Chapter 13 - A Sudden Turn of Events
Disappointment all over most of the guests' faces can be seen once the time that is left to seek an audience with the Empire of Olympus' Emperor, disappeared into thin air. Aimlessly ignoring their zealous desire, the Hostess, Kore Thesmophoros, announced the conclusion of the event without a mere mention of the victor nor a sight of one.
From nobles to commoners to merchants, the most transparent emotion turned out to be a mutual response to Kore's statement and while the attendees are saddened, they will forever regret failing to achieve a once in a lifetime opportunity.
"Goddamn it..!"
"I failed.. I have been practicing for this, and yet I wasn't good enough?"
—Chatter! Chatter!!
"Ah.. Mother won't like this once I tell her.."
"The window of opportunities for my business to start is gone! Gone!"
—Bustling!
Words cannot express their regrets and despondence towards this news, barely holding onto acceptance because it's Kore Thesmophoros' words, not a simple individual to be lashing out at!
Even so, there are some who are willing to find ways to mock and incite the situation to greater proportions, brimming with inward vexation towards Kore!
"If this is truly a momentous event, why is it that the luckless few are unable to have an equal opportunity to play a chess game with Lady Kore? Perhaps, is this what is called unfairness?" A nobleman spoke while concealing his animosity with his pretentious words.
"In all honesty, I understand I shouldn't pry, but mustn't the Emperor be disappointed by the undesirable outcome of this tea party? It would surely be unwelcoming news to the Emperor if he were to be informed of this." A noble lady covers half of her face as though to mask away her repulsive feeling towards Kore.
—Chattering…
Needless to say, Kore is up against the wrathful guests of hers, whereas her point of view is overcrowded with people who are secretly hiding their dissatisfied glances at her. That seems to be the case, yet Kore is standing there in the garden nook without a flinch in response to the malcontented atmosphere!
Even though the circumstances were looking dire and weren't complying with Kore's wishes, as everyone was expecting the maiden to fall under the pressure and react to the listless attendees, Kore didn't shred a frightened sweat nor swallow down an anxious gulp, and instead prompted others to be in awe and bafflement from her indifference!
"As expected.." Someone in the crowd whispers.
"She's a fright to behold.." A distressed aristocrat grumbles.
When Kore shuts her eyes to take a deep breath, everybody begins to display a noticeable hint of a nerve-racking tremble in their eyes, assuming the hostess has something up her sleeves to make such a relaxed and tranquil expression!
At that moment, Kore, who is renowned as a Maiden in high society, is now wearing the status of the daughter of Duchess Thesmophoros in her favor! Due to this, it would be imprudent to escalate the situation further! But the nobles are daring enough to mind their words in front of Kore, nearing the edge of impoliteness about which the Maiden can't argue nor has sufficient cause to do so!
The most staggering rumor of all is that Kore is presumed to be a commoner once before ascending to the role of Demeter's daughter. As a result of her background of unknown origin, people usually focused on those details to bring the famous maiden to her downfall.
Nevertheless, this information becomes worthless to the nobility when they bear witness to Kore being competent enough to persuade Demeter into adopting her. Not only that, she has quite the adept talents which gives the guests the right to be horror-struck by the truth behind Kore!
In spite of that, this is the perfect chance to see Kore show her true self in front of an audience that will spread the words far and wide to the point where her reputation will never be restored to its former glory!
That's what a dozen of the nobles earnestly desire! But…
"I'm terribly sorry for not permitting everyone the chance to challenge me, and it's in my sincere heart that I wished to play chess with all of my guests who I have invited." Kore sorrowfully apologizes, yet she wasn't bowing down to show her sincerity, startling a few by how different and peculiar she was behaving!
Disregarding these surprised dozens, it's natural for some to not notice the inconsistencies in Kore, and as such, they proceeded to raise their voices for the maiden to clearly hear them!
"Although I understand where you're coming from, Lady Kore, I can't truly understand why you're being sympathetic when you're a hostess who can effortlessly lift the restraint of time for us to have an easier and acceptable event."
"Which led me to question, how is it that you aren't enabling each guest to engage in a chess match with you from the start to make it a fair game?" Fed up with the injustices, this nobleman spoke his mind while being attentive to his manners.
At that moment, as soon as Kore averted her eyes on this person, her lips flawlessly unfolded.
"True to your words, I have the right and authority to shift the event to what I wanted while keeping fairness in mind. But have you ever considered why I would place such an inequitable rule for my hosting?"
"It couldn't be.."
"Yes, it's as you expected. I am in no position to turn a blind eye to the Emperor's ruling, no matter how discouraging it is for me, who felt inclined to watch everyone in delight."
