Queen of Brilliance

After eating lunch, the princes, and the princess along with their attendants return to the Grand Library. Beyond the center from the entrance is a space that has chess tables. It is on the opposite corner of the round table and is said to be the most comfortable part of the library according to the librarians.

Upon arrival, they see Queen Sophia already waiting for them. She has her maids arrange all the chess tables with their pieces. The adviser and some scholars are also present.

"Your Majesty," all bows to the queen as they approach.

"At ease," she sits on the chess table nearest to them. "Camille, dear, let's play, shall we?"

"Me?" she turns to her brothers, the adviser, and the scholars but all shifted their focus elsewhere. "Fine."

The queen and the princess start their game. Meanwhile, Prince Louis approaches Prince Julien to ask him for one game. Julien agrees and the two play using the chess table beside the queen and the princess. The adviser and the scholars also engage in the intellectual game. Silence descends on the large corner until Princess Camille says, "Check."

Everyone else except Gianni, who watches the entire match, fills with surprise. They look at how their game is going and see a murder, no, a massacre. The queen only lost a pawn and the princess already lost half of her officials and all her pawns. She makes a desperate attempt to check. Effective in garnering the room's attention, but not great in impressing others surrounding her and her opponent. The queen smiles at her move and decides to capture all her pieces then go checkmate.

The princess suffers bitter defeat. She, of course, expected her defeat ever since the game started. Her mother, the queen, is just too much for her, because even the adviser, the greatest mind in the land never once defeated her.

"Camille," the queen speaks as she rearranges the pieces back. "Do you know why you lost?"

"Because I am simply not good enough," the princess replies as she also rearranges her pieces.

"No," the queen sternly replies, "all my children are best at what they are. That is not the reason why you suffered defeat. The reason is that in your heart and mind you lacked the resolve to win. You are already thinking of defeat when it should not have been."

"That's easy for you to stay," the princess finishes arranging. "You never lost a game."

"Never lost?" she laughs. "I always kept losing when I was your age."

When she releases that statement, everyone in the room, except Gianni, who never really knew a thing about the queen, imbues with aghast. They know that the queen is smart and highly educated but they just could not fathom her losing a game of chess.

"We all begin somewhere," the queen holds the king's pawn in front of the piece. "We lose, we cry, we fall, people doubt us, but we stand back up again and again."

"I'm going to beat you this time," Princess Camille replies as she moves her knight. "You better not hold back."

Meanwhile, the adviser and the scholars are finishing up their game. The two princes have their chessboard heated up. Launching attacks one after another, the audience of attendants enters a trance of mesmerizing focus due to their moves and countermoves.

Gianni smiles as the battle rages on. The match is like performing an extremely complicated dance and the two princes are returning their steps. A waltz of swords and tactics. A tango of spears and feints. A minuet of bows and brains. Until finally, "Checkmate," Prince Julien finishes the game.

"Excellent, Lord Brother," Louis praises his opponent.

Gianni notices how Prince Julien sweats so much. He approaches and offers his silk handkerchief to wipe his face. The prince welcomes the gesture and uses the silk garment.

Moments later, the queen and the princess also finish their game, with the queen claiming victory. Prince Julien approaches the queen to challenge her to a match. Of course, the queen welcomes it as a sign of her children's growth.

They commence the game and everybody in the room stops playing to watch the two plays. The prince uses the four knights' position to counter the queen's opening. Their battle burns and blazes not one letting up. Taking up strategic positions one after another. A moment comes when a decisive move comes to Prince Julien. It meant sacrificing her queen, but it is a good move. A move that will give him a tactical advantage. He thinks about it and after some time, he uses the move.

The queen laughs after his move. Prince Julien fears a misstep.

'That was a wrong move? But that gives me a great advantage in the long game.'

Everyone in the room knows what is going to unfold. Nobody won a match against the queen after she laughs. After plenty of successive moves, Prince Julien concedes defeat.

'How can this be? That sacrifice was meant to be my ace. The move would give me an advantage.'

The queen's skill is too much for them. He asks permission to retire, returning to his room afterward.

The prince lays down on his bed the moment he arrives. He tells Gianni he feels fatigued. Gianni immediately asks if he feels anything else, and the prince replies that he has a headache and asks for a head massage. Gianni bids Gabriel gets some water.

As the prince lays down on the bed, Gianni begins massaging his head. The prince eventually closes his eyes, breathing in and out calmly. Gianni thinks the prince fell asleep and stops massaging.

"Why did you stop?" the prince suddenly opens his eyes, which greatly surprises Gianni.

"I thought you were asleep, Your Highness," Gianni goes back, approaching closer to massage him again. As Gianni positions himself to rub the prince's forehead, Prince Julien suddenly stands up and strips his top. He lays down prone on the bed.

"My back is stiff because of the game," the prince says turning to Gianni. "Massage my back." Without hesitation, Gianni hops onto the right side of the bed and starts massaging the prince.

"Don't do that," the prince suddenly stops him. "You won't be able to massage properly. Sit on my hips and massage my back from there."

"Your Highness?" Gianni blushes redder than an apple.

"Sit on my hips and massage my back," the prince repeats.

Gianni slowly kneels and places his left leg over the prince's hips across the other side. He slowly lands his hips on the prince's butt. He starts massaging the prince's back. It is stiff and hard. Gianni continues until the lower back, where the prince giggles and laughs. Gianni feels that the prince's back is stiff from the bottom to the top. So, he wastes no effort in his massage.

He doubles the force that he exerts and moves a bit faster. He then feels hot, both from blushing and massaging. He feels the prince's warmth from his lips and his hands. His hips are warm that Gianni comfortably puts all his weight over the prince. Eventually, Gianni starts to sweat. He massages so hard that his sweat falls on the prince's back.

"Are you sweating?" the prince asks.

"I am, Your Highness," Gianni replies while wiping his forehead.

"Strip your top," the prince suddenly says.

"Pardon?" Gianni thinks he mishears the prince.

"Strip your top," the prince repeats. "It will cool you off."

So, Gianni unbuttons his suit from the top. Unbuttoning though requires even more effort than massaging. When he finally, opens his long sleeves, the heat reaches his head, and his vision starts spinning. He collapses on top of the prince. He feels as the prince's stiff hot muscular back touches his chest and his stomach. The prince, meanwhile, feels Gianni's fast-beating heart from his back. A feeling of surprise permeates through their being when they hear the door open.