Royal Academy Diaries I

Steel & Gold ⚜ Ch. 9

The twelfth and thirteenth of February are strange days in the village of Vanera where people buy flowers and chocolate in raincoats - without a cloud in the sky.

The reason is the infamous 24 Challenge, also known as the Assassin game - a difficult test for those attending the Knight Academy who want to prove their strategic and protective skills. For twenty four hours, they must protect themself and one other student from getting "killed" - wet or splashed by scheming "assassins".

The other schools and even the town make it into a fun game to splash friends and neighbors. But for the Knight students, it is deadly serious. With so many people carrying around water bottles and hidden containers, protecting their ward is a difficult task. Those who succeed in this and the later 48 hour challenge are rewarded and touted as heroes.

In the main courtyard of the Knight Academy, the participants for the Assassin challenge waited in front of the grand façade where decorations for the Valentine's ball were already being hung. Headmaster Negro stood on the castle steps with Lieutenant Andris, the head of the advanced programs, as well as Sir Malcolm.

Darius stood in the back with his friends and their wards - Dren was protecting his girl Thiana, Haraz had Lady Lovisa, Darius of course chose Princess Mariem, and Gustav would help guard all three at the Royal Academy.

At 7:45, Andris stepped forward. "Welcome to the thirty-seventh annual 24 Challenge. I'm sure you are all aware of the way this works, but I'll review everything just to be clear.

"The rules are simple: 1) If your ward gets wet, the knight is disqualified. But if the knight gets wet and their ward is safe, they get half the honour. 2) From 8PM until 8AM, any splashing is illegal and won't count. 3) The defending knight(s) are exempted from class, but their ward must attend all of theirs. 4) Anyone can attack, and even set traps, but professors are not to be targeted."

Off to the side, Khesar and the stable master Franzisca exchanged a smirk. Students weren't allowed to attack professors, but each year more than a few teachers have a great deal of fun targeting one another.

Headmaster Enzo then stepped forward. "First off, I have to say I'm pleased to see how many of you are taking the challenge this year. One hundred eighty have signed up, and I see a few more faces this morning." He nodded, and a few Magic Academy students began casting spells on everyone in the courtyard. "From 8AM to 8PM on the twelfth and thirteenth, all participants are to be enchanted so that if they get wet, the water turns into un-removable pink dust on both their clothes and skin, so there's no cheating.

"If you are disqualified, come to me and I will take your names off the list and have the spell removed. At eight o'clock sharp tomorrow evening, any remaining victors are to meet back here. Your names will be taken down and you will receive the coveted Challenge Medal at the Valentine's Day Ball."

A cheer rose from the crowd and Lieutenant Andris watched as the second hand on the clock tower ticked closer to eight. "Many of you were surprised to learn that the Knight Academy requires rigorous study of the game of Chess." Someone groaned, and he smirked. "I advise you to use those skills in this 'Assassin game', as you like to call it. Anticipate, plan your moves carefully, look for opportunities others miss." The bell began to toll eight, and he nodded. "Best of luck to you all."

Darius and his friends immediately sprang into action, having had two years of previous experience and practice. "We swept the school last night before curfew, no traps were set then. If we hurry, we'll get in before more go up. Let's go!" He rushed them along to the path that led to the Royal Academy and ushered them into a carriage.

As he climbed into the driver's seat, Gustav leaned out the window. "Hey, where did you learn to drive?"

The prince smirked. "My kingdom puts on ceremonies and festivals to celebrate and remember our history. I've always done well at chariot racing. And this is considerably easier. Hya!"

They raced over the mist covered hills to the nearby castle, where a guard was waiting in the courtyard.

"Woah!" Darius pulled the reins and jumped down. "Thanks for this, Carter."

"Anytime, highness," the guard replied, taking the reins.

Darius opened the carriage door and grinned as Dren handed him a Persian shield. "Are you sure this isn't too much?" he inquired with a raised brow, although he seemed to hold his own crested shield rather proudly.

Haraz jumped out behind Lovisa, taking his own shield and grinning like a kid. "Intimidation, my friend. It'll keep the average players away."

"Good, now come on," Darius hurried. Waiting for them at the top of the stairs before the main doors was the Captain of the Academy Guard. "Anything new, Captain Taiwo?" he asked.

"We did a thorough sweep a few minutes ago, Prince Pahlavi," the man bowed. "Nothing to report as of yet."

"Good." Glancing back at Mariem, the prince nodded. "Open the doors."

The heavy, intricately carved doors swung open dramatically, making the Royal students in the main atrium pause.

Stepping in front of his group, Darius squared his shoulders and put a hand on his sword for show. Behind him, his friends put on menacing glares. "Attention. I am Prince Darius Pahlavi, and these are my wards. If anyone should target them, you will deal with me." He glowered at a mousy second year passing by. "Make sure everyone knows it."

The nobleman scurried out of the way as the group started down the main corridor, as did everyone else. As they purposefully went to Thiana's first class, the prince heard Mariem giggle, making him smile slightly. They were definitely "those people" in the Assassin game, but he didn't mind at all. He was glad she didn't seem to mind either.

They dropped off Thiana and Dren, then Haraz and Lovisa. Gustav accompanied Darius and Mariem to her class last. As they approached the doorway, he led with his shield just in case. A few students cleared out of the way as they entered, and Mariem took her time getting to her seat, loving the game. The professor rolled her eyes.

"Gustav, monitor the halls during the hour," Darius ordered.

With a grin, the nobleman bowed. "As you wish."

