𝔽𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣 ℂ𝕣𝕠𝕨𝕟 || 𝕂𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕒𝕥𝕠 𝔸𝕪𝕒𝕥𝕠

2. Chess Is A Measure Of Your Strategic Ability

Ayato sat down on the far end of the long cedar table, adjusting himself comfortably to the plush chair. Consultants and generals sat along the sides of the table, awaiting his word. He gave a small sigh, unnoticed by the room, before turning towards the left. There, Kujou Sara had a piece of paper in her slightly quivering hands.

"General, have you any progress on the attack strategy?" He asked, a bit curious to the contents of the parchment.

Ayato spent the entirety of yesterday's afternoon, and most of his night trying to formulate a plan, but to no avail. The base seemed utterly impenetrable to him, which was greatly distressing. He was renowned for his strategic intellect, so for him to struggle with something like this was most concerning.

He'd resigned at half past one and hoped his trusted general would be able to come up with something, though he had highly doubted it. Every time so far, he had been able to figure out a solution before General Kujou. Why would this time be different?

The general cleared her throat before showing the king the paper in her hands.

"Yes, Your Majesty," she said, placing the paper in front of the king.

Ayato scanned the parchment; it was written on with neat handwriting, but he could tell that it was slightly rushed. As his eyes skimmed the blue ink, he was filled with intrigue. Such an ingenious plan. It was rid of all the flaws he had in his own ideas.

He looked back up at the general, his eyes wide. He'd been so caught up in the plan itself that he only now noticed that it wasn't written in General Kujou's handwriting. In fact, this did not look like the work of any of his consultants.

"This is impeccable, General Kujou," he remarked, curiosity swarming his mind, "but who wrote this? I don't believe this is your handwriting?"

"The person who thought of this plan is Kagayaku Kanari, Sir. She is a royal knight and a friend of mine."

At this, Ayato raised his eyebrows. The name seemed slightly familiar to him, but he was sure that he didn't personally know her. His interest was piqued. An individual that was able to weave such an intricate plan was certainly one he wanted to meet. The fact that she thought of the plan when the two greatest strategic minds of the kingdom couldn't, made it all the more interesting.

"I see," he muttered, turning his attention back to the meeting.

With a plan in place, all other preparations went smoothly. The hours sped by, and before he knew it, Ayato was wrapping up the final details. As his staff filtered out of the room, he signaled to General Kujou for a private word.

"This Kagayaku person, you said she was a knight?" He inquired, twirling a pen in his hand.

"Yes, Sir," responded the general. The last of the people had left the room, leaving only her and the king inside.

"Is she currently working on palace grounds?"

"She is, Your Majesty."

"Then bring her to me."

༺❊ꕥ❊༻

Kanari leapt to the side, barely escaping the blunt tip of the epee. She and Kokomi were practicing their fencing skills in the afternoon sun. It was fortunate that they had the same shift, as it allowed them to train together when they wanted to.

As they continued with their training, Kanari spotted Kujou Sara walking toward them, and her concentration was momentarily interrupted. Spotting her friend's distracted demeanor, Kokomi took advantage of the situation and struck Kanari in the shoulder, winning the match.