Darcy stared at the chessboard, considering how much to reveal. He moved his own pawn forward boldly.
"They work for an alpha acquaintance of my parents. Earlier today, under the guise of a anniversary celebration they tried to trick me into marrying him." He glanced up at Kand-Lei's disturbed face as he further advanced his initial pawn, "Once I found out, I just ran. I've been through enough arranged marriage setups to know that it's the fastest way to get out of it." He chuckled darkly, moving his queen from the safety of the home side, directly into the battlefield. "I hide out until the other party loses interest. Although this one is more… agressive than I'm used to."
Kand-Lei fiddled with the knobbly head of a pawn, "Your parents… they do this often?" He moved it forward to come tête-à-tête with Darcy's.
Darcy leaned back casually, a strained smile flickering across his face. "Often enough. I'm what you call the baby of the family. Younger than all the rest, and the only omega. My parents were just itching for the day they could marry me off. But after my rebellious streak… now they're just desperate to find someone willing to marry me at all." He moved his queen forward again, rashly placing it almost in danger.
Kand-Lei smiled grimly. "I know what you mean." He pushed the thimble-rook forward, putting Darcy's queen in danger while guarding his rook with a pawn. "You will hide out for some time then." It was barely a question but Darcy nodded anyway.
He moved his queen out of danger by taking a pawn.
Kand-Lei casually took the queen with his bishop. "You really are bad at chess." He murmured with a slight triumphant smirk.
Darcy stared, bamboozled. "I forgot they moved like that." He whispered under his breath. Then he glanced up sneakily, fiddling with his fallen queen as he pretended to study the board. "And you? What are you running from?" He glanced at Kand-Lei's side. "If you want to share."
Kand-Lei's eyes darted around the room, finally falling on the chessboard. A sliver of tension had crept back into his posture at the question. Darcy pushed a pawn forward. "It might make you feel better to talk about it. Whatever it is." He glanced up with a quick grin. "A problem shared is a problem halved."
Kand-Lei fidgeted, moving a pawn to intercept Darcy's. "I got divorced." He swallowed dryly. "A week ago."
Darcy moved his knight, pretending to focus on the game while Kand-Lei composed himself.
"It was an arranged marriage." He pinched his leg to stop tears from forming in his eyes. "I was eighteen. It was… business." He thrust his thimble-rook to the side, moving it in line with Darcy's king that was hiding behind a pawn. "He never touched me." He scratched his arm. "I am grateful for that small kindness." He squeezed his eyes shut, finding the next bit painful to recount, "But… he never even acknowledged my presence when I was in the room. I felt like I was already a ghost. Drifting aimlessly in a cold and empty house." He shivered a little.
Darcy moved his other knight, setting it down with a little more force than necessary, hiding the seething anger in his eyes as best he could. Why was he so angry for a stranger? Was it merely the injustice of the situation? Was he angry because it could have been him in that situation?
It felt like something more. Something deeper. Unknowable for now.
"Then, last week, he brought home his mate. Fated mate." He blinked rapidly as moisture gathered in his eyes. "I never loved him. But, to see the man you've been married to for five years suddenly bring someone else home?" He lightly tapped a fist over his heart three times. "It was hard." He pushed his leftmost pawn forward. "He handed me the divorce papers on the spot. I didn't dare refuse to sign."
Darcy moved his knight again, securing an advantageous position against Kand-Lei's rook. "…there's more isn't there." He looked at the other's teary gaze silently. He reached out and squeezed Kand-Lei's hand, offering comfort but not insisting. His long and delicate fingers wrapped around the other's slightly smaller hand and when Kand-Lei didn't pull away, he gave another little squeeze.
"…yes. There is more." Kand-Lei fiddled with Darcy's fingers, feeling their warmth and presence. "Directly, when my family found out, yesterday, they…" he paused, unsure how to continue. As Darcy squeezed his hand comfortingly again, he quietly moved another pawn forward. "They freezed all my accounts. All my money was in their names, so I could not pay for a hotel, or food, or anything." He took in a shuddering breath, still fighting back tears. "It is quite traditional in my country. In Ne-zhin. If the child is unable to maintain a favorable match, especially one arranged by the family, then they are cast out. For, if you want that freedom, you must want all freedoms. Must not need to rely on family anymore."
He silently wiped at a tear with his free hand. Darcy took his thimble rook, without considering the move too closely. Kand-Lei took his knight with the other bishop, chuckling wetly, "You really are, very bad at chess."
He let tears flow silently as they kept playing chess. Darcy had no words that would be enough to comfort him, so he sat there, a steady, solid presence. Holding Kand-Lei's hand and stroking a thumb repeatedly back and forth, to some comforting rhythm. He wanted nothing more than to hold this man close in his embrace and never let go, but he knew that they were not familiar enough for that.
He felt a painful tug at his heart with every tear that trickled down Kand-Lei's now red and blotchy face.
Finally, as the waiter approached with their meals, Kand-Lei moved his queen forward. Tears now dry. "Checkmate." He whispered.