26: Ways to Retaliate

We've been here for four days, our food stock is not yet running out, however, I'm starting to get bored on the usual routine of eating, talking and reading. As much as I want to plan how to retaliate and reclaim my throne, we are still lacking in numbers.

I am training my gift every day; I always read the book I brought and while the young prince enjoys watching me try to practice my gift.

"What's wrong?" I asked the young prince when I noticed him staring at my hand

"I'd like to learn magic as well, Queen." He said and I smiled

"You will as soon as your magic manifest." I replied

"Do I have magic, your majesty?" he asked

"We'll see, I learned about my gift just recently, perhaps yours will manifest at a younger age." I answered

"King's magic manifested when he was six." He suddenly said

"Then you'll have to wait for two more years." I swayed my hand and small ice particles rained on his hair

"It's beautiful…" he mumbled while looking at the small ice particles in his hand

"Which gift do you prefer to have? Mine or King's?" I asked him

"King's gift is beautiful as well, Queen, however I don't think I can manage such scary gift." He answered and I nodded in agreement

"I agree, lightning does seem to be a hard to manage gift." I agreed

"Your gift seems complicated, Queen, it's dangerous." He said while looking down

I agree, my gift is indeed dangerous, according to the book about my gift, if I were to master my gift and learn how to conserve my stamina while practicing magic, a wielder of a gift like mine is capable of freezing a whole village and the scope will increase as one improves.

"Your majesty," a knock on the door interrupted our practice

"Yes, Dame Maia?" I asked as the young prince opened the door

"The lunch is ready." She said and I nodded

"I see. We'll be down in a bit." I replied and she bowed before leaving

"Malika, let's go." I called him

"Yes, Queen." He answered and we went down the stairs

We went to the kitchen and we sat on the table with the four knights. They had been used to eating with the young prince and me during meal times because the young prince would scowl at them whenever he sees them standing and I would look at them seriously.

"Sir Charles," the young prince suddenly called Sir Charles in the middle of eating

"Yes, young prince?" he asked

"Can you train me how to fight?" he asked

"Yes, I can but what made you ask such request, young prince?" Sir Charles answered

"I want to learn how to fight, they have taught me the basics of swordsmanship but I don't think that is enough." The young prince answered nonchalantly

"Why is that? Are you planning on fighting in a duel?" I asked him

"I am not sure if I am capable of manifesting magic, I want another way of retaliating." He answered and I nodded

"If her majesty will approve, I shall teach you, young prince." He answered

"Queen, can I?" he asked expectantly and I nodded

"Do as you wish," I answered

"Your majesty, may I ask something?" Dame Maia asked

"Yes, you may." I answered

"Where can they train, your majesty? The house is not big enough to for trainings." She asked

"You are allowed to go out of the house as long as you don't go pass the marking of the barrier." I answered

"Take caution in playing outside, alright?" I reminded the young prince

"Yes, Queen," he answered then turned to Sir Charles

"When can we begin, Sir Charles?" he asked

"Later this afternoon, young prince, when the sun is about to set." Sir Charles answered

After our meal, Dame Therese volunteered to do the dishes, ever since the day I cooked breakfast I had never done any chores. I suddenly missed the days I were still allowed to do chores and no one is making a big fuss about me doing those things.

We went to the living room again, the young prince took out the chessboard from the compartment in the wall and placed it on the table before he sat across me.

"Queen, shall we play chess?" he asked

"We shall." I answered and he began arranging the pieces in order

The queen in her color, the king beside his queen, followed by the bishop, knights and rook then in the front will be the pawns.

"I will move first," he said and I nodded

He moved his pawn forward one square, I did the same and he moved his bishop to fill the space left by the pawn, I chuckled and moved my queen to occupy the space left by my pawn.

