I felt the blood drain from my face. Even though I’d tried to, I couldn’t imagine facing Alben. His arms were as thick as tree trunks, and he was so tall. He could break me like a twig. Besides, I liked him.
Vinna and Alben exchanged a glance, then burst out laughing.
“I’s just kidding, little lady,” Alben said, patting his middle as he laughed. “Vinna and me just follow a different philosophy, that’s all.”
“We’re here for good,” Vinna added. “Some Challenger or another will show up at the gate every so often, and we’ll have to go through all of this with them. I’ve seen a handful come through, and I’ve only been here two years. Now, we could be mad at them all the time, and we could walk around as if we have a sword up our rears...”
I gasped at her rude comment, then held back a giggle.
“Or...” she continued, “while it lasts, we could enjoy being Pawns and having steady Chekes to send our families, and living here.” She extended her arms out and turned in a circle. “Tell me what’s the better option?”
“You have a point,” I said.
My own disposition had always been a positive one, so I could understand Vinna’s reasoning. But lately, there had been nothing but gloom in my thoughts, and even though Vinna tried to cheer me up, my mind was quick to wander to a dark place where Papa’s blank stare haunted me, and Talyssa’s voice cried out in anguish, begging for rescue and respite from the monster who had taken her.
Alben and Vinna were happy as Pawns. They’d come here with nothing else in mind but becoming members of the White Queen’s exclusive Board, and they’d gotten what they wanted. I, on the other hand, had come here for an entirely different reason, and becoming a Pawn was only the beginning.
“Costin and Sorinna will face each other today,” Vinna announced, breaking me out of my thoughts.
I snapped back to attention. This would be my first opportunity to witness a challenge and see what awaited me.
Costin and Sorinna were in Knight Ferko’s Quadrant. The former was the top Challenger. He had been here the longest, waiting for Sorinna to complete her eight weeks of training. If he defeated her, he would then be allowed to challenge the Fourth Pawn in the Decapitator’s Quadrant. If he lost, then Sorinna would take his place to become the top Challenger.
It was an elaborate process that ensured only the best joined the Queen’s Board. The contract had spelled it all out and Vinna had clarified it for me. She said that, for the most part, once you became a Pawn, your chances of staying there were good. Most of the time, Challengers simply knocked each other out, and few ever managed to challenge a Pawn. If they did make it that far, they found that defeating a Pawn was much harder than defeating a Challenger, since Pawns had been training much longer and the majority were seasoned veterans.
“Do you think Sorinna can beat him?” I asked.
Vinna shrugged. “It will depend on the type of challenge.”
The contract had mentioned the challenges were chosen at random, but there hadn’t been any specifics as to the type of fight, so I had no idea what to expect, and no one had been forthcoming about the details, not even Vinna.
“Well, Sorinna seems quick on her feet,” I said, fishing for information, but Vinna just gave me a crooked smile.
“Half the fun is in not knowing, little lady,” Alben said, tapping the side of his nose.
CHAPTER 8
“What are they doing now?” I leaned to my left to whisper in Vinna’s ear.
“Be quiet and watch,” she scolded.
It was the second time she’d declined to answer me, but being quiet and observing hadn’t led me anywhere, not for the past ten minutes we’d been sitting here.
We were in a large square room with a tall ceiling and elongated windows high up on the walls. We were sitting on chairs atop a dais, while across from us, Knight Ferko’s Pawns and Challengers occupied a similar space, ready to observe the challenge from prime positions. Opposite the entrance, a third dais with a small throne dominated the entire room—a place for Queen Lovina, I presumed. In the center of the floor, the checked pattern of a chessboard had been carefully painted. The place was known as the Challenge Hall.
The Knights were nowhere in sight. I’d thought they would be here to make sure everything went as it was supposed to, but apparently, when they had other obligations, that was a job for their Pawns.
Trying my best to do as Vinna had instructed, I watched Costin and Sorinna walk to a tall stone pedestal that stood midway between both daises. A white vase sat atop the pedestal, and without preamble, Costin reached a hand inside it and pulled something out. He held it out to Sorinna.
