How to make the Game work for him?

Daniel had spent his entire life learning about the forms and the flows of the Law of Fae: of Favor, Influence, and Authority.

But the Game? Daniel had known many things about it. But he had still viewed it, in some way, as something similar to the Law of Fae.

Which may have been why he had been so surprised again and again.

Because the Game had its own rules, its own priorities.

Elswith had some training in how to appear in a game, even how to show-off for a Capital G Game.

But he hadn't understood the why before. Before it was like rules of grammar of some unknown language, and now, just now, he was actually meeting someone who spoke the dialect. Much of the concepts he had before were academic. Honestly, many of his understandings were still academic, but at long last he not only recognized a patterned but also understood why it was there.

Why had the food been poisoned at the O'Tells after the event? Because it made for a good spectacle. Why had the Game grown angry after Daniel disappeared from the Stable? Because it had wanted a show, and worse than that, it knew something show worthy had happened, but it had not been allowed to see it and repeat it. It was bored, it knew there was a secret and was not pleased that it was hidden. Why had the Game allowed Vye and companions to betray the Squire Branch when he was helping them in their official duty? Because it was drama.

And the Game fed upon it.

And before him was a Lordling who seized upon the show. Talia had little power, but she had made ends meet by being ridiculous. "The window cleaning is good work and I am paid fairly, but the other jobs I do? Collecting used soap bars, dish towels, and Revenant fighting allows me to appear in other people's games. The game, little or large, wants interesting things to occur. Not much more interesting than me. We are doing 3% better this season than the last 17 years! And those were relatively good years."

"The Game likes you?" Asked Esra.

"No, it hates me. Because I may appear where I am not wanted. And I ruin serious moments sometimes. But if you understand the game, you can fit yourself to its motif. It will always follow the most interesting event."

"What if it's not a motif you want?"

"If the Game is following you? Change it. Especially if it is a Capital G Game. You can change it. Be in position before the Game resumes. It may backfire...remember what I said about fighting Revenants."

"How do you change a Game?"

"Lots of ways. Show it something more interesting. Explore something lost to time. You can also stir up trouble, so if you don't want to start a game, you don't have to."

"Like a priceless saddle being stolen was more interesting than a prescheduled bout of intrigue." Daniel remembered that afternoon. When the Game had been focusing on Daniel potentially embarrassing himself with feral griffons, only to be held off when a certain griffin had misplaced the dragonhide saddle. From there, the involvement with the Dungeon had been unexpected.

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But what if he hadn't found his way into the Dungeon? What if instead the next several hours had been spent chasing Cinnamon Girl around in increasingly frustrating near-misses? What if that had been the afternoon? The Game may have loved it, especially if different groups of Stable hands started a contest to see who could catch the saddle thief first.

Daniel had been certain that the Game had been against his reunion with a certain griffin. It had certainly been upset when he had been dragged into the Central Stablemaster's office and then questioned again and again. That would have been very boring content. But Daniel had thought that perhaps the Game had wanted things to go badly for him, when it didn't really matter what the Game thought about him at all.

Because what if it was upset because there was no satisfying ending to the drama of the missing saddle?

The Game wanted Conflict. But instead of conflict, it went like this:

GAME: THE STABLE!

Look, wild and almost feral griffons.

Wait? Missing dragonhide saddle! Organize into searching parties...

Then nothing, because Daniel had been pulled into the Dungeon. Even Daniel getting the saddle back occurred in a location the Game couldn't show off. It wasn't that it was boring, the Game knew something exciting had happened but it couldn't show it.

The Game would force conflicts, but some conflicts were better for him than others.

A good conflict for Daniel would be going exploring in the Stable, and investigating where did those bells come from. Having a polishing contest with the Glasbin fae, winner takes all.

A bad conflict for Daniel would be Kane using everything in her power to destroy him.

It was something to think about for the future.

"Also, the more games you appear in, the less you can know about the general state of politics. If I know that two Lordlings are dueling because the winner will get to lead their circle, then I can't interfere with the duel as well. And if I have an interest in one side winning over the other, I can't help the side I want to win. But there is wiggle room, because I can still interfere..."

"Let me think." Daniel said, as Talia was beginning to explain more.

He had the gist. Now he just needed to settle the variables in his mind.

They gave him Silence, and he leaned backward in his chair, watching the burning veins of fire slowly destroy the manor. It was cooler inside, but it still wasn't pleasant.

Three parties against him. Three attempts to assassinate him.

How did one form a party united to the destruction of someone? Had their interests aligned one day, or had they just been in the mood for some sport?

He felt sweat drip from head, and almost laughed at how absurd his situation was.

Talia had traded her dignity for survival. Daniel was willing to do that too, but there were problems. He wanted to disguise any connection with the Ash Court. And if he started playing very differently, it would be more obvious what had happened. Talia played as a clown. But there were other roles one could play...

Daniel thought of all the High Fae who had been Watching the Game. They must have been so surprised when the second assassination attempt ended early. The Lords and Masters, Courts, Factions, Houses, Senate. Was the Fae King watching? What conversations would everyone have that night.

Daniel wished to be a secret observer of them. All together at the First Summer Ball.

Oh.

Oh.

"It's the first day of Summer." Daniel said.

"Yes..." Said Marrin.

"It is?" Said Esra. "Oh, shoot. I have some overdue library books..."

"The King's Ball. That's where everyone will be."

"So..."

He couldn't change himself for the Game. Not this late. Not this obviously. But instead of waiting for the last assassination attempt to find him...

"Do you have a dress?" He asked Talia.