The Cardounet Game

[Shiral]

A Game of Cardounet
By Melissa Houle
October, 1103

   Alaric settled  into the Royal Library window alcove, appreciating the blue gray light from the window to his right. October was half-gone, and he and his fellow squires had worked hard during the morning's weapons drills. They had had to—it had been far too chilly to stand still for long in the weak, misty sunlight.  It was now afternoon with two hours left before Vespers. Outside a chill autumn rain  streaked down the library windows, and Alaric could see nearby tree tops shaking in the strong wind. It was peaceful, if not particularly warm  in the empty Royal Library and Alaric enjoyed the luxury of uninterrupted time to study a scroll he'd discovered on Cardounet strategies. Contented and absorbed, he paused his reading only just long enough to move the simple wooden pieces on his Cardounet board according to the directions he'd read in the scroll.

   "I'm glad you're not still trying to figure things out by reading in Torenthi, young Morgan."

   Startled by King Brion's voice almost at his left ear. Alaric leaped to his feet and bowed, his quick movement jarring his board, scattering half his carefully placed pieces over the window alcove floor.

    "I beg your pardon Sire! I was not expecting to see you here in the Library."
   
         "That's all right, I believe I'm allowed in here," Brion replied. He still wore his damp riding leathers and gloves, and his boots had left wet tracks on the stone floor behind him. His eyes sparkled as he smiled, then he dropped his tone conspiratorially. "I won't get in trouble as long as nobody finds out I was here, of course."

   Alaric was unsure how to respond to the Royal teasing, but knew that formality and respect were almost always the safest response.  "I saw you ride out with a hawking party just after midday, Sire and heard that you weren't expected back until sunset."

   "We were, Nigel and I, but the rain spoiled that plan almost as soon as we reached Candor Rhea," Brion  replied. "Hawking on a day like this is not what I call an afternoon well spent.

   "You must have been concentrating quite hard, since even though you had the good sense to sit facing the door, I got clear over here to the window before you were aware of me."

   Alaric flushed at the mild reprimand. "I beg your pardon for my rudeness, Sire. ah, I'm very interested in Cardounet," he admitted, stooping to gather his fallen pieces. "It's passion of mine, and time disappears when I'm engaged in it."
   
      "Retaining at least some awareness of your surroundings is important for a warrior and a future knight. Had I been an assassin rather than your King, I could have surprised you with my stiletto right between your ribs before you could do anything to defend yourself. One never knows when being alert might make the difference between life and death. I think that is particularly true for Alyce de Corwyn's son, is it not so?" The King's face was kind but serious when Alaric dared look  up at him.

   "It is, my Lord," Alaric admitted lowering his gaze, feeling his face go hot. "I let my guard down."
   
     "I suppose this is a safer place than many to do that, however" Brion released the tension with another smile.  "Not many would dare shed blood in the Royal Library without facing my extreme displeasure. May I ask what you found to so engage your interest?"
   
       "I was studying the Mooryn Tactic, Sire." Alaric showed Brion the open scroll. "I was intrigued by the strategy of the opening moves."
   
     "Ah yes, I know the Mooryn Tactic well." Brion nodded approvingly, then glanced at Alaric's traveling Cardounet board. "Although on a board that size, it must have been difficult to get a clear idea of the pieces in relation to each other. I've never seen one so....compact." The King brought his gloved hands closer together.

   He gave Alaric another smile. "Care to give me a game?"

   "With you!?" Astonished, Alaric set the game pieces down in their box, gaping at the King once again, before collecting himself and bowing his head again. "I would be most honored, my Lord."  He began taking the pieces out of their box again, ready to set up the board properly, but the king shook his hand in denial at his board.

   "With me, certainly, but not with that set, if you don't mind. I've a board of my own up in my apartments. It will be warmer up there, and the light will be better. Come along."

   Alaric hastily gathered up all his belongings and scurried after Brion, astounded to be shown both this much informality and this much royal favor.  To play Cardounet with the King, and he just a junior squire! It was something he'd never even dreamed possible.

       It was a short walk up a turnpike stair and along a broad corridor to the King's personal apartments and they met few people on their way. Once inside, a pair of senior squires converged on the King, helping him remove his damp cloak, boots and gloves, bringing him a pair of dry slippers. They were both older than Alaric, nearing the age for knighting, and they tried not to stare at him, although he didn't blame them for their curiosity. Here he was accompanying the King to his personal quarters as if he were one of the great lords, which had to mean either extraordinary favor, a royal whim or that Alaric was in abject disgrace.

