No, I haven't abandoned this story. I just apparently suck soooo much at updating. I could blame this on so many things, but I think you'd get angry/sceptical/bored. So I'll just skip to the next chapter :)

Strategy

This time it was erratic. The glimpse of curly brown hair, blown back by the wind. A quick glance of dark eyes before they were gone again. Words in a language she couldn't understand. A flash of red on black. White on red. A smell that for less than a second burned in the back of her throat. Heat. A whisper of air across the back of her ankles. Drips of liquid on bare skin. Red on white. A shrill, sharp sound in her ears, the sound of -

Liliana forced herself upright, awake, already fighting hard to remember, already battling with her mind, trying to force the images into her eyes again, the noise into her ears again, but her lips managed only the two words she could remember: "Katherine Ferrer."

"So. What have you got planned now?"

Jaina watched water drip from the ceiling. Whether it was condensation or whether the dungeon level of this castle was actually built below the surface of the sea she didn't know. She'd watched the same leak for what felt like about four hours. She had no idea what day it was. She had no idea how long she'd been here.

She'd even stopped keeping track of how many times she'd been killed.

"I don't know what you mean." She said, dully, eyes still on the water drips. She had a vague idea that they were slowly driving her insane. But she had lasted longer than this in solitary with a collar chained round her neck, and she'd survived then.

The thought shot a memory through her head. Cold stone enclosed around her. Pain both dull and sharp in her neck. Water on her cheeks. The taste of salt on her tongue.

Blade closed her eyes for a moment, ridding herself of the water drips for the first time in however long she had been here. She was beginning to learn to suppress the flashbacks. She couldn't stop the nightmares, but she could control her reaction to them. They seemed to know about them here, and, fortunately, did not question her on them. She didn't know how she would react should Warde push the issue.

"Yes you do."

Jaina opened her eyes again. For a second she had almost forgotten he was here. She thought about it for a second, and then locked gazes with him, casually, "The last guard to do the rounds here, he was a little on the short side. I could probably overpower him easily if he didn't have Will. If I took him by surprise I could probably take him down even with. One of them had a blade as well, I've not seen that before. Could be useful."

Warde nodded, thoughtfully. He had long since stopped being surprised when she detailed her 'plans' to him, as they both knew nothing would come of them while she was still unarmed and Will-less, and now he often asked her about any recent updates to her mental filing cabinet on the castle.

Of course, she didn't tell him everything. But she told him enough to perk his interest, and hopefully enough to distract him from killing her once again, at least for a while.

"Anything else?"

She shook her head, "Not really. Was thinking about ways to get them into the cell, but I couldn't think of anything concrete. I mean, injury, illness, that's not exactly an incentive with me, they wouldn't come in to check how I was doing. My brain even considered playing dead, but we all know that won't work." She thought about it for a moment, and then shook her head again, "And the other guards won't talk to me, so there's no chance I can manipulate them that way. Orders from on high, I assume?"

"From me, actually."

She looked at him, "You ordered the guards not to talk to me? Why, because I would manipulate them, or because you don't like to share?"

He shrugged, "Perhaps a bit of both."

"Warde, you were an unsubtle fool at first and now you're a slightly-more-subtle idiot." She replied, wearily, shaking her head, "What on earth makes you think I'll give in to you? In any terms of the phrase?"

He shrugged again, "We've got a long time ahead of us. We're already talking civilly. Who knows where this will go."

"I do. And if you think this is me being civil then I'm insulted."

"You can be more civil?" he sounded surprised. Whether he genuinely thought she hated everyone or he was just being sarcastic, she didn't know.

"Only to people who haven't tried to kill me. Well." She corrected, tilting her head to one side, "Repeatedly, anyway, I know quite a lot of people who have tried to kill me just the once, and I'm sometimes perfectly civil to them."

Warde looked at her for a long time, and then abruptly got to his feet, "Are you hungry?"

Avo, yes. She shrugged, casually, "Do you have steak?" he moved forwards and slid a plate with a dry chunk of bread on it into her cage. She sighed. "Y'know, I got better food than this in the damned Spire..."

"That's probably because they didn't know you were immortal back then."

She nodded, thoughtfully, "That's quite possible considering I didn't know I was immortal back then."

