“My brother told me that if you can master chess, you can outmaneuver and out-strategize anyone.”
Sabrina scrunches her nose, not fully understanding, but Phaedra gets me.
I start explaining each piece as they touch and examine them. “The king is the most important piece on the board, the one you’re trying to protect, but the queen is the most powerful.”
Phaedra, who is set to become queen one day, definitely likes this.
“My favorite is the knight.”
Now Sabrina’s in on it. “I want to be a knight when I grow up.”
“Sabrina, we don’t have knights anymore.”
She pouts. “Then a warrior.”
“I love that. Chess will help build your thinking muscles, which any knight or warrior would need. Also any queen.” I wink at Phaedra and show them how to set up the board. Arthur is on a soft cushion in the corner under the window, basking in the streaming sunlight, taking a nap as we begin our game.
Phaedra picks white and Sabrina black—thankfully no fighting to be had—and I help them with their moves, talking strategy and how each move will affect the board and other pieces on it.
“This is hard,” Sabrina whines, pouting when Phaedra takes one of her bishops.
“I know. It takes a lot of practice. Don’t get discouraged. You’re doing such a good job for your first time.”
Playing with them makes me miss Jaqueline even more. She’s had it so tough, but so have these children. At least they have each other and their family and are swaddled in love.
The sound of someone clearing their throat from the door startles all of us. Rowan is standing there with the queen, and he doesn’t look happy I’m here with them.
14
ROWAN
Ifinished a meeting with Sebastian and the prime minister, where we discussed renovations and improvements to the palace. Parliament will put it to a vote, but it’s reasonable to think it’ll all go through. The pool and grounds alterations I’m going to take care of, and I’m excited for that to happen. The plan is to start in the early fall, so it doesn’t disrupt the children’s summer.
Sebastian stayed, having other issues to discuss, but when I left, I ran into Bellamy, who was on a hunt for the children.
“I want to take the children to the festival tomorrow.”
I throw her a side-eye as we head toward the playroom.
“I’m down. I’ll go with you.”
She nudges me. “I think we need someone else with us. Even with the two of us, we’re outnumbered, and I can’t chase as well as I used to.”
“I think Althea has to stay here. I know they have a bunch of meetings lined up.”
She twists her lips to the side as she thinks about this. “I really, seriously don’t want another nanny,Rowan.”
I toss my arm over her shoulder. “I know, but I think you also know that you need one.”
“Fuck my life,” she mutters in English, making me laugh. “Fine. Maybe. But that won’t solve our problem for tomorrow.”
“We’ll talk to Sebastian about it. Maybe he can move some meetings around.”
She sighs and we continue on, but the moment we reach the door of the playroom, both of us freeze. Me in dismay, she in delight.
I get another nudge to my flank as Bellamy juts her chin toward the scene in front of us. Marcella is sitting on the floor with the girls on either side of her as she teaches them chess. They’re laughing at something, but shit, how did Marcella end up alone with the girls?
“What if we ask Marcella to come? The girls obviously like her.”
