The Game of Chess

Emily got into her office early. Ever since the Connaissance Observer had started to post stories about her personal life she found that it was becoming much harder to avoid being the center of attention within the City. She was almost back to the level of fame she held in the Windsor Kingdom where she had to travel with armed guards anytime she left the palace grounds just to keep the people who wanted to see and touch her back enough for her to shop, enjoy a meal or simply go for a walk. She turned the lights on in her ninth-floor office in the new City Hall and sat down at the large ebony desk. Behind her was a matching ebony hutch. She had filled the office with her personal book collection filling shelves that went from floor to ceiling. The floor in her office was obsidian stone, with an intricate Fursian rug that nearly covered the entire floor leaving just a two-foot space around the edges showing the beautiful obsidian stone floor. She left a few spaces amongst the bookshelves where she placed paintings of her Mother and Father. To her right was the dark glass window that looked out over the city. In the future, she would be able to see straight down Broadway Ave all the way out to the Dirigible Aircraftport from her office.

Emily sighed softly and started to read the Connaissance Observer when a gentle knock sounded at her door, she didn't even look up from reading as Captain Alexander escorted in a stunning woman in a red silk dress. Emily nearly spilled her coffee as she looked up. For the first time in her life, Emily truly regretted not looking her best and yet the woman who caused her to feel a twinge of jealousy, envy, and possibly even attraction looked at her with an almost ice-cold glare. He smiled at her and said, "Lady Connaissance, this is Princess Teslaimia Cassandane of Fursia."

Emily quickly stood up and said a breathy voice, "Princess, it is an honor to meet you. Are you here on an official visit? I apologize, I had no idea you had come to the city or I would have prepared a formal reception."

Teslaimia walked over to Emily and looked her over going so far as to lean in near her neck. She raised her mouth close to Emily's now blush tinged ear and whispered softly, "You smell nice. I suppose you are rather pretty as well." She turned and walked back to the other side of the desk taking a seat opposite Emily's seat. She looked up at Captain Alexander and asked, "Jon, could you give us a few moments, please? I wish to speak with her alone."

Captain Alexander turned and looked at Emily who nodded, "Please, Captain. I will call you if I need you."

He walked out of the room gently closing the door behind him. Once the door was closed. Teslaimia crossed one of her legs over the other allowing the perfect skin of her leg to show up the slit of her dress. She took a breath and then asked, "Why have you interfered with my marriage to Polo? You know that as the next emperor of the Holy Chadtom Empire he will have a harem with many wives and concubines. In our cultures, the strong men take wives from their vassals and from neighboring allies to strengthen the bond between our alliances. I am not opposed to allowing you to be one of his wives, even the first wife if you desire. Polo is the man I have spent my entire life being in love with, he is my stars and my moon."

Emily didn't know how to respond, "He... He decided for himself that I would be his wife. I have never given him an answer."

Teslaimia looked Emily in the eyes and said softly, a tear trailing down her cheek, "He came to see me for the very first time. I had only known him from paintings and tales of his brave deeds. When I saw the man I had dreamed of my whole life, I thought the Gods had truly given me their blessing. He was so handsome, confident, and strong. Do you know what he did? He walked over to me with a smile on his face and asked for my forgiveness because he only had one woman in his heart. A woman that was not me, a woman that was you."

Emily wanted to say something but couldn't think of the words. Teslaimia looked at her and then spoke up again, "I asked him what it was about me that didn't appeal to him, and he answered, 'You are not the woman of my dreams." She spoke up just a bit and continued, "I had to come here and meet you. To see what his dreams looked like and instead of a perfect woman, I find a woman who doesn't even see the man of my dreams as more than just another suitor she can't decide on. Please, tell me, why can I not even have a piece of him, why must you take him all for yourself, when you don't even know if you want him? Have I offended you in the past?"

Emily looked down and then managed to find the reply she was searching for, "I'm truly very sorry. You see the truth is, I do not have any romantic feelings for any man. When a man like the Prince comes up to me and is so assertive and confident, it's just hard for me to tell him that I feel nothing. When I look into the eyes of a man who shows that he wants me and will do anything that it will take to have me, I only feel embarrassment and guilt."

Teslaimia nodded as she listened, she tilted her head a little, "Stand up, tell me exactly what you feel.." The two women stood up and Teslaimia walked over to Emily and pulled her close kissing her softly on the lips, letting her finger trail down the side of Emily's neck.

As they broke apart Emily touched her lips while still in a daze. Emily stammered a bit, "I felt confused." Teslaimia ran her finger lightly over the goose-pimples on Emily's skin and laughed softly.

"I understand now, it seems the Goddess of love Anahitia has left me a path after all." She looked up into the sky and said a prayer in Fursian. She smiled at Emily and said in a seductive murmur, "I have decided to move here to your city. I see that the Windsor King and my beloved Polo have both built an Embassy here. I request permission to do the same. Won't it be easier for us if I am closer?"

