4

The Dreaming Mates

All the astonished faces kept eyeing the prince as he finished his performance and was now standing beside his father on the stage.
    Nat looked shocked and numb whereas Dyce looked calm and composed.
     After a 10-second awkward silence, you could hear people chattering and making speculations in low voices.
     The emperor regained control of himself and asked in a stern but worried voice, “What is all this, son?”
     Although, the emperor, was a ruthless old tyrant his love for his son was etched on every single word he spoke. It made me feel a bit sorry for him, the kind of fellow I had always been.
     Dyce did not leave his comfort zone and spoke self-assuredly, “I can’t understand what you mean by ‘this’ father?”
     King Viktor, considering what to say next looked at his son for some seconds, then asked in the same worried father-like voice, “I mean, why didn’t you put your name with your sister, Claire? That would have been much more appropriate thing to do.”
     I noticed the emperor’s choice of words carefully. Maybe this flawless talking helped him manipulate any person in whatever way he desired.
     I imagined him actually saying,. “How is your name even there?”
     And I knew Dyce understood every single word his father was saying in its true form. This is the kind of brain games these people usually played.
     Dyce replied, “As you know, I love Claire so much, I couldn’t risk her going with me in case our name is picked up. I thought that Clint could have been much more of an asset in the event as compared to me.”
     Clint was the head soldier’s son and just as strong as Dyce himself.
     This conversation was taking place just to ensure the people that everything was quite alright. Neither the father wanted to ask the questions he was actually asking, nor the son’s replies made any sense.
     It was clear that the royal children’s names were to be removed but somehow Dyce’s name appeared inside the bowl with some random girl and worse still, picked up by his father himself.
     Cancelling out his son’s participation could lead to widespread revolt and the monarchy couldn’t afford such a big risk, so they had to oblige by the rules.
     Nat did not show any emotion throughout the conversation, maybe too numb for that. She just kept on listening.
     Now, the pair were standing beside the other participants while the ceremony continued.
     The 7th and 8th pairs were some strangers, I didn’t know. Then came the 9th pair, “The Inseparable Duo.”
     Augusta and Kaveri, Neel’s sister. Just like Neel, Kaveri was dark and tall with prominent features. The siblings were an exquisite sight to watch both good-looking with smart brains.
     She was a year and half younger than Neel, but it didn’t impact her. The likeness was so striking that a passer-by might mistake them for being twins.
     Augusta was Kaveri’s childhood best friend and they were really just inseparable. Augusta was fun-loving and always remained in a humorous mood. She was pale and pleasant-looking.
     Both of them moved slowly through the crowd and went to stand with other contenders on the stage.
     Kaveri looked thoughtful, maybe already making her plans for the event, whereas Augusta looked pleased and even a bit excited.
     Neel looked a bit tensed but I knew he needed some time to himself so I decided to remain quiet.
     If it weren’t for the pair of Dyce and Nat, I could have easily placed all of my bets on these two to win.
     As the king was shuffling the names in the bowl again, my eye suddenly caught Pat’s face. He looked sad, seeing his sister on the stage with someone else, where it should have been him, supporting her in such dangerous circumstances.
     Now King Viktor read the next name, “Futile Warriors.”
     I could see it instantly, the inspiration behind the name. It served true for the two weak-looking creatures, who emerged from the crowd and walked to the stage.
     They had sharp eyes but not much physical strength to go along with it. Probably, one of the first to be eliminated from the competition.
     Now the 11th name was picked and called out. No, nothing dramatic about it, “The Dreaming Mates.”
     And sure enough, it was our turn to go. Alas, the strategy didn’t work!
     Neel and I went up to the stage and took our places behind the others already standing there.
     Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Nat smiling and on the ground below, Pat too, was smiling.
     It was not a mocking smile but a smile which showed respect and admiration. More still, it highlighted their wish to seek protection.
     I felt my face heat up suddenly. How could I have been so self-centered and deny the innocent pleas of these kids. Though they were only three years younger than me, I felt it was my duty to protect them from every danger they may face.
     And now, I knew one thing for sure, nothing was as simple as it appeared.
     The sudden arrival of the prince in this event and the disappearance of Pat’s name. They wanted to prevent the twins from teaming up with anyone else during the competition and the prince, sure enough, trusted his abilities and thus wouldn’t be teaming up with anybody.
     What Dyce didn’t know was that both Nat and Pat were going to be killed during the event. And yes, Pat too. There was no way he wasn’t going to participate.
     It was scripted, all right. Surely, Pat’s name was also going to come, somehow or the other. They were planning to kill these 13-year old kids!
     I kept wondering for a long time,
     “But why?”

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