The wind had teeth.
It slipped through the cracks of the carriage and found every gap in clothing, turning the morning chill into something persistent. Outside, the sky was a pale sheet of grey, seemingly undecided about becoming rain.
"We've done nothing since we got here."
I rested my chin against my palm and stared through the carriage window. The city rolled past in fragments—shop signs, pedestrians wrapped in coats, horses breathing clouds of steam into the cold air.
Across from me, Qiang glanced up from his book.
"What happened?"
The question hung in the carriage.
Miss Noi had one arm draped over the backrest, appearing entirely too relaxed for someone who had spent the morning discussing entities with names that sounded like disasters waiting to happen.
"Fuchs Märchen is said to be heading this way."
She said it as casually as one might mention a change in the weather.
Beside her, Victoria continued muttering under her breath.
"Bishop takes knight. No... queen first..."
She frowned at nothing visible.
I looked between them.
"So what are we supposed to do?"
Miss Noi turned her head slightly. For a moment she simply looked at me.
Then she answered.
"Keep it a deliberative process from the public."
She paused.
"Although there is likely not going to be any issue."
The last words came quieter.
Almost like a hope.
That didn't help.
Silence settled again.
The wheels rattled over uneven stone. Nobody seemed interested in elaborating.
Outside, the city continued existing without concern. People crossed streets carrying baskets. Merchants arranged goods beneath awnings. A woman scolded a child running too close to a carriage wheel.
The ordinary stubbornly refused to acknowledge whatever it was we were apparently waiting for.
Somehow that only made it stranger.
The closer we came to the center of the city, the busier the streets became.
Traffic slowed.
Horse hooves clattered against stone. Voices overlapped. The smell of seawater drifted in from somewhere ahead.
Eventually the carriage stopped.
Mr Bao opened the door.
Cold air flooded inside.
I stepped down onto the street and adjusted my hanfu.
The sea was visible between the buildings.
My gaze lingered there.
"There are more ships than before."
Qiang had noticed it too.
Several vessels sat anchored offshore. Others moved slowly through the harbor, their dark silhouettes breaking the pale horizon.
I looked toward the others.
Mr Bao followed my gaze.
Miss Noi did as well.
Neither commented.
Neither looked surprised.
I didn't like that.
"Queen to c1."
Victoria walked past us, still murmuring to herself.
I stared.
She didn't seem to notice.
Or perhaps she simply didn't care.
The Liaison Building felt exactly as it had before.
Large.
Quiet.
Important.
The sort of place where people always appeared busy even when standing still.
We entered through the front doors.
The sounds of the street faded almost immediately.
Footsteps softened. Voices lowered. Paper shuffled somewhere in the distance.
Clerks moved between desks carrying folders and documents.
The entire building reminded me of an anthill.
Everyone clearly knew where they were going except us.
We returned to the same room.
The same chairs.
The same desk.
The same typewriter.
The same chessboard.
I sat down.
Qiang settled into the chair beside me.
"I think we're being kept away from whatever is happening."
He spoke quietly.
Miss Noi smiled without looking up from her paperwork.
Not enough to deny it.
Just enough to acknowledge it.
Qiang sighed.
"It seems I was right."
He opened his book.
"The Concord does not want us involved."
Nobody argued.
Which felt suspiciously close to confirmation.
I leaned back in my chair.
The room settled around us.
Paper rustled.
Typewriter keys clicked.
A clock ticked somewhere.
The atmosphere felt strangely peaceful considering the conversations we'd been having.
Or maybe that was exactly the point.
Keep us somewhere comfortable.
Keep us occupied.
Keep us out of the way.
The thought sat badly in my chest.
Victoria sat alone at the chess table.
The board had already been arranged. The pieces stood ready.
Yet nobody sat across from her.
She tapped a pawn.
Stopped.
Adjusted a bishop.
Then pretended she wasn't waiting.
The performance was terrible.
I watched for a while.
Eventually curiosity won.
"Why does she play that game so much?"
Mr Bao paused his writing.
His pen hovered above the paper.
He glanced toward Victoria.
"She lost."
His expression remained perfectly serious.
"And then lost."
Another pause.
"And then unfortunately won once."
I blinked.
"I do not understand."
Neither did Qiang.
Mr Bao folded his hands.
"Have you ever succeeded at something before, Miss Ai?"
The question caught me off guard.
"Of course."
"And it took effort?"
I thought about tournaments.
Training.
Years of cultivation.
Competition.
The failures too.
"...Yes."
Mr Bao nodded.
"Well, people only gamble on things they believe they might win."
He gestured toward Victoria.
"The possibility is important."
Victoria suddenly brightened.
Apparently she had found a move.
A second later her expression collapsed.
Apparently it had been a terrible move.
I had to look away before she noticed me watching.
Mr Bao continued.
"The knowledge that victory exists makes defeat tolerable."
His eyes followed the board.
"And the possibility of gain creates excitement."
I looked at Victoria again.
She was smiling despite clearly losing.
"Oh."
Qiang lowered his book.
"So she has a gambling problem."
Mr Bao laughed.
A genuine laugh.
Then returned to writing without answering.
Which was answer enough.
I found myself staring at the chessboard.
Then at Victoria.
Then back at the board.
The memory returned.
The duel.
The impossible knives.
The strange lines.
The way she had somehow positioned danger behind me without intent.
Or perhaps without visible intent.
I still didn't understand it.
That bothered me more than losing.
I had asked her.
Several times.
Every attempt received the same answer.
A grin.
And a refusal.
Show me the lines.
No.
Show me the knives.
No.
Explain what stopped my sword.
No.
Every answer came with the same infuriating smile.
I looked at the board again.
An idea appeared.
A terrible idea.
Which usually meant it was worth trying.
"Would she teach me if I beat her at chess?"
The question escaped before I could stop it.
Qiang looked over the top of his book.
Mr Bao raised an eyebrow.
Nobody answered.
The silence stretched.
Victoria looked up.
Our eyes met.
A grin immediately appeared on her face.
Something about it—
No.
I suddenly felt like a rabbit volunteering for an experiment.
Then she returned her attention to the board.
Refusal without words.
I sighed.
Fine.
There was only one solution.
"Victoria."
She looked up again.
"Let's play."
The reaction was immediate.
The way her eyes lit up made me wonder whether I had just made a mistake.
A serious mistake.
"Oh."
She sat straighter.
"Okay."
The answer came far too quickly.
Miss Noi glanced over from her desk.
Then quietly vacated the chair opposite Victoria.
I stood, crossed the room, and took the seat.
The chessboard sat between us.
Black and white.
Orderly.
Simple.
Unlike everything else currently happening.
Victoria began arranging the pieces with surprising care.
A moment later she looked up.
"Black or white?"
The excitement in her voice leaked through despite her attempts to sound casual.
"You pick."
I studied the board.
The room.
The people around us.
Outside, something was apparently important enough to keep us uninformed.
Inside, we were playing chess.
Waiting.
Passing time.
Being kept safely out of the way.
For now, that was enough.
I reached forward.
"White."
A smile found its way onto my face.
Maybe this was a terrible idea.
Maybe not.
Either way, it was the most interesting thing that had happened all day.
Victoria's grin widened.
The game began.