I craned my neck to see it was a small box. Sorinna held it on her open palm and stared at it a moment too long. Costin—a slender man no more than twenty-five—smiled with satisfaction, probably taking Sorinna’s pause as a sign of fear. Though judging by her calm face and careful demeanor, her pause made me think she felt confident.
Just when Costin was starting to appear aggravated, Sorinna opened the small box and pulled out a white chess piece.
Holding it up between her thumb and forefinger, Sorinna said, “A Rook.”
Costin and Sorinna turned and bowed toward their Quadrant, then retreated to a corner to remove their jackets.
A Rook? What did that mean? I scratched my head, confused. I wanted to ask Vinna, but she would probably shush me again.
“The Rook means they have to wrestle,” Skender said from my left. His beady eyes seemed full of malice. “That stupid girl doesn’t stand a chance. Maybe if they’d gotten a Knight or even a Pawn, but a Rook...” He laughed.
“I politely disagree,” I said. “And she’s not a girl. Sorinna’s a woman.”
“Same thing,” he said with a sneer. “What do you care anyway? They’re on the Decapitator’s Quadrant, not ours.”
I shrugged one shoulder and sent a disdainful glance his way. “Female pride,” I said, then turned away, signaling that our conversation was over.
The Rook means they have to wrestle, Skender had said.
I’d had no other choice but to stand for Sorinna. I made it a point to always defend other women. We already had enough men always trying to put us down and keep us down. So I felt it was my duty to stand for my sex whenever necessary. But wrestling? How barbaric! Couldn’t they have a challenge to see who could finish their embroidery first? Why did men always have to have the advantage? Costin was taller and stronger than Sorinna. As much as I’d like to think she did, Sorinna didn’t stand a chance.
After removing their jackets, the Challengers proceeded to remove their boots as well. My heart raced in fear for Sorinna. Even if she was in the Decapitator’s Quadrant, she seemed nice. I was sure that if Costin defeated her, he wouldn’t choose to pardon her. He didn’t seem like the type.
Moving back toward the center, the challengers faced each other, crouching low in attack positions. Everyone watched quietly, no words of encouragement offered to either one of them.
My heart skipped a beat as Costin lunged forward, attempting to wrap his arms around Sorinna’s legs. Quick as lightning, she dodged out of the way and sent a sideways kick into her opponent’s side.
I almost clapped excitedly as Costin fell to the floor, but he recovered quickly, rolling away from Sorinna and jumping back to his feet. He growled angrily, his teeth bared like an animal’s. For her part, Sorinna smiled, which only seemed to enrage Costin further.
For several minutes, the fight went on in the same fashion: Costin attacking and Sorinna finding a way to evade him. I hated to admit it, but watching them brawl had me in an excited state, more intense than any I’d experienced at any of the balls I’d ever attended, even the Hallows Eve masquerade last year.
Every time she got away, I wanted to cheer for Sorinna, but since it didn’t seem appropriate, I focused on her technique and concluded that strength wasn’t everything. Costin’s muscles were proving useless against Sorinna’s speed and cleverness. Moreo
ver, her patient approach was driving Costin mad, so much that his rage had started causing him to make idiotic mistakes.
“I’m going to kill yeh, whore,” Costin screamed, running at Sorinna like a mad bull. His face was red, and his voice rumbled with ire.
Calmly, Sorinna waited till the last possible instant, then using Costin’s own momentum against him, grabbed one of his arms, hefted him over her back, and flipped him to the stone floor.
Costin fell with a bone-cracking thud. He groaned and stayed down for a moment, then got up slowly, pulling a knife from some hidden place on his person.
I gasped as the knife’s blade glinted, reflecting the light from one of the high windows. Sorinna took a step back, her eyes wide and questioning.
Was a knife allowed?
My answer came immediately as all eight Pawns vacated their seats, descended the daises, and stood between the Challengers.
