"This is…?"
Cecilia stared at the ornate, rectangular table that had materialized in one of the castle's many grand, empty salons. Its surface was inlaid with dark felt, and a fresh deck of cards lay neatly at its center.
"This is poker," Oathran said. "I am aware you already understand the rules."
Cecilia blinked. "Yes. I do. But… why?"
Oathran gestured for her to approach the table. "You expressed a distinct dislike for games built on the sacrifice of pieces, and where loss is a mandatory cost of strategy."
"Card games like this are a purer calculus. They require mathematics, probability, and the reading of tells. And… a touch of luck. We theorized you might find it more palatable," he continued.
"You think," Cecilia said slowly, her head tilting, "I should prefer a game where the outcome hinges, at least partially, on… luck?"
