"Hmm… if knight to f3, then d6 is played in return… Hm."
Kiran was leaning against a pillar in the castle halls, a chessboard- or at least, the closest recreation of a chessboard he could make- was splayed out in front of him. He knew that it sounded kind of dumb, but studying chess theory had really helped on the battlefield. Just as the chess pieces could move and reach certain others to attack, so could his friends. Practising defensive and offensive play was the best thing to do, he'd found, and he'd applied the lessons he'd learned to keep everyone alive and in advantage on the battlefield.
Kiran sighed, and looked out the balcony on his left. He pulled his cloak tighter around himself. Although it wasn't cold by any means, the cloak was very comfy. The sky was black as ink, littered with bright specks of shining light. Internally, he groaned. He didn't have a problem with going to bed late, as he could usually wake up late the next morning, effectively nullifying the side effects of late sleep.
The problem he had was that he had no set schedule when he was going to be called to battle. He could go to bed at two in the morning, and if he planned to sleep until eleven in the morning to sleep enough hours, the plan may be thrown out the window due to Anna or Alfonse bursting into his room, shaking him awake, and dragging him off to fight some god, king, or god-king. An obvious solution was to simply go to bed earlier, but like…
Kiran didn't want to.
He liked looking at the stars, glittering far away in the sky. He liked imagining travelling among them one day, not through the portals that the Askran royalty could conjure, but flying through the wide expanse of space, flying to a different world.
Besides, he could also get some free time when he didn't have to do a bunch of useless paperwork.
Most of which were Anna's cash flow statements, balance sheets, profit/loss statements, and requests for ideas on how to raise funds.
There were also many plans on how to spend their orbs efficiently, citing many waves of the moon, the alignment of the stars, events on other worlds, and whatnot.
Honestly? He'd felt that all that was kind of useless. You use some orbs, you summon a hero, and if they fit with team synergy, use them. Otherwise, don't, and send them back home. It was that simple, really.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard soft footsteps coming from behind him. Given that he was concealed behind the pillar, at least from the other person's view, he elected not to do anything, as to not startle them. He fully expected the person to walk right past him, off to do something late at night.
So he was surprised, naturally, when the person coming towards him turned directly towards him. Kiran turned his head to see the person that was walking, and his eyes met a pair of forest-green ones, framed with pink-tipped blonde hair. The Princess of Askr, and sister to Prince Alfonse.
Clad in a thin, white nightgown.
Ah.
"K- Kiran?" Sharena asked, startled.
He'd never forget her voice, the bubbly and cheerful Princess of Askr who had so easily stolen his heart. From the first day they met, she had introduced herself and her friends, and didn't seem surprised by him or his appearance at all. The other two, Alfonse and Anna, had received him with a slightly cooler approach, but they became friends in the end anyway. He appreciated the enthusiasm and attitude Sharena brought along with her, and how she always seemed to smile even in the worst of situations.
"Hey."
"Um.. What are you doing out here, so late?"
"Me? I could ask you the same thing," Kiran replied, voice wavering. Probably wasn't the best response, but it was the best thing he could come up with at the moment.
It especially wasn't helpful that he'd found Sharena in a nightgown so absolutely adorable.
"Well, I'm just here to look at the stars," Sharena replied, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. "I couldn't sleep, so I just decided to come here for a bit, to stargaze."
"Really?" Kiran asked, intrigued. "I never knew stargazing was one of your things."
"W- well," Sharena said, blushing slightly. "I didn't really intend for others to, um… know. Promise you won't laugh?" Kiran nodded. "I feel like it's kinda silly, but I like imagining all the different worlds out there that we haven't discovered yet. Makes me feel free and like a child again."
Kiran smiled, and chuckled slightly. Sharena pouted at the response she received.
"You promised you wouldn't laugh," she complained, her cheeks becoming even pinker.
"It's not that I find it silly, don't worry," Kiran smiled. "It's just that I understand that feeling. I like to imagine myself travelling among the stars, you know. Flying high above the clouds, being able to fly through the vast expanse of space, and choose whatever world I want to go to."
Sharena smiled slightly, and walked out to the balcony. Kiran followed closely behind, standing next to her, before she spoke again.
"That… actually sounds pretty fun," Sharena said. "It's so interesting that there are countless worlds out there that we haven't explored yet. With a countless amount of people and gods… It almost makes me feel insignificant."
"You're not insignificant," Kiran rebutted, turning to face her. He covered her hand with his own, and she turned towards him, flushing red. "You're an amazing person with a great personality. You trust people really easily, and I really admire that about you. You're strong, passionate, and enthusiastic. You're like the North Star, a bright, shining star that stands out among thousands of others, and I wouldn't have it any other way. You're really important to me." He squeezed her hand, and Sharena's face only reddened further.
"K- Kiran…" She turned away, her face practically glowing in the dark, and Kiran's brain caught up to him. Did he really just say that to her?
"I- I mean, you're also super important to the rest of us too! Alfonse, Anna, and the others! We all rely on your strength and to lift us up when we're down." Kiran added on, his face becoming redder by the second.
"Y- yeah, thanks," Sharena stammered. "I- I really appreciate that, Kiran."
"I meant it."
The pair stared at each other for a few seconds, their faces almost steaming in the night, before Sharena spoke again.
