Checkmate

Checkmate
Aribella POV

Mael stepped into Rhory’s office, not shocking anyone by his lack of respect for our privacy.

“Brother,” Rhory slowly released my hands, bringing them to his sides. His fingers curled into a fist, jaw set tight as he stared at Mael. The energy in the air had shifted the moment that Rhory acknowledged Mael, and I knew that I’d finally broken through with him.

“Please don’t stop for little old me,” he plastered a grin on his face, but it looked off. His jaw was tight with tension, eyes bloodshot, and body stiff. “And here I thought this whole time you two had been faking your little relationship, but Aribella here seems to have weaseled her way into your stone-cold heart, brother.”

“What are you on about?” Rhory’s tone was harsh, fists still clenched as he walked back over to his desk, dropping into the chair with a thud.

I felt like an intruder, intruding on a conversation that I shouldn’t hear, but neither man seemed to pay me any mind as they stared at one another.

Mael shrugged, that plastered grin on his face as he stalked closer to Rhory’s desk, “You understand that you are not as secretive as you may think, brother,” Mael’s palms slapped against Rhory’s desk, startling me. “Neither is your sweet, fake fiancée.”

The blood in my veins seemed to still in an instant at Mael’s words. My spine stiffened as his dark eyes slowly found mine, “Your acting is…,” he tapped his chin, taking a slow step towards me, “Subpar in my eyes. But,” the distance between us was closing quickly. “I’d be happy to give you lessons.”

“That’s enough,” Rhory snarled, standing up with enough force to throw his chair back. “Whatever you think you know, Mael; You’re wrong. Take your baseless theories back to father.”

At the mention of their father, Mael halted his advance towards me, his face twisting in a snarl, “Take my baseless theories back to father,” he repeated Rhory’s words, his face twisting in a way that made him look crazed, “Do you know how many theories I’ve taken to our father?” his body twisted so that he was looking at Rhory, “Do you know how many times I’ve been at our father’s feet begging for a single scrap of attention only for him to throw me away like I was nothing!”

“Should I leave….” I finally found my voice, having watched this train wreck unfold. I may have little respect for Mael, but I understood what was happening right now. He was spiraling, and whatever just happened with his father must have pushed him over the edge.

Mael’s head swiveled back to mine like something out of a horror film, “What does it matter?” he threw his hands in the air. “Everything we’ve all worked for will be leveled to nothing before long,” he began to laugh, the sound nothing short of maniacal. “None of this will matter. Not you parading around as my brother’s fiancée,” Mael turned his attention to Rhory, “Not you becoming King…. None of it will matter because our father looks at us as weak, pathetic things that should be eliminated.”

Mael resumed his walk towards me, “What I want to know, is how you knew?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” my voice shook with every step he took.

“I think you know exactly what I’m talking about,” his lips split into another crazed grin before his footsteps halted once again, his expression souring, “I’ve been on this little job for some time now. Trying to eliminate everything in my way, and somehow, my target has been a little,” Mael turned towards Rhory, “Slippery.”

“What I find interesting, is that you,” Mael’s attention was back on me. “Showed up and everything slowly began to unravel. But what’s even more interesting, is how you make Johnston Whitehall sweat. THAT is what I want to know.”

“That’s enough, Mael,” Rhory finally spoke up. “You need to leave. Whatever you think you know; You’re wrong. Leave Aribella out of your quarrels with our father.”

Another maniacal laugh bubbled from Mael’s throat, “You don’t see it,” his shoulders shook softly. “You’re meant to be the next King, and you don’t even see it. Sacaris is like a chess board, dear brother,” Mael steps away from me, and a part of me pities him. He mentioned everything unraveling, which I don’t necessarily disagree with, but in my eyes, he’s the only thing unraveling. “And to be a good chess player, you have to see the entirety of the board, including your opponents next move.”

“When you’re the King,” Rhory mutters, “You own the board.”

Mael began his trek towards the door, each step giving me more room to breathe. “False,” he doesn’t look back at us. “The moment someone as small as the pawn corners you into a checkmate; The game is over. Have a lovely evening, you two. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”