Disclaimer: All respective characters and settings belong to their respective franchises.
Seacrest Industries…
Will that be all, Mr. Seacrest?
In a high-rise office, a young man wearing a black long-sleeved sweater and faded pants sat behind a white desk, reclining comfortably against a white swivel chair, one leg slung over the other, his head resting on his hand. The room was dimly lit, with the only source of light being the large screen hanging from the ceiling, which reflected off his sharp blue eyes.
"You can go ahead and power down, Isis. I'll be up for a bit longer."
Understood, sir.
The voice of the waning AI was quickly supplanted by that of Dexter Charming in the moment of bringing out Osiris, the scene playing out on the coverage being done by the next Goldilocks, though he was certain that the actual press wouldn't be far behind.
A small smile crept onto his lips at the sight of Osiris in all its divine glory, and the mixture of fear and awe the draconic deity's appearance instilled in the crowd of onlookers.
"It starts…"
Book End…
"Mm, this is…good," Dexter said anxiously, chewing into a slice of his filet mignon. "D-Don't you think so, Darling?"
Darling, who had been doing her best to mind her own meal, smiled at her brother and answered. "Oh, it is. Um, right...Daring?" She winced at almost asking her father out of reflex, seeing that Daring was midway through biting into a forkful of his pasta.
Daring cast a glance at his sister, the noodles that were loosely hanging from his fork dropping down onto the plate. Tentatively placing his fork down, and with a clearing of his throat, the eldest Charming sibling replied, "S-Sure, sis, i-it's just…the best…" He trailed off with an uneasy grimace, trying and failing not to succumb to their father's overbearing presence saturating the private room they rented in the restaurant that Darling had previously recommended. The Crooked House.
King Charming was sitting across from Dexter, robotically cutting into his well done steak, his eyes a little too fixated on his own plate, an unreadable expression on his face. The three didn't fail to detect a palpable coldness to the Charming patriarch's demeanor, juxtaposed by the maroon ascot he was still wearing, though his steak more than adequately betrayed what he was feeling at that instant. He usually had his medium.
A few minutes of silence passed before Dexter placed his utensils down, his food only half finished. Clearing his throat, he shakily stammered out, "M-may I… be excused?"
King Charming didn't immediately respond, drawing out a long moment of silence before finally saying without looking up from his meal, "Why?"
Dexter muttered under his breath in reply, "R-Restroom."
Only then did King Charming's eyes mechanically shifted to his middle child, arresting each other's gaze like a hunter ensnaring its quarry.
"No. You may not."
His tone of voice was sullen, but even; with Dexter feebly conceding without a word, shrinking into his seat, deciding that he could just go later. If there was a later.
"How long?"
"...Since I was ten," Dexter found himself answering.
The frown on King Charming's brow tightened. "Do you have any idea what you've just caused?"
"..."
The man fixed his gaze on the boy with the sternest of looks. "Are you prepared for the consequences?"
Dexter couldn't exactly say that he hadn't imagined this very scenario in his head. And not so funnily enough, this was more or less exactly how he envisioned it playing out, sans the setting. It must be from how much he knew of his father, but there were sides to the man that he reckoned even he didn't show to his family. At least, not to them, his children.
"I wouldn't have gone through with it if I wasn't."
Daring gaped at his brother's answer, as did Darling, her lips pressed tightly together.
King Charming had gone still, continuing to fix his gaze squarely on the son that; only known to his wife and a few others, resembled him the most in his youth. He could have mulled to himself where he went wrong, but he liked to believe that he wasn't the harshest father at the best of times. This wasn't one of them.
And to think that only a few hours earlier, everything had been turned upside down.
Hours earlier…
"Ashlynn? Ashlynn," Hunter Huntsman gently nudged his girlfriend in his arms, the girl never looking more fragile to him at that very instant.
Farrah leaned in next to them, sitting on her knees, and said, "She was in too much shock, but she should be fine. If you want, I could..."
Hunter shook his head, just grateful that the aspiring fairy godmother had helped. Soon enough, he perked up when he felt her beginning to stir, Ashlynn letting out a few soft groans, her eyes slowly coming open into slits. Her vision was swimming, lacking focus, the colors still coalescing. Hunter didn't bother fighting back a smile coming to his lips, just happy that she was conscious.
Raven and the others stood close by as the rest of the crowd was being dispersed by the knights, with Alistair, Briar, Blondie, Humphrey, as well as Cupid and Justine now gathered around them. The latter two had watched the duel on their phones. With the show over, some no longer saw any need to remain, or were simply too eager to leave after everything that had transpired, still reeling from the experience. There were knights encircling their little group in a protective barrier, their numbers bolstered by reinforcements brought in by the alarm of a giant dragon that had been hovering over Book End.
Ashlynn kept stirring, slowly peeling her eyes open, and who else but the face of Hunter; her Hunter, smiling in relief, greeted her. She wanted to say something, anything, but remained vaguely silent at being overwhelmed by emotion that she instead pushed herself up and met his lips with hers in a tender kiss.
For a moment, she allowed herself to melt into it, savor it, when she was broken out of her stupor by the sound of gasps. Opening her eyes, she realized with a start at what she was doing. She reluctantly pulled away and diverted her attention to her fellow princesses, all of them wearing expressions that spanned between shock and surprise.
