Checkmate - Chapter 30: Chapter 30

Althea's heart was a trapped bee in a drum, beating wildly to find an escape.
Everybody gawked at the oldest person in the vicinity. Noise from the utensils clashing together in a meal died down until everything is silent and still, and it's a silence that can only come from an open space filled with few people all holding their breaths, hesitant to even move.
There it was... the anticipated revelation. The one time opportunity that Althea's mother had not been able to finish, the one being presented to Althea herself with a perfect box and a beautiful bow.
Professor Oakley smirked, amused at every person as she waited for a moment, teasing them. The anticipation made Althea dizzy and painfully aware of the birds chirping among the trees and the barking of her dogs down below.
Althea willed to listen to the words coming out of Professor Oakley's mouth, but the more she stayed focused, the more her mind wandered. There was a buzz in her ears. She was distracted by Professor Andrea's fidgeting when she cleaned her glasses again until it seemed suspicious after numerous observations.
Her dyed blue hair, normal for French women making a rebellious streak, the glasses that she didn't seem to need since she was able to stare at everyone without her eyes squinting, and the fact that she and Professor Tosca seemed to have a kind of falling out.
"Each generation the muses grant someone the ability to channel a great amount of creative energy..." Professor Oakley finally began, "and one muse chose Miss Hanako Yoshida."
Althea paused. She took a second to absorb the words just said, the sound waves that came from Professor Oakley's mouth and went through the air until they reached her.
"SERIOUSLY?" Hana asked. She stared at her mentor for confirmation. When Professor Andrea nodded with blissful tears in her eyes, Hana yelled in hysterical joy. "Yay! I did it! I can meet Andromeda Danton! I'm getting near her I can feel it! Oh, I have a lot of questions to ask! Where do I start?"
Althea had never felt so conflicted in her entire life. There was one side of her that was in high spirits for Hana but there was another side that was dark and bitter. Althea had no idea how Hana felt last night until she practically experienced it firsthand. She had no idea that this sinking feeling was grave and bone-chilling.
This was all her fault for expecting so much of her abilities that she has been completely blinded by the fact that Hana's talent has the capacity to surpass her, as both continue to learn from experience and their mistakes.
"Althea! Professor Andrea! Can you believe I did it?" The voice of her lover is cut off by a sudden, sharp ringing in her ears.
Her vision blurred. She could only differentiate who was who based on their hair color. Chocolate brown from Hana's lovely tresses, a blub of dyed blue hair from Hana's mentor, silvery gray from Professor Oakley, and the short slicked back lilac from her mentor.
She was met with a deathly stare and slow rhythmic clap. Professor Tosca's whole demeanor screamed. "Second place, congrats, second place. Do you really think you are worthy? Do you really think you are living up to your mother's name? You're a complete disgrace, losing to a second-rate artist who has no name for herself—"
Althea's morbid thoughts were interrupted when the head maid placed a hand on her shoulder. She gave Edith a sad smile, accepting her defeat. Her gaze searched for the familiar warm-colored eyes, her facial muscles moving on their own as happiness filled her empty heart. Althea was on her way to congratulate Hana—to see her radiant smile, to hug her beautiful form, to kiss those cherry lips, and to wipe each others' tears of mixed emotions.
She had not foreseen Professor Tosca to block her way.
"At least you tried," she said to her, in the lowest of volume. "Maybe you're too practical to believe in the myth, even for fun. Similar to what your aunt had stated before, you will waste your life following a useless talent. Perhaps painting wasn't truly meant for you, Althea. You should have stuck with medicine. If you weren't focused on two separate things at once, there's a possibility you could have become an ultimate master of painting."
Althea gave in and looked at her with the meanest face she can muster. Her mentor was smirking, being sarcastic, and having fun at her misery. Althea's blood boiled. "Shut it."
Professor Tosca sneered. "Brood and anger are beautiful on you, Althea."
The light in her blue eyes narrowed. "What?"
A threatening smirk wormed its way across the taller woman's beautiful face. "The system is broken, isn't it? Just because your opinion is different from a childish view, then all of a sudden you're not the greatest artist."
Althea's shoulders slumped for a while. She straightened them back, to show she has not been cracked.
