This Is...Crazy

Draven organized the chessboard as he responded.

"I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. He constantly comes to play chess with me, but he hasn't since three days ago."

He then raised his head to look at Avelina. "Let's play." 

Avelina glanced at the chessboard and flickered her eyes. She couldn't even tell which chess pieces were which.

"Uh…" She scratched her temple. "I have never played chess before, so I can't really tell the name of these chess pieces."

"That's fine." Draven beamed at her. "I intend to teach you, and since you are quite intelligent, I hope you grasp the basics of chess. We have to attend our marriage ceremony tonight, and there is something that I would like to introduce you to."

Avelina was silent for a few moments before nodding her head.

"Alright! Let's do this!" She stretched her knuckles.

Done organizing the pieces, Draven raised his head to enlighten his wife.

"On a chessboard, there are six different types of pieces. The king, the queen, the rooks, the bishops, knights, and pawns"

"Which ones are they?" Avelina inquired with her eyes fixed on the pieces on the chessboard.

Draven pointed at one of the pieces.

"This one right here is the king. It is the most important piece in this game."

"And the queen?" Avelina asked. 

"This is the queen." Draven pointed at another. "Unlike the king, it is the most powerful piece on this board."

Avelina frowned a bit in puzzlement. "Why is the queen more powerful than the king?"

"Because the queen has more mobility on the chessboard." Draven spread his hands. "The king that has more value 'because if you lose the king, you lose the game' has relatively much less power. In that sense, the queen is the most powerful piece."

"Let me make it clearer to you." He cleared his throat. "I am the king in this game, and you are the queen. You are the most powerful piece because, without you, I can't play this game. I need that power of yours that gives me the qualification to inherit the inheritance. On the other hand, I, the king, which is the most important piece, have more value because without me, not even you can play this game."

"I am the brain, the boss, and the mind. If you all lose me, you have technically lost, and you can no longer play or move any further. Your freedom will be gone as well, and you will be trapped by the enemy."

Avelina blinked, amazed by his detailed explanation.

"This makes a lot more sense now. Are you the only one that plays this game?" she asked. 

Draven straightened up, averting his attention from the chessboard.

"No." He shook his head. "My whole family does, especially my father. He enjoys this game as much as I do, but...he takes the whole inheritance thing and visualizes it as an actual game. To him, we are chess pieces on the board, and he thinks that he has the ultimate control."

"I am not one that can be controlled by anyone, Avelina. Not even by my father. He may think I'm one of the chess opponents' pieces, but he is wrong. I play my own game, and I am no one's piece. I am rather the one that has the control."

"This is…crazy," Avelina muttered in a daze.

Draven concurred with her. "It is, but it is fun as well. It's like a human-sized chess board, and each one of us is standing on our square. That is why I mentioned to you that every move you make determines how you will end up, and it is also why you have to be very careful."

"My father's rooks, bishops, and knights aren't people to mess with. Make a reckless move, you will be eaten, this time... in reality. And it basically means…death."

Avelina exhaled deeply at the information with fluttering lashes and queried, "Who are his rooks, bishops, and knights? What chess pieces are they?"

"Not who, but which," Draven said.

He then went ahead to clarify, "The rooks may move any number of squares horizontally or vertically without having to jump like the pawns. Also, it can capture an enemy piece on its way."

"One of my father's rooks is Lumian," he answered her question.

"Lumian..." Avelina tried to recall.

"He is the gleeful-looking one. He rarely has a serious expression," Draven clarified. "His eyebrows are thick, and he has gray eyes and short black hair. Do you remember him now?"

Avelina nodded at him. "Yes, I do."

"What about the knight and bishop? Who are they?" she queried. 

Draven diverted his attention to the chessboard. "There are two knights, bishops, and rooks on a chess board, Avelina. Lestat is one of the two knights, and Ryan is one of the bishops."

"Oh… I see, I see." Avelina connected the dots.

She asked, "What about Valentine? What chess piece is he?" 

Draven lifted his eyes and met her gaze. He thought for a few seconds before saying, "Valentine is not a part of this game."

Avelina was stunned and confused. "He's not? Why?" 

"Well, he is not interested in the inheritance, nor is he married. Although he is not married because he has no interest in marriage. Probably because he hasn't met the lady he likes, or it could be something else," Draven clarified.

Avelina tilted her head to one side. "Something else?" She was perplexed.

"Nothing." Draven shook his head, averting his gaze from her.

Avelina narrowed her eyes at him, pretty suspicious.

Draven, who could feel her intent gaze on him, inquired, "Have you ever heard of abilities, Avelina?"

"Abilities?" Avelina crinkled her brows. "What is…that?" 

"In vampires, there is something we call abilities. Each one of us is born with it. It's like…magic," Draven replied with a distant gaze.

"Magic?…" Avelina was starting to get really bewildered.

Draven slightly nodded. "Yes. Let me use my father as an example."

"His ability is to stop time. It simply means that he can stop time wherever and whenever he wants. Only he can move at that point."

"What? Wait, wait, seriously?" Avelina looked at him, clearly in disbelief.

"Yes. He has one of the most dangerous abilities because if he were to stop time right now, neither you nor I or anyone else would be able to move. Then, if he desires to kill you or me, he can do it with ease, and you will have no chance of defending yourself," Draven briefly elucidated.

Avelina squinted her eyes, speechless.

"If…that is his ability, then what about your…brothers?" she asked.