ErosFontel

Hi! I'm currently editing the first few chapters of my book. Chapter One was already edited and polished.

“You must win the Wisdom Contest,” Ariadne said, envisioning a future where Osriel would be the event’s victor.

The two were taking in the sight of the pond from the white gazebo. From time to time, leaves of varying shades of red and yellow from the nearby trees would land on the pond’s surface, generating ripples that distorted what Ariadne could observe beneath.

Osriel sighed and slumped in his chair. It seemed it wasn’t the first time that he heard the remark. “I know. My tutor told me to study for it. He goes as far as to give me materials that I can review for my preparation.”

Ariadne didn’t hear anything from Osriel’s complaint. She was at that moment imagining how Osriel could win the Contest.

“You have to prove your prowess, prove to them you deserved to be the next duke.”

Osriel narrowed his eyes at her. 

“I know, but we do not want that thing with Galen happening again. We need the others to recognize you.”

“I know,” he said after contemplating what she said.

In five days, a banquet would be hosted, during which the Wisdom Contest would take place. Since it was a big event, many distinguished people would attend. According to her father, the Emperor might also send for the Imperial Secretary as his representative for the banquet.

This celebration will be the last social event to be organized in the South. After that, people would have to stop living in excess for a week as they wait for the Grand Winter Banquet of the Winternight Festival. Ariadne had a strong dislike for that one week called Inhibition. During the Inhibition, people would have to follow a stricter diet. There would only be simple meals, and water served to them. The way they dress should also follow the humbleness that the Inhibition requires. People should also limit themselves from going outside; Southerners were told to spend the week in isolation, just like Ludrius did before he fought the Cold snake.

“Have you ever watched the Wisdom Contest before?”

“I do.”

The Wisdom Contest was fairly straightforward. Children aged ten to fourteen who registered for the event would stand before a podium as they listened to the Contestmaster’s question. They must raise their hand if they know the answer to these questions. If they were correct, they would receive a point; if not, they might receive a deduction from their current score. 

There’s really no standard rule for the Wisdom Contest. The Contestmaster could make his own changes to the rules as long as, in the end, he would declare the highest scorer as the event winner. Ariadne had seen some of the most insane Wisdom Contest back then. There was this time a host said that if someone answered three correct answers consecutively, the participant could steal three points from another contestant.

The Wisdom Contest not only pushed participants’ ability to retain information but also assessed their ability to strategize their movements, which was essential if they decided to join the High Society. It taught them to be intelligent at all times. And whoever won the Contest would receive a snow brooch made from crystal, symbolizing their triumph.

Ariadne’s goal was for Osriel to win that brooch. It was basically doing two things at once; developing his confidence and gaining fame and respect from the nobles.

“Then you already have a clue how hard it could be, so you must study for the remaining days before the contest.”

Osriel turned at her, his brows raised. “What do you mean? Aren’t you also taking part in the event?” Osriel said, his eyes checking for her reaction.

She blinked at him, then nodded as the realization came to her. “Of course, I’m going to study too.”

—

The two spent the following days studying in the library. Ariadne picked all the books in the general section, which she thought would be helpful to them. But despite her efforts to amassing new knowledge for Osriel, she still felt uneasy. She carried these baseless feelings until there were only three days left before the night of the Contest.

She stood, stretching her stiff muscles. Ariadne looked across at Osriel. He was engrossed in what he was reading; his fingers delicately traced the lines of words in the pages. If she was correct, the book comprised the prominent tales regarding the Ten Celestials of Nuwae. For the past two days, Osriel had been obsessed with legends. The boy insisted it would be included in the questions. To whom did Osriel get this information? Ariadne does not know.

Ariadne left the library; the silent hallways of the palace welcomed her. She passed on tapestries hanging motionlessly against the white wall. When she reached the hall where paintings of people were hung, she slowed down as she felt their accusing eyes staring at her. She stopped and glanced back; the hallway was still as silent as ever. 

Ariadne reached the garden. She wanted nothing but to clear her mind from the throbbing pain.

