Erik was quickly realizing that Lea's claim was no mere boast. She was actually fairly good at this. The opening moves had been rather standard of course as both players got a gauge of each other. The prince was personally favoring a rather defensive strategy, trying to lure his opponent into wasting her more valuable pieces. The knight however was not so easily fooled it seemed and worked around most of his feints with some quick moves of her own.

The homunculus found the pieces rather light thankfully and were about half his size so it was easy for him to make his moves. Indeed he made a habit of inspecting the board closely, pacing up and down his side and her side as he plotted out his moves. This seemed to actually amuse the princess. Currently she was watching him closely, her eye following his every movement and likely getting a feel for his posture.

Of course they also chatted a bit. Erik had never been fond of playing in silence and it appeared Lea was much the same. For the first time since embarking on this cursed task the prince was actually feeling tolerably good. His ill fortune with his previous suitors was forgotten as he allowed himself to enjoy the presence of this rather good opponent. As he moved back to his side of the board the woman took up her cup of water and sipped at it.

"Hmm... don't you find it interesting how, in chess, the queen holds all the strength while the king sits idly by?" She inquired.

Erik pushed one of his pawns forward and rolled his eyes. "You are not the first to ask me that. I've had plenty of time to ponder their power dynamic actually."

Lea took hold of her rook and moved him to the side, tipping over the pawn and snatching it up. Her gauntlets had been shed; revealing long rough fingers covered in callouses. Her fingernails were short and worn, obviously frequently filed down. The hands of a woman who plied her craft on a battlefield and practice ground. Yet it appeared she was not quite as uncivilized as the prince had been expecting.

"Oh? Do tell."

Erik had expected the move and immediately moved his nearest bishop towards her rook, capturing it easily and stealing it away to his side of the board. "The queen has strength but the king has power. He need not move as he is the one commanding the troops. Power is not measured in mere physical prowess but in the influence one has over others. The king influences all."

It was a few moments until Lea opted to respond, the princess frowning as she peered at the new board. She seemed to think over his analysis of the philosophy of the game, mulling it over with her own thoughts. Her fingers were poised over her queen, her eye darting around in contemplation. Erik rather hoped she would use it, moving it into one of his traps. After a time her finger left it and instead she moved one of her unused knights into a rather unfortunate position. One that would set him back a few moves. If he took it he would be in the path of her other rook.

"An interesting take on the concept. I'm inclined to agree with it to some degree."

She leaned back in her chair, content with her move and the situation it put Erik in. This was when the game was slowing down, each player carefully considering their next moves. The homunculus was very conservative with his next few moves, focused upon setting up rather than on taking one of Lea's pieces outright. The princess on the other hand was content to keep with her aggressive tactics, snatching up a couple of pawns with little consequence.

Erik was left staring at the board rather forlornly, not at all pleased by the current set up. His queen was in a very bad spot and one of his rooks was hanging a little too far out in the open. He supposed there was nothing else for it, though... he could do something. The homunculus was not going to lose this game. His pride would not allow it. Perhaps if he could get Lea to look away or leave the room...

The tall woman rolled her shoulders, metal clanking loudly. "Eh, I think I'm going to go get changed before my next move. You don't mind, do you?"

Perfect. "Not at all, my lady. Take your time."

With that Lea stood and departed the room, metal clanking all the while. With her gone Erik set himself to looking at the board and pondering just what positions he should alter. He was not so foolish as to think of stealing a few moves on her, the princess would likely notice that bit of under handed tactics. She would also likely not appreciate it. Instead he looked at his queen and his rook. The queen was obviously much more valuable and the rook, while out in the open and alone was not in much danger. The queen also currently couldn't escape its doom while the rook had a retreat open.

The homunculus dipped into his magical reserves and crafted a simple illusion called image transfer. He transferred the rook's image and the queen's, swapping them to have them change places. The change was seamless and quick, requiring very little magic to maintain. It was a gamble that Lea wouldn't notice but it was more likely than taking one of her pieces while she was away. The prince was certainly not above altering a few parts of the game to his advantage.

He moved his new queen in a quick retreat in the corner of his territory. Satisfied he awaited the princess' return. The woman returned quickly enough, wearing a simple tunic, a skirt and a pair of supple leather boots. She sat down, setting her sword down next to her chair as she surveyed the board. She frowned slightly as she gazed down at the new board and for a few moments Erik feared she had discovered his little trick. However she simply took the new rook and passed the turn onto the homunculus, none the wiser it seemed.

"That is a fascinating carriage you arrived in. The tales of the technological prowess of your people are quite accurate it seems." Lea noted as she sipped at her water.

Erik felt a swell of pride as he quickly pulled a number of his pieces back on the defensive with his next series of moves. "It was a gift from my father when he sent me off, based off of one of my own designs actually though obviously scaled up."

The princess was quick to pursue him, never once letting up or leaving much of an opening for him to exploit. "The technology of the homunculi is unmatched it is said and looking at that I can believe it. A race that lacks in size and strength possesses wit and intelligence in abundance it seems. Well... perhaps not all smaller races. I've met a few dwarves after all." She joked lightly.

"Wit and intelligence are not so important to them as honor and a good fight. Actually... I think there are a few dwarves on my visit list..." Erik said, wrinkling his nose in distaste.

"One of my past suitors was a dwarf. A nobleman with a thick red beard and a belly as round as a barrel." She said as she stole one of Erik's last remaining pawns.