   "Bordan, please bring my cardounet board over here to the table by the fire. Godfrey we'll have two mulled ales for myself and young Alaric, if you please."

   At least now they know I'm not here because I'm in disgrace Alaric thought, as the two squires bowed and departed. The chamber was large and well-lit and blessedly warm with a bright fire burning in the fireplace. A fur rug lay on the floor before the great hearth, and one or two priceless carpets made bright spots on the floor while tapestries of hunting scenes insulated the chamber walls.  Bordan was now arranging the King's Cardounet board and pieces on a round table near the fireplace. Two upright carved chairs stood to either side. At Brion's gesture the squire also moved a bank of rushlights closer to the table.

   "Thank you Bordan, you may attend to your other duties. I will call if I need you."

       Bordan bowed and slipped away, replaced by Godfrey who arrived with two large pewter tankards. He set them down on the table at Brion's gesture and departed with a silent bow of his own.

   Brion sat, gesturing to the second chair facing his own. As he obeyed, Alaric got his first close look at the ebony and olivewood Cardounet board and the skillfully carved pieces, stunned by their splendor and the amazing workmanship that had created this perfection. The kneeling archers all looked ready to loose their arrows at any second. He had never thought to play with a set decorated with inlays of mother of pearl, or with the two Kings having tiny, real jewels set into their intricately carved crowns.   

   "Magnificent isn't it?" Brion asked smiling, observing Alaric's admiration.

   Alaric nodded in wordless awe, wondering if he'd find the courage to actually touch the pale, smooth olivewood pieces on his side of the board.

   "One of my father's prized possessions. It is very old—as I understand it was originally a birthday gift to King Alroy and his twin brother Prince Javan when they came of age.
   "The second and third post-Interregnum Haldane kings, respectively," Brion added when Alaric looked pensive over the names. "King Cinhil's sons. They both came to the throne young and died young, without issue. If they hadn't had a younger brother who at least had time to father two heirs before his own death, you'd be playing Cardounet with someone else this afternoon." He took a swallow of his ale.

   "I should remember that," Alaric admitted, feeling sheepish.  "I fear I'm better at military strategy than at history, Sire."

   "So am I, if you want to know the truth!" Brion laughed.  "But since it's all family history there was no escape for me. Brother Broderick my history tutor drummed those regnal names and dates into my head without mercy, old devil that he was." He took a swig of his ale. "I always felt he stressed the wrong aspects of history, however. I thought it was more interesting to know why an important event happened, what lead up to it, and how it affected and contributed to later circumstances than to remember what happened on the Ides of July 948 just after Terce. But I could hardly say that to my elder and my tutor."

   Alaric dared take a swallow of his own ale, and got another pleasant surprise at the  flavor, both rich and sharp, mulled to a perfect temperature for drinking. It warmed him all the way down to his toes.

   "Dark Marley," Brion told him, lifting his tankard in salute. "One of my favorites, and I see it meets with your approval as well." 
 
   "Aye, my Lord. It's the best I've ever tasted."

   "So now to the business at hand, let us drink to a good game. Proceed whenever you are ready, Alaric."

   Alaric surveyed the board with care, tingling with anticipation as he considered his first move. It was vital that he play his best this afternoon. This was not merely a game, but also a test for him, he was certain.  The King might have a rare free afternoon since his planned outing had ended early, but despite his present informality, indulging in a game of Cardounet with an inexperienced squire was hardly the most important thing he could be doing, today. Alaric felt honored and eager as well as anxious, and far more stimulated than when beginning a game with his peers. Taking a deep breath, he picked up his first piece and moved it one square over on a diagonal line to his left, looking up to see the King's thoughtful face as Brion surveyed his own pieces not touching any of them right away. Then he reached out a long-fingered hand and selected an ebony knight and moved it forward...