She stopped in her tracks and leaned her hand on the lamppost. The sudden burst of pain in her head had made her gasped for breath. I need to sit. Thankfully, the closest wooden bench was just a few meters away from where she stood. There was a bush beside it, shedding its leaves. 

Ariadne sat and let her eyes close as she felt the cold wood against the palm of her skin. She leaned backward and listened to the surrounding sounds. She tried to identify each sound she heard in the reddish-darkness surrounding her; she listened to a bird, rustling trees, and the frustrated neigh of the horses somewhere. 

But before Ariadne could go even further, a memory flooded her mind.

This year’s Wisdom Contest was an event she refused to attend. But she remembered how Arissa told her about it as the maid fixed her hair the next day.

“The young duke lost tragically in the contest last night,” she said. “He failed to enter the second round.”

At that time, she just shrugged it off, thinking how dumb Osriel could be. As she stared at herself in the mirror, she asked the maid about the questions asked during the Contest. 

“Mostly about the Empire Laws, Songs, and the accomplishments of the previous emperor, both in diplomacy and conquest.”

Those things were not included in the reviewer that Osriel boasted to her.

Ariadne stood abruptly. “What would happen to him if he only knew things that are included in his reviewer?”

She clenched her fist and dabbed it to her lips. Ariadne started pacing back and forth before the wooden bench. Why wouldn’t he tell anyone about how he was tricked into reviewing things that are not included in his coverage? But looking at it right now, she already knew the reason. Osriel feared that the vassals would label him incompetent for trying to reason about his tragic defeat.

The throbbing pain slowly vanished. Ariadne stopped as she contemplated the misfortune that would fall on Osriel. Osriel’s defeat on that day was planned by someone who seeks to tarnish his name. He was purposely led to believe that he received the same reviewer that the others contestants had received.

Ariadne strode into the library. Inside, she found Osriel sitting at the same desk. She noticed how the tower of books around him had increased since she left. The boy sat around it with his eyes shut as he mumbled to himself. Just thinking about how this amount of information would go to waste was enough to stir her anger. 

He opened his eyes and glanced at her, though it was only for a moment, Ariadne recognized the tiredness in his red eyes. She wondered if he was also reviewing things before he went to bed. The thought of it made her sad and angry at the same time.

I wonder if the Osriel I knew had also buried himself in those piles of books?

When she imagined Osriel had existed like this, reading alone with only books to keep him company without the knowledge that eventually, he would be everyone’s laughingstock. She clenched her fist and put it on her chest.

Osriel smiled in her direction before he proceeded with his memorization. Ariadne calmed herself and walked towards the shelves in the eastern part of the library. Her memory told her she could find those books there. She picked three among the hundred books on the shelf. These three green leather-bound books would teach Osriel about the history of the Estrellio Empire and each of its emperors.

Ariadne also reached for a red leather-bound book about four-hundred pages thick; it contained a summarized version of all the laws that had been signed since the founding of the Empire. 

“My Lord, it might also prove helpful if we also read things like this.” She put the book on their table and took the chair across from him.

Osriel looked up and inspected the book. But when he saw its title, his brows scrunched up. “But this is the Empire’s Laws and the accomplishments of the former emperors.”

He tilted his head in her direction. “It isn’t in the reviewer given to me.”

“My Lord…” she started. “If I may say, don’t you think this reviewer is suspicious… perhaps someone did it to confuse all of us.” 

Osriel’s eyes narrowed at her. “What do you mean?”

She was about to speak, but Osriel raised his hand. 

“And refrain from calling me like that. Aren’t we friends? Just addressed me how friends should address one another.”

Ariadne put both of her hands on the table. “How I refer to you is not important. We need to read this book; last year’s Wisdom Contest had some questions related to the Empire. It might prove helpful if we added this to our study materials.”

Osriel raised his brows before he opened the book. “Then we are going to read it.”

Ariadne could only sigh as she hoped that this one thing she did could change the outcome of the predetermined future that she knew.