"Emperor?" Sooner or later, the whispers in the crowd gathered together.
"Due to the Emperor's cluttered schedule, his Majesty doesn't have sufficient time to leisurely wait for the chosen one when he has thousands and thousands of work to oversee and finalize." Kore unexpectedly shreds sorrowful tears before carrying on with her statement.
"As a matter of fact, it's to be expected from his Majesty to express such worrisome concern when the deadline is near, whereas the unpredictable movement of the Underworld can be a tiresome task to keep track of. Who knows when and where the Underworld might strike and announce the start of the aforementioned chess game, causing him great distress?"
"T-Then if that's the case, how will the Emperor pick the representative if no one is eye-catching for his Majesty to choose from?" A commoner woman raises a question with her hand after pitying Kore, who was in tears.
"We're simply citizens of Olympus. That's why no one can fully relate or comprehend the Emperor's truest thoughts and decisions in regard to this." Kore wipes away her tears after receiving a handkerchief from her brother, Plutus, who's standing by her side.
"However, I do understand that your solicitude is indisputable. As such, you can rest assured that the representative of the Olympus Empire shall be handpicked by the Emperor himself."
"To tell you the truth, anyone may interpret this event as a means to assert an individual's results and it will soon be reported directly to the Emperor by me."
Seeing how Kore's answer to this humble commoner's question isn't all-inclusive and lacks the accuracy of the latter's question, as an act of switching the subject, Kore eventually smiles towards her guests as though averting their attention elsewhere has worked!
"O-Oh no.. This isn't looking good for me!"
"My Lady, what should we do?! What if the Emperor knows about this?!"
—Whispering!!
"Lady Kore is going to inform his Majesty about my results?!" A guilty nobleman jolts from his seat, unknowingly unfolding his shock and anxiety at that information.
It appears as if this dignified man had committed some sort of wrongdoing to be reacting in such a manner. In fact, there seems to be others who are distraught to some degree by this news.
"As the hostess of this marvelous tea party, I would like to honor my guests for their time here."
As soon as Kore's words ended, an array of servants came forward with their hands clutching onto a variety of cases in all directions. Not only that, those cases alone can be seen as expensive by how luxurious it was without having to include the items inside of it.
—Chattering!!
With each and every one of the attendee's attention being grabbed onto Thesmophoros' servants, Kore proceeds to speak once more to cease her guests from being bewildered by her presents.
"As promised, inside these cases are 3 Gold Drachmae, a bottle of wine made by the hands of Thesmophoros' finest vintner, a generous amount of the purest silk yards and an exquisite chess board to commemorate this occasion."
"3 Gold Drachmae?!!" The entirety of the guests were at a loss for words because of the unexpected fortune!
To put it simply, one of the currencies of the Olympus Empire is Drachma. 6 obol can only amount to 1 silver Drachma and is able to get you a handful of arrows. Moreover, if one were to have a hundred Drachmae, it would be equivalent to a Mine, while 60 Mines can amount to 1 Attic Talent.
The Gold Drachma is a new currency to benefit the nobles of great wealth, such as Plutus, and is unbelievably higher than the monetary value mentioned above! As it happens, it's multiplied by a hundred! If one were to put it in perspective, only a single Gold Drachma is worth a commoner's family's retirement!
*Silver Drachma is approximately 10 USD.
*Gold Drachma is approximately 600,000 USD.
( Do note that this does not imply nor represent the real life currency of Greek/Greece itself. Just fiction, merely a use of the monetary for this novel! )
—Chatter! Chatter!
"How can Lady Kore dispute her wealth like this?! I mean, I know she's insanely rich because she's obviously the daughter of a duchess! And the sister of Lord Plutus, but this is too much for me!" A commoner lady gasps at the auspicious case of Kore's present.
"My goodness! To receive 3 Gold Drachmae all at once! This is certainly a blessing!" A fallen noble couldn't believe his eyes.
—Chattering!
"I'm glad I came here! I'm glad..!! My family doesn't have to live in poverty anymore!" A man tears up from his overwhelming gratitude.
"This wine will do well in fetching me quite a sum of money! I must definitely have to study it for profit!" A gleeful merchant sneers.
—Chitter-Chatter!
"Goodness gracious! This silk is truly gorgeous! I'll have to send word to my tailor before it's too late! Oh, I can't wait to see what kind of design fits this silk and me as well!" A good-looking noblewoman speaks with awe as she was caressing the silk fanatically.
"This chessboard will absolutely be an heirloom to our respected family!" A bankrupted noblewoman held the chessboard as though it was precious to her.