   For Alaric the afternoon was one of intense concentration and also pleasure as the intricacies of Cardounet came alive for him in an entirely new way. Never had each move felt more important, or potentially dangerous. At the same time he enjoyed the sensory pleasure of  moving the satin-smooth perfectly weighted wooden pieces of the King's set this way and that across the checked board. The only things he was conscious of were the board, the pieces and Brion's eyes, his face and hands across from him. At first, he worried about either seeming too quick and thoughtless with his moves or of taking too long and making the King impatient. But soon his unease melted when he saw the King's unhurried style of playing. Once he stopped worrying about taking too much time, his game improved, as did his confidence, his skills sharpening against an opponent whose knowledge was greater than his own.

   Not sure how much time later, Alaric smiled in resignation as he gently laid the olive wood king on its side on the board, conceding defeat. He took the first deep breath he had taken since making his first move and was surprised to see the sky was now dark beyond the windows. From far across the city, the cathedral bells were tolling Vespers.  He drained the last, cooled mouthful of ale from his tankard.

   "Well played, Alaric," the King nodded his head, smiling. The gray eyes were warm and approving.  "Uncle Richard has spoken well of you to me, insofar as he ever praises his junior squires, that is. This invitation was less impulsive than you might have thought. I couldn't resist finding out what you knew. And the answer is, far more than I ever expected from a self-taught lad of what, twelve?"

   "Yes, my Lord. Just since Michaelmas. But I am not entirely self-taught. Master Henry Kirby who serves as first mate aboard the Gryphon was my first teacher."

   "He started you off well, then. I had only thought to test you and find out," Brion went on. "I was not expecting to truly enjoy this game, but you have been a pleasant surprise. You acquitted yourself very well against a far more experienced opponent."

   Alaric felt his face flush with pleasure and he couldn't help smiling. "Thank you, my Lord."

   "And you will become a better player yet as you learn and practice more," Brion said.  "If you won't mind my saying so, I recommend concentrating more on developing your moves in mid-game. That will naturally set you up for a stronger end game, as well.
   "Cardounet is very logical, of course, and each new move should build on the last, strengthening your position at every stage of the game. And never, never give away an advantage you have gained unless you cannot avoid it. Do not think only of what you will do next, consider what options your opponent has to counter your moves, and how you can adapt to the unexpected. It can feel overwhelming to think of playing Cardounet from both sides of the board at once, of course. But before long, it will feel natural. And it will only serve to make a better player of you.
   "Keep studying the Mooryn Tactic, by all means. Just remember it has certain limitations, and it gives your opponent several options for countering you after the initial moves. It takes a skilled player and sharp attention to avoid losing your early advantages in the middle of the game."

       He smiled across at Alaric. "I'm pleased to say you did an admirable job of holding onto what you had gained, but you didn't anticipate everything I might do.  Did you not wonder why I waited as long as I did before using my war duke?" He held up the ebony war duke, and twirled it a bit between his fingers.

   "Yes, Sire."
   
        "And once I did, you noticed the game began to turn against you?"

   Alaric nodded again. "None of my moves worked as well after that."

   "No game can last forever, alas." Brion smiled shrugging. "Or an afternoon, no matter how pleasant, but you have given your King a most successful diversion on what might have just been a tedious, wet afternoon."
   
       "It was my honor and pleasure, Sire."

   "And a pleasure for me, as well. I realize it feels as comfortable and natural for me to talk to you as it does to speak to Uncle Richard, or to my brothers.
   "The next time we meet with a Cardounet board between us, I'll expect you to play even better of course. But in the meantime, you and I both have duties, I suspect." Brion turned his face to gaze into the fire. "I sometimes think it would have been a very pleasant life if I could have been a wool merchant, instead."

   Alaric stared at Brion, dumbfounded, absolutely unsure how to respond. Of all the things the king might have said next, he hadn't anticipated that. "Sire?" he couldn't keep the confusion out of his voice.

   Brion laughed.  "Well, of course you wouldn't know.  But the only reason the entire Haldane line wasn't wiped out by the Festillic coup was because of a fast-thinking servant. That man grabbed little Prince Aidan and smuggled him out of the castle in a laundry sack before anyone could catch them. That's a humbling thought—the future progenitor of our entire Royal House once fit in a laundry sack.

   "This man brought Prince Aidan up as his own son, but never let him forget who he truly was." 
   
      "Did the Festils never suspect Prince Aidan might still be alive?"
   
