The Kingdom of the Seven Stars: Chaturanga

Chapter 4

"Another seed is planted," said the royal steward. "Another reign is ended. Another reign commences."

"Another reign commences," repeated the assembled guests.

Alex turned off the hose and handed it back to the gardener. He looked around at the orchard and all the cherry trees. The newest, smallest one, which was just starting to flower, was the one his father's ashes were buried under. The second, fifteen year old one, was his grandmother. Every one of the trees in the cemetery, all in full bloom, was the resting place of one member of the Tarquin family, stretching back all the way through the orchard to King Stephen and his wife and their sons and daughters at the very front.

The orchard blurred as Alex's tears flowed in his eyes. He hugged his mother and his sisters as everyone bowed their heads in silent remembrance. The wind whispered through the trees, making the blossom fall, and the birds sang slowly in the branches.

"Goodbye, Dad," said Prince Max, softly, from the front of the assembled guests.

* * * * * * *

"Please tell me we do not have to invite him in," said Ellen, twenty minutes later, as they walked into the palace's ballroom for the reception.

"No, your highness. Don't worry," said the royal steward. "Lord Blackstar already informed me that he isn't staying. He apparently has several unavoidably urgent matters to attend to this afternoon. I assured him I was certain that we'd be able to manage without him."

"The entire universe could probably manage without him," said Ellen.

"Did he say what the urgent matters were?" said Alice.

"I didn't ask, your highness," said the steward.

"It probably doesn't matter," said Alice. "But it would be nice to know what he's doing."

Alex nodded. While Lord Blackstar was the last person he wanted to see, talk to or even look at right now, having him at the funeral at least meant they knew where he was. If he was not there, he could be almost anywhere else in the capital, doing who knew what to move his plan forward. Lord Blackstar had Jessamine in check. But it felt like they were still playing chess with him and he was five moves ahead, while they were still struggling to make their first move.

"Oh. I'm afraid I didn't think of that, your highness," said the steward. "But on a better note, your majesty, the experts have arrived. They're waiting in the anteroom."

"Oh, good. We'll see them as soon as possible," said Jessamine, as the first group of the funeral guests reached them.

Alex managed to smile and shake hands and speak with everyone who came to offer their condolences for the next hour as they moved around the room. It was nice that so many people had made it and that they all had kind things to say and good stories to tell about his grandfather, but he still had to force himself to focus and hide how impatient he was. He did not touch any of the refreshments and the relief felt like the weight of a whole planet lifting off his shoulders when they had finally spoken to everyone and could leave the guests giving their condolences to Uncle Max and follow the royal steward through one of the ballroom's side doors into the anteroom, where a chessboard was set up on a small table.

It was arranged with the current position of King Stephen's Last Game. It was not the real game and board – which were still upstairs in the royal bedroom, with Captain Zachary's men taking turns guarding it around the clock – but three people were standing around it and arguing. Alex recognised Professor George Equinox, Professor Leonard Shaw and Doctor Jane Thornton from the University of Magenta, all of whom he had met during his school chess club's last visit to the university's chess department. They were well-known as the star cluster's three greatest experts on chess.