Card Apprentice Daily Log

Date- 18 April 2321

Time- 10:05

Location- Card World, Southern Region, Blossom District, Sky Blossom City

As one of the strongest in the Card World, the Field Marshal was enlightened and profound, detached from human emotions, or so she would like to think. Talking to Wyatt, she would always find herself getting in touch with her mortal side that would like to cover its helplessness with rage and such emotions. She wanted Wyatt to be comfortable around her but not overly comfortable. Not to mention, where does he get off belittling her husband to her?

'Your Highness, I don't understand. Why are you getting so defensive? I was just implying that you were the best thing that ever happened to Lorenzo,' Wyatt explained, feeling the Field Marshal's anger.

'We both know what you were implying brat, don't try to whitewash it now,' The Field Marshal was astounded seeing Wyatt imply that she was undermining Lorenzo, not him.

'I don't know what you are talking about but I feel—'

'Let us reduce the wager tlimit by half. If you agree we have a wager at our hands,' The Field Marshal put forward her proposal for the updated wager interrupting Wyatt, as she did not want to continue listening to him find creative ways to undermine her husband just to provoke her into a wager.

'Does that mean you have agreed to the stakes I proposed?' Wyatt asked, feeling Field Marshal was trying to pull a fast one on him.

'I stand by what I said before. I have sworn my loyalty to the Southern region and its ruler. So, my loyalty is not up for stakes,' the Field Marshal declared.

'Then, I am afraid, we don't have a wager,' Wyatt decisively pulled the plug on the wager surprising the Field Marshal. After all, he had been pushing for this wager since the start but now seeing him pull the plug on it over a little disagreement without even trying to negotiate. It all seemed absurd to the Field Marshal as the involved party in the wager.

'Why call off the the wager? Unless you are afraid you will not be able to free Clown Mask in the next four hours?' the Field Marshal knew this wasn't it, yet she said to provoke Wyatt. After all, she wanted to enter the wager with Wyatt but not give him the stakes he asked for.

'Really?' Wyatt rolled his eyes knowing what the Field Marshal was doing, ignoring her he hovered above the crowd in stealth in his Rainbowfly monster form, scanning the crowd with his soul pupil searching for Gideon's hypnotized puppets. This was important to Wyatt because if he found Gideon's hypnotized puppets among the crowd, he had nothing to worry about as long as Gideon was only resorting to such petty tricks. But if he was not then, that was bad because it meant he was patiently planning something big and devious. Which meant Wyatt would have to be on guard for him and be prepared for it.

'Wyatt, you are being unreasonable here, my loyalty has always belonged to the Southern region and its ruler. It will continue to be so in the future too, until my last breath,' the Field Marshal's voice sounded in Wyatt's mind. She wanted him to agree to the updated wager. However, Wyatt nonchalantly replied, 'Good for you.' showing no interest in negotiating with her.

This led her to wonder if Wyatt really could not free Clown Mask in the next four hours. Otherwise, there was no reason for him to so decisively forgo the wager that he demanded in the first place. Wyatt wasn't even trying to negotiate the terms. It was as if he had given up.

'Wyatt, ask something less,' the Field Marshal now no longer cared about appearing too eager and losing the upper hand in the negotiation since Wyatt wasn't even willing to participate in a negotiation.

'Except for your loyalty, I think there isn't anything else you can providewith, that would be worthtaking the risk of updating the wager and making it harder forwhen I am sure to win it as it was,' Wyatt replied making his intention clear to the Field Marshal.

The only reason Wyatt went throught the trouble convincing Field Marshal for an improved wager was because he wanted her loyalty, stealing her from Anna's mother. But since the Field Marshal was not willing to bet her loyalty, he saw no point in going through the trouble to update the wager.

However, seeing the fish was hooked, Wyatt decided to tempt his fate and see if he released the fish, would it jump right into his fish bucket?

Meaning, now that the Field Marshal was hooked on the idea of updating the existing wager enticed by the stakes he proposed to her, would she be willing to bet her loyalty just to see it through? Wyatt had no idea what the Field Marshal would do. But, gambling has brought out the worst in the best of us, so Wyatt believed anything was possible.

Was Wyatt investing in a sinking ship? Maybe, but he has no choice as the only reason he proposed to modify the existing wager was to steal Field Marshal from Anna's mother. So, he had little choice but to invest in what he believed would make it possible, no matter how large the odds stacked against them were.

'Aren't you presuming too hastily? I might be just a soldier but I have the backing of the Heatsend Royal family and the Lorn Family, the combined wealth, treasures, and knowledge of these two families are at my disposal. Nwhat you want and I will get it for you,' the Field Marshal generously offered, showing how much she wanted Wyatt to continue with the updated wager conditions that she had proposed to him. After all, the stakes he offered were too good for her to pass on.

'I want you, Your Highness, and nothing else. Haven't I made myself clear?'

...

[AN: Check out Reader's Quest Board in the Author's Thoughts section for mass release.]