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The Queen Rules
By:
Megawacky Max
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- Chapter 2 -
The battle
It was late in the evening. Gerald was in his room, designing a new deck for the next day's games. He was alone, because his family had gone to a dinner and Gerald had reached such an evolved state of I-Don't-Care-What-They-Do-The-Pitiful-Plebeians that he chose to stay with his game.
The doorbell rang. He complained of interruptions during his moment of strategy and went downstairs, reaching for the doorknob.
"Who is it?", he asked. The tone also said 'Don't bother me'.
"It's Phoebe, Gerald," she said, sounding serious.
Gerald was aware that one itty-bitty corner of his brain had suddenly called him 'Bad Boyfriend'. It was the same itty-bitty corner that calls 'Suicidal' to a bungee-jumper, 'Glutton' to a donut addict, and 'Stupid' to people in general. It was, of course, his conscience.
Gerald unlocked the door and opened it for her. Phoebe was wearing her best mood at the moment, and Gerald had wished he'd became a fly in a spider-web, since the bug was meant to have a longer life expectancy.
"I think we need to talk... Right now," she whispered.
Gerald gulped. He had just remembered the missing dates with his girlfriend. 'Bad Boyfriend' was heard again, now echoing along the forgotten Halls Of Phoebe in his mind. The girl walked in.
"Oh, eh... Phoebe, I... Say, I'm sorry..."
She quickly turned at him. "Sorry? You? What for? Have you done anything wrong? Did you maybe... I don't know... risked more than three Big Foot cards against two Royal Knights?"
Gerald blinked at that comment.
"Phoebe, I-..."
"Don't talk to me," she interrupted. "I don't mind if you play that card game, but it has sucked out your life like it did the last time. How could you push me away just because of a card game, Gerald?"
"I'm sorry! It was stronger than me! I... I promise I'll do whatever you want!"
She kept her annoyed eyes on him. Helga made sure to teach her best friend how to outstare, and *man* had she taught her well. "Okay... Just one thing: join me on a picnic. That's all."
"Really? Sure! When?"
"Tomorrow, 10:00 am."
Gerald gulped. "It... has to be tomorrow? There's a... a final tournament... tomorrow."
"Exactly at ten?", she wondered. Gerald nodded. "I knew that, Gerald. I was informed. Now, what will you do? Come with me... or leave me for a game?"
Gerald got a little nervous. "Phoebe... I am the King. I mean, I must be there! The humiliation would be-..."
"The humiliation?!", she suddenly exclaimed. "Gerald, you have an addiction! It's just a game!"
"Phoebe, it's more than a game! It's... It's... It's a great feeling, to be the King, to rule over the plebeians! We can go to that picnic after I win!"
She scowled. "You are sure to win... Are you saying you can beat any player?"
"Sure!"
Phoebe opened her purse, and Gerald was then aware she was holding one, and pulled out a deck of cards. She shown it to Gerald, fanning it open.
"Then let's play...", she scowled. Even half-hidden behind the fan of card, Gerald could see her smile. It was not a relaxing sight. Not at all.
"What... are you talking about?", he doubted.
"I'm challenging you, 'King'. My Kingdom against yours. An ultimate combat. You win, you go to the tournament. I win, you quit this all for good. What do you say?"
He looked aside. "I... don't want to challenge you."
"Then I automatically win, 'King'. Once a Kingdom challenges another, the battle is set. If one player or kingdom is missing, the one remaining wins due to absence. That'd be an ink stain in your 'perfect' history. I'm planning to go to tomorrow's tournament and announce the lost battle. And then I'll challenge you there."
Gerald glanced at her. "How do you know--...?"
"I've studied the rules. Helga helped me training with these cards. An interesting game, I must admit. It has logic and strategy, Gerald... and I have both skills. In fact, I have more than enough not to get addicted to it and leave everything else in the dust. Now, you play... or you lose."
Gerald also scowled. The corner of his brain now yelling 'Do Not Dare' was suddenly stabbed in the back by a card-shaped thought with the words 'Let The Tournament Begin!' written on it. Yes, it was Phoebe; yes, it was his girlfriend; but YES, it was a card game.
"Partial Game?", he asked.
"Kingdom Krash. Winner takes it all."
"Just remember you began with this," he stated. Gerald scowled and bowed at her: "King Gerald, Kingdom of Hairfurry."
Phoebe also bowed, scowling as well. "Queen Phoebe, Kingdom of Helgaskewl."
Gerald raised an eyebrow.
"Helga chose the name, okay?", Phoebe added.
