A page had brought a board and a wooden box containing thirty-two chess pieces and put them on the table. He was now standing with his back to the wall, waiting for his next job.

‘Preceptor, could you send down to the kitchen and fetch more refreshments, especially some more of that cold ale. I don’t know about the rest of the assembled company, but I feel quite dry all of a sudden’

The Preceptor nodded. ‘Sir Henrik, Sir Bern, do you go down to the kitchen and ask the cooks. Davorin and Heikki, go with them and help carry so that we don’t inconvenience the kitchen to much when they are busy.’

The king sat down facing Jemryn across the long refectory table, still mopping his face.

‘Someone flip a coin please.’

The nobles all glanced from one to another, before the Preceptor went over to his table and got another token out of the leather pouch that was still there.

‘Axe or Dragon, Sire?’ he said as he flipped the token, spinning it high in the air.

‘Axe’

The token tumbled down, still spinning before it landed rattling on the table, showing a dragon.

‘Let’s hope it’s not an omen’ joked the king. “Black or white, young Farrenreed?’

‘White please sire’ said Jemryn emptying the box of pieces out onto the board, his hands shaking a little.

Behind him he heard the Duke of Golniabar whisper “How good is he?’ and his father reply ‘Pretty good. Trying to win your salt back?’ ‘Five hundred tears against your boy Hard coins this time. Not salt.’ came back the reply.

Jemryn suddenly became aware of lots of similar bets being made and both his parents were backing him heavily to win.

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‘Focus rabbit! Ignore the gambling. I will help’

He jumped a little at the unexpected voice in his mind but then felt a calm settle over him. He moved his king’s pawn forwards two and the king matched it with his white bishop’s pawn. Jemryn move his king’s knight forward and the king countered by moving his queen’s pawn up one square.

‘A classic opening, rabbit. Queen’s pawn forwards two.’

‘But if he takes it, it will tear the centre of the board open.’ thought Jemryn furiously.

‘I know, your counter with your knight will give you advantage, so he will not take the bait’

The king was wily enough not to take the Jemryn’s pawn and instead moved his own knight out.

‘Your mind is good enough, rabbit. I’ll watch and not interfere. Well not too much’

The twists and turns of the game lasted over an hour, but eventually the king conceded defeat after Jemryn had taken almost all his pieces and backed his king into a corner away from his last pawns. The voice in his mind hadn’t given him too much help, pointing out a flaw in the kings strategy once, and stopping Jemryn from losing his rook.

‘Very well played, young man’ said the king, shaking his hand. ‘I believe you have earned yourself a prize, and your family may have moved into banking, judging by the size of the bets they just won. What will it be?’

‘Ask for the shields of Gloria to be returned to their places in the Southern Hall’

‘They’re real?’ he thought back. ‘I thought they were just a story.’

‘They are real and he has them in his vaults.’ came the response.

‘Er, Could we have the Shields of Gloria back hanging here in the Southern Hall like they did in the old stories?’

‘And the glory of the halls will be restored’ murmured the king, recalling a line from the prophecies. ‘They aren’t much good as shields. Impregnable but very heavy. The knights never needed them and there are only four so you can’t defend a whole troop with them. Yes lad. A suitable request and a suitable reward. You and maybe some of the other youngsters here can get covered in dust unearthing them from the rest of the relics in the back of the vault. I look forward to our next match.’

‘More than just impregnable, they cannot be found by scrying, nor can they be scryed through, although the king is correct and they aren’t very useful; They were only ever an experiment and it failed’

The Preceptor nodded. ‘A nice choice. I never did find out why Leif, my predecessor, wanted them removed. Sir Blevin used to go and polish them occasionally. Go with the steward this afternoon and he will help you dig them out.’