The Dandelion System

Chapter 15

The next day I told Oda my unbelievable story, my fib and Oriana's father's eight Dandelion Seeds included, she seemed more mad than glad.

"Her father is a guard here and wants to be part of the Royal family so he's forcing her to join? And he already has eight seeds? He must be cheating!" Oda shouted into the dark night, outside Otto's tower. It took all of my willpower to keep her quiet.

"There's no way of cheating in The Dandelion System, or else you helping me is too," I countered, and she grimaced as we start up the stairs.

"How many Dandelion Seeds have you collected today?" I asked her. Her dejected face told me the answer wasn't good.

"None."

We had eighteen in total now, not particularly a bad amount, but I was bewildered why she didn't get any.

"What happened today?"

"Good thing my henchmen protected me, there was a fraud. They tried kidnapping me. You don't have to worry though—they are dead now."

"Fraud?" I said loudly, and Oda shushed me. I bit my lips. "Anyways, let's visit Otto tomorrow. Meet me at the tower after dinner. I nodded. I knew my way and we had a sort of routine, now.

The next night we met, Oda told me she had stopped receiving letters and now simply told her henchmen to look for seeds. When we opened the door a familiar voice greeted us.

"Karina!" It was Otto and he was was his usual cheery way self. He helped me up from the stairs. His sister, ignored, stomped towards the wall where the loose brick was.

"Thank you," I said to Otto, and he smiled in return. He gestured for me to sit in his chair.

"You have to listen to this! I will be eating dinner with you tomorrow!" Otto announced. "I'm finally allowed to go outside!"

My heart nearly stopped at the news.

"What? Who are you eating dinner with?" I asked frantically. "Who told you that?"

"My mother said I'll be eating dinner with twenty lovely ladies."

"How do you know I'm one of the ladies?" I questioned, dreading that he mentioned me in some form. He replied with how a list of their names were given, and he saw mine. While I feared the dinner tomorrow, Oda was shocked by the collection of dandelion seeds in the golden chest. Inspecting each one, she counted thirty.

"Last time it was fourteen, now it's thirty!" I wrung my hands at the two new dilemmas and Oda cursed while putting the chest back in the hole and slamming the brick over it.

"Why is mother doing this?" she said despite both of us knowing the answer. Within a few days, when the chest is filled, she will give it to her favorable candidate, and she will win.

"Karina, don't you have any idea who it is?"

I didn't answer—I had no clue at all. The Queen didn't particularly pay special attention to someone. Otto frowned in confusion at our conversation.

"I don't have any idea," I admitted sheepishly. "Besides that, have you heard? Tomorrow Otto will eat dinner with us."

"Of course I heard," Oda said pompously.

"What should we do? If he speaks to me, everyone will know I have cheated!" I hissed at her, making Otto stare at us.

"Isn't there no way of cheating?" she mocked me. I glared at her before she added, "He won't. Mother will make sure he doesn't speak to anyone."