Villainess Of Hearts

The King of Hearts was stuck.

The Queen of Hearts was frozen.

Alexander Hartsmichdt stared at the newly crowned Queen of Hearts, and she stared back at him. Complete strangers now stuck with one another. The Crowning Ceremony had already finished and the both of them arrived inside the Castle of Hearts in separate carriages—no longer under the watch of the crowds. Even the soldiers and servants were away to give them a moment to introduce themselves with one another. 

Alexander didn't know what to say, smiling and greeting the people had already worn him out. The ceremony sapped all of his energy away, but this was his partner. A Queen that wasn't loved by her people—he couldn't understand it at all. The crowd's reception with her had been frosty. He knew nothing about the role that he was forced to take in, about her at all but she was the person he had to work with.

And he was drawing to a blank.

He gave her a small nod as an initial greeting, and tried not to drop the crown that was on his head. He had caught her name during the ceremony and it suited her. At least he thought it did. He had never seen someone with eyes that were as red as roses and rubies. She was breathtakingly beautiful, and she had said her oath to the throne with nothing but grace and a steel resolution. It was a stark difference to his own resolve. "I...I hope that we're able to work together, Rosa—"

"We're not that close to call each other by name." The Queen of Hearts informed him. She raised a brow at him, "Have you not studied the Royal Etiquette properly, Your Majesty of Hearts?"

Alexander blinked. Somehow he did recall someone telling him that, but their words stuck to him as oil stuck to water. It was only on a surface level. "Ah, my apologies, Your Majesty."

She gave him a nod and clasped her hands behind her back. "That's alright, Your Majesty. If need be, we can have someone tutor you."

The two of them were practically strangers weren't they? Would it be possible for them to become closer—no. He couldn't do that. She was too different from him. Unlike him, she didn't have to stain her hands to get to the throne. Someone like him was… he returned it with another nod. "That would be appreciated."

"Indeed, but for now, there's a banquet to celebrate our Crowning Ceremony, a great number of Nobility from the Kingdom of Hearts...those who believe in the ruling, to celebrate this occasion." She said with a smile.

"Who believes in the ruling?" Alexander Hartsmichdt wasn't sure of what he was hearing. He shouldn't ask it right now, not when there was another banquet to attend. He could already feel his energy drain at the thought of a banquet and once again conversing with strange men and women. 

"I'm not sure where you have been in the past year, but there has been some discontent with the other Nobilities." The Queen of Hearts informed him with a low voice. Her ruby red eyes flashed for a moment before it was tempered down. "Someone else was supposed to take to the throne, Your Majesty. And there has been a civil war… but your backer seems to have prevailed." 

She gave him a tight-lipped smile.

The information pierced through his mind like a bullet. Civil war? More people died because of him? He felt a lurch in his throat. Did the same thing happen in Clovers? But more than that, the way she said it, he could already notice a strange tightness in her voice. He didn't want to be rude and ask her if she knew some people who were in dissent. But there probably were.

"Your Majesty?" She once again called him.

Alexander raised his head up and gave her a stare. "Could you...please leave me alone?" He gritted his teeth. "Your Majesty." He needed to add that to every sentence now didn't he? He needed to check if his friend was alright—he needed to process this.

"We have a banquet to attend, King of Hearts." She frowned at him, "I know that this is new to you, but please don't think about running away."

"I'm not. I just need a breather." He shouldn't get too upset—she had nothing to do with this. Alexander rubbed his face and turned away from her, fighting the turmoil in his stomach. His vision was darkening. "...I'll be back."

. . .

Now it was only him. Alexander Hartsmichdt hadn't been in a good time and place back then, and it truly had strained their relationship. Their relationship was still strained until today and there wasn't that much he could do for that.

What had been done was already done.

Alexander noticed that most, if not everyone else had already left the Royal Court Room. The man took a seat in one of the available chairs—once again, he needed another minute. And he was going to have it despite the Joker giving him the looks. "I did say I need some time alone, Joker?"

