Chapter 6

The next two days passed by quickly. I spent most of my time either studying or playing games with Grim, Ace, and Deuce. Sometimes we played games when we should have been studying. Everything was so new to me that I had to work twice as hard. I was always a good student, though, so I already had excellent habits.

It was Friday afternoon when I saw him. The boy from the cliff. He was alone, so I excused myself from my friends to walk up to him. "Hey," I said. "I never got your name."

The boy looked at me with a stoic expression. Something about him felt different. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

At first, I was too taken back to know what to say. "I, uh... We met at the cliff the other day."

"We met at a cliff? My, you have quite the imagination, but I assure you, I have never talked to you in my life." He gave me a smile that seemed too polite, turned, and walked away. I stared after him, mouth slightly open.

"What was that about?" Ace asked, coming up to me with Deuce and Grim.

"Nothing," I said. "Nothing at all." If that guy wanted to pretend he did not know me, then I did not need to be around him.

I had another dream Friday night. I was taken back to the strange land with the card soldiers. This time, I saw the queen. She was angry because someone messed up on painting the roses red. So, it was off with his head. Why didn't anyone stop the queen?

"Ona, wake up," said a familiar voice. "The unbirthday party is today. If we're late, well, you know..."

I opened my eyes to see Deuce standing over my bed. "That's right... The party's today. Give me a few minutes to get ready." Deuce nodded and left me alone. After getting dressed, Grim and I entered the lounge, where we were just in top to see Cater walk inside.

"Good mooorning!" Cater said. "Did you all enjoy your sleepover? Did you bond over pillow fights and card games?"

"Oh, good morning, Cater," Ace said. "We did play some cards, yeah. But only Old Maid 'cause that was the only one Grim knew how to play."

"And I still got the old maid every time, dang it!" Grim grumbled.

"Let's just say Grim doesn't have a very good poker face," said Deuce.

"Well, you should get one of the tarts we made and go apologize to Riddle," said Cater. "And you should probably hurry because we're a little short-handed."

"What does that mean?" said Ace.

"Don't worry. I've totes got it under control. Anyway, off to the party we go!"

"I really hope this goes well," I muttered as I followed the others outside. Soon, we were at Heartslabyul Dorm, and it was all decked out for the party.

"All right, so I'll hand over the tart and say I'm sorry, then-" Ace started but stopped short upon seeing Cater - a second Cater - in a gym uniform approach us.

"Hey, it's about time I got back!" said the second Cater. "Good to see me!"

"And me!" said the first Cater while the rest of us freaked out. "Looking good as always, me!"

"Th-there're two Caters?!" Deuce exclaimed.

"Are you guys identical twins?!" Ace said.

"Nope," said Cater. "Don't have a twin. What I DO have is my signature spell, Split Card. It lets me make magic duplicates of myself."

"This must be how Cater kept coming after we beat him over and over again the other day..." Deuce said.

Then a third Cater in a lab coat walked up to us and said, "Welcome home, daaarlings."

Then there was a fourth in ceremonial robes who said, "Good to see you, Ona!"

"You're late!" said the second Cater. "I was worried sick!"

"Bwah!" said Ace. "There're more of them?"

"J-S-Y-K, I'm actually the real Cater. Making these duplicates is suuuper exhausting, so I can't maintain them for long. Anyway, if we're late, heads will roll. And since we're several people short, we'll need your help. But when this is over, I promise I'll take you straight to Riddle."

"What, MORE roses?" Grim grumbled.

"And here we go again!" Ace said with a sigh.

"Get the lead out, peeps!" said Cater. "We need to get started!"

The second round of painting roses went better than the first. It was still tiring, though, and I failed to see the point. The Cater copies disappeared, and we headed to the party. We joined the crowd and watched as Riddle entered, looking very regal.

"Hm... The garden roses are red, the tablecloths are white..." Riddle said. "This seems a proper unbirthday indeed. Is there a dormouse asleep in the teapot, as there should be?"

"Of course," said Trey. "And should it become necessary, we've also prepared the jam to spread on his nose."

"Very good."

"Myah! Those are some fancy duds!" Grim said.

"These are Heartslabyul dorm clothes," said Cater. "Aren't they fierce? At the forefront of fashion, and they look great on Magicam." He suddenly changed his clothes to match the students'. "One of the Queen's rules mandates formal dress on party days. As a show of kindness from a beloved mentor, I'll help coordinate your outfits." He then used magic to change our clothes into the dorm uniform - with a nice bow for Grim.

"Awesome!" I said.

"Now, let's tear this party up! And don't forget to give Riddle the tart."

