Game of Royals

09 Father and Love

 "Tonight! Right here! Right now! My sweet honey cupcake and I had have made up our minds. Now everyone please hold witness and hold account for this holy occasion." Mr. Acott's voice was followed by thunderous applause. The competitors formed a semi-circle with me on the left end. Mr. Acott stood right in front of the semi-circle.

"Now I will announce the results...my back up choice is Ling Qi." They pronounced it wrong but it didn't matter. People below were hesitant to clap, and when they did it wasn't synchronized, but I doubted they had a choice. I scanned the room and found a few women cheering, but some of the men who were just pigs in fancy clothes sneered. I remained expressionless as the spot light showered on me. The screen on the other side of the room showed all angles of me standing, but I choose to remain expressionless.

"My first choice is...Vixus Agalican Dolusz Dormintz!" Mr. Acott's was once again drowned by applause. The screen across the room showed his face. He knew I was looking at the screen so he flashed a quick grin. Some of the women in the front fainted; the ones in the back were giggling their heads off. I kind of expected that, but it still made me feel angry. A minute later the clapping still continued, so Mr. Acott had to do the die down hand signal to silence the crowd.

"Now welcome tonight's main heroine!"

Charlotte appeared from behind the curtains then took her place beside her father. Her father handed her the microphone and she seemed reluctant to take it, but with thousands pair of eyes looking at her directly she managed to pick up the slack from what looked like the verge of fainting. She lowered her face and I could see her hand was shaking nervously. Anymore shaking would seem like seizure. Finally she lifted the microphone to her face and spoke:

"My back up choice is..." she was really shaking up, as if something was caught in her throat.

"Vixus Agalican Dolusz Dormintz." She said with her head still facing down. The crowd was puzzled for a moment, and I have to admit even I was a little surprised. Then they started clapping and there was a moment of disbelief for a moment on Vixus face, which I enjoyed looking at. His eyes were darting among the competitors, as if watching for trickery. Then his eyes landed on me. He gave a cold smile sending a chill down my spine. I did my best to ignore it and the next moment I looked at him smiling and stuff.

"My first..." Charlotte continued but she couldn't even say they next few word without getting her tongue caught in jumble.

"Choooiiiceee is..." she lowered her face even more and the crowd peered forward.

"Ling!" she yelled. As soon as she made eye contact with the crowd, she backed up. Then ran away from the stage, and the click of the door came soon afterwards. At that moment I was too stunned to say move, as I watch helplessly from the screen, seeing myself all shaken up. My mouth was hanging half open and my pupils were extravagated. For the first time in my life, I never felt so good someone calling my name. I felt like a little piece of cinder that was ignited by her words, and the warmth is slowly spreading to my heart. But you will burn to a crisp. A voice inside reminded me and those very words that pulled me back to reality. I didn't even notice everyone was offstage was clapping, but it much more over whelming then last time. Mr. Acott had to even do the die down signal twice.

"Well what a surprising turn of events. Forgive my daughter she's not use to public eyes." He laughed, by no one else was laughing. So he cleared his throat, still no laughter so he just continued.

"Allow me to quickly go over the rules. The last competitor remaining before New Year wins! Of course if there was more before that then it's whoever has collected the most relics wins!"

Everyone was confused, I just listened.

He produced a small metallic ring from his breast pocket.

"It's small and looks modern doesn't it? You must have expect it to be something much older, then that's a big no, no. I maybe an old timer, but I am certainly not ancient." He chuckled. This time a minority people joined in on the laugh.

"This is specially crafted by Skydorm Enterprise product's division and there are only ten in the entire world." His voice deepened.

"I expect you to all have sportsmanship, for winning without sportsmanship is meaningless. The relics are scattered across the globe, and each competitors will be given a clue on a piece of paper, each clue given to the competitor will be written in their own language. My daughter's first pick, and I respect my daughter decision on this matter will be given an immediate prize."

If you really respected your daughter decision, this game shouldn't even happen in the first place, I thought.

"And the prize for being my daughter's first pick is..." he said enthusiastically smiles and all that.

"The newest S-crystal phone! It's still in beta test level and is not likely going to be sold in the free market soon. But what makes this phone so special is that it has special access to my daughter's phone number. And my daughter can only be contacted by this phone and this number. Young women these days can't let them stay away from their likes for too long? Can't they? Now come up and get it son!" I went up the stage and took it and plastered on a fake smile. He placed the phone my hands and whispered I was ok to go. I went off the stage with little noise as possible. When I finally got off stage I had a good look at the thing. The phone was easier to be confused with a piece of looking glass and it was transparent and for a moment I actually believed it was a phone. And when I tapped it nothing happened, feeling a little disappointed I put the phone in my left pocket. Once again Mr. Acott voice booms across the room: "The prize for being my first pick is..." he smiles at the crowd and dramatic music plays...

"Is...also the newest S-crystal phone! Except this phone does not grant access to my daughter number but instead this phone grants special access to my personal phone. Sometimes you could use a little father's advice! Oh maybe not the best place to say that!" he laughed and signaled Vixus to come up. Of course Vixus smiled and looked very excited. But I know clearly beneath that skin of his, he cared about this show less than I did.

"Now it's time for you all you gentle competitors to come up stage and receive your clue!" Mr. Acott cleared his throat.

We all did as he said. A moment later a bunch of servants came up all holding sliver platters with lids in their right hand.

"Each and one of your clues are individually set in the platter before you! Now go forward and get what is yours. But remember once you see your clue don't say it!" he said with a joking voice and everyone laughed. I went forward to the platter nearest to me and removed the lid. Inside was a small folded piece of paper. Getting super cautious already I quickly tucked the clue in my right breast pocket, though I have to remind myself that this wasn't my clothing.

"Before you gentlemen leave for tonight, I must ask you to take one more thing!" everyone turned their eye to the stage again.

"Take this with you, it is the detailed manual of the games rules and other stuff. I expect all of you to keep these close at all times! You only get one of them!" A lad came onstage carrying a silver tray bearing the manuals. They looked like passports and were stacked like a pyramid. The lad came to me first, and I realized him not handing it to us, but rather waiting for us to take it. I grabbed the one on the top, and it went so and so on, and Vixus somehow got last. He gave the lad a look, and the lad pretend to not notice it, but hurried off stage once he done his job. I bet a million bucks that every other competitor was going to rather throw out or burn the manual the first chance they got.

"That's it for tonight! You can follow us on channel Skydorm, for the latest news and updates to receive exclusive reports of the games! Have a wonderful evening ladies and gentlemen!"

In their world, rules don't' apply to them and they only play by their own rules. For people like them, the game of power never ends, you play or you die. There was never a true winner.