“You have broken the rules,” Yessenia, one of Knight Ferko’s Pawns, said. “Your contract is forfeit.”
Pulling out the sword at her waist and twirling it with skill and precision, she quickly disarmed Costin. His knife went flying up in the air, then clattered to the floor with finality.
“Let’s take him away,” Yessenia said. “Knight Ferko will deal with him.”
Without another word, the Decapitator’s Quadrant left, taking Costin with him. Sorinna followed them after picking up the rook piece Costin had taken out of the vase. She clenched it tightly in her hand and walked out with her head held high.
CHAPTER 9
A couple of weeks passed in a flurry of running around the same stretch of forest, sword sparring with Alben and Vinna, and mucking out my stubborn horse’s stall after trying unsuccessfully to ride it—not to mention the required reading that bored me to death, since I was already familiar with all the books: tales of how Acedrex came to be, as well as biographies of all the city’s previous monarchs.
As far as the horse went, Vinna insisted it was my fault the animal didn’t do what it was supposed to, but how was that possible? I was a rational being, while the beast was just that, a beast.
I disliked the creature. Horrible, hard spots had formed in the palms of my hands because I was forced to clean its waste. It was... humiliating.
And how did the beast repay me? It disobeyed me at every turn. The ungrateful good-for-nothing!
Like right now, while everyone circled around the track—a large oval path with a patch of beautiful grass in the middle—the brown monstrosity was walking up to the fence to eat weeds, like usual.
I growled in frustration.
“The other way,” I said, pulling on its reins, but I might as well been pulling on a house.
Urging the beast, I did everything short of beating it to make it move. As much as I disliked the animal, I couldn’t bring myself to use the crop on its fat rump—not when I saw the relish with which the likes of Skender beat his own beast. I refused to turn into a monster. Sure, if I succeeded in my plan I was guaranteed to become one, but I didn’t intend to hurry the process along.
“Move, horse,” I said, bouncing on the saddle and kicking my heels.
Nothing.
The others galloped several laps by the time I managed a single one.
It was the same every day: wake up at five in the morning, eat the same food, follow the same training routine.
Running had gone from entirely too difficult to bearable. I even promoted myself to baby gazelle since I was able to finish the route in a decent time, even if I was still last.
Training with the sword was definitely my favorite since, as Alben had predicted, I was an absolute natural. All I had to do every time we sparred was imagine myself dancing the minuet, going from one partner to another, waving my hand with grace and accuracy, and it all went perfectly. I’d even managed to touch Alben with the blunt tip of my sword a few times, and just yesterday, I had caught him and Vinna exchanging a concerned glance. Could it be that they were starting to see me as a worthy Challenger, after all? I certainly hoped so.
If only I could master this obstinate horse, or if Knight Kelsus would agree to let me have a different one. But he’d said my chestnut mare was a fine animal. Was he even paying attention? The thing didn’t even prance, much less gallop. Obviously, he didn’t care.
Later that day, exhausted after the morning exercises, I sighed and bit into a piece of overcooked ham. It was lunch time, and we sat in the dining hall, enjoying the break from duties more than the food. I missed Louisa’s cooking as well as her comforting presence. Talyssa and I had loved sitting in the kitchen, watching her knead the dough for her delicious yeast rolls. It was relaxing and provided us with the perfect opportunity to press her for the gossip she heard from servants of neighboring families—especially gossip that involved eligible gentlemen.
I sighed again and pushed my plate away.
“What’s wrong, Bianca?” Vinna asked, shoving a piece of pink ham into her already full mouth.
“Oh, nothing, just tired.” It wasn’t the whole truth, but then I was always exhausted these days.
“Then yeh’ll love to hear we’ve the rest of the day off.”
I perked up at this. “We do?”
She mumbled a yes, then after swallowing, she added, “We get paid too, which is no coincidence. They want us to spend our few Chekes as soon as we get them.”
