Villainess Of Hearts

Rosalyn Lockhart froze involuntarily at the whoosh of the door—and the sound of a glass bottle shattering echoed within the shop. Its contents pooled around her feet and Nicholas just as the King of Hearts strode into the room, the door slamming shut as he looked at her.

"What exactly are you doing, accepting drinks from complete strangers, Your Majesty? I thought you'd be warier." Alexander Hartsmichdt rubbed his face until he let his hand fall down and he glared at the man. "What were the contents of that potion? Poison? A love potion? Are you thinking that you'll take advantage of the Queen's preferential treatment for you? Is her friendship not enough for you?"

He made no move towards Nicholas, but he might have as well stabbed him in the leg.

False accusations? The Queen of Hearts stared at him. He had come from out of nowhere and what was he actually trying to do now? Was he right in the head?

Nicholas tried to speak up, "N-no—"

The man turned away from the man and glanced outside. He clicked his tongue, irritation laced in his tone. "And where is your Knight? Don't tell me that even he is slacking off in his job to protect you—" His blue eyes stared down at her, a frown tugging on his lips. He sighed and shook his head, a tired smile crossing on his lips. "This is not really happening, is it? Surely you know better than that Rosalyn? I'm dreaming aren't I?"

The surprise of the King of Hearts arriving outside of the castle dispersed. Rosalyn glared at him. His tone, his body language, every movement he was doing right now... Did the man come all the way here to simply shout at her?

He was unbelievable.

Truly he was a notch higher than everyone she had ever met when it came to being insufferable. Could he not even see the difference between dreams and reality now? Did he wish for a slap? "What business do you have with whatever it is I'm doing, Your Majesty?"

"I am your husband—"

She bit back a laugh. He must have really fallen off the deep end this time, she had never heard him use that line with that sincerity. "Do not use that line with me. I did not choose to have you as my husband—"

"Then you shouldn't have opted to become Queen at all," Alexander answered back. His tone was biting and cut straight, even as he chose less eloquent words. He was once again speaking from the bottom of his heart. "Wasn't there a lot more ladies who had aspired to become my partner—you should have never tried in the first place."

Nicholas coughed and raised a hand. "Excuse me—"

"Don't intrude on this conversation." Alexander glanced at the man, "Now's not the time for you to speak."

The Queen of Hearts stared at him.

Even she wished that this was not happening in reality.

"...are we really having this conversation right now, Your Majesty?" She stifled herself from laughing. Who would have thought? Her gaze took in his frazzled expression, the frantic bit in his body, it made her bite back from saying something immediately. What happened to him? Why was he going at her right now—she couldn't believe it. They were outside of the Castle, did he know what he was doing?

Nicholas Hatter beside her had also gone speechless.

This almost resembled what had happened years ago, he was letting her down again.

Once again succumbing to whatever it was that troubled him.

He shouldn't be this way, this weakness of his—it wasn't anything good. Was this the image that he wished to present to everyone? What ridiculousness—she raised a hand to her face, and yet the man had a point. At least on her choice to join the selection to become a Queen.

She should have never tried it years ago. Marrying a man she had never met. Who would have cared if he became the King? She could have stayed back and avoided all of this. And yet… this had been her only chance.

What a pathetic match it truly has been, however.

And yet she had won fair and square, she raised her head and narrowed her eyes at him. Until she stopped and instead did something else. Forcing a smile on her lips, she would be the better one in between the two of them. "You do not understand, but let me make you understand it, Your Majesty. Let this fact get straight through your head—I am the most suitable Lady to become the Queen across the Kingdom of Hearts. It is you who do not know what you are doing."

To her, he was losing.

He should know that—but when one blew their top off, it wasn't going down anytime soon. And all the rage, the storm, and clouds inside his heart. It was a turbulent vortex that continued to spew out words even as their conversation reached its climax. Alexander stared at her, fire in his eyes. His hands were balled into fists. "But where are we right now? Shouldn't you be in the Castle instead of spending your time lazing around and frolicking whenever—"

"I can do whatever I wish." She retorted.

And that did it. The man fell silent and turned away from her, all of the energy and outburst dissipating at once, and his shoulders hunched forward. "You have my apologies then, I was…"

Rosalyn stared at his back.

Even if he apologized quickly, it didn't mean that she would forgive him and that everything could be cleared. Rosalyn inwardly sighed and fought the wrack of something building into her chest. She pursed her lips and glanced down at the spill on the floor. Why did he even come here? He stumbled upon them and immediately thought that her friend was a menace?

It should have been the other way around.

She truly didn't understand what went through his mind—and so far, it seemed like he was unwilling to explain it. And all he did was lash out, uncommon for his nature, but it was still enough to make her frown. Were those all his thoughts that he had been holding back from before?

Rosalyn clicked her tongue and turned to Nicholas, "My apologies for the scene—"

The man waved a hand and managed a smile. "I'll clean up the mess, Your Majesty." But that was it.

All she ever did was ruin his perception of her even further. What would the man think of a combative person like her? She had never allowed anybody else to win and end a conversation. Rosalyn Lockhart bit on her lip and glanced back at the King. Perhaps she shouldn't have shouted back and answered as calmly as she could.

...Then things would not have turned out this way.

A sunken feeling overcame her and she nodded, "Very well then, Nicholas. I believe that the time has come for me and His Majesty to return to the Castle, thank you for your time." She took the basket over the table and nodded once at him—and then she left the shop.

Never exactly waiting precisely for the King of Hearts.

But she waited to ensure that he wouldn't cause any trouble for the Hatter, she could at least do that much. The King left as soon as she did, and she ignored him. A sigh once again escaped her throat, she gazed around the town. Nobody seemed to have been able to catch the scenario at the shop, most of the villagers sometimes glanced towards her, and yet most were bustling along, concentrated with their day-to-day lives. And yet that wasn't exactly what she was looking for.

Where was her Knight?

"Your Majesty!" Julius Ginellevé ran towards her until he paused and looked behind her. He bowed once again, "King of Hearts. I did not think that I would see you here, Your Majesty."

"...I didn't see you either when I came to the shop."

"Indeed, you did not see me, Your Majesty." A smile crossed his lips, "It does not mean that I was not present."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Her Knight nodded. 

Even this very moment, there was still some strain in the way that Alexander spoke in—she pursed her lips and walked past her Knight. "Gine, I am returning to the Castle. Let us go."

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty."

The King of Hearts wouldn't be that stupid enough to run back to the Hatter's shop, would he? But even so, she glanced around the streets and furrowed her brows. She could not see anyone else accompanying the King at all. Had he honestly runoff here all by himself?

It didn't make any sense to her.

She should leave him. He could fend for himself—the distance between the town and the Castle could be crossed in a heartbeat. And yet, even as she took a couple of steps forwards, Rosalyn Lockhart found herself gritting her teeth. She passed the basket to her Knight and threw back a look at the King.

He was standing around like a miserable idiot.

And though she had never agreed with what he had asked from her before, his nonsense of asking for second chances—she couldn't just leave him there. Especially whenever he got into these states of his. His picture-perfect act sometimes cracked and these were the rare results of it.

"Your Majesty—"

"Just Alex please."

She found one of her eyes twitching, how bad had it gone now? She stepped towards him and grabbed his wrist, "Alexander—it's time for us to return to the Castle.. Come with me."