White Rook

by Ingrid Seymour

  I left the infirmary many days before Breen. While I was there, she slept the deep sleep of Nurse Loretta’s drugs, and I was grateful for it. Though eventually, I would have to face her. I didn’t know why but I feared her hatred, the constant animosity that added to the despair of being in the White Board.

  My heart had once been light and careless, but now it was heavy and dark. There was no good in my life unless I counted Vinna’s friendship, and even that stood on precarious ground.

  But when Breen came out and took her spot as Fourth Pawn, there seemed to be a change in her. Where before she’d searched for opportunities to communicate her hatred, now she avoided me. At meal times, she kept her eyes low and during training, she partnered up with Second Pawn Petru.

  “She’s afraid of yeh,” Vinna whispered in my ear one day as I surreptitiously watched Breen spar. “We all are.” She laughed as if it were a joke, but I could hear the truth in her words.

  The Pawns in my Quadrant were afraid of me. Bianca Flagfall, the one they liked to call princess.

  CHAPTER 14

  At last, the end of October came.

  There were four major festivities in Acedrex during the year, and one of them was tomorrow. Hallows Eve, an occasion which I’d been anxiously waiting for.

  In my past life—the one that had ended a mere four months ago, though it felt like a hundred more—Talyssa had been my only friend. I’d had acquaintances, girls I would talk to at balls and social gatherings while we fanned ourselves and talked nonsense, but nothing deeper than that.

  That never bothered me until now as I sat at a long table in the Study Hall scribbling a list with their names, trying to figure out who I could trust, who would help me.

  No one else was in the room. The place wasn’t visited much by any of the Pawns, not even during the day. Books were not high on their list of pastimes, and our assigned reading was more than enough for most of them. Besides, it was the hour before bedtime when they preferred to lie in bed, resting their weary bones after a hard day of training. Just the reason I had decided to come here tonight.

  A candelabra sat on the table where I sat, three flames wavering and casting warm light onto the page in front of me. The rest of the room was mostly dark, the books on the many shelves looking abandoned.

  I glanced at my list of names. There were but eleven names, and the last few I’d jotted down out of sheer desperation. This was much harder than I’d anticipated. Because I didn’t only need someone I could trust, I also needed someone of my approximate height and weight.

  The first two, Doina Nightrock and Jenica Fernvale, were too thin to be a match, Jenica less so than Doina, but still not a good complement.

  I dipped my quill in the pot of ink and scratched Doina, leaving Jenica alone, for now.

  Next on the list was Regina Preendale, who was completely out of the question, even if her stature, girth, and even taste in fashion were most appropriate. She was the richest of my acquaintances, a stout supporter of the Queen and King. She wouldn’t care that Maximus had killed my father or that he’d taken Talyssa. She would believe the King had been justified. My father had owed him money, and Talyssa was a Trove who had defied the monarchs’ rules. Regina would not be sympathetic to my request.

  I scratched her name off, too. Twice.

  Moving on down the list, I marked off more names until I was left with only two, Jenica Fernvale and Dumitra Lightmantel. I stared at both names for a long time, pondering and thinking about the impending Hallows Eve celebration and the opportunities it offered me.

  The holiday was enjoyed throughout the city. It was a time for all to forget themselves and their woes and rejoice from dusk until dawn. Everyone celebrated in their own way, including the King and Queen.

  From the moment the sun went down until it rose, the White and Black Palaces would be open to any who wished to enter and celebrate there. All were welcome—gentry and commoner—though, in truth, only the former could attend, since the elaborate gowns and suits required for such gatherings were a hardship for everyone else. More than that, the nobles were the only ones with virtual immunity against attacks from the monarchs and their thugs. Though I’d found out how flimsy said immunity could be.

  For their part, the commoners contented themselves with their own, more modest celebrations, which I’d always seen from afar on my way to fancier parties. Never at one of the palaces, though. Father had never allowed me to attend those parties, which I never understood until he told me I was Trove.

