God's Game

CHAPTER 9: Statement

CHAPTER 9

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"You are sending father TO HAVENDELL?" When the address was over, my siblings and I went to confront mother about the news. We are still in disbelief and disdain about mother's betrayal.

"Lower your voice, Arla." Alexander tried to calm her down.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Mother, I respect your decisions but this one I cannot accept."

"I know, Arla. But it's a decision that we must do." Mother reasoned out.

"Why? And don't say to feed the starving people of Hustasia."

"To save us all." Mother closed her eyes, seem too tired to argue. "Before your grandfather died, Hustasia was on the brink of collapse. Our alliance with the Hudson family only slowed it down but it did not stop it. We must admit that Hustasia is lacking resources."

"So, father is the sacrificial lamb? Is that what you're saying?" Arla's voice broke in utter disbelief. Her tears flowed down from her eyes.

Mother just looked at her with a sorry look. Her face screamed woe and hurt.

"Aren't our bleaching on the other abandoned cities enough?" Alexander seem offended that their efforts to keep Hustasia on its feet was a waste.

Mother shook her head. "The population of Hustasia is growing and people are sinking down the poverty line. They're starving, sooner or later they'll be knocking on the temple's door. Alexander, you know that this makes sense."

"But, why the dangerous Havendell? Why not a city up north or the city by the west, we haven't bleached those yet." Alexander asked.

"Because Havendell was the greatest city in the world, even overthrowing Atlantoss when it comes to resources. The other cities didn't even dare to touch the ruins of the city after the Hand demolished it. The resources there are valuable." Mother clarified.

"Valuable, yes but getting it is dangerous!" I exclaimed.

"It's not dangerous, I'll have your father armed, I'll send a thousand men with him, I'll buy ships from Atlantoss, I'll do everything to make sure your father stays safe."

"And you think armor, men and ships will keep father safe from the guild that resurfaced?" I yelled out.

Mother looked dumbfounded and didn't utter anything but a confused 'what'.

"Oh yeah, I know that the guild is back. I heard you and father talked about it. Bleaching their city will only anger them and if you do manage to miraculously bleach Havendell, the guild will only eye for Hustasia dooming us even more." I argued.

All their confused eyes were on me. As they should, I'm the only one who is completely aware of the current problem right now.

"Ahry," she took a long deep breath as if thinking of a lie to talk me out "the guild being back are just rumors." Mother knelt to my height and held my hands.

I shook my head. "No they're not rumors and you know it! I saw the body of the soldier that died—"

"Ahry." Nicolous cuts me off. I looked at him, my eyes still filled with anger and disbelief.

I'm not stopping. I know I'm right.

"WE" I gestured to Nicolous and I "saw the body. Hibiscus isn't gone, we rescued her. We saw the body, mother. And it is clear to me that the guild did it."

Arla gasped to what I said. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Mother looked hurt and dumbfounded from what I said. Alexander tensed from behind me and I could sense that he was feeling confused as well. Nicolous was crying on the sleeves of my dress, ruining the fabric but I could not care less. My gray eyes did not break contact with mother's calculating ones.

I made sure mother was feeling my anger, as she should. She's aware that the guild resurfaced yet she'll send father to their city? How cruel is she?

"Mother," Arla finally manage to talk, she's still sobbing from my revelation. Mother looked up. "Is this true?"

Mother didn't say anything. She just looked at us one by one, her children who she mean to leave fatherless.

"Do you even love father?" Arla asked. Her voice was laced with hurt and anguish.

"Of course I do." Mother breathily said. It was obvious she was trying not to cry.

"Oh," Arla coldly said. "you don't send the people you love to their graves." With that, Arla lifted her emerald green dress and ran away.

"Mother, please think this one through. If father dies, don't think of us as your children anymore." Alexander remarked and followed after Arla.

"Ahry. Please." Mother gripped my hand tighter. "This is for Hustasia." The tears she was fighting to hold back finally flowed down like a dam that cracked. I turned my head away from her.

