"On a soldier's salary?" Came the almost too-gentle reply, light as the snow laid in crisp falls upon the stone ledges of the windows.

He brought his king's knight forward. An obvious sort of move, functional. Without inspiration, it had an unsophisticated feel compared to the elegance of his opening. His face had become impassive and his single hand rested around the stem of his wineglass.

"There isn't much point in a wager when you already know the outcome."