One

"Checkmate."

"Ah, you win again."

"Of course. You taught me well, I have to admit, your Majesty," Prince Louis Darius complimented his father, King Philippe Darius. He leaned backward on the rather comfortable chair he sat on, looking at the pawns, rooks and knights of his dad laying outside the chess board.

"Very well then," King Philippe Darius replied, picking up the pieces of the chess board. "Another game, shall we?"

"I'm afraid not, Your Majesty," Prince Louis said, noticing his father's grip on the bishop tighten as he expressed his feelings.

"Louis-"

Louis knew what his father was about to go on about. He was going to uselessly try to talk and persuade him on matters he didn't want to listen to. He and his father's relationship wasn't the best relationship any father and son could have and amongst the way King Philippe tried to make it better was by luring him into playing games with him.

It never lasted though, as one of the reasons he had issues with his father never failed to show up.

"Her Majesty, the queen, is coming in."

The door to the room they were flew open revealing Queen Marie Darius. Clothed in the most expensive silk gown of the season that only seemed to make her warm skin glow and brown hair styled up, she looked as beautiful as ever. Her eyes, a dark shade of brown and her lips painted a subtle shade of red highlighting her well defined features. She was getting older but Louis could swear she looked younger every single time he laid his eyes on her and for someone he saw regularly, it was a lot. Her furry puppy  tailed behind her, wagging its tail at the sight of Louis.

"Mother," Louis acknowledged the Queen's presence since his father, the king, didn't seem to have any intentions of doing so.

There was no point signalling to the maids and guards around to leave sensing the unfriendly atmosphere- they were already used to it. Some were polite enough to give the king and queen the unnecessary privacy while some just stayed behind anticipating what drama they day had in store for them.

"Your majesty," the queen called out, walking towards her King.

"What is the matter, my queen?" King Philippe finally turned in the queen's direction. His eyes met hers briefly before he shifted his gaze to the chess board.

"I have something to discuss with you," she took a sit on the previously occupied now vacant seat Louis sat on.

"Oh," he moved a pawn two spots forward. "Me and Louis-"

"I'll be leaving now, Your Majesties," Louis quickly said before his father completed whatever he had in mind to say. "You can both say whatever it is that needs to be said."

Earning a nod from his mother and a sigh from his father and aware of their gaze on him, he left the room. He was not going to sit back and bicker at each other like kids as they always did.

He walked through the hallways, the maids and servants he met around all bowing at his presence. He could get used to the bowings he received at merely his existence but never to his parents attitude towards each other. It just didn't seem right and he should have gotten used to it considering the fact that that they've always been like that for as long as he could remember.

He climbed the final stairs leading to Dominique, his cousin's room. Another thing he couldn't quite remember when it started was when Dominique Darius began to live with them. About 6 years older than him but anyone could barely tell. If anything, Louis looked older. Few inches taller than Dominique Darius and having a broader body frame, he looked like the other relative. Unlike Dominique, he had brown eyes just like his mum and grew his hair longer than him.

They grew up together and Dominique wasn't really the elder brother he had always wanted. He was the elder brother he had as he couldn't even remember what life without him might have felt like. He was always around.

Without bothering to knock to ask for permission, he opened Dominique's room, revealing the owner of the room standing by the window. His bed was untidy, signifying two things- either he had just woken up from a nap or had just done of his most favorite things to do.

"One who knows better not would see you standing over there and think you're lost in thought about something that could better the whole France as a nation," Louis announced his arrival in a rather unique manner. "What useless thing are you thinking about this time, if I may ask?"

Dominique turned on his cousin's voice, showing his face that radiated a certain glow making Louis know what he had previously been doing. "Oh, Louis. It is you."

"Yes it certainly is," Louis replied, taking a seat on one of the comfortable cushions decorating the room. It was a regular room in the palace. Wide, painted in the regular cream color with various expensive furnitures lurking around. "Tell me. It's a new maiden, isn't it?"

