The Piece System

Chapter Thirty-Four: ALEX

The King pushed her microphone away and stepped off the balcony. Alex followed her.

"Are we done?" The King said. Alex shook her head.

"In what world would we ever be done?"

***

The room's grandeur was lost on her now, her attention zeroed in on the woman. The King. Her hair was pinned up, pieces falling by her face. The dress she wore was a combination of black and white, light dancing over the shimmering fabric. Alex hated how calm she looked.

"You again?" The King looked Alex up and down like even that was more than she deserved. She stood a few stairs up, a man beside her. They looked to be in conversation when Alex'd entered.

"Yes, me again." Alex waved, "Hello. I'd like you to surrender."

The King let out a barked laugh. "Seriously?"

"Wave your assistant away, and we'll talk." Alex said. The King glanced at the man beside her and laughed. So did he.

"He is not my assistant; he is my cousin. And why would I ever talk to you?" she turned away from Alex, uninterested. Her cousin with his flawless face sneered at her. But she wasn't about to take no for an answer. She wasn't going to leave here on a conversation—more needed to be done and for once in her life, she was going to do it.

"Your Queen talked to me." she said.

Still, The King didn't look at her nor did she speak.

Alex's lip curled with disdain. Was she really ignoring her?

"Caleb Crossley spoke with me. He told me everything." she said. The King paused. Alex smiled.

So now you care? She thought.

"Are you going to tell him to go now?" she asked. Eventually, The King huffed and gestured for her cousin to leave. Reluctantly, he did. The door clicked shut behind him and the room became silent, filled only with the two women's hate-filled gazes. Both believed they had the upper hand.

"What did he say to you?" The King asked.

Alex inspected her nails. "Oh, just that I should join him, and that Pawns are worthless. He revealed the whole plan to me, basically."

The King's blue eyes burned.

"Then what is the plan?" she asked, calling her bluff. Only, it wasn't a bluff. Alex knew the plan. Mostly. Vaguely. Somewhat. She knew he would hang all the Pawns and make the world more 'peaceful' and 'united'. That was all she needed to know. And when she told The King this, it became evident that she, although professing to be the highest power, knew no more than she did.

Caleb was working independently.

"Tell them to stop The Hanging." Alex said. The King scoffed.

"Or what?"

"Or I will tell the whole world your family holds no power. That's the only reason you let people like Caleb run around, right?" Alex narrowed her eyes, "Because no one, not your grandmother, not your father, not even you, Blaire Osborne, the fierce and justified young woman who took the title of The King at nineteen, has any power. You're a distraction. Nothing more."

Blaire's fists clenched; slender hands splashed with white rage. With shame.

"I know what my family is. But even so, we are still important." she said, relaxing. Alex raised an eyebrow but allowed her to continue.