—Murmuring..!
On the spur of the moment, amidst the tight embrace of cases as a response from everyone, seemingly like they have stumbled upon a treasure, Kore took this chance to have a long glance at the place and her guests.
Unbeknownst to them, Kore is about to unfold her lips once more to capture their attention with something very important.
"With those cases as present, there's someone who deserves to be an exception to it. She, who was equanimous up until the finale of this event's closure, managed to put up quite an exhilarating match against me."
"Notwithstanding that the game's result is a stalemate, I myself was delighted by such an ingenuous strategy." Kore shifts her glance towards a certain individual, leading some to follow along.
"Caissa Thea Skaki, you must have already noticed the difference between your case and everyone else's. Rather than a chessboard without its pieces, you, on the other hand, have the entire set."
With Kore's hand stretched out to Caissa, people, from merchants to aristocrats, to servants, to common folks, are discreetly staring at the young teenager, especially in her case for some others.
Clothing with its own simplicity as well as its perfect mix of being just right without the need to be overcrowded with details; the slightest movement of her fingers; the twitches of her eyelids; the tiniest of swirls from her long and platinum blonde hair; the appearance and atmosphere she displays around her; Caissa is currently being overtaken by the constant glance of others!
But to her, their unwarranted attention was unwelcoming, including the unsavory taste of her tea from the sickening atmosphere in her vicinity!
Because of this, if someone were to be placed in Caissa's shoes, they would be completely startled by the suddenness in everyone's gazes or react with gratitude after receiving a humble yet unbelievable present!
Even so, Caissa isn't expressing any emotions towards the situation she's in, eventually making her way towards the front where she'll voice her response without straining her vocal cords if she were to stay in her previous spot!
Without a doubt, Caissa is concerned about the potential misunderstandings that ensue with people who she has interacted with, as she recognizes those people to be a troublesome bunch if they were to spread the words and make up rumors for juicy gossip.
'I can't afford to get caught up in any problems.' Caissa ignores the stares that are chasing after her while she's walking.
'However, I acknowledge that I was naive to let my guard down around these people to the point where I questioned myself why I went to such lengths to win the competition if it meant putting myself at risk.'
'Of course, I thankfully got a stalemate as I had hoped.'
At this moment, the young teenager has become aware of not allowing these people to get the best of her, causing her to be cautious in her actions in order to protect herself from harm's way while carrying on pursuing her interests!
"My sincerest gratitude, Lady Kore. Your generosity means the world to a humble commoner such as myself." Caissa arrived and expressed her thanks.
When Kore smiled with pleasure, it didn't last long for Caissa to interrupt the mood.
"Nevertheless, I must respectfully decline."
—Muttering..!
All of a sudden, after Caissa had laid down her unanticipated response to Kore's gift, the crowds were left speechless by it as they slowly proceeded to speak their minds in regard to this! Mostly negative, they reacted in many different ways, and it was the same for Kore who was silently at a loss for words because of her favored guest's decision.
"That's rather unprecedented. Was the wine not your preference? Or perhaps, could the amount of Gold Drachmae be unsatisfactory?" After a few seconds passed to allow the dilemma to sink in, Kore finally asked the girl.
"No, those are truly incomparable gifts." The young teenager replied with a gracious smile.
"May I ask what led you to make this decision?"
"My primary purpose for attending this tea party isn't to seek wealth, fame, or material possessions. Instead, I am here solely to engage in the timeless game of chess and to connect with fellow enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds." Caissa responded in a refined and eloquent tone.
"Lady Kore, it was a great honor to participate in your tea party's event. As a commoner, I believe that true wisdom lies in staying true to one's own philosophies and values. And it brings me immense fulfillment to connect with like-minded individuals who share my love and passion for the game of chess."
'How bold.' Kore inwardly sneers.
On many occasions, a noble's gift must never be rejected under any circumstances, especially if one is a commoner. And thus, it had become all the more difficult for Caissa, who had just declined a present from a Duchess' daughter! To refuse a noble's present is to ruin their reputation, pride and time!
As such, the consequences of rejection can vary from noble to noble, and those aren't always harmless.. But if it's a commoner…
'I believe it's quite alright. If the rumors about Lady Kore are accurate, then I'm confident she wouldn't resort to such cruelty as to impose her reward upon me against my will.'
'Through my observations, I have come to understand her nature to some extent, and I'm positive in my assessment.' Caissa ponders thoughtfully, whereas her soft spot earlier is nowhere to be found.'
After a while of listening quietly to such a speech from Caissa, Kore simply nodded with an understanding of the former's reasoning and smiled.
