“No – no, of course not,” stammered Cecilie. “You’re right. But what had you thought ...”
“I was thinking that I could sleep on the large chair here,” he said lightly, “so long as you’ve no objection.”
“You mean right now? Are you tired?”
“Not at all – I’m wide awake.”
“So am I – then let’s sit and pass the time together.”
“Good idea,” he grinned again. “But ...” he hesitated, “but we ought to make use of the bed in some way or other.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “Maybe we could play a game?”
Alexander pulled a face. “The only game I approve of is chess – but that’s not a game for women.”
“Why not? I know all the moves!”
“Good heavens!” he replied. “That’s just about the worst thing you can say to a passionate chess player. What’s more, the few women I know who have tried to play chess lacked the patience to carefully think through their moves properly. They want to finish as quickly as possible. Then they bother us all the time with questions like: “Will you soon be finished?” and play heedlessly." He paused and gave her an ironic smile. “So who, may I ask, has taught you the moves?”
“My Dad – there was nobody else for him to play against at home at one time so it fell to me to entertain him.”
“Oh, well. I suppose we can suffer the misery of one game.”
He knew at once where to find the chess board and pieces and set them out with great precision. The exquisite pieces and inlaid board were made of decorated ivory and mother of pearl. “This all comes from the East Indies,” he explained, “The Danish company out there. Now I warn you, Cecilie! I shan’t play ‘nicely’ just to let you win.”
“Nor would I expect you to show any such mercy.”
“Excellent,” he said appreciatively but he pulled a wry face, indicating that he knew the game would be nothing more than a quick bloodbath.
While Cecilie was examining the pieces, admiring them one by one, Alexander glanced over at the desk. “You were writing a letter. To your parents, I suppose?”
“Yes,” she replied and quickly went and turned the paper face down. “Although we now are man and wife, the time isn’t yet right for us to share too many confidences.”
“I have no intention of reading it,” he said, sounding slightly offended.
Cecilie cursed her clumsiness. “Please forgive me,” she said with frank honesty. “I’ll get better at this, I promise.”
He gave her a brief, faintly sad smile and turned his attention to the game. The board was placed at the centre of the enormous bed between them and they lay comfortably, facing one another across the chessmen.
“Shouldn’t you take that off, now the ceremony is over?” Alexander gestured with one hand towards Cecilie’s extravagant wedding dress.
“Of course, how thoughtless of me.”
He waited while Cecilie went into a side chamber and changed into her lace-trimmed nightgown. She pulled the ribbon anxiously around the collar a little tighter in order to show less cleavage before she returned to her bedroom.
Alexander’s eyes were very expressive as he watched her approach the bed. They seemed to say: “You look beautiful – very pretty and attractive – but you needn’t have tightened that ribbon quite so prudishly. I wouldn’t have been tempted.”
She wasn’t absolutely certain that those were the sentiments behind his gaze but that was how she chose to interpret his expression.
Neither Cecilie nor Alexander said anything about their strange situation on their wedding night, and so they began to play. After just a few moves, Cecilie quickly understood what Alexander wanted to achieve from the way he’d positioned his queen and one bishop. It was an attempt at what was known as “fool’s mate” – the swift and merciless defeat of a beginner. But Cecilie was well founded in this strategy and she avoided the trap silently and with ease. Alexander’s own expression gave nothing away. He probably thought that she was too ignorant to notice his intentions and that she’d managed to move the correct piece to parry him purely by luck.
When his first strike proved unsuccessful, Alexander followed the usual tactic of putting his queen in a new, equally dangerous position. But Cecilie recognised his move. She had tried to trick her dad with it many times and Alexander’s strategy didn’t prove difficult for her.
He continued to press home his attack, trying to beat her quickly and decisively. So Cecilie was busy parrying and countering, and had no chance to move her pieces into attacking positions as she would have liked.
While Alexander was contemplating his next move, in an attempt to distract her he said: “In a conversation with me, His Majesty mentioned your maternal grandfather, Mr. Tengel. You’ve spoken of him to me before. He must have been a unique person?”
Cecilie didn’t reply immediately. By his conversational interjection, Alexander had given her just the short breathing space she needed. In an instant she was able to work out a fresh ploy in her mind.
“Mr. Tengel was certainly very special,” she replied at last, moving out her second knight to a new position. “I worshipped him. Sadly he died while I was here in Denmark. I believe he took his own life – and Grandma Silje’s as well.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think he did, but I don’t know for sure. Maybe it was the grief he suffered because of my nephew, Kolgrim. He’s a child of our kin burdened with the family’s evil curse ...”
As she thought and spoke of Kolgrim for the first time, which she hadn’t done for some weeks, she felt a disturbing sensation. “With that in mind, Alexander, I suppose there’s a slight chance – a slight one – that the child I’m carrying may also be cursed.”
Alexander was taken by surprise by this disturbing statement and moved a pawn which he should have left alone.
“Check,” said Cecilie calmly.
He swore softly and retrieved the situation.
