Villainess Of Hearts

There were things that wouldn't always go according to plan. And as the sensation of jagged thorns faded away from the air, it was a stark realization that perhaps all was not as good as they assumed it would be.

One of them was the Queen of Hearts still sitting in the banquet room completely alive.

The perpetrator was unsure if the Joker arriving had been a premeditated action on their part. And if so, how much were they aware of the exact danger in the Kingdom of Hearts? Did they have a hunch that the Queen of Hearts' life would be played with and so they made a move to act?

The person could not believe it, even as they said their own words and watched the reaction of the people among them. There would once again be a need to recuperate from the setbacks and strike again?

What exactly was the saying? Third time's the charm?

If it was charm they were talking about then… 

. . .

"Hmm… the folly of the youth? I'll be gracious enough and pretend and that I haven't heard a single thing." The Joker inclined his head towards the Queen of Spades. Olivia Deuce would have sighed in relief there and then as she thanked the man profusely.

Rosalyn Lockhart took the situation with a grain of salt.

Whose side was she supposed to take? The Joker's or Alfred Villeuce's? There was a sense of indebtedness that she felt for both of them, but the heaviest weight of her debts was for the latter. If King Villeuce hadn't given her the dagger… then she would have already been dead.

And yet there was a need for unbiased judgement in this situation.

Perhaps it would have been appropriate to intervene but she didn't and neither did the King of Hearts as the Host Kingdom. But it didn't take much time before the tense atmosphere dispersed, especially when a few of the individuals started complimenting the cooking. Of course, Blyke Edelweiss couldn't compliment their own food but the delegate beside him did. 

It was Dimitri?

"I pay my respects to the chef of the Castle—the beef just melts in my mouth." There was a satisfied look on his face. It was there that murmurs of agreements sounded and the people became more relaxed. The banquet was after all intended for relaxation and socializing in the end.

Blyke Edelweiss spoke up and addressed the Delegate, "Sir Nordskov, you should look forward to the desserts. The fruits and vegetables here are always fresh—look forward to the carrot cake."

"Ah, I heard that the roseberry tarts were quite well-loved and well-received here?"

Rosalyn blinked at the remark and paid attention to the Clover Delegate for a moment, if only because they had good tastes. She nodded, "It's a delicacy here in the Kingdom of Hearts— a lot of bakeries produce it all across the Kingdom, but my own personal cook makes the best tarts of them all."

"Really? Is that what will be served tonight?" Delegate Dimitri raised a brow at her. His expression was genuinely curious.

"Unfortunately not. She… she's my personal cook and does not serve in the Royal Kitchen but for me." Rosalyn Lockhart had almost forgotten that Mary Ann was from the servant's kitchen. But she wouldn't dare admit it aloud, although this made her recall a specific man visiting the kitchen.

Blyke Edelweiss coughed.

"Ah, then it's a shame." Dimitri sighed.

Rosalyn Lockhart appreciated a connoisseur and she particularly liked the Delegate more than the King? The Queen would never say it aloud—but she could still recall her first meeting with this man, when they wore a top hat. And though the introductions were less than stellar, she could at least foster some goodwill?

"Before you and your people leave, I can ask my cook to provide a box of complimentary tarts if you are so curious, Delegate." She smiled briefly.

"You have my thanks—"

"Oh, you're only giving some tarts to the Kingdom of Clovers? Isn't it plain favoritism?" Alfred Villeuce suddenly cut in as he sipped his drink. Once he placed his drink down, a grin formed on his face. "You could forget about giving the King of Diamonds a gift, but don't forget about me, Your Majesty."

The King of Diamonds was just beside her. Francis le Diamant choked as he reached for a wine glass and the Queen of Diamonds threw a look at the King of Spades. "How amusing, King Villeuce. You clearly have the best of humor."

"Why thank you, Queen Monique." Alfred Villeuce shrugged with a smug smirk. "If somebody would have given me another nickname besides the King of Conquest, I could be the King of Comedy." Olivia Deuce looked thoroughly aghast but also resigned with the situation and made no move to stop him—she was used to the King offending other Kings but not the Joker?

Jeanne Monique snorted as she rubbed the back of Francis le Diamant, choosing to no longer say anything. If anything, she threw a nasty look at Rosalyn as if she was the perpetrator of this mess.

But the Queen of Hearts didn't care.

If anything, it made Rosalyn Lockhart eye the King of Spades.

He didn't look particularly aggrieved by the situation as much as she thought he would be—maybe the Queen of Spades was just overreacting? No, she was fine with the King mocking other Kings but not Joker. Rosalyn Lockhart couldn't tell it right now, but the other Royals were more than content to eat their meal and pretend that nothing had happened. Even Alexander Hartsmichdt and Neo Anasthasia had completely unaffected expressions on their faces—or rather they looked used to this.

Did Rosalyn Lockhart need to actually look back on the Card Trials?

. . .

Were the King of Hearts and the Queen of Clovers used to such a situation with the Joker using their powers and authority to place the other individuals in complete unease and terror? Was the idea of having invisible thorns and other dangerous objects something they had experienced on a daily basis? Well, yes but...

Perhaps the better thing to say of this situation was they were completely done with it.

There was only a certain amount of fear that she could muster in her chest from seeing the Joker once again—but with how the man was now interacting with the other Kings and Queens… it made her remember how much the Joker seemed to relish the situation they were in right now.

And for the most part, it was sickening and disgusting to watch.

She tried to keep her gaze at her plate, and she tried to pretend that she wasn't hearing anything. Perhaps it would have been appropriate to speak up for the King of Spades? No, it wasn't actually that right either—who would even dare suggest that they replace the Joker? What kind of psychopaths were lining up to get the man's job even?

There were truly some problems and the man was seated on her left side.

But it was much better to act unconcerned with the situation in order for the Joker to move on from the situation and mishap—for a worse situation might come up if they didn't. The Joker would needle the others to give him more of that reaction, of the pleading and begging.

And yet he said nothing more.

The Queen of Clovers bit on the bottom of her lip as she sliced the meat on her plate. She didn't need to look at them and give in to what they wanted. She could feel the Joker's stare on her. But in a few hours it would finally be over—it was time for them to return back to their own respective Kingdoms.

No.

It wasn't her Kingdom.

It wasn't her home.

She lowered her utensils temporarily and lowered her hands from the table. The Queen—no, she pinched herself tightly in the arm. It was a reminder. The place and station she was in right now? This wasn't staying true to herself and yet she was doing it to survive. A larger hand moved towards her own hand, stopping her from injuring herself further… and she didn't even need to look to know who it was.

Ivan Nordskov.

It was there that the Queen of Clovers looked up and eased a small smile on her face. She only needed to look at him and never at the other two men close to them. She couldn't and wouldn't look at the Joker and she needed to quit looking for Alex every single time when things went wrong. 

She thought she had already gotten past it.

The King that she had been paired with… well, she could only be thankful that it was them and not anyone else. The King of Spades was too straightforward and risky for reasons already obvious. Daring to replace the Joker was madness! As for the King of Diamonds, he seemed to only care for superficial things, at least that was how Neo Anasthasia saw it. The King of Clovers was eccentric and even unnerving but he had never made a move to make her uncomfortable.

So she didn't understand Alexander either.