The day came too soon. The day where the two would sit opposite each other, the board in the middle. Just waiting to be played on.
Just waiting to claim the victor.
Derek looked at Odette very carefully, almost not blinking in case he missed a hint of emotion from her.
King William had guided and instructed him in how to play his best. But the king hadn't known it was for Derek to try and finally one up Odette for good.
To watch her lose. To lose everything that was cocky and proud in her.
He wanted her to finally lose to him.
Odette felt the exact same way back at Derek.
They were playing in the main hall, as crowds of servants and guards stood nearby, watching in pure anticipation for the match to begin – though half of them didn't even have an idea of how the game was actually played.
Bromley stood by Derek's side, watching so intensely an ordinary game played so very seriously. It almost felt like life or death.
When the king and queen got heed of the final match the night before Odette and her father were to leave, they hurried in their step to the room.
"STOP!"
Everyone was silent when King William yelled this out. He quickly approached his daughter and begged to know, "Why all this commotion? Why?"
"I have to play Derek." Odette only said back with spite dripping on her words and her father looked at her aghast.
"What for, child?" He asked Odette, and she glanced at him more properly now as she replied.
"Exactly... to prove WHO the real child here is."
Derek knew she was indicating him, and he only narrowed his eyes at her, his brown locks falling a little over his forehead.
"Derek," Queen Uberta said to her son, trying to make sense, "Why is there such a crowd here? and why are you playing against your betrothed?"
His eyes blew open, as he laughed hard and bitterly, "HA! She wishes."
"I only wish for one thing for you, Derek," Odette responded back to him, her eyes sharp as the two locked gazes, "To be humiliated," She grinned darkly as she continued, "By a woman."
The crowd around them all gasped at her words, before whispering to each other the nerve and audacity the princess had in saying this.
But SHE. DIDN'T. CARE.
Derek felt his own ego take a beating when she said this. And it really would be a huge humiliation if this did happen. But HE would not let this happen.
He had been training for weeks for this day, and finally, the board was set with their chess pieces.
The kings on both sides stood strong behind their men. The queens as deadly as ever.
Kinda what it felt like in real life... at least to the prince.
"Who goes first?"
The two asked together before glaring at one another for this slip of shared tongue. Bromley pulled out a silver coin and tossed it high into the air.
"Heads," Derek said quickly before it fell back into his friend's hand. It landed there within a second and truly it was heads that was showing.
Derek slowly looked over to Odette and the board and moved his first piece. A pawn.
The game was on.
Odette quickly went through all the tactics she had used over the years against her father, and she moved a pawn as well, leaving room for her tower to escape from later.
The memories flashed through her mind of all the times she had lost to her father. But she had started winning more the older she got, even if it was only one game in ten.
"You don't have a chance," She said coldly to Derek as he moved another piece carefully, "I was taught to play this by a real king, and I was taught to win."
"You see, princess," Derek said back to her, his own voice cool and calm. He glanced up at her again as he did an L move with the horse piece, "I was taught by that same king... and you? You are going to lose."
Odette scoffed, not believing these words until suddenly Derek knocked down one of her pawns and she gasped, not having seen this move in time.
She glared at Derek as she flicked her piece off the board, and only gulped now... scared that her cockiness had gotten the better of her just then.
She was more careful going forward, but the silence in the room from the crowd and even their own parents made this moment and game even more intense and stressful.
But Derek knew he was winning.
At this point, Odette had lost four pieces, while he had lost only two.
This meant nothing huge in the long run, but it did mean he had her a little on the ropes.
"Move." He told her as she had spent two minutes planning her next step. Derek couldn't believe it, though. He was actually beating her at something for once.
An arrow through the heart.
He remembered shooting the heart of Odette in the drawing he had hanging up in his room. As he looked back her way, he saw her so tense, her eyes watering a little and he suddenly lost his inhibition for a second... as he felt for her.
He felt sad for her...
I want to SEE HER CRY!
Those thoughts that he had had for her for weeks, all building up to this moment where she might actually break down if she lost.
And she knew this too.
Inside, Odette was panicking.
She kept second-guessing herself as she took hold of pieces to move but then moved them back nervously and tried a different piece.
Everyone in the crowd could see she was getting nervous. Getting apprehensive.
"YOU GOT HER NOW, DEREK!" Bromley cheered like a maniac and he suddenly threw his fist in the air as he chanted, "DEREK! DEREK! DEREK!"
The crowd soon followed, chanting for the player that seemed to be winning the game.
"DEREK! DEREK! DEREK!"
SHUT UP! Odette yelled internally as she desperately tried to read the board but was frightened she'd lose a pawn if she was foolish. STUPID AND FOOLISH!
"C'mon, Odette!"
She turned her eyes to the side when she heard her father gently whisper this encouragement.
"It's not over yet until you get a check!"
He was right. He was so right.
The board was now half empty as both hers and Derek's men fell down with every exceeding move.
Soon there were only a couple of pieces left of the two's kingdoms on the chessboard.
