Games of Chance

Seven

"Well, we're here. The Daylight Palace," Roy announced quite anticlimactically. It took Chase a moment to realize that he was, in fact, referring to the white marble colossus that sat right smack dab in the middle of the city. The old-ish ornamental architecture of the palace contrasted delightfully with the modern utility of the buildings around it.

"The grounds aren't as spacious as one would expect castle grounds to be, I know," Roy remarked. "But it's in the middle of the city. Space matters, you know? This is more of an administrative palace. The summer palace in Yerkfort? Now that's what I call the kind of place where old kings and queens get fat on exotic wines and cheeses."

"Wow..." Chase trailed off. He hadn't even thought the grounds were lacking- they were certainly more spacious than his backyard- but he decided not to press the subject. He already felt poor and uncultured enough in the presence of a European warrior princess mathematician and her associate. He decided to take this opportunity to learn more about the country he was in. "So, technically, is Arcana still an absolute monarchy? Or is it like Great Britain? You know, with a symbolic royal family but an elected government that does all the actual governing?"

"We're one of the last absolute monarchies left on Earth, and one of the only countries that has never been involved in a war or a revolution," Juliana chirped proudly as the car stopped in front of a large water fountain on the palace's wide open lawn.

"What's our secret? The UN asks all the time, and we make up excuses, but I think you know what it really is, don't you, Mr. Aptitude?" she grinned as she opened the door, standing up to stretch her legs before strolling up the paved path that led to the palace gate.

Incredible. Clearly, the probabilities could be used in ways Chase had never imagined. A literal utopian country had been built with their help!

And that was when, as he hurried out of the car and up the pathway in an effort to keep up with Juliana and Roy, a thought struck him. A thought so simple yet so incredible that he couldn't believe that no one in the Order of Chance had thought of it before. He held it in for fear of looking presumptuous as they walked past the security guards at the gate and entered the palace, carefully skirting the floors that were open to the public in order to avoid causing a scene and stepping into an elevator in an effort to steer clear of the tourists taking selfies on the velvet-clad spiral staircases.

Finally, he could hold it in no longer.

"So, if you used the Power to create a perfect society in which no one rebels and no one wants to go to war... why can't you do that in other places, too? You have the power to create world peace, like, right now. What's stopping you?"

Juliana backed up against the elevator wall, giving him a warning look, while Roy's face twisted into a scowl. "It's such ideas that get our loved ones killed. Such ideas that drive people to join the Jackers. Some things, the world isn't ready for, so they cause pain even when used with the best intentions. You could even say that some things, the world doesn't deserve."

"Roy," Juliana let out a pained whisper. "Forgive him... it was an innocent suggestion. He doesn't yet understand the horror of what he has just said."

A pang of guilt and confusion struck Chase's heart as he caught sight of Juliana's deep, mournful eyes. Horror? What had he said wrong?

"It's alright, I- we overreacted," Juliana continued as the elevator doors opened onto the fourth floor. "There was nothing wrong with what you said."

"Oh, really?" Roy sneered. "You're going to let him go into the Order thinking that?"

"Roy!" Juliana's composure snapped into focus. "Desist at once!"