“How fitting,” I deadpanned.
Peter quirked an eyebrow. “Sorry?”
“Oh, nothing. It’s just fitting that you’re teaching us how to play chess, considering the Maidens are basically pawns, hoping to be promoted to Queen.”
A bit on the nose, really.
And somehow, so easy for a Knight to forget.
“Ah.” Peter nodded, picking up on my meaning. “Right.”
He didn’t respond further to my comment, as he lined up the remaining pawns on his side of the board.
When he was done, he caught me watching him instead of doing the same with my pieces. With a nod to my pile, I took the hint and finished setting up.
Once I was done, Peter spoke again. “The pawn can also move to a vacant diagonal square when capturing an enemy pawnen passant. Right after they make their first move two spaces out. The strategy and rules are a lot to follow, but being the most easily captured pieces on the board, they’re the most important for the player to understand.”
His hand hovered above the pawn he’d just set down, and he met my gaze.“They have more power...more ability than you might think. Especially if their attacks are coordinated and carefully planned.”
“Oh.” I kept my expression neutral, nodding as if he’d said nothing more than a simple rule.
But he held my stare.
On one hand, I wanted to believe there might be more allies for the Maiden Rebellion brewing in my head, especiallyamongst the Knights. At the same time, thiswasVivian Valencourt’s twin.
I couldn’t hand him a sign-up sheet for said rebellion without risking too much.But using our time together to figure out exactly where Peter’s allegiance lay? I’d do that, and hopefully, I’d gain insight into my biggest opponent, too.
It surprised no one more than me that it wasn’t Vivian.
Instead I’d set my sights on the Camelot Society.
I’d use whatever I learned about Camelot Court, and its families, to understand the larger evil.
Maybe I’d figure out how they operated. How they controlled the Maidens and kept the Knights in check, too.
Since Kingston and Landon had their reasons for being tight-lipped on certain specifics, I decided right then to use my training sessions to pick up as many details as possible.
Then I’d piece them together to come up with a plan.
Without knowing Kingston’s full plan, I didn’t know how Max factored into it. I trusted Kingston to see us all to the end, but Max and Vivian’s announcement had taken everyone by surprise.
Including him.
I needed more than promises to try.
More than using the lingerie hidden under my shorts and T-shirt to make the big guy fold like a house of cards. If my plot for this afternoon failed, I needed assurances.
Even if I cracked Max’s controlled exterior, I had no idea what he was up against.
But I wasn’t giving up without a fight. I wasn’t resting until he was safely away from whatever or whoever had control over him. So, I had to be as prepared as possible, even if it meant going a little rogue.
Kingston would have to understand that.
And besides, could it really hurt to have a backup plan?
As I asked myself that question, I hoped my dad was looking down on me.
Thanks to my new goal of uncovering Camelot Court’s secrets with my available resources, I couldn’t walk away from this chess game. Which meant I’d finally learn how to play.
