A Week to Midnight

Checkmate

The final day fell upon Florian with a jolt and the effort it took for him to push himself out of bed was insurmountable. There was a heavy weight on his shoulders when he awoke that day, the revelations of the previous night following him into waking.

Cal had betrayed him in a way that he could never have imagined. He had lied to him and have befriended him with the intention of taking his life, despite this Florian could not erase his romantic attraction towards the other. He felt sick to his stomach as he thought about how it would have been if Cal had not changed, if he had continued with his uncle's selfish plot, Florian would likely have been dead by now and if his own plot did not go as he hoped, there was a chance he would still be killed by the end of this night.

It was his birthday today, but any excitement had been dulled by the weeklong celebration and overwhelmed by the heartbreak of the night before.

He wanted to believe that Cal's feelings for him were as real as his own were for Cal, though it was difficult to push aside the growing doubt.

If he planned to go through with it then he would not have told me about this, he told himself, though it was still difficult to completely believe. His mind was at war with his heart and it was too painful for him to bare.

He could not simply wallow in self-pity all night, however. This night Cal would prove his true alliance and Florian's plan would have to go perfectly. Everyone had their part to play in this and Florian was included in that, he was a vital piece to this game and so he had to get up, as much as he simply wanted to fade away into the sweet embrace of a dream in which he would feel Cal's touch and his lips, and the events leading up to this moment were lost to him.

Forcing himself out of bed the prince sucked in a deep breath and looked towards the mirror of his dresser, catching the sight of his red eyes and dampened face, he would have to wash his face and make himself presentable, he could not let his uncle suspect that he knew. He took to his bath and allowed the warm water to seep into his bones, relaxing his body, though his mind was still racing and he could hear the desperate pounding of his heart in his ears.

The bath had at least helped him freshen up to the point where he looked alive and he forced a smile as he looked into the mirror, he had to make sure it was completely believable. He was of age this day; it was a joyous time and he would have to make it seem as such.

He had his hair brushed by a servant with a soft bristled brush and as this was happening his mind was placing down each and every piece upon the chess board.

His biggest mistake, he thought. Was only using pawns in this game.

Florian did not have a single pawn upon the board, every single piece was the perfect strategic option, every single piece was strong, and his uncle had no idea that the pawn that he used to keep his opponent in check was, in fact, Florian's own knight.

My knight will balance out the game, but it is my queen that will win it.

When he was ready Florian stepped out of his chambers. He was dressed in a crimson coat that fell to his knees and was trimmed with golden patterns, beneath he wore a black waist coat with a similar golden design and a matching black silken shirt. His hair fell to his shoulders and his eyes wore a look of determination.

"My move, uncle" he let out, his tone low but laced with a great sense of confidence.

Cal was here, as he had promised and when Florian questioned about the weapon he kept on his person he gave a nod, pointing downwards to where it was strapped. It was a risk, if Cal was not completely honest then he would still have a way to kill Florian if he so desired, but he had no choice but to trust him...he wanted to trust him. The knife was part of the performance and had to be kept.