"You know me too well," Dominique replied with a familiar smile. "Our society houses way too many fine ladies, I have to admit."

Louis shook his head. "Get yourself a bride, Dominique."

"We both know, very well at that, who should concern himself with such matters at the moment," Dominique said, Louis remaining silent knowing what he could get himself into by dwelling further on the topic. Dominique took the hint, smirked and walked to sit next to his cousin not forgetting to pour himself a drink. "So tell me, what brings you here?"

"I was bored."

"Oh, were you?" Dominique took a sip of his exotic wine. "Weren't you playing chess with his majesty, your father?"

"Yes, I was," Louis replied him. "The game was not supposed to last forever, was it?"

"Of course not," Dominique eyed him suspiciously. "You were interrupted, weren't you? By your mum, I presume."

Louis' silence answered Dominique's questions.

"You really should stop bothering yourself with their problems," Dominique said.

"Easier said than done," was Louis' response. "Tell me, were they always this way?"

"And just why do you think I would be in the best position to answer that?"

"Cause you're older than me?" Louis replied, grabbing Dominique's wine bottle. "You've probably been around here longer than I have been and you have quite the retentive memory. So, just maybe?"

"No," Dominique shook his head. "Not that I've ever paid attention to. "But of course, what do you expect? A loving relationship between the king and queen?"

"Perhaps."

"This is no fairytale, dear cousin," Dominique got up. "The type of love you have pictured in your head doesn't exist."

"You sound so sure."

"Because I am. Look at me for example," he demonstrated by opening his arms wide. "I fall in love with a new maiden every fortnight. Do I not promise all the maidens I've been with forever and everything they could ever want? Of course, I do. But just like everything in this world, we grow out of love too and all that's left is duty."

Louis remained silent, his gaze fixed on the red liquid in the bottle wrapped around his fingers.

"You know I'm right, Louis," Dominique continued. "The king and queen had both grown out of the stage of being in love probably even before you were born. Right now all that's left is duty and if I'm going to be honest, his majesty is performing his duty dutifully."

"No. You don't understand," Louis muttered, emptying the contents of the bottle down his throat. "But it's alright. I don't expect you too."

Dominique smiled. "You surely do not."

---

King Philippe walked around the corridors, his wife, the queen, next to him. Few inches away from each other, their steps ryhmed. The walk was so quiet, the only sound made from Queen Marie's long gown slapping the ground.

"Walking around the corridors like this makes me remember old times," Queen Marie finally broke the silence as she stopped to look through the transparent glass. On getting no response, she turned and faced the king. "I miss the old times."

"You said you wanted to talk to me," King Philippe resumed walking. "What is it about, my queen?"

Queen Marie nodded as she began walking behind the king. "Nothing much, my king. Just a few matters that have been troubling me I must say."

"I see," he replied, looking around as their tour of the palace finally extended to the ballroom. "Ah, it's been a while. We should hold a ball soon. Ah, yes, of course. A ball shall be held very soon."

"That brings me to what I need to tell you," Queen Marie voiced out as she followed king Philippe into the ballroom. Maids were scattered around it giving it the cleaning it deserved. They had not hosted a ball in a long while, the cobwebs and dusts testifying. "About Louis' marriage."

He stopped. "What about Louis' marriage? Have you found him a suitable suitor?"

"No. Not yet, your majesty."

"Then what?" he resumed walking, his average steps now replaced with slow ones. "I believe I made sure the list of all eligible maidens was sent to you. Whatever might be the matter now?"

"Yes, my king," she replied. "The list was received and I praise your excellent choice."

"Then?"

She hesitated for a while before continuing. She looked around as if she wanted to make sure no one was listening or rather, eavesdropping on her private discussion with her husband. "I don't want Louis' marriage to be rushed."

"It certainly isn't being rushed, my queen," King Philippe replied her. "He- You still has the privilege to chose now and I definitely do not recall hastening you on that process."

