Page 21 of Fated to the Wicked King

I made a sour face at his crass remark. “Your Majesty is certainly virile.” I stepped back again, feigning a little curtsy. “I shall leave you to it.”

“Stop.”

“Why?” I couldn’t help the puzzled furrow in my eyebrows.

“You will play chess.”

“What?” I blinked, my gaze darting toward the chess set on the table.

He moved smoothly to take a seat. “Since you are already here, you will indulge me.”

Again with the non-optional decrees.

I bit my lip. “Um… fine.” There was little point in protesting. I sank into the seat across from him. It wasn’t like I had anything else to occupy my time, and a game of logic and strategy might prove a worthwhile distraction for my restless mind.

The king waved his hand, and the pieces reset themselves. Then, without preamble, he moved first—his pawn forward two squares in front of his king. A traditional opening.

I tilted my head slightly, already trying to anticipate the next moves. Perhaps I could pretend I was playing with someone else. I could focus solely on the game and not on my challenger.

Leaning forward, I slid my knight out from beside my king, placing it where it could exert pressure. I let my fingers linger on the piece for just a moment before releasing it, aware of his gaze following the motion.

He responded by bringing out his own knight, matching my pace with an ease that suggested confidence rather than caution. Smooth and unhurried, he leaned back slightly in his chair, entirely too confident for someone who had yet to prove anything.

The soft click of carved pieces against the board was the only sound in the room, in the entire castle, it seemed. I attempted to mirror his calm as we played, but the silence that surrounded us seemed a presence in its own right.

“The castle is so quiet.” I couldn’t help my observation. “I don’t think I’ve seen anyone else here since I arrived.”

His reply was short. “I live alone.”

I blinked. “Alone? What about the guards?” I cast my eyes around the cozy library once again, even though I knew I would find no other soul nearby.

“They stay outside. I do not need them to guard me.”

I moved my bishop next, angling it toward the center of the board and, more importantly, a weakness he had not yet bothered to defend. When I looked up, I found his attention already on me, as though he had been waiting for that exact move.

A faint smile curved at the edge of his mouth before he brought out his own bishop, mirroring my position almost perfectly, the symmetry of it deliberate.

Not careless.

Measured.

Testing.

“Don’t you have a royal council? Advisors? Companions?”

“No.”

“You mentioned—” I cleared my throat. “Courtiers.”

“They do not live here. I summon them only when they are required.”

“What about servants?”

“What can’t I accomplish with my magic? I have no need for servants.”

His tone was bland, impatient. But the meaning of his notion dawned fully on me, and unbidden, it tugged on my heart. “Do you mean…you’ve been living here alone all this time?”

His dismissal was curt. “I’ve had enough of these questions. Play the game.”