"U- um… What were you doing out here, if it wasn't stargazing?" she asked timidly.
"Oh, yeah!" Kiran said, grateful for the change of topic. "I was up late because I was practising chess theory."
"Chess theory?" Sharena tilted her head, the blush disappearing slightly. "What's that?"
"Oh, yeah, chess doesn't exist here…" Kiran muttered.
"Hey, it can!" Sharena replied. "You could teach Alfonse, Anna, and I! Then we can teach others and introduce this chess to the Askrans!"
Kiran smiled gratefully. There was the Sharena he knew and loved. She was always willing to help. Even if the details weren't fully laid out and she didn't know what it was, she would still offer to help.
"Sure," Kiran agreed. "That'd be fun."
"Can I learn a bit now?" Sharena asked quietly. "I- it's ok if it's too late! It- it just seems interesting, and it might help pass the time."
Kiran smiled. "Sure."
The pair walked back to where Kiran sat before Sharena came along, and Kiran reset the board's position. Sharena sat down next to him, looking at the board attentively.
"This is the pawn," Kiran started, holding up the smallest piece. "They start on the second and seventh row for each side. For all intents and purposes, let's say the white side is the Order of Heroes, and the black pieces are the Emblian forces. Forget attack, defence, and resistance statistics as well. Treat everything as one hit, one kill. Alright?"
"Sure," Sharena murmured, nodding.
Kiran continued. "Take the pawns as Infantry troops with… Odd Tempest, except only for their beginning move. They can choose to either move two spaces forward, or one space forward, as long as they haven't moved before. With me so far?"
"Yeah," Sharena affirmed.
"The pawn can also only move forward. It cannot move backwards, and it can't move to the side unless capturing another piece. When capturing another piece, it can only take diagonally. It will then replace the piece it captured. Let's say it faces off against another black pawn," Kiran continued, moving a black pawn forward. "The two pawns are right in front of each other. Can white take the black pawn?"
"No."
"Very good," Kiran smiled. "What if I do this?"
KIran moved the original black pawn back to its original square, and moved another pawn forward, now diagonal to the white pawn.
"The white pawn can capture," Sharena said.
Kiran positively beamed at this, proud that Sharena had grasped this basic so quickly. "Very good! Let's move on to the next piece. The knight."
"I'm a bit cold," Sharena murmured. "I'll go get a blanket or some- hm?"
Her sentence cut off abruptly when she felt a warmth around her shoulders. She looked up at Kiran, who had draped his own cloak over her shoulders. It was deceptively large, being able to hold both of them. Sharena looked up at Kiran and blushed for the nth time this night, while he pointedly ignored her gaze. Sharena smiled and leaned against him, eliciting a small jolt from the boy. Kiran cleared his throat, and pointed back down at the board, at a horse-shaped piece this time.
And so, for the next hour, Kiran had explained the rules of chess and how the pieces moved. Sharena was a surprisingly quick learner, only ever making two mistakes in how pieces captured and moved. She had expressed her surprise on multiple occasions on how the bishop, rook, and queen could move so far, but had accepted them all the same. However, Kiran felt good that she had asked questions and expressed opinions, because it proved that she was listening and had absorbed his lessons.
"That was great, Sharena," Kiran smiled softly. Although he wasn't tired, he could tell Sharena was already on her way out, her words slurring slightly and eyes growing heavy.
"Thanks for teaching me that," Sharena breathed out. "It was really fun. I hope you'll teach me some strategies tomorrow…"
"I will," Kiran smiled.
"So… soft…" Sharena murmured, snaking her arms around Kiran's arm. She rested her head against his shoulder, and Kiran froze.
"Sh- Sharena," Kiran whispered, nudging her. "I- you can't-"
Sharena only clutched his arm tighter and snuggled into his shoulder, drawing the cloak tighter around them. Soon, she was breathing deeply, sleep claiming her. Kiran glanced from side to side, unsure of what to do. He glanced down at Sharena, resting peacefully, and he smiled softly.
Not many people got to see her like this, so he decided to treasure the moment. He reached out tentatively, before resting his hand lightly against her head. Sharena shifted slightly at the contact, and Kiran withdrew his hand quickly. Sharena, however, did not wake up, and didn't move again. Kiran tentatively touched Sharena's hair again, and this time she didn't stir. Kiran stroked her hair softly, and nearly melted at the contact.
It's… so soft.
Kiran didn't know how long he sat there, stroking her hair and relishing the contact. Eventually, Kiran could feel sleep falling over him as well, and he tried to stand up to bring Sharena to her chambers to sleep. He really did.
Unfortunately, neither his legs nor his brain wanted to cooperate with him and mutinied against him, forcing him to stay in the same sitting position with Sharena cuddling against him. Well, it wasn't too bad, he supposed. It was very nice, actually.
Kiran closed his eyes happily, and leaned back against the pillar with a soft sigh. Sharena's head slipped off his shoulder, which brought Kiran momentary relief, before it resettled on his chest. Sharena sighed contently in her sleep and leaned back onto Kiran, causing him to smile before closing his eyes. He wordlessly wrapped his arms around Sharena's torso and pulled her into his chest, relishing the warmth and softness of her body. He sighed happily.
Being able to stargaze with Sharena, teach her the basics of chess, and then end the day off with some cuddling…
Today was a great day.
