Villainess Of Hearts

Before the Queen of Hearts could muster up a reply to counter the Joker, someone rushed and knocked rapidly at the door. Her Knight opened the door warily and was given the sight of a short, but nervous looking man with monocles.

It was Blyke Edelweiss.

"Your Majesty!"

"Oh, you're still alive." Joker mused.

Before the man could even register the insult that made Gine snicker, the Prime Minister only had one thing on his mind that made him rush here with no hesitation. "Er, it seems that the King of Spades had visited the Kingdom of Hearts again and seeks access to the Castle… but that would—"

"Ooh, he came as promised." The Joker said thoughtfully and rubbed his chin. "But would now be a good time to let him in?"

Rosalyn Lockhart wondered why this man had approached her out of all people. However, before she could even voice out her question, the man already gave it to him as she remembered.

"His Majesty of Spades had come here for you—or rather, the Lockhart House. His Majesty of Hearts is currently preoccupied with conversing with some of the Nobility that are still trying to change his mind or delay the trial."

A scoff left her lips.

It was a typical reaction, almost akin to children. When the mother said no, then the children approached the father for permission. However, this wasn't her concern… it was His Majesty, Alfred Villeuce's sudden arrival.

Hadn't she received a letter briefly informing about his inability to visit because of territory disputes?

Well, it didn't matter now.

Rosalyn Lockhart had already been up to her feet, and she strolled forward to the Prime Minister. "Well then, I suppose after initial checking on his items and carriage—"

"Er, he only arrived on horseback, Your Majesty."

Her brows raised, taken aback by the information. "You mean he travelled from the arid lands of his Kingdom and back here simply on horse?"

"It appears to be so."

"Well, then check on his belongings for safety and security reasons and then allow him to sojourn in an available room." Rosalyn Lockhart decided. She sighed and glanced at the Joker, their conversation was still left unfinished, but the man's presence warranted an audience.

The Joker smiled. "It seems we'll have to cut our conversation for another time then, young Rosalyn."

She narrowed her eyes and nodded. "That appears to be the case, please lead the way to the throne room or any other appropriate room for receiving His Majesty of Spades. Does he really have no entourage or anything at all?"

"Er, there was a passed out man in the back of his horse, which he claimed to have picked up on the road while heading here."

"Hah." Rosalyn Lockhart made a strangled sound akin to confusion and slight respect. She didn't air her thoughts aloud, but that was peculiar—she almost forgot about him. But the man was also strange and somewhat insensible in comparison to the Queen of Spades.

Perhaps she was looking a bit forward to seeing him again.

She stepped forward and down into the hallway, already expecting both of her men to follow. And for the Joker to leave the private waiting room of the Queen, and thus she walked with the Prime Minister.

Her thoughts on the situation.

The King's presence would surely throw off some of the Nobility. During the Nobility's arrival, the results of the Gathering of Suits still hadn't been fully conveyed, so it might arouse some suspicion or incite complaints.

It was something she didn't care about now.

—-

The world was unfair for Julius Ginellevé. If he had known of airplanes and other things beyond his world then it might have been fair to say that it was like someone had dropped the bomb on him.

His expression was controlled, and he portrayed himself as the most resilient and acceptable Knight, but the idea that such knowledge was known to the Queen and Joker—which he didn't know, shook his world.

It was like the ground and earth had swallowed him whole.

What was this?

If it weren't for the interruption of Blyke Edelweiss, then he would have hoped for an explanation from the Queen of Hearts herself. But it seemed like he was once again tossed into another side… except, Rosalyn Lockhart had included him in this conversation, didn't she?

That meant that she still wished to let him know, even if it was late…

He stood in place until the Joker clapped him on the back. "It's been found."

"What?" Julius hissed at the man who preferred to give cryptic words instead of anything actually helpful.

Mister Rosswall, or Joker really—gave him a look that said he thought of him as an idiot. "The book. What else? Or do you yourself not know that it existed?"

The Knight fell silent.