"Before we begin the croquet tournament, let us make a toast," Riddle said. "Does everyone have their teacup?" I grabbed a cub from the nearest table. "On this most significantly unauspicious of days, I bid all in attendance... a very merry unbirthday!"

"To a very merry unbirthday!" everyone said.

Cater nudged Ace. "Ace, this is your chance!"

"Right..." Ace took a deep breath and approached Riddle with the tart. "Uh, housewarden, sir..."

Riddle glanced at him. "Ah, it's you. The tart thief."

"Yeah, so, I wanted to apologize for eating that tart. We made you a new tart to replace it." Ace held up the tart.

"Hmm? And what kind of tart is it?"

Ace smiled slightly. "I'm so glad you asked! It's a chestnut tart, and I swear, we weren't stingy with the chestnuts."

"A CHESTNUT tart?!" Riddle's face grew read.

Ace's eyes widened in surprise. "What?!"

"The Queen of Hearts's rule 562: 'One must never bring a chestnut tart to an unbirthday tea party.' This is an utterly flagrant rule violation! Do you understand what you've done?! You've ruined an otherwise perfect unbirthday!"

"Rule 562...?!" Deuce exclaimed.

"How many of these rules are there?!"

"There are 810 rules in all," Riddle replied, "and as housewarden, I can of course recite each and every one of them."

"Wow, T-I-L..." Cater said. "This could be bad. Trey, were you aware of this?"

"I was only able to memorize the first 350 or so," Trey said. "Well, we really botched this one. Big-time."

"As housewarden of a dorm established to honor the Queen of Hearts's rigor, I cannot ignore this," Riddle said. "Destroy the offending tart immediately! Then throw these rulebreakers out of the dorm!"

I lifted my eyebrows. "Seriously?"

"Whoa, hold up!" Ace exclaimed. "Is that one of your rules too?!"

"Yeah! If you want the tart gone, let me eat it!" Grim said.

"Housewarden, allow me to apologize," said Trey. "I was the one who suggested making a chestnut tart."

"I was a part of that too," Cater said. "We had no idea there was a rule about it!"

Riddle crossed his arms and frowned. "The making of the tart is not the issue. The issue is bringing it HERE. Today. THAT is the transgression!"

"How can you be so mean after he worked so hard?" I said. He may have had a right to be upset in the first place, but this was ridiculous! This madness had to stop.

"Yeah!" Ace agreed. "All you do is cite one stupid rule after another! You sound totally foolish!"

Riddle rounded on him. "What did you just call me? Foolish?!'"

"Everyone, stop!" Cater said. "Don't dig this hole any deeper! And Riddle, please try to remember that these are new students who've only been here a few days!"

"Nah, bro," said Ace, his eyes narrowed. "I've got a shovel and I am DIGGING. Throwing away a tart to obey some insane rule is about as foolish as it gets."

"I agree with Ace," said Deuce. "Of course, I understand that rules do need to be followed, but... This is going much too far."

"Exactly," I said.

"Are you attempting to debate me?" said Riddle. "Bold move. But I'll bite. By breaking even the smallest rule, you are throwing wide the gate to anarchy."

"I believe that is called the slippery slope fallacy," I said. "People are more likely to follow rules that are logical and intuitive. No one finds it easy to follow insane rules, whether they are big or small."

Riddle's face grew redder - as if that were possible. "'Insane?!'"

"She's right," Ace said. He looked around at the students. "Everyone, I know you're afraid of getting your magic sealed away, but you also know this is insane, right?"

"N-no, we, uh..." a student stammered.

"Well?" said Riddle. "Isn't it?"

"Far from it, Housewarden Riddle, sir!"

"We trust in your judgment, sir!" said a second student.

"You little..." Grim growled.

Ace shook his head in disbelief. "You spineless, fair-weather cowards..."

"In the year since I became housewarden, not a single student from Heartslabyul House has dropped out or been held back a year," Riddle said. "We are the only house that can boast such a feat. Furthermore, of everyone in this dorm, I have the best academic standing. Hence, I am the most correct! If you would simply obey me without question, we wouldn't need to contend so."

"That is not how it works!" I retorted. "To start, you can't prove causation. Even if you could, there's more to life than having a good academic record."

"I beg to differ."

"Listen, we-!" Deuce started.

"It's not off with their heads because I want to do that. I do it because rules must never be broken."

"The rules are meant to serve people, not the other way around!" I looked to Trey and Cater for help, but they remained silent.

"If you will not obey me, then I will have all of your heads!"

Cater lifted his hands in a defensive posture. "Okay, let's all say, 'Yes, Housewarden Riddle.'"

