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Brock acted as if he’d expected that and moved his own pawn forward without hesitation. I tried to match his speed but realized I should have waited before taking my first move to plan some variety of stratagem.
With Brock’s second move, he advanced his queen diagonally.
I’d never seen an opponent bring the queen out so quickly, but the narrow glint of his eye was too confident to mistake the move for a blunder. Nerves swelled inside.
I moved my pawn forward two.
“You’ve impressed many fae in such a short time.”
“Thank you.”
“But I’m not as easy to impress.” He moved his bishop. “Winner of this game owes the other a favor?”
No! my mind yelled. But my pride spoke instead. “Deal.” If I won, he’d be added to my count of kings who would help me live, and that temptation was too sweet to pass up.
I mentally recited Cal’s teachings as I moved another pawn.
Brock whisked his queen into the space before my bishop, across from my king. It was so early in the game that the king had no escape, and the queen was on the wrong side to save me.
The smile on Brock’s face was colder than ice. “Checkmate.”
I stared at the board long enough for him to stand and begin to walk away. “Wait,” I called. I had one more move to play against him. “A second game, one of a different nature. If I can surprise you, you’ll owe me a favor.”
“And if you don’t, you’ll owe me a second.”
I quivered to think of what he could do with two favors from me. But I nodded. He stood back patiently, eyes dark behind his mask. He was as still as stone, waiting for me to surprise him enough that he’d owe me. I had to trust my information from Talen was good.
My voice was quiet enough that onlookers couldn’t catch it. “You owe the lion’s share of your wealth to King Leonard, and not even your wife knows.”
The stone didn’t crack. But after a moment, he laughed. “I hold no secrets from my bride. This might have surprised any other king, but your information is false, my queen. It is not I who owes a speck of silver to Leonard, but he to me.”
No. I was too tired. Too eager to play another game.
I’d remembered the information wrong. This loss was worse than the chess match. I’d brought this one upon myself with no help from anyone else.
“That is two favors.” He smiled at my misery. “And I call upon the first one now. I don’t trust you, High Queen Althea. Your attempt to master this realm makes you less predictable than Queen Gaia, and I don’t like things I can’t control. You will do me the favor of remaining confined to the Queen’s Palace for six months, not even to step foot in the courtyard.”
Blood drained from my head. “I’ll starve.”
“You may have visitors,” his pleasant tone sounded as if now he was doing me a favor. “Make them tend to you.”
I was to be his caged animal, bound to a home of white walls and silence, with Gaia as company, watching the realm live through my window. My time was already limited. Now I had even less to bring the kings together to save myself.
He had no idea of the extent of my horror behind my mask, but it crippled me.
He lifted a hand, and a chariot swept from the sky to fetch him. “Farewell, my Queen,” he said. “It’s good to remember you are but a mortal and not a fae.”
I thought they loved their queens, but it was clear they loved this game more. Trickery, deceit, alliances—it fueled them. Their love for me couldn’t shake that.
The chariot leapt to the sky, and instantly my feet burned as if they were on fire. His words played in my head. Not even to step foot in the courtyard. I had to get back inside the palace. My six months began now. I kept my head low to discourage anyone from waylaying me as I rushed back inside to stop the heat from raging at my feet. With the first step under the arched door, relief came. But with the relief came a wave of humiliation. My failure would be a difficult thing to hide.
The paintings on the wall caught my eye with their brilliant colors. They’d be my only hope now.
The stars in my throne didn’t shine as bright, as if they were turning their light from me to match my disappointment. I’d dared to believe I could shine as brightly as they. Instead, I got burned.
I should have slept. I would have remembered that Talen said Leonard owed money, not Brock. The crown of failure was mine to wear alone, and I’d bear it as silently as I could over the next six months, so no one knew what I’d lost.
You are not ready for that realm.
