Chapter 14: Just a rookie
It was a beautiful day after all. The sun decorated the consultation chamber in the brightest colors, only adding more beauty to his future wife.
Still elegantly sitting in place, she kept a professional smile on her face as the two lords rose to their feet.
"Your highness, it's getting late and you have such a wonderful castle, if you wish we could stay for the night for further negotiations." Lord Dunxton bowed eagerly, trying to somewhat garner a little bit of sympathy.
Shizuo couldn't have less.
"Oh no, you don't have to," he quickly replied with the best smile he could muster. He was doing more than just fantastic considering he would rather pull one of the decorative swords from the wall to slay the bastards. Letting them stay over the night?
No way.
"Ah, my lord, the road is bumpy," Lord Hebaron tried as well, glancing at his fellow accomplice.
"Bumpy? It was just fine when I rode it this morning?" Shizuo tilted his head questioningly.
And Izaya?
He was having the time of his life. And a very numb tongue on top as he tried to suppress his amusement.
"... o-of course my Lord. We… will be on our way then."
Those two lords weren't smart enough to realize their scheme had been seen through from the beginning, but they weren't dumb enough to try and get on the king's bad side either, and so they scurried off.
Faster than they had talked about their needed funds they left- the door closed- and Izaya laughed.
"They wanted to stay for the night," he announced, shaking from laughter.
The king experienced a similar shift in expression, although his face showed more of annoyance than joy.
"I don't want those rats here," he declared while taking a seat back on the couch opposite to Izaya.
"I'm sure they could tell."
Oh well.
There was no harm done with Shizuo's way of declining their request.
After all, they had tried to scam the king.
"How did you even know so well what they were going to say?" Ripped from his thoughts Izaya blinked for a moment.
Shizuo was still sitting opposite to him, glancing at the various documents sprawled on the desk.
"Experience." Izaya shrugged, and it was true. Opposite to most common belief it hasn't been his father who sustained his lands.
As far as it was possible Izaya did his best to clear up useless investments and supply their people instead. He had seen lords come, had read dozens of letters of transactions and deals. Just none as the official son of the duke.
"But seriously, usually you go about things like these in a careful and polite way," he reminded curtly. "They tried to scam you so they will be good and sit still for now but any other noble might have been offended."
A soft nod followed, coupled with a slight tinge of guilt. Izaya didn't know the king for a long time, but he could somewhat guess what circled his mind.
"I'm not good at that stuff. My brother was," Shizuo suddenly said, causing Izaya to blink.
…his brother.
The actual heir of the throne.
"... the rumors about your brother-" Izaya started slowly, fading out towards the end. He knew this was a delicate topic.
"They are all true."
Izaya smallowed. A soft glance trailed to Shizuo's face. He looked pained.
Defeated.
So far Izaya had seen nothing but a prideful knight. A gentle warrior. Bur right now?
It was as though someone had ripped every status and every quality Shizuo was proud to have, from himself.
"Everything you hear is the truth." He started slowly, his voice carrying bitterness. "My father violated my sister in law." He paused, a deep frown carving into his forehead. "Daily. And not only her."
Goosebumps traveled down Izaya's spine.
… the brother too?!
Ever since arriving at the castle and talking to the innkeeper he had received a pretty clear impression of the former king. What he imagined was a greedy asshole the sort of likes that took after his father and other aristocracy that ought to be better than other humans judging by their standing.
He had imagined a man of cruelty, enjoying watching punishments and executing them himself. The duke had very much liked to discipline his servants in the basement and occasionally fucked the maids against their concent.
He was as low a man as one could get.
But- Abusing his own children?
It was a level of monstrosity Izaya hadn't reckoned with.
"Sorry, this topic isn't exactly one I should present to a lady," Shizuo suddenly mumbled.
A flower- god knows where Shizuo had gotten it from, appeared before Izaya's eyes as he offered the small gift.
Gazes meeting for a brief moment Shizuo was quick to avert his eyes.
"Sorry, I know I'm making you uncomfortable."
The flower retracted and Izaya quickly moved as he snatched the precious plant from his hand.
"... not really."
Surprise flashed across the king's expression, as well as relief.
"Did you know this flower only grows in your castle grounds?" Izaya quickly hurried as the situation got more and more out of hand.
He was a guy, deceiving the king to get his money. The poor man thought he was facing his future bride. He shouldn't be raising any hopes for a bright future when he planned to bail by the end of the week.
"What?" Shizuo asked, his gaze settling on the flower instead.
He had honestly just grabbed whatever had been in reach from the vase behind the couch.
