Chapter Twenty

 

If a situation occurs not foreseen by this Contract, but needing action, the parties will mutually agree on an appropriate solution.  Guinevere Pendragon will lead the discussion.

Clause 16- Unexpected Situations

 

The Emerald City was filled with people who hated him.

It was an exclusive gated town at the center of Camelot, populated exclusively with wizards, who were exclusively Good.  Midas was used to being surrounded by enemies, but usually they were enemies he could kill.  There wasn’t a damn thing he could do to the wizards, though.  Not when his True Love considered them all her uncles.

He sat in the office of Suffrah Moghrabi, Chair of the Congress of Wizards, trying not to draw attention to himself.  Which was hard, considering Midas was the only un-green thing in a five mile radius.  All the buildings were green.  The furniture inside of them was green.  The citizens who lived in them favored green clothes and green hair-dye.  Even Gwen was dressed in a striking green jacket and coordinating skirt, which did amazing things for her eyes.

Midas was wearing black.

Black suit, black shirt, black tie, and black shoes.  It was the simplest outfit he owned.  Putting together anything even halfway classy was completely beyond his skill set, but at least he matched.  His entire goal for the day was to just… get through the day.  He wanted to keep his mouth shut, let Gwen do whatever royal-ish stuff she needed to do to get the wizards’ backing, and go home with her still safely married to him.

It was a great plan.

Except Suffrah was not in the mood to let it happen.

Like the other two men sitting behind the long table in front of him, Suffrah was a level five wizard, wearing long robes, a long beard, and a disapproving expression.  Unlike the others, his green eyes stayed fixed on Midas while Gwen talked.

The bastard was thinking of ways to break up their marriage. Midas could tell.  Wizards were the only beings alive who could void a marriage contract.  Suffrah would need Gwen’s permission to do it and access to their marriage scroll, of course.  Neither of which seemed likely to happen, but it was still a risk.  Midas didn’t take risks with his wife.  It was why he hadn’t wanted to come to the Emerald City, in the first place.

“So you see,” Gwen continued enthusiastically, like she didn’t notice the man’s glower, “if you and the rest of the wizards would back us, we could stop the Scarecrow from destroying the kingdom, Uncles.  If we stand together with the Bad folk, he won’t even have a chance.”

Suffrah kept staring at Midas.  “Was this your idea?”  He demanded.

“No.”

“It was my idea.”  Gwen put in.  “Midas is not entirely thrilled about the whole ‘becoming king’ concept.  But, he’s going to be amazing at it.”  She smiled over at Midas, her eyes bright and happy.

She couldn’t possibly think this meeting was going well, right?

One of the other wizards, named Nim, arched a gray brow at Midas.  “Arthur was an unworthy king.”  He declared as if Midas had suggested otherwise.  “The Scarecrow is even worse with his depraved use of Dark Science.  The wizards want no part of that madness.”

“Neither do we.”  Gwen assured him.  “That’s why we’re here.”  She looked at Midas for support.  “Right?”

“Yes.”

Gwen frowned at his abbreviated answer, but Midas wasn’t saying one word more than he had to.  The meeting was doomed and had been from the start.  He’d told Gwen that. He just wanted to get his wife out of there, before someone tried to take her and he had to kill them.  It would really not win Gwen a lot of points with her uncles if Midas slaughtered them all.

Uncomfortable, he checked the distance to the door, again.

“We want no part of a war, either.”  Suffrah spared Gwen the briefest of glances, before refocusing his scowl on Midas.  “Good folk are above such things.”

Midas met his stare levelly, not saying a word.

“Not always, Uncle.  The Looking Glass Campaigns were all started by the Good.  Historically, I think we can all agree that most wars begin with Good folk trying to…”

“We must look at eons, not just today.”  The third wizard, named Chryson, interrupted.  “Patience is a virtue.  In the end, the world always rights itself.  You do not need your crown today, my dear.”

Gwen’s face fell in disappointment.

Midas’ jaw tightened, forcing himself to stay still.  He wasn’t going to get involved.  If he got involved it would make things worse for her.  The wizards were looking for a reason to deny Gwen her crown forever and Midas was one hell of a big, Bad, cursed reason.

“But the Scarecrow has the formula.  I told you, he’s going to put it in the air and brainwash all the Bad folk.”  Gwen shook her head.  “I can’t let that happen.  I have to stop him now.”

“Camelot will make its own choices, Guinevere.”  Nim tutted.  “There is no reason to risk wizards’ blood as they make their mistakes.  Perhaps they will learn from them.”