Hunter considered their reaction as well, but kept his own features even. He panned a look down at his girlfriend and asked, "Can you stand?"
Ashlynn looked back to him, mouth going dry. They had been exposed, or were close to it unless she had a way of mitigating her blunder. Hunter seemed to read into this, the look in his eye softening. With a thin smile, and some help from Farrah, they both helped Ashlynn to her feet. Coming more to her senses, the memory of what happened and why she was there resurfaced to the fore, her brows shooting up.
"Y-You're…I-I thought…" she stammered, studying the state the young Huntsman was in and spotting the darkened smudges of dirt on his clothes and skin, next to the odd device still worn around his forearm.
Hunter's smile widened, his face lighting up a bit in an attempt to add some levity back into the girl, shrugging his shoulders as he jested, "Greatly exaggerated."
"B-But I…I saw you…" she sputtered, going back to the moment that he had been engulfed by that beam of light fired from the mouth of that massive dragon, snapping her head around to see if it was still there, some of the previous panic setting in. Hunter quickly and gently grasped both her shoulders.
"Ashlynn, I know I promised that I'd explain everything to you, and I will, but uh…" Hunter closed his mouth, cheeks puffing up before letting out a breath. "We're kinda…" He inclined his head to the crowd, and his girlfriend could only nod in silent agreement, catching just some of the murmurs going around, which was thankfully overshadowed by a more pressing issue. On the other side of the aisle, Dexter was standing in front of his father, with more knights behind the latter on stand by. The man stared at his son with a stern expression that could have easily been taken as him being upset, and in retrospect, he was, torn between simply taking his son in for questioning, or to have him spill it all out then and there to give some semblance of sense into an otherwise already confounding situation.
Dexter, to his credit, was calmly standing as if absolutely nothing was amiss, maybe save for the squirming, and rubbing the back of his neck, and averting his gaze to avoid meeting the man's glare. He tensed up a little when he felt someone's hands on him, then relaxed upon finding them to be gentle and warm, turning to his left and finding Darling having sidled up next to him, a soft, loving smile on her lips. He reciprocated, and did nothing to rebuff her contact as she drew him in for a hug. From their peripherals, they found Daring, looking more unsure and confused than anything in his approach, but nonetheless gave the younger Darling a wave coupled with an awkward grin, the moment a little less idyllic than what they would have preferred for her arrival.
King Charming, seeing his three children together, opened his mouth to speak, only to be superseded by another more frantic voice that was pushing past the crowd, finding it to be none other than a disheveled looking Milton Grimm, out of breath, his normally pristine apparel unraveled and drenched in sweat. He darted his eyes wildly until his gaze rested on them, or more specifically, on Dexter. "You!" he seethed under his breath, sending a hateful, bloodshot glare that could have burned a hole into the young prince. He raised a searing finger to point at the bespectacled Charming and barked out, "KNIGHTS! ARREST HIM!"
The park immediately fell into a still silence from the booming command as Milton did not miss a beat in adding, "Hunter Huntsman as well! They have both committed grave infractions! They are now expelled! Effective immediately!" This threw the crowd off even more, with Ashlynn and the rest expressing complete shock, save for those on the receiving end of his rant and their two other companions. Blondie eagerly perked up, wildly gesturing for Humphrey to cover this turn of events.
King Charming's features scrunched into a scowl, then proceeded to march up to the Headmaster. "Excuse me, sir, but-"
"Ah! Precocious!" Milton snapped his head to the man he addressed by name, startling the latter, as if only now realizing that he was present and grabbing him by the shoulders, wringing him fiercely, "Thank fairy godmother that you're here! Y-Your son! He needs to be-"
King, or Precocious Charming, wrenched both of the man's hands off of him and snapped back, "Headmaster, please!" Straightening his jacket and adjusting his ascot, the monarch glowered witheringly at his clearly disgruntled superior. "Now then, if you would just calm down-"
"C-Calm down?!" Milton echoed in umbrage, a crack to his voice, trembling like he was out in the bare cold. "How can I calm down after…after…all of that?! Th-Th-That d-d-dragon! Wh-Wh-Wha-What a-a-a-are we g-g-g-going to…" He gestured with both hands at where the duel had taken place. "Th-Th-Th-Thi-i-i-is-s-s…c-c-c-chaos…! A-A-A-Absolute c-chaos!"
Precocious couldn't hold back a grimace, then motioned for the knights to…"escort" the clearly hysterical and unhinged Headmaster back to the school, who backed away from their advances upon seeing them approach. Milton's face contorted into an ugly expression, spraying flecks of spittle out as he barked at them, "No! Not me, you fools! Dexter Charming and Hunter Huntsman! They're the ones-"
"Yes, yes, Headmaster, we'll get to them in a bit," a knight sneaking up from behind him said in a calming tone, cautiously clamping both hands on one shoulder and securing a grip, his partner taking the other. "But right now, let's get you somewhere nice and safe."
"S…Safe…?"
As Milton was being dragged away, Precocious took a moment to massage the bridge of his nose. He then raised his head, peering up at the now darkening sky, no longer littered with clouds, only lamenting that the stars weren't quite out yet.
Releasing a sigh, he once again turned to his children, finding them flanked by their classmates, with a certain Hunter Huntsman coming in front of Dexter.