  This year, it would be different.

  Tomorrow evening, I would be attending the masquerade ball at the Black Palace.

  Perhaps it was a mistake to take such a risk, but I had to go if only to catch a glimpse of Talyssa. I had no idea if she would be in attendance, but I had to hope. I needed to know if she was alright. I needed to tell her that I would do everything under my power to free her from that monster.

  And that’s why I needed a ball gown, something to wear to the King’s masquerade party.

  I picked up my list, trying to picture Jenica and Dumitra in my mind’s eye. The latter was almost exactly my height, but her figure was on the voluptuous side. If I attempted to wear one of her gowns, it would probably drape around me like a tablecloth.

  None of the girls was a perfect match, but I guess Jenica was the closest, and she would be getting an unexpected visit from a White Pawn tomorrow afternoon.

  I doubted she would be too happy about that.

  JENICA’S HOUSE WAS on Square D1, a white square. It was a beautiful place, almost as beautiful as Flagfall house. The sight of its front, lovingly-kept garden sent a pang of longing in my chest that almost brought me to my knees. Talyssa and I had spent hours taking care of our own front yard, planting flowers every new season, watering and pruning them dutifully, but all that was gone.

  Who did our house belong to now? It wasn’t far from here. Only two squares west and one north and, yet, a whole world away. I didn’t wish to see it.

  Thanks to the Hallows Eve celebrations, I had the afternoon off as well as the entire next day. It felt like a blessing to have such respite from so much training.

  So, as soon as my guard duties at the front gate ended, I came here and had been pacing up and down Jenica’s street for the better part of an hour, hoping she would come out.

  I didn’t think she or her family would take kindly to a visit from a White Pawn, much less from a disgraced acquaintance who had lost her riches in such an embarrassing way.

  “You can’t walk up and down this street all afternoon, Bianca,” I mumbled under my breath. “You have to act.”

  Squaring my shoulders and straightening my white uniform, I crossed the street and headed toward the house. At the door, I paused and swallowed my pride. I was here to borrow a gown when mere months before I’d had dozens of them, some new and simply waiting for the next soiree.

  I knocked. A servant opened the door, her eyes bugging out when she caught sight of me.

  “May... May I help you?” she asked, looking as if she wanted to slam the door in my face.

  She wore a black dress with a white, frilly collar, and her graying hair was arranged in severe fashion.

  “Good afternoon,” I said, displaying my most charming smile. “I wish to speak to Jenica. Is she home?”

  “Do you have an appointment?” the woman asked, her face slowly registering recognition. I’d called on Jenica once or twice before, and I remember this same woman opening the door on those occasions, though with much better manners.

  “I don’t, but I’m sure Jenica will not mind.”

  “Well, I—”

  “Felimina, who is that?” a sweet, high-pitched voice that I recognized called from inside.

  “It’s... It’s just...” Before the woman could put together the right words to describe their visitor, Jenica inserted her slim figure between the servant and the door and stuck her head out, eyes widening.

  “Bianca!” she exclaimed
as she pushed her housekeeper out of the way and threw her arms around my neck.

  She held me tightly for almost a minute. At first, I was stiff with surprise but, at last, I relaxed into her embrace, glad that there was someone capable of offering me such a warm reception.

  “Come in, come in,” she said, pushing a glowering Felimina out of the way and dragging me along, her hand tight around mine.

  Her hooped skirt swung wildly as she hurried me into the parlor and unceremoniously shoved me onto a velvet-upholstered sofa and sat next to me, drawing my hands to her lap and squeezing them as if she meant to break my fingers. The room was as I remembered it, painted in a cream color with comfortable furniture and rugs of expensive craftsmanship.

  “Bianca, by the gods, you’re alive! We thought... we thought...” She pressed a hand to her chest, then caressed my cheek. “But you’re alright and a...” she examined my uniform as if noticing it for the first time, “a First Pawn.”