Professor Tosca raised her voice, so everyone could hear them. "But I do not believe that a girl who spent the past month planning, searching for ideas, and calculating could ever lose to someone who had a gush of inspiration in a cramming situation with the help of more than five people."
Numbly, Althea stared at her in horror. Hana was confused at the prospect, but they all let her finish.
"Based purely on the higher amount of work she put into hers, Althea Lancaster's artistry painting is better—far better. If not for Althea's help, Miss Yoshida's work is nothing. She didn't win the Moonlit Witch award, Althea did!"
Professor Andrea stood beside her in a protective mode, her face contorted into an emotion Althea never noted she could manage. She was absolutely furious, the red in her eyes burned hot. "She won fair and square, Tosca!"
"How is it fair?" the Italian roared.
"Miss Lancaster also would not win if not for Miss Yoshida." Professor Andrea stated as a matter of fact.
"I fail to see your point, Tosca." Professor Oakley said. Her voice managed to retain its composure, though one could distinguish the distinct edge. "Contrary to popular belief, I am still able to maintain my eye for beauty and judgment despite my old age. I am not an old crone whose wits dwindle similar to a candle flame. If you persistently believe you hold far more wisdom for art than me. If you trust you possess a greater analysis of an artist than me, the one who currently holds the power of the seven stars—which you do not and never will—you are alas, mistaken."
Althea stayed there, trying to process the wisdom-induced words of Professor Oakley for a second time, turning them over in her mind and debating their reality. People are starting to stare at her, the edges of her vision were becoming foggy, and her legs were getting wobbly.
Her eyes started to get watery despite being determined not to cry. This was her only chance to follow her promise she gave to her mother—the only chance she can follow in her mother's footsteps. There are no more chances. There are no more chances to restore the dignity that's been slowly chipped away for the past years when her mother died.
No more chances.
Althea imagined herself running away and burying in a deep hole in the ground and going into hibernation for the rest of her meaningless life. She felt smothered by a sudden swarm, causing her to lose sight and touch.
She feared she was going to scream and her voice will be so loud that everyone's ears will bleed, and the blood will cover all the pretty flowers and the picturesque marble statues that decorated the area.
Hana was confused. At her win, suddenly everyone was upset and at war. It was as if all hell broke loose'. All she ever wanted, her driving force for why she does what she does was to meet Andromeda Danton and find out why she left the art world. It took her years to get to where she was right now.
When she found out that she was following Andromeda's footsteps on the path to becoming a renowned world photographer she was so excited. Enrolling at her school, she wanted to win the same award Andromeda Danton did but was unable to win it for Althea was more deserving of her.
That was why it was a shock for everyone when Professor Oakley chose her to host one of the muses, a prestigious title and an honor only nine individuals per year were allowed to and not everyone even knew of. Everybody knew that. Everybody knew her goals. Yet, she couldn't discern why everyone was being aggressive and hostile.
She didn't focus on the professors but her lover, looking for answers as she always knew what the deal was.
Althea looked devastated for a while at her loss and sent her a beautiful smile. Somehow, Hana stood a world away from Althea. She waited for Althea to come to her, and she did, standing up and heading her way when Professor Tosca murmured something to her.
Hana saw the light in Althea's blue eyes deplete. Like a soulless body, Althea stood there, broken and empty. Hana wanted to ask her what was wrong but before she could reach out to her, Althea ran away.
She stood there, a little stunned at Althea's escaping figure. This was where the feeling sunk in. Althea was getting so far away from her; it sent an arrow shot through the heart.
Come back... be here.
A resigned Althea might as well have decided to give Hana the cold shoulder. Or, maybe not the cold shoulder, Hana thought, but to gradually distance herself from her lover.
Edith looked so worried at her young lady's plight; she didn't know what to do. Follow her maternal instincts and know what the matter was or follow her servant duties to stay with the guests. The way the head maid looked was a flashback call for Hana to stop thinking narrowly and get to the bottom of things.
Hana patted Edith's shoulder, giving her the signal that she would go to Althea instead. Edith's eyes widened, giving her a proud smile. "Please make sure she's okay."
