[Open Post] ..like the bird that you can't see..

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot is in a very good mood indeed. He feels settled, assured. He feels as he did, he thinks, back when he first found his feet at court -- he is someplace he belongs, he can be assured that people will treat him with respect, if not kindness or welcoming. He lets himself revel in it, a little, as it's been a long while since he felt anywhere near as nice as this.

The weather is good: sunny, crisp, the familiar feeling of autumn as winter is hovering close by. He goes to his own room and fetches his sword. He runs his usual drills, though with a kind of ease and almost carelessness he hasn't had since he was young. (Perhaps he is young enough, still. He can't be sure. He has already lived past the age his father was when he died, but that means almost nothing. His father died in battle and Lancelot is, now, no longer likely to ever see such a fate.)

Afterwards, he showers and decides he might as well find breakfast. So he's now heading toward one of the kitchens, looking cheerful for once.

Comments

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan decides to let him pursue it: she wants to see what he will do with the additional power, and anyway, he's now left her a route to the same. She slides one piece safely to a border square along the sides.

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot considers again, then moves into the queen space. "Ah-- there."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Oh, well done," says Susan, not bothering to feign surprise. She's pleased; she's so terribly pleased as she deposits a piece on top of his successful bid. Then she moves her safe piece to be queened, too, and raises an eyebrow at him.

[lanselos_du_lac]

He laughs, letting go of her hand to do so, "Aye, your majesty. Well-crowned."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Ah! My rightful position."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"There's no argument from me on that count."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan hides the smugness of her smile with a sip of her own tea. She really is interested to see how well he plays with a king, and so she settles back in her chair again. "Your move, sir."

[lanselos_du_lac]

Sadly for Susan, Lancelot has never been much of a tactician -- he takes orders well, and he is extremely capable, but tactics are not his strong suit.

He nudges her foot with his own, and ponders. After some time, he moves a piece that's not his queened piece. A new gambit, it seems.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

It's possible Susan will lose her queen for this, but he's set it up so nicely for her - she uses her queen to take two more of his pieces. There she hesitates for just a moment. A third, and she'll definitely lose her queen with his next move, but she'll also be well-poised to win within the next few rounds.

She nods to herself, and runs the side of her boot up his shin, slowly, and reaches for his hand, bringing it to her lips so she can press a kiss to the soft, tender skin of his wrist. Then she takes his third piece.

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot flushes again, as she could have expected, but laughs as well. "Oh, lady, thou'rt clever."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I like being good at things," she admits.

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Well," lightly, "who doesn't?" He is losing this game, that's for certain. Even so, he moves aggressively with his newly crowned piece.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan's next move is a defensive one, but still preparing for another attack. "I suppose," she says, and offers: "I've a brother who would lose on purpose, regularly, to get a measure of his opponents, but that's never been my style."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"He sounds a clever man," making another move of his own, similarly defensive. "I cannot claim to be clever or wise."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Hm," says Susan as she moves a piece of her own, the sound laced with palpable doubt. She seems to recall lecturing him on the unkind way he spoke of himself during their first meeting. "There are many ways to be clever."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Perhaps, lady, perhaps," gamely.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"You disagree?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

"With thee? No, lady."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"You can, if you like. I enjoy defending my positions," with an ironic sort of gesture at the board. There are likely only a few moves left in the game, and unless he works some miracle, she will win.

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Worry not," as he makes another move that certainly does not help him. "An I feel a need to disagree, I shall."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan takes another of his pieces, twiddling it between her fingers before she sets it down. "See that you do."

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot laughs again, "Lady, I think thou hast me pinned."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Sir, I've had you pinned since the second move of this game."

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot laughs -- this one louder than the others, utterly taken with her. "Ah, Christ," surveying the board, "That is so."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan smiles up at him. "Would you like me to put you out of your misery?" she asks. "I can end it in two moves. Maybe three, if you do something really surprising."