Gerald and Phoebe walked to the round kitchen table and sat facing each other. As the rules indicated, they shuffled the adversary's deck, not stopping the threatening glances at the enemy Kingdom. They exchanged decks and placed them on their respective right, then took six cards each.
"Okay, Phoebe. You studied the book, so you know the rules. What do you have?"
She observed her hand. "One Cranky Uncle, two Piles of Gold, one Golden Crown, and two Dragons."
"Very well, then... I have One Pile of Gold, one Shield, two Swords, one Dragon, and one Happy Peasant. Ladies first," he gestured, however it lacked of courtesy.
Phoebe scowled for a second, took her dice and rolled them on the table. They stared at the numbers.
"I get to offer," she said. "I put my Dragons on the table."
"Okay... So I'll put my Swords to counterattack your Dragons." He gave himself the luxury of a smile. "I win the first."
"Not the game," she scowled.
"Not yet."
Phoebe's glasses would have cracked under effects of the stare she was adopting. Her hand swept her dice off the table and rattled them in a tight fist.
"That's it... You've asked for it, King Gerald."
She rolled the dice. The battle had begun.
It's hard to describe the intensity of the card game. Any other person watching would have thought 'Bah, just a game', but for Gerald and Phoebe it was not just a game, but a battle. And not just a battle, but a war.
It was in the eyes. Both pairs sent daggers to the other one. Later on the daggers went away, but only to leave space to the swords, the axes, and the morning stars. They were heavily armed, indeed. The dice rolled stronger in each throw. The table would have complained about that, but since tables and similar wooden furniture have no mouths to speak with, it was kinda difficult.
The cards went from deck to hand, and from the hand to table, and from the table to the discard pile. There were smiles when the players got good cards, but complaints when the cards were rather useless. It was, in the point of view of your average 'The King Rules' junkie, an Epic Combat of the Ancient Times.
It was during the twelfth turn that Phoebe decided to talk.
Actually, she sniffed loudly.
"What?", Gerald asked, not deviating his eyes from his cards.
"Nothing," she said. There was a hitch in her voice. "I play one Knight and one Catapult."
Gerald now stared at her. There seemed to be a hint of a shine behind those oval glasses. Gerald tried hard to ignore that, looking down at the played cards.
"Fine. I'll take the Catapult in exchange of a Pile of Gold."
"Whatever," she now sobbed.
Once a person has spent and shared time together as boyfriend and girlfriend, certain specific tones of voice are signals that could only be compared to, let's say, a fire alarm in a firework warehouse that is coincidentally lacking of proper emergency exits and has all the extinguishers depleted. That tone Phoebe had just used had that same perspective, but the additional sob was just the spark not needed in said warehouse.
He put down his hand.
"Phoebe, are you okay?", he asked worriedly.
"Why wouldn't I be?", she mumbled. "I'm being defeated by... 'The King'. It should be an honor to lose in this way."
He scowled. "You started it, remember?"
"You started the addiction," she replied.
Gerald felt the small corner of his mind devoted to his conscience had suddenly been overpopulated with strong thoughts. The Card that had taken control was now being used as a cheap rug.
He gave a sigh.
"Look, we don't have to do this," he said. "Surrender. I won't tell anyone you did. In the tournament, I mean."
Phoebe scowled and sniffed again. She rolled the dice and claimed "I play two Squires."
"You don't have to!", he snapped. "Phoebe, sorry, but you have no chance! Not against me, at least. I mean, your skills are good, but I am better. Surrender, please, and let's finish this."
"Exactly! Let's finish this!", she yelled. "If I surrender, you'll be back to your game. At least let me finish it decently."
Gerald looked down at the Squire cards, then at her eyes. Those eyes burned his. The Card in his mind took control again. Better said, it struggled positions.
"Fine...", he took his cards.
The game resumed in a strange way. Gerald not only had the pressure of a challenge against his girlfriend, but also the weight of those sad sniffs and sobs. He could have added the intense drilling power of her eyes, but the boy had avoided the gaze ever since they returned to the battle. He knew that would have ended it all.
The moment came when Phoebe was against the ropes, and Gerald had to attack just one more time to win. All he had to do was wait for Phoebe to roll the dice and play one card.
Any card.
She did. She grabbed the dice and rolled them in a sad way. But she didn't play a card. Instead, she just placed her hand down on the table, stood up, and swept her tears away.
"Goodbye, Gerald...", she said. Now Gerald was obliged to look at her.
"What?", he gasped.
"Goodbye, I've said. It's over. You've won the game... And you've lost me."
"What?! No! Don't be so final about it!"