      "Evidently not--careless of them.  However it was a masterful job of hiding in plain sight and right under their noses in Valoret. Prince Aidan took the mundane name Daniel Draper, and made his living as a wool merchant. I suspect he had the good sense to know he had no means to overthrow the conquerors on his own. So he lived as a commoner, bided his time and never called attention to himself. His son died young and his grandson, the future King Cinhil, took monastic vows.  It's reported he had a true vocation for cloistered life and did not assume the Kingship willingly.     
               
          "At certain times when I feel especially burdened by the Kingship, I tell myself I could always fall back on becoming a wool merchant."

   Godfrey now returned, bowing before the King, looking apologetic. "Sire, Archbishop DeNore is here to see you. He insists it can't wait. I'm afraid His Grace is in a bad temper."

   Brion winked at Alaric.  "Moments such as right now, for example."

   He turned his head nodding to his squire. "Very well Godfrey, I suppose I've avoided DeNore for as long as I can. But before you admit him, ask Bordan to escort young Alaric out through the private door in my bedchamber. There's no need for the two of them to meet. Good night, Alaric"
   
"Good night, Sire." Alaric rose and bowed as King Brion gave him a cordial but unmistakable nod of dismissal.
   
        Bordan was at the King's bedchamber door, beckoning to Alaric, then leading him to the far corner of the room, drawing aside a tapestry curtain and unbolting the plain wooden door behind it.
   
    "Wait a moment so your eyes adjust to the dark," Bordan muttered handing Alaric a lit candle. "And mind the stairs, they're steep. There's a door right at the bottom."
   
      It was dark in the fusty, narrow passage way, and chilly after the warm firelight, as Bordan closed the door behind him. Already the King, the delicious ale, the beautiful Cardounet board and the unexpected ease of their rapport felt far away.  Alaric only paused long enough for his vision to adjust, then went carefully down the steep turnpike stair, quite willing to put any distance between himself and DeNore.  But he smiled as he went, reviewing his game with the King with grateful amazement.

    The next time we meet with a Cardounet board between us, I'll expect you to play even better of course. The chance might not come for weeks, or even months, but Alaric felt confident that there would be a next game.

[DerynifanK]

This is wonderful, Melissa. This is exactly what several of us have asked for, a glimpse of the beginning of the close relationship that would develop between Brion and Alaric as the latter grew up in the king's service. Didn't Alaric originally learn his cardounet skills from friends in Coroth as well as from Master Kirby? I love the interaction between the two, beginning with Alaric being so absorbed that his king could catch him unaware. As Brion noted, such a lapse could be fatal, especially for the Deryni squire. I have missed your delightful writing and am hoping for more about their growing relationship. You are amazingly talented.

[Laurna]

Shiral(Melissa)  I have enjoyed this encounter so very much. It is exactly what is needed to begin the brotherly relationship between Brion and Young Alaric.  A game very well played.  And I so love the description of the game board and pieces. Rich and Lovely.
DFK, I believe Alaric started playing Cardounet in Coroth and learned the real strategy of the game from a crew member of the ship Raphalia. I shall need to reread the King's Deryni. He often played with Prince Colman(do I have the right name?) who was also under Llion's guardianship.

Thank you Shiral, I loved the moment
PS. " to remember it happened on the Ides of July 948 just after Terce..."  AHHH! I am glad that Brion wants cause and effect other than just events. but events might be nice to know too.  Such a tease you are.

[revanne]

This is wonderful.

[DoctorM]

Oh, very nice! I quite like this!

[DoctorM]

I am going to ask here, since my aged memory isn't working. What would a Cardounet board look like? Is the game more like chess or more like, say, shogi? I'm trying to picture this in my head.

[Jerusha]

A wonderful story, Shiral!  I enjoyed it immensely.  I also  thought the "war duke" was a nice touch.   

[HoundMistress]

What a wonderfully well-written story!! Loved it!

[Shiral]

First, thank you everyone for your kind comments. Glad everyone enjoyed the story!

DoctorM, I think Cardounet is a parallel with Chess, with slightly different pieces and names. I picture the board looking mostly like a chess board. Mainly because I don't know what a Shogi(sp?) board looks like, or what the rules of the game are.

