by Rachel Angel
“Will the top chess players please step forward.”
I hesitated. I wanted to hear him say my name. I wanted him to make it clear to everyone that I was not only in the top six. I was the top player.
Avery stepped forward, along with the other top players.
“Who won the competition?” someone finally cried out.
“Yes,” another called out. “Who won?”
Honeywell licked his lips nervously. “The overall winner of this first competition is Miss Violet.
Everyone turned to look at me in astonishment.
Really? I thought. Did they really think me so incapable of winning at chess?
Many of the princes came forward to shake my hand and congratulate me.
“Well,” Honeywell said. “We’ll have time to celebrate later. For now, may I ask you all to head out to the green garden for the next competition.”
We all filed out of the room and headed to the green garden and beyond. Then I finally realized where we were really going; the maze.
Initially the circular maze had been made to entertain the children. I was perhaps six or seven years old when my father had the brilliant idea of creating this puzzle. Small bushes, barely two feet high had been strategically planted to form the small labyrinth. At first the shrubs were so short we could see our way to the center of the circle and then see our way out.
As a young girl I’d run around it, timing myself as I’d find my way through it. I knew every turn, every dead end.
It had attracted so many younger nobles who enjoyed the challenge.
Over the years, the bushes grew and grew until they stood ten feet tall, making finding out way out increasingly difficult. But the maze had also been enlarged and made more difficult.
“I am certain you are all familiar with the Kingsbury Labyrinth,” Honeywell said.
Indeed, I knew the maze. I could draw my way out in my sleep. I could do it forward, backwards, sideways and blindfolded.
“For those who may think themselves familiar with the maze of tens years ago, know that it has grown, has been added to, and has been modified over the years.”
Oh, yes. I knew of the modifications that had been made over the years. Parts of the maze had died off having been eaten by a critter or simply broken by a careless gardener. Other portions had been deliberately altered by my father who wished to keep the maze complicated and challenging.
“This maze,” Honeywell went on, “has an entrance point.” He pointed to the opening in the tall hedge. “And an exit point on the other side. It also has a central core furnished with four elegant columns surrounding a small stone bench.”
Frowning, many of the princes and nobles looked at one another.
“At the central core of the maze, we’ve placed a potted kumquat tree beside the stone bench.”
“A what?” one noble said.
Others also questioned Honeywell’s words.
“A tree?”
“A miniature tree,” Honeywell corrected. “The first to find their way to the central core must retrieve the potted tree and head to the exit of the labyrinth.”
I almost felt sorry for the other competitors. This would be too easy. I clearly had an unfair advantage.
“Sir Richard,” one young man said. “The residents of the castle have…”
“Yes,” Honeywell said. “Like I said. Some know this maze better than others. It is up to everyone to use your strengths the best way you can.”
“That’s not fair,” the young man grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest in sullen protest.
“This is where your innate sense of direction takes over. This is where you put your knowledge of puzzles and enigmas to good use. Strategy. Your memory. Attention to detail. The competitor who runs around willy-nilly, going down the same dead end over and over again, is not paying attention to their surroundings. But the competitor who is methodical…”
“What good is methodical?” the young man griped, glaring at me.
I smiled sweetly at him, causing him to blush.
“Will the top six competitors come to stand at the entrance to the labyrinth?”
We stepped forward and stood one beside the other. Avery, Ollie, Axel and others.
“This is going to be a quick race,” a hot-headed noble said. “I can outrun all of you any day.”
This isn’t that kind of race, I thought. It wasn’t speed that was going to win but finding the right path. Strategy. I had to plot out the right strategy.
“On your mark,” Honeywell called out.
The young men beside me tensed up, ready to run off.
I took a deep breath.
“Get set…”
They all leaned forward. The entrance to the maze was narrow. They would have to jostle for position.
“Go!”
And that’s exactly what they did. The hot-head noble lunged into the entrance of the maze and disappeared around the first bend. Behind him, the princes pushed and shoved their way in, running deep into the labyrinth.
I deliberately tripped, giving me the excuse of being the last one to enter the familiar maze. With no one tailing me, all that remained was to stay calm and hurry to the core.
With my ears constantly listening for the sounds of my rivals’ footsteps, I went deeper and deeper, until the central circle of the maze was before me.
The small kumquat tree sat in the middle of the circle beside the stone bench, just as Honeywell had described. Smiling, I reached out for the pot just as Ollie came around the bend and grabbed a hold of the trunk of the tree.
“What are you doing?” I said, tugging on the pot.
“Competing,” Ollie said. He gave the tree trunk a firm yank, pulling me to him. With his free hand, he reached out to tickle me.
“Hey,” I called out through a girlish giggle. “That’s not fair.”
“You heard Honeywell,” Ollie argued. “Use whatever advantage you might have.”
“Oh,” I said defiantly, trying to tickle him. “Is that so?”
“That is so,” he said with a wicked smile. He stopped tickling me and wrapped his arm around my waist, letting go of the coveted tree as he pulled me to him.