"It's true. Pigenion omaneta. It's the flower that never blooms," Kururi informed further and Shizuo chuckled.
"What's its deal?"
Lifting the flower to her face his future wife paused for a moment to smell the delicate perfume the flower emitted. The red petals only increased his bride's beauty as it served as a contrast to her dark hair. "It needs both, a cool ground but warm surface."
The soft knock of the butler was what shattered the short moment as the two glanced towards the door.
"My lord," the servant quickly bowed, while holding a parcel wrapped in leather.
"Is that it?" Shizuo asked, spiking Izaya's curiosity as he glanced at the object.
"Just arrived," the butler quickly nodded, calling delight to Shizuo's face.
"Perfect!"
Taking a quick set of steps the servant placed the object of the hour onto the small table.
"Well then, I'm going to take my leave," he announced shortly, bowing, before returning as quickly as he had come.
Puzzled, Izaya looked at the leatherbound bundle, and his confusion only increased when Shizuo moved it over.
"This is for you."
What?
Surprised, Izaya grasped the present. It was heavy.
Sturdy.
He could feel something move around inside. No matter what it was, it was expensive.
Raising his head he glanced at the king.
"... why?"
"As an apology," Shizuo said, hesitating for a moment as his hand found its way into his hair. "For a lot of things."
Oh.
Not recognizing his wife, for one thing, for getting her abducted, but treating her somewhat rough.
Shizuo had no experience with women, not to mention a noble on- and while Kururi had done her best to forgive him and accepted the marriage as his father had wished, Shizuo felt the need to make it up to her.
All of it.
She didn't want this marriage as much as he didn't.
Endearing curiosity spread across her expression as Shizuo watched his bride unwrap her present.
Surprise wiped all former emotion off her face as she looked at the object.
"The tower looks fancy. The mercenary said it´s high quality,, Shizuo quickly said, quite proud of his present. "Do you like it?"
"I do." Kururi replied fairly quickly, and yet- somehow her expression suddenly held a certain amount of sadness in her eyes.
… had he messed up?
Did she not like it? Had he misunderstood?
"... but?" Shizuo questioned softly and Izaya's chest clenched.
It was a chess board.
Beautifully carved.
It was the one he had been looking at on the market.
The reason his eyes had been glued to the game laid in his siblings.
Mairu. Kururi.
Seeing it again unexpectedly like this and after what he had been through he couldn't help but feel his chest tighten.
He might have never seen them again. If he had died.
Of course Shizuo knew nothing of that. It was just a gentle gesture to make up a little for what he thought had gone bad.
Quickly clearing his throat, Izaya straightened his body.
"Want me to teach you?" Hinges were unlocked and the board split in half as Izaya drew the pawns from within.
"How do you know I don't play?" Shiuuo asked, causing his wife to chuckle amused.
One of the pawns was picked and brought closer to Kururi's face.
"This is called a rook. Not a tower."
Oh
Shizuo snorted, now aware how he had made a fool of himself without knowing.
"So?" Kururi asked again, referring to her earlier offer to teach.
The scarf on her chest had moved sideways, revealing the shallow cut once more.
Honestly?
Shizuo would have preferred if his future bride rested in her chambers. The previous night must have been a shock. And the ride back to the castle must have been exhausting.
Not for Shizuo of course.
But for a woman? And Kururi was nothing like the lady from the inn. If she had a body like hers, voluminous and tense with action and effort, okay- but Kururi was nothing like that.
She was slim, petite. A bit pale. It made Shizuo fear touching her as she might just burst into millions of pieces.
The way she handled herself too.
Like a butterfly, all motion she executed seemed to flow like water.
She looked way too elegant- even while setting up the various pawns of the game.
"Alright. But I hope you know what you are getting yourself into," Shizuo reminded her curtly as his eyes scanned the pattern of the board.
"Alright, so the goal is simple. I have my army, colored in black, and you have yours. This-" Kururi continued as she lifted an especially fancy pawn from the board. "The king. It's your most precious pawn, you need to protect it at all costs. If he is slain, the game is over."
Looking at the fancy design Shizuo noted that the game seemed true to life. No other pawn compared to the details engraved on the wooden crown and body.
"Makes sense."
Putting the king back in his position Kururi continued with her explanation.
"The game is turn based where one player moves one of his pawns and then switches to another." In quick succession she moved from white to black to white to demonstrate the flow.
"Sounds like a battle." Shizuo added, and Izaya couldn't help but show an amused smile at the view.
It was funny.
Shizuo was older than his sisters, but he held more creativity and childlike fascination than they did.
