“Hmmm.” Cedric looked at the board, the hint of a frown creasing his forehead. This was an imposition, but nothing he couldn’t recover from. On the board it appeared he might have lost his second bishop; in the real world that correlated to his better advisor now being unmasked, and heading to the arena with Jarret’s best knight. The two would fight for the position on the board. Cedric enjoyed meta-chess, but was starting to suspect his opponent was bluffing, preparing for something greater.
In meta-chess one put up people, one’s own servants, soldiers, advisors, as collateral against the pieces in the game. When a piece on the game board would take another, players sent their corresponding men to fight for the space. It was unlikely that the knight would lose, and hence Cedric wouldn’t bank on keeping the square.
“You seem to have me by the throat, brother.” Cedric murmured to the man opposite him. “Well played.”
“You know full well this game never goes according to plan.” Jarret replied over the brim of a wine glass. “Let us at least enjoy the entertainment.” He sat back in his chair, expression inscrutable.
Cedric sighed, and watched disinterestedly as Jarret’s knight gutted his own advisor. The man was brutally quick, finishing the fight in minutes.
A smile pulled at one corner of Jarret’s mouth. “Check.”
Cedric sighed, and made an exaggerated show of studying the board. After several minutes of silence, he picked up his queen and moved it to the knights square.
“Queen takes knight. Check also, perhaps?”
“A woman against my best knight? You must be feeling bold-” Jarret began, falling silent at the sight of face being revealed before him.
“I believe you know the princess Sophia, Jarret.”
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