Royal Academy Diaries I

White Knight, Black King ⚜ Ch. 3

Thiana could hardly sleep. She'd never been anywhere so rich and luxurious, but she still felt trapped in a gilded cage. This Lord Dren had been friendly enough, but she hadn't made any mistakes yet. She feared his anger and that of his family.

The next morning, she took a quick bath and tried to fix herself up nicely with what she had. When she finished, she spent a while admiring the view before sitting next to a small chess board set out on the table. She was looking at the detailed carving when a knock came at the door.

"Come in," she called.

Dren opened the door and smiled at her. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Good morning. And well enough, yes," she replied, clasping her hands to avoid nervous fidgeting.

He leaned against the doorframe, and she couldn't help but think how handsome he was. "I was thinking for breakfast we'd go about half an hour away to a restaurant I'm highly fond of. They have excellent omelettes."

She nodded, thinking of how expensive this must all be. "Alright."

"Are you ready?" he asked, holding out his hand.

She hesitated before standing to go over to him.

Seeing her hesitation, he walked in and asked gently, "Are you alright?"

Thiana nodded and tried to smile. She couldn't. Looking down at the chess board, an idea of what to say came to her and she picked up the black king. "Please, be square with me. Are you the white knight or the black king?"

A bit surprised by her question, he stepped closer and picked up a black and white knight. "My uncle is the black king. I'm a knight - I only go the directions I want to go." Meeting her eye, he said, "For you, my dear, I am a white knight."

She let out a shaky breath and tried to put the king piece down, accidentally knocking it over.

Dren knelt beside her, putting a hand on hers. "I won't hurt you. I'm much nicer than much of my family. But even they won't hurt you. I promise."

✧❈✧ 

They left the hotel and drove for a while, and Dren couldn't help but think of her symbolism. Was he the white knight? He loved a bit of mischief and being unconventional, but even he had a sense of right and wrong.

They stopped at an old town square that had become a hub for the rich and wealthy. Going into the restaurant, he bit back a grin at Thiana's awe.

"I've never seen so much ritz," she said quietly.

"A table for two please, upper level."

A waiter nodded and gestured for them to follow. "Right this way, Lord D'Avanzo."

"Does everyone know who you are?" Thiana whispered.

He grinned at her. "Only the people I want to know."

They stopped at a window seat overlooking the grand architecture of the square. Dren pulled out her seat for her, and before she even glanced at the menu, she looked out the window.

"How beautiful," she sighed.

He smiled, admiring her as much as the view. "Isn't it?"

She finally looked away to see what was on the menu. "It appears you have to speak French to eat here," she said after a minute.

Dren put down his menu and chuckled. "How does an omelette sound?"

Her stomach grumbled in reply. "Wonderful," she said embarrassedly. 

He called the waiter and ordered, and their food arrived very quickly. 

"Bon appetite," he smiled. They ate in silence, and he was glad it seemed more comfortable than before.

He thought the same as they left, driving again for a while out into the countryside. Thiana even felt comfortable enough to nod off a few times. He felt badly that she'd been to frightened to sleep.

As they pulled up to his home, his uncle and grandfather were waiting on the front steps. He just hoped that they would behave.