[11] The First Pawn

The ride back to the estate passed in near silence. Father's mind clearly was going a mile a minute, while I contemplated the mutation pieces nestled in their velvet bed. Each one pulsed with my magical signature, the swirling purple energy matching the rhythm of my heartbeat. The connection felt deeper than mere ownership—these pieces were extensions of myself now, waiting to be filled with worthy souls.

"Your mother will be pleased," Father said as we pulled through the gates of the estate. Not excited, not impressed—pleased. Classic understatement.

"She might even smile," I replied.

"Indeed. Perhaps twice in one day."

The car rolled to a stop at the front entrance. I stepped out, box clutched firmly in my hands. Already I felt different—stronger, more centered. The ritual had done more than just activate the pieces; it had crystallized something within me, as if a missing puzzle piece had finally clicked into place.

Father led the way inside, his long strides purposeful. Servants bowed as we passed, their eyes lingering curiously on the box in my hands. News traveled fast in the Valac household. By dinner, every staff member would know I'd received my Evil Pieces.

We found Mother in her private garden, tending to a collection of rare night-blooming flowers that only grew in the deepest parts of the Underworld. Her silver hair was loosely braided down her back, and she wore a simple dress rather than her usual formal attire—a rare sight.

She straightened as we approached, brushing soil from her fingers. "That was quicker than expected." Her eyes immediately went to the box. "The ritual is complete, then?"

Father nodded. "Show her."

I opened the box, revealing the chess pieces nestled in their velvet lining. Mother's eyes widened slightly as she spotted the mutation pieces, their swirling purple energy unmistakable.

"Five," she whispered, reaching out to hover her hand over them without touching. "I've never heard of such a thing."

"Ajuka's monument practically overloaded," Father said, a hint of pride creeping into his voice. "The pieces transformed instantly."

Mother's gaze shifted to me, her eyes manifesting the faintest hint of Void Sight—just the barest outline of the three concentric circles. "Your magical signature has stabilized. The ritual completed the maturation process."

"I feel it," I admitted. "Like everything has snapped into focus."

She smiled—the first of Father's predicted two—and touched my cheek. "The potential was always there. Now it has purpose."

Father circled the garden path, hands clasped behind his back. "The quality of peerage members you can recruit is substantially higher than we anticipated."

"One step at a time, Alexius," Mother cautioned. "Let him adjust to his new status first."

"There's no time to waste. News of this anomaly could spread quickly. Ajuka himself will take notice."

"And that concerns you?" I asked.

Father paused his pacing. "It presents both opportunity and risk. Attention from a Satan brings scrutiny."

"It also brings recognition," Mother countered. "Something House Valac has lacked for too long."

I studied the pieces, particularly the Queen mutation. "Who would you suggest for my first recruitment?"

They exchanged glances—one of those married-for-centuries looks that contained an entire conversation.

"That decision must be yours alone," Mother said finally. "The bond between King and peerage is deeply personal. Choose someone you trust implicitly."

"Someone loyal to House Valac above all else," Father added.

"Someone whose abilities complement your own," Mother continued.

I closed the box, decision already forming. "I understand."

Mother's eyes narrowed slightly. "You have someone in mind."

It wasn't a question, but I nodded anyway. "I do."

Father looked like he wanted to press for details, but Mother placed a hand on his arm. "We'll discuss the implications over dinner. For now, Dante should rest. The ritual takes more out of you than you realize."

She was right. Beneath the exhilaration of new power, fatigue tugged at my muscles. The magical bonding had drained me more than I'd admitted.

"I'll send Ariel with refreshments," Mother said.

I bowed slightly. "Thank you."

As I turned to leave, Father called after me: "Remember what we discussed in the car. Your choices now will shape the future of House Valac."

"I won't forget," I promised, clutching the box to my chest as I headed for my quarters.

I laid the Evil Pieces out on my desk, arranging them in their proper chess formation. The mutation pieces dominated the board—Rook, Knight, and Bishop. Each pulsed with power, waiting to be filled.

My thoughts drifted to the implications of Essence Drain in this new context. If physical and emotional intimacy created synergy through the drain, what might happen with individuals formally bound to me through the Evil Pieces? The potential was staggering.