"...I can't," said Duece.

"No way!" I said. No one should have to endure this kind of tyranny! I could not let an injustice stand.

"I don't bow to self-important tyrants!" Ace said, glaring at Riddle.

"What did you just call me?" Riddle raged.

"If the shoe fits," I muttered.

"He called you a tyrant for wantin' to destroy good food just 'cause you're throwin' a tantrum!" Grim said angrily.

"Guys, I don't think we need to escalate this-" Deuce started.

"Off! With! Your! Heads!" Riddle shouted, and both Grim and Deuce were adorned with collars.

"No!" Grim cried. "Not the collar again!"

"Gah!" Deuce exclaimed. "I can't get it off!"

"This isn't fair!" I said.

"Of course it is," said Riddle. "They broke the rules and are paying the price. Trey! Cater! Eject them from the premises!"

"...Yes sir, Housewarden," Trey and Cater said reluctantly, their faces emotionless.

Deuce looked at them in shock. "Y-you're supposed to be our 'mentors!'"

"Sorry, but we can't disobey our housewarden!" said Cater.

"Sorry, man..." said Trey.

Ace narrowed his eyes at them. "Oh, that's how it's gonna be? Then bring it on!"

A fight ensued. One in which the upperclassmen won, of course. In the end, we were left standing outside the dorm. "We'll T-T-Y-L, folks," Cater said.

"We'll try to calm Riddle down, so maybe he'll let you back in the dorm after you apologize," said Trey.

Ace glared at their retreating backs. "I will NEVER apologize! Not to that numbskull!"

I held in a sigh. "I don't blame you. He's got some serious issues."

"Rrrgh! I hate that little ginger megalomaniac! Does he think HE's the Queen of Hearts?"

"Banished by the housewarden from my own dorm..." Deuce said sadly. "My dream of becoming an honor student is slipping further and further away..."

"Stupid collar!" Grim said, fighting to pull it off. "It's so tight! Grrr..."

"You're really racking up those collars," said a head with purple hair and cat ears that appeared out of nowhere. "Quite the impressive collection." My friends and I jumped back in fright.

"Myah! A ghost head!" Grim shouted.

"Oh dear. It seems I'm not all here."

"What?" said Deuce. "Er, so you do have a body, then? Who are you?"

"The name's Artemiy Artemiyevich Pinker." The boy's body suddenly appeared. "Am I a cat? Am I a purrrson? A mimsy borogove, perhaps? A mome rath with a knack for magic?"

Ace blinked. "Uh, look, Ar... Arte... Run the name by me again?"

The boy smiled. "Heh heh. People usually just call me Che'nya. Let's just say I'm not from the other side of the looking glass."

"What dorm are you from?" I asked.

"Why don't you try to guess?"

"Oh, I know!" Grim said. "He's got animal ears, so he's gotta be from... uh... Bananaclaw, was it?"

"Bzzzzzt! Incorrect. Bananas grow on trees, do they not? I, on the other hand, am a cat."

"And besides, other dorms have students with animal ears, too," said Deuce.

"After the insanity that teapot tyrant put me through, I'm not in the mood for whatever this is," Ace muttered. "Just leave me alone."

"Riddle the teapot tyrant..." said Che'nya. "Heh heh. Well, I can't dismiss that perspective as wrong. He's always been quite strict."

"Do you know something about him?" Deuce said in surprise.

"Perhaps there are things that I know, and perhaps there are things that I don't."

"That's not an answer!" Grim said.

"Is there something you wish to know about Riddle?"

"Yeah, what created such a control freak?" Ace asked.

"I believe his four-eyed friend may have the answer."

Deuce blinked. "Four-eyed friend? You mean Trey?"

"He's known Riddle since we were all little boys. If you want to know more about Riddle, I would begin my quest there."

Deuce appeared thoughtful. "They're childhood friends? I didn't really get that impression."

"If you're so perceptive, then what are you asking me for? Buh-bye!" Then the boy disappeared.

"H-hey!"

"Ha ha ha ha...!" the boy's laughter echoed in the mind.

Grim shook his head. "I tell ya, no one makes any sense around here."

"You're telling me," I said.

"Well, we're not going to be able to do much in the way of schoolwork with these collars on," said Deuce. "So, let's go see what Trey has to say, and then..."

"If you're gonna say 'apologize to Riddle,' you can forget it!" said Ace.

"Maybe we need to set up a little ambush..." I said thoughtfully. "But, yes, first we talk to Trey."

We ended up waiting for Trey in the library. Deuce figured he'd show up to return his tart cookbook eventually. Sure enough, he was right. Trey seemed impressed by the deduction.