  She pronounced the words as if I’d sprouted fangs. I half expected her to recoil, but maybe her curiosity was deeper than her fear or revulsion, whichever she felt more keenly.

  “You look dashing in that uniform,” she said, throwing a nervous glance toward Felimina who was standing at the threshold. “Will you fetch us some tea, please?” she asked sweetly.

  “My apologies, but it is my duty to point out that your father will not be pleased, Ms. Jenica,” the housekeeper said, her neck stretched out like a crane’s and her eyebrows reaching for her hairline.

  Jenica blinked. “Whatever do you mean? This is Martin Flagfall’s daughter, my dear friend, Bianca. Are you insinuating she isn’t welcome here?”

  Felimina looked appalled for a second, then gave a huff and left. Jenica rolled her eyes and waved a dismissive hand at the woman’s retreating figure.

  “Forgive me, Jenica,” I said. “I don’t wish to get you in trouble, but I desperately need your help. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have dared visit you. I know I’m persona non grata.”

  “Don’t say that, Bianca. You’re my friend. I’ve thought of you often in the past four months. I missed visiting you at Flagfall House. Balls and soirees aren’t the same without you. I’ve missed you.”

  “Thank you.”

  The back of my eyes prickled at the thought that anyone had missed me. It seemed Jenica had considered me a closer friend than I’d considered her. The realization shamed me, making me see once more how superficially I’d led my previous life. I’d thought myself better than Jenica because I’d perceived my social status to be higher than hers. How wrong I had been.

  “What can I do for you?” she asked with a smile. Her narrow face wore an eager expression that made me feel grateful. I’d been so afraid of being thrown out on my ear that her genuine desire to help me was a real shock.

  “I... I need to borrow a gown, for the masquerade ball tonight.” It was harder to make my request than I would have thought. It seemed I hadn’t yet lost the entirety of my pride, regardless of what I’d been through.

  Jenica seemed confused for a moment, then her expression slowly changed as she reached a conclusion. “You’re going to attend the White Palace’s masquerade ball,” she said, excitement entering her voice.

  She’d assumed that since I was part of Queen Lovina’s Board, I intended to go to her Hallows Eve celebration.

  “Oh, that is quite... exciting,” she said hesitantly, though the sparkle in her eyes revealed the idea truly captured her fancy.

  We’d always wished to attend the grand balls at one of the palaces, but our parents had never allowed it, even if those were the prime locations to snatch eligible bachelors from noble families. Our own families might have been well-off, but not as much as the nobles.

  For a moment, I thought of letting Jenica believe this was the case, but a desire to feel connected to someone drove me to tell her the truth, at least partially. No one in the White Palace knew of Talyssa—not even Vinna.

  “Actually, I mean to go to the King’s masquerade ball,” I said.

  Jenica frowned. “But whities and blackies don’t exactly get along. I know you’d be wearing a mask, but aren’t you afraid of being discovered?”

  “Quite so,” I admitted, “but I have to go. The King took Talyssa.”

  Jenica gasped, covering her mouth with her thin hand. “Gods, I didn’t think of Talyssa.”

  She sounded ashamed by her omission. Most of my acquaintances had seen my lady-help as no more than a servant. I was sure few had wondered about her fate after what happened to us.

  “And you hope to see her there?” Jenica asked, puzzled.

  She was clearly thinking that searching for Talyssa at the Black Palace was a waste of time. My lady-help would surely be dead by now.

  “The King took her because Talyssa is a... Trove.” I whispered the last word and quickly regretted my foolish desire to share all of this with Jenica.

  The word Trove was a curse, even when spoken about someone else. It was worse than saying plague or leprosy in a walled-in city.

  Jenica swallowed. “I see,” she said, her cheeks flushed with color.

  She took several deep breaths, obviously trying to calm herself in view of my revelation. I bit my tongue, chiding myself for being so foolish.

  I would surely be thrown out now. What had I done?

