LOCATION: KOUBBEH PALACE, CAIRO
TIME: 17:20

▬▬

TAEHYUNG KIM KNOCKS down a white chess piece, allowing the black knight he holds to take its place on the board. pressing his lips together, he hums as he spins the chessboard so that the white chessmen are on his side.

he takes a deep breath, contemplating his next step. in his mind, he considers all the possible outcomes of the moves available to him. his hand moves over a chess piece before he retracts it again. he adjusts in the gold framed upholstered armchair.

his finger rubs against the surface of the glass finished mahogany desk, mind working. tongue swiping over bottom lip, taehyung leans back on the chair in thought.

sitting in this palatial guesthouse is less fascinating than taehyung expected. his meeting with the commander-in-chief is scheduled for tomorrow and he is bored out his mind already. taehyung has an idea what the invitation he got is about but chooses to act clueless for the time being. it makes things more interesting that way.

thumb and index finger wrapping around the white bishop, he moves it diagonally. knocking down a black rook, he pauses before replacing it with the bishop. his body barely moves as he once again spins the chessboard, eyes shifting to the right in the direction of the bedroom doors.

"would you like to play?" he asks, straightening but not glancing behind him. he listens to the light footsteps as they approach him, still not turning.

"sorry, but chess isn't really my thing."

his eyebrows shoot up in surprise at the voice. taehyung isn't expecting a female. for some reason, he presumed it to be one of the guards or a military personnel seeking to have a word with him. perhaps it is. finally, he twists around in his chair to look at her.

she's young and definitely not a military personnel if her choice of clothing is anything to go by. and she definitely does not look egyptian. unless the egyptian government now recruits foreigners into their military, she can't be in the egyptian armed forces.

pausing, taehyung chuckles at his own thought process. the whole reason he is here in the first place is because the egyptian president wants him in his military.

the girl cocks a brow at his apparent amused expression. "what's funny?" she tilts her head curiously. "i was just thinking of something." he replies, brushing it off. "who are you?"

"i'm thanda sibanda." she answers, slipping her hands into the pockets of the jacket she's wearing. he presses his lips in thought for a brief moment. "south african? what brings you all the way to the other side of the continent?"

"you." she answers simply, taking him by surprise. "that's awfully flattering." he quips dramatically. "what do you want me for that you're willing to sneak into this heavily guarded guesthouse to try and steal me from right under their noses?" he returns to playing his chess game. "what move do you have to defeat the queen and take her king?"

"this isn't for some political reason." she frowns at him. taehyung's features contort, brows pulling together. "i don't do politics, thanda. it is a dirty game."

"and what you do isn't?" she moves into his line of vision. his finger hovers over a chess piece, slowly shifting his gaze to her. he feels insulted by her insinuation and doesn't bother hiding it in his facial expression.

"don't compare what i do to politics, thanda. i don't appreciate it." he tells her seriously. her brow arches with interest. "touchy subject. noted." she smiles, the action appearing almost sinister.

he resumes his game, spinning the board around. "so what's your line to convince me to abandon my meeting with the president and join your army instead?" he mumbles, distracted by the game he is playing.

she holds up her index finger. "first of all, taehyung, i am not some pr agent to be making a pitch to you." she states, sounding slightly irritated. her middle finger straightens as well. "and second of all, i'm not trying to recruit you and your chessboard to the south african army."

"hm," taehyung hums, picking up a black pawn. "then is it an intelligence agency?" his voice is low, most of his attention on planning his next move. thanda's hand slams down on the table loudly, making taehyung jump in his seat and rattling the chess pieces. startled wide eyes meet hers.

"stop playing with yourself and listen to me!" she raises her voice. taehyung's eyes crease in amusement at her choice of words. he is about to point it out but the cold glare she shoots him instantly shuts him up.

"i swear to zeus, i am this close to snatching the air from your lungs so you better not say what i think you're about to." she pinches her thumb and index finger together. taehyung tilts his head, noting the fact that she says zeus. "how will you do that? are you going to strangle me?" he questions instead.

she smiles dangerously. "i need not touch you to stop the flow of oxygen to your lungs." she tells him. "how?" he frowns. "the same way i got in without alerting any of the guards standing outside your door. magic."

"i'm sorry did you say magic? as in 'wingardium leviosa' feather levitating magic?" his eyes narrow in confusion. she blinks at his example but nods. "i thought that was just fantasy?" he shoots her a disbelieving look. she perches her bum on the mahogany table, crossing her arms over her chest.

"taehyung, magic isn't something you only find in books and movies."