The Deadliest Game

Eight - Lies and Confessions

Princess Velvet Bishop

"Any idea what this important conference is about?" I ask Axel as we get up from breakfast. My parents have been making such a big deal about it, Mother barely ate anything. Aunt Catalina has been fuming through the whole meal, and her eyes are red and puffy from crying.

"I'd guess about Lady Catalina's pregnancy." Axel stands, before offering me his hand.

"I feel like that's something they'd want to keep under wraps, not announce to the Kingdom." I scoff, taking his hand and standing up. My floor length white dress and black cloak sway as we walk out, my heels clicking against the marble hall floor.

"Well we're about to find out." Axel shrugs. We walk towards the front of the castle, and I see Mother and Father whispering and reviewing papers next to us. Raelynn and Sayer drag their feet, and I stop Axel to talk to Raelynn.

"Hey, how'd you sleep?" I step next to Raelynn, and Axel starts talking with Sayer. Her hair looks good, and I don't think Mother and Father have noticed yet. They'll be really shocked when everyone gasps at her entrance.

"Terrible. I had nightmares of Arium." She shakes her head, clearly not concerned about the announcements. Only the immediate Royal Family attends these things, so I have no idea why Lady Catalina walks in stride with her head held high.

"That's not what they're announcing today." I assure my baby sister, even though I'm sure she was never worried about that. I just don't know what else to say.

"I know. It's 'not final.'" Rae makes air quotes with her hands around the words "not final", and I laugh because she reminds me so much of myself. "You're so lucky."

"I know." I don't even try to deny it. I can marry for love, because I don't need money or power. But no one wants to be real around me. Except maybe Koi... but I haven't really figured him out yet. "But I'll do my best to make you lucky too."

We arrive at the doors of the Castle, and I already see the cameras and microphones. The event will be televised live. Guards slowly open the doors at our arrival, and cameras flash all around. It's quite overwhelming. I step into the bright, cold, day of the late Eleventh month, and am quite thankful for my cloak. I don't envy Axel in his thin dress shirt. The four of us children take a seat to the left of the podium, while Aunt Catalina and Father stand on either sides of the podium. Mother gracefully arrives at the podium last.

"People of Alkali, on this day we have great news come from tragedy." Mother's voice is so calm, so even. Aunt Catalina seems to be fighting back tears, but she's masking it quite well. "As many of you know, on the eve of the Nineteenth day, my poor sister was almost assassinated in her chambers by one of her guards." I raise my eyebrow. Now both Aunt Catalina and Mother have tears in their eyes, but I suspect for different reasons. Security hasn't been heightened, so the line about an attempted murder is obviously made up, but why?

"On the morning of the Twentieth, she went to see the doctor to check up and make sure she was okay, when we learned Lady Catalina was in fact pregnant! Planned, of course, but still wonderful." Mother beams, so different than how she really reacted to the news. Some of the camera people clap. "But after this news I myself got checked, and learned that I too am pregnant!" Mother grabs Father's hand, and they both smile like new parents. You can hear the cheers echo through the homes of the people across the city, who hear the news live. "What's more, our babies are due the same day, the Third day of the Sixth month, which happens to be Kylan and my's anniversary."

There's no stopping the celebration now. Everyone is through the roof, and people are starting to gather at the gates to the castle.

"Finally, the trial of my sister's attacker, Sir Dane Quill, will be held in one month's time at the public court. Thank you, and have a lovely day." As soon as the cameras leave, Catalina rushes inside. The rest of us, however, go and greet some of the people at the gates. No one payed attention to Mother's last announcement, which I guess is what she wanted.