The Game

Chapter 1 - Preparations at the Point

Light from the full moon flooded the gothic ballroom as preparations were underway for the celebration later that night. Ornate floral centrepieces were placed on the dark table that was draped with with black lace cloth. Heavy velvet curtains were drawn with satin sashes and expensive silverware was arranged upon ancient china.

All of these preparations were made by silent servers, clothed all in black and each stunningly beautiful in their own right. They danced around the tables, careful not to upset anything as they decorated the room.
    They were the best of their kind, each nimble, dainty and quick to follow orders. They trained for years to become what they were. They considered themselves lucky to have a master, a Noble house to tie their fates too and a greater power to serve. There were much worse ways to spend their days.
    Still they were irrelevant in the greater scheme of things. They were merely pawns in an elaborate game that had lasted for decades.

A game of wealth, power and deadly beauty. A game of family bonds, ill advised loves and untimely deaths. Loyalties were tested and many people betrayed. All was fair in this game. It was both love and war.
   The Game was played by a member of each generation of one of the thirteen Noble houses. Each different in looks, powers and goals but each with a shared desire to win.
   A desire for power, wealth and the opportunity to create a world where they could finally be free to do as they chose. Some wished to improve their world, others wished for something completely different. That was why each generation continued to play the Game. Not that it was a matter of choice.

However the Game controlled everything. It changed each Noble just as it changed all their parents and their parents before them. Each individual was ultimately unprepared no matter how much training they had done. The Game was a test of strength, talent and bravery and nobody knew how it was won.

Soon after the beginning of each Game, the weak minded Nobles are lost and all of them have their beliefs and wishes challenged and twisted. They are played by the Game and are morphed into new versions of themselves.

Each Noble had a strong connection with the others and many used this as a weapon. Different tactics and disguises made it impossible to distinguish the truth from the lies.

In such a confusing world, nothing was safe but there was a change coming about and it was happening at an important time for the thirteen. The beginning of a new Game was upon them and this meant all the Nobles would be in the same room for the first time. No meeting of the thirteen was to be taken lightly, especially not one being held in Point Castle during a full moon.
This castle was known to have a mind of its own and, just like it's Noble, was completely unpredictable.

***

Lord Crua stood still, unmoving as he watched the first of the Nobles approach the heavy iron gates that guarded the entrance to his territory. The land was dark and nothing could be seen below knee level, as there was always a dense covering of murky fog that clung to anything it could reach with its cold, clammy fingers.

He distractedly clenched his jaw as the gates creaked open and Lady Dahlia's carriage approached the castle. He had never agreed with her on anything of importance. She had always been much to soft for his liking. She has so much power that she refused to unleash fully as she so easily could. She could destroy anything that stood in her way should it be necessary and even he himself had seen it to be a wise choice to offer her an alliance. However she had declined. This insult to his house had humiliated him deeply and it was even worse knowing he could never exact his revenge on her.

The ridiculous woman was a constant source of irritation to him and he so longed to slap her perfect face until she could see the world the way he saw it but he never could. She was well able to take him in a fight and she had strong alliances with many of the thirteen. She also knew him better than almost anybody and knew better than to trust their shared childhood would be enough to save her from his wrath should she be too careless.

The coppery tang of blood filled his mouth and Crua realised that he has been biting his lip. The taste wasn't altogether unpleasant but he knew that the time had come for him to return to his lounge where the Nobles soon would gather.
   Tonight was especially important because the youngest Noble had finally come of age and this signalled the beginning of a new era and a new chapter to a story that was already decades long.