An all-female peerage would maximize that particular advantage, but the idea left a sour taste in my mouth. Too obvious, too predictable—and frankly, a bit pathetic. I'd need balance, including a few trustworthy guys I could actually relax with. Strategy required diversity, not just exploitation of a single advantage.

I'd cross that bridge when it came. For now, I had a more immediate decision to make.

A soft knock at the door interrupted my thoughts.

"Enter."

Ariel stepped in, carrying a tray with tea and small pastries. She looked fully recovered from our earlier encounter, though her eyes lingered on me a moment longer than strictly proper.

"Lady Selene suggested you might need refreshment, Young Master."

"Place it on the side table." I gestured to the pieces on my desk. "What do you see?"

She approached cautiously, setting down the tray before examining the chess set. Her crimson eyes widened.

"Mutation pieces," she breathed. "Five of them."

"Unprecedented, according to Father."

She studied the formation, then looked up at me. "Congratulations are in order, then. This is exceptional."

"Thank you." I leaned back in my chair. "Do you remember our conversation after I woke from that three-day coma?"

Her posture stiffened slightly. "Yes."

"About being allies."

"I remember every word, Young Master."

I rose from my chair, moving to stand before her. "Ariel, come sit with me."

Confusion crossed her face as I took her hand and led her back to my chair, seating myself and pulling her onto my lap. She perched stiffly, hands folded in her lap, the perfect picture of propriety.

"Young Master, this is—"

"Call me Dante when we're alone," I reminded her. "We agreed on that much."

She swallowed. "Dante, then. This position is inappropriate."

"Is it?" I traced a finger along her jawline. "Or is it simply honest?"

"What do you mean?"

"I told you then that if we were going to be allies, we should start with honesty between us." My fingers continued their path, trailing down her neck. "So let's be honest now."

Her pulse jumped beneath my touch. "That would be... complicated."

"Life is complicated." I leaned closer, my lips near her ear. "But some decisions are simple."

I pressed my lips to her neck, just below her ear. Not biting, not draining—just a kiss, gentle and deliberate. She gasped, body tensing.

"D-Dante..."

My hand slid around her waist, drawing her more firmly against me as I continued kissing down the column of her throat. 

"You're not just my servant," I murmured against her skin.

Her resistance melted gradually. One hand tentatively came to rest on my shoulder, then slid into my hair. I smiled against her neck, trailing kisses back up to her ear.

"Tell me to stop," I challenged, "and I will."

"I..." Her voice faltered as my hand traced slow circles on her lower back. "I shouldn't..."

"Not what I asked." I nipped gently at her earlobe, drawing another small gasp.

Her fingers tightened in my hair. "Don't stop."

That was all the permission I needed. I captured her lips with mine, feeling her surrender to the kiss immediately. No Essence Drain, no magical connection—just the simple pleasure of her mouth against mine.

When we broke apart, her crimson eyes were dazed, lips slightly parted. 

"You're beautiful," I told her, meaning it.

She blushed deeply.

My hands slid down her sides, tracing the curves hidden beneath her uniform. "I've watched you for years, Ariel. Fighting, serving, observing. Always three steps behind, always in the shadows."

"Where I belong," she whispered.

I shook my head. "No. Not anymore."

My fingers found the pins holding her hair. One by one, I removed them, letting the glossy black locks cascade down her back. She shivered as I ran my fingers through it, marveling at its silken texture.

"What are you suggesting?" she asked, voice unsteady.

Instead of answering, I kissed her again—deeper this time, more demanding. My hands roamed her body, learning the contours beneath the stiff uniform. She responded with surprising passion, years of restraint crumbling beneath my touch.

When my fingers traced the outline of her breast through the fabric, she moaned into my mouth. The sound ignited something primal in me. I broke the kiss to trail my lips down her throat again, this time sucking gently at the sensitive juncture where neck met shoulder.

"Ah!" Her back arched, pressing her more firmly against me. "Dante..."

"Say it again," I commanded against her skin.

"Dante," she breathed, voice breaking as my hand cupped her breast fully.

