Villainess Of Hearts

Julius Ginellevé bolted up from his bed, and reached for his sword—only to find that he didn't have it with him. And it was only then that he remembered what had happened, he assessed his entire person. He was shirtless, but his entire chest was wrapped in bandages. Each one of them was clean and not a speck of blood on them.

And so he was alive.

He bit back a rueful smile, "I should have planned it out better."

"Easy, boy." The Royal Doctor Griphon sighed and leaned back against his chair. "You had a nasty blood loss so take it easy. Even for someone like you, I recommend you to take it slow and come to your senses and stop with all of that nonsense going through your head."

The Knight turned to the old man, the man who had saved his life, but despite that, he was far from grateful. "You call it nonsense but all you know is simply treating my physical wounds, many others like me have experienced the same turmoil. It's harsh and even ignorant for you to call it nonsense, Doctor."

The Royal Doctor's face twitched for a moment, but then he sighed. "I suppose, but for someone like you—you have killed and spilled more blood than anyone else. And this is what I see you falling after? You're in a cushioned position, the Queen's personal Knight and bodyguard? Have you neglected your duty, boy?"

And for those words, Julius Ginellevé could not offer anything to defend himself against that.

He sighed and threw his back against the wall, "I suppose it is because I have found myself useless, and if I am useless—what else is there for me to do? I do not want to be cast away like a defective pawn."

"You talk to me as if you're crippled and not a remarkable Knight of the kingdom." the Royal Doctor shook his head. "And if I were to see anything with the Queen at your side since last night—I'd say that your uselessness is actually a lie. That child threw me out of this clinic, my clinic to guard and watch you all by herself. She had even slept in that chair besides you. Completely without decorum, if that had happened in the previous reigning..."

Contrary to Julius Ginellevé's usual defense to his Queen, the man only listened to the old man's spouting of words. Out of everyone in the Castle of Hearts, he was perhaps one of the oldest servants of the Kingdom, the Royal Doctor had even served the past monarchs from his youth to even his age.

If there was anything else that earned respect besides titles, it was one's experience and age.

And for whatever reason it was, the Royal Doctor had taken a certain liking to the Queen's Knight when he first entered the Castle of Hearts. And as for the usual lone Knight that had served the Queen and only her, the man was at least a little more respectful of the Doctor's position.

Someone who brought death would respect those who saved lives.

It might have been a begrudging acknowledgement—out of all the people in the land, it was the strange Doctor that could at least do something for the Queen of Hearts if Julius ever failed to accomplish his duty. The man had done it when Rosalyn Lockhart had been first attacked by the assassins, and even someone like him was treated.

"I do not deserve this treatment." the Knight whispered to himself.

"Now what nonsense are you spouting again?" the old man rebuked him with a glare. "After all that I have done to save your life and that is what you say? Unbelievable! Young men like you who pursue love and war as if the two were the same thing. Bah! This is why relationships are meddlesome."

"The Royal Doctor is supposed to only treat the Royal Family and those of the Nobility who seek for his help and service. I am nothing of that importance."

"Well, try finding some other doctor available during your little act!" the old man harrumphed. "Stubborn as always, the same birds of the same feather truly do flock together. You say such things like that but you're as prideful as all the Nobles I've treated before. This old man could actually receive some grateful words but all I'm hearing is you complaining that this shouldn't have been the case. Would you have rathered that I let you die?"

A melancholic smile crossed on his lips, "Perhaps? I do not know." He pulled up the blankets closer to his face and took note of the subtle fragrance, it was something that he had grown familiar with throughout close contact with her. "The Queen has truly come and stayed with me all night?"

"... and now you have that lovesick look on your face?" Royal Doctor Griphon sighed but nodded. "Yes, the Queen had been close to tears last night—I wouldn't have been surprised if she had cried herself to sleep when she chased me out of here. You are a cruel man indeed."

"Not as cruel as Her Majesty." Julius Ginellevé closed his eyes and tugged the blankets closer to him. "Even when my life flashed before my eyes—it was only her that I've seen. To be completely invaded by her presence in my life, it is almost unfair that she would come here but not be around when I woke up."

The Royal Doctor clicked his tongue and then pulled up to his feet, "If you're aware of such things like that—then why do you needlessly keep pursuing the Queen? I wish I was more capable of treating the mind of people then perhaps I would be more capable of seeing what is wrong with your head."

"Is it truly my head that is a mess or is it my heart?"

A throaty laugh escaped the Royal Doctor's lips, "Ah, I am now reminded why we are born in the Kingdom of Hearts. If it is not a person falling in love in a craft, work or some other passion then it's more often than not that they become enraptured in another person. These impetuous desires are almost a key trait in the Kingdom of Hearts as it is with the Kingdom of Diamonds pursuit for all things that shimmer and glow or with the Spades desire for conquest."

"You talk as if you're not putting long hours into your work here—always making these strange concoctions." Julius Ginellevé pointed out to the Doctor.

"Why, I have never denied that I am part of this Kingdom!" the Doctor laughed. "Very well, I'll leave you for now, I do not think that you will be doing anything strange besides sniffing your blanket like some dog."

"Where are you going, Royal Doctor Griphon?"

A smirk crossed on the old man's lips, "Heh, you're finally showing some respect, lad? I'm simply going to announce that you have woken up at last. It must be amazing to have such quick recovery, it's almost as if your blood continues to keep and invigorate you with life. Other people might become envious if they were to know of it."

"And yet you are going to announce that I have woken up."

"Do you even care about the envy of others?" the Doctor asked. "I would have thought that you would like the Queen of Hearts to see you immediately now that you're awake."

The Knight of the Lockhart House fell silent, his expression clouded over at once. "Her Majesty must be taking care of some other important matter. If I have only woken up after a night, then it is to my memory a day where the Nobilities have started to arrive into the castle. It is not enough for me to interrupt such a thing."

"You say that now after you've caused a ruckus?"

"Indeed… my actions are irredeemable." Julius covered his face with a hand. A self-loathing tone in his voice. "I feel overjoyed that the Queen has looked my way once again, that she had stayed here last night even when I was asleep. Surely that shows that Her Majesty has not forgotten about me, but my methods were… Well, I did not wish for Her Majesty to notice. I had simply thought that I was not needed. I cannot muster the courage to meet her when I'm ashamed."

Despite their easy communication between one another, the Royal Doctor couldn't erase the train of thoughts that afflicted the young man. Something so instilled in the Knight's mind even when he had met him once again. It was a little ridiculous to see that such a commendable person like him was in a state like this. Julius had so much potential and yet to only see the boy reduced to this state.

Royal Doctor Griphon could only shake his head in dismay.

"Very well then, Sir Julius. I suppose something like this can only be forwarded to the Prime Minister right now, but I have a feeling that the Queen of Hearts will throw a tantrum if she were to learn about this information from someone else instead of me."

"... I will do my best to recover from this. I cannot let my emotions sway me over my responsibilities. I could only hope that Her Majesty has not replaced me while I had been asleep."

"I had already told you that she was here last night—do you think that Her Majesty would come here if she had a wish to replace you?"

"But it is only right that she has a replacement for me while I was not awake." Julius Ginellevé frowned. "If the King of Hearts has not done at least this much… "

"Then what?"

The Knight threw a sharp look at the Royal Doctor. "Your own eccentricities will have you thrown into the dungeon. It is better to keep your mouth shut, old man. Stick with your potions."

"Hah, I suppose I could always continue back on my work of a love potion. Perhaps you will be interested in it?"

"No.. A potion that mimics love is useless to me."