“What about other people’s blood?”  The words were out before Midas could stop them.  “How many will die while you lock your gates and let innocent people learn from the Scarecrow’s mistakes?”

Gwen looked over at him in surprised gratitude.

Suffrah’s eyes narrowed.  “What others do is no concern of ours.  As Nim said, we all must make our own choices.”

“Well, make them while you can.”  Midas crossed his arms over his chest.  “The Scarecrow hates the wizards nearly as much as Bad folk.  Didn’t you guys turn him down for entrance into the Academy or something?”  He glanced at Gwen.  “Didn’t you tell me they turned him down?”

“They turned him down.”  Gwen nodded.  “Like four times.”

“Well, no wonder he’s holding a grudge.”  Midas arched a brow.  “So, after he’s done erasing all the Bad folk, it stands to reason the Scarecrow will be coming here.”  He gestured around the green office and to the green city beyond.  “To steal freewill from you.  To enslave you with Dark Science and get his revenge.  …And there will be no one left to stop him.”

Suffrah’s scowl deepened.  “You think the wizards would do better under your illustrious rule, Kingpin?”  The nickname was a taunt.

“Everyone will do better under his rule.”  Gwen interjected.  “Midas is the best king we’ve had in generations.  He was born with nothing and look what he’s accomplished!”  Her voice radiated sincerity, as if she truly believed what she was saying.  “There isn’t a man alive with a kinder heart or a nobler nature.  And smart!  Oh my God, he’s so smart, no one else can even compare.”

Midas blinked, moved and shaken by her enthusiastic praise.

“Smart?”  Chryson pursed his lips, scanning Midas as if he was a horse who could perform tricks.  “He doesn’t look smart.  Can he even play catur?”

“Of course he can.”  Gwen answered instantly.

Midas’ eyes widened.  No, he couldn’t.  He’d told her that.  “Wait, let’s not…”

Chryson talked right over him.  “Monkeys can move pieces on a board, but they cannot win.”  He argued.  Still, he looked a bit intrigued with the idea of Midas being more than a mindless goon.  “Can your man win?”  Even Suffrah and Nim were eyeing Midas speculatively, now.  “Catur requires rare talent, after all.  It is a game of gentlemen and scholars, not thugs.”

“Midas is the most talented man I have ever met.” Gwen sounded supremely confident.  “He can beat anyone at anything.”

Chryson’s stroked his beard.  “Are you willing to bet on him, then, my dear?”

Gwen smirked.  “Absolutely.”

Midas’ saw the floor opening up beneath him.  “Gwen, don’t.”  He warned.

Everyone ignored him.

“If the boy wins, the wizards will help you in your quest for the crown.”  Chryson offered.  “If he loses, we won’t.  We will seal our gates and leave Camelot to its fate.  Forever.”

“Deal.”  Gwen agreed with a victorious clap of her hands.  “Get the board.”

Midas squeezed his eyes shut.

Fucking hell.

Chryson bounded to his feet.  “Well, we’ll see how right you are about this man you married, Guinevere.”  He pointed at Midas.  “I warn you though, boy, I’ve been grandmaster of the Emerald City Catur Club for thirty-three years.”

Fucking hell.

Midas leaned closer to Gwen, lowering his voice to a hiss.  “I’ve never played catur a day in my life.  Blue-blooded, Good, classy people play catur.  Not criminals from Celliwig.  Are you out of your mind making this deal?”

“Didn’t you say you read a book on catur?”

“Yes, but…”

She cut him off, lake-blue eyes full of unearned faith.  “Then, you can beat him.”  She summed up with a nod.  “I know it.”

Midas’ heart flipped and sank at the same time.  “This is way outside my skillset, Gwen.  Bad folk aren’t even allowed to own a catur board.”

“Really?”  She glanced over at her uncles like she didn’t believe that.  “Really?”

Saffrah was back to watching Midas like he was a bug skittering across the clean, green wall.  “Of course Bad folk are forbidden to play this game.  They lack the higher thinking abilities and strategic mindset to understand its subtleties.”

Midas’ eyes narrowed at him.

“Well, that’s a stupid law and I’m changing it.”  Gwen shot back.  Her hand came over to touch Midas’ arm like she was shielding him from the wizard’s antipathy.  “Everyone should learn to play, if they want.”

“Which will do the boy no good today, since he’s apparently never played before.”

“It’s a game of higher thinking abilities and strategic mindsets, remember?”  Gwen arched a brow.  “Midas doesn’t need a game board to practice those skills.  He does it every day, just being himself.”

Fucking.

