Eric watched the door close softly behind Lysanne and remained seated for a few seconds longer, eyes resting on the chessboard.
The pieces were scattered in quiet imbalance.
The supervising panel members shifted in their seats before standing one by one. A murmur passed between them. One of the civilian panel members, Hasik, stepped closer, hands folded behind his back as he studied the board.
"Oh," Hasik remarked, tilting his head. "It's a checkmate."
Eric glanced at the board as if seeing it for the first time. The path had been obvious. One more move and the game would have ended cleanly.
Instead, he reached forward, gently laid his king on its side, and pushed his chair back.
Hasik frowned. "Your Highness?"
Eric smiled faintly as he stood. "This wasn't a game, Mr. Hasik."
The words were light, but his tone wasn't playful.
Hasik opened his mouth, clearly wanting clarification, but Eric had already stepped away from the table. Drac followed without a word.
