Last Rank

Chapter 4

- Elly -

"Don't just stand there silent like a corpse. It is uncomfortable," the Count said.

"Forgive me?" Elly answered absent-mindedly. The Count took a lot less time to undress, but still enough that she had spaced out, wondering what kind of man Sir Lanclair would be. She couldn't quite decide what the feeling in her stomach was supposed to be. It should have been excitement, but that seemed to have settled, instead it might have been dread.

"You may talk," the Count said.

"Oh."

"So?"

"Well ..." Elly said. She didn't know what would have been an appropriate thing to say to a Count, even less what this specific one would have been interested to hear about. Certainly not the concerns on her mind right now.

"... I asked my father about chess the other day. He told me not to stick my nose where it doesn't belong."

"I take your father is very old-fashioned then?" the Count said.

"I suppose so."

"Are you truly interested, in the game, I mean?"

"Maybe."

The Count slipped out behind the dressing screen, still very much not finished buttoning up his shirt and grabbed a wooden box from the shelf.

Elly tried not to look but there hadn't been many chances in her life to see the naked chest of a man. It might have been pure curiosity, or it might have been because he was somewhat handsome, she didn't really know.

"Sit," the Count said. He placed the box upon the table, before his slim fingers went to button up the last bit of his shirt.

"I am afraid I can't." What maid sat down on a table during her work, after all?

"Sit," the Count repeated and took a chair for himself. While he opened the box and started placing its content on the table Elly dared to let her curiosity win once more. She slowly sat down and stroke her dress straight.

"The rules are not that difficult, really, as long as you remember the moves every piece is allowed to take," the Count said. He took up every black and white piece and explained its name and purpose before placing it on the board without paying too much attention to Elly herself however, who couldn't help but let a slim smile sneak upon her lips.

And before she knew it, she played her first game of chess and forgotten were all worries about appropriate behaviour or anything else for that matter.

"That was a very bad move," the Count said, among other advice. "You ought to protect your king, not your knight."

"I like the horses better, though," Elly said. Her fingertips moved over the wood carved figure.

The Count scowled. He shook his head as if frustrated, but the corners of his lips twisted upwards, like he tried not to smile. He took another move. "Check mate."

Elly leaned over the board to realize she had indeed lost.

"Not that bad for a first try. But you need to anticipate the moves of your opponent more," the Count said and resumed to place the chess pieces back to their starting position.

"So it is difficult after all," Elly said.

"Only for the simple minded."

Elly pursed her lips, not quite sure if that should have been an insult or a compliment. She could remember the names of the pieces and where she was allowed to place them, but apparently failed to see beyond that.