“Can you tell me more about this evil curse? I’ve heard about it but I don’t know enough.”
“You will have heard of our evil forefather, who cast a spell over all his kin. Ever since then, almost every generation has had a child that has inherited the curse. There was a witch by the name of Hanna whom Mum and Dad knew when they were children, and an uncle, Grimar. My mum’s dad was of the next generation.”
“So he was one of the accursed?”
“Oh, yes. But he resisted the curse with great determination and turned his powers into doing good. He used his extraordinary skills to help people. He was an outstanding man.”
“And then? Who followed him?”
“In my parents’ generation? It was the infamous Sol, my mum’s cousin.”
Alexander smiled. “Ah, yes! We’ve heard of Sol. But what of your family now?”
“Among the grandchildren of Tengel, you mean?”
Cecilie paused to think and forgot about the chess game. “It’s strange – but there’s nobody. My favourite rogue, Kolgrim, belongs to the latest generation. And because there’s already one born, I don’t think that the child I’m carrying will be tainted. But in my generation? Sometimes I think it could be me, but I haven’t discovered that I’ve any special talents.”
“But you do,” was Alexander’s dry response. “You play chess like a man. And that’s a compliment.”
“Maybe a dubious one,” she replied lightly.
Cecilie firmly believed that women were every bit the equal of men and although she’d rarely made this view known publicly, she nevertheless held it with great conviction privately.
“If only you knew how many times I’ve held back from shouting: ‘Will you soon be finished?’” she said with a mischievous grin.
Alexander smiled at her wit and nodded towards the board. “I think it’s your turn to move ...”
<
br /> “Yes, I know ... Anyway, let me just finish. What I was going to say was that the ‘chosen ones’ among the Ice People are able to predict things – or they’ve other supernatural powers. Or sometimes they’re just plain evil. Also – and this is very important – the chosen ones always have cat-like eyes: amber and green, almost glowing. I don’t have such eyes myself.”
Alexander reached over and lifted her face towards him. Looking directly into her eyes with genuine curiosity, he said: “No, these are much too dark. Besides, I haven’t noticed anything cat-like about you!”
“I know, but my reason for thinking the way I do is because everybody tells me that I look so much like the witch, Sol. Except that she was a thousand times more beautiful.”
“Now that I don’t believe,” said Alexander gallantly.
“Thank you,” she smiled. “Some of the ‘chosen ones’ are anything but beautiful! They’re almost deformed! Now Hanna and Grimar were said to be monsters. And as for Kolgrim – when he was born, it was said that he was an appalling sight! When I first met him, he was a charming young mischief-maker with a strange influence over the women of the household. Despite being a horrible child to deal with, the housemaids forgave him everything and anything! My granddad Tengel was also malformed at birth. Each of them took their mother’s life in childbirth.”
“That won’t happen with you!” exclaimed Alexander with surprising passion.
“As I said, I don’t believe that there’ll be any danger. But I do wonder about one thing.”
“And what’s that?”
“Something that grandma Silje once said when we, her grandchildren, were all with her. I heard her whisper to herself: ‘No, he must be wrong. I see no yellow eyes in any of them.’ She didn’t realise that she’d spoken out loud and didn’t mean for me to hear her.”
“So you believe that your grandpa had discovered the evil strain in one of you?”
“I’m absolutely sure that this is what she meant. But maybe she just noticed something in their eyes. Now I don’t know.”
“How many grandchildren did he have?”
"Six in all. Poor Sunniva died while she gave birth to Kolgrim. But she wasn’t his real granddaughter. She was Sol’s child and my second cousin, so I don’t think I should count her. That leaves my brother Tarald and me. Then there are my cousins, the three brothers, Tarjei, Trond and Brand.”
“Tarjei is the clever one, right? The healer? Could he be the one?”
“Well, it’s possible. But he was always granddad’s great hope. And grandma Silje was so obviously worried when she muttered those words – I find it hard to believe that Tarjei was the one she meant although he seems the most likely.”
“Check!” said Alexander.
“You snake! All this time you were talking just to distract me!”
She turned all her attention back to the board to get herself out of the tight spot and when she’d managed to change the balance, she said: “For us to have saved each other from a cruel fate by marriage is all very well. But in my anxiety I’d quite forgotten that I might be forcing an unwanted child on you.”
“On the contrary, my dear Cecilie! It’s been my greatest sadness that I’d not be able to continue the family line. This vicar would seem to have my looks besides being a good and intelligent man. You’re also a fine and clever woman so I think everything will be alright.”
“It’s kind of you to say so, Alexander. Thank you. You should know that I believe that daughters should be valued just as much as sons. However, because your distinguished family name will otherwise die with you – and this is the only chance to save it – I sincerely hope I’ll bear you a son.”
Alexander bit his lip. He didn’t answer for fear of hurting her feelings about having a girl. But he could see she understood that his main wish was the same as hers. “My sister will never believe her ears when she hears about this,” he said, changing the subject slightly.
“So you’ve got a sister? I didn’t know!”