I continued my attention to her neck, alternating between gentle kisses and more insistent suction that would leave marks—marks I wanted to see on her pale skin. My other hand slid beneath her skirt, tracing patterns on her thigh.

"Oh," she panted, head falling back to give me better access. "We shouldn't—mmm!"

Her protest dissolved into another moan as my fingers slipped higher, finding the edge of her undergarments. I paused there, looking up to meet her gaze.

"Do you want me to stop?"

Her chest heaved, uniform disheveled, hair tumbling wildly around her flushed face. She looked nothing like the composed maid who had entered my room.

"No," she admitted, voice barely audible. 

I smiled, capturing her lips again as my fingers slipped beneath the fabric, finding her pussy ready for me. She gasped against my mouth, hips jerking involuntarily.

"Dante!" Her nails dug into my shoulders. "Oh—ah!"

I worked her slowly, deliberately, watching her composure shatter completely. Her usual control disappeared, replaced by raw, uninhibited response. Each gasp, each moan, each whispered plea of my name sent heat coursing through me.

When she finally came, crying out as pleasure overtook her, I held her close, supporting her through the waves of release. She collapsed against my chest, breathing ragged, body trembling.

For several minutes, we stayed like that—her curled against me, my arms around her, neither of us speaking. Finally, she stirred, looking up at me with dazed eyes.

"Why?" she asked simply.

I brushed damp strands of hair from her forehead. "Because it's time for you to step out of the shadows and stand beside me."

Reaching past her, I picked up the box containing my Evil Pieces. I removed a single pawn, holding it between us. The piece glowed faintly, responding to her presence.

"I need to check your compatibility," I explained, pressing the piece gently against her sternum.

The pawn flared briefly, then dimmed. Two pawns—exactly as I'd suspected.

"What does it mean?" she asked.

"It means you're worth two pawns." I set the pieces aside. "A fair evaluation of your current power."

Her eyes widened with understanding. "You want me in your peerage."

"I want more than that." I took her hands in mine. "I want you to graduate from ally to partner. To pledge yourself to me not just as a servant, but as the first member of my peerage."

She stared at me, conflict evident in her expression. "Lady Selene assigned me to watch you."

"I know. And now I'm asking you to choose where your true loyalty lies."

"It's not that simple—"

"It is." I squeezed her hands. "Do you trust me, Ariel?"

She didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"Then trust that I know exactly what I'm doing—and that I want you by my side when I do it."

Her gaze dropped to our joined hands, then back to my face. Something resolved in her expression.

"What would you have me be in your peerage?"

I smiled. "For now, a pawn. But pawns can be promoted, as you well know."

"And Lady Selene?"

"Will understand better than you think." I brushed my thumb across her knuckles. "She's more pragmatic than Father."

Ariel took a deep breath, straightening her spine despite her disheveled state. "Then I accept, Dante Valac. I pledge myself to your peerage and your cause."

I lifted the two pawns, pressing them gently against her chest. "Then let it be done."

The pieces flared with brilliant light as the magic activated. Ariel gasped, her body lifting slightly as the power flowed into her. Her crimson eyes glowed, and for a moment, I saw flames dance across her skin.

When the light faded, she slumped against me, breathing hard. The pawns had vanished, absorbed into her being. I could feel the connection between us now—a bond deeper than master and servant, more intimate even than our physical encounter.

"How do you feel?" I asked, supporting her.

She blinked, looking down at her hands in wonder. "Stronger. Different." She looked up at me. "Connected to you."

I nodded. "The first of many. But always special."

Ariel straightened, suddenly aware of her disheveled state. She moved to fix her uniform, but I caught her hands.

"Leave it," I said softly. "Just for now. Let's enjoy this moment before we return to our roles."

She hesitated, then relaxed against me. "As you wish... My King."

The title sent a shiver of pleasure through me. My first peerage member, my personal guardian, my—what? Not quite lover, not merely servant. 

"Rest," I told her, stroking her hair as she leaned her head against my shoulder. "Tomorrow, we begin planning in earnest."

As she dozed against me, I contemplated the chess pieces remaining in their box. Thirteen more positions to fill, including five extraordinary ones. The foundation of power that would restore House Valac to its rightful place.

And it had begun with fire and shadow, just as it should.