Chest against chest, our breaths mingled together as we looked into each other’s eyes. His rapid breathing slowed and deepened as our laughter quieted.
I licked my lips. The sensation of his hard muscular chest against my nearly bared breasts was certainly distracting. And when he leaned in closer…
“You are unbelievable, Violet,” Ollie said in a hushed tone of awe and admiration. “First your victory at chess, and now this. How can someone be both so incredibly beautiful and…?”
“Smart?” I said with a teasing grin. “The two are not mutually exclusive, you know.” I looked into his eyes. “I mean, look at you. You’re handsome, strong, sexy, and yet… Well, here you are.”
He tightened his hold of me, crushing me against him. I felt the eagerness of his loin as he pulled my entire body against the length of his.
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking of you,” he whispered. The awe and admiration were gone, replaced with hunger and a growing sense of urgency. “From the first moment I saw you…” He leaned in and kissed me.
For a startled moment, I gave in to the kiss. It was deliciously sweet, and his scent left my head spinning. I wanted to lean in, to take full occupation of his mouth. He pushed me up against one of the columns, and I was prepared to yield. My fingers trailed down to my skirt and began slowly pulling up the hindering fabric.
But as I cracked my eyes open, I saw the diminutive kumquat tree atop the stone bench.
“Nice try,” I said solemnly as I firmly pushed back.
“Huh?” Ollie muttered, his hooded eyes still veiled with lust and his lips still positioned for a kiss.
“Trying to distract me with all this,” I said, waving my finger from his lips, to his biceps to the front of his pants which now displayed a clear bulge. “I ha
ve a competition to win, and I will not allow you to keep me from winning.”
“Me?” he said, still puzzled by the turn of events. “Distracting you? Are you saying that you’re attracted to me?”
I grabbed the kumquat tree and ran off, leaving him standing there with a silly grin on his face.
Running as fast as I could with the cumbersome tree, I took the most direct route out. On either side of me, I could hear my competitors mutter and curse as they came to one dead end after another.
At one point where the hedge had thinned out enough to allow a view into one of those dead ends, I saw the hot-headed noble. Seething with frustration and dripping with sweat, he looked at me through the branches.
“This is one competition you are not going to win,” he threatened.
As I hurried by, I saw him try to crawl through the tangle of branches. While the leaves might have fallen off, the thorny branches were still solid and unyielding.
Glancing back as I continued on my way to victory, I caught a glimpse of him, completely ensnarled in his attempt to cheat.
“That will teach you to cheat,” I called over my shoulder.
“Get back here,” he cried out. “Help me. You can’t just leave me here.”
“I’ll send help once I reach the finish line.”
I turned to the left and found the long path that led to a juncture where I turned right, almost circling around half the maze before finally coming to the exit.
Sir Richard Honeywell, surrounded by other nobles and notables, stood waiting for the victor. While the others applauded and cheered, Honeywell simply stared in disbelief.
“It looks like we have a winner,” Honeywell finally said.
The men and women standing there applauded politely, though the surprise was clear on their faces. After a few moments, my competitors began to emerge from the maze.
Confused, befuddled and sweating, they all looked at me.
“Did she win?” the hot-head noble said.
I reached for a kumquat, tugged it off its branch and tossed it in the air only to catch it again. “You bet I did.”
He grumbled while my other competitors patted me on the back and congratulated me.
“Now,” I finally said as I picked up the potted tree. “If you all don’t mind, I’m going to bring this lovely little tree to my Rosie. I’m sure that she’ll be able to concoct a delicious dessert for me. That will be my reward for this competition.”
Honeywell clasped his hands together and looked at the crowd. “With that said, that concludes the days’ competition. You may all retire to the banquet hall and enjoy a nourishing meal. We will meet again tomorrow for the next competition.”
Chapter 15
Violet
Dinner was indeed a hardy affair. Aside from the sweet dessert Rosie made with my kumquats, she also had prepared a good thick stew, some fabulously roasted hens, and loaves of dense, rich breads.
The conversation that surrounded me was of the day’s competition. The women in attendance were stunned by my victory.
As I ate, Princess Jarely came by and looked at me with curious eyes. “I don’t understand,” she said simply. “While I’ve learned to play chess adequately, I could never win a tournament the way you did. Some said you were so fast, so cunning in your strategy.”
I wasn’t sure if that was an insult or compliment.
“Then to get out of that maze first,” she said. “I know that you live here and know the maze well, but… Well, I get lost just going into the village. I walk into one shop and when I walk out, I don’t know what direction to go in. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve gotten lost. My sense of direction is… Well… Quite simply, I have no sense of direction.”
Smiling, I looked up at her. She had such a pretty face, with a cute button nose and a friendly smile. But her big brown eyes, for all their friendliness, were slightly vacant.
I knew how she had been raised; the same way so many young women were raised. They were taught to be pretty but say little. They learned petty tasks, but never anything of substance.
