Villainess Of Hearts

Alexander Hartsmichdt didn't know if he was glad or upset at the sudden arrival of the Joker during lunch—either way, the man, if one could even call him that, made things easier? Harder? Well, he just made it harder for the Nobles to keep bothering him because he was intimidating.

All Alexander thought of the man was that he was a bastard.

"Lovely lunch everyone. It's good to see a lot of the Nobles gathered here today, I actually decided to stay back here and wait for each one's arrival." the Joker spoke and held the wine goblet in his hand. The man was decidedly chatty for some reason, more so than usual. "Is there any matter that needs to be decided? Any traitors that need to be dispatched? Any discontent among the crowd? Now's the time to speak your tongue or forever hold your peace."

The Joker always did desire attention, and if he didn't get it—trouble ensued itself.

And Alexander really didn't pay much mind. He would prefer to vex the Joker, albeit he did look a bit more riled and crazy now for some reason. Nonetheless, his thoughts went towards the Queen of Hearts, Rosalyn... he hadn't been able to prevent Lord Lockhart from having a private conversation with her. But she wanted it as well.

Alexander scooped up some egg custard and placed it into his mouth and enjoyed the soft, creamy and rich texture that met his tongue. He knew that the Queen was crazy for tarts, but she'd like something like this, right?

"Your Majesty?" One of the Eris' sisters spoke up.

Somehow couldn't exactly her name this time. Which was kind of bad since he was a King and knowing your subjects was important? But he only smiled, "Ah yes, what is it, Lady Eris?"

It earned him a twitch from her lips, probably displeasure because he didn't call her by name, but she only smiled. She acted like nobody else was in the dining hall, "Would His Majesty continue his tour around the castle for the guests? It was great to see His Majesty explain about the history of the castle."

"History of the castle?" the Joker raised a brow. The man had two ears for good reason, and because most of the Nobles were ill-stricken for any complaints. "Why ask him when you can ask me? I have been around far much longer than any of you and yet nobody speaks to me." A small chuckle erupted from his lips, and he took a dainty sip from his goblet and sighed. "Although a Knight knows this place better than the man you are speaking with, he knows it like the back of his hand, if I were to be completely honest. I mean no offense to His Majesty."

One of Alexander's eyes twitched, but he smiled. "None taken. I suppose some are more familiar because our soldiers do patrol the halls and perimeters of the Castle, unlike me." He sighed and shook his head, "I do tend to be cooped up in one particular place most of the time." He said that, but the Joker's words didn't exactly fall into deaf ears.

The man who could say so little in a soliloquy, but so much in a sentence.

He said things according to his whim. And this might have been Alexander's chance to unearth more information on how exactly he had been brought here in the first place—but he knew fully well that the Joker would rather have them die here than returned to his own world.

The best thing for him to do was to adjust to his situation and similar to what the Queen of Hearts had said... surely there was something good to be found in being King? He really hadn't just been able to do much before, always focused on his pain and getting by.

But he promised to change.

And change he would.

. . .

"Ah, Reinhard, there is something that has once again come upon my mind. If you will listen to it," Rosalyn Lockhart tried to speak up once again. She was savoring the moment, but she knew that there were other responsibilities, and perhaps one of them was seeing that her Knight wasn't too worried—and also not monopolizing the Lord of the Lockhart House.

It was proper that they gained back the esteem that they lost.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I am thankful for this meeting, this is heartfelt from me—I was terrified." She chewed on her lip and once again tried for this 'vulnerability', albeit it didn't exactly fit her. Rosalyn Lockhart already wanted to hit her head against the table for shame of saying such words carelessly in front of her brother... so she cleared her throat. "I do think that now is the time that the Lockhart House takes back what is supposed to be ours."

"... And that is?"

"Have you not grown tired of hearing about the Four Nobility Houses—it irks me so. To imagine that they are known as the most prosperous and adored among the Houses when it was different in the past."

"Social circles do change according to circumstances." He didn't need to continue any further to imply what exact circumstance had changed. Reinhard said it all without even a twitch on his face. Calm, unlike her.

And Rosalyn really did fume and thought about all the scandals that her Informant gave her. She balled her hand into a fist and fought the urge to slam her fist on the table. "Then we must reclaim it—I am wrought of hearing and seeing them treat you like a lesser Lord when... when..."

"When you are the Queen?"

Rosalyn Lockhart paused but shook her head. "Not only that, but I will ensure that when the King of Spades arrives, we'll put them in their proper places."

"The Lockhart House cannot occupy four positions, so which one would you like to remove?" He arched a brow at her.

Even if he spoke little and expressed little, all it did was make him even more frightening when he didn't oppose such ideas like this. But Rosalyn Lockhart was indeed upset about the way they ostracized the Lockhart House—if they had won before, there was no doubt that those Houses would either be extinguished or kneeling like dogs before their master.

But things were different. Her brother wasn't the King.

Even if he was suited to it.

Her thoughts flickered back to Alexander and the most prominent memories in her mind, and though the Joker was brutish enough to say that he preferred 'blondie'... Rosalyn was just a tad conflicted. Alexander was fine as the King—even when she complained a lot and demeaned him because she always compared him to her brother.

But there were good things about him, too. Reluctantly, she may admit it.

"Your Majesty? The House to fall?" Her brother inquired.

An answer came to her lips, almost so suddenly. "Eris House, let them fall." It wasn't because of anything peculiar, but she had met with the eldest daughters of the House and found no hope for them. Could any of them really be an heir to the House?

Well, they could marry, but that just meant an alliance between another Noble House—the eldest daughter meeting with the youngest son of Lorie House was unacceptable. Or if the second one was really eager to ascend and attempt to slip into the bed of the King, then it would be even more grating.

Reinhard lifted a brow, "I would have thought you would consider either the Hawthorne or Marius House, the riots in Hawthorne if put under much more scrutiny could elicit a reaction from other Houses, while there is something suspicious going around the Marius House if my sources are correct."

The Queen of Hearts blinked.

But then it made sense that despite his isolation from social circles, her brother would keep up to date with the happenings about his fellow Nobility. He was able to find what she herself had only figured out through her informant. Speaking of which... the family heirloom. The black book in her office that she hadn't touched in a while.

She was unsure if he knew about it.

Rosalyn smiled, "That is true, my source of information has also said the same thing. But did you know that the two Houses of Lorie and Eris House might possibly strike an alliance through marriage? And if that were to happen, it could lead to more problems than the Hawthorne or Marius House. It's much better to focus on the Eris House."

The Queen of Hearts wasn't exactly sure about her memory regarding the family heirloom, actually. But she truly had recalled that the Joker spoke about this being only for the Head of the Houses, so it made her feel guilty. It was like twisting a knife in her chest—a sensation that she somehow knew?

It was enough to make her sigh.

But she focused back on what happened when they were younger. While her brother was given lessons suitable to that of a King to rule over the land, she was expected to be the shadow and the one who would take up the mantle as the Head of the Lockhart House so received it and was taught of its properties.

Now that their roles were reversed… it was only fair that she gave it to him, didn't she? And even the informant, too. She needed to inform that little spy of hers that he'd be serving someone new now, right? It was another thing for her to handle, and so she cleared her throat. 

"There is also something else, Reinhard.. I want to give you something."