Post by L.E. Ott on Jan 21, 2006 11:42:18 GMT -5
Oltin leaned back in his chair, waiting for the Empress to set limits to the betting. It was her right as first-turn player to do so. He watched her look left to her advisor, Arnaea. The tall blonde merely shrugged.
Saphira looked across the board at the man facing her. Oltin Goli, one of the regional governors in her Empire. He was smiling, thinking that he would perhaps best her as they had both bested all the other players. To the left, Arnaea offered no suggestion as to what limit should be imposed.
"What good is an advisor with no advice to give?" the Empress thought. Then she knew what was meant by the simple shrug her councilor gave.
"No limit," she whispered.
"What was that, your Majesty?" Oltin asked.
"No limit. There is no limit. Bet anything that you wish. We for one...We place before you the Empire. That is our half of this wager. Our throne and all that comes with it."
All of the occupants of the room gasped, and Saphira saw Arnaea's eyes go wide. Oltin, recovering quickly from his shock, smiled. It was a bluffing smile. He was truly terrified.
"And what can I offer...something worth even half that...I must not shame myself with some silly offer of money."
After a moment's contemplation, the governor cleared his throat and leaned forward.
"Very well, your Majesty. In the hope of matching your precious offer, I can only offer you my most precious possession. My daughter Karia."
"What?" the Empress exclaimed, standing so quickly that she nearly upset the board.
"You cannot offer a person! At least not one you never bought yourself!"
"Majesty," Arnaea interjected, "there is nothing in the rules..."
"Damn the rules! I say he cannot offer up his daughter as...as a prize."
Saphira slipped, forgetting to include the royal 'we' in reference to herself. This was surely a sign that she was enraged. Arnaea felt a shudder of fear in herself.
"I will not accept a freewoman as a slave!"
"She need not be a slave, your Majesty," Oltin said, showing no trace of his growing terror, "unless you desire that."
Saphira felt a hand on her arm, looked into the warm brown eyes of Arnaea. The councilor smiled, nodding. Finally, the Empress sighed, shoving a stray lock of ebony-shaded hair behind her ear and returning to her chair.
"All right. Fine. Your daughter or my Empire. One of us wins, one of us loses. All the same, I suppose."
The placer, the man in charge of dealing tiles, looked now to the Empress, who waved her hand, a dismissive gesture of 'go ahead.'
Two tiles were dealt to Oltin, two to Saphira. After a glance around the room, Saphira turned over her first tile. Red. Brilliant. Oltin turned his. Also red.
"Godsdamn it...stalemate. Oh well, one more tile."
The second tiles were turned...and the Empress smiled broadly. Oltin had a yellow tile. Saphira had blue. Blue, the ultimate color; the triumphant, undefeatable color.
"But, but..." the fat man sputtered.
"Well, well. Seems we've won," Saphira said, standing and offering her hand. Oltin didn't shake it. He was too busy staring at his yellow tile. Saphira looked to the rest of the governors in the room.
"Gentlemen, We thank you for a most engaging game. We are tired, and need our rest. Tomorrow is, after all, the official coronation."
She stretched and went around the room, shaking hands, before exiting, Arnaea following behind her.
"Majesty, the girl...shall I go wake her?"
"No, no. Let her sleep. Tomorrow, we will tell her that she is staying here. To observe life in the court, and such. It won't seem unusual. Most nobles send their children to the court at some point."
Saphira looked across the board at the man facing her. Oltin Goli, one of the regional governors in her Empire. He was smiling, thinking that he would perhaps best her as they had both bested all the other players. To the left, Arnaea offered no suggestion as to what limit should be imposed.
"What good is an advisor with no advice to give?" the Empress thought. Then she knew what was meant by the simple shrug her councilor gave.
"No limit," she whispered.
"What was that, your Majesty?" Oltin asked.
"No limit. There is no limit. Bet anything that you wish. We for one...We place before you the Empire. That is our half of this wager. Our throne and all that comes with it."
All of the occupants of the room gasped, and Saphira saw Arnaea's eyes go wide. Oltin, recovering quickly from his shock, smiled. It was a bluffing smile. He was truly terrified.
"And what can I offer...something worth even half that...I must not shame myself with some silly offer of money."
After a moment's contemplation, the governor cleared his throat and leaned forward.
"Very well, your Majesty. In the hope of matching your precious offer, I can only offer you my most precious possession. My daughter Karia."
"What?" the Empress exclaimed, standing so quickly that she nearly upset the board.
"You cannot offer a person! At least not one you never bought yourself!"
"Majesty," Arnaea interjected, "there is nothing in the rules..."
"Damn the rules! I say he cannot offer up his daughter as...as a prize."
Saphira slipped, forgetting to include the royal 'we' in reference to herself. This was surely a sign that she was enraged. Arnaea felt a shudder of fear in herself.
"I will not accept a freewoman as a slave!"
"She need not be a slave, your Majesty," Oltin said, showing no trace of his growing terror, "unless you desire that."
Saphira felt a hand on her arm, looked into the warm brown eyes of Arnaea. The councilor smiled, nodding. Finally, the Empress sighed, shoving a stray lock of ebony-shaded hair behind her ear and returning to her chair.
"All right. Fine. Your daughter or my Empire. One of us wins, one of us loses. All the same, I suppose."
The placer, the man in charge of dealing tiles, looked now to the Empress, who waved her hand, a dismissive gesture of 'go ahead.'
Two tiles were dealt to Oltin, two to Saphira. After a glance around the room, Saphira turned over her first tile. Red. Brilliant. Oltin turned his. Also red.
"Godsdamn it...stalemate. Oh well, one more tile."
The second tiles were turned...and the Empress smiled broadly. Oltin had a yellow tile. Saphira had blue. Blue, the ultimate color; the triumphant, undefeatable color.
"But, but..." the fat man sputtered.
"Well, well. Seems we've won," Saphira said, standing and offering her hand. Oltin didn't shake it. He was too busy staring at his yellow tile. Saphira looked to the rest of the governors in the room.
"Gentlemen, We thank you for a most engaging game. We are tired, and need our rest. Tomorrow is, after all, the official coronation."
She stretched and went around the room, shaking hands, before exiting, Arnaea following behind her.
"Majesty, the girl...shall I go wake her?"
"No, no. Let her sleep. Tomorrow, we will tell her that she is staying here. To observe life in the court, and such. It won't seem unusual. Most nobles send their children to the court at some point."