Villainess Of Hearts

The Queen of Hearts did not know what struck her to insist that she should stay here—or rather say that she would go along with the Time Man's desires and relax for a while. Perhaps it was just exhaustion, it was perhaps a little over a month since she had arrived back and changed her fate, but the new changes brought their own complications.

"If you stare at the cupcake, I'm afraid it might explode."

"Such an inane thing to say," she replied with a disbelieving smile. There were a lot of changes happening even here, or perhaps the more appropriate term was revelation. Things that she did not know in the past were being brought to light, information that perhaps were unnecessary to her in her own assessment, maybe?

Now that she had stayed with the Time Man for… well, she couldn't exactly tell how time flowed here but it felt like this was the longest one than all the other ones combined, she'd come to know more about him. Not a clue on how he looked like, but a lot more about how things functioned in this realm of his.

"You did say that I should try not to bore you or else you'll go insane, Your Majesty."

Or she might just overthink herself to insanity, but that didn't matter that much, did it? She didn't think that he'd actually take her words into consideration and so she sipped her tea, "You know the Joker, do you not?"

"Ah, him."

Even if she couldn't see his face, his tone could also be a telling indicator of how he felt. There was some resigned note to his tone, as if relieving a somewhat terrible memory that had already finished itself ages ago but still continued to haunt one in the present. The Queen of Hearts traced her finger over her teacup's handle, the porcelain-like texture was smooth.

She wished for him to expound on it, but he didn't.

"In the past, during my parents' age and perhaps even hundred of years before—there was no winner in the Card Trials. Barely even discussed during my studies as a youth. As such the influence of him had all but been a myth or fairy tale, something more close to folklore and yet he is able to join you whenever he wishes and you keep him from aging?"

It wasn't a lie to say that she was both interested and a little envious of this so-called relationship between the two. And yet it made sense that there would be those that would bargain and win against time. Somehow the remarks of the Joker making a hidden page in a contract agreement between him and her ancestors was enough to make her relieve it with a bit of chagrin.

"You could say that," he nodded.

Once again he didn't say much else. And here she thought that he would be a lot more enthusiastic, she lifted her teacup and resisted the urge to throw it at his face, "You do not seem to have much words to say about the Joker then? I would have thought that it would have been a chance to discuss things with you."

He waved a hand, "Forgive me, discussions about your world and the political climate—it is something that I once again have no jurisdiction over. I do my best to not interfere, but the Joker is indeed an important individual, even much more than how he keeps self-aggrandizing himself."

She pursed her lips, she wanted to say something but opted to shake her head.

"Your words, they somehow reminded me of Chesire."

"Ah yes, the creature from the Blue Forest. A particular fellow."

She lifted her eyes and met his gaze, "I thought you did not wish to concern yourself over these things but you even know him?"

"I say non-interference, but it does not mean that I do not look over it."

If she continued with this then she would be able to grapple more words out of him and perhaps even get to the root of things. Well, more information that she could find some future use for and things that she had interest in. And his most interesting word was 'non-interference'... 

"Do you not consider this situation between the two of us as breaking your own description of what you do, Governor? Non-interference of how things go?" the name didn't exactly roll off her tongue as much as it did with Time Man.

He stayed silent and then shrugged, "I suppose this is what you call an exception to the case then,"

"I must have convinced you well then."

"Or you threatened me enough that I gave it a chance… maybe I was bored. It was mostly boredom but since we had struck a deal, I kept up with it until now," his gaze was somewhat distant and yet close to the heart at the same time, "you could even say that I have taken some liberty to help you more than what one should do."

She averted her gaze and picked up the cupcake, stuffing her mouth with it. "And the reason for it is because Alice has irritated you as well."

"If you would like to interpret it as such, be my guest."

Rosalyn Lockhart glared at him, feeling a bit hurt, childishly so. But even this was warranted, "To try and grasp how you feel about certain people is necessary, for all I know is that everything that is happening around us is nothing but an elaborate scheme and device to torture me not only once but for eons over."

"...Your imagination, while wild could also be plausible."

She slapped a hand over her face, "You didn't deny it."

"I only considered your question in respect to you asking me. But the situation is far from it, I assure you."

The Queen of Hearts rubbed the back of her neck, biting back another sigh. "Well there is nothing else for me to do except to accept that as truth, I believe that I once again inferred that everything is up to your discretion."

"I still take into account what you wished for, albeit, I do admit that I have taken liberty—"

"In helping me," she smiled thinly. There was more need for gratitude, and she was only afforded this opportunity because of him. "And yet, ah… nevermind it." Rosalyn Lockhart swiped another dessert from the table and began to have her fill.

If she wasn't worrying about her situation in her Kingdom then she would be worrying over how things started in the first place. Was the Time Man stepping over his boundaries? Yes. But even time rewinding back wouldn't be possible if he didn't overstep either.

"There might still be things lacking with them," he suddenly said.

She raised a brow and chewed more carefully, and once she was finished and drank her tea. She shrugged, "I can ask my servant, Mary Ann to get you the recipe for roseberry tarts—that is the only thing I've yet to find here. Although… ah, I'm not going to overthink things anymore."

This was supposed to be a temporary retreat from problems and yet it continued to chase her until now.

"And yet that's something that's part of who you are, Your Majesty."

It was hard to say anything with the man's appearance… wait, he had revealed himself before but even that memory was vague. He did sound sincere though, if she could read him correctly. But it wasn't enough to convince her. She pursed her lips, "I can change whenever I wish—besides, if I keep thinking then I'll never do anything."

"Indeed, Your Majesty. Are you wishing to return to your duties and concerns now?"

His question however made her pause. A sensation in her throat as if a tart lodged itself in there and it became difficult to speak because her mind sought for answers. How could she act when she didn't know anything?

There were so many risks…

Rosalyn Lockhart lowered her head and stared at her gown. She ran her fingers through the seams in it, each was stitched perfectly and without order. And that was only possible through a dressmaker's plan or design. Needless to say it was the same for Nicholas.

And yet life wasn't that way.

There was no grand design and outline she could see and things that happened in the past may or may not repeat itself. It was both wonderful and terrifying. The Queen of Hearts fiddled with her fingers. This was paralyzing and yet for a moment in time, with the Time Man she was able to breath even if a little.

Not a lot of consequences for her.

"I am looking forward to learning the recipe of your servant's tarts."

She raised her head and parted her lips.

Did he say that to make her speak up and choose to move? It was a little difficult to imagine how much better things would be once he actually served tarts and tea when they meet in the future. If they meet again. It happened a few more times that it was likely, but the possibility of this not happening again was also there.

He pulled himself up to his feet and walked towards her, the man held out a hand towards her, "I can still give you the recipe and map for the tea brew if you wish, you seem a bit unwilling to share the tart recipe, Your Majesty."

He was teasing her.

She could hear the smile in his voice and the care in it. It was reflected in the gentle gaze that he gave her. She could almost envision and trace out the features that she once saw, the soft brush of his nose and the curve of his lips.

Rosalyn reached for his hand.