Hell.

Midas ran a hand through his hair, trying to find a way out of this mess.  “Why can’t you play this game?”  He asked her.  “You’ve played before, right?”

“Because, I suck at catur.  I’m too aggressive and… blunt.  I need you.  You’re calmer and way better at seeing moves three steps ahead.  It’s why we’re such a great team.”  She smiled at him.  “We balance each other out.”

Midas sighed in defeat.  How could he possibly tell his True Love “no” after she said something like that?

“Okay.”  He gave in to her, because what choice did he have?  Trying and failing was better than not trying at all.  “I’ll do this.  I will.  But,” he lowered his voice, so only she could hear, “if I lose this game, are you going to use the Termination Clause of our Contract and leave me?”

She sent him a mystified look.  “No, of course not.”

He didn’t completely believe her reassurance.  Since they’d met, Gwen had been looking at him and deciding he measured up to whatever invisible scale she had in her head.  This was a test he would fail, though.  He knew it.  And when he failed, she might very well enact Clause 11- “Reasons for Nullification and/or Termination of Marriage.”  If Midas couldn’t give her what she wanted, why would she stay with him?

Gwen also looked worried, now.  “I thought we agreed in the elevator… um…” she blushed a bit at the memory, “that… uh… we were happy with this deal.”  She whispered.  “Are you not happy anymore?”

“Our deal is the happiest I’ve ever been.”  He said honestly.

And ever since she’d come up with the idea of him stroking her to orgasm every other day, it had been even better.  The scent of her skin and the soft sounds she made and the taste of her…  He needed nothing else to be happy.  He was perfectly content just touching Gwen in every possible way she’d allow.

Midas hadn’t even taken his turn, yet.  He was afraid he’d lose control and have sex with her.  It was fucking killing him to know she’d allow it and he was the one holding back. Of all the crazy things that had ever happened to him, that was the craziest.  But he was afraid to reveal they were True Loves.  Already the physical desire between them was growing hotter.  Bigger.

That morning his need for her had made it impossible to sleep, so he’d knocked on Gwen’s door at an ungodly hour with a new idea.  She’d been surprisingly excited to see him.  Especially, when he’d asked to amend the Contract, so he could trade his days in and pleasure her instead.

“You want to touch me, again?”  She’d echoed, wide-eyed.  “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Right now?”

“Immediately.”

“Damn, you really are the best partner ever.”  She’d yanked him into her bedroom, standing on tiptoe to meet his hungry kiss.

It had been one of the most magical moments of his life.  The woman brought sunshine to his gloomy world.  She gave him joy and warmth and laughter.  A family.  His existence before Gwen and Avalon arrived was nothing but a dark, cold porch.

And now he was about to lose everything because of a fucking board game.

Gwen’s eyes searched his face.  “Just do your best.”

“What if it’s not enough?”

“Then we’ll think of something else.”  She shrugged.  “But it will be enough.  Believe me, you’re going to be a natural at this.”

Midas rubbed his temple so hard, it was amazing his fingers didn’t drill right through his skull.  She trusted him.  Needed him.  He couldn’t let her down.  “Fine.”  He muttered.

Fucking hell.

Midas watched in resignation as Chryson came bounding back in and set up the board.  There were four painted quadrants and traditional chess pieces, mixed with elephants and chariots.  That news did Midas very little good.  He’d never played chess, either.

“I’ll be white.”  The wizard announced, looking over Midas’ solid black clothing.

Like it mattered.

Midas shrugged, studying his pieces, recalling the one and only book he’d ever read about this damn game.  It had been in the WUB Club.  The prison library had been a grim and desolate place, filled with ranting treatises against Badness and dull textbooks, so old they crumbled in your hands when you turned the pages.  Midas had read them all, though, because even terrible books were better than no books, at all.

One of the forgotten, mildewed tomes had been entitled: Catur’s Classic Stratagems and Philosophies.

Illustrations of the author’s favorite moves and descriptions of his most cunning attacks had been chronicled in that ancient volume.  Midas always remembered what he read, even the boring shit.  Since this was the most important game he would ever play, he was going to use every advantage he had.

Midas’ glanced at his opponent through his lashes.  “White goes first, I believe.”

Chryson slammed his chariot forward and gave Midas a challenging look.

Apparently, that was a bold opening.  Hell if he knew why.  Midas frowned, trying to recall how the elephant moved.  The book said if your opponent led with a chariot, you needed to immediately bring out your elephant. Taking a chance, he slid the black pachyderm forward and arched a brow at Chryson.

