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I dismounted Jigsaw outside the Black Palace’s gates. Two Sentries I didn’t know were on duty. They saluted as I passed with Jigsaw trailing behind me. I had, in the end, visited my parents’ grave and it was now close to dinner time, the sky ablaze with beautiful twilight colors.
A stable boy was squatting by a patch of grass, poking the ground with a stick. He looked up when he sensed my coming, then sprang to his feet and ran in the direction of the stables.
I didn’t think anything of it until I got near the stables, and he hurried out, throwing worried glances over his shoulder as he disappeared through a path that led toward the servant quarters.
I stopped, holding Jigsaw back and he instinctively kept moving toward the hay, water, and soothing brushing that awaited him once we went in. I paused for a few beats but, perceiving no movement from inside, I approached cautiously, staying away from the door.
Once I was able to peer inside, I found Rook Sanda, waiting. He was sitting on a hay bale, chewing on a small stalk, one ankle crossed over his knee. Loredana and Serban standing around him.
“There you are,” the Rook said. “You’re late.”
“I crossed the gate right on time,” I said.
Rook Sanda shrugged and walked out of the stable, closely followed by the First and Third Pawns in my Quadrant.
“Challenging the First Pawn,” Sanda said with his forced upper-class accent. “You have some nerve.” He glanced over at Loredana who had the looks of someone ready for war.
She was as tall as me, her head freshly shaved. A muscle jumped in her jaw as her black eyes drilled mine. Her shirt was rolled up to elbows, exposing corded forearms and a tattoo that matched her First Pawn insignia.
Leading Jigsaw to a water trough on the side of one of the stable walls, I tied his reins and began removing his saddle, doing my best to appear unaffected by the trio.
“It’s got nothing to do with nerve,” I said, then, measuring my words, I added, “It’s a matter of... leverage.” I watched them from the corner of my eye, trying to gauge their expressions. It had the desired effect at least with Loredana, who shuffled from foot to foot and seemed to deflate a little.
None of them were privy to King Maximus’s machinations. I doubted anyone was, unless he trusted his Bishops. So I wasn’t worried about lying.
“Don’t fool yourself. The King has no favorites,” the Rook said.
I simply shrugged. “Believe what you will.”
He huffed, spat his bit of hay and turned to leave.
I hid my relief by focusing on selecting a brush for Jigsaw. I didn’t want any conflict outside of the Challenge Hall. These three could kill me and then call it an accident, and there would be no one to contradict them. My thoughts immediately flew to Bianca. Was that what had happened to her today?
“Oh,” Sanda stopped and peered over his shoulder after taking only a few paces. “By the way, your challenge is in thirty minutes. Loredana is more than ready for you as you can see.”
Loredana smirked knowingly, cracking her fingers. “I sure am.”
Sanda and Serban exchanged satisfied looks. Loredana stepped closer, a swagger in her step. I frowned, trying not to look intimidated.
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but instead, she lunged at me, hands grabbing my shoulders, fingernails digging deep into me. I tried to pull back but slammed into Jigsaw’s solid shape.
The First Pawn growled in my ear, but the words she spoke were utterly incongruous with her tone. “I’ll let you win if you pardon me,” she said, then bit into my earlobe and yanked her head back, tearing its tip.
I screamed in pain, taking a hand to the side of my head.
Loredana walked backward toward Sanda, pointing at me and laughing. I stared back at her hatred, my confused thoughts reeling.
“Don’t be late,” Sanda said with a cocky twist of his mouth.
I watched them leave, blood running between my fingers, wondering if Loredana had bought into my leverage claims and was trying to at least save her life if not her post as First Pawn.
Or was it all a trick? I would soon find out.