Adailia's POV
After detention, I only had to go to school for a single day and then I had two days off for myself.
The school was open only for four days in a week and the rest three days were holidays (Bless whoever came up with this idea). This was done because nobles had a lot of other things to do besides attending the Royal Academy. Like noblewomen have tea parties and social gathering every weekend (which I was not invited to nor did I care anyway) while young noblemen need to supervise and administer some divisions in the capital to help their father.
I had two days for myself since there was the life-threatening competition on the second day and the third day was again off.
I decided to invest these two days carefully.
And that is why I left for the library and brought a handful of romance books.
I didn't even realise when the holiday was over and the day of the competition arrived.
All the final year students were supposed to assemble in the schoolyard in the afternoon, wearing a specially designed uniform which was common for both girls and boys.
I wore a pair of super comfortable white pants with a white button up shirt and....a...what was that colour again? A very dark shade of red and kind of brown... Moron? Eh! No... Uh..Maroon..yeah! Maroon! So I wore a maroon blazer with golden embroidery done on the folds. My hair was pinned in a tight bun which made me look really pretty.
It's been so long since I wore pants. Feels nice.
I stared at people who started filling the schoolyard wearing similar clothes as I had.
I read the notes which I noted down a week ago before the ball. In the novel, nobody pairs up with Traashid since they feared Adailia. So Traashid participated in the competition alone and won.
There were three levels that the competitors need to complete. It was like a relay between two people. The starting participant will be given a key that will open the magic ball.
The first challenge was crossing the lake. All the students in the knight faction were supposed to do the first challenge. However, to cross the lake, they'll need to do Math.
It was a belief that knights were not smart and that was true, so as a challenge each individual knight will be given a sum to solve and they'll have to step on the stone which has the correct answer painted on it. The stones and the set up was bewitched by the Archmage. If they step on the stone which has the wrong answer, the stone will sink and they'll have to cross the lake swimming. It was mentioned that half the knight population crossed the lake by swimming.
Basically, it's like Multiple choice questions since only one answer is correct and the rest are just for confusing people.
In the second challenge, only mages will participate. After crossing the lake, the knight will handover the key to the mage and the mage will cross the maze. However, that maze has lots of mysterious creatures in it which the mages will have to fight with their powers.
After that, in the third challenge, both mage and the knight will find the magic ball which is hidden in the forest at the bottom of the pond which Traashid will discover.
I was brought back to my senses when I saw a blue dress in the midst of the maroon blazers.
Originally, Adailia doesn't wear this dress (because she likes to stand out in the most stupid ways ever) but she wasn't the only one.
I sighed as I looked at Olivia, making a joke out of herself.
She wore a blue fancy dress and her hair were let down and she fanned herself with a matching fan. Hah. Such a show-off.
However, something else caught my eye. Yes, it was the Platinum Trio making their hypnotic entry.
I couldn't help but stare like everyone else. It felt like my eyes were being blessed.
After they entered there was an announcement that everyone had fifteen minutes to pair up with a mage and a knight and that too a girl-boy pair. The one unable to find a pair will not be able to participate in the competition.
Swarm of mages ran towards Caiden and noblewomen ran towards Mari. However, Traashid was left out, nobody, asked him to be partners with them. And somehow, he looked like a sad and dejected puppy.
Female mages (kindly rejected by Caiden) only threw nervous glances at him, wondering if they should ask him, and when they looked at me and caught me staring at them, they scurried away from Traashid.
Oh, this poor child.
Traashid caught me staring at him (in a pitiful way but he probably can't see my expression from that far) and gave me a deathly glare and I looked away feeling bad for him. His love life is totally destroyed because of Adailia, and right now, I'm Adailia, so I feel guilty. But I am going to make it alright. Traashid will not be partner less.
I looked around me to see Seanna. She will be his partner.
And....
I saw her talking to a knight..... Wait... NO!! MY SHIP IS IN DANGER!!
I quickly made my way towards them.
"Seanna." I said. Both of them looked at me and I heard the guy's breath hitch in his throat (probably because of this pretty face).
"Come with me." I said and walked away without glancing back. But after a few steps, I stopped cause I couldn't hear her steps.
I turned back to see Seanna being held back by the same knight.
Oooooo he did not just do that!
"She is my partner." He said simply. I couldn't say for sure if he liked her or not but I'm not taking a risk.
