"Another rematch?" I offer Iphthime's oldest brother, but I can't recall his name anymore.

He shakes his head, and returns to the table instead, defeated, taking out his frustration on wine.

None of the princes plays better than their youngest sister, and I'm not pulling punches with them.

I could have given them a chance to win, but they're assholes, and I didn't pay attention.

If I'm not looking for Penelope — who's yet to grace us with her presence this evening — I plan to win her hand. Going to Sparta and negotiating with Tyndareus is my best bet.

But Sparta is over a hundred miles away, and chariots are expensive.

I can't afford them, and the route would take too long on foot.

Borrowing is also out of the question.

"Will you play with us, Odysseus?" Two young boys approach.

They are Nestor's sons, whom I met today.

They're good kids, smart and humble like their father, so I remember their names.

"Of course. Who's first? Antilochus of Thrasymedes?" I owe their father for his hospitality and the tools he provides for my sailors. Even if he'd help, that would be too much to ask.

Ithaca can't afford to owe favors to anyone. I'm not the king yet, and even if Laertes agrees, I can't burden the tiny island with debts to stronger allies.

"Play both of us at once." The boys demand but argue about every step so they're weaker like this.

I still let them win which puts proud grins on their faces, and I earn a smile from our host.

It's too bad the gold talents I got from the Messenians were on the other ship. They should be in Ithaca by now, and I have to feed my sailors while I'm gone too. That's so many expenses.

Being broke sucks in every historical era. And that's one of the reasons why my prospects of winning Penelope's hand are bad. But beating all the princes in this game gives me an idea.

It occurs to me during our rematch with Nestor's sons, beating them only by a hair's breadth.

I'm starting to like this game, now that I won against almost everyone in these halls.

"How about we make bets?" I ask, but the idea falls flat with the Spartans.

It's my fault, I beat them too hard in the first rounds, and now they won't wager against me.

They don't, but their father, Icarius, and our host, Nestor does. This comes with a unique problem though. You can't wager with a king for pennies and I have nothing to pay.

If it's a gamble, let's make it a Gamble. Let's hope I'm not over my head after winning against these annoying brats, and I offer a daring challenge. It has to be daring to make them fall for it.

"I owe you a great deal for taking me in, Wise King, and for the tools you provided." A bow for the start, then I drop the bomb. "Since I only have the Gambit, how about I wager it on a bet?"

"Oh? And what would that bet be?" This gets everyone's attention, and even the princes look interested again. I turn to their father and our host instead.

"I became fond of this game since your beautiful daughter introduced me yesterday. I was drunk at the time and only learning it, but I'm doing great this evening."

"I want to know if I could beat such wise opponents as yourselves." This, I aim at Icarius and Nestor, who looks up to the challenge. "How about best of three? You both can play against me."

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"And the winner gets your ship?" Nestor raises an eyebrow, and it feels like he can see right through me. But he's not against it. "What will you gain if you win then?"

"Well, another ship would be nice." I laugh, then shake my head. "I'd be content with repaying you for the favors you granted me, and to let me borrow a chariot for a week."

This makes the entire hall buzz with excitement. I'm betting against myself, offering a huge prize and asking nothing in return. They might think I'm crazy, but I ask for what I need.

"I'd be foolish to refuse such a favorable wager." King Nestor nods, and we set up the board again.

A few minutes in he has me sweat already.

He's leagues better than all the princes combined.

Our match draws the attention of the entire hall, and the cushions fill up with viewers cheering for both of us.

The game goes back and forth, but I suffer my first serious loss by the end.

Fuck. Did I misjudge my capabilities?

The Spartan princes have satisfied grins, happy that someone finally beat me, but it's not over yet.

The first round took a lot out of Nestor.

The second one is more one-sided. There's no contest between us anymore scoring an easy win.

This is because I played all afternoon. I'm able to focus on the game longer.

"You're a fast learner, Odysseus, I'm no match for you anymore." Our host bows out, offering his place to Icarius. "Whether we win a ship or lose face is up to you now, my friend."

The Spartan prince refuses to sit down though.

Did I overdo it again? But Nestor was a serious opponent, so I played at my best.

He has another idea.

"You wanted to challenge the best. I have no illusions about your skills after seeing you win against the Wise King." He bows, but he's not throwing in the towel.

"I can't be your worthy opponent, but let me call for Penelope to replace me, and it will make things interesting."

Fuck. Here goes my easy victory, and my ship too.

I could back away, but then I'm back to square one. And if I'm being honest, I'm curious if I could take on that beauty while sober. I haven't seen her all evening, and I have withdrawals.

She appears on cue. Whether they planned this or it was fate, the outcome is the same. She almost glows in the dim-lit halls, and her brothers jump up to lead her to the board.

"This puts me on the spot, but I did say I want to challenge the best." I force my best smile on to greet the beautiful genius, and she takes her place on the cushions on the opposite side.

"What are we playing?" She asks with a laugh, missing the earlier wagers. I place the figures on the board and a part of me wonders if I should explain the bet to her. "Petteia? I'm down."

What would she do if she knew I could lose everything? And that I made this whole arrangement to get a shot at her hand? Would she do her best to beat me or let me win?

I'm almost more afraid of that answer than playing against her. I said best of three, and after a loss and a win against Nestor, this will decide everything. No rematch, no second chance.

The pressure is getting to me, but I offer her to make the first move.