Chryson’s mouth curved in appreciation, settling back in his chair.  “Ahhh… perhaps this won’t be so dull a game, after all.”

Gwen smiled knowingly.

It took four hours.  Four unrelenting, tense hours, where Midas had to pay attention to every move Chryson made and then try to match it up to the information in the book.  It took every ounce of his concentration to keep up.  His infantry was gone in the first ninety minutes and his cavalry depleted soon after.  The elephant, though…  The elephant was amazing.  Once Midas’ got the hang of using the little bastard, he decimated the wizard’s ranks.  His opponent favored the chariot and it cost the man dearly.

Nim and Saffrah watched in amazement as Midas took Chryson’s queen.  Now there was only one queen left on the board.

Midas’ queen.

He automatically looked over at Gwen, who was fiddling with her phone.  He didn’t know whether to be flattered or exasperated by how little attention she was paying to the game.

“Son of a toad.”  Chryson muttered, on the run now.  “Who taught you to play like this, boy?”  He tried shifting his king into a safer position, but it was no use.

Midas followed him, boxing him in.  “You taught me.”  He answered calmly.

Chryson flashed him a baffled look.  “I did?  I don’t recall that.”  He tried one more time to evade capture, but the elephant was relentless and the king fell.  Chryson sat back with a frown, not looking too upset over the loss.  “Although, that defense with the queen was familiar.  Almost a…”

“A classic stratagem.”  Midas agreed, relief coursing through him.  He’d done it.  He’d passed another test and now his wife would stay with him.  “Gwen?”  He called and was pleased that his voice stayed steady.  “It’s over.”

“Oh good.”  Gwen straightened in her chair, not even asking about the outcome.  “Now we can go looking for the wand.  I’m really hoping Merlyn hid it around here somewhere.”

“I won.”  Midas informed her quietly.  Maybe she didn’t know that.  Maybe she was afraid to ask.

She tilted her head.  “Well, of course you did.”  She smiled like it was no big deal that an uneducated gangster had just defeated a wizard in the kingdom’s most elite game.  “You can do anything, Midas.”

For the first time in his life, Midas felt pride.

His mouth curved, realizing the game hadn’t been a test, after all. To Gwen, the outcome had simply never been in doubt.  His wife completely believed in him.  If he’d lost the game, she still would have believed in him.  The value of that was beyond measure.

Chryson squinted at Midas.  “A classic stratagem, eh?”  He repeated, comprehension dawning.

“Yes.”  Midas cleared his throat.  “Page eighty-one, I believe.”

Chryson grinned.  “What ho!  The boy’s read my book!”

“I read your book.”  Midas agreed.  It had allowed him to predict Chryson’s moves and understand his tactics.  He might not fully understand catur, but he’d understood how his opponent understood catur and that was far more important. 

“Told you no one could beat my husband.”  Gwen informed her uncles and Midas’ breath caught at her casual use of the word. “And FYI, when Arthur made the Scarecrow his chief advisor based on a catur match…?   It took the Scarecrow two days to win, against a far less worthy adversary.”  She snorted.  “Smartest man in the kingdom, my ass.”

Chryson looked over to the other wizards.  “You see what my teaching can do?  Do you see why I’ve been Grandmaster of the Emerald City Catur Club for thirty-three years?  Because no one can match my stratagems, not even me.”

“No one can match the King of Camelot.”  Gwen corrected, standing up.  “Midas could lose a thousand games and still be the best ruler this land ever had.  You know he’s even read the stupid budget reports?  I’m telling you, you’ve backed the right man for the job.”

“You could rule without him.”  Saffrah said, making one last ditch effort to ruin Midas’ life.  “We’ll ensure you’re queen, now.  You can stay here and we’ll support you, until you have the crown.  You’ve no need for the Kingpin, anymore, Guinevere.”

Midas started to rise out of his chair.

“Of course I have need for him.”  Gwen scoffed, not noticing the deadly look Midas was leveling at the bastard.  “We’re equal partners.”  She extended her palm.  “A deal’s a deal, uncles.  Midas and I look forward to your support, as we win our war.”

All three wizards shook her hand with varying degrees of reluctance, sealing the bargain.

And Midas realized he’d just become ruler of a kingdom.

Gwen had actually gotten the Congress of Wizards to put a Bad folk --a former stable boy from the worst town in Camelot-- on the throne.  Holy shit!  Of everything Midas expected to happen at the meeting, being named king was the very last. Gwen had maneuvered everyone perfectly and come out with everything she’d wanted.

His wife really was one hell of a negotiator.