The Queen Games

VII

Since I was presented with inside information, any time not spent in the middle of a feast with the other competitors, was spent in the library reading up on the those in the council.

Like Alpha's, the council were passed down in generation. They got their place in the royal household though nepotism.

All but Sir Alafa Jinkins, he was chosen due to his help in the great battle against the witches in 1995 which we won, thank god.

He was apparently the closest to the king after that war, therefore meaning he's the one to impress.

I watched the other girls with hawk eyes to assure that they don't grow suspicious of me, they did their own things.

Cheryl continuing her quest to become trilingual by learning Japanese and Portuguese and Charlize being a basic girl and doing trivial activities such as painting her nails.

Charlize only seemed to have a problem with me when it came to the royal family, aside from that she ignored me like I was a fly on the wall.

"Did you hear Daphnia Lessary got kicked out last night?" Amy asks as we sit together in the library, I shake my head, "Apparently she slept with one of the soldiers and he told the King."

They were  possibly told to seduce the girls in order to see who's easy and would cause rumours of affairs to be circulating.

Daphnia was a pretty girl though, older than me and evidently more stupid.

"I don't understand, if you're really here for the prince, why go for other people?" I question to which Amy shrugs

"Some people equate sex with love." She tells me, "It gives off the same hormones and people mix the two, she probably thought the guy loved her and if she can't have the prince, she'll have someone else."

  I sometimes forget how smart Amy is.

Humming in acknowledgement I continue reading the book about Dame Marina Knight.

The council was passed down to her aswell but unlike the others she earned it later.

"Dame Knight is only 35." I tell Amy who nods, "But see such a prominent member of the council."

"Queen's adviser," Amy recalls, "She's helped the Queen though difficult times when she trusted the wrong people apparently, but that's all hearsay."

"Interesting." I mumble flicking though the book.

"Why are you reading about Dame Knight?" Amy asks in a calm tone, not really caring as she reads her own book.

"Gotta brush up on my history just in case." I shrug, trying to make it nonchalant but realised it's being wasted on Amy, she doesn't care about all this.

Heck, I shouldn't care about all of this.

I don't care about all of this.

Maybe it's just the thrill of playing the game that's pulled me in.

"Smart I guess, possibly should do the same if I will get my deep dark secret for my exposé."

"You could try and find out who the queen trusted that made her so close to Dame Knight." I suggest to which she shrugs her shoulders

"Only if it's juicy." Was her reply, before putting her books together and hauling them away.

I continue reading seeing that the Dame Knight became the queen's adviser after the war with the witches.

This war with the witches happened before I was born but so many things changed afterwards.

"Funny finding you here." A voice said pulling me out of my mental thoughts. I look up to see Devon coming to occupy Amy's seat.

"Have you seen Sapphire?" I question, having nothing else for us to talk about.

"She's in army training now, you'll see her soon." He tells me as he looks at me with intrigued eyes, "I'm guessing she gave you the hint I told her to give you."

So he's D.

Interesting.

"Why are you trying to help me?" I ask looking up at him with wary eyes

"I'll rather you queen than anyone else," he informs me, "You could have killed that soldier if you really wanted to, I prefer to have a ruthless queen than a weak one."

His facial features never change, always so cold and stern. Maybe it's because I'm me and not sapphire, the girl he couldn't keep his eyes off.

"That only happened cause he tried to kill me. I'm not one for violence." I tell him to which he shrugs

"And I don't care. As long as you can look after yourself." He says with hard eyes, "You're my front choice for the prince."

did he tell the prince that?

Is asking what the prince is like weird when I'm not here to win it?

"Doesn't matter,  the Queen thinks I'm boring." I tell him recalling my criticism, she didn't give me single piece of advise in the whole thing.

"Sapphire said she also called you pretty." He said giving my face a look over, "Though you're not particularly my type, it was still a compliment and since she hasn't complimented anyone else, I guess your special in some sense. Don't let it get to your head however, the King has made it very clear to me that he favours Simone or Cheryl after I put forward the names."

Cheryl and Simone do seem like the best choice.

I only hum in acknowledgment, "They'll be able to protect themselves if the time calls-"

"Do you not want to be here or something?" Devon interrupts, "It's almost as if you're just here to watch someone else win."

Well he caught me out.

Maybe I don't fake it as well as I thought I did

"The Prince is a human being and they're treating him like some sort of trophy. This game is just fun to watch, they take it all so seriously forgetting that not being themselves will end up making them unhappy." I say with a shrug to my shoulder.

He leans back into his seat, "Interesting," he then looks as if he's thinking about something deeply, "So if I gave you a chance to cheat your way though the whole system, would you take it?"

"No." I reply quickly.

"Really, cause I could trai-"

"No." I persist, "I don't want the Prince as my mate."

"Why not?" He challenges

"I don't wish to watch those I care about die as I fulfil the 1000 years." I answer honestly and he looks at me with strange eyes

"That's the best reason I've ever heard." He utters before getting up from his seat after seeing Amy behind me, "Which keeps you my favourite. Congrats Queen Elise."

He bows before leaving and Amy looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

"You've got the Prince's best friend vouching for you, lucky girl." She says as she sits back down in her seat, "Did he tell you anything?"

Telling Amy about the council doesn't seem like a good idea. In every scenario I played in my head, it ended up with her writing it in her exposé.

So instead I shake my head and keep quiet, continuing brushing up on my knowledge