Page 76 of Crimson Kingdom

So, all in all, we were always destined to have a really uncomplicated relationship.

With a sigh, I moved several of my little red men over into my father’s territory, picking up the attacker’s die.

“He’s baiting you into that,” Evander said under his breath, pausing in his conversation with Mamá.

My father raised an intrigued eyebrow.

There were no rules against collaborating. In fact, my sister and I frequently teamed up to take out Da’, even though that usually meant she wound up taking me down next.

Which meant my father’s reaction was because Evander was right. My turn wasn’t set in stone until I rolled the die, so I surveyed the board.

“Maybe,” I said. “But I don’t have another move.”

“Then fortify your borders,” he suggested.

I made a face at the inaction, and Evander chuckled under his breath.

“Sometimes winning requires patience, Lemmikki. And an actual plan.”

Da’ looked between us, but he didn’t say anything. I put the die back down, moving my pieces back and adding a few soldiers to my borders instead.

Play continued with Da’, who advanced on Evander’s territory in a manner that definitely felt pointed. Evander didn’t react, though, just staged a retreat into Avani’s part of the map, and Mamá’s.

Or at least, that’s what it looked like he was doing. As it turned out, he slowly and patiently crept through the sides of the map until he had Da’ surrounded.

My father raised his eyebrows, reluctantly impressed at the strategy. He countered with a well-thought-out maneuver of his own, and Evander nodded in respect.

When Mamá’s pieces were completely off the board, she got to her feet to order tea and pastries from the kitchens to tide us over until dinner.

“Evander doesn’t like pastries,” I told her.

He raised his eyebrow in surprise, but I had seen the grim determination with which he finished his dessert every night.

“Bread and cheese, then?” she offered.

I nodded, and a small smile tempted the corner of his mouth.

“That would be perfect,” he said, still eyeing me curiously.

“What?” I asked.

“I’m just...surprised you noticed,” he commented.

It was hard not to notice everything about Evander, but I wasn’t about to tell him that and feed his substantial ego. Instead, I shrugged.

“It wasn’t hard to guess that you would get no joy from something perfect and sweet,” I teased.

“I don't deny that.” He met my gaze solidly. “Why have perfect and sweet when you can have bold and unexpected?”

What he described was essentially the flavor profile of borscht, so it was possible the words were meant to be taken at face value.

But somehow, I didn’t think so.

Warmth spread through me, and I couldn’t seem to break our eye contact until Avani cleared her throat in a gentle reminder that it was apparently Evander’s turn.

His muttered advice had at least kept me in play, though I was by no means in line to win. Finally, when more than an hour had passed and it was clear no one was winning, my mother declared a stalemate.

Which felt significant, all things considered.