[DerynifanK]

I too always pictured Cardounet as being very like chess, a game of strategy. When Brion described how to improve his game to Alaric, it sounded like the instructions given by chess masters, especially working on his mid game to provide a sound basis for his end game and eventually learning to play the game from both sides of  the board. You need to be able to anticipate what your opponent might do in response to what you are doing and be able to counter it. Very much like moving armies in battle. It is an excellent way to learn strategy.  Shiral you must be a good chess player because you have a really good understanding of the game. In TKD Alaric learns Cardounet from two boys in Coroth who become his close friends. They practice and read treatises on strategy. I think the compact traveling board was given to Alaric by Richard Kirby who was then first mate on Rhaffalia.

[DoctorM]

First, thank you everyone for your kind comments. Glad everyone enjoyed the story!

DoctorM, I think Cardounet is a parallel with Chess, with slightly different pieces and names. I picture the board looking mostly like a chess board. Mainly because I don't know what a Shogi(sp?) board looks like, or what the rules of the game are.

Shogi is sort of Japanese chess-- not like Go, but a board with named pieces. I know it's a chess variant that got to Japan from Korea or China, and probably originated in Central Asia or N. India. Haven't played it, but have read about it.

I'm a very poor chess player, but Cardounet sounds intriguing, and of course I like the idea of the small, portable board. I love the idea of "travel" sets of things like chess and backgammon (which I at least play halfway well).

My copy of TKD is with so much else in storage, but I'll have to find a copy at the library.

[DesertRose]

Lovely story, Shiral!

For some weird reason, I'm thinking that a Cardounet board is round, rather than rectangular like a chess board?  But divided into spaces of roughly equal size like a chess board.  I don't know where I got the notion of the board being round, so I might just be off the map a bit. 

[Shiral]

Shiral you must be a good chess player because you have a really good understanding of the game. In TKD Alaric learns Cardounet from two boys in Coroth who become his close friends. They practice and read treatises on strategy. I think the compact traveling board was given to Alaric by Richard Kirby who was then first mate on Rhaffalia.

Thank you DFK, although I have a confession. The last time I played chess, I played against my nephew and he cleaned my clock.

He was eight at the time. 

I've never actually studied chess, or even learned the rules, such as rules for how players are allowed to move each piece. So to write this story, I did some research on Google.  I needed to sound like I knew about chess/cardounet without knowing a darn thing about chess. I decided to stay away from describing any actual moves other than Alaric's very first move and talk about the overall strategy, instead, so I read some entries about chess to learn about what SORTS of general things Brion should say when advising Alaric on how to improve his game without mentioning exact moves and strategies. I guess it worked! 

I've always pictured Cardounet board looking very like a chess board. About the same size, with the same number of pieces, but perhaps not the exact same pieces a chess set would have. And I reviewed what KK has said about the game. Since she mentioned a piece called a war duke, I felt safe in mentioning it, also.

I remember the same things about how Alaric is introduced to cardounet.  When he plays the game with his peers, they're all at a similar level of ability. When Alaric is given the opportunity to stretch himself a bit, he discovers that it's pretty stimulating to play against someone who is far more advanced than he is. Brion probably didn't feel all that challenged, but I'm sure he didn't make things easy for Alaric. And clearly he finds he enjoys playing against him more than he expected.

[Nezz]

I've never actually studied chess, or even learned the rules, such as rules for how players are allowed to move each piece. So to write this story, I did some research on Google. 

Heh, isn't that the way we all do it? I've never ridden a horse and know next to nothing about them, but fortunately, I have access to the writings of plenty of people who do know. Like y'all.

And speaking of riding horses, maybe someone can answer a question (and I only ask here because you mention it in the story): What, exactly, are "riding leathers"? That's not something that google or duckduckgo has been able to tell me.

[Laurna]

Riding leathers are leather leggings or chaps; they may be a full pair of leather pants or they may be chaps which are solid leather on the inside of the leg and open on the outside of the leg. Centuries ago, men learned it was better to wear leather between themselves and the horse and saddle than fabric. I believe in our medieval world where tunics and hose were the normal court wear. Riding in them would be uncomfortable, so riding leathers are full leather pants, at least that his how my minds eye sees Alaric. Although they could also be leather trues trews that tie over the bras at the waist, with a long tunic hiding the bras braies and ties.

Edited to correct the word Braies and trews. I knew, do to rented fingers, that I had the wrong kind of underwear listed. LOL