"We still got a problem with the way Housewarden Riddle is handling all of this," Ace explained.

"Yeah, I thought you might say that," said Trey.

"Come clean with us. What's your take on Riddle? Is it true you've been pandering to him since the two of you were kids?"

Trey's eyes widened. "What?! Who told you that?"

"A guy who called himself Chenya," said Deuce.

"Chenya... Huh. That explains it."

"What I don't get is, aren't you older than Riddle?" said Grim. "Why haven't ya told him off already?"

"I do when I need to. I don't think the situation calls for it."

"Why not?" said Ace.

"These sorts of strict rules... They're what created Riddle."

"Huh?" said Deuce.

"His parents were famous magical healers. Everyone where we're from knew their names. His mom was especially talented, and she really wanted Riddle to live up to her legacy. So, from the moment Riddle woke up to when his head hit the pillow at the end of the night... Every aspect of his life was planned, down to the minute, by the education program she made for him."

"Sounds pretty lame," said Grim.

"What he ate, what he wore, what soap he used, who his friends were - every last detail had been predetermined for him. And to please his parents, Riddle obediently completed every task they'd laid out for him. He mastered his signature spell by age ten. He's been the top student in all of his classes. I can't even imagine how hard he must have had it."

"That sounds horrible..." I said.

"Riddle sees the enforcement of strict rules as a service to his dorm members. In his eyes, being bound by rigid guidelines - by fear - is a fast-track to personal growth. Because that's how it worked for him. And on the flip side, he sees the violation of those rules as an inexcusable offense."

"I guess that makes sense, since rules made him who he is," said Ace.

"But he's wrong," I said. "It may have worked out for him, but it's not the best way."

"Look," said Trey, "I totally get why you see Riddle as a tyrant, and why you disapprove of his methods. But for me... I can't hold that against him, you know?"

Grim crossed his arms. "Myah..."

"So that's why he's like that," Deuce murmured.

"... All right, now I get it," said Ace. He glared at Trey. "It's YOUR fault Riddle's like this."

"What?!" the others exclaimed.

"Riddle didn't get to choose his parents. But you know what his parents did to him, and you know it was wrong, right?"

"I mean, yeah..." said Trey.

"Well, now Riddle's making the exact same mistake that his parents did. You're going easy on him because he had it rough as a kid? Don't you see where that's leading? You're letting him make a pariah out of himself!"

Trey stared at him sadly while Deuce said, "Ace, man, come on..."

"No, he has a point," I said. "I believe it's called being an 'enabler.' Going along with it really isn't helping him."

"So why don't you say something?" said Ace. "Are you just afraid you'll 'lose your head' too? That's pathetic! You guys are supposed to be childhood friends?! Then act like it."

"You there!" Crowley shouted from a nearby table. "Be quiet! You are in a library!"

"You're yellin' louder 'n any of us, though!" said Grim.

"Oh!" Crowley cleared his throat. "Yes, my apologies. But let us strive to maintain the library as a quiet place for reading."

"I'm sorry, Headmage," I said.

"Well, at least you know better now. Incidentally, what are you all discussing with such grim faces?"

"Well, since you asked..." said Deuce. He proceeded to explain our predicament.

"Ah... I believe I understand the situation," Crowley said at the conclusion of the story. "You are resistant to the idea of apologizing but unable to devise any other method to get the housewarden to remove the collar."

"Yeah, pretty much," said Ace.

"I see. If you and the housewarden are truly unable to reconcile, you could always transfer. However, this is the dorm that the Dark Mirror chose for you based on the essence of your being. Any attempt to relocate would necessitate quite a burdensome process, as well as a new ritual."

"A transfer, huh...? That'd make me feel like I was running away with my tail between my legs."

"Hmm. Then it sounds like you should challenge Mr. Rosehearts for leadership of the dorm."

"WHAAAAAT?!" my friends cried.

"Lower your voices! This is a library!"

"But what you said was...insane!" Ace said in a quieter voice.

"There is nothing remotely 'insane' about it. After all, that's how Mr. Rosehearts got the position."

"What exactly is the process by which housewardens are selected at Night Raven College?" Deuce asked.

"Trey said that Riddle became housewarden within his first week as a student here," said Grim.

"There are several ways," said Crowley. "You could be appointed by the previous housewarden, for example, or duel the current warden and win. A duel is certainly one of the simpler methods."

"But isn't fighting with magic against the rules?" said Ace.

"In general, yes. A duel initiated through a formal procedure and conducted in the presence of the headmage is another matter entirely."

