“Congratulations!” Xandus told Dillon once he made it to his side, “When a pawn reaches the other side, they are granted a wish to change their role. What is it you wish to be?”

  Dillon, who had come into this with no real knowledge of chess and no experience with speaking to royalty, froze. “I, uh, get a wish?” he managed, “Do I have to?”

  “Even if your wish is to remain a pawn, yes,” Xandus confirmed, “If I leave things as they are, you won’t be able to move. Pawns can’t go backwards, after all.”

  “A bishop!” Dillon blurted, and in an instant the marking on his band began to change.

  Had Soral really gone that deep with the enchantments on the pawns or was he doing it on the fly? Ruena barely had a moment to think about it before the rush of pawns on both sides began, including the ones who had previously been blocking her movement. Everyone was zeroed in on the chance of becoming a more powerful role.

  “Wait!” Ruena called after her pawns. This was bad. Everyone else also knew about the wish now, so if they foolishly rushed forward the previously ignorable pawns would be targeted and taken out.

  To her surprise, all three of the pawns nearby immediately stopped and turned to her. It was then she realized how badly her team was in disarray. Their king was a cat, and their queen was Justus who was still on shaky grounds with many of the knights due to his past mistakes. Neither had done much to organize the black team. Now that she had their attention, she couldn't afford to hesitate.

  "Everyone saw that show just now. If you mindlessly rush forward you are as good as dead," Ruena explained, "We need to focus on making sure none of their pawns make it to our side instead. We already have an advantage with an extra bishop, so we have no need to be greedy."

  It was easy to put her team in line after that, but Rosalie and Leopold were taking the game very seriously as well. It was amazing to see how well they worked together. As for the black team, Ruena was more amazed that everyone followed her orders without question, even Jazz. Ruena was by no means a chess expert, but she was not going down without a fight.

  As the game continued, Ruena found herself at the edge of the training ground near the podium. Xandus had long returned and took this opportunity to lean down and speak to her. "You have done well so far, but don't relax yet," he told her, his eyes sharp despite his light and crazy tone, "They are watching."

  Xandus pulled back before Ruena could ask him what that could possibly mean, and she quickly realized she couldn't afford to be distracted as Jazz was being cornered. Luckily, the enemy was a straight shot so Ruena was able to charge forwards and capture the enemy.

  The servant in question huffed in annoyance. "It is like trying to catch an actual cat," she complained, "Letting a cat play the role of king has to be cheating."

  Ruena bit back a laugh. "Letting Jazz do anything feels like cheating," she confessed, "I'm just glad Soral's magical cat likes me."

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  She seemed shocked by the revelation. "Soral's cat? We assumed he was yours."

  "Well, if you ask Jazz, he doesn't belong to anyone," Ruena told her, "You did well. Hopefully you were able to enjoy this game at least a little."

  The servant passed over her armband. "More than I thought I would," she admitted, "I guess it really is possible to be friends with a crazy king."

  That was far more successful than Ruena had dared to hope, but the game wasn't over yet. The limitations of a rook still prevented her from getting a clear view of the battlefield without darting from one side to the other. It was good that she had excellent stamina, but it was still a handicap.

  In the end, though, she couldn't blame such a minor handicap for the black team's loss. Rosalie and Leopold made a wicked team together and successfully captured Jazz while Ruena was distracted. There was no shame in admitting that they were simply better at whatever this chess based battle royale was.

  The moment Jazz was officially captured, Xandus called the game to a halt revealing just how few people were still even in play. Ruena suspected her own lack of capture was due more to pity and favoritism than her own actual skills, but she had done her best. Her best had been enough to make an impression.

  Servants and knights alike approached her after the game was over. Knights were impressed with her powerful figure as she led her team, not faltering no matter how hopeless things became. The servants had been moved by her skills in the small moments of combat and how she never seemed to tire.

  After the game, it was time for refreshments. Soral quickly gathered the excited crowd and gave them food and drink. Ruena took advantage of their momentary distraction to track down Xandus.

  "What did you mean by that earlier?" she demanded.

  Xandus smiled vaguely. "I could have meant many things, depending on what you are asking," he replied, "Chess is a game that has many rules, and the game we were playing was different still."

  Of course he wouldn't make it that simple. Ruena felt her irritation growing, but fought it back down. He was riling her up on purpose. "Who is watching?" she pressed.

  "They are," Xandus answered with all the confidence of a man who had revealed something amazing, "That is why you should try your best for when the time comes to meet them in person."

  That one cryptic remark was all Ruena was able to get out of him before they were both dragged off to join in the festivities. Rosalie and Leopold had somehow gotten very close during the game, and were sharing stories about their memories about Ruena. She had to grab Soral before he could join in, which resulted in him feeding her one of every kind of refreshment he had prepared. In true Soral fashion, there was a ridiculous amount of refreshments.

  “This one will be your favorite for sure,” Soral told her, slipping some kind of chocolate dipped cookie onto her plate, “When you tried it before, your thoughts were full of bliss.”

  Her thoughts… Ruena suddenly recalled Xandus’s words. “Soral, do you know what he meant by that earlier?” she asked.

  Soral froze. “Sorry,” he apologized instantly, “He told me that if I tell you he will trap me in his underground chess arena and make a kingdom wide ban on cupcakes in Valen.”

  What a bizarre threat, though Ruena got the feeling that it was the second half that Soral was really concerned about. Using him like this to solve all her problems wasn’t the right way to do things anyway. “It’s fine,” she told him, “I already have a hunch of my own. Even if I am wrong, there is no harm in trying my best.”