"You'll do anything don't you?" I look back at her eyes again. "You'll do anything for glory."

She looked down as though her heart shattered to a thousand pieces. Her sobs echoed through the hallway we were talking in. Nicolous' cries mixed with mother's.

"Mother." Nicolous managed to speak. Mother's bloodshot eyes met Nicolous'. "I know you love Hustasia, but I know you love father more."

More tears poured down from mother's eyes. I can sense that she is hurt from what her children said but between us, I am more hurt when she announced about father's suicide mission in front of all of Hustasia.

Not being able to stand it any longer, I grabbed Nicolous' hand and left mother there crying. She called our names but I did not stop my strides. I can't say that I don't feel sorry, but the coldness in my heart towards my mother clouds my judgement.

As I leave her behind, the tears I've been fighting hard to hold back finally won and flowed down like a faucet.

—-

It has been a day and a half since mother's address. She hasn't bothered us since, probably to give us some space. Or she's just too busy preparing for the Festival of Burgeon that she couldn't even apologize to her own children.

As usual.

To my surprise, I heard no word from father since the address. It's starting to make me worry. Usually, he's the one to make amends with us whenever there is a family conflict.

Arla frequently visited us in our rooms to play with Hibiscus. It's her way of clearing her mind of the news a day ago. Alexander, on the other hand, distracted himself by training for swordsmanship day in and day out. We were still grounded so we could not leave the room and visit them so they visit us.

"Sir, mam, here are the clothes your mother instructed to try on for the festival." Arlette said from the other side of the door.

I rolled my eyes. "Come in." I yelled back. She opened the door and pulled a clothes rack that is full of coats and dresses.

"Woooah, these coats look good!" Nicolous enthusiastically yelled out. He took one of the champagne colored coats that had black colar and buttons. "I'll try this on." He said and disappeared into the closet.

I scanned the dresses that were hanging from the clothes rack. "What color would mother dislike?" I thought out loud.

"Purple looks good on you, mam." Arlette said who was standing by the rack.

I looked at her and back to the clothes again. "I have no problem with the color, I have a problem with what I will wear."

"You don't like the dresses, mam?"

"I don't like wearing dresses, specifically."

"Oh," she looks to the ground then back up. I think I said that a bit too loud.

"But I have to." I said to her in a descending tone.

"But you have to." She repeated.

I looked at her in the eyes "Why do I have to?" I was curious. She's a lady too, I wondered what she thought about wearing dresses.

"Well that's what it is, mam. Ladies were made to wear dresses and men were made to wear suits."

"Well, that's unfair. Don't you think?" She nodded.

The door to the closet opened up and it revealed a very sophisticated Nicolous who was wearing the champagne colored suit that hugged his body perfectly and black slacks. I smiled to him. He looks good.

"You look good Nicolous." I gave him a thumbs up and he smiled back.

"Thanks, sis." He winked at me. I rolled my eyes at him. He scanned his clothes once again, "alright, this is it for me. I'm taking this one." He said and the closet door closed once again.

I looked back at Arlette. "See. That's exactly my point. It's so unfair that men has it easier while ladies have harder time picking what clothes to wear."

"I guess the gods have a preference." Arlette said not breaking contact with my eyes.

"Well the gods can go and kiss my ass." Arlette gasped as if she's shocked to what I said "A joke." I pointed out. She laughed at my remark and I gave a chuckle.

"Why does the world have to dictate what we wear?" I asked to her as I was feeling the fabric of the dresses. "Who dictates these stereotypes? That men should only wear suits and women should only wear dresses. It's ludicrous!" I paused and looked at Arlette.

"We shouldn't be limited to what we wear, don't you think?" I smiled to her.

"I agree with you completely, mam." She smiled back.

The smile that formed in my lips widen when Arlette and I made eye contact that seem to read each other's minds. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, mam." She smirked.

"What are we thinking?" Nicolous asked from behind me. I smirked at him.

A statement, I thought to myself.