The Rules of Chess
Elizabeth was utterly poor at chess. That in itself was an understatement; Ciel had tried numerous attempts to teach her the mechanics of the game, but it all so pointless. The pieces, their roles, and the rules of the game were hardly within her grasp.
The concept of the game itself was like smoke; visible, seemingly in her reach, and slipping through her grasp.
Even if she couldn't clearly understand the game she had a major appreciation for the board game only because it was the one game that Ciel was most fond of.
Actually that too was an understatement.
Ciel identified with the game, himself as the king. While his servants were pawns and she the queen.
Emily once thought that manner of thinking was unhealthy really even if he was the owner of a powerful toy company he shouldn't himself consider his life a game. That would be utterly horrifying when it came to her own mental state.
That thought however was quickly vaporized when Ciel informed he thought of her as the queen. It was practically a confession of love; she was smitten-more than she had been when those beautiful lips had uttered those words.
The roles he assigned everyone seemingly fitted oh so perfectly as well.
The King: commands others how to move and when to move. He is in complete control at all times however he himself cannot move at far and quick as those underneath him. His power is those underneath him, without that power he becomes a seating duck.
Ciel certainly fitted that description very well, however she imagines that even without servants he would still be resilient and unnerving anyway because he processed a one of the kind will.
The Queen: can move in any direction at will, does everything in her power to protect and serve the King. She is the ultimate weapon and the most dangerous piece on the board. A queen can easily alienate majority of the board for the king.
A Pawn: servants of the King, usually the first ones to move and get taken. They are sacrifices to make way for the other pieces on the board, they move at a slow rate. They in the game do not have worth.
She paused in mid step.
The way she had described the last two pieces mentally did not match up with either herself or the servants of Phantomhive –especially Sebastian.
She-herself could not move in numerous ways. Elizabeth had no power nor will to be such a dangerous object. Granted the devotion for the king she could relate to, but the Queen in all her description did not match Elizabeth perfectly.
But why did Ciel say it did?
Furthermore he called his servants pawns. Even Sebastian was a pawn to him. Sebastian was the most capable man she knew, and most likely on the whole planet. He by no means moved at a slow rate nor was he something to be so easily sacrificed.
Yet, Ciel had given Sebastian that role in this reality game of chess.
But why?
It crossed her mind that maybe perhaps Ciel was mistaken in his assignment of roles for everyone. Until she realized who she was thinking about; Ciel Phantomhive was brilliant at chess it was unheard of that he lost to anyone. Her dear Auntie, more famously known for her nickname Madam Red past away without ever tying with Ciel in game of chess-and far less when it came to winning.
What concepts or rules was she missing?
The smoke so lazily slipped through her childish grasp again.
She made way to her mother was located; her mother was far superior to herself in the game. Although her mother had never defeated Ciel, she at least had the smoke tightly in grasp.
Pushing the magnificent wooden doors she looked at her mother who was startled and annoyed at this surprising interruption. But before her angered mother could scold her with that scorning tongue she demanded it of her mother to teach her the concepts and rules of chess in detail.
There was a brief and mild expression of surprise on her mother's face it had vanished though, and was replaced by a stoic-serious face and she ordered Elizabeth to set in front of her and pay attention.
Elizabeth watched her mother pull out a chess set, the board, the pieces were made out of glass. It was beautiful in the way they captured the setting sun's rays. She leaned in closely as her mother began to explain the game in a slow and careful manner.
It wasn't until the sunlight's remaining shines slipped off their side of the world and Elizabeth clearly understood the game.
Instead of trying so desperately hard to capture the smoke within her hands, she now was trying desperately to wash the smell of smoke off of her existence. Her maid panicked in the manner she was scrubbing her skin during this bath. But she paid no mind to it, all she wanted was to erased was she had finally grasped.
She was the queen. And Sebastian was the pawn.
A Queen for all their glamour, for all their moves was replaceable. Any pawn in the game could slowly-yet surly with the guidance of the king make it across the board. And once that happen that pawn could become any role of power below the king-even the queen. Which left the original queen although still a useful piece-disposable.
Her tears were mixing with the bathwater. Is that what Ciel meant when she was dubbed queen? Furthermore is that what he meant by dubbing Sebastian the pawn?
She wanted to laugh, Sebastian the new queen? Ridiculous there was no way those two would… After all both were men she did not believe it possible expect….
Sebastian was a handsome-very handsome creature. She could not deny that his loose, soft, seemly silky coal hair that stole the sunshine's ray for his personal use was far more magnificent than her own adorable curls of blond-yellow hair. Nor those eyes a deep brown she swear by the trick of the light they were a deep mahogany those could glow day or night made her green eyes seem dull.
Ciel was not handsome. Handsome was the incorrect term to describe Ciel. However the word "beautiful" was not. Ciel in every sense was beautiful. His murky grey hair that could glow blue at certain times, his brilliant blue eyes that would change shade according to mood not to mention they had a spark brighter than any star in the heavens(even if one was covered she knew it had to be grand and wonderful just like the one he revealed to the world) . Elizabeth imagined it quite well, had Ciel been born a female she would be supremely envious-more than envious she would be seething with red burning jealously.
But she was his fiancée! There was no possible way in this lifetime she would allow some butler to steal him away. Regardless if it was Sebastian or not. She had Ciel first, he was hers first! Her childish heart moaned underneath all the pressure she forced on it.
Elizabeth had to make sure though…..
On her next visit to the Phantomhive manor she was awfully quiet. As much as Ciel enjoyed it, it unnerved him to see his cousin in this way. It was not normal for her to be this way.
"Lizzy?"
Elizabeth musing was interrupted by her beloved's voice; she looked directly into his eye "Am I really the queen?" she asked
Ciel merely raised his eyebrow, what sort of thinking had brought this up? "Yes." he answered
She internally winced from the lack of hesitation from his reply, she struggled to keep the hurt out of her eyes when she asked her next question "And you consider Sebastian to be your pawn?"
His eyebrow merely rose higher in confusion by this line of questioning "Yes." he replied. His tone held confidence, and if she heard it right affection? There was no room for arguing with his statement.
With that reply she heard the sound of glass crashing on to the floor and breaking into a million different pieces.
She looked around the room and noticed there was nothing broken.
Elizabeth figured it was her heart.