A smile curled on the Joker's lips, "Ah, so I can't stay silent?"

"No. You can leave."

"Hmm, maybe I'll talk with Neo—"

"Don't think about it." He glared at the man.

"And what can you even do to stop me, boy?" The Joker waved a hand and began to walk away, his steps were light and relaxed. "Don't worry, you know that I won't bite. Ah, but the King of Clovers is a tad too protective over her—such a shame, I was lucky I met her in the garden during the first meeting. Hmm, are they in the Dining Hall again? Time to take another look."

Alexander watched the retreating figure and frowned. "...You know Her Majesty of Hearts, don't you?"

"Hmm? I do. Why the sudden curiosity?" A chuckle escaped the Joker's lips and glanced back at him with a grin. "Was that slap not enough for you?"

He narrowed his eyes at the man, "Don't try to change the subject."

"But I don't even have to listen to you," The Joker rolled his eyes. "Honestly—you and your friend should be a lot more grateful."

"I should be more grateful that I ended up as a King and that she ended up as a Queen?" Alexander sighed and shook his head. "You're unbelievable, almost everyone I've encountered here is mad and insane. I can't understand this world at all."

Another one of the Joker's annoying smiles formed on their face, "If that is the case, then why do you even bother understanding? Why do you stay?"

"What else is there to do?" Alexander frowned. The role had been given to him and he was stuck here all because he wanted to live. There was no other place he could run to or turn to—and the Joker knew it. "If I try leaving the Throne, what else is there for me? For Kotori?" He glanced around the empty room and ascertained that it was only him and the Joker.

"You can always try."

"And you're not going to stop me?"

"Oh, did you want me to chase you down and tie you down with a rope?" A smile tugged on the man's lips, "And after that, I'll drag you back here?" The Joker placed a hand underneath his chin, "I can do that, wouldn't that be fun? I'll have a horse-drawn carriage and get you back here."

"Asshole."

"Language, Your Majesty." The man wagged a finger at him, "How many years has it been since you've taken the throne? Not too long, but I at least thought that you'd start talking more formally. Quite a shame." The Joker sighed and crossed his arms, "Thought she'd get herself a Prince but all you've been is a royal pain."

Alexander stared at the bringer of all his troubles and frowned. Until he averted his gaze and sighed, "...I'm not doing anything correctly, the Queen of Hearts can probably do this without me."

"Huh? If it weren't for you, then she wouldn't have ascended to the throne."

"It only happened because of circumstances—I didn't cause it, I didn't. It's all your fault." Alexander knocked his head against the wooden table and sighed, "And yet what would all of this complaining do for me? Nothing right?" A bitter smile formed on his lips.

"Hmm, I feel like I'm starting to understand you more." A chuckle escaped the man's lips, "You were quiet back then."

"And what will that do for me, Joker? Will you let me go home?" Alexander didn't need to wait for an answer and smiled. "Of course you won't. Because you believe I belong here, you think that Neo belongs here but what about all of those other people in the Card Trial? Weren't they supposed to be here too, they were also 'chosen'… but they didn't get to be here. What's the difference between them and me."

The Joker shrugged, "Because you killed them."

"I had to kill them." Alexander's heart tightened as he balled his fists. Red blurred his vision, and he tried to ignore the lurch in his throat. The Joker brought them up without a care, as if their lives were nothing but chess pieces toppled over. "I had to murder them, so I could live, so that she could live. And then the next thing I know… everyone was watching it? This world is insane and you're one of the perpetrators."

"Hah, it feels like we've been going in circles, boy." The Joker clicked their tongue. "Do we really need to go over through this? It's not that fun talking to you, I don't even need to eat but I'll leave you now. You're a little ball of negativity, honestly—how you fool the people here when you're this bitter inside, makes it funny. Although this is probably the reason why you and Rosalyn don't get along. She can see right through you."

"D-don't bring her up."

"I thought you wanted to talk about her?" A scoff left the Joker's lips, "You're quite confusing, King of Hearts."