  CHAPTER 15

  To my great relief, I have been wrong, and Jenica had been beyond kind.

  The ball gown she’d let me borrow was simple but elegant. It was of a deep lilac color, made of shiny silk. It had flowing skirts and a high neck for which I was grateful. The gown was tight around me since a low bodice would have made me look as if I were about to explode out of the dress.

  But her help hadn’t stopped there. She’d also invited me to her bedroom, where she’d helped me arrange my hair and makeup and allowed me to select a mask from her collection. She didn’t have as many as I’d used to keep stored inside a large hat box, but her selection had been more than satisfactory.

  I’d chosen one with small sparkling stones of purple and pink, and similarly colored feathers that fanned out of the corners of the mask to tickle my dark hair. It complemented the gown perfectly.

  She’d even let me borrow a pair of silver slippers that felt terribly uncomfortable after months of wearing my supple leather books.

  After leaving her house through the back door—something I had insisted on—I walked a few squares east, rented a carriage, and instructed the driver to take me to the King’s Palace. The cost of the ride was thirty Chekes, but now that I was a First Pawn my pay was higher, so I was able to afford it.

  We rode down streets crowded with revelers. Some of the intersecting avenues were blocked to allow the nearby residents to dance and frolic to their heart’s content without worrying about traffic. Taverns and inns appeared merry, adorned with garlands and lit jack-o’-lanterns. Additional Black and White Sentries patrolled the streets to ensure order.

  After a thirty minute drive, the clomping of the horses slowed as we approached the Black Palace’s main gate. My heart thundered in my chest as I glimpsed the large dark structure atop the hill.

  Images of King Maximus walking into our parlor flashed before my eyes. He had struck Papa and wiped his hand in a handkerchief he’d quickly discarded with disgust. Then he’d taken Talyssa as if she weren’t a person, but an animal one could own.

  I could only be sure that Talyssa was alive because she was a Trove. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have entertained any hope of seeing her again. Maximus had said she was a weak Trove, but he would still keep her alive for as long as he could, wouldn’t he? He wouldn’t have killed her or hurt her in any way.

  I shook my head angrily. I couldn’t allow my own thoughts to fill me with fear and cowardice. A journey of a thousand steps would be required to instill my revenge. This was just one step out of the many. The path ahead of me was long and treacherous, but every step would make me stronger until the day when I glanced back an
d this day seemed like a walk in Castling Park.

  My carriage stopped, and a Black Sentry knocked on the door, opened it after a pause and peeked inside.

  “Milady,” he said with a bow, then closed the door and waved us through.

  I figured they were checking if I was truly here to attend the ball. I suspected they would have turned me away if I weren’t wearing a fancy ball gown. The balls were supposedly open for anyone to attend, but no one truly believed that.

  The carriage continued through the main path up to the palace. I paid close attention as we went and noticed many familiarities with the way the White Palace was laid out. I could identify the dormitories for the Board members, the servants’ building, and the stable.

  Briefly, I thought of Nyro and wondered of his fate as a Challenger. Had he become a Pawn? Or a meal for the King? The latter possibility upset me more than I cared to admit. I certainly hoped he was alive. I wondered if I would see him today.

  The carriage climbed toward the massive black building that I’d only ever glimpsed from the city. Up close, it was even bigger and more menacing than I’d imagined. All its windows seemed ablaze with light, but this fact did nothing to dispel my dread. I could imagine nothing but darkness inside that place.

  We came to a stop. A page opened the door and offered me his gloved hand to help me descend. I took it and went down, taking each step carefully as my legs trembled. There was a line of carriages ahead of mine and more behind. Guests were walking up the steps that led to the front entrance. They chatted and laughed, the women resplendent in their beautiful gowns, the men tall and regal.

  I almost froze on the spot, but instead, I forced myself to walk up the steps and follow the other guests. I garnered a few curious glances, alone as I was. I ignored them and kept my eyes downcast.