"Thank you, Edith," Hana said, joyful that Edith fully entrusts Althea to her. She didn't make a good first impression on the head maid but with the time they spent together, she managed to get Edith's good graces. "You have no idea how much this means to me."
"Well, make sure that this time you'll be careful of your privacy and you'll do whatever it takes to make the Young Lady happy."
"I will, I promise." Hana sprinted fast as soon as the words escaped her lips, feeling like this whole hunt for the blonde girl would change her life forever.
Whipped back into the present by the distinct sounds of her name—the particular foreign-sounding of her simple name produced by a foreign tongue. The 'aru', the 'teh' the, ee' and the 'yah' are said by the voice of the person who caused the ongoing battle inside her right now.
Althea had not recognized she had wandered off from the Lancaster balcony and unto the courtyard. The ringing in her ears stopped. Fully aware of everything around—the sunlight, the whispering leaves, the bead of tears running down her eyes, and her shaking fingers.
"Althea!" Hana caught her.
Her breath caught in surprise as Hana took a step into her personal space, their bodies only an inch or so apart. Althea's eyes raked over Hana's familiar face until she took in all of Hana. Standing there tall despite her short frame, tears flowing like a river, with a runny nose.
"I'm s-sorry," Hana said, her voice trembling. "I was totally insensitive earlier. I got so happy I forgot about you. It's unforgivable... I took everything from you—your dream, your mother's dream, your destiny."
Taking deep breaths, she regained the lost sense of reality. The sun shone down in long beams of light, raising the dew from the ground in misty breaths that lingered in the hollows between tree roots. Althea's awareness narrowed until all she saw is her—Hana, the love of her life.
"No, Hana." She shook her head, sniffing. "My destiny is elsewhere. As a person, I should be able to handle rejection. I am to save the Lancaster name and save my home. Being a painter... asides from my duty as a medical practitioner was originally my own selfish request. This was more than enough. I have more than satisfied my desires at this point. I am more than happy now."
"No! No, Althea!" She stood there, transfixed at sending her message; her chubby cheeks red from her own uncontainable sentiment. "I had no idea you had such a heartfelt dream! You can't just give up on a dream that's so important to you. You made a promise to your mother."
"H-how did you know that?"
"I had a very long chat with Edith." Hana giggled, a little embarrassed for admitting to spying on her lover. "She drilled into me on how to be open to other people's feelings."
Althea laughed silently at the prospect. "You both must have a hard time considering you have a condition."
Hana's eyebrow arched. "Hey now, it's mild!"
"Forgive me, Hana. You are trying."
"Eh whatever, let's go back to the point!" Hana rambled, waving her hands everywhere. "I'm sorry that it took me so long to know your pain. You do know you can tell me everything, right? Geez, Althea. Open communication is important."
Althea's laughter didn't seem to decrease. Hana somehow was able to bring the summer back to her cold and murky depths of despair.
Hana held her hands dearly. "You can continue doing both, you know. No one's stopping you or making you choose among your two passions."
"But my mentor said—"
"I don't know what the matter with her is or why she has a beef with them, but people are always giving you two choices when you forget that there are four: choose A, B, none, or both!" Hana banged her ribcage with her fist.
Althea's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Do you believe I can do both?"
"If they say there are Nine Muses, and I get to inhabit one, there are eight more of them out there. I'm pretty sure the opportunity will grant itself again. Have you seen yourself lately, Althea? There's no one other than you who can do it!" she said, giving the pep talk of the century. "Protect what's precious to you! Believe in yourself and your heart."
Althea smiled at that. Hana was making a slight reference to Andromeda Danton's most famous quote. "You are my dream now, Hana. It might be cliché, but what I want more than ever is to stay by your side as we both follow our dreams."
Hana pulled her into a warm embrace, rubbing her back in circles. It was a simple gesture yet it did wonders for Althea. Hana's touch was exhilarating and gentle.
"Professor Tosca really said mean stuff to you. I don't know why she would say that to you but don't worry when I left to follow you the adultier adults are giving her a piece of their minds."
Althea giggled at the way Hana phrased it.
"Do you want to leave?" Hana asked, indicating she Althea still desired to be around the other guests.
"No, I need to address my issues with her and get to the bottom of this loathing she attempted to pass onto us."