"Check-Mate: Advance Pawn"
"In the game of kings, every other piece is expendable. The game is never over until one king falls."
~o0o~
Franz brought her the first reply, suitably hidden between pages of the voluminous letter that he held firmly in his grasp. The infrastructure of Renais had never relied much upon spies, and what resources they had had been swept away by the war. After much private discussion, Ephraim had suggested using the young knight and his lady love in Grado to facilitate the exchange of letters.
Eirika had sent out her first missive within Franz's overly large bundle, and apparently those at the other end had understood and agreed with the plot. At least, such as it was.
Smiling at the young man, Eirika dismissed him. "Thank you, Franz. That will be all for now. Go ahead and see what your lady love has written you this time."
The young knight blushed, bowed and hastily beat a retreat. It was no great secret that he and Amelia shared an understanding. It was in fact probable that the young couple would be married as soon as things settled down enough to allow one or the other to travel out of their respective countries for the requisite amount of time. Casting her gaze down upon the single page that bore her own reply, Eirika hastened to her chambers where she would be assured of privacy. Once protected from prying eyes, she unfolded the paper and perused the neat script that was Seth's handwriting.
"To the Moon Maiden,
I concur that things become somewhat strained, what with the distance that divides us. Still, do not doubt my devotion or the leading of your own heart. It is your strength in these times, I think. I will take precautions here that none may permanently separate us from this end. Your brother's idea is a good one - the little flower here agrees with it and sends you smiles and the use of her paramour.
In the meantime, find out what you can from your end. I will contact the peddler and see if he has any wares from Rausten to show us. If the offering is not sufficient, there are other avenues that I search for the pearls that you desire. If there are any to be found, they will be found. We can only prepare as best we can for the times that we live in.
No matter what you hear from Grado, know that I will leave you a sign to show the path that I follow.
My prayers remain with you daily, heart of mine. May the Everlasting look with favor upon us and grant that we see each other soon.
You have my heart.
Ever Faithful"
~o~
AN: "When you don't know what to play, move a pawn." I read that somewhere once and it stuck in my mind. This is rather short on development... rather, it is a short piece that holds a lot of development. Three additional characters now interplay - Franz, Amelia, and Seth. Eirika still holds the drabble together, but now other wheels can begin to spin. Also, the peddler will get involved. I'm sure you all have a guess as to the true identity of that one.
