"Do you think this is the right choice?" Prince Jonathan's face is lined with worry, and his brow sits heavier than the crown of his father that he still cannot bring himself to wear. Around him, the maps and charts are precise. Now is the time to strike, the time to act. If they do not find an advantage, they'll be crushed as soon as the first move is made.

Sir Adeline leans forward, covers his hand with hers as she leans over his shoulder. "You've tried diplomacy, and they sent you back the heads of every messenger we delivered," she reminds him. Her eyes are colder than steel, and her words feel just as sharp in his chest. "What other choice do we have?" 

♔

King Gavin Ilbertus looks out his bedside window, breathing the cool air of the night before he retires. Although a fire crackles in the glowing hearth, he feels no warmth for those he watches slip away into the darkness. "Send a message to our allies," he orders, and from the table beside him, Sir Garner stands. "Tell them we plan to end this war before it's begun." 

♔THE TASK♔

Welcome to the second task! For this particular round, we've broken you up into four groups:

♔ELUSIA: GROUP A♔

Aurora Gordon

Josias O'Hannagain

Constance Softeyes

Lark Soren

♔ELUSIA GROUP: B♔

Tedric North

Ansel Ellis

Florian Hawthorne

Sana Auxiliari

Charlotte Blackwood

♔ADRIGOLE GROUP: A♔

Shahin Hashemi

Andrea Novak

Meric Ophelen

Solaria Meriden

♔ADRIGOLE GROUP: B♔

Cassius Dandylock

Vere Lebriole

Sancta Nampeyo

Calder Thorson

Now, we're sure you're all wondering what these nice little groups are for and don't worry, you won't have to do any collaboration. However, they will affect who you can and more importantly, cannot use in an entry. Well, have no fear, we'll explain everything nice and easy for you. If you have had the lovely opportunity of being placed in Group A: Congratulations! You have been chosen for His Majesty's strike team. In your entry, you will cross over into enemy lines to accomplish one specific task. For Elusian Knights, your job is to infiltrate King Gavin's war room and steal his battle plans, so that you can be better prepared for his tactics. For Adrigolian Knights, your task is a little different. Your job is to infiltrate the castle and murder Prince Johnathan.

But, obviously, we can't have either of those things happen. Which is where Group B comes in. Both of these tasks are the same. While on your evening stroll or nightly bed romp or whatever else it is you may be up to, you will come across either all or a part of the other group. Your job is to stop them, whatever the costs.

Group A Knights: Your entry must end with you failing to complete your task, in whatever way you decide to interpret it. As long as the Prince is still alive and the battle plans remain untouched, your knight can be hiding in a sewage ditch to escape the guards if that's where you choose to place them. 

♔WORD LIMIT♔

You have 2,000 words to use for this round. Good luck.

♔DEADLINE♔

Wednesday, January 31th at 9 PM CST

♔BALLOTS♔

Two ballots for each of you. Use them wisely.

Luckily for Ansel Ellis, our most targeted player from the first task, we have a little mercy. If you don't like the group you are assigned, you're more than welcome to switch over. 

♔A TRAITOR'S CHALLENGE♔

Tedric North: You seem to be a rather shifty fellow, and too clever to ignore. In this task, your character must also be detained in a sticky situation. (This can be physically sticky or just troublesome, it's up to you.)

Meric Ophelen: Whether it's the Elusian air or the fact that the traitor might be among you, your magic abilities seem to be somewhat...stunted. Better play it safe and not use any this round, or face the consequences. 

♔A TRAITOROUS GAME #1♔

Ready to play? At the end of your task, along with your ballots, tell us who you think the traitors are. The three names that get the most votes will go up in a voting pool at the end of this round. Then, from those three, you can vote again for who you believe the traitor is. Guess right, and the challenges stop. But since we're not completely heartless, here's a little clue:

Colors painted on the face, 

Little dolls all out of place,

Delicate and nimble,

or sneaky and quick,

only two more chances you have to pick.