Villainess Of Hearts

The King of Hearts woke up in the room of Lord Warth Duke, not with the man in his bed, but on the sofa couch available with a worn out expression on his face. Sleepily, he rubbed the corner of his eyes and remembered what happened.

The man had been stabbed in the back by a poisoned dagger, but with the use of scavenged items in the Royal Doctor's office, he had found an antitoxin capable of drawing out the poison.

He had done it—Alexander had saved a life.

… Well, he might have tried to remove the poison from the bloodstream, but without the potions and ingredients in the Doctor's office, it might have been too late. A healing crystal, which he understood to be a magical item capable of closing deep wounds and cuts, wouldn't have done it.

It might have closed the wound, but would have not removed the poison.

"Good morning, Your Majesty." Lady Catherine Duke was fussing over her husband's bed. She was still pale-faced from last night, but there was now a look of relief on her face even though she still had swollen eyes from sobbing. "You have my undying gratitude for your help, last night."

The lady tried to throw a punch at him for bleeding out Warth Duke, even when her men had bandaged him. They had not understood or couldn't do anything about the poison. It was only thanks to a certain cat person who held the lady back that he had been able to treat the Lord.

Whatever the case, he let such grievances pass him by.

He smiled briefly and inclined his head. "He will wake up soon."

Alexander Hartsmichdt couldn't help but wonder if something like that would happen to him, whether the Queen of Hearts—if Rosalyn Lockhart would grieve over him like that. Would she have jumped in joy and elation that she did not have to share the throne with him?

Thoughts like it would vanish at the memory of last night and a time before.

The Queen of Hearts had stayed up all night at Gine's side when the man once tried to claim his own life, and there was the haunted look on Rosalyn's face while she held Mallory, blood on her hands.

She had seen so much.

Lost both of her parents, became estranged from her brother, and even got assassinated some time ago. Alexander had no desires to bring anymore suffering to the woman if he could help it. While Gine might have been selfish enough, or desperate enough, to lose himself because of the Queen's fleeting attention?

The King did not know what exactly happened recently, but whatever the case, he wished to cause no trouble to her. He had no idea what was running through her mind at this hour.

"Your Majesty, shall I have some of my men or myself to have breakfast be brought here?"

Alexander shook his head. "No need, I'll go there myself. Instead, I'll arrange for my servants or one of your men to bring a meal for the two of you. It is important to have Lord Warth regain his strength."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Lady Catherine could only curtsy in gratitude. "I know this is too much to ask of His Majesty, but if you could please listen to another request of mine?"

"I'll do everything within my power to fulfill it if I can," he said. He did not expect to regret it, or anything of that matter, because if there was anything he could do to help a woman who thought she had nearly lost the love of her life—he would do it.

"Please bring not only my husband but for everyone else who suffered at the iniquity and wickedness of this mastermind to justice—let there be blood and fury. Their own blood shall pay for those that had flowed out now from the innocent people, a hundred times over."

The pink-haired lady with the demure expression on her face had turned to wrath and even coldness. Something that perhaps one didn't expect, or perhaps, should have been expected from a friend of Rosalyn Lockhart herself.

Maybe there was a reason why the two managed to get along.

Alexander Hartsmichdt did his best to rein back his expression, the taste of death because of one's hands was a terrible experience to him, something he wished others not to experience—it made something get caught in his throat, and his chest to tighten—but he inclined his head. "Justice will be served."

That he wanted to assure her.

But was blood for blood the only way to do it? Perhaps it was only the naiveness of his own self that kept him back from wanting to experience it again. For now he stood up and parted ways with the Lady, bringing everything he had her soldiers collect from Doctor Griphon's office.

While the antitoxin might have been a lucky thing, perhaps it was something that the Doctor had been working on—no, Alexander could not believe it was so. Each specific poison had their own qualities, and it was necessary to know what it was to flush it out from the Lord's body.

The black leather journal in his hands held the doctor's notes. It was where he would find answers to his question.

It was a peculiar thing, this little black book—he flipped it open carefully, respectfully. This was something close to a national treasure if this was from one of the oldest people who had served the Castle for a time longer than even he or the Queen had.

He came across something weird; it was a tree.

No, not just one tree but multiple of them… and as he touched one leaf, it turned into a golden splash of color akin to the crisp autumn leaves. Words appeared in front of him and as he read it—something clicked in his mind.

"A family tree, how interesting and magical."

How did a Royal Doctor come across something like this? Was it necessary even? He ran his fingers through the leaves of parchment idly, numerous names appearing and flashing in front of him—before he turned to the next page and thumbed the following ones.

Now here was a record of visitors who came to visit him.

And then he would notice the doctor's notes written below them. Sometimes containing words of rebuke, thoughtful discoveries and other interesting notions. He would read different entries from different times, but mostly he lingered on one's that happened before his reign.

It was all just curiosity that brought him here.

Date XXXX

Time 14:37

The Lord of Estel House had visited me today. He said he was suffering from shortness of breath and had difficulty moving around. I told him to look into a mirror and start exercising—he couldn't even reach his toes.

Date XXXX

Time 08:45

The young brat came here today with bruised knees and swelled up eyes—if it weren't for those amethyst eyes like his mother's, I would have told him to leave. Instead, I gave him an ointment and told him to stop scrambling around the gardens.

Date XXXX

Time 23:59

I told him not to come so late at night, but somehow this was the only time he had available. He had managed to pluck out some interesting herbs for me from the Blue Forest and evaded the watcher there. Young men are always fond of getting themselves in trouble.

I tried to tell him that nothing good would come out of ingesting and inhaling strange fumes, but he refused to quit. Typical.

There seemed to have been a time when multiple people visited the Castle of Hearts to avail of the services of the Royal Doctor Griphon. It had many entries, which was incredible considering that the notebook was not heavy in his hands. Magical as usual.

But he would finally turn to another section of the journal and find some documentation on the different herbs, spices, and other flora and fauna that the Doctor acquired to create his potions. Things like even ruby dust and pearls from the sea were included in the repertoire of the Doctor.

"Incredible—is this deducted from the Royal Treasury?" he asked aloud. He had never bothered asking much or checking the expenses of this particular office in the Castle, it had simply never caught himself to think it was weird.

Research and Development was a thing.

However, he needed to hurry up. The dining hall was just ahead, and he needed to deal with the Nobilities and not simply have his nose up in this book—actually, it was best to hide it. Until he had found concrete evidence, then it was best that he kept it with him from making any blatant remarks or accusations.

Alexander would do it as fast as he could, but also be subjected to meticulous and careful assessment. The soldiers at the door would open the door for him, and he was given the sight of numerous breathless and red-faced Nobility.

He closed the book and hid it in his coat.

"What seems to be the matter over here?" he asked. Somehow it didn't seem like breakfast with Nobility would even allow him to enjoy a simple meal in silence. "One of you speaks up for the rest."

It was best to have a representative than have them descend to madness and try to outdo one another's voices. "Your Majesty!" Lord Marius stood up with a relieved face. "We would like you to find out if the verdict of the Queen shall stand, it is quite unreasonable!"

Complaints.

Alexander eyed Rosalyn Lockhart in her seat. She would simply look away and not look him in the eye to even challenge or defend herself from the accusations of the Lord.. It was a strange reaction from such a hot-tempered Queen.