“She lives far from here, in Jutland. She only comes to visit Gabrielshus very occasionally.”
Cecilie was somewhat surprised that Alexander had a relative she hadn’t heard about.
“Are there many more?” she asked.
“No, only Ursula. Although she’s renounced me, she has a good heart, though. This mustn’t frighten you.”
“I see. No, I’m not afraid. I’m simply giving it some thought. You say very little about your family whereas I blabber on about mine all the time.”
“That’s because they’re such a joy to you, Cecilie. I only wish I was part of such a large family.”
Instead of replying, Cecilie relieved him of one of his pawns. He retaliated by putting her in check. She quickly undid the damage without too much bother. But she realised that she couldn’t concentrate on both the conversation and the game at the same time.
“Do you want to tell me anything more about yourself?” she asked, gently.
Alexander knew exactly what she meant but he shook his head firmly. “No, I don’t! Not at present.”
They both focused on the game. Alexander poured them some wine and they drank to each other’s health, hardly taking their eyes off the pieces in front of them as they did so.
Somewhere in the house, a clock struck the hour. It was two o’clock. ‘This night will soon be gone,’ Cecilie thought to herself. But for some strange reason she was quite enjoying herself, and she told Alexander so.
His broad grin in response revealed his perfect white teeth. “Yes, so am I. Would you care for something to eat?”
“Afterwards – but first I’ll put you in checkmate.”
“Really? Then you shouldn’t leave your queen exposed in that way! For now she’s mine! No mercy!”
She’d meant to sacrifice her queen but she wasn’t going to tell him that. With a shrug, she brought her castle out of the shadows. She was a “tower player” and had been waiting for free passage for them. Alexander had fallen straight into her trap. Blind to the consequences, he gaily took her second knight.
“Goodness, Cecilie. That was careless of you. Are you getting tired?”
“No, I’m not. Are you?” she said, moving her castle again with mock casualness. “That’s check.”
He stared at the board. He was dumbfounded. “Damn!” was all he could say – and all he could do was to move his king. He had no other choice.
Cecilie’s hand was hovering over her castle, ready to deliver the death blow.
But suddenly she hesitated. She had no wish to win over Alexander on this particular night. Not him of all people – so she rather feebly moved an irrelevant pawn forward.
Alexander’s eyes widened theatrically.
“Cecilie! What I said about showing no mercy goes for you, too! I’d never forgive you if you let me win out of kindness.”
“Not kindness, Alexander, just female strategy. But have it your way. May I withdraw that last move?”
“You have to!” he said. “Not even a five-year-old would have done something so foolish as to move that pawn when I can be totally beaten in three moves!”
She obligingly moved her pawn to its former position and brought out her castle.
“Check again,” she murmured.
Alexander thought for a long time; a very long time. Cecilie studied in great detail his attractive well-formed hands and the pattern of the brocade on his nightshirt. She noticed absentmindedly that the candles in the candelabra had burned rather low.
His position was desperate but he wasn’t going to surrender. After much consideration he believed he’d found a way out – by means of a daring tactic!
“Aha!” said Cecilie. “How clever you are, Alexander!”
“Don’t be spiteful,” he said although he was clearly proud of his move. Not only had it provided some respite,
it had also given him the opportunity to develop an attacking strategy later on – if he managed his game properly. If he lost a number of important pieces, well, that couldn’t be helped.
She’d carried out something of a massacre, but now it was Cecilie’s turn to stop and think. Their positions were absolutely locked.
In order to move the game forward, she took a pawn. It was a mistake but she was worried that Alexander would become impatient with her for taking so long. And now she’d put her beloved castle in danger. But manoeuvring swiftly, she managed to save her favourite piece. Thirty minutes later they each had only a few pieces left in play and they were at stalemate.
With a loud yawn, Cecilie stretched out lazily on the bed. “I’m sorry, Alexander, but long drawn-out endings always bore me. Shall we call it a draw?”
“Yes, as you say,” he agreed. “Thank you for an excellent match, Cecilie! For a while, I was very much afraid that I’d lose, and I couldn’t have endured that – not after my arrogant outburst at the start!”
Cecilie smiled inwardly. Although she could have made it checkmate a couple of times, she’d never really wanted to defeat him. On each occasion she’d stopped herself in time. It was good to be sharp-witted, but one shouldn’t go too far – well, not always.
Instead of revealing these facts, she simply said “It did take a long time though, didn’t it? I’m really hungry now! And it’s the middle of the night. This is positively indecent!”
“But most sensible,” Alexander replied, smiling warmly. He put away the chess pieces and then brought some food over to the bed. ’He’s evidently considerate and reliable,’ she thought.
For a while they said nothing as they ate and drank, enjoying the bond of friendship, understanding the purpose that was growing ever more powerful between them.
Cecilie sensed that Alexander had been pondering something quietly inside his head during the long silence, but she was taken aback when, without any warning, he declared vehemently: “My life has been hell, Cecilie!”
Friendship Page 4