The Rite of Spring
Chapter 8
Odette had a strange dream that night. In the dream there was a blonde girl and the card and the Queen of Hearts. "OFF WITH HIS HEAD!" The queen yelled her face turning red as her roses. Two more cards appeared and took the first card away. The girl gasped as the card was dragged away.
'Why won't anyone stand up to the queen? She needs to be stopped.' Odette thought.
'What a dream!' Odette thought as she got ready the next morning.
As the group was about to leave there was a knock on the door. Odette answered the door to see Carter.
"Morning guys. I came to get you. We still have a few things to do before the party today." Carter explained as he gave a wave.
Everyone followed him back to the Heartslabyul dorm and met up with another Carter.
"What?!" Ace explained jumping back.
"About time you got back." The second Carter said.
"Oh good you got more help." A third Carter said walking up to the group.
"Another!" Deuce remarked.
"Yeah this is my specialty spell. Split card. Everyone has a specialty spell. Riddle's is his Off With Your Head." Carter explained.
"Oh that's cool." Odette said as the extra Carter's disappeared.
"Mine is exhausting though." Carter sighed. "You two should get changed and I'll take these guys to do the last few things." He said pointing towards Deuce and Ace then at Odette and Grim.
Deuce and Ace joined them in their dorm uniforms shortly later.
"Oh wow you look great." Odette said as they strolled up.
"Yeah our dorm uniforms are the best. Top fashion." Carter bragged.
"Dorm uniforms?" Grim questioned.
"Yeah each dorm has their own specialty uniform. For us they're only for special occasions. Most students only wear their dorm uniforms at their dorms so you won't see them much." Carter explained. "Now that you're properly dressed let's go see Riddle." He said.
They found Riddle seated at the head table in the middle of what looked like a party. Despite the party Riddle didn't look happy.
"I'm nervous he looks like he wants to take everyone's head off." Ace confused.
"We're right here to cheer you on." Odette said patting his shoulder.
Ace gulped but walked up to the table and presented Riddle with the tart. "As an apology for eating the other one." Ace explained.
"Why thank you,… is that a chestnut tart?" Riddle asked starting to get red.
'Oh no.' Odette thought as she felt the tension crackle in the air.
"Y-yes I was told it was one of your favorites." Ace stuttered.
"Rule 562! Never bring a chestnut tart to a unbirthday! Throw that tart out and him too!" Riddle shouted his full face getting red.
"More rules?" Grim groaned.
"How many rules are there?" Ace snapped back.
"800, and I have all memorized." Riddle snapped back.
"This is my fault. I haven't gotten pass rule 450." Trey sighed shaking his head.
"Throw him and his tart out." Riddle roared again.
"Throw it out!" Ace exclaimed.
"He worked so hard on it through. You can't just throw it out." Odette said sticking up for Ace.
"You're being ridiculous!" Deuce exclaimed stepping up next to Ace.
"I want them both throw out of the dorm!" Riddle shouted slamming his fists down on the table.
"Riddle they're just freshman and they are just trying to get you to forgive them. You should go easy on them." Trey said stepping up next to Riddle.
"Please listen to Trey." Odette stood up next to Ace and Deuce.
"OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" Riddle yelled as he collared Deuce and Grim. "I will not go easy on them, they broke the rules and they need to understand there are consequences for doing so." Riddle raged going red up to his hairline.
"Consequences for insane rules that we didn't even know?!" Ace challenged.
"Guys just apologize and say Yes House Warden." Carter interjected.
"You're being a tyrant!" Deuce accused.
"This is the best dorm on campus and it's because of the rules." Riddle explained.
"Maybe we regroup and cool down." Odette said looking between the two sides of the table trying to help Trey and Carter keep the peace.
"You're just throwing a tantrum." Ace countered.
"Trey! Carter! Remove them from my sight!" Riddle ordered turning to them.
"Yes House Warden." They sighed they lead the group out of the party.
"Just let him cool down and try again to apologize after the party." Trey explained as the reached the mouth of the rose maze.
"No, he got one already. I'm not apologizing again." Ace fumed as he stomped off.
"If you don't you probably won't have the collar removed." Carter explained then headed back into the rose maze.
'I've got a bad feeling about this.' Odette thought as they left the rose maze.
They all of a sudden hear a laugh. "I see you've fallen victim to Riddle's signature spell.
"Who's there!" Deuce snapped.
Suddenly a guy with purple pierced cat rears, shaggy purple hair and yellow eyes appeared in front of the group. He wore ripped jeans and an over sized white button over a pink and purple shirted tank top.
"Who are you!?" Odette exclaimed jumping back.
"I'm Alchemi Alchemivich Pinka but friends call me Chenya." He said with a slick grin. "I see you've been butting heads with the ever strict Riddle. Some things never change."
"He's always been like this?" Deuce asked.
"Oh yes, but if you want more information you'll want to ask his bespectacled companion, they've been friends since childhood." Chenya explained then begins to disappear soon only remaining a floating head and soon only his smile was left.
