Villainess Of Hearts

What was good? Which one of them was wrong? Underneath the starry night sky, the moon seemed to cast a spell. Two opposing sides now gathered in the coolness of the castle gardens—a King and his Queen. A Queen and her King. Their images were reflected in the pitch black waters of the lake soon passed over as they moved on from the lake and the gazebo.

The two walked together without exchanging much words between them.

Perhaps there was no need for words, because their presence was enough to mollify the other. Or maybe it was just the lack of suitable topics to talk about, regardless the two stuck to one another for one reason or another.

Never exactly finding an appropriate way to express it.

When Alexander looked at the Queen—it was the image of a blood shaded and crazed smile that struck with her angelic appearance. Yes, the halo around her person now was a beautiful enchantment that kept him allured, but reality was often disappointing. It was looking at a fractured mirror.

Which side did one look at when it failed to show everything?

When Rosalyn looked at the King—the image of a shadowed person sitting on a throne with Alice beside him sentenced her to exile. The presently innocent and even boyish look on his face now failed to encapsulate the coldness that happened in a distant past. Images were shattered.

Both could have said that they understood what exactly was on the other's mind. Blood. Death. Exile. Betrayal. Whether it was past, present or future—some things continued to remain haunting them. But could words really fully determine what it was in the other person's true heart? 

There were things that Alexander could not stand for, and one of them was death and blood on his hands. It had sent him spiraling into a depression and shock that he locked in his chest in virtue of survival… but he wasn't blind enough to understand that the woman beside him could choose not to and would not even bat an eye in murdering someone.

All for the sake of the crown, kingdom and position?

He understood that it was a naïve way of thinking… an idealism that he held on to that didn't fit the world he was in now. However, he still wished to clutch it closely in his chest and pretend that he was different, that there was something that remained in himself that couldn't be changed regardless of the passage of time. 

And for the Queen borne of this world—understanding that there was a lot more at stake than just her current reality and the mere fact that she would not only face one… but two people from different worlds, it was enough to make her knees wobbly. Could she muster the strength in her limbs to look at the King in the face and say she was unafraid and unworried?

His situation was revealed, but she couldn't just forget and excuse his actions.

But the moonlight cast a situation where a reverie was possible, and when she eyed the man beside him. The words seemed to fill her mouth at the right moment, "You think of me as an evil woman, do you not?"

His head whipped to her, "What? Evil? I wouldn't—"

"Don't be afraid to admit it now, I won't have my Knight kill you in your sleep." she said with a funny smile. She had done it all by herself before. "But… there are a lot of things that we do not agree with and I suppose it makes sense that in your eyes, I am an antagonist. Will you not agree with that?"

His silence took over for a moment until his blue eyes looked at her. "Are you capable of reading minds?"

Those words made her laugh, and she covered her mouth with a hand. Her shoulders shook slightly. And when her red eyes pierced him, she gave him a smile. "No, I can only rewind time."

Alexander stared at her.

Perhaps it was unbelief or distraught, but simply saying it aloud was like a weight off her chest and she grinned at him. "Your Majesty, does it surprise you that much?"

"... If you can rewind time, then I guess all things happen in your favor then?"

He was humoring her—that much she could tell. And unlike Gine, who once thought her words were nothing but a terrible dream, the King seemed capable of comprehending it. The Queen of Hearts smiled and shook her head, "Not exactly—I think I am prone to a lot of mistakes… and if you keep rewinding time then you'll always be unsatisfied now, won't you?"

"You'll always be stuck in the past, never moving on from the idea of what should have happened, and you won't look to the future, perhaps. There's surely some time paradox and discontinuity here and there..."

The Queen of Hearts refused to say that she only understood the first portion of his sentence, and the last part just sounded like what a person would say to look smart. And yet he only had a thoughtful look on his face—a handsome, thinking face. It was an annoying thing to have. "Perhaps it would be easier to hate you if you have an appearance that I can hate."

A choked laugh escaped the King of Hearts' lips, "I… thank you? The Hearts Kingdom is really focused on aesthetics, aren't they?"

"You always speak like you're separate from us when the Joker declared you a true Heart." She shook her head and soon eyed the labyrinth maze in the distance. It was something that spiralled and extended across a good portion of the lands of the Castle. A tall height that could fully hide a man, far above than one ought to be.

"It's difficult to… say that I am." He said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Although I try my best, it's hard to be a King when you are the Queen."

Her gaze focused on him and her brows furrowed, "Does that mean that a chance for another Queen would be something difficult to pass by?" She tried to keep her voice light and yet it was somewhat accusing and tight. "I must say that a certain Lady from the Eris House has been obviously fawning over you." Thoughts of Alice and the memory flashed in her mind and she searched his face for clues.

"Must you ask me this?" The King of Hearts looked back at her and slowly brushed a hair behind her ear, his fingers grazing slightly across her skin. Alexander's gaze was on her and he gave her a wistful smile, "I am not exactly sure if you'll believe me if I tell you that I found a determination to live when I met you at our coronation."

His fingers were warmer than it ought to be, but it sent a soft soothing sensation that made her flush. His touches were a pleasant and pleasurable thing that made her toes curl and if one could have been spellbound by his eyes then she was… and yet she latched on to what he said and kept her wits. "I remember His Majesty failing to attend the ball right after the coronation, so I am not exactly sure where this 'determination to live' stands."

A shadow crossed over his face for a moment, but it disappeared in lieu of a solemn look. "I am sure that Her Majesty at least understands what it is like to know that countless many died for me and yet I was unaware for a majority of the time… it was a shocking time. But when I look at you and how you held your high despite and amidst the bloodshed, the betrayals and court intrigue—I remember that I should do my best to be someone who could at least stand by your side."

"And have you?" she asked. Softer than she meant it to be.

"... Well, I suppose it is only something that you can answer, Rosalyn." he smiled slightly, his hand began to lower and move away from her face. "Although I am afraid that my previous attempts were just attempts. Never enough. And I suppose that's why I tell you that it is hard to be a King with you, because you put a standard that's definitely far too high to achieve."

It was something close to what she said to her brother.

Her lips twitched into a smirk, "Then have you decided to give up, Alexander?" She seized his hand before he fully let it down, and it elicited an astonished look in his eyes. "I will not take it to heart if you do, because I believe I can run this kingdom by myself if I have to."

"I don't think I ever did say that I was going to quit," He took the opportunity to tug her closer to him, their hands in between their chests. He managed a sheepish grin, "Although… it would be a reassuring thing to know if I'll ever actually have a chance to prove myself to you or am I lost cause?"

Rosalyn felt her pulse race at the closeness of their bodies together. And yet when she looked at him—his ears were a burning shade of red. The only telltale sign to his own nervousness amidst this confidence he was showing… it was rather cute. And yet she shouldn't get fazed with this, despite her own heart beating and her cheeks heating up like fire. "Well… a chance, you say? I am acceding to your requests and your presence by this much."

Whether it was an act of courage or brought on by the transfixing moment, he rested his fingers underneath her chin and slowly leaned down—his eyes were on hers for the entire time.. Waiting and even daring her to say a word and break it off.