"You okay?" Dexter asked Hunter as they shared a fist bump.
Hunter scoffed. "Psh, you kidding? I just stared down a freaking God and still living and breathing to tell the tale."
Dexter snorted, then shot each of the others present a look, undulating his arms and greeting them in a laissez-faire tone, "Hey."
His schoolmates certainly didn't look like they had much in the way of dialogue, sharing unsure glances in deliberation. Perhaps it was fitting in a way that Raven would be the one to muster the nerve to ask, "Where to start?"
Dexter's smile became apologetic when he shared a brief glance with Cupid, who certainly didn't seem to look all too shaken up, an unreadable glint in her eyes. The cherub ventured to ask, "Were those…monsters, real?"
Both Dexter and Hunter shared a glance, with the former answering, "Yes. Mostly thanks to these." He gestured down at the Duel Disk on his arm, now on standby mode along with Hunter's. "Combining science and magic, it taps into the inherent enchantments in the card to draw out the spirits residing within them."
"Wait, wait," Raven interrupted, waving up both hands. "Enchanted? Spirits? What are you talking about?"
Dexter sighed. "Yeah, it's gonna take a lot of explaining, so maybe when things start to-"
"Hey!"
Dexter blinked from being interrupted, turning to where the voice came from. It was then that he saw a sizeable crowd having clustered near, and from what he could tell, a lot of them seemed to be duelists if them being close was anything to go by. One such individual stepped out of the bunch, recognizing him to be Tucker, one of Sparrow's Merry Men.
"Uh, yes?" Dexter asked, getting a sinking feeling.
"Uh, well," Tucker started anxiously. "Y-You…wouldn't happen to be him, right?"
"Him?" Apple White echoed, then turned to Daring's brother, who, for some reason, stiffened a bit from the question.
Dexter blinked owlishly, taking a tense step back. "Y-Yeah, I-I'm Dexter, Dexter Charming."
"No, th-that's, I know, but-"
"H-Hey! Look at the time! Ahahahaha!" Dexter interrupted him with a nervous laugh, inclining his head away from the boy. "I-I'm just gonna go back to my dorm. I-It's been a long day. Hey, Hunter, co-"
"You're the King, aren't you?!" Tucker exclaimed emphatically.
Dexter froze, his face completely losing color, which extended to the rest of his friend group. Hunter strafed a hand over his hair, Alistair shook his head while Briar was looking away with her arms folded over her chest, coiling a hand to her mouth.
"K-King?" Raven repeated, confused, as were the others.
Dexter quickly stomped over to Tucker, hissing, "Okay! Here's the deal, I'll give you a rare card, anything you want, just don't say anything more!"
Tucker was briefly taken aback by this, tempted by the offer, but shook his head, feeling like he needed to bring this out and confirm it for himself. "No! I-I have to know! You're him, right?" Again, the crowd murmured amongst themselves, with Dexter snapping his head about, trying to think of a way to flee. Maybe he could get away using one of his monsters? It was worth a try, but before he could even go ahead with it, Precocious intervened, getting in-between the two boys. Dexter had never been so grateful to his father in his life, except maybe that one time he received a laptop two christmases ago.
"Now what else is going on here?" Precocious asked, then shot a look at his son. "Dexter?"
"N-Nothing, dad," Dexter replied. "I-I-I was just about to go back to the dorm-"
"Your sister," King Charming said with emphasis, grabbing his son by the shoulder, "has been meaning to have dinner together since she arrived. I trust that there are no longer any other prior 'obligations' that require you?"
Dexter swallowed. "Y-Yes-I-I-I mean, no! No! D-Dinner it is! L-Let's-"
"Are you the King of Games?!"
Dexter felt his soul leave his body upon hearing those words, accompanied by the intensifying murmurs from the crowd.
"King of…"
"What is he talking about?"
"Could that really be him?"
"The champion?"
King Charming and the others fixed their attention to the future Friar Tuck, who was wearing a determined expression. Sparrow stepped out from the crowd with Jonah next to him, both perplexed as to what could have gotten into their friend and the things he was saying.
Tucker gathered his courage, elaborating, "Three years ago, the first ever World Championship Tournament was held in a castle that was located on a private island owned by Maximilian J. Crawford, the creator of Duel Monsters. The tournament was called 'Duelist Kingdom'. However, because it happened at around the time the Evil Queen had waged her assault on Wonderland, the communications blackout made it so that it couldn't be broadcasted. But, details were leaked online, that it still went off without a hitch. Only one duelist managed to come out of it the victor."
Dexter slinked midway through the tangent behind Briar, who frowned in annoyance at being used as a shield, in contrast to the sigh of dejection from Cupid at spotting this from the corner of her eye.
"At first, I didn't think it was possible, since the identity of the champion wasn't included in the leak," Tucker went on. "Except for their deck list."
King Charming arched a brow, the boy's story perking his interest, exacerbated from catching the discomfort it seemed to be causing his son. "Dark Magician? Dark Magician Girl? Celtic Guardian? At first, I thought it wasn't possible. That someone could have just made a copy. But, what clinched it for me was…Osiris."
Damn it! I should have just stuck with Mahad! Dexter thought in annoyance.
"The Three God Cards are each one of a kind, and along with their support cards, the winner was said to have received them as part of their prize upon being crowned the King of Games, the greatest duelist in the world!"
