Read with BonusRead with Bonus

Chapter 6

She fingered a black pawn, waiting for her opponent. Underneath the table, her feet shuffled impatiently, but her expression remained cold and stoic. She stroked her chin, anticipating many moves ahead. This mundane game was a fight for her life, as was every move she made since her world came crashing down on her. I knew very well that my words had really riled her up to a great extent. But I was not going to make the mistake of thinking that my opponent was weak or she was making wrong moves. It might be pure strategy on her part.

War and magic chess did not exactly work like the normal human chess. There were different kind of pawns and there were different moves with even vampires on the board. The vampires if they attacked then you would lose your pawn almost immediately because unlike werewolves vampires attacked their prey in a different manner and they did not maim or injure. They went directly for the kill shot. The chess did not look like a square set of sixty-four squares. But rather it was set upon a territory where you needed to make sure that you could protect your own land.

It is even said that they can find no rest in the grave, but return to their former haunts long after they are believed to be dead. Those whom they visit, however, pine away for no apparent reason. The physicians shake their wise heads and speak of consumption. But sometimes, ancient chronicles assure us, the people's suspicions were aroused, and under the leadership of a good priest they went in solemn procession to the graves of the persons suspected. And on opening the tombs it was found that their coffins had rotted away and the flowers in their hair were black. But their bodies were white and whole; through no empty sockets crept the vermin, and their sucking lips were still moist with a little blood.

We all had heard stories in the beginning about the vampires and how they were inhuman and only cared about the blood that they could get. But I did not let prejudices cloud my mind when I was playing the game. I looked at the board and found that Raksha was planning on taking my western flank down by attacking with the vampires and then she would be able to control the water ways which would hamper the food supply to the main castle, thus effectively blocking me. I knew that she was trying to attack the castle city where all my pack was.

I did not give her the chance. No one had expected that as a Queen I was going to come out and block the vampire with a quarry of twenty wolves and then blast them. Once that was done, I got a bonus step for destroying vampires and immediately I launched an attack on the eastern front while keeping ten to guard the waterways. And the pack which had been stationed there seemingly to be peaceful was suddenly taken aback at the attack.

With the pack eviscerated I could easily enter her territory and then take on the Queen and kill her beheading her while Raksha sat back with her mouth wide open. She was shocked at the sudden way the game had taken a turn. I had taken over her territory, effectively protected mine and also had saved my people. The Queen had more power in the War and magic chess than any other character. So others might think that saving the Queen was the primary motive, but just like I said, I was never going to sit back in the safety of the castle and would always lead them in the front.

“That was one hell of a game,” remarked Mason as Torah nodded as well.

“I am damn impressed, Heiress Synthia and that is really not an easy thing to do,” said another Council member and I recognized him as Evan. He was talking to me and by now I figured that every single council member was standing beside us making a circle. I smiled in gratitude in his direction and said,” Thank you, Evan. It means a great lot to me.”

“That was a very gutsy move that you pulled right there. Not many would have done that,” said Torah with a look of grudging respect on her face and I wanted to tell her with a slap that no one would have stolen Alpha magic to retain their beauty and youth either but I did not do that. And gave her the same treatment that was expected of me. Drima had trained me well and good for this day and I was not going to put it all on stake because they were assholes.

Now after I became then Queen, then it was more than fair game.

“So now the first match is over, you shall have to wait with the other candidates. Once all the matches of the first round are over, the scores will be declared,” announced Torah and I smiled my assent at her. I got up from my seat and gave my hand to Raksha in order to shake but she did not accept it. And that too in front of the Council. I retracted back my hand. This was war.

And Raksha had started it. Even if she did not know this, I was going to end it. She might have magic but I was going to attain something she could never have. Alpha Power.

“It was a good game, Raksha,” I told her and then did not pay any attention to her again but I told Luke in my mind that this one should not escape from our sight for not even a single moment. Luke grunted his approval as I went close to Drima and her huge grin told me all that I needed to know.

“You are magnificent. Not even the Red Queen had been able to do something like that in her best games,” said Drima as we both went towards the waiting room.