"I am being final?!", she snapped. "Well, look at the irony! Gerald, you have been abducted by a card game, and not even losing your girlfriend, the one you SAID you loved, has managed to change your mind about it!"
Time froze. Again, not in the way of clock handles not moving, but in the form of a quiet environment around the two teenagers. Gerald was having serious thoughts, and he suddenly felt he had hit bottom.
"Have... Have I really gone that low?", he asked. Phoebe nodded. "My... Well, um... Say..."
He looked away. He was hoping Phoebe would scream at him. The silence was nearly killing the guy.
"Phoebe, I... Eh," he looked at her, at last. "I'm sorry."
He left his hand on the table and ran at her, hugging his girlfriend. She hugged him back.
"Sorry! I just don't know what happened! It was stronger than me!", he claimed. "Of course you are more important that a silly card game... Sorry!"
If it was possible, Gerald could hear her smile. That helped.
"It's okay, Gerald... Sit down, please. I'm... glad we arranged this," she admitted.
Gerald sat back on the chair. So did Phoebe. Both dried their tears.
"So, Gerald... Would you tell me this game is over?"
"Yes," he said. And before his mind could kick back, he added "I quit the battle."
"Good, good...", she said; and Gerald could notice the smile that was beginning to grow in that cute face of hers... which, by the way, went from a smile to a grin, and not a nice one.
"W-What?", he asked.
"You know what?"
"No, what?"
Suddenly, Phoebe jumped on the table and darted an accusing index finger toward his boyfriend.
"YOU'VE SURRENDERED!! I WIN THIS GAME, 'KING'!! AH-HAH-HAH-HAH!!"
Gerald's mouth fell like Rome. He mouthed a few words, but only after a few attempts was he able to speak correctly.
"Darn it, Phoebe! How could you do this to me?"
"Do what?", she smiled, returning to her chair.
"Make me lose by seeing you sad and all that!"
"One reason, Gerald... I love you."
Gerald was not looking at her. However, he did hear that. "I... I know, but... I..." He sighed. "I acted like an idiot, didn't I?"
"Yep..."
"Thanks... For bringing me back to real world," he said, now a bit more calm.
"It's okay, Gerald. Sorry if I was a little, well... 'cheat'."
"No problemo. I think I'll get rid of these cards. And by the way, HOW did you come up with such an idea?"
"Helga's idea," she smiled. "Who else, if not hers?"
"Yeah..." His eyes got fixed on the cards. "Phoebe, get rid of those, would you? If I pick 'em up, I might start over again."
"Sure," she nodded, sweeping everything from the table.
Then, one of the cards fell to the floor. Phoebe crouched to pick it up... and then she stared at the drawing on the small surface: one Crown.
"Phoebe?", Gerald called her. "What's up?"
Still crouched, she gave him a strange glance.
Helga was walking in the park, thinking on Arnold and hoping her beloved and sugar-sweet football-head was having the worst time *ever* with his cousin. The worse it was for him, the happier he'd be when seeing Helga again.
Something distracted her. She looked around and noticed Gerald and Phoebe, laughing. They were on a squared-patterned tablecloth spread on the grass, next to a picnic basket.
"Hey, cool! It worked!", she smiled, walking at them.
Phoebe saw her friend coming and immediately stopped laughing. She elbowed Gerald, who also saw the one-eyebrow blonde incoming. Both hurried to hide something in the basket.
"What's wrong, guys?", Helga asked when she was close enough. "You were having fun a few seconds ago. Is it because of me?"
Phoebe blushed. "No, no... Well, we didn't expect you to see you here. I mean... we wanted to be alone."
She smiled. "I understand, Phoebs. I'll just take a sandwich and go on my way..."
"No, wait!", Gerald tried to stop her, but Helga had reached the basket first. After one look inside, Helga seriously stared at both of them.
"Tell me I didn't see it," she grunted.
Both teens shyly chuckled as they pulling out twin dice and card decks from the basket. "Helga...", Phoebe blushed, "... I'm proud to introduce to you the first Royal Couple for the tournament of 'The King Rules'."
"Yeah! We're going for the Double-Mix Award!", Gerald also blushed.
Helga immediately sent a hand down her face. "Unbelievable! Phoebe, you became an addict, too!"
"It's okay, Helga! Now Gerald and I are together all day."
"And you won't believe her tactics!", Gerald nodded. "Queen Phoebe is the perfect choice for this King."
"That's enough for me!", Helga sent her arms skyward. "I'm leaving! I can't believe it! This is incredible! Now I've seen it all!"
They laughed happily as their friend went away. Okay, they had an addiction, but one that had brought them even closer together.
- The End -
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