“All it takes is a little observation,” I said gently. “All it takes is paying attention to your surroundings. If, for example, before entering a shop, you took a moment to look at the neighboring shops, you would know the direction you were going in. When you emerged, you would continue in that direction.”
“I don’t think I could ever…”
“You know, if I have time, maybe we could go through the maze together. You’ll see how simple it is once you put your mind to it.”
We’d never been friends, in fact, we’d rarely spoken, but I somehow sensed her desire to know me better.
“That’s very sweet of you,” she said. “But with the continuing contests, I doubt you’ll have time. Besides, it’s not like I would ever be able to put that knowledge to any use.” She curtsied and backed away.
Watching her walk away, I realized that my role in the competition was even larger than I had imagined. Women were watching. Little girls were watching. They were looking at me with curiosity as I competed toe to toe with these men.
I smiled, fueled by this added incentive.
Finishing my meal, I stood and nodded to the young men at my table before leaving.
Suddenly a little snug in my tight purple dress, I headed out to the garden to take a long stroll. The evening was still young, but the chill of night had already descended on the island of Arcadia.
A big, fat robin flew down to the path in front of me. He hopped along in search of a late day treat. Following him, I concentrated on his movements, finding comfort and calm in the easy motions.
I was so concentrated that I didn’t notice that I wasn’t alone until I felt a strong muscular arm grip me by the waist. Startled, I looked over my shoulder and gasped, then saw who my assailant was.
“Axel,” I said with a smile. “What are you doing out here? I thought you were having dinner with your brother and mother.”
“I saw you sneak out of the banquet hall and had to come after you. I’ve been thinking about you all day.”
I turned around in his arms, facing him. “I’m glad you did. I didn’t have a chance to speak to you since the incident with your father.”
He offered me a weak smile as he took my hand and led me down the path. “I’ll admit that I’ve been trying to think of anything else.” He squeezed my hand as we came around to the back entrance of the castle.
“How is your father doing?” I said.
“He’s holding on. Mother has been staying at his side almost all day, giving him drops of water to keep him hydrated. But it doesn’t really seem to be doing any good.”
“I really am so sorry about what happened. I don’t understand who, or why…”
“I know you are sorry, and I am certain that you are as confused by the incident as I am. Thank you.” He squeezed my hand again. “I also know that you must be equally concerned about your father.”
I nodded, but like him, didn’t really want to think about that for the moment.
“You know,” he said, sensing my mood. “Watching you all day has been quite a treat. You certainly helped me put my father’s health out of my mind, if only temporarily.”
I smiled at him as we entered the castle and walked the halls aimlessly. We ended up in front of my father’s door and he came in with me as I checked in on him.
Some color had returned to his cheeks and his breathing was gentle but steady as he slept. I looked at the manservant who was watching over him and nodded, but said nothing.
There was nothing to say. Father was the same as early that morning.
We left and continued to stroll through the castle.
“This dress of yours,” Axel said, his voice becoming husky. “I’ve never seen you wear this. You’ve never looked more spectacular.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Was it part of your strategy?”
“It might have been,” I said
coyly. “Do you think it worked?”
“Well, you certainly got my attention.” He laughed as he looked directly into my breasts. “I was at the next table as you played against Lach. Damn. I almost lost because I couldn’t tear my eyes off you. No one could.”
“I’m surprised. All of you are accustomed to seeing beautiful women with their bosom on display.”
He chuckled. “Perhaps, but not the way you did it. Who knows? It could be that we are so accustomed to seeing you dressed more… let us say discreetly, that your entrance caught us off guard.”
“Well, don’t expect it to become a habit,” I said with a laugh.
“Why not?” Axel said as he stopped in front of the door to an empty suite. “I certainly won’t complain.”
“Even if it means I beat you in another competition.”
He gave my hand a tug, pulling me into the vacant room. “Well, perhaps if you were to allow me to… ease the tension your beautiful dress caused…”
“Aw,” I said, running a teasing finger over the bulge in his pants. “Did I make you tense?”
“You know darn well that you had every man aroused today. I dare say, even the cool and regimented Sir Honeywell couldn’t keep from taking a quick peek every once in a while.”
“Is that right?”
“Can you blame him?” He kicked the door shut behind us.
“And,” I said, innocently looking around the empty room. “Why are you bringing me here?”
The modest-sized room had a modest-sized four poster bed, a tall and simple armoire and a view over the forest. The dark wood of the furniture was brightened with pale blue curtains and a small vase filled with tiny yellow flowers.
“Don’t you like it?” he said.
“It’s all right.”
“I thought you might like to take a little rest after your exhausting day.”
“A rest?”
With slow, lazy strides, he led me to the full length mirror. He turned me to face the mirror while looking at me from over my shoulder.
“Look at you,” he whispered into my ear. “You are irresistible.”
“It is a pretty dress, I’ll admit.”
“Yes, but as pretty as it is…” He pulled apart the ties that kept my dress tight around my waist.