“I must warn you…” she pauses, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table. “If there is one thing I’m good at, it’s chess.”
“Then I feel sorry to be taking that away from you.” Her eyes light up with a spark.
“You’re on, Warden.”
“Show me what you’ve got, Hawthorne.”
I don’t know how long we play for. I’m lost in the stillness of her features. The look of concentration on her face, the way she seems to bite her lip before making a move that she knows is good. Each time she pinches one of my pieces, she glances at me briefly before looking back at the board. Time seems to pause around us until I realise she’s beaten me.
Three times.
I have no words for her other than staring at the board in plain silence, trying to figure out how she got round all my tactics.
She wasn’t lying.
She is good at chess.
Very good.
It adds another layer to this girl I was already curious about.
I sit back in my chair, defeated, deciding to keep what little dignity I have left and quit whilst I’m ahead.
“I warned you, Warden. I’m good at this,” she says, scrunching her nose with a wide smile.
“Well, I’m sorry I ever underestimated you.” I smile at her. “Who taught you to play like that?” I ask her gently. But when she doesn’t respond, I look at her sorrowful expression. Her smile fades to a thin line as she pulls her body in on itself. I don’t push her, letting the silence hang between us before she looks out the window.
“My friend back home. We would play during our lunch breaks, and he was the best player I knew. Always beat me,” she says, smiling to herself. “I made it my mission to learn to play so I could beat him one day. It’s silly, really.”
“Did you beat him?”
She nods, sliding a loose hair behind her ear.
“Then it’s not silly,” I reply.
She gives me a soft smile before meeting my eyes.
“Thank you for playing with me."
“Yeah, well, once Kael hears about it, I doubt I’ll hear the end of it.” I joke, but it’s true. She smiles up at me,
“You’re close, you and Kael?”
“He’s not my brother by blood, but he’s persistent enough to qualify.” I say. “He’s a good knight. A great master-at-arms, loyal to a fault. But he’s also an insufferable menace.” She smiles at me again. I could get used to this, getting her to smile.
“I think he probably looks up to you."
“I wish that were true. Kael is one person I could never lead. Sometimes, though, I don’t think he needs it. But don’t tell him I ever said that.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” We hold each other’s stare.
The silence is not uncomfortable, though.
“Well, I should probably get to sleep. Unless you want me to show you how good I am at chess once more?”
“And what if I told you I was letting you win?” I say with a smirk. It’s a lie, of course, and she knows it. This girl doubts herself in nearly everything, except for this. She knows she’s good and I feel like testing her.
“I’d tell you that you’re a sore loser, Warden,” she chuckles softly.