"I see. Certainly, if that's your decision, then I shall respect it. But please, don't let this small matter affect our newly established friendship." Even though Kore is wearing a benevolent grin, it seems rather pernicious to Caissa instead.
"I assure you, Lady Kore, our friendship is of the utmost importance to me. You have my sincerest gratitude for your candor." Caissa replied with a hint of hesitation, taken aback by Kore's unexpected remark.
With Kore's acceptance and unprejudiced response to Caissa's explanation, her words hold immense weight upon her surroundings, prompting the surrounding nobles to not pry or insult the humble commoner for her action.
'Thankfully, I was correct.' Caissa felt slightly nervous.
'Even so, her smile is strange.'
—Clap!
In the blink of an eye, everyone was caught off guard by Kore, who had immediately lured their attention to what she was about to say.
"If I have to describe what today's event was, I discovered a different side to everyone whenever I happened to look over from the garden nook. To the bountiful times I find each of your moves captivating, it truly made me ecstatic and content with the end result of my tea party."
At that moment, everyone knew Kore was planning to conclude her tea party, proceeding to speak and express her gladsome attitude towards her attendees.
"So this is honestly the end.."
"Mannn, I can't believe I'm back at square one with my life!"
—Chitter-Chatter!!
"Lady Claudia, I shall prepare the carriage for you."
"Are you going to visit my mansion later on in the future? If you do, then send me a letter and I'll prepare everything for you. Just like the good old days, Anthony!"
—-------
After Thesmophoros' tea party concluded, the nobles and a couple of the merchants slowly make their way to their carriages while the commoners and the rest take a walk to their home, using the same map that was given to them as a means to guide them to the Thesmophoros Duchy in and out of it.
With Kore's concerns for the safety of her guests, she has designated a knight from the Imperial Knighthood to each of her attendees for safe travel.
The Imperial Knighthood is nothing to scoff at. If one of the Imperial Knights is on a battlefield as they were made to be, they're significantly imperturbable and competent in front of death itself, handling any bloodshed when push comes to shove.
—Bustling! Bustling!
In the middle of the street where a couple of stalls are closing under the evening's light, Caissa is seen walking with her assigned Imperial Knight as per Kore's orders.
'I will be arriving at the Shades Inn soon. Lady Kore has been true to her word thus far, and I have no reason to doubt our scheduled meeting.'
'What could a noblewoman like Lady Kore want from a commoner like me in a private conversation? Her intentions aren't entirely clear, but it seems to go beyond my unequal reward and achievement of a draw with her.'
'Is she perhaps considering me as Olympus Empire's Representative?'
"No, there must be more to it than that. My instincts are telling me that something else is at play here." Caissa speaks her thoughts while keeping her guard up with the knight behind her.
"Most concerning of all, I cannot decipher the true meaning behind Lady Kore's enigmatic smile. It is unlike anything I have ever experienced before, and it is unsettling me deeply."
—SNATCH!
On the spur of the moment and despite being under Caissa's radar, her map was suddenly on the floor after an abrupt circumstance within the street! She who was walking in front of an Imperial Knight, should be unscratched or untouched by anyone or anything!
'This hand..! How did I not notice this?!'
Yet, why is there a dagger under Caissa's neck with the familiarity of this attacker's hand? If an Imperial Knight is as strong as everyone thinks they are, then what does it make the individual who exceeds those knights?!
"Little miss."
"Or should I say my target's name, Caissa?"
In a situation where her experience didn't play a bigger role, Caissa found herself unaware of a veteran assassin who had trapped her in a dangerous dilemma! Her perspective was instantly blinded by her enemy's hand as her body was now being dragged towards somewhere more quiet!
—SWOOSH!
And to make it worse, while Caissa is on her way to Shades Inn, the assigned Imperial Knight who is ordered to protect her upon her arrival to her destination, is actually an assassin in disguise! Clearly, this young teenager is perplexed by the illogical reasoning of the assassin when they should be capable of ending her life once and for all before fleeing the scene!
What's more, to fool Caissa's observation is as expected from a veteran, but this isn't the time to be praising an assassin's stealthiness!
'I am powerless against his strength. I cannot break free from his grasp, and it appears he is taking me to an isolated place.'
'I am in grave danger with no one around to help me. What can I do in this situation?'
While pondering about her survival rate, Caissa remains calm before assessing her vicinity to the best of her ability. Despite being covered by the assassin's hand, the kidnapped teenager starts to identify any potential exits or objects through her remaining senses, attempting to put those information and items to good use as weapons and barriers!
'I will survive!' With such a thought, Caissa could sense the dagger pointed towards her neck!