"Indeed. Now let's turn to functions. The king can move one field in every direction but is blocked by his own men." Pointing at the various spots he tried to visualize the pattern. "He can slay opposing pawns as long as he isn't in danger."
Somewhat amused, Shizuo cocked an eyebrow.
"Why would he be in danger?"
Izaya chuckled.
"Here, I will show you. This is a simple pawn. You have eight of them and all they can do is move forward and slay pawns by the side," Izaya announced, pointing at the smallest set of figures as he moved them forward one by one.
"If your king were here, and two simple pawns arranged like this-" he continued further, arranging the pawns accordingly.
The king was alone in the middle of the field, the two pawns arranged diagonally in a line.
Shizuo hummed shortly as he thought about the rules Kururi had mentioned so far.
"I think, I get what you mean, the king would slay the pawn, but the other pawn would slay him in exchange and win the game."
"Exactly. You are picking this up faster than expected." A bit surprised at the mischievous hint in Kururi's voice, Shizuo paused. She was obviously having fun-
He couldnÄt help but smile a little as she continued to explain.
"Now, this is the queen. Opposite to the king she can be sacrificed without the game ending, so she moves more freely. All directions and as far as the path goes."
Shizuo laughed, "Okay, so the king is useless and the queen dominates the battle. I have a feeling I know why you like this game."
"Not quite, my favorite is the pawn you lovely described as a tower." Picking up the mentioned pawn Kururi lifted it to her face. "It moves in straight lines all across the board."
Glancing down at the board Shizuo couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow.
"That's it?" he asked, wondering.
"That's it," Kururi confirmed.
Really? With this many pawns in the way and such restricted movement?
"Weak if you ask me."
A confident smile drew upon Kururi's features as she shook her head.
"The opposite! Think about it, the queen as the most powerful pawn is always in the center of attention, every single one of her moves is being watched. But no one pays much attention to a tower, sitting in place until the time has come to move."
Like an assassin, huh?
Certainly, the tower held a certain amount of threat as it could move a vast distance. And Shizuo could see how one might lose track of its capabilities while moving all the other pawns.
Letting his eyes trail across the board he stopped at Kururi's side.
"What about the horses?" Seeing how a tower that was supposed to stand still and serve as defense was running around slaying other pawns he was quite curious what the horse could do.
"They are called knights. You can move them in L shapes all across the board." A sour expression drew across Shizuo's face as he picked up one of his own.
"Until now I thought I might like this game, but L shapes?" he asked doubtfully while inspecting the delicate craftwork on its eyes and mane.
"Bear with me, they are designed to slay the opponent's queen. Look." Tearing his eyes away from the delicate figure he glanced at the board. Kururi had put up nothing but the queen and a horse.
"Your queen can't slay them, but the knight can," she explained with curious eyes.
It was kinda cute- it seemed like she was somewhat testing whether he could follow what he had been told as much as she was hoping he would so they could play.
Adorable, somewhat.
And maybe a little bit mischievous.
"I see." Shizuo couldn't help but feel a smile crawl onto his lips. He had wanted to cheer her up with the present. But more than receiving a gift she seemed to enjoy his partaking in her game.
"Last but not least we have the bishop. He is another straightforward fellow just drawing diagonales across the map. Good so far?" Again she checked.
Cute.
"Feels like I have a lot of slaughtering to do before I can kill your king," Shizuo announced, placing the horse back to where it belonged.
"That's one way, but you can also win without killing a single pawn." Izaya announced proudly. "In the event that the king is in danger but cannot move away and none of his pawns can eliminate the threat, the game is considered to be lost."
He was actually starting to have fun.
The king was a faster learner than he had thought, even though he seemed to question the logic behind some of the laws of the game.
"Can we actually play? I feel like this would be less confusing if you give me an example."
Izaya chuckled.
"Sure," the pawns were rearranged into their proper order. White queen on the white field, black queen on the black field. Next to her the king, the bishop, the knight and of course the rook.
Sitting back Izaya grinned as he looked at his newfound opponent.
"White begins. Move one of your pawns."
to be continued~
2 out of 5 updates- well I guess we can at least testify my consistency in doing SOMETHING xDDDD
Just out of curiosity, instead of just wishy washy rambling about chess I actually tried thinking about how I would explain the rules- did anyone get interested in chess after this? xDDDD I love playing it actually haha -cough- you probably never guessed as I only mention chess in like 4 out of 6 stories x'DDDDDDDD
Anyway~! Enjoy the sweet sweet fluffy time- ... for as long as it lasts C: C: C:
The wedding day is approaching like the blade of a guillotine as it's rushing for a neck BWAHAHAHAHA
xD
See you next Saturday guys~! C;