A Game of Crowns
Chapter 2- The art of war

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

-Matthew 7:15

Some would call me crazy for not wanting the crown. Every girl here wanted it badly, minus myself of course. They wanted a chance for a new life; a chance to escape their old lives, but for me, it took me away from a life that I loved.

So when The Trinity announced the welcoming, I wanted to scream in frustration. I had somehow managed to snag a one in ten chance at becoming Queen.

The Trinity continued to gaze at us with scrutinizing eyes. They watched us for a reaction, but no one dared move.

The girl opened her mouth again, still speaking for The Trinity, “There will be one trial per month. The first two will be split by gender. The last four trials you will be put into teams; one man and one woman. We will pair you ourselves. We will pick who we think is a better match together. If your team wins, then that is who you will marry. We will be watching you...”

With that, they left the room. The room exploded into noise after they left. Everyone still had questions, to be honest, so did I.

An older man and woman took the place The Trinity had vacated. The man had a severe look about him, but the woman seemed kind. His handlebar mustache and parted gray hair only added to the severity of his face, while the woman’s heart-shaped face enhanced the kindness in her light brown eyes.

The man addressed us, “On the days leading up to the trials you will be learning skills needed to be the next monarchy of Iron Forge, should you win. We will prepare you as much as we can.”

The woman piped in, “This isn’t a game you will win by mere luck. You will need strategy and a good partnership in the last four rounds. We will be your go-between; your direct line to The Trinity. I am Madame Lorrelle and this is Sir Hawthorne.” Her ochre eyes roamed over us as she established her authority.

Not much later, Madame Lorrelle and Sir Hawthorne excused themselves to speak to the remaining attendants that were still circulating through the room.

“Oh no, excuse me,” said a high-pitched voice, as a red, sticky liquid ran down the front of my dress.

My dress would not recover from the stain.

“You really shouldn’t have gotten in my way,” said the voice.

I looked up to see a girl with soft features. Her light brown hair gave the effect of a halo. Her baby blue dress gave her an air of innocence, but her soft facial features and dress could not hide the viciousness in her eyes.

Her voice sounded apologetic, but her words were clear; stay out of her way. She turned without giving me a second look.

They say there is an art to war. When men fight it’s all about brawn and ego but women were the real artists. Women were sly about how they fought and I’m pretty sure the blonde woman was an artist.

My fists clenched in anger as she walked away. An attendant scurried up to me and offered a warm towel to clean myself off. I was able to remove the stickiness from my body, but my dress was stained an ugly red. It looked as if blood had dried on my outfit.

I rolled my eyes. Day one was off to a magnificent start. Madame Lorrelle and Sir Hawthorne came back for us. We split into our genders to head towards our living quarters. But no, I wouldn’t get away so easily. I was pushed and nudged around as people moved to get to their section.

The guy who pushed up against me was gorgeous. He had mahogany brown hair, almost black. His face was sharp and angular with high cheekbones, his lips were thin but full, and he had a muscular jawline that gave me butterflies. His narrow nose led up to the most startling blue eyes I’d ever seen. I was at a loss for words. He was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen, that is until he opened his mouth. “Move.”

Rude would be a word to describe the blue-eyed monster in front of me. I was still having trouble formulating words into coherent sentences.

The sneer he gave me cleared the mind fog quickly. His obvious disgust with me was evident. Another participant called for him. His name was Tobias. He walked around me while I stood motionless. The girl with the clumsy hands sniggered a few feet away.

I wanted to punch the look off her face, but I reminded myself, I would not resort to violence...yet.

Madame Lorrelle led us to the east wing of the palace. She called us out, one at a time, as we passed different suites. I learned the light-haired girl was named, Viktorya Vanguard; even her name sounded snobbish. I was last, given the Rose Suite.

I opened the door to a well-lit room. A woman stopped turning down the bed and smiled at me.

“I am Georgiana, your lady in waiting. A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” she said, giving me a slight curtsey.

“There’s no need to curtsy. I’m Penelope, it’s nice to meet you.”

She smiled warmly. “We should get you changed. I see you had a spill,” she motioned towards my dress.

“More or less.”

She helped me into a long cotton dress with no sleeves and a high neck. I kept the sandals from before. It was surprisingly comfortable. I could get used to dresses; my mother would be happy to hear it.

“Thank you, Georgiana. You know, I can do most of these things myself, if not all. I’m more than capable.”

