A Single Black Rose (An Ikemen Revolution Fanfiction)

Chapter 2. Seize Your Opportunity

A few days after the momentous meeting with King Lancelot, a letter was sent addressed to out household.

'To Alina Sinclair

You, among other 9 of Hearts hopefuls belonging to the heritage, are being presented with the opportunity to partake in a test which will include three trials. The trials will test your capability to fulfil the role of an officer and will determine the most suitable candidate to succeed the title of 9 of Hearts. 

The trials are as such:

Resolving fictitious civil matters, commanding a small troop against another trial participant, and one-on-one combat against one of our esteemed swordsmanship instructors.

We will be observing your training as part of the test as a determinant of punctuality and dedication.

Training will begin on the day after the night of the next full moon at midday. Accommodation has been arranged for all participants within the barracks. After one week of training the trials will commence.

We await your active participation.

May glory run crimson through our veins'

From behind my shoulder, my mother exclaimed, "the next full moon? That's in five days!"

"You better start preparing, girl!" My father chuckled. 

"Please teach me everything you know," I appealed, directing a strong, determined gaze towards my father.

"I've already taught you everything I think you'll need to know; it wouldn't be very fair on the others if I tell you all the ins and outs of the Red Army. They will also want to see traits and skills unique to you," he replied earnestly. As much as I wanted to protest, my father had a point. Thus, it was up to me to practice everything I already knew.

After a busy five days of preparation, it was time to bid to farewell to my family and relocate to the Red Army base. I awoke early that morning, as I knew how important it was to be punctual, not only because it influences first impressions, but adhering to strict schedules is an integral factor of being a soldier in the Red Army. As I stood in the entryway to my house ready to leave, my mother squeezed me into a tight hug and my father offered an encouraging pat on my back. "You're such a resilient girl, Alina," my mother spoke endearingly.

"Go and make us proud!" my father chimed in with a hearty grin. Feeling the immense love of my parents, I quickly gave both of them a hug, beaming all the while. With a wave, I stepped into the carriage waiting outside of the house, hauling my bulky bag of belongings in with me. During the trip to the base, my mind wandered as I stared out of the window at nothing in particular. Despite my strong resolve, I had to admit I was feeling anxious. I could take a gander at who some of my rivals would be from meeting them at formal and family events. Many of them had received commendations for their invaluable service to the Red Army. I, on the other hand, am relatively unknown to members of the Red Army outside of being the 9 of Hearts' daughter. There was a heavier weight on my shoulders than I initially believed. My descending mind was brought back into the moment as the Headquarters came into view.

Just as I had finished thanking my driver, a soldier had come up to me to lead me to my designated room. I looked out over the training grounds as we walked to survey the other participants. There were only seven present at the time I checked, though I assumed there would be more incoming. The soldier remained in the hallway as I moved my bag into my room for the next few weeks. Upon entering said room, I noticed another person's belongings spread neatly around the room. It made sense that they would room the participants together, however, they forgot to consider the fact that I would need my own privacy as a woman. With a quiet sigh, I set my bag down on the table in the middle of the room before exiting. My escort smiled politely before leading the way back to the training grounds. 

The moment I emerged from the barracks, the other participants' eyes flew towards my direction. Initially, they were eager to see if any acquaintances would also be joining, but when they realised who I was, their excitement turned to curiousity and skepticism. I could sense the questions in their stares; 'What is she doing here?', 'Is she participating in the test too? No way'. Regardless of their judgements, my expression remained steadfast as I made my way onto the field. I mingled with a few of the people I knew, though there were multiple instances I was faced with overt misogyny. Four others had arrived before we were finally addressed by one of the soldiers stationed around the grounds. With practiced movements, our group of twelve formed into equal lines. To all of our surprises, the three highest ranking officers - the King, Queen, and Jack - were there to address us. Hastily, we saluted dutifully to the three officers. Jonah and I made eye contact as I straightened back up, his expression undecipherable. 

"Good afternoon, soldiers. We thank you for your attendance today and for the next two weeks. Today, I will be outlining your daily schedules for this training week..." Lancelot's voice faded out of my awareness while I scanned the other participants. They were all fairly built and I could tell they had many years of training under their belts. Many of them fit into the standard mold for Red Army soldiers, though some appeared somewhat rebellious with their daring looks. 

"I'm sure you all made your way here after depositing your belongings in your assigned rooms, so we will be allocating time for you to arrange your temporary living quarters. Uniforms will be delivered to your rooms later this evening to be worn from tomorrow onwards. You will be summoned back here in one hour and will be supervised by Edgar and Zero." My eyes travelled to the aforementioned Jack and he sent a mischievous smirk back in my direction. "You are dismissed," Lancelot concluded. We all saluted and began to meander our way back towards the barracks.

Without bringing attention to myself, I made my way over to Jonah. Though I wanted to converse casually, I was conscious of my current position and began with a bow. "Queen Jonah, a word please," I addressed.

"Yes?" He responded with slight shock at the formality.

"I do not wish to be a nuisance, however, I deem it inappropriate that I will be sharing a room with a man."

A short pause as his eyes subtly tried to read mine.

"Our apologies for overlooking your situation. I do wish there was an alternative, however, there are no other available rooms."

'Wow, he does not sound like the same Jonah I used to know, though he is probably thinking the same about me'

"I understand," I said then bowed and began to take my leave.

By the time I had finished conversing with Jonah, the training grounds were clear, save for a lone soldier slicing his sword through the air. Around the barracks, the other participants watched on as he trained, clearly gossiping about this fascinating guy. 

Once again, Jonah's voice sounded from behind me; "Ah, Skylar Faxon. He's notorious for his relentless self-discipline and unconventional techniques. Many people see him as a bit of an enigma, though he is approachable in social situations."

"Never seen him before; must be a distant cousin of mine," I replied absentmindedly as I watched him train. His form was distinct from that of regular Red Army soldiers and that intrigued me. As much as I wanted to spend some time to learn and understand his approaches, I had a bag to unpack back in my room.

Upon entering my room, I found that the person I was sharing it with was not present. 'So, my roommate is that Skylar Faxon guy, huh?'  Without much more thought, I sought for my sword and swiftly exited the room once again.

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A/N

Apologies for the radio silence since I started the rewrite, I had been a bit busy and it took a bit to get this chapter the way I wanted it. I was struggling to write for Jonah because I haven't touched the game in a while, so getting his speaking mannerisms down was more of challenge than I was expecting. I gave up for the time being because the situation they're in would lead him to speaking more formally anyways, so less personality is fine.

I can assure that I'll write more often for the next couple of months because I'm off school, plus I have plans for the next couple of chapters.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! <3