King and queen

[Akamura University]

[Gymnasium]

Ellena arrived at the empty gym, it was even a little scary for her. She sat in the stands for about half an hour, until a hooded figure reached her. The figure wore, in addition to the hood, a mask (actually a cloth) covering the face.

- Are you the King? - Ellena said as soon as the guy got close enough.

- Do you doubt? - The subject opens his hand and a shiny piece, like a decorated glass, with a white aura around it, appears in the palm of his hand: The White King of xadez. - I'm the White King - his voice was very familiar (mainly because he was from his office), but she couldn't recognize it. - I want to propose a game for you: we will have a notes competition. It's simple, whoever gets the highest score in a test, wins.

- You know I'm the smartest girl in the room, and you still want a game like that?

- I know very well who you are, I just don't care. These are the rules:

1- We will talk about the bets as soon as the game starts.

2- We will only take the notes from a single test.

3- We will not be able to paste.

4- We should study alone, without help.

5- We cannot give up in the middle of the game.

6- If both sides do not agree with the bets, the game is void.

- Am I clear? - He said each rule very quickly and without hesitating once. It was as if he had rehearsed, or it was just the tremendous confidence he had.

- Um, you talk like I already agreed to play.

- Will you accept, would you lose the chance to beat me and ask for what you want?

- There, you are right, I would not miss such a chance, not to mention that I have already refused three challenges in a row from your ridiculous Pawns. Let's go? - she shows the open palm, at the height of the head. The subject does the same.

- ASCHENTE! - Both said at the same time.

- First of all - the hooded guy started talking - what I want, if you win, is TOTAL rights over you for two weeks. You will obey me and serve me all this time, practically a slave.

- HAVE YOU SPOKEN? WHO IN SOME CONSCIOUSNESS WOULD AGREE TO THIS? THERE IS NEARLY NOTHING YOU COULD GIVE ME IN EXCHANGE!

- I thought you would answer that, so how about, in exchange for your rights, I offer ALL the white team's attack plans, reveal their pieces, and ... - the guy opens his hand and reveals the King's piece again - ... offer my piece? - those words and that gesture made Ellena speechless. Who would be crazy to risk everything like that?

"Something's wrong" Ellena's thought consumed her. "How could he do that, risk everything for nothing? He's up to something, but what is it? How could the KING do that, he doesn't want to win the game? What Michael would do in this situation, I can risk everything we planned, but at the same time, I have the chance to destabilize the entire white team and still get the king out of the picture. But for him to be so confident ... he plans to cheat! He must find a way to circumvent his own rules, that must be why he made them, so that I thought the game would be free from any theft. If he can, I can too, right? Do not wait. It is likely that he wants me to think so. Maybe he really wants me to cheat, so he would use the rules to make me lose. I'm getting nervous, I can't be nervous in an hour like this ... "

- To further improve the game, the winner can ask ANYTHING for the loser. - Ellena could not see, but she was sure that, under the cloth that covered her face, the King smiled. The worst and most cynical smile she has ever seen or felt. He never hesitated on anything he said until now, she didn't know if he was crazy or just confident.

She was really divided if she should continue with this, after all, a person would not bet practically everything they have, unless she knew exactly what she was doing. But what made her decide whether to stay or not was her own King, the one who was one of the best in the room, Michael, he would know what to do, would know if he was lying or if he was just some crazy person. He even warned you of this: Never play unnecessarily; Never do anything when the statistics are not in your favor; Never face someone who is sure you can't win! Those are his words, if there's something she didn't know how to do, he knew, it would be the best option.

- I ... I don't accept playing anymore. I do not accept to put everything to waste for a victory that is not certain. I refuse to play.

- Assurance? What a shame. Well, I didn't expect you to be playing at all. That's why I won. - Ellena wasn't crazy, those were really the words she heard.

"But how come he won? I gave up, the game didn't even start ... DAMN !!! THAT WAS, THEN, THAT WAS HIS TRAP. " At that time, Ellena remembered something important, and what makes a game fair or not: The Rules. The situation that the King imposed was totally and absolutely just, only after she thought it through that she noticed it.

There was only one way for her to lose in this damn game: She would only lose if she gave up!

Rule 5 - We cannot give up in the middle of the game.

That was it, that was the only trap the King had set, the only path she could not choose. All the choices of words and the gestures of confidence made her arrive at that moment. All she heard was just a well-made lie. If she played, it was certain that Ellena would win, but he made her go blindly into an abyss that she didn't even know existed, he started to manipulate her since their meeting.

"But ... who is he ??? Who the hell is this King? "

- As my first request, you will not be able to tell anyone you know, alive or dead, by any means, what happened here. Neither of your defeat, nor of that game. Now, sit down and wait until I leave so I can go home.

Even if Ellena tried her best, her body couldn't help but obey. It was like a control that no one could resist. That was the power of the Commandments.

The guy turned and left without saying anything more. Soon after, it was Ellena's turn, who came home, crying and sobbing.

[Allan's house]

- Tell me the reason for calling me here. Also, why I left the room so hurried today. - Serena was already tired of waiting for the boy to open the game. The two were in the host's room.

- Show me your play. - He was more direct than she expected, but that was his custom. She opened her hand and showed the White Queen's play. - Um, I expected that, the best of the White team should be you. Now, I think you should show mine mine, right? - When opening the palm of his hand, he surprised Serena by showing the piece of the Horse ... Black!

- H-how? I'm sure you're on the white team, so ... so how?

- It must be almost time ... - Allan looked at the window, towards the sunset.

- Just in time? At what time? ... B-but what is i-that? - Serena's surprise was even greater now when she saw the black horse's piece start to disappear and make room for the White King's piece. - WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? EXPLAIN ME NOW! - Your friend, always calm and serene, now had a cynical and, in a way, sadistic smile. The only thing Serena could feel was fear.

- Now, Serena ... - two other pieces joined the King in the palm of his hand: the Black Horse and the Black Queen! -... Let's Play!