"That was weird." Grim muttered as he shivered.
"What dorm do you think he was in." Odette mused.
"Not one I want to go to." Grim replied as the group headed towards the library. "Let's go see if there's a way to undo this spell."
After a few hours the group can't find a thing on how to undo signature spells. "This is the last place I thought I would find you guys." Trey whispered as he sat down at your table.
"I take offense to that." Odette snapped glaring at him.
"I meant no offense. I just wanted to check on you guys." Trey explained.
"We've been told you know a lot bout Riddle, so spill." Grim said getting straight to the point.
"Yes I've known Riddle since we were young. You see Riddle's parent are famous and when they had a child they wanted their child to live up to their name. His mother is particular was hard on him. She was a protegee and she wanted her son to be one too. She planned every minute of every day, from the minute he woke to the minute he went to bed everything was planned." Trey explained.
"Ugh, that sounds awful." Ace groaned.
"He came up with his signature spell at the age of ten. I'm sorry but I don't hold the way he's acting against him." Trey continued.
"Ten? That's incredible." Deuce exclaimed.
"So it's your fault he's like this." Ace snapped making everyone look at him.
"What?" The other asked.
"Riddle can't control who his parents are but he can control who his friends are, and his friends shouldn't let him do this. You're just afraid of losing your head too." Ace said slowly getting louder until he was shouting.
"Be quiet!" A voice from the end of the table shouted.
The group turned to see Head Master Crowley. "This is a library." He whispered.
"Head Master, what are you doing here?" Odette asked.
"Researching of course. I said I would get you home. Of course there is also a new volume of a famous series." He said patting the stack under his arm.
Odette just rolled her eyes as she looked down at the table. 'I doubt this bird brain can get me home.' She thought. "We were researching how to undo a signature spell. Riddle refuses to take off their collars." She explained.
"There is no magic that can do that but you could challenge Mr. Rosehearts to a the position of house warden. That's how he got it in the first place. He'll have to take the collars off when he accepts the duel." Crowley explained.
"Then I'm going to challenge him! Right now!" Ace said getting up.
"Me too!" Deuce said following.
"Whoa, there are protocols to follow. Arrive tomorrow afternoon at the Heartsbyul dorm and everything will be ready." Crowley said then left.
The gang decided to head back to the Ramshackle dorm and prepare for tomorrow. That night Odette had another dream. The girl in the blue dress was on trial in front of the Queen of the Hearts. "You're not a queen, you're a tyrant."The girl snapped.
"What did you say?" The Queen asked.
"You're a tyrant." The girl repeated.
"OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" The queen shouted.
Soon a deck of cards filled the room and surrounded the girl. 'Why won't anyone stop her?' Odette thought as she woke up.
Soon everyone was up and headed to the Heartslabyul dorm. "I don't have a good feeling about this. It feels like dread but not exactly." Odette whispered to Grim on the walk there.
"I can't believe they challenged Riddle." Carter sighed shaking his head once they arrived.
"Let's keep this a fair fight. The first challenger is Ace Trappola the second is Deuce Spade." Crowley said from the side lines.
"I will take them both at the same time." Riddle announced making everyone gasp.
"Begin!" Crowley shouts throwing down a hand mirror.
Riddle defeats Ace and Deuce within minutes. "It's as my mother says 'Those who can't follow the rules will not achieve anything'." Riddle gloated.
"You're being a tyrant!" Deuce shouts.
"If you manipulate the rules to your benefit than you're as bad as a rule breaker." Odette exclaimed.
"Yeah, what you're doing is just as wrong." Grim snapped.
"You can't even get into this college on your own merit. Your parents must have been terrible to raise such worthless creatures." Riddle laughed.
"A child isn't a trophy for their parents!" Ace growled.
"A parents worth isn't measured by how long their children perform." Deuce snapped.
"You're only proving my point." Riddle chuckled until Ace punched him in the face.
"Oh my god." Odette whispered. 'This isn't good.'
"It's no one's fault that you're a tyrant, it's yours alone. You're acting like a spoiled brat." Ace shouted.
"He's right!" One of the students shouted.
"I agree!" Shouted another until most of the crowded agreed with Ace.
"All of you shut up! OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" Riddle shouted collaring most of the crowd.
"Mr. Rosehearts calm down." Crowley warned. "You need to stop misbehaving."
"I called you out and this is how you response? You're just proving my point." Ace shouted.
Suddenly there was a clap that sounded like thunder and the ground cracked open. The nearby rose trees began to float. Riddle stood there but he looked different. His skin was a grayish white and over his red glowing eyes was a black lace pattern. His outfit was even different. It was a black and red ballroom grown. It appeared he had rose thorn branches growing out of him. He was surrounded by a dark aura.
Hello and thank you for reading. I triple checked this chapter to make sure there were no mistakes this time. Sorry again, I am only human after all. So thanks for sticking around. Sorry not sorry for the cliff hanger. I promise I won't leave you hanging for too long.