"I know and I appreciate your kindness, my lord. However, I do not want my son to get married out of duty?"

"What may you mean by that?"

"I want to him to perhaps get married out of love," she finally summoning the courage she needed. "I want him to get married to who his heart wishes to and whenever he's ready."

Perhaps the king was about to reply but he was unexpectedly cut short by a loud cry. A maid came crashing down from a ladder to his feet.

"Your Majesties! I am so sorry! Accept my apologies!" the maid flew to her knees on getting the tiniest bit of stamina.

"Oh, it's alright," King Philippe stared at her rather astonished. "I suppose you're given too great of a task to do seeing how hard it is for you."

"No, my Lord!" she bowed, her golden brown hair falling to her face. "It was simply an accident. I did wrong and I shall accept whatever punishment I'm given for my great sin."

King Philippe laughed. His laughter echoed in the ballroom, increasing the whispers and gasps that were already brewing fast. "It's alright. Get up."

"Your majesty-"

"Get up," he repeated. "Certainly you do not expect your king to repeat him self for the third time, do you?"

  "No, not at all, my Lord!" she flew to her feet.

"Raise your head," he stared at her. "What's the name?"

"Eh? It's... It's El... Elaine, my Lord!"

"Elaine," he stared deeper at her. "A beautiful name for a beautiful maiden."

"Thanks for the flattery, your majesty. I am indeed honored," Elaine seemed flushed.

"My King-" Queen Marie spoke, eyeing Elaine before returning her gaze to Philippe's. "I believe we were in the middle of a conversation."

Again, he got interrupted before he could perhaps speak.

"Your Majesties!" Madame Betty, head of all the servants bursted in. "Your majesty. Pardon my girls. Oh, Elaine! One clumsy servant she is!"

"It's alright, Madame Betty," the king replied, his eyes shifting back to Elaine. "I'm actually intrigued. I consider her quite interesting. Is she new around here?"

Madame Betty looked taken aback. "Well, not really, Your Majesty. She has been here for quite a while."

"Is that so, Madame Betty?" he asked, his eyes not leaving Elaine. "I wonder how i didn't realize we had such a beauty in the palace. Truly flawless, isn't she?"

True to his words, Elaine was a beauty. With warm ivory skin with red lips and golden brown hair that highlighted her beautiful green eyes, she was indeed a beauty. Her cheeks now flushed either from the array of firsthand compliments from the king himself or from the embarrassment of being the center of attraction, were a bright shade of red that reminded the king of the fresh roses laying by his bedside. Dressed in her regular maid outfit with a cleaning brush in her hand, she looked rather disheveled, her constant biting of her lips not helping matters.

But still in his Majesty's eyes, she was the most beautiful thing he had set in eyes on all day. All year in fact, he dared to say.

"Please excuse us, Madame Betty," Queen Marie spoke up, beginning to feel extremely uncomfortable with the situation of things. "You too, girl. What are you still doing here anyways."

With a quick nod, Elaine scurried away earning a sigh and look of disapproval from both the queen and the head of servants.

"Your majesty," Queen Marie turned to her husband. "What was that about?"

He shifted. "What were you talking about earlier?"

"Were you even listening to me, Your Majesty?" Queen Marie raised her voice. "I was talking about our son, Louis."

"Oh, right. You said you didn't want Louis to get married, am I correct?"

"I said no such thing, your majesty," she was beginning to feel infuriated. "All I said was I want him to get married to who his heart chooses and when he's ready not because of pressure or anything in that sort."

"Very well then," he replied, Queen Marie not so sure what that meant as she watched his eyes head towards the servant, Elaine's direction. "Very well. If Louis doesn't want to get married yet, it's okay. We will still be holding a royal wedding regardless."

"I do not understand."

"Perhaps, I shall be getting married," he smiled at Elaine. "For love, as you wish to witness."