Dexter buried his face deeper behind Briar, who then swiveled around to grab him by the collar with both hands, the princess shooting him a castigating glare, to which he could only smile sheepishly in return.
"So that could only mean," Tucker said, licking his lips. "Either you stole Osiris, or…"
Dexter's eyes shifted to those gathered, then relented when he realized that there was no way for him to deny it for long, causing Briar to relinquish her hold. He straightened himself out and, with some trepidation lingering, said, "Fine. I-It's true. I…I'm him."
There was a moment of silence after that admission, followed by resounding cheers from all the duelists gathered.
"Then, it really is him?!"
"The champion of Duelist Kingdom? The King of Games! The King of Duelists?! And he's…Dexter…Charming…"
Silence fell over them again, more awkward than the last as the moment was dampened by that rather anticlimactic detail. Dexter's brows flattened, his shoulders sagging, not helped when his ears picked up on a round of snickers coming from his friends and; to his further chagrin, Darling.
The crowd of duelists kept staring at him before trading a series of odd looks, collectively shrugging their shoulders then went back to cheering, rushing forward to flock around the young prince.
"Dude, you are like a living legend!"
"Can you sign my card? Heck, sign my whole deck!"
"Bro! Can we see Dark Magician again? O-Or Osiris?!
Dexter could only chuckle awkwardly, backing away from being completely mobbed before he felt a hand on his shoulder, finding it to be his father again, the man silently inclining his head in the direction of the town as a cue for them to leave, with some knights coming in between them and the gaggle of groupies.
Oh dear. Well, it would seem that the young prince, or king, has garnered quite a following.
Is he truly even a king?
It's just a title, mom. Then again, isn't that what royalty essentially is?
All that's missing is a kingdom to rule, though that might change in the future.
To be honest, Dexter isn't really interested in anything like that.
Present…
"Will I…really be expelled?" Dexter asked in a tentative tone, hanging his head.
Precocious paused in his meal. "No," he replied, placing his fork down. "So long as I have any say on the matter, you'll resume school as normal."
Dexter remained transfixed on his plate, though was nonetheless surprised and equal parts relieved.
"So, what's this about you…being a king?"
"I-It's…just a title," Dexter explained with a hint of embarrassment. "There's no actual substance behind it other than…"
"And, what of this…Duelist Kingdom?"
Dexter went deathly silent at that, head falling lower.
"...If that's how it is, then I have no pressing interest in knowing the details," Precocious said evenly after seeing his son's reluctance. "Not yet, at least. Only when you're ready. And maybe then, I'll have decided on an appropriate punishment."
The young Charming could have choked on his father's words.
"... And, to be completely honest…"
Dexter spared his father a glance from the corner of his eye.
"Dexterous…"
Daring and Darling eyed their father expectantly as he was addressing their brother.
"It's moments like this that I am glad that you're not the eldest son."
Oddly enough, Dexter found himself smiling wanly from that backhanded remark.
Daring didn't seem to share in his father's sentiment, chiming in with, "I hardly think this is the time for jokes, father." He next turned to his brother. "Dexter, I don't even know where to begin in making any scrap of sense out of this, but everything that happened back there. Just…what the heck?"
Dexter winced, rubbing his bare head, having removed his crown, as did his father and siblings. "Heh, how do you like that for potential?"
Daring's brows crinkled at how dismissive his younger twin seemed, before shaking his head, a ghost of a smile lurking on his lips.
Darling chewed on her own lip at the ambience in the room, then put on a smile to help lighten the mood. "So, your majesty, care to show a girl what those cards are all about?"
Dexter huffed. "I doubt you'd be interested."
Darling snorted. "I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't."
Daring seemed to be as well, with Dexter staring at his sister in contemplation. Without taking his eyes off of her, he reached down to his belt where his deck box was, hearing the distinct click from pulling it open. He fished out his deck and presented it to her, and the princess' eyes seemed to light up. She carefully took it with both hands, the front most card being what she recognized to be the Dark Magician from having watched the duel at a distance. She proceeded to fan the deck out, catching glimpses of the rest comprising it, with Daring leaning in close to share a glimpse.
Right behind the sorcerer in black was the Dark Magician Girl, riding on her staff as if it were a broom and flashing a two-fingered salute. The rest were, other than the elven warriors and cute pink blobs as well, creatures she could vaguely place a bead on.
A vicious looking black dragon riddled with red orbs.
A knight riding a skeletal dragon.
…Robots?
As well as other sorcerers and magic users if their similar style of dress were any indication.
"Dark Magician," Darling read his name in fascination, the wizard staring back at her from his card. "Dark Magician Girl. Are these two related?"
Dexter smiled. "Teacher and student. Dark Magician is a master wizard, with the Dark Magician Girl being his apprentice."
Daring huffed. "Why would you even have cards like that? They seem more fitting for villains."
Dexter chuckled under his breath. "You'd think that, but they're actually pretty cool people once you get to know them."
Darling and Daring shared an unreadable glance. "...Are they…alive?" the princess asked. "Can they…hear us? See us?"
Dexter tapped his finger on the table, a mysterious twinkle in his eye. "You could say that. They can see and hear us, though it'll depend on them if you can do so in turn."
