After the event, Father I went to the study. The second the door closed my polite smile drooped to a grimace. I removed my heels and placed the invitation on the desk. Then leaning against the wall, I faced him. I wasn't afraid, in fact I was bored, time to unleash the real me.
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I rolled my eyes at him. "Hurry up with this, I have people to attend to."
"The pawn thinks of itself as the queen, how cute,"
"Father, the pawn has reached the other side of the chessboard, now it's no longer a pawn but a queen, the queen."
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His lips curled into a tight, thin smile, but I could tell he wasn’t as confident as he wanted to appear. "You think you’re in control, Elara?" His voice was almost mocking, but there was a slight edge of concern in it. "You’ve only just begun."
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I crossed my arms, staring him down with a calmness that contrasted the storm brewing inside me. "I’ve been playing this game longer than you think, Father. You may have given me the pieces, but I’m the one who’s making the moves."
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He leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing. "And where do you think those moves will take you? You’ve got ambition, but no real strategy. You’re still a child playing in an adult's world."
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I smirked, the challenge in his words fueling my resolve. "Maybe, but every queen has to start at her end of the chessboard. And every game has an end."
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He laughed, low and dismissive. "You think you can outsmart me? You’ve barely seen the whole board."
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I stood taller, my gaze unwavering. "I don’t need to see the whole board. I’ve already figured out enough to know that my next move will be your last."
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The silence that followed was thick with tension. For a moment, I thought he might respond, but instead, he just looked at me — as if he was seeing me for the first time. His confident façade had cracked, even if only for an instant.
I turned, my steps purposeful as I walked away, knowing that for once, and from now on, power was in my hands.
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