Royal Dilemma

Chapter Fifteen

(Caleb's Point of View)

At Julian's urging, our parents hold a Sunday family game night at the palace. We all gather in the informal living room to battle it out. This used to be one of my favorite places to hang out when I lived at home. Though the couches are cream they're as soft and comfortable as a cloud and the matching cushy chairs are pretty comfortable too. My mom moves the large dark wood coffee table away from the couch and toward the middle of the room so there's enough space for all of us to sit around it, the games in the middle.

The games start off with a bang. When we were playing Twister, Julian not-so-subtly pushed me over. When we played Candy Land, Levi kept trying to move his piece further forward on the board without us noticing. My brothers are all very competitive.

"I don't know how I feel about our future king being a cheater," Colin had said after we'd caught Levi for the second time.

"When I'm king, you're getting locked in the dungeon," came Levi's reply.

Levi's wife Mila looked at her husband with a mixture of disbelief, exasperation, and love.

"We don't have a dungeon," our dad said absentmindedly, contemplating the board. "Julian, did you move your piece forward? I could've sworn you were at Princess Lolly."

"You insult my honor?" Julian asked dramatically.

My dad shot him a look and picked up his piece, putting it back where it belonged.

As the night goes on things only get more heated.

"You're a trash person!" Joey shouts at Julian."You're a little trash monster who lives in a dumpster filled with trash!"

"Joey honey," my mom warns.

Julian has just won his second round of Rummy but Joey isn't very happy with the outcome.

"You're cheating!" Joey accuses, throwing his cards down.

"How do you cheat at Rummy?" Colin asks.

"Nobody asked you, rat," Joey snaps.

"Joseph," my mom says sharply.

Joey shuts his mouth and shrinks back. Our mom is quite intimidating when she wants to be.

I'm beginning to remember why we stopped doing family game night.

"Maybe if you didn't hoard cards like a greedy little goblin you wouldn't end up with a negative score," Julian taunts Joey.

Joey's face turns pink with anger and he and Julian begin arguing again. I see movement out of the corner of my eye and watch as Levi tries to sneak all four of the Ace cards, the highest point valued cards in the game, under his leg.

"Put the Aces back Levi," I tell him.

Levi jumps and his eyes widen as if he actually thought he was being sneaky and didn't expect to get caught.

Mila sees the cards half-hidden by his leg and sighs, reaching out and taking them from him, and putting them back in the deck.

Mom manages to get Julian and Joey to settle down and our dad starts shuffling the deck.

"I don't know where you boys get your competitive side from," Dad says.

"They get it from your father," our mom says without hesitation.

Dad nods knowingly. "He used to bend his golf clubs when he made a bad shot."

"Was grandpa also a massive cheater?" Colin asks, watching my dad's hands as he shuffles.