"What do you mean?" Darling asked. "And how is that even possible?"
"The cards are enchanted," Dexter provided. "They happen to be connected to a realm where Duel Monsters reside, and only those with whom have the potential can connect to this realm and perceive it, granting them the ability to call upon their power."
"Call upon their…" Darling began, connecting the dots.
"Dexter…could it be that you…" Daring ventured.
Dexter glanced at his father, who had finished his meal and was now taking sips from his wine glass.
"Like I said, it was around when I was ten that I got into Duel Monsters, when you had your class reunion." King Charming remembered that occasion well, and drew from the memory of Dexter having roamed around Book End that day. "I got bored, and I went to the town to do some exploring. That's…when I found the Turtle Game Shop, and I met the proprietor."
"Name?" King Charming asked curtly.
"Everybody just calls him Mr. Solly." From the expression on his father's face, it seemed like he wanted to press for more details, but relented. "He was the one that introduced me to the game. And, from then on, I was hooked."
"Really?" King Charming started. "And how, pray tell, were you able to keep all of this a secret from us for so long? Not even the servants had ever mentioned such when they would regularly scour through your room during cleaning."
Dexter's smile fell. "It wasn't exactly that hard." His father read into those words and frowned.
"Just how many cards do you have?" Darling asked as she was flipping through the rest of his deck, when she came upon a card that showed the image of a red dragon. Osiris. She eyed the card in interest, hardly believing that just a while ago, she had looked up at the creature in terror, never in her entire life having known such fear. Was it the same for knights whenever they came face-to-face with such monsters?
"Uh," Dexter stammered, nervously scratching the crook of his neck with a finger. "Last I counted, probably around seven hundred."
Darling nearly allowed pieces of the deck to slip from her grasp, whilst both Daring and King Charming choked on their drinks.
"And some limited edition tins," Dexter continued listing off, counting with the fingers of his right hand, "a few structure decks, booster boxes, prize boxes, a few albums-"
"Son," the man cleared his throat in interruption, collecting himself, "would you care to share how you even managed the time and money to gather that many?" Precocious asked tersely, slamming his glass down on the table with an audible thump, though not enough to break it.
Dexter recoiled from his father's palpable temper, squirming. "Uh, hey, you know, I mean, you always did have expectations for us to do well in life. Like, finances, business. I…just took it in a direction that was more in-line with a hobby I like."
"From what I've already comprehended so far, it seems to be more than just a mere hobby," Precocious deadpanned. With a heavy sigh, he propped his forehead against the back of his hand, the arm connected to it in turn positioned on the table. "I just want to know, Dexter."
"...Know what?"
Precocious cracked one eye open at his son. "What do you plan to do now?"
"Ah," Dexter said, his brows arching up. "Nothing's…really changed all that much. Why would it?"
"Why would it?" His father repeated incredulously. "You did hear what they said back at the park, didn't you?" Precocious reminded him. "And from where I'm sitting, I can tell when someone is steeped in magic. Dark magic. Charmings like me didn't get to be where we are without being able to pick up on such things."
Dexter went on to explain, "I won't exactly deny it. But, the kind of 'dark magic' that the cards have isn't inherently evil per se. It depends on those who are able to draw from such a power."
This drew a scowl from Daring, the notion of his brother potentially pursuing the path of villainy not sitting well with him. "Then, where do you fall, Dexter?" He asked, leaning forward, elbows propped on the table. "I'd hate to be the one to stand against you when such a day comes."
"What?" Dexter scoffed. "Come on, Dare. I'm still me. Not really a villain, and not really a hero either. I mean, technically, The Storybook of Legends doesn't have my number yet, so until then, I might as well be a free agent."
King Charming's features scrunched disapprovingly. "Be that as it may, from this day forth, I forbid you to just…run off and play your little card games."
Dexter tilted his head forward with a scowl. "Really, dad? Come on."
"There will be none of that," Precocious insisted, wagging a finger. "The people were beside themselves. The chaos, the panic. Not since the Evil Que-" He shook his head. "What I'm telling you, son, that what happened today has left a mark. A mark that won't be forgotten anytime soon. The only thing I ask of you is that…" He stopped when Dexter looked him straight in the eye.
"I'm not going to stop."
King Charming blinked in mild shock, his reaction shared by both Daring and Darling. "You're going to have to," his father asserted. "I'll confiscate your cards, your…that strange device, everything." As he said this, he didn't miss the glimmer in his boy's eyes, the…growing intensity behind them.
To his astonishment, it made the follicles on his skin bristle. Never had he ever seen such a look from his children, not even Daring.
Dexter silently held his father's gaze for what could have lasted for hours. "And if I refuse, what? You'll disown me?"
Precocious scoffed with an audacious confidence, leaning back on his seat. "Far be it for you to challenge my decision."
"I am."
Both Daring and Darling gaped like a pair of fishes, unable to believe their eyes and ears, the hairs on the back of their necks vibrating from the tension that was steadily rising in the room. For Dexter to even oppose their father…
"You would dare?" King Charming asked tersely under his breath, barely above a whisper, bringing both hands on the table as if he was about to lunge at his son.
"... How about this?" Dexter leaned forward, elbow propped on the table as if welcoming the man to try. "Let's play a game."
King Charming blinked, repeating archly with a curl of his brow, "A game?"
