The Imperial Mentor

Chapter 19.2: A Group Endeavor

The next morning, the Princesses and Princes gathered at the reception hall for a group lesson planned by their Professors. Professor Heine announced, "Today we will be doing a recreational activity that will facilitate you in completing your bonding assignment. In short, we are going to play a game that will test your strategy and focusing skills, not to mention your imaginable flexibility." Professor Heidi added, "We have 8 chits here. Each of you will write down a game that you desire to play. Then I will collect them, and Professor Heine will choose from them which game to play. So let the lesson begin!"

All the Princes and Princesses obeyed their instructions and gave in their chits and discussed. Professor Heine picked out a piece of paper and read aloud, "The game we're going to play today is DARKROOM? How do you play this? Your Highnesses, who has chosen this game? Please come forward and elucidate us with the rules." Licha rose from her seat and explained, "Okay, I'm the one who chose this game, so there aren't many rules. Two people will be the finders; they have to choose a room in the palace in which they would want to play. They have to stand outside until the rest of the people in the room find their hiding place. The room has to be dark so they couldn't be easily found. Switching positions is allowed, but you have to remember to scare out the people who are trying to find you. The game is over when the finders call a time-out. The person who remains hidden till the last wins. That's all! Simple, right?" Professor Heidi acknowledged, "Excellent choice; well-considered. This game fulfills our purpose for today. Now, I have 8 popsicle sticks here out of which 2 are marked in red. The two people who pick out the red ones will be the finders, alright? So let's begin!"

Everybody picked out their sticks, and Prince Licht and Princess Licha were the finders for the game. They picked out the attic as their target place. They remained downstairs until everyone from there shouted, "WE'RE READY! COME AND FIND US!" They both entered the room to find it completely black and dark with no sense of vision or direction. Licha whispered, "Okay, how are we going to find them?" Licht replied with confidence, "Watch this, baby doll!" He took a deep breath and started screaming, "Professor Heine and Professor Heidi hide dirty books in their rooms! I've seen it all! And strange devices for making themselves taller!" Professor Heine and Professor Heidi came out fuming with anger and pouted, "I'll have you know I do such thing!" Licht laughed out and said, "HA! You always fall for this Heine darling, and now even I've discovered that both of you are the same! But this time you have nowhere to run, once you're found that's that." Licha high-fived Licht and acknowledged, "Good job, my lad! Will you go out with me?" Licht gave a wide grin and replied, "Any day, my dove!"

At the sound of that, Bruno came out and yelled, "NO! YOU WILL NOT, YOU IMBECILE! Do you understand that father asked you guys to get along! Not to create lewd acts!" Licha screamed with joy, "HA! MY PLAN WORKED! BRUNIE-BOY DID GET CAUGHT!" Bruno grunted in anger for his gullibility. But Licha corrected him, "Umm... but I'm still going out with your brother, that's for sure."

*IN A CLOSET*

Leonora and Brunia were hiding in an old closet filled with muddy clothes. Leonora made a disgusted face and whispered, "YUCK! Do these Princes even wash their clothes? Or at least give them to a maid for laundry?" Brunia heard something moving in the cabinet other than them! She whispered, "Leo, don't freak out, but I think that there's someone else besides us in here!" Leonora murmured in fear, "What!? What do you think is in here?" Brunia whispered in reply, "I think it's a rat." Leonora yelled, "RAT!? AHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!!! UWHAAAAAA!!! SOMEONE HELP ME!!" Brunia yelled, "Leo! Stay down! Or else we will get caught!! The whole closet started to wiggle here, and there it started making weird noises.

The Professors, Bruno, Licht, and Licha looked at the wiggling closet and wondered what on earth was going on in there. Licha squealed with delight, "OH! I guess Kaira and Kai are getting passionate in there!" Bruno shouted, "What nonsense, that is preposterous! I am catching those two right now!" He went towards the closet, which eventually fell on him with two people screaming inside! Bruno screeched, "GOOD GOD!!! Someone help me!!" Suddenly, a scream came from above the ceiling, "Dearest brother Bruno, I will save you!" It turned out to be Leonhard who was hanging himself from the ceiling by the support of the surrounding walls! He then released his hands and fell on top of the closet! Licha commented, "They look like toppings on a slice of pizza!" Licha added, "With extra cheese!"

Both the Professors came running and lifted up the furniture from the Princes' body and opened it to find Brunia and Leonora inside who came out screaming in fear. Professor Heidi asked, "What was going on in there?! Why were you two wiggling the closet!?" Leonora shrieked, "Because there was a big fat rat in there! Also, the clothes stink! How long have you have them in there!?" Bruno answered, "Well... I believe that those are Leonhard's sports jerseys that never made a trip to the laundry for 4 years." Brunia and Leonora made faces of anguishment and repugnance. Bruno looked over at Leonhard who was handing his head in shame, and said, "Leonhard? Who dropped yourself from the ceiling to save me?" Leonhard whimpered, "Yeah... if anything had happened to you, I don't know what would I Have done." Bruno pulled his younger brother into an embrace, and his little sibling cried as the older brother comforted him.

Licht reminded, "Okay, everyone is caught except for Kai and Kaira." Licha responded, "UGH! I think that's enough drama for this round! TIME-OUT! Kai and Kaira win the game! You guys and come out now." It turned out that both of them had squeezed themselves in separate cardboard boxes, despite their massive height. Leonora yelled, "If we end the game here, we're all going to look pathetic! I CHALLENGE PROFESSOR HEINE AND PROFESSOR HEIDI TO BE THE FINDERS OF THE SECOND ROUND!" They both exited the attic and waited outside until the Princes and the Princesses were ready.

As they left the room, Licha reminded, "You guys didn't scare us! That was the whole point of the game! Now, the eight of us need to come together and scare the freak out of our Professors. Any ideas?" Brunia proposed, "Is there a stereo in here?" Leonhard brought one that was packed up in an old box and asked in curiosity, "Here. But what are you going to do with it?" Brunia answered, "Well... if there are cassettes that produce creepy vocals, then the room will be furnished with a frightening ambiance. That's like the complimentary meal from the cook from the cuisine." Bruno acknowledged and continued, "Nice metaphor, Brunia. Also, it would be an educated strategy if we all stick together as groups of 2 and keep moving back and forth putting the special effects in place according to their movements, which we have to take note. Since Brunia attained up with the ethnomusicology concept, she and I will manage that front of the transaction."

Leonhard recommended, "OH! Since Leonora and I have immeasurable stamina, we could sustain ourselves on the ceiling and spray them with something that looks like blood from the water guns that we have in this storage unit." Licha advised, "Things can become a little bit more interesting if we put something sticky and place it on the platform in such a location that one of their feet would get grounded and then..." Kai appended, "At that moment, Kaira and I can fling two offensive looking puppets on them, and the lights will be on, thus indicating the conclusion of the game." Everyone took their positions and shouted, "WE'RE READY! COME AND FIND US!"

Everything went as planned, thus terrifying and flinching the Professors at the end! Both the Professors thought, "I am their instructor, yet sometimes they exceed my expectations. Goodness, their progress bewilders me. Immeasurable input, Your Highnesses. Today's lesson was a success, indeed."