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Geoff smirked at his opponent, eyebrow raised as he slowly moved his bishop right where he wanted it. "You've got to be smart for this game, my friend..." He said, but mostly to himself. "You gotta know what you're dealing with..."
"Of course..." His foe nodded, enjoying their game. However, he might as well end it while he could. "So I do suppose you were trying to make this opening for me, prince?" Before Geoff could question it, the opponent moved his piece and won the game. "Checkmate!" He beamed.
The teenager prince's eye twitched before he stood up abruptly, knocking his oak chair down behind him. "No Goddamn way!" He yelled, eyes wide and looking at the board. Geoff suddenly pointed an accusing finger at his friend/foe. "Jack, you have to be some sort of cheater!"
"Not really." Jack chuckled. "I'm just really good-"
"At stupid games." Geoff mumbled. He swiped the chessboard off the small table, frustrated. The pieces clattered onto the floor, some hitting the room's wall as the board landed with a large thud. The guards, which had just been outside of the small room they had been playing in, hurried in.
One of them looked between the two, expecting them to be having an altercation. "Is everything okay?"
Geoff pouted, arms folded. "Barely."
Jack, all smiles, explained. "Geoff simply got frustrated from getting beaten in chess."
The guards looked a bit awkward, nodding and such before clearing their throats. "Well, then..." He looked at the mess. "Should we get this for you, sir?"
"No need, Anthony." The guard looked surprised to be addressed by his name by the prince. "I'll get it myself." He smiled at the two as they exited the room.
Jack waited a few moments before asking, "Aren't you going to clean it up?"
Geoff righted his chair before sitting down in it, his feet immediately up on the small table. "Nah, I'll do it later."
The ginger sighed before sitting down as well. "Well, what did you father tell you about becoming king?" He saw his friend's face change, one of his nails scratching into the table. "If you don't want to talk about it-"
"No, it's alright." Geoff stopped him before Jack started to feel bad. "He's sick, sure, but he's only teaching me the basics so far." He shrugged. "I suppose he must have a lot of time left."
"Okay." Jack then began to shift the topic, looking over at the fallen chessboard. "Are you ready for for round three?"
---
"Ryan, this has been the third meeting between us." Geoff spoke tiredly, looking annoyed. "You are here to request something major, I presume."
The man nodded. "We, in my kingdom, request land." He say Geoff's face change. Jack noticed it as well. "A small portion, if only to help even out the housing-"
"I know that what you will use my land for will not be that." Geoff interrupted him. "People have warned me about you... your sly and unnatural ways. Hell, being around you is even less welcoming than kissing a corpse." He picked up one of the maps on the table his meeting room had, opening it up. It had hundreds of drawings on it due to new land springing up and new people taking it over.
Ryan looked over at Jack. "My advisor and I both think this'll strengthen our bond." He noticed Geoff's small twitch, and smirked ever so slightly. "Our people will become used to each other more. This can result in better trade, new routes-"
"You assume that these are things I desire, damn it." Geoff spat. He looked dead into the eyes of his old friend Jack. "I know people will go behind someone else's back for their own goals..." He switched his attention back to the other ruler. "And I can assure you that no matter how much you deny it, you are no different, 'Mad' King."
If the rumored nickname was offensive to Ryan, he took it with stride. "You don't have to trust me." He then seemed to look... evil. "But pretending to do so may save your life."
Jack cast a worried look at Ryan as Geoff raised a curious brow. "And just why are you threatening me?" His nails seemed to scratch and dig into the table. Jack could tell he was getting slightly worried.
"It's not a threat, it'll just be a statement..." Ryan took a few steps forward, now leaning on the same table. "You may have size, but your people are not trained..." He spoke slowly and matter-of-factly. "This place has seen leisure for too long. You probably didn't think that learning about war from your sick father would come in handy, did you?" The 'Mad' King teased, hoping to get a reaction.
Jack knew that he would receive just what he wanted. Geoff backed away from the table, fists clenched. "Hold your fucking tongue of my father, God rest his soul." He couldn't let this man know that his the former king had died before teaching Geoff all he needed to know.
"God rests no souls," Ryan stood up straighter, fixing his twisted crown. "he only lets them watch over their descendants." He then smirked, causing Geoff to narrow his eyes. "You better make him proud with your decision." Pointing upwards, Ryan chuckled at his sick joke before leaving the room.
Jack looked heartbroken to see Geoff so livid and obviously unsure. "Geoff-"
"I bet you never expected him to be what he is when you switched counsels, huh?" The king said, looking over at Jack. There was no jesting in his tired eyes. They had become even more worn from worry. "He probably has you in shackles... destined to always be his advisor."
Jack stared, wondering how Geoff could tell that he wasn't still Ryan's advisor by choice. "I wish I could come back..." He told him. "You know I do."
"I know." Geoff looked away. "But the choices you've made..." He looked emotional. "They were yours to... to live up to."
For a few moments they were like that, Geoff reminiscing about what could have been and Jack feeling sorry that he left in the first place when Ryan called for Jack outside the door. "I expect you at my side, advisor!" Jack winced, taking one last look at Geoff before leaving.
"This son of a bitch wants war?" Geoff bitterly said to himself, looking back over at the map. "So be it. He will get what he requested."