"A game," Dexter confirmed with a nod and a lopsided grin.
King Charming scoffed, picking up his napkin to wipe his mouth with. "Enough with the nonsense, Dexterous. We are done here." He briskly stood up from his seat. "I expect you to be at school tomorrow. Darling? Daring? Come along."
Watching their father turn to leave, both Darling and Daring pitched tentative glances at their brother as they began to follow suit, worried that he had not moved an inch. But, instead of being dejected like they expected, they were thrown off by the smile still present on his lips.
"If I win…"
Hearing this, King Charming broke stride halfway to the door.
"I get to keep my cards. If you win, I will willingly submit to your every whim."
Precocious slowly turned his head to glance over his shoulder. "For the rest of my life, whatever you wish of me, I will be the dutiful son a father could ever ask for." He turned to his father, whose back was still facing him. "How about that?"
Fully turning to face his son, Precocious replied, "You're in over your head. I am, or was, a Prince Charming. Do not test me."
"Then you won't stand to lose much, dad," Dexter retorted coyly. "Besides, it has been a while since we've had any real fun together. Think of it like that, only without mom."
Daring and Darling began to feel excluded, not just from the interaction, but from the air between their father and brother, sensing a pressure that was starting to pervade every corner of the room. They expected their father to refuse once more, only for the man to silently shuffle back to his seat, keeping his eyes on Dexter. Once he was settled back in, the man enquired, "What sort of game? Your cards?"
Dexter shook his head, his smile widening as he only needed to point at his father's now empty wine glass. "We'll be using that."
Precocious arched a brow. "Explain."
Dexter picked up his unused napkin. "The game is that we pull this napkin from under the glass."
"...You're serious?"
The other pair of siblings shared odd looks.
King Charming was on the verge of reconsidering, but Dexter's smile never left his lips. "Very much so. The rules are simple. We each take a turn to pull this napkin from under the glass." He unraveled said napkin for emphasis, turning it over back and forth to show that it was clean. "Then, after we both finish, a cap full of wine will be added to the glass."
King Charming's brows crinkled in understanding. "The heavier the glass gets, the higher the chance it will tip over."
Dexter nodded. "There are two conditions for a loss. The first is the most obvious, and what you've already established. The second is if even a single drop of wine spills out on the table cloth."
King Charming rapped his fingers on the table, mulling it over. It was true that he didn't stand to lose much, other than, say, another headache in whatever shenanigans Dexter would get himself into. Still, his son actually challenged him, and from what he could see in the boy's demeanor, he wasn't about to back down without a fight. It…intrigued him, to say the least.
"May I add another condition, then?" Precocious forwarded, to which Dexter nodded.
"Sure."
"Before and after each of our turns, we check our hands for anything that might cause us to cheat," Precocious prescribed. "Just to keep it fair."
"You think I'll cheat?" Dexter asked, looking mildly affronted. From an early age, Prince Charmings were taught to be virtuous, to abide by values such as chivalry, kindness and fairness befitting their roles as heroes, which naturally included being able to see through such things as deception or cheating. Unless they were under a spell or cursed, they were to never indulge in such things lest they forfeit their standing as a Charming.
"No," Precocious denied. "Though whose fault is it for me to even insinuate such?"
Dexter didn't bite, though he did hang his head as if conceding to the point.
Precocious could admit to not being rigidly beholden to such doctrines, as were others that he was personally acquainted with or otherwise, and indeed, such rules seemed to serve more as templates to pattern certain behaviors on than completely modeling oneself from. Yet, cheating was always something that he had a distaste for, as his great-uncle learned the hard way when the last Rumplestiltskin nearly cheated him out of a wife. The rotten little gnome didn't just want the child, he wanted the whole package. It was one of the few scandals that plagued their family and one the current Rumplestiltskin was to never to bring up lest he face legal repercussions.
Until now.
"Alright, dad," Dexter agreed, not even a full minute of chewing on it. "I accept that condition."
"Very well," Precocious said. "I accept your challenge."
It's starting.
Indeed. Who would have guessed that Dexter Charming would challenge his father for such a reason? In retrospect, it sounds egregiously childish.
Just for a card game. It honestly sounds petulant, but with how much power the cards themselves seem to carry, it would be wise for such an issue to be discussed more critically.
There's that, but not quite what I meant.
Dexter nodded. He turned to his siblings and requested, "Daring, help us out."
Daring's breath got caught in his throat, realizing that he was to be the one to fill the glass. With a nod from his father, the eldest Charming sibling obeyed, taking the bottle of wine and holding on to it on standby, unscrewing the cap in preparation.
Dexter had his father take the wine glass and polish it to avoid any form of foul play, making sure that it was smooth enough for them to proceed. Once Precocious felt it to be clean enough, he set the used napkin aside as Dexter laid out his on the smooth tablecloth. With some precaution, they had Darling inspect the napkin for anything that would cause a cheat, like a stain or smudge of food. Once she gave the okay, Precocious carefully placed and positioned the glass on the spread napkin.
"Now, who goes first?" Precocious inquired.
"Since I was the one who proposed it in the first place, I get to decide," Dexter said. "You go first, dad."
Fair enough, with Precocious squaring his shoulders. "There will be no turning back from this, Dexter. You win, you can do whatever you want. I win, you don't."