"I'm pretty sure the duel rules don't allow for preemptively handicapping your opponent..." said Trey. "So this could be a way to force Riddle to remove your collar without apologizing. That said..."

"The right to challenge a housewarden is bestowed upon all students when enrolling at Night Raven. So what do you say, Mr. Trappola? Will you challenge Mr. Rosehearts?"

"Sure, I'll give it a shot!" Ace said.

"Then I will too," said Deuce.

"Me three!" said Grim.

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Grim," said Crowley. "You cannot challenge a housewarden of a dorm to which you do not belong."

Grim threw up his arms. "Myah?! Then how'm I supposed to get this buzzkill collar off?!"

"If I become housewarden, I'll just order Riddle to remove it!" Ace said. "Easy-peasy!"

"How will everyone know how tough I am if you do that?"

"Are you sure about this?" said Trey. "I certainly didn't expect you to throw your hat in the ring, Deuce."

"You didn't?" said Deuce. "I think every man's gotta make a grab for glory at least once in his lifetime. And if we're teaming up to take him down, ya better believe I'm running the show!"

Ace shook his head. "Oh man, here we go again."

"Huh? What'd you say?"

"Then I'll get started on the paperwork," said Crowley.

"We need to come up with some sort of plan," I said. It looked like there would be no talking them out of this.

"For sure," said Ace. "Anyone got any good ideas?"

"Hmm... Hard to imagine we can beat Riddle with straightforward magic," said Deuce. "A solid left hook, on the other hand..." He punched his fist into his hand, smirking.

"Yeah, that guy looks like a pushover!" Grim agreed.

"Ah, did I forget to mention that detail?" said Crowley. "These duels are to be fought solely with magic."

"What?!" Deuce exclaimed.

"Ha ha ha! Nothing beats a good, civilized duel! Now, the paperwork should be prepared and filed on the morrow, and the duel scheduled accordingly."

"Aight, let's do this!" said Ace. "I may not be the world's greatest mage, but...I'll figure something out!"

"That's the spirit!" saod Deuce.

"My head's on the line here, so don't mess this up!" Grim said.

Trey sighed. "You guys..."

"When I'm housewarden, I'm gonna make Riddle fess up to bein' wrong," Ace said, smiling with confidence. "I'll make him apologize, too! And no one in the dorm is gonna have to live by any crazy rules ever again!"

"Sounds like an excellent idea to me," I said, flashing him a grin.

The dream returned. This time, the girl got in trouble with the queen for defending the card soldiers. Why did it have to come to this? I awoke feeling a little groggy. I remembered it was the day of the duel, so I got ready quickly.

"Hey, Ona!" Grim said as he entered the room. "Ah, good, you're already up."

"Today's the big duel!" Ace said, following him inside. "Let's DO this thing."

I stifled a yawn. "Okay!"

When the time came, Crowley met us at the gate, and we headed off to Heartslabyul together. A space was cleared off for the duel in the rose maze, and Ace and Deuce stood opposite of Riddle. Grim and I were off to the side with the other students gathered around to watch.

"We are about to commence two challenges for the housewarden position at Heartslabyul House," Crowley announced. "The first challenger is Ace Trappola. The second challenger is Deuce Spade. The current housewarden they have challenged is Riddle Rosehearts. Now, in accordance with the duel rules, please remove the magic-sealing collars as they would provide an unfair disadvantage."

Riddle did not look happy about it, but he did remove the collars, much to Ace and Deuce's relief. "Enjoy your moment of freedom," Riddle said. "The collar will be back on soon enough. I could hardly believe it when I heard you two intended to duel me. Is this a joke?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" said Ace.

"I'd never propose a duel as a joke," said Deuce.

"Hmph. Have it your way," Riddle said. "Let us get this over with."

"Uh, Riddle," said Cater, "what do you want to do about today's afternoon tea?"

"A foolish question. You know that the rules stipulate I take my tea every day at 4 p.m. sharp."

"It's just that it's already past 3:30..."

"And you fear that I will be late? All the more reason to end this promptly." Riddle looked at Crowley. "It appears I have little time to waste. Rather than facing my opponents in succession, I will take on both at once."

"You can do it, Housewarden!" cheered the students. "Knock 'em dead, sir!"

"Cowards," Deuce muttered.

"Myah. I got a bad feelin' about this," Grim said.

"Hey, at least we got a plan!" said Ace.

"Headmage, please give us the signal," said Riddle.

"When the mirror I've thrown shatters upon the ground, that is your signal to begin," Crowley said. He proceeded to drop a mirror on the ground. "Ready... Go!"

I sucked in a sharp breath. This was it!