As he walked out, the bell tolled, and Darius stood off to the side. He smiled charmingly at the professor, who sighed before standing to start the class. Mariem hid her grin behind her hands, and Darius winked at her.

The business and economics class passed slowly and uneventfully, as did government and law. But during the next passing period, the first real drenching of the game occurred. Inevitably every year someone's girlfriend gets splashed and angry at their knight for not saving them. They could tell this was the case by the outraged shrieks further down the hall.

Both Mariem and Darius raised a brow at the scene as they stopped by her next class.

"Some knight you are!" the unfortunate victim shrieked. "I thought you were supposed to protect me from this nonsense!"

The girl's likely soon to be ex tried to reason with her. "Rashelle, No one could have seen-"

"That's your job, isn't it? Ugh, I hate you!" As she stormed off, she passed Mariem and muttered to herself, "Well this is just swell. Why didn't I get a full escort?"

Mariem chuckled, and surprised Darius by kissing his cheek. "I promise not to hate you even if I do get soaked."

He blushed, putting an arm around her to usher into the classroom and out of the splash fest that was the hallway. "I won't let anything happen to you."

After her diplomacy class, Darius was especially on his guard. He watched for the glint of light on a tripwire, and the shadow of enchanted bowls and buckets around corners.

One glint of light in particular seemed suspicious, and he held out an arm to stop Mariem.

"What is it?" she asked anxiously.

Just then, Gustav, Dren, and Thiana caught up to them, shouting from down the hall. "Hey, there you are!"

Darius took a breath to clear his mind as everything happened at once. From behind him, he heard footsteps, and the mousy nobleman from that morning slipped around them, heading straight towards the trap.

"Wait!" He reached for the boy but missed.

Every heartbeat pulsed slowly as he spun around to get Mariem out of the way. Which was the right move. The nobleman tripped the wire, shrieking as he sent a bucket full of water splashing down onto the marble floor.

However, the prince's momentum was a bit too much, and he ended up tackling Mariem to the ground.

Breathing raggedly, he looked down at her in concern. "Are you hurt?"

The only blood was in her cheeks. "I-I'm fine," she stuttered embarrassedly.

"Amazing, neither of you even got wet," Gustav noted, shaking his head.

"Now, are you going to get off her so we can get out of this joint?" Dren asked. There was a twinge of nerves in his voice, and Darius noticed his arm was still extended protectively in front of Thiana.

Looking down at the furiously blushing princess, Darius finally nodded. "Oh, right, of course." He helped Mariem up, looking her over for injuries and any sign of pink dust. "Are you alright," he asked her quietly.

"I'm fine," she assured him, "Let's go." She smiled shyly.

"Right. Come on." Darius took her hand and started down the hall, looking back to make sure no one slipped on the water.

The group hurried down the halls and out of the school entirely, going back to the carriage that was being carefully guarded. One of the men nodded to them. "No trouble, highnesses. Two of your friends are already inside."

"Thanks." Darius knocked on the carriage door. "Haraz?"

A rather startled voice answered inside. "Uh, yeah. We're here. All clear."

With a raised brow, Darius opened the door to see Lady Lovisa and Haraz sitting on the opposite ends of the carriage. "We aren't interrupting anything, are we?" he smirked.

"No! What? No. What are you talking about? Get in here!" Haraz replied quickly.

Dren exchanged a look with the others as they quickly piled into the carriage which took them back to the Knight Academy.

Darius got out first and ran into the castle up a side stairway. He knew exactly where he was going as he rushed along the servant's passageway. It let him off at an upper level that overlooked the great hall that would serve as the ballroom for the Valentine's Ball. Down below, it was already being cleaned and decorated. He leaned on the railing as he looked for any sign that the coast wasn't clear.

He saw none, and rushed back down the stairs and along a different passageway. The others knew a hidden path that led to their destination, one which only the more adventurous of the third years even knew about. He just had to unlock the door from the inside to let them in. Once he arrived, he could hear their voices on the other side.

"Now that classes are over," Gustav whispered, "we just have to wait until eight o'clock. Then it will be safe to go back."

"But where are we going?" Thiana whispered back.

Darius used one of Dren's lock picking charms and pushed the heavy oak door open. "This way," he replied.

They filed into the building, and into the hall where they had hidden the statue head months before. Only now it wasn't empty. There were blankets and pillows spread out on the floor, with candles set out for when it got dark.

"Oh wow! This is amazing," Lady Lovisa grinned.

"Do you like it? I got a hold of that game everyone's been talking about," Haraz said, gesturing to the Monopoly box on the floor. "I figured we could learn how to play it."

"I even brought snacks," Gustav added with a grin.

Mariem took Darius' arm. "Are we allowed to be here?" she whispered. "What if someone hears us?"

"They won't," he assured her. "This hallway is behind classrooms. They'll be long empty by now. And even if they did hear us, I guarantee the only people in the castle who even know about this place won't be anywhere near here." He gently ran his fingertips along her cheek. "Don't worry."

She nodded. "I trust you."

He looked into her eyes and saw truth. "Thank you. Are you sure you're not hurt from earlier? I am sorry about that."

Mariem shook her head. "I'm fine. My shoulder might be a little sore tomorrow, but it's nothing, really."

The prince tried to suppress the guilt her confession stirred in him. He leaned down and placed a kiss on the shoulder he knew had hit the ground the hardest.

Gustav cleared his throat. "Ahem. Can you get your paws off your dame and get over here?"

Blushing, Mariem gestured to their friends who were already seated. "Shall we?"

Darius smiled and decided to tease them all a moment longer, placing a tender kiss on her forehead. "Let's."