Dexter nodded, and gave his father the go-ahead. With a snap of his wrist, and without taking his eyes off of his son, Precocious tugged at the napkin, causing it to slip from underneath the wine glass seamlessly. The glass remained standing, barely even budging an inch. Dexter visibly dithered at this, his smile disappearing. It being his turn, he had Darling be the one to arrange the items in order to avoid the possibility of cheating. Once ready, Dexter pinched the pointed end of the napkin facing his direction and gave it a quick tug. Dexter's breath hitched in his throat when the glass wobbled, not by much thankfully, but still enough to make him pause.
He let out a breath once it stopped, and gestured with his head to Daring to fill the glass with wine. The next set of turns went fairly smoothly, with only Dexter having a few close calls, the glass already half full when Precocious asked, "Why are you so bent on this card game?"
"...Everybody needs a hobby," Dexter answered with a shrug. "I don't meddle with any of yours."
"Last I checked, model trains don't involve bringing out a dragon that could flatten a giant's castle with a mere swing of its tail."
Dexter chuckled, then squirmed when the glass wobbled again. "Yeah, I can see how that can be…overwhelming."
"... Is it truly a God?"
"Yeah," Dexter answered easily like he was just being asked for the time.
The glass was barely full when Precocious paused in his turn, resting his eyes on his son. "Forgive me if I find that hard to believe."
Dexter continued to observe the glass, the red liquid giving off his reflection. "That's fine. Definitely not something you can just take at face value."
Precocious maintained his skepticism, as while many of the fantastical elements of their world could be explained away with magic, something that could vaguely be considered divine to be confined in a card game of all things sounded just downright silly. "Whether it's a God or not, that creature shouldn't be allowed in a populated area."
"Don't worry," Dexter shrugged. "I only really brought him out for…marketing purposes. You know Seacrest Industries?"
"The gaming company?" Darling said in recognition.
"Yeah," Dexter nodded. "They're the ones who developed the Duel Disks, and being the winner of Duelist Kingdom, they thought it natural that I'd be the one to give it a test run. Hunter got one since he was a runner up. They even offered to sponsor us and everything."
"You and Hunter?" Daring said in surprise. "Guess that means you two get to play all the time."
"Only when we're free," Dexter clarified, having a go again and succeeding without wobbling the glass. "Otherwise, I'm busy with homework." He glimpsed up at his father. "It's your turn, dad."
Precocious didn't move right away, seemingly deep in thought. "Fill the glass to the brim, Daring."
Both Daring and Darling stiffened at the command, while Dexter only stared quietly. "We finish this now, son. I still have much to do regarding the fallout of your little stunt, and I'm going to need all the sleep I can get. You cannot refuse."
Rather than protest like he half expected, Dexter smiled again. "Sure, dad. All or nothing."
Giving him a nod, Precocious instructed Daring to indeed fill the glass until it was full, and Dexter could see that only the surface tension was keeping it from spilling. "You sure about this?" The young prince asked the older king.
Precocious returned his son's smile with his own. "A Charming should never be a stranger to risks. That's the only trait you've shown so far that I can get behind." His expression sharpened. "All or nothing. You were the one who instigated this, let me be the one to finish it."
Dexter didn't give an immediate response, staring blankly at his father, before a smile slowly etched itself onto his lips, a curl of anticipation in his eyes. Precocious would have found it disarming if not for his experiences in adventuring telling him how…ominous it felt.
For the entirety of the game, he vigilantly kept track of his son's movements. Any sleight of hand, where his gaze would travel, and every time he presented his hands, he scrutinized all of it like a hawk. His victory was assured when the disparity was clear between them, each of his turns perfect, while Dexter would keep stumbling.
This was an opportunity for him to not only end this farcical game but assert his authority. While he was still a king, more pressingly, he was a father and he couldn't allow anything untoward to befall his children. For their own good, he would put his foot down when necessary.
"Go ahead, dad," Dexter said neutrally, motioning towards the full glass with his hand.
Precocious confidently reached out and pinched the pointed end of the napkin, doing a few test tugs to feel for the weight. Satisfied, he was about to whip his arm back when something stopped him.
The napkin was stuck.
He blinked in mild confusion and carefully tested the weight again. He stole a suspicious glance from Dexter and saw that he was nowhere near in contact with any of the items, the boy keeping his eyes trained on his father.
"What's wrong, dad?" Darling asked, sensing the hesitation washing over him.
Precocious' focus lingered on the glass before turning to his daughter, while keeping his peripherals on his other son. "Darling, can I see your hands?"
Darling looked like she was about to protest at being suspected, when she dutifully relented to their father's request. Nothing. As clean and dainty as any princess. Realigning his attention back to the game, he gave the napkin another test pull.
It felt heavy. Heavier than it had any right or logic to be. He had only been able to maintain his advantage for the entirety of the game by calculating the precise force to execute the trick flawlessly, just as he had done as a young man, having performed the trick in full to impress Goldie after some practice with Pietro. If he was to be off by even the tiniest margin…
Dexter's features continued to be set in an unreadable poker face, but Precocious just knew that he had something to do with this. He wanted to speak out to chastise him, but the last thing he wanted was to be perceived as pointing fingers, and even if his son was using magic to cheat, his pride as a prince needled him to power on.
