Life is good, Nii decides, when he is in control. He has created a life around manipulating others, and thus far life has been delightful.
True, the Lady Gyukoumen may be his mistress, in more ways than one, and she holds the power of life and death over him. But she does not know that it is he who pulls the strings. What makes everything more entertaining is the fact that she does not know. He plants ideas, sweet little plans of chaos, into her mind as they meet at night. She latches onto them and changes them in ways she thinks are clever, ways she thinks will suit herself. But he, as always, is two steps ahead of her, and can calculate how she will have altered them. She is beautiful, devious, and utterly predictable. He thinks of her as a rook, for no matter what she does or how she moves, it will always in one of two directions. She is easy to plan for, easy to use.
The scientists, his colleagues, are pawns; he has no doubts about that. They can be sacrificed and used as he wishes. Pawns, Nii thinks, are useful, but rather uninteresting.
His old apprentice, who he last heard was calling himself 'Kami-sama,' was a bishop. His child-like mind had not thought in straight lines, but Nii had known this and molded him accordingly. Everything the boy had done was planned, and it was part of the plan that the boy would to be sacrificed. Nii allows himself a small smile at the memory. After all, no game of chess will ever be won without sacrifices.
Kougaiji's little group, Lirin, Dokugakuji, Yaone, they are knights, he decides. They can be planned for, yes, but at the same time they are so frustratingly random that they can prove difficult to control. They constantly raise questions in Nii's mind, questions like: Their leader has gone mad, but will they still follow him? Now the child has been taken, so what will they do now? But Nii finds them fascinating, and manipulates them carefully.
The Rabbit Prince himself, Kougaiji, he is the queen on the chessboard. Moving straight or diagonal, he is unpredictable and valuable. Yet Nii has found that he can still often calculate the prince's actions in advance. Nii knows that the urge to free his mother hinders him, and prevents him from moving in such a random manner as his own subordinates, who are able to think only of their leader. Nii is fond of using the queen, and sacrificing it will not come until the very end.
Who is the king? Why, Gyumaoh, of course. He does not dream of denying that to the Demon Lord. The king on the chess board is practically helpless, and yet the other player must capture it to win the game. How silly, that the most important piece has little more powers than a pawn, and must be protected by the others.
Nii smiles to himself again, that strange smile that makes Hwan shiver. He has gotten carried away in his analogy, but wonders briefly at the identity of the other player. Looking up from his game, he catches a brief glimpse of quietly laughing eyes and golden hair. Koumyou. Nii looks away. He is in control…right?
Whoo! Another story done! Much obliged to amphritie, who beta-ed it for me. Review please!