"Who taught you how to play chess?" I asked

"King taught me." He answered and moved his bishop to the square beside his pawn

"You've never won even once, have you?" I asked and moved my queen beside my pawn

He shook his head and moved his bishop two spaces diagonally, I chuckled at his serious expression, I wonder if this is how Zairo see me whenever we're playing.

"Likewise, I've never won against him either." I said and moved my queen forward three spaces

He stared at the chessboard for a short while before he moved another pawn of his forward. I chuckled and moved my queen two squares to the side. He moved another pawn again forward so I moved my queen forward one square. He must've realized what I'm planning on doing that's why he moved the pawn in front of his knight forward.

I chuckled because he had cornered me, if I move my queen forward, the pawn in front of the rook will eat my queen and if I leave my queen at her place, the pawn he had just move will eat it.

I moved my queen five squares side ward and he looked at the board seriously again. He moved his knight to the vacant spot left in front of the remaining bishop in his line.

"You're taking the game too seriously, Malika." I chuckled at him

"You're speaking like King." He frowned at me and I smiled

"And you're frowning like what I used to do when we're playing." I said and moved the pawn in front of my rook forward two squares.

He moved his bishop one square diagonally and I moved my rook after the pawn I'd just moved.

He moved his pawn forward one square so I moved my rook sideward facing his bishop. He moved his bishop two squares diagonally and his eyes widened when he realized that he landed right beside my queen.

"Bye, bishop." I teased him and ate his bishop.

We continued playing and because of what I did to his bishop, he moved his pawn to eat my queen and forgot about my rook, which I moved forward to eat the pawn in front of his knight. He moved his queen forward and I immediately knew what he was planning. He's planning to do the same thing I did with my queen piece, I moved my rook one space back and placed it under the line of the pawn who ate my queen.

He moved his queen out to block my rook but I moved my rook sideward eating the pawn that was once positioned in front of his queen. He must've understood what I was planning because he went back on defending.

"Checkmate." I told him

"You're unfair." He frowned at me

"I'll teach you King's move next time." I told him and he looked at me with wide eyes

"That was… you used King's move?!" he asked in disbelief and I nodded

"King taught it to me before." I said

"King's too good in chess." He frowned

"That's why we need to practice." I smiled at him

"I don't understand, I used my pawns to lure your pieces…" he mumbled and I tapped his shoulder

"That was your mistake, Malika, you didn't value the pieces." I told him

"But they're just lower pieces, the king is more important." He said

"Want to know a little secret?" I asked him and he nodded

"Treat them as if they're real people and you'll see the best moves." I said and he looked at the chessboard

"Pawns are villagers." He said and I nodded

"Rooks are the guards that watch over the whole kingdom." He said and I nodded

"The knights are knights and the bishops are the nobles." He said and I nodded

"Then the King and Queen." I told him and he nodded his head

"I think I understand, Queen." He said and I smiled

"Go upstairs, change into your training clothes, the sun's about to set." I pointed at the clock on the wall that shows the location of the sun.

I suddenly missed drinking tea, I didn't know I'd actually miss drinking tea but after almost drinking it every hour of the day back in the palace, I already got used to it.

"How is it going there?" I hid a smile after I received Zairo's message

'Everything's going well, Malika asked Sir Charles to teach him how to fight.' I replied

"What about you?" he asked

'I'm still thinking about how to retaliate.' I answered

"How to do you plan to retaliate?" he asked

'It's hard to plan how to retaliate when we're lacking in number.' I answered

"Flashier and Holland." He suddenly said

'What about them?" I asked

"Why not form an alliance with them? They probably will favor you, after all, you are the true heir of Astrae." He said and I sighed

'I am in hiding, Zairo, how am I supposed to meet them?' I asked

"Then how about me?" he asked

'What about you?' I asked

"I am capable of supporting you, Pam, I am the king of Arcadia. One word and I'll send my knights to help you." He said

'I appreciate your offer but I'll think it over.' I said

"Tell me when you have an answer, I have to go." He said

'Thank you.' I said and the connection faded