He took a deep breath and pinched the napkin again, ready to throw caution to the wind, as he was no stranger to being in tight spots in his venerated career. With a snap of his arm, he pulled, and the entire table seemed to shake along with it, the wine peeking above the rim jiggling.
Time seemed to slow into a crawl as the red liquid danced tauntingly before them, second after fleeting second stretching longer until finally steadying to a still halt. Father and son inched closer to examine the result, having retreated from the table at the precise instant. None of them had made any sudden movements, that even the slightest vibration might compromise the final outcome. King Charming squinted to carefully scrutinize the glass.
To his relief and triumph, not a single drop had spilled, with the container still standing tall.
He had done it.
He had-
"Dad!"
Darling spoke up, pointing to her side of where she was facing the glass, and Precocious shuffled closer to see - a drop. A drop that was creating a single trail that ran down the glass, both he and his daughter staring at it dumbfounded.
King Charming was standing hunched over the table, watching as the drop kept going until it landed by the foot of the glass, then worked its way further down until reaching the tablecloth.
The atmosphere descended into a thick silence. Darling glanced at her father in worry, dreading his reaction, and what she found wasn't shock or outrage, but…a resigned calmness. With a sigh, he righted himself and examined the napkin before pitching it forward to Dexter.
Locking eyes with the man, Dexter quietly took it.
His son had won.
Without a word, Precocious turned to leave. Only when he was already at the door, did he say, "I expect you to be at school tomorrow."
"Wait," Dexter called out to his father, before turning to Darling, who nodded after a moment of uncertainty. She carefully went about to arrange the napkin under the glass again after carefully wiping the sections of where the wine had spilled, with King Charming standing by out of curiosity. He watched as his son pinched the napkin, then slowly and smoothly pulled the cloth free.
Precocious, to the astonishment of both Daring and Darling who expected him to react more fiercely, merely huffed and grinned. He may have been many things, but a sore loser wasn't one of them. He made a grab for the doorknob, and it was at that instant that they heard it. The sound of brisk knocking, which startled them out of their musings. Casting a look to the door, Precocious pulled it open, and found the manager with his fist raised as if he was about to knock again, impatience flashing across the man's face crossed with worry. Behind him were a pair of the waiters that had been serving them for the entire night.
The man's shoulders jolted up, as if taken by surprise before composing himself with a relieved sigh, going on to say, "Oh thank goodness. Your majesty, a-are you and your family alright?"
Precocious' brows creased in confusion. "Yes? Why wouldn't we be?"
For a moment, the man seemed to be wrestling with what to say, clearly uncomfortable to be placed on the spot in front of a monarch over whatever the issue was. "W-Well, these young men came to me claiming that they couldn't find your door."
"Excuse me?"
"They claimed," the manager reiterated in a more pointed tone, "that your door was gone, vanished, nothing but bare wall! So, I accompanied them to check, and what else should I find but your door right where it is supposed to be." He flashed the two abashed waiters a side glare. "Right?"
"The door…vanished?" Precocious repeated confusingly.
The manager seemed to be squirming, his body inclined in a way that made him appear crooked, clearly not wanting the conversation to drag on lest he somehow offended such a high profile customer, stammering out, "W-W-Well, I-I-I'm sure that it was just a simple mistake. N-No need to be alarmed." He trailed off with a nervous chuckle, then cast another glower at his employees. "Well?"
The waiters bowed their heads in apology, and it was there that Darling remembered that she had ordered for some water, seeing that one of the men was carrying the pitcher on a tray alongside a clean glass.
It was the manager that was next to bow, with some minor difficulty because of how his body was angled, apologizing once more before sauntering off, allowing the waiters to file in and grant Darling her water.
How very curious, which Precocious thought inwardly to himself. It honestly could have been a mistake brought about by mixing up the hallways, since they were in a deeper part of the restaurant, with it's crookedly winding hallways and corridors.
Although…
He casted one last suspicious glance at his children, particularly on Dexter, who partook in the water, filling his own glass himself after insisting it from the waiter. He shook his head, deciding that he could just leave the issue for tomorrow. It had been a long day, and one he would rather file away to the back of his mind until then.
After dismissing the waiters, Daring looked about to leave after their father. "Come on you two, let's go." He looked like he still wanted to talk with or say something to his twin, wishing to express more of his concerns, when he seemed to decide against it and went straight for the door.
"Yeah," Dexter said after downing his water, placing his glass next to the napkin that he had used during the game when Darling reached for and grabbed it to wipe her hands. Thinking nothing of this, Dexter made his way to the door to follow when he felt Darling's hand on his shoulder.
"You cheated, didn't you?"
Dexter kept facing the door. "Would you believe me if I said that I didn't?"
"Using magic is still cheating," she pointed out, and this drew a grin from her brother at her having seen through it. "How…did you even…"
"I'll tell you when I feel like it, but right now, it's been a long day and…you just got here," Dexter told her, before he glanced at her over his shoulder. "And…I'm sorry I stood you up."
A soft smile came to her lips before giving him a hug. "Don't worry about it. Just…don't do it again." She flicked him on the tip of his nose, causing it to twitch adorably. "What have you gotten yourself into, Dexter?"
Her brother's eyes and shoulders fell, belting out a heavy sigh.
"Just a game."