Blossom was up for the next game. Even though I knew her to be a good candidate but I also knew this at the back of my mind that she was not even close to me in being the conduit to Alpha power. She was not weak like Ambernette obviously but she was not very strong either.

“Have a good game,” I wished her as she smiled at me and then went on towards the Hall with her on Counsellor in tow. He was a male counsellor who was probably there since her teenage years only as a favour because this was not a very good royal position. No one knew that if the Heiress would be Queen one day and you would have already spent a considerable amount of time away from active politics. It was more or less like a death trap if you had a good career in pack politics. Well unlike Drima, of course. She had been hired by the red Queen personally because her family was the only one of the families amongst the wolves who studied politics for the sole reason of becoming the counsellor of the heiress apparent.

Once we were both seated and Luke was comfortable beside me, Drima said,” I could not help but hearing out what you said to Raksha before the game started.”

“And?” I enquired, wanting to know what she thought about my response.

“It was not very tactful, Synthia,” she said with a grimace on her face,” It was definitely helpful on a short term basis because it unnerved her to such an extent that she went in for the kill moves and you played a beautiful game. I am really glad because that was a game that not even the Red Queen would have anticipated such a move of putting the Queen out. A bit reckless, but I am proud, but Synthia….Raksha is not a person that is going to be a good enemy for you in the long term.”

“Yeah! That I am aware of. But she had not need be condescending at all. What did she think that she would be doing mere parlour tricks and she would impress me?” I asked in a heated voice. Rubina looked at me with amusement.

“Ah!! It seems that someone is riled up. Had a bad game?” she asked and I looked at her in anger but strangely I did not let the anger cloud my judgment any longer.

“Well Rubina! I am not sure how good you are at chess, but I think you should revise before you go in there, because Raksha is a mistress at the game. And no!! I could not play a very good game, so if you will excuse me, please fuck off and mind your own business,” I said. My expressions were so marvelous and original that Drima looked at me and place a hand on my arm. Rubina just smirked at me and said,” Sheathe your claws kitty…I am not interested in what you think. Just that you lost.”

Luke spoke in my mind,” You are getting better at this every passing moment. Even I have to agree that I did not think that you were going to pull the wool over her eyes in that way.”

“Brilliant!! You are becoming the strategist that I always knew you were. Who thought that pressure situation would bring out all your talents and capabilities in such a way?” asked Drima and I smiled at her.

Ambernette was sitting in one corner on a couch all by herself and she looked absolutely miserable. I knew why she was feeling like that…her best friend had been killed and ambushed in the worst way possible and here she was competing for the throne. I felt that even though she was a competitor it was the most humane way that I should go there and support her. I got up from where I was sitting and then went ahead and sat beside her on the couch.

“Hey Amber…how are you feeling?” I asked in a soft voice and I knew that there was concern on my face and eyes. She looked up at me and said,” I never thought that she would be not here with me. You know?”

“I get the feeling…I have seen how close you two were.. It was like you are twins…” I said with a smile.

“And it always felt that way. I never thought that she was anything else but my sister. And she was one of the best and fiercest warriors I have seen apart from Rubina of course. I mean…you should have just seen her the way she was fighting even she was injured. She told me that I had to get away and inform them. And one of them slashed her throat from behind. It was horrible.”

Amber shuddered as she spoke and then suddenly the doors burst open and Blossom came inside. She was absolutely furious and pointed to Rubina and said,” You are next.”

Rubina stood up from where she was sitting and then threw a grin at our direction and went up saying,” So long, suckers.”

“Sometimes I wish I could break her teeth and her nose and then slice her into ribbons,” said Blossom with such feeling that both Amber and I looked up at her with surprise.

“But that is something you won’t do, right? Right Princess?” asked the Counsellor of Blossom’s pack, Black claws as she looked at her with a sigh and said,” Uggghhhh…of course…it is only a wish…well unless it comes to down to me and her in the finals. Then I am going to make it a reality.”

And I sincerely hoped that I got that chance as well.

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter