Daughters, Swords &Dragons

"Your highness!" Roriath exclaimed strutting into his tea room.

Ara sighed sending the maids who had been massaging him away with a wave of his hand "What is it Roriath? I'm starting to see you way too often."

Roriath bowed "Your highness, the Emperor has discovered the witches body outside the gates."

He whispered looking around for fear of being heard "Is that why you panic? Dear dragon, you might as well have announced that you are the murderer."

Roriath could hear his heart pounding in his eardrums, was it a bad idea to follow Prince Ara.

There were rumors that he was foolish and currently he had on two different pair of shoes on each foot but he chose to put his life in his hands?

Had he been wrong to do so? Has age made him slow as well? "Roriath, a little Birdy, once told me that you're a master at chess, the best in all six kingdoms. Even better than the Emperor."

"You flatter me, your highness. No one is better than the emperor." he protested fearing his head might as well drop off his shoulders.

Smiling, Ara stood up from his large cushion "Play with me."

Roriath looked at the heavens "ah dragon god I have sold myself to a dunce." he thought to himself.

"Follow me." Ara simply said, pushing a curtain aside, a random door appeared in his tea room that led to a stairway.

They walked all the way until they found themselves in a small study.

It was brightly lit as the large windows were wide open, the room was filled with the smell of ink and new leather bound books slightly used, mingled with the aroma of candles.

Book shelves align the walls filled with ancient texts, rare manuscripts, forbidden manuals and aged scrolls.

Dark wooden chairs with a polished mahogany desk had paper, ink pots and an old map neatly arranged on the intricately carved desk, with thick velvety materials embedded in them.

Regar set the board meticulously between them, the sun was bright, radiating streams of rays cast a glow on the young crown prince. "Make yourself scarce Regar." he ordered and the courtier quietly departed.

"This is the keep, it is a forgotten escape room for the royal family. It hasn't been used in more than a hundred years but it is where I ran off to often in my childhood. No one can hear us here mostly because it's 100 ft above the ground and 50 ft higher than the entire castle." He said proudly.

Roriath shrugged "I thought the keep was in the west wing."

"There are two fathers, who use the other one because its stairs are easier to climb. Making this place only for me."

His nerves rattled within his flesh, he felt uncomfortable with the crown prince but why? he had to ask himself did fools play chess?

For the first time he looked back to when he was in his chambers, no exposed woman in sight, no half lid of wine, no cups to show the signs of a drunk like the emperor had in his chambers.

It was like the prince had a two faced personality.

Chess was a game of kings, a silent power struggle on a board that few amongst many understood. "Please go easy on me, I'm a novice." Ara grinned "You're white so do move your piece first."

Thoughtfully Roriath glided his pieces on the board the air was so thick and tense he thought he imagined the change in depth in the prince's voice "Listen carefully, remember the throne has eyes."

Roriath nodded in understanding, his voice a mere whisper and for someone who had claimed to be a novice the strength in his play rocked Roriath to his toes "I'd like to catch an eagle."

The pawn hung in mid air as the words brushed past roriath's ears, "By eagle I don't presume you mean..." he looked left and right "The Emperor."

Ara gave curt nod "On this board lies two empires, the one of current and the one I shall make."

"Your king is surrounded by many allies." he continued moving his pawns.

"Your king represents the emperor, the queen is king Regasus the Emperor's feet, your bishop is the Pope Worezayax Megalis Tope the emperor's hands, Saintess Paron Hight Tope the rook also the Emperor's backbone and then there's you Roriath-" Ara smirked.

He made a move that made Roriath understand quickly that if he was distracted even for the slightest second it would cause grave damage "The knight the Emperor's mind."

Ara tapped his king with his finger tip "The emperor is supposed to be the embodiment of power but our current emperor has grown so weak that he has not just one but a tone of blindspots being exploited by his own court."

He moved a pawn two spaces forward and roriath's eyes widened "This flaw has given me an opportunity to deliver a most fatal attack."

Roriath also moves his pawn as Ara continues to speak "In my hands the emperor's court, the people, the six kingdoms, the king's, the prince's are mere pawns, I am a mere pawn on the emperor's court of course."

"These pawns in the eye of the emperor appear small, humble, insignificant but in my hands they will tear down an empire." Roriath nods truly enthralled as the game progresses.

A fragile balance of offense and defense between him and prince Ara, who uses the knight representing Roriath with the fascinating L-shaped leaps, bypasses the defenses.

The bishops representing the pope slit through lines striking at the core of an opponents formation, the rooks dominate the board with their inflexible straight paths.

"The queen, King Regasus, the Emperor's most powerful ally and protector. The one I must knock off the board first."

Roriath looked Ara in the eye and instantly stiffened "Why?"

"Because to stop blood from flowing, you must cut a major blood vessel. Once you've cut off the blood flow to the heart, the lungs collapse, the kidney fails, the brain shuts down to be exact." Ara chuckled.

Ara was thrilled calculating his moves knowing the pieces are completely under his control "You are as amazing as they say lord Roriath you've almost got me completely cornered."

At its most glorious peak the board is set for a decisive strike. Roriath beamed "This has been most educational, your highness."

Moving his queen into place Ara grinned, the once protected king now exposed to the clutches of his cunning adversary.

"Check mate." Ara threw his head back in satisfactory laughter.

"This is treason, your highness. If it doesn't work...we will all perish."

Ara looked at him intensely "Do you trust me Roriath?"

"I don't even trust myself, your highness." was his reply.

Arising from his seat Ara spoke "Go to the Emperor he should be dealing with the matters of the dead witch, when you're done then you can come and answer that question again."

"Imagine a world without you in it?" Roriath blurted out randomly.

Ara adjusted his robes halting by the door "That world doesn't exist roriath..."

"...But one can dream of it, as an escape from my world of nightmares."