"You have been so young back then," the Joker mused, and then sauntered out of the room and left Julius to his thoughts. He was left alone in the waiting room of the Queen, clueless and also annoyed.

But he squashed this emotion flaring inside of him and quickly trailed after the Queen before she noticed his presence amiss. This was something he didn't wish to bother her with. There was already far too much danger surrounding them for another problem to be placed along with her current ones.

—-

In a young girl's dream—or at least for some, it was a dream come true to be saved by a handsome prince from their tower and be taken to their kingdom. Some sort of fantasy that even humble women from villages dreamed of.

While one could have deemed that impossible, Nobility only married Nobility unless you were an upstanding commoner, and Royals only those among their equal or their deemed equal. It was a beautiful dream.

Blake Landrigan didn't expect to wake up seeing a horse's rear and found himself strapped to the edge of a horse as some luggage to a King.

He quickly figured out it was a King even if he only looked at the boots and the type of pants he was wearing. This informant even figured out it was the King of Spades based on the color of the pants and the fine designs on it.

This Informant was just that good, and he didn't shy away from admitting that.

Maybe it was his cockiness that landed him in this situation in the first place. Captured and treated like some luggage…

"You're awake now, aren't you?" The King of Spades didn't need to look up or move in his saddle to figure out that the man he saved was awake.

And that was even if Blake Landrigan hadn't moved an inch or made any indication that he was awake.

"Hmmm… this is usually one of those moments where the one I save falls to their feet and swears allegiance to my name. Strange. Are you perchance mute or had someone slit out your throat—wait, you would have been dead. Someone cut your tongue?"

All the musings of the King made a shiver run up the Informant's spine. Who the heck was this man to make conclusions like that? Perhaps he might have met his match. At least in terms of ego.

Or this man had it worse.

Regardless, Blake didn't know—

"If you keep your silence, I'll probably cut your tongue myself—but it would look bad when the company of the Hearts arrives and welcome us in. Best be on your best behavior, I don't want to embarrass myself when the Royals arrive."

They were at the Castle of Hearts?

Blake Landrigan squirmed and finally raised his head. "I'd be more appreciative if I wasn't treated like some lump of sack carried by your horse's ass."

Alfred Villeuce laughed, "Well said! I like you already. But it would have been hard to keep you from falling off so I had to make do." The man left his horse and then undid the bindings on the Informant.

This guy really knew how to tie knots well.

"Er, thank you, Your Majesty."

"And your eyes work. Good, good." The King of Spades nodded.

Blake Landrigan wanted to roll his eyes, but stopped it. Even this arrogance was too much, but it was best to be on this man's good side. He was no fool. Even if an Informant wasn't exactly supposed to pick sides and maintain himself as a neutral party, he had to survive.

He was still alive, and it was a testimony of his will to live.

It was through sheer luck he managed to come here as he promised the Queen. The two of them were inside of the castle's walls but were yet to enter the castle itself. Soldiers gave him odd looks, to which he ignored.

They wouldn't understand him.

Before the Informant could say a word, a susurration sounded around them and the man lifted his gaze to witness the appearance of the Queen of Hearts for the first time.

"Your Majesty of Hearts!"

"Long live to the Kingdom of Hearts."

Blake Landrigan lost his breath, almost like the arrogant King who fell silent when she arrived. Possibly dumbstruck by her arrival. Now as for him, it wasn't like he hadn't seen portraits and pictures, some to mock the Queen and others were odes to her beauty… but it was still different from seeing her in actual person.

He had come all the way here to see her as he promised.

And while a bitter smile crossed and flickered on his lips—

The King of Spades, Alfred Villeuce, had already bowed and offered a hand out to Her Majesty of Hearts. "Your Majesty, Queen Rosalyn, we meet again."

"Greetings to you, King Alfred. I hope the journey has been well met! Leave your horse for my servants to take into the stables." Rosalyn Lockhart-Hartsmichdt smiled at him. Until her gaze flickered to Blake. "And this must be…?"

"Just some man I picked up on my way here, I saved his life it seems.." Alfred answered dismissively.