I glared at him.
"No." She is Traashid's partner. My ship will sail and guess what.... You're not on it.
"Come quick" was all I said and Seanna quickly snatched her hand away from him and followed me.
"Listen Seanna, I want you to be the Prince's partner."
She was so shocked she actually tripped and fell down. I felt guilty and almost- almost extended my hand for her to take. Oh, this poor child. For a few weeks I've known Seanna, I felt like looking after a younger sister. Trying not to get her in trouble, not burdening her. All these characters in the novel, for a strange reason, feel like my own kids. Especially Traashid and Seanna, my poor babies.
"See.... I know I said I'll move on but I'm still in love with him. I'm trying to keep my distance from him but I can't help but feel jealous when I see him with other girls." I quickly started talking bullshit.
"That's why you'll have to be his partner. I trust you, protect my Prince, Seanna" I added dramatically.
Seanna looked touched and nodded frantically before going to the Prince.
Mission- Get Seanna and Traashid together: SUCCESS!!!
Now I'll just return back to the mansion and read the new novel I brought yesterday.
In the novel, Adailia doesn't participate since she didn't have a partner. Nobody asked her...
Except for that one boy...
"Lady Adailia,"
I turned around to see a cute boy with brown hair fidgeting with his hands debating whether he should speak or run away.
I looked behind him to see a group of boys supposedly his friends, giving him a disapproving look while some just snickered.
"Do you mind being my partner?"
In the novel, this cutie asked Adailia, even though his friends told him she'll never agree, and she never did.
Adailia played with people's feelings like it was a damn video game. Normally, she would brainwash those who expressed their feelings for her, telling them she might love them if they did this or that, turning the guy to her pawn. Her main goal was Traashid, but to reach him, she crushed thousands of other hearts.
This boy was an unlucky one. Adailia was super pissed about not getting Traashid as her partner and this 'commoner' guy just happened to ask her, which pissed her even more. She humiliated him for asking her out and insulted him. The boy was so dejected that he locked himself up in his house and while few of his friends comforted him others just said, 'told ya' and humiliated him even further. Finally, he committed suicide.
Long story short, if I reject him.....He'll DIE!
Now that doesn't leave me much choice, does it?
"Okay." I said.
"Oh. I understand you'll never want to be partners with... Wait what?"
"I said okay"
He looked up with his eyes wide as saucers, shining at me.
"Really?"
"Yeah really." I chuckled a bit, his reaction is cute.
Suddenly he dropped to his knees hands clutching his chest.
"Ahh, my heart!" He screamed.
Everyone's head snapped at us and I started to panic.
"Oh my God!! Are you okay?" I asked getting down on my knees.
'What did she do now?'
'What a bitch.'
'Did she stab him in his heart?'
All the murmurs spread around while I was stopping myself from screaming at them, 'Girl! I didn't even touch him!'
"That..that smile...so dangerous." He muttered but I heard.
I stood up at once, "Get up or I'm finding a new partner."
He stood up at once, his face still red.
Ahh.... I forgot. These villainess effect on background characters are really dangerous.
In the novel, Adailia was described as someone with a 'killer smile'. Guess it works well in giving people a heart attack.
After that none of us spoke anything. Soon fifteen minutes were over. We were supposed to give our names to a pair of teachers who were noting down every pairs name. And only after we were enlisted, I was given a golden key which I tucked in the secret pocket inside the blazer.
After that, we were supposed to wait for another fifteen minutes until they were done with preparations. I got to know that my partner's name is Kyles Eaves. He had a decent name even though he was a background character, the reason was his name was mentioned in the novel. The rest unlucky background characters had weird non-human kind of names since they weren't even mentioned in the novel.
Just last week, I finally had the courage to ask the name of the knight who always escorted me. And his name was Gaston. It took me a total of 4 minutes to realise where I heard that name. Beauty and the beast. Wow. I laughed till my stomach hurt and then asked each and every worker in the mansion their names just for fun. Though three fourth of them had a non-human like names, the ones who took care of me on daily basis, like maids and butlers' names turned out to be, Elsa, Ariel, Cinder, Ella, Snow, White, Kristoff, Mickey and what not. And ever since that day, I called them by there names.
After fifteen minutes we're over, we all headed towards the lake while the other mage partner was taken to the other end of the big lake.
Each of us was given a dagger for protection.
Guess the game will be fun.