She took a bite from the hunk of bread. It was stale and cut against the inside of her mouth, but she relished it, forcing herself to eat slowly, to chew, to wait.

He watched her as she ate, something she wasn't unused to. But her mind was racing. Despite her indifference, she was surprised that he'd ordered the other guards not to talk to her. He'd made her job more difficult, sure, but there was something else under there. Did he genuinely feel so... territorial over her?

"Y'know, the longer I stay here, the surer I'm gunna be." He glanced up at her, but she kept her eyes on the opposite wall. "Time aint gunna change my mind, Warde." She took in a slow, deep breath, and then got to her feet, a little unsteadily. Halfway through the movement she had to grab hold of the bars, but she got herself standing eventually. He stood too, and she looked at him, seriously, "So why don't you get in here, be a man, and we'll see who will win this. What d'you say we get this over with."

"Hmm." He looked at her for a moment, "Interesting."

"What do you say."

He seemed to think it over. Then he shook his head, "I could not use my Will. To make it fairer."

She cocked an eyebrow, "That's a hell of a gamble."

He nodded, "Yeah."

"Why."

He smiled, and shrugged, "I'm bored. Something I'm sure you relate to."

"You're bored." She repeated, slowly, "So it's time to come pick on the prisoner?" He said nothing. After a moment, she shook her head, "Luckily for you, the prisoner's okay with that."

"Good morning."

Liliana didn't move from her position sat at the vanity table with her head in her hands, instead just opening her eyes and looking at him, "Never heard of knocking on a lady's door, sir?"

Kenton seemed to hesitate, "I did knock. You didn't hear me."

She frowned, "Oh." The pain and dizziness in her head unsettled her for a moment, but then she sat up straight, her hands bracing her weight on the desk in front of her, "Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to come in?"

The man nodded, and took a few steps into the room, "Are you alright?"

"I didn't know his majesty was asking his peons to check up on me."

There was silence for a moment. Then he took a few steps towards her, hesitantly, "How's the pain?"

She let out a low, frustrated growl, shaking her head and looking away, "The pain isn't my primary focus at the moment."

He seemed confused. "Then... what is?"

"I'm not quietly in agony," she stood up, pacing a little before collapsing back onto her bed, "I'm bored." Kenton raised an eyebrow and she shook her head again, "I've an active mind, I get bored easily. Especially when cooped up with nothing to do." Swiftly and deftly, she threw the nearest glass ornament directly towards the man's head.

Without so much as a blink, Kenton held up a hand, and a blue shield of energy stopped the makeshift projectile in its tracks.

Liliana sighed, heavily, "Oh, play fair or not at all, Kenton."

He placed the glass rose gently down on the nearest table, "I fear I'm not one for games."

She sat up, looking at him, "Are you sure? After all... you seem like... a chess man, to me."

He frowned again, "Chess?"

"You don't play?" she got up again, walking over to him, "It seems right up your street. You don't seem like a Fortune's Tower lout, but maybe... strategy?"

Kenton was already looking uneasy, and she managed to keep down her smile. This was way too easy.

"You're... acting a little erratically."

She smiled, "I always do that when I'm trying to manipulate someone."

Again, he didn't blink. "If you're trying to manipulate me, it certainly won't work unless I know what you're after."

"I wasn't clear?" she took another step forwards, watching him as he glanced down at her feet, "A chessboard, Kenton. I'm sure you can make one. Come. Let's have a game."

"Your Majesty -"

"Please don't call me that." She cut over, swiftly.

He paused, looking at her, "My lady."

Lily nodded, "Better." He continued looking at her blankly, and she sighed, "I'm bored, Kenton. Just one game. And if you beat me, then another - I can't stand to leave on a loss." She looked him over, "Are you any good?"

He frowned again, "Any... good?"

One more step had him leaning away ever so slightly, she was sure subconsciously, and she kept his eyes, blinking freely but making sure to maintain eye contact. "Good." She repeated, encouragingly. She let the silence ring for a moment, and then nodded, "At chess." He still stared at her, and she smiled, "Come, Kenton. You don't need to be frightened of me. I promise, I'm the epitome of hospitality."

Again, no response. He just looked at her, a guarded frown on his face.