And that's when Derek saw it.
In his mind, and yes, even right before his eyes... he could see how he could win.
His piece had an empty spot next to her king that would put her into check. And if she was to save her king, she'd have to sacrifice her queen.
He slowly took hold of his tower piece and was about to take this move, but he looked back up at Odette quickly to read her face and when he did, his heart thudded in pain at the expression he saw.
She had just given up. She looked like she couldn't go on in this game.
All around the two the people only cheered for him. For Derek and not one except her father cheered for Odette.
This wasn't right... this wasn't fair.
He did so desperately want to win... but he didn't want to cause her pain. He DIDN'T want her to cry...
Not anymore.
And the tears were welling in her eyes. Just ready to give up. To be humiliated. To lose and to hate him for the rest of her life.
He didn't want this. It was like a deep intuition he experienced there that moment. He could feel he pain, her sadness.
So he changed his move, knowing that he would lose the game when he did.
"Checkmate."
Everyone gasped when Odette said this seconds later. She had a small smile start to climb giddily up her mouth and Derek simply knocked down his king.
Admitting defeat.
"Good game..." He said quietly, and she only looked back at him. Joy in her eyes now. And instead of tears of sorrow, she was holding back now her tears of happiness that she won.
That she was still better than him.
She could still beat Derek, and that gave her such glee inside.
Everyone in the room suddenly cheered for her, the guards and servants clapping their hands excitedly and Derek got up, walking through the crowds to leave the room. But the king approached him fast, touching Derek's shoulder to get the young prince to look at him, and he did, seeing the king's face of confusion.
"Derek!" He said, and the prince nodded, remaining calm, "You could've had her! I knew that move, all you had to do was move your tower to..." It was then that the king suddenly realized everything. He looked back at Derek and said with a small gentle smile.
"Thank you."
"For what?" Derek joked weakly and turned to leave the king, but Bromley quickly caught up to the prince and said to him in disbelief.
"How could you lose to her, Derek?!"
Derek smirked weakly, only shrugging his shoulders as he replied, "She was just better than me."
"Sorry, but SHE? SHE'S A GIRL! A GIRL!"
"Yes, just like I'm a boy."
"You will never live this down, Derek," Bromley said, so disappointed in his friend and Derek only shrugged again, turning around to see what was happening back around Odette. She was only surrounded by guards and servants, patting her on the back and shaking her hand with pride.
This only made Derek happy for once. Happy that Odette wasn't in pain from him anymore... happy he had made her find happiness.
And that, he couldn't understand... that it felt good to be kind.
It made him feel good.
~x~
That night the two were in their beds in their rooms. But both had eyes wide open as they stared at the ceilings above.
Odette still felt happiness inside. She felt pride and had been on cloud nine for the rest of the day.
And somehow, for some bizarre reason... Derek felt the same.
Maybe it was because he finally did something kind for someone the first time in his life. Or maybe it was because the king and princess were finally leaving his kingdom in the morning for their own home across the sea.
He didn't really think this was the reason for his internal glee, though.
Maybe he would try to do more kind things for others after this day... maybe he just would. He reached his hand over to his nightstand, gently touching a leather parchment that held something important in its casing. He wasn't afraid now anymore of what he was to do tomorrow at the dock. He was going to do the last thing he could before the two left his land.
As he closed his eyes that night he had a dream about the princess, but luckily for him when he woke the next morning he had completely forgotten what it was about. He was glad at that... he didn't want to think of her anymore now until the next visit in nine months time.
But his mother banged on his door, ramming it open as she declared to the half-awake prince.
"DEREK! GET READY!"
He rubbed his eyes exhausted as he sat up on his bed.
"The king and princess are leaving in AN HOUR!"
"Only an hour...?" He joked sleepily and got up getting changed. His mother slammed his door then to give him some privacy and he smirked at this, standing up as he straightened his shirt and cape and left the room to have one more day with the two.
Then he would be home free of it all and life could go back to what it always was.
Without her.
Without him, Odette thought as she stepped into the carriage waiting for the royals to take them back to their homeland.
Derek couldn't help but give Odette bunny ears with his two fingers behind her head but she quickly turned to glare at him, sensing the rude invasion.
Soon they were coming near to the pier and the whole kingdom seemed to be singing in joy at the two's hot and cold courtship.
When the horse and carriage finally arrived to let them get out, Derek slipped his hand into the bag he had brought with him, feeling the parchment again, and glanced at Odette, gulping a little in nervousness as he watched her and her father get down from the carriage with the assistance of the royal guards.
"Coming, Derek?" Uberta asked him coldly. She was still upset that her son had lost such a public game to the princess. Just like any mother would, she had wanted him to win such an important match.
"Yup," He said with a grin and hopped off, following the two. He kept the parchment behind his back and skipped over to Odette, tapping her on her shoulder and she turned around annoyed as she barked at him.
"What?"
He couldn't wait to tell her what... in fact, he couldn't wait to show her what.
He would show her what... he was not afraid.
No more.
No more...