“I know you are, Miss Tate, but it is my job and I do not mind doing it.”

I smiled at the young woman.

“Georgiana, if you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?”

She blushed. “I just turned twenty-three a week ago.”

She was so close to being able to take part in the lottery. Stupid technicalities.

“Hey, is it alright if I explore a bit before bed?”

“Yes, but only for an hour. The guards have a curfew for guests and some staff because of what happened to the royal family.”

She sniffled, wiping away a tear.

“Were you close with any of them?”

“Princess Lola was my charge, only thirteen when she died.”

A new wave of trickling tears fell down her face, made me sorry for asking. She turned around and busied herself with putting up my belongings, which had made it to my room. Her long blonde braid swung behind her back as she moved from area to area.

“I’ll be back in less than an hour, Georgiana.”

I left without looking at her, not wanting to see her sad face. It was hard for me to deal with people when they were sad. I never knew how to react or how to treat them.

The east wing was rather boring; no decorations and slightly dim. Everything needed better lighting. The palace had electricity so why was it so dark around here. I found it funny how all of Iron Forge still lived as if we were still in the early era, but here at the palace, we had the luxury of light. My mother and father would love electricity.

I found the room where we met The Trinity, so instead of going left, which headed back towards the east wing, I went in a different direction. I passed sitting rooms, two music rooms, and a room with glass for a ceiling. The stars were soothing. I allowed myself five minutes to sit under the glass dome and enjoy the stars. I let the tension of the day leave my shoulders. It was refreshing.

I sighed as I left the room, making sure to remember how I got there so I could return another day.

I passed the kitchen where I could smell the wonderful aroma of bread baking. My stomach growled. It had been hours since I’d last eaten. I hoped Georgiana wouldn’t mind bringing me something up later. The hustle and bustle in the kitchen was quieter than I thought it would have been, but then again it wasn’t a meal time.

I passed several of the palace staff, too engrossed in their duties for them to notice me. I was happy I could roam around without anyone following me around. It surprised me that I could, but I wasn’t about to question it.

I found a lone door and dared to open it, thinking it would be a storage room. It was a side door into the throne room. The room was huge, more of a grand hall than a room, really.

At the front sat two thrones of the same size. One more feminine than the other, but both were just as regal. Both were marble, but one was black and the other was white. The tops of the thrones were shaped into crowns. They reminded me of chess pieces on a board.

“They’re stunning, aren’t they?”

I jumped a little in fright.

He chuckled. “You don’t need to be frightened. My name is Thelonious. I was the chief advisor to King Stefan during his reign.”

He was of average height with dark brooding good looks. He looked to be in his early forties. The scruff on his face made him all the more attractive. Just because he was older didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate his striking features.

“My name is Penelope. It’s an honor to meet you, good Sir.”

“Oh, I know who you are. You are a participant in the Game of Crowns. You could very well be my next queen.”

I blushed at his gaze.

I don’t know why I was blushing for this man, other than the fact that he was ruggedly handsome.

I replied to his earlier question about the thrones. “Yes, they are beautiful.”

“Why don’t you sit in one? See how it feels.”

I couldn’t do that, even though I was slightly tempted.

“Oh no, I’m okay. I really must head back before the curfew is enacted.”

He nodded but did not move to leave. Instead, I left, feeling his gaze on me as I walked back across the room.

Strange man, that Thelonious.

I practically sprinted all the way back to my room. Georgiana sat waiting for me with a bowl of warm soup. My stomach fell in love with her for anticipating its want. I ate and quickly readied for bed. Georgiana left soon after.

I walked around my room and marveled at the size of it. My whole house was smaller than my current living quarters. The room was kindly provided with a queen-sized bed, a desk, two large whitewashed dressers, a small table for two, two bookshelves, and a red love seat. The bathroom was double the size of my small bedroom at home. A deep tub sat nestled in a corner of the room and a standing shower was at its left. I had never been in a standing shower. I was anxious to try one.

I opened a door which led into a walk-in closet. It was empty except for the few belongings I had brought with me. Georgiana had hung up my limited wardrobe. I opened the other door in the closet which led back out into my room. It was a drastic change from home, but I could absolutely get used to it.

I tossed myself onto my bed and snuggled beneath the plush comforter. I’d need my rest for whatever The Trinity had in store for us. I closed my eyes and a restful sleep came quicker than expected.