Sign...
"Please take a seat, Marquis Sterling" I told him as I stood up myself gesturing towards the seat, opposite of me, where mother was sitting until a moment ago.
"Oh no. That seat belongs to Her Majesty. I would not Dare to occupy it," He refused the seat.
I kind of anticipated that this would be his reply, But I asked anyway. I was also curious if this would be his reply and just tested him a little.
You've passed, Marquis. Which means I can go ahead and do what mother wanted me to do.
"Then, are you just gonna stand there ?" I asked as I started rearranging the pieces.
"Yes" He replied instantly.
"You know, Marquis, the most efficient way to understand a game is to interact with it. To know a game, you must play it." I told him
"I am quite capable of observation from this height, Your Highness. Thank you for the reminder." He said, still refusing to take a seat.
"...I see" I stood up from my seat "Mary, Move the seats"
Mary stepped forward and moved the seats to the side.
"Your Highness, You don't need--" He was about to oppose my decision.
"Marquis" But I interrupted him "I realize that as a Noble, seeing your Prince abandon his comfort for your sake might make you uncomfortable. But..."
I finished aligning the last row of white pawns and looked him dead in the eye. "If I am sitting while my opponent is standing, my focus is divided between the board and your height. That makes me more uncomfortable. And in this garden, my comfort is the priority. Do you understand?"
He looked at me in silence for a bit and replied "Understood"
"Then... Shall we start ?"
"It would be my honor." He said.
I pointed to the front-line infantry. "First, each side commands sixteen pieces. These are the Pawns. Individually, they are the weakest units on the board, yet they possess the highest potential on the field. They move forward, one or two steps at the start, but they can never retreat. They are the soul of the game."
For the next ten minutes, the garden was silent except for the rhythmic clack-clack of wood on wood. I walked him through the movements of the Knight's leap, the Bishop's diagonal reach, and the Rook's heavy, straight-line pressure. Finally, I placed my hand on the King.
"This is the King. If he falls, the game ends. But this..." I touched the Queen, "...is the most powerful piece on the board. She has the freedom to move in any direction, for any distance. She is the sword that protects the heart, protects the king."
For the past ten minutes Sterling has been listening to my every word and everything there is to learn.
"I see.... I think, I understand, or at least most of it." He said
"That's good. If so, then would you care to join me for one round ?" I asked him
"It would be My utmost honor"
We began. Sterling took the first turn, claiming the center of the board with his King's Pawn. It was a classic opening, safe and strong. For the next fifteen minutes, the only sound in the garden was the rhythmic, authoritative clack of wood on wood.
Sterling played like a banker. He was defensive, hoarding his pieces and refusing to trade unless he saw a clear profit. Every time I pressured his Knights, he retreated, trying to maintain a solid wall of defense. He was looking for a "stable market."
But I wasn't playing for stability. With [Hyper Brain] active, the board looked like a glowing web of vectors to me. I saw the weakness in his defensive shell before he even finished building it.
I sacrificed my Bishop.
Andras paused, his hand hovering over his Rook. "A blunder, Your Highness?"
"A price," I corrected.
He took the piece, a greedy glint in his eyes, but it was a trap. By removing his Rook from the back rank to take my Bishop, he left a gap in his King's protection. Three moves later, I slid my Queen across the long diagonal.
"Checkmate," I said softly.
Sterling froze. He stared at the board, his eyes darting back and forth, desperately seeking a legal move. There was none. His King was boxed in by his own over-crowded pawns—the very units he had tried so hard to "protect."
And so it was my win.
"Fascinating," he breathed, finally exhaling a breath he seemed to have been holding for five minutes. He didn't look upset; he looked electrified.
"I have never encountered a pastime that demands such... total cognitive commitment. Its truly marvelous. I am not a General but I believe even they would love it" He said in a enthusiastic voice.
"I'm glad you find it to your liking, Marquis," I said, carefully observing his reaction.
"Yes, And I am certain the high nobility would find it just as intoxicating."
Oh? Are we finally getting to the topic ?
"I'm sure they will," I replied, my voice cool and flat.
"Again, I must praise your creativity, Your High-"
"Marquis." I cut him off mid-sentence. The silence that followed was heavy, punctuated only by the distant song of a garden bird. "I think we've done enough beating around the bush for one morning. Don't you agree?"
"Beating around the bush huh..." He said in a serious voice. In fact, this is most serious look he has given ever since he entered the garden.
"Yes, You know what you want. I know what you want. So why not get to point ?" I said bluntly.
I caught Mary's eye and gave a small nod. she moved forward and placed new ornament chairs behind us. We took our seat. Time for my first dealing with a noble.
Andras shifted his position, crossing one thigh over the other and leaning back with elegance. "You're right about that," he mumbled, his golden eyes narrowing behind his spectacles. "But, Your Highness, there is one variable I haven't been able to calculate yet."
He leaned in, his voice barely a whisper. "I don't know what you want in return."
Indeed. A deal, even if its a business deal is never simple, if its between a Noble and A prince.
"I can only assure you of one thing, Marquise" I leaned forward "Its definitely not something ....prince like, that I want"
I neither want or expect any support from him for the Succession war.