55. Finis

fīnis m. or f.

1. a boundary; an end

1. the end, purpose, aim

the former prince and the duke’s daughter sat at the chessboard.

The sun crawled slowly around the pieces. The girl’s hand hovered over a blue knight, eyes hovering on the silver pawn nearly to her back row.

“You’ve been moving the pawn forward this whole time. Protecting it.”

The prince held out his hands. “Naturally.”

“What happens when a pawn makes it all the way to the other side?” she asked. He grinned, bright and thoughtful.

“Well, then it becomes something else entirely.”