Villainess Of Hearts

The skies were clear as usual in the Kingdom of Hearts, as if the land itself was blessed with an eternal spring spell that kept the land rich and bountiful. It might be that or something else, Rosalyn Lockhart did not know and she cared not for the chirping of the birds in this fine morning day.

It was already an hour or two past breakfast and the Queen of Hearts had once again delegated herself back in her office—her stronghold and sanctuary. She wished to take a nap but here she was, doublechecking the papers she had made much earlier in the morning.

There was a good enough reason to do them as she had done it when the hours were too early. The young Queen stifled a yawn as she checked on the papers of current affairs within the Kingdom, as for the matter with the other Kingdoms, she left it up to the King of Hearts but she had already done what she could.

Even now, one of her parchments included a draft of a letter to be sent to Marmoreal in regards to the King of Spades desire to have their steel swords provided her House and not of the Queen of Diamonds.

A small rivalry—well a large one considering the sum at stake, and especially when the Kingdom of Diamonds relished wealth above all.

But that was child's play for her.

What were trade agreements and fuming Queens when you'd have to serenade a damn cat into becoming your ally? That was perspective. Already, the Queen of Hearts was checking which of the closest port city could deliver the finest fish and for one of the farms to deliver their freshest milk.

Gifts. Tributes? Gifts.

There had been some whispers of a kingdom that worshipped cats and treated them like emperors and empresses but that was different nation and Rosalyn Lockhart only wished to ensure that the Chesire cat-person would do no transgressions towards her.

She bit back another yawn and felt her head bobble as she sat up right. Breakfast earlier hadn't been roseberry tarts and tea, she actually had a new dessert—er, meal. The King of Hearts had called it a pancake and it was the most curious thing she had seen. It had been drizzled and glazed with honey and decorated with sliced fruits.

"Perhaps the only thing he's good for." Rosalyn Lockhart grumbled as she dabbed at the corner of her lip. The sun was shining and it shone through her window, she wasn't sure if she had seen Catherine Duke and the other Queens but she would not be bothered.

Plucking out the first parchments in regards to delivery, she'd be handing it… well, perhaps she'd have Mary Ann hand it or some servant to one of their other people. But while the delivery wasn't around, she needed to make haste.

The Queen of Hearts had a time table—and by today, she would have the Chesire purring at her lap. She paused. That was to say, she would have him under her hands.

. . .

When Mary Ann came to the kitchen in this particular day, she was surprised to see that it was spotless. It was clean! Much cleaner than she could have ever done from last night.

It had been so clean that even the other items seem to have been swept up in the cleaning. 

The young woman's breath hitched as she assessed the chance for robbery and decided that was foolish. Nobody would rob the Castle of Hearts unless they had a death wish—perhaps someone from the Royal Kitchen had come around and taken some ingredients to be used. That made sense to her.

Instead she quickly set out to do her work, it had only been a few days since the Queen of Hearts had stumbled into the servant's kitchen area but it was beginning to have a rhythm. The Queen of Hearts visited personally here on certain times of the day or had her Knight come over to fetch a fresh batch of roseberry tarts and rose tea.

Now there were occasions where she missed it—the Queen of Hearts had apparently joined the other Royal Suits in the Dining Hall for breakfast but she had a feeling that they would drop by for morning breakfast.

Already she could hear the steps coming in, the kitchen was usually quiet now except for her, the young woman fervently looked up and paused.

It was a streak of white and not red or silver that had arrived. But as the lowest of the low in the Castle of Hearts, Mary Ann ducked her head and bowed low, "G-Good morning, how may I serve you?"

. . .

Blyke Edelweiss stopped cold in his tracks when he found himself in the servant's kitchen. He even half wondered if he had actually gone to the right place—but he was time confused and not geographically lost. This was the place where the Queen of Hearts currently spent much of her time?

And yet the beautiful blonde lady greeted him with respect.

He cleared his throat and fixed the collar of his shirt, "Er, please straighten up, Miss." The King of Hearts had sent him on an errand to figure out where the Queen of Hearts was getting her food—and it had been with some slight concern. Lately the Queen of Hearts excused herself for not feeling well so he had been given the orders to track her consumption and so he was here.

"What can I do for you... Sir?" The young woman in front of him asked with a soft voice. Her blue eyes were gazing down at the floor in respect.

Blyke Edelweiss coughed discreetly, "I come in the name of the King of Hearts. Are you the servant who has been serving the Queen of Hearts' meals?"

"Y-Yes I am!" She squeaked.

He was afraid that the poor girl was trembling and even moreso than him when he was around the Queen of Hearts herself. He wished he could soothe the girl but he was here under orders, still he tried to smile. Not that she could see it with her gaze glued to the floor. "Good, good. I came here to check on the capabilities of this kitchen, as I know, this kitchen has been intended to prepare food for the servants of the Castle?"

Well not every servant. 

Once in awhile Alexander Hartsmichdt has referred to Blyke Edelweiss being a servant of the people—and he was the Prime Minister, not a servant. Although the man's explanation did make some sense. But the King of Hearts had his own oddities, different from the Queen of Hearts herself but he stuck with the more benevolent King. They were much more reasonable.

"Y-Yes, sir!"

"Very well, I'll make sure that the Steward of the Castle Affairs, will stock this kitchen as well as the Royal equivalent. Perhaps the duties of preparing for the other servants may have to be relinquished to another kitchen—" Blyke Edelweiss cut himself off. 

He was babbling.

"T-Thank you, sir!"

There wasn't much of an opportunity for conversation was there? In a way, it felt like his position made him unapproachable to other people—which he wouldn't have trouble with except for this particular moment. It was akin to a double-edged sword, the other Kings and Queens thought of him as a servant. And so did the Nobilities despite their well-crafted smiles.

And the common people either feared him or sought to take advantage of his position. He hated his relatives for being on the latter part.

This young woman seemed to be more on the former, and yet his task was done. He had found this place with only a few questioning and he thought of himself as a good judge of a person's character. She seemed kind and dependable.

He could only worry about how the Queen of Hearts treated them actually.

Blyke Edelweiss coughed for a moment, "Can you tell me your name, Miss? I will be making a report—er, asking someone to make a report on your position. I'd like to think that you would be bestowed with a new position. Meaning you would be able to earn a better wage than before."

"My name is Mary Ann, Sir." 

She said it with less trembling and had even momentarily looked up to show her sincerity? He appreciated it all the same. Was there anything he could do? Perhaps have her show him how well she could actually cook? That would count wouldn't it—

"My, my, I wonder what Prime Minister Blyke Edelweiss is doing here. I did not expect you to be visiting these parts of the Castle." A female voice mused.

He felt a shudder run down his spine.

This was the reason why he had wanted to run away quickly before he came here, the King of Hearts had wanted to be discreet about him checking up on the Queen. And he hadn't even mentioned his position at all! Now the girl would—Mary Ann was no longer at her spot.

"Y-Your Majesty of Hearts! I shall be quick with the preparations of your tarts at once." Gone was the frightened girl, or perhaps she was still there? But instead of shaking, she was getting her work done.

Blyke Edelweiss turned and greeted the Queen of Hearts with a surprised bow, "Greetings to you, Her Majesty of Hearts."

She gave him a smile, "It's a pity to see that my servant has been intruded from making my tarts, do you not agree, Prime Minister?"