Emily nodded without really thinking about it. Teslaimia giggled happily and left the office. Once out the door, she smiled at Captain Alexander and said, "Lady Connaissance has agreed to allow me to build an embassy in the city, I am hoping you can take me to see the local builders?"

Captain Alexander felt his heart thump as he looked at this amazing woman, "I know the perfect man. The architect for this very building."

After a few minutes of sitting there lost in thought, Emily picked up the newspaper once again and started reading. She glanced over the paper, reading it but not remembering even a single word until she found a new section, the daily horoscope. She traced her finger down to her birth month and read, 'Don't ignore the signs of love. Today you will meet your fated person."

Emily scoffed out loud and tossed the paper into the waste bin. For some reason, for the rest of the day, she couldn't stop thinking about that kiss and the way Teslaimia made her feel with just a simple touch on the skin. Or how she felt when such a beautiful woman got close to her and told her that she smelled good. Mr. Duke stopped by her office in the afternoon with a huge grin on his face, "Lady Connaissance, I don't know how you do it, but congratulations. Captain Alexander brought the Princess to my office earlier today and we signed a contract to build the new Fursian embassy. She was also willing to talk about a trade agreement on the condition that you meet with her tomorrow evening for dinner at her hotel.

Emily's head turned to her waste bin as she thought about the horoscope, "Wait, did you say Fursian embassy? Oh no, I need to go see my uncle." She picked up her handbag and swiftly left Mr. Duke and her office behind.

It took her half an hour to get from City Hall to the Windsor Kingdom embassy. she took out her pocket mirror and made sure that she looked presentable. She slowly walked up to the front gate and spoke to the guarding knight there, "Hello Leonard, is his Majesty available?"

Sir McCoy gave her a radiant smile, "His Majesty has been waiting for your visit. Please, come in." He bowed from the waist and stretched out his arm toward the front door.

Emily walked very much like the Princess she was at heart. A confident womanly walk. Once at the door Leonard opened it for her just as he would have when she was still the Princess calling out, "Your Majesty, Lady Connaissance has arrived."

From the other room, King Andrew responded, "Show her in, Sir McCoy."

The two walked into the room. Sitting in one chair was Daniel Conners and the other was King Andrew a chessboard sat between them. Daniel groaned, "Why do I even play this game, I have never once won a match."

The King chuckled, "You keep playing it precisely because you have yet to win." He motioned for Daniel to get up, "Emily, please come have a seat. You still play don't you?"

Emily smiled politely and sat down opposite of her uncle who was just finishing resetting the board. "I came to talk about the alliance issue."

"I heard that you are building an embassy for Fursia here in the city. Tell me, Emily, are you planning to ally with them as well?" King Alexander asked as he moved the first pawn forward.

Emily made a counter move with one of her own pawns before saying, "I am still not quite sure what happened. An alliance would be the best possible outcome speaking honestly, there are many goods we wish to trade with Fursia and they would be the perfect market for many of our products."

King Alexander moved another piece forward and said, "All I need is to make sure of is that my Kingdom's northern border is secure. If you can do that through trade and alliance, instead of through military power, it won't really matter."

"Are you certain the Church will come for the Kingdom?" Emily asked as she moved another piece forward as well.

The King frowned as he looked at the chessboard, "Mm, they have spies here, and there and everywhere. They will get word of what you are building here and they will come. My Kingdom will be forced to submit or die defending your southern border." He moved a piece forward taking one of hers.

"You intend to submit at the last minute in order to give us time to prepare?" She moved her Queen a few spaces.

The King frowned at the chessboard once again, "No, I intend to completely destroy their army." He moved a piece forward blocking a path for advancement of Emily's Queen.

Emily frowned at King Alexander, "That's a bad move. I thought you always said that our Kingdom can't fight the Church, because fighting the Church would be fighting the entire world?" She moved her Queen by one square.

King Alexander made a complicated face and then said, "I have analyzed the entire board. I see no other path." He moved his King by one tile.

Emily shook her head and then said, "That's because you never consider the Queen. Check and Mate." She moved her Queen one space.

Daniel who was watching the game choked on his brandy. King Alexander shot him a sharp glare before tipping over his King, "Well played Emily. Tell me then, what would be the Queen's move?"

Emily smiled and said, "There are only two ways to get this far north safely. One is through the desert to the Holy Chadtom Empire, which means coming to my road." She spun the globe next to her and pointed, "The other is by sea through the Straight of Jermajesty."

King Alexander smiled, "Then you would stop them on your road leaving them to come by sea?" He thought for a moment, "If they come by the sea that means Fursia, which means?"

She traced her finger over the globe, "They will also have to come through my road."

King Alexander nodded and then pointed at the globe, "There is one way you didn't account for... These are men of God, not reasonable people. What should be done if the come over the alps through Vernmont pass?"

Emily gave him one of her bright smiles, "That's when my uncle shows them why he is called a military genius."