"I have a lot of free time in this place."
"Apparently."
He studied the board for a long moment.Then, instead of countering, he reached out and moved one of his pieces to a completely different quadrant—a sacrifice play that opened up his defences but made her future murky.
Azul stared at the board.Then at him.
"You'll understand in three turns," he explained.
"You're sacrificing the battle to win the war?"
"Something I learned from watching you."
The words landed between them.She looked up, and he was watching her, not the board.
"My lord," she teased him."What are you doing?"
"We are playing a game, are we not?"
Is this truly a game?
He was asking her.
She pursed her lips and moved a piece on the board.
"Your move," she said.
He looked down, and his eyes softened.
To lose the battle is to win the war.But she was allowing him to win the battle and, perhaps, the war.
She waited for him to see if he would conquer.
But instead, "I concede."
Her brows furrowed for a moment."My lord, concession isn’t necessary."
"You played well," was all he said."You played better than a beginner should."He glanced at her lips."I’m afraid I would lose, no matter how long we played."
Deepening her breathing, she kept his intensity, unwilling to back down."I had good instruction."
Something flickered in his eyes."From your friend?"
"From watching you.You indicate your intentions.Not on the board; you're too good for that.Your eyes are all I need.I could read you after the few turns.Any move you wished to make, every distraction you fell for.My lord, are you truly not smitten with me?"
He was silent for a long moment."Khatun, for someone who apparently can read my intent, you ask questions that baffle me."
She pressed her lips into a thin line."I—" It’s not that she didn’t trust herself, but she felt out of her depth.His intent was clear to read, but part of her felt it was only because he wished for her to see through him, that his openness was of his own volition.It made her second-guess herself.
"Khatun," he asked."Do you truly not know?"
Why was he making her say it?Once spoken, it would make her subconscious believe it; she refused to delude herself that way.
Seeing she would not respond, he placed a finger on the stronghold, the most important piece, and forced it to fall to hers.
"There are no guarantees of the future from here, but I intend to return from the expedition."
Azul stiffened.His time had run out, and the chance that they would try to kill him were higher now that he was away from the palace.