"Something wrong?" she offered, calmly.

The boy shook his head. Then nodded, "When you speak... sometimes I'm not sure of your meaning."

She hardly had to try to bring up an innocent frown, "I am many things, but I'm not ambiguous. Am I? I say what I mean. I want to play chess."

Kenton opened his mouth, uncertainly, and she quickly rode over him: "Come. I'm not even that good. In fact... I'm not that good at all."

"Then why play?"

"Because... it'll pass the time." He still looked hesitant, and she shook her head, "I promise you, I'll play fair."

...enough. She finished, silently.

A strange expression crossed the boy's face, and Lily wondered if she'd pushed him too far, "You're very..."

"What? Human?" he just looked at her, and, for once, she almost felt surprised. She shook her head, allowing an almost regretful expression to move over her face, "Don't worry. I won't be for much longer. All the more reason to play." Apparently he still needed another push. She sighed, looking at the floor for a moment before moving her gaze back up, allowing him the full effect of her heavily-lashed eyes. "Please, Kenton?"

Bull's-eye. He hesitated for a moment, looking almost guilty, and then nodded, slowly, "Very well, my lady."

She let out a slow breath and gave him a smile, "Thank you."

"If you will take the tonic."

Jaina spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor. She was panting a little and her whole body was on fire, every muscle screaming if she even thought about moving. But she wasn't finished yet. She'd taken one hell of a beating, but she wasn't finished yet. She staggered to her feet, and quickly dodged Warde's blow, moving to one side, throwing one of her own, missing completely... At first it had felt unreal, as if this was all a dream. But the throbs and aches had soon cut short this point of view, and she was now fully aware of everything around her. And it hurt. It... hurt.

It had been a long time since a normal person had been able to take on Jaina. Perhaps too long. Of course, wrestling with balverines and the occasional troll had kept her skills sharp enough to easily take on any threat Albion could throw at her, but this... this was something new.

Jaina was too slow to dodge the next blow, and it hit her hard in the stomach. She doubled over, and a blow to her head forced her to her knees. She fought to get her breath and stand up, but the pain was too much. She couldn't get up, and felt the man stop in front of her.

"I didn't want to hurt you, Sparrow."

Jaina let out something that could have been a laugh, and Warde gave a shrewd smile, "Okay. Maybe that was a lie."

"Really?" with the sharp pressure still encasing her lungs, her voice was breathless and pained, "Couldn't guess."

He moved closer, and she glanced up. Her eyes locked onto his, the almost penitent expression on his face sending anger burning through her. He needed to make up his goddamned mind.

Or have her make it up for him.

She coughed a little as blood spiked at her lungs, ignoring the taste in her mouth. "Warde. I'm the sort of person to fight until they physically can't. So either knock me out or kill me, your choice."

"I'm not going to do that."

She gave a sharp, emotionless laugh. Of course that would be too much for him. Hell, even insane, inhuman demons apparently had lines they wouldn't cross. She nodded, slowly, stumbled to her feet, and trained her gaze onto him again, "Then I guess I'll just have to leave you no choice."

Liliana's head was still reeling. She hadn't expected it of him, she really hadn't. The fact that the little mind slave still had even the slightest amount of intelligence both surprised and amused her, and she found a small smile was playing over her lips as she considered it.

She glanced over the glass of tonic that never moved from its place on her bedside table. She picked it up, thoughtfully, shaking the bottle a little to watch the liquid swish around the glass.

It made her skin crawl.

She looked up again. Kenton stood still, watching her, face expressionless. Right from the beginning she had known that he wouldn't be a negotiator. Peons to insane control-freaks rarely were. That he had managed to think up this deal all on his very own was something she hadn't been expecting, but she was now fairly sure that it was a condition he wasn't going to go back on.

So she had to choose. Of course if this was just over a simple game of chess she wouldn't even be considering what she was right now. But her plan was vague and still not finished yet; should she be sure it would work before attempting it? She'd never needed a guarantee before.

But perhaps this was a whole different game.

Liliana watched Kenton closely. She paused, breathing slowly and deeply, thinking hard.

"Well?" Kenton asked, finally.

She held his eyes. Then she downed the black liquid in one.