"How did that go?"

"He got so drunk he could barely see straight and passed out over the board before the fifth move."

The homunculus chuckled at that as he moved his queen through an opening that had finally been revealed in Lea's defenses. The move took him straight to her king, nothing between his queen and the valuable piece. The princess licked her lips at the rather risky move, her eye narrowing as the ball was placed in her court. Erik felt a swelling in his chest as he finally had her on her toes.

"Well, this meeting is going much better than my last two." He remarked aloud.

"Oh?"

"Indeed. One was sweet but clumsy as anyone I've ever met with nothing between her ears. The second was a complete brat. She opted to keep me stuffed under her foot for most of my time with her." He said, unsure why he had just admitted that to the woman across from him.

After a long moment of thought the princess opted to just move her king out of check, smirking at his words. "Trust me, if your list is as long as you say there is more of that to come. Chances are I might even know a few of the women you are to see."

Erik didn't think about moving his queen to put her king back in check, instead focusing upon her words. "Really?"

"Certainly. I would suggest being on the lookout for two in particular. Eva Redfist, a rather violent and ill-tempered dwarven princess and Isina Utlas, a rather ambitious woman with a mean streak a mile wide. One you might actually enjoy is Elrina Myssia, an elven princess. She's a little shy but very pleasant." She said at length.

Erik made a note to look up all three names on the list to check if they were there. Unfortunately it appeared as though his distraction had kept him from noticing the bishop poised to take his queen. The princess seized the opportunity to snatch the valuable piece right up, grinning as she did. The homunculus paled as she claimed the piece, staring at his side of the board with a sinking feeling in his gut. So few pieces... he'd sacrificed too much trying to lure some of Lea's pieces into traps.

The prince set up a defense around his king, looking for an opening his last remaining bishop might be able to exploit. The situation was once again with him on the losing end after his quick move to set the princess on her heels. He licked at his lips as he watched as one by one the princess cut away at his defenses mercilessly, battering aside any attempt at retaliation. His king was forced into a corner and soon enough he was completely surrounded.

"I believe that is checkmate." Lea stated, placing the last nail in the coffin of his king's fate.

With a deep sigh Erik knew well that he had lost. It had been a long game at the very least and far more entertaining than anyone he had ever played against. Still, it galled him that even after cheating he had managed to lose to her. He had been certain he had been but a few moves away from victory at that point. His distraction with his queen was what had likely doomed him in the end.

Suddenly Lea slammed one of her hands down on the table, standing up to her full height. Erik fell over in surprise, along with a few pieces. She stared down at him with a hard and cold eye once more, her lips set in a line. The prince felt a chill roll down his spine from the look, the temperature in the room suddenly dropping.

"Prince Erik Lostrem, you are intelligent but are also overly cautious and conservative." She declared her voice seemingly ringing off of the walls.

"I... what?" He asked in surprise.

"Over half your moves were defensive and attempts to lure me into a bold attack, and when it became apparent I would not fall for these tricks you did not adapt! You played it safe, only showing a bit of daring near the end. Even cheating you could not defeat me." She said forcefully.

Erik swallowed hard. "You mean... you knew?"

She nodded. "Indeed. Most might have overlooked it but I remember well your introduction as a master of illusionism."

The prince winced and wondered just how Lea dealt with cheaters. She did not seem the type to allow slights to pass her by easily. What would it be? Stuffed in her boots perhaps? Squeezed in her fist? Maybe she'd stomp him repeatedly upon the floor. His experience with Amelia had him fearing the worst for his transgression. He dared to look up to Lea's face, finding the woman sitting back down with an amused smirk upon her lips.

"Worry not; I was actually hoping you would cheat."

Erik blinked. "I'm... sorry?"

Lea waved a hand over the board. "The point of the game for me is not to see who wins or loses, of course that is important but not nearly so much as seeing how far you would go to win."

"In warfare there are no hard or established sets of rules like this game. Generals must do what they can to win no matter what. Those that keep to conventions are doomed to failure; however those who are willing to think outside of them often find success." She said at length.

"I didn't win though." Erik pointed out.

Lea nodded. "Perhaps not the game but you won my test. You wanted to win enough to do anything you could, even cheating. You adapted your situation to better suit you. My other suitors did not. Despite your defensive ways, I accept you as a potentially worthy suitor."

Erik blinked again. The game wasn't actually what she had cared about? He followed her logic and supposed he could see something to it. She wanted someone that was willing to fight for what they wanted. In this case Erik had wanted to win, to prove his superior intellect. Of course he hadn't won but apparently she considered him worthy enough to pursue. Though... he wasn't exactly trying to marry someone. Lea did have an air about her though, an appeal in testing himself against. That was more than the previous two had given him.

"Of course, I suppose I did defeat you on the field of battle. Which means, Prince Lostrem, you are now my prisoner or war." She said with a chuckle, clearing aside the board.

With that the princess slipped off her boots and stretched out, setting her feet out on the table before the homunculus. The tiny prince stared up at her feet, the scent of sweat and leather assaulting his nose. A pit opened in the bottom of his stomach as he looked upon her feet, her toes flexing and curling in the cool air of the study. Lea sighed as she leaned further back in her chair.

"I think I'd like you to give my aching feet some attention, prisoner. Do a thorough job; the victorious princess should enjoy her victory after all." She said, actually managing a little giggle at the end.