitors won’t treat you as a serious rival, and you’ll be able to leave your classes when your duties require it.”

I nodded and sighed.

It was comforting to know that I didn’t have to pretend in front of them as well.

“And Arawn?” I asked, remembering the host from last night.

Evelyn shook her head. “Arawn will not be informed. He has a lousy habit of slipping secrets that he’s not supposed to, so you’ll have to be careful with him.

“He’s a darling, but he is awfully curious and is skillful at sniffing out the most basic lie by the rhythm of your heartbeat.”

I gulped when I was reminded of the power of a sound manipulator. They were living lie detectors, which could pose a potential problem for me.

“Master Arthur will contact you when he wishes to initiate your training once you arrive,” Evelyn added before she stood up.

Master Arthur? My master?

I probed my memories for a name that matched his among the great masters I’d heard of, but nothing came to me. I couldn’t recall ever having heard that name.

Could he really be as great as Prince Atlas had claimed if he hadn’t even been among the legendary Templars?

Then again, I shouldn’t be complaining.

The golden royals had assigned me a master who would teach me how to utilize my abilities rather than sending me to the dungeons. I should be grateful. Any master would do.

“That was it, I believe,” Evelyn said, pulling me back to my senses. “I have many girls to visit and inform of their new life as suitors. I will see you again in two weeks.”

I bit my lip.

“Is there no way for me to extend that deadline, Miss Evelyn?” I asked before I could stop myself. “Two weeks isn’t much, considering I was asked to join the Crown Trials yesterday.”

Evelyn turned around to face me again, her brow furrowed and lips thin.

“I’m afraid not, darling,” she said, folding her hands in front of her. “You girls need to be taken care of and accommodated first. Learn the basics, get to know each other, and—”

She interrupted herself and left her eyes to examine my body from the top of my head to the tips of my holed socks.

“We need to trim you down to ensure that you can represent the Crown Trials to a certain standard.”

I restrained myself from scowling at her. I’d never been royal material, and I hadn’t ever planned to become one. They’d been the ones forcing that upon me.

“I nearly forgot,” Evelyn exclaimed, turning around to wave one of the bodyguards closer.

He humbly jogged to her side with a dark package in his hands. Evelyn took it from him with a polite nod and handed it to me.

“This is the outfit you are required to wear when we bring you to the castle. The rest of the suitors will be wearing something similar.

“It is a precaution to avoid classifying each other based on income, nothing more,” she explained.

Then she picked up another stack of paper from the briefcase and placed them on top of the rules file.

“This is the contract. Please read it thoroughly and sign it. Your questions will be answered next time we meet if you find something unexpected.”

She smiled uncomfortably and turned toward the door.

“Oh, and Willow,” Evelyn added before she walked outside. “Call me Evie. Formalities are unnecessary in this particular case.”

Then she walked out, bringing the entire party with her.

Two weeks. It felt more like two days as I leaned back in my chair, pondering my future.

It wasn’t nearly enough to say goodbye or to get used to the thought of everything changing.

Koa was home, which I was grateful for, but nothing would ever be the same again once I left.

When I returned home, I would be a real Air Iridis—in control and with an official stamp on my ID.

I would’ve been part of the Crown Trials, and from what I had heard, not even the suitors returned to the life they’d had before.

I wasted an entire day staring at the wall, thinking about everything I would lose once the Trials started.

I’d finally found a boy I might like, and…Maeve…

My life had only just begun, and within two weeks, that would all be gone.

The sound of someone trying to reach us through our landline disturbed my thoughts. Mom answered the phone before I could pull myself out of the chair.

I sighed and leaned back again, observing my surroundings.

Darkness had consumed our neighborhood since the last time I’d looked outside, leaving the sun to awaken another part of Heliac. Time had passed so fast that I’d barely noticed it.

I couldn’t even remember eating, though I could see that Mom had been cleaning the dishes before she’d answered the call.

The thought made me wonder who’d called so late in the evening. We didn’t get many calls, and the ones we got were primarily people from the bank or salespeople.

I got up from the chair and moved into the kitchen to pick up where Mom had left off, hoping to overhear the conversation.

Dinner seemed to have been served not long ago.

Pots were still standing in stacks on the counter, stained by boiled vegetables and potatoes from our small garden.

The frying pan had been placed in the corner, still dirty from the fish I’d caught the day before yesterday—or the thing that had once looked like a fish.

Mom wasn’t the greatest cook in the world, but her food was edible compared to Dad’s.

I grabbed a sponge from the sink and began cleaning.

We didn’t have any fancy cleaning appliances, so we cleaned everything by hand.

Dad once attempted to repair a dishwasher that some wealthier residents had thrown out. However, the circuit had been fried, making it impossible to fix without the proper equipment.

“Willow,” Mom said, calling for me with the phone still in her hand. “Someone is asking for you.”

“For me?” I asked, confused and pointing at myself.

She nodded. I dried my hands in our old dishtowel before accepting the phone.

“Hello,” I said, unsure how else to greet the person on the phone.

“Hi. Is this Willow Aldwyn speaking?”

It was a man, his voice seemingly cheery and used to speaking through the phone. He didn’t sound like anyone who’d called us before.

“Yes,” I replied hesitantly.

“Amazing!” the man suddenly exclaimed. “I have some questions regarding your participation in the Crown Trials as this generation’s wildcard!”

Before he could say another word, I smashed the phone against the receiver, hanging up.

My hands were shaking, and my pulse roared in my throat.

“What did he want?” Mom shouted, but I didn’t answer her.

I’d been sitting all day thinking about how my life would change in two weeks, but the change was happening already.