Future Dynasty

Lecture Twenty-Three

Strategy Requires Thought, While Tactics Require Observation.

"Did you even sleep?"

Walking into the study I spotted my mom sitting at the chess table that sat in the center of the room. It was made of glass with each game piece reflecting the sun's gaze from the wide open window from behind. Mom's gaze was focused as she started at the board in front of her clearly deep in thought about something.

"I haven't slept much since you kids were born." Mom's words were clear but I could tell by her voice that she was far away from here.

"I feel like even before then you didn't get much sleep."

Mom let out a scoff of laughter at my comment, this time actually looking up at me. Though I knew she hadn't slept she still looked refreshed, her eyes bright and awake. Her skin glowing in a way that only a teenager could be jealous off.

"No, I guess I didn't." Responded mom stretching out her back. "My life was what you would call entertaining at the very least. There was hardly time to breath never mind sleep."

Now that was the truth.

Over the last few weeks mom had told me about her life when she and dad were young. Sometimes I couldn't believe the stuff that they were in the middle off from they were teenagers but there was something to admire about it as well.

Mom never seemed to complain that this was her life. She never complained who her birth mother was when most people would break at the fact that there parents was one of the most powerful crime bosses when they themselves had nothing to do with this world before that.

Mom might not have been raised for this world, but she was born into it and as soon as she found out about that she embraced it with open arms.

Slowly I made my way over to the chess set and sat down across from my mom looking down at the pieces and taking them in one by one. If I knew my mom she wasn't just sitting here playing a game, she was planning her next move in the real world.

"I want to know." My eyes were looking down at the board trying to piece together which piece represented what in the real world.

After all that was how my mom looked at this game.

"Know what?" There was a grin on my moms face as she lifted the rook off the board making it out to be that she was studying the piece when in reality I knew she was studying me.

"What are you going to do now?" leaning forward I moved one of the chest pieces. Mom glanced down at the board with a grin before putting the rook back down to where it was before she lifted it.

"Depends what they do next." Responded mom as she moved her queen, her chin resting on the palm of her other hand as she got comfortable.

"I want to be part of it." I move another piece but this time I don't even glance at the board as I stare at my mom. "You said I can be apart of dad's world but I want to be a part of yours too."

Mom glanced at me carefully and silence fell between us. After a few seconds she picked up the Queen this time and studied it.

"If this board was real life could you tell me what piece represents what?"

She was testing me.

Just like how she had tested Reagan. Reagan had told me she had asked him this question years ago but he never told me what she told him. He had told me that if the times comes she would tell me herself.

"Who represents the Queen?"

It was a simple question. A question that could have any answer but I wanted to give her the answer that she wanted.