“Don’t be so jaded, Vinna,” Alben said as he screwed his eyes, trying to look at his beard. He had a piece of food tangled in it.
I shook my head. He was always doing that. Honestly, he needed to get rid of the thing, but he wouldn’t have it. He said his beard was his pride and joy. It gave him “personality.” I politely disagreed. Nothing that could serve as a home and dinner to mice should be anyone’s pride and joy.
“Not true,” Vinna said. “I’ve four mouths to feed. You only worry ‘bout yehr hefty self.” She poked him in the belly.
“Hefty? This is all muscle, I’ll have you know.” Alben straightened and sucked in his stomach, patting it with as much pride as he displayed when stroking his beard.
Turning my attention to Vinna, I asked, “So we actually get to go out?” The contract had mentioned something about time off, but again, there had been no details.
“That, we do.”
“Oh, thank goodness. I desperately need a distraction,” I said, while thinking of the real reason I wanted to go into Acedrex: bloodshade.
I still had enough to last me a few more weeks, but finding a steady supply of the bitter leaves was crucial to my survival in this place.
As some of my long-lost enthusiasm returned, so did my appetite. I pulled the plate back and finished my meal, looking forward to the freedom I’d relinquished the moment I stepped into the White Palace.
CHAPTER 10
All Pawns and Challengers filed through the White Palace’s gates in a hurry.
Petru, the Second Pawn in my Quadrant, stretched his hands to the heavens and let out a relieved ahhh. He was a tall and slender young man of about twenty, with black, curly hair and gray eyes. I didn’t know much about him, but he appeared to have been raised in a fairly prosperous environment, judging by the lilt and pattern of his speech.
“I’ve been waiting for this day like a vampire waits for Trove’s blood,” he said.
I stiffened and did my best to appear unaffected by the comment. I’d heard the saying plenty of times before, but now it carried an entirely different connotation for me.
Beside Petru, Breen and Skender stood next to each other, matching sly smiles stretching their lips. They glanced at each other sideways, their hands hanging at their sides, barely a millimeter away from touching. I raised an eyebrow. I had seen similar displays between clandestine couples at many of the balls I’d attended since my coming out. A relationship between members of the Board was forbidden. They would be in deep trouble if anyone found out.
Before I could look away and quell my surprise, Breen turned in my direct
ion and caught me spying. I smiled, trying to act as if I hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary, but she didn’t fall for it. Her eyes narrowed, mouth twisting in a crooked sneer. She seemed furious.
I turned to Vinna and made some inconsequential comment about the weather as we started our descent from the palace toward the sprawling, checkered section of Acedrex.
Below, the streets ran north to south, perfectly parallel to each other. The avenues cut across, forming a grid, which made dividing the city into black and white squares much easier.
Just to help the Black King and White Queen keep better watch of their respective dominions, buildings located on black squares had black roofs, while the rest had white ones.
The city’s order was pleasing and chilling at them same time, especially when the expansive wall that surrounded Acedrex was taken into account. It was as tall as five men, built on the backs and sweat of human slaves hundreds and hundreds of years ago. No one went beyond it without explicit permission from the King or Queen, and no one came past its gates to stay unless the population dwindled. Of course, merchants were allowed in. They brought their desirable goods and got valuable Chekes in return. Then, they went back to wherever they came from, looking sad to leave and eager to come back.
Beyond the wall, there were mountains, rocky, ominous and daunting. I could only imagine what lay beyond them.
Across from the White Palace, on a hill on the other side of the city, sat King Maximus’s lair. The structure was ominous, black as his heart, and the manors that flanked it seemed to cower under its menacing shadows.
We were halfway to the city when Breen approached me and surreptitiously pulled me away from Vinna and Alben.
When we were out of earshot, she said in a venomous tone, “I don’t like yeh, Challenger.”
A biting answer jumped to the tip of my tongue, but I held it back. Being on the First Pawn’s bad side was not good for any Challenger, especially a Trove like me. I didn’t want Breen casting too much of her toxic attention in my direction.
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