Villainess Of Hearts

"Am I happy?" Rosalyn Lockhart asked. She gazed at the man across from her and he was sitting in silence. He didn't take the chance to take a sip of tea or eat a pastry, and despite the cloak still shielding his features from her view—it felt like he was holding his breath in anticipation. The Time Man who offered her to go back in time on multiple occasions was now asking her if she was happy about it? Her forehead wrinkled as she finally gave an answer. "...Does it matter?" 

"What?" There was incredulity in his voice.

She couldn't stop a small twitch forming on the corner of her lips, "Does it matter to you?"

Another silence emerged between them. She had returned the question back to him and it made him speechless, which made it all the more amusing. The man was frozen solid in place and didn't seem to know what to do or say. Rosalyn Lockhart raised a hand to her mouth and bit back a small giggle.

"... What if it does?"

She blinked and felt a flutter in her chest. Did she actually hear correctly or was it her imagination? "W-What? What did you say?" The Queen of Heart's gaze settled on the Time Man's blue eyes, she narrowed her eyes at him. Her cheeks were warming up.

A soft sigh escaped the man's lips before he leaned forwards towards her. Somehow, the table disappeared and he was a few inches away from her, close enough that she could feel his breath tingling in her ear. "I said—"

Crash!

Something pierced through the space in between them. Their surroundings that were blurry and simply background to her became clear. As everything was spilled in light, and it made the man sit back down in his chair. Once again, the table formed in between them and separated them from one another. He inclined his head slightly, "It seems like something is calling your attention. Your Majesty."

She balled her hands into fists and frowned, "F-Finish what you were about to say!"

"There's no time." There was a smile in his voice as he said it.

It wasn't funny for her.

"That's unfair—" Rosalyn Lockhart sat up from her chair—and soon found herself in her room. The man was gone from her sight. What had actually happened was that she had bolted up from her bed and soon found sunlight pouring in from the windows. It also happened that the windows to her room were broken. Glass pieces were strewn along with a single red brick lying on the ground… and when she looked up, she had guests. 

She saw Julius Ginellevé keeping someone at a distance with his sword. It was a familiar small woman with her temper and mouth. Rosalyn Lockhart blinked and rubbed her eyes. Almost afraid if she was seeing things. "Mallory?" What was she doing here?

The woman's face shifted from rage directed at her Knight to mild irritation when she faced her. "Oh ye'r finally awake, that took awhile—"

"Careful with that, little mouse. Be respectful with your words or I'll cut your tongue down." Julius Ginellevé's voice was cool and natural, and yet there was a hint of an edge to it. "What are you doing in Her Majesty's room?" His gaze was more on the smaller woman than the cowering man in the corner.

Rosalyn Lockhart had almost missed the man entirely and that was even if the man was trembling. It was truly a wonder why the man was here if he was so frightened. The Queen of Hearts could only think of one answer, a reason for the man to conquer his fears and take courage to raid into her room—he was more afraid of Mallory than the Knight.

A loud huff left Mallory's lips as she crossed her arms, "Well, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for that idiot." She pulled something out of her pocket and pointed it at the Queen. A small blade in her hand. "Where'd ye keep Nicholas, Your Majesty? Did ye kill him?"

Kill him?

"You can't question the Queen."

A male voice squeaked. "H-he's right, Mal—"

The woman turned to the man now hiding in the closet and rubbed her forehead, "Whose side are ye on, Harold? Can't you see I'm trying to get answers?"

"...with a butterknife." Julius Ginellevé muttered and eyed the weapon in the woman's hands. "I'm not sure if that's some way to mock me, I won't be easy on you because you're a woman."

The woman's face reddened. "Try me ye bastard! I'll stab ye in the eye if you get anywhere near me—"

"What?" Rosalyn Lockhart finally found her voice again. She stood up and walked towards Mallory and pushed her Knight away. She knew that Julius Ginellevé kept his guard up despite that, especially when the woman still pointed her knife at her. The Queen of Hearts looked at her subject, "What did you say about the Hatter? What happened to him?"

"H-he's gone! Ye took him away didn't ye?" Mallory's eyes were lit up with rage, her shoulders were shaking as she kept her knife up. "Were ye upset the last time and decided to—"

"I...I don't know what you're talking about." Rosalyn Lockhart said it to herself more than she answered the woman. She rubbed her face and took a deep breath. The Hatter was gone? She had just talked about him. The last time she had seen him was… she finally whirled to Julius, narrowing her eyes at him. "Gine, did you know that the Hatter was here?"

If there was anyone who would know, it was only him.

Her Knight was the only one who knew who he truly was while the other Queens simply saw him as a guest. Not a single one of them seemed like the type to kidnap men because they wanted to and so it only left Julius as a possible culprit.

"No, Your Majesty." The Knight said it without hesitation. His answer was automatic and there was no inflection in his tone. Instead his gaze was kept more on the two intruders in her room than Rosalyn herself. The man was currently caught up in defending her from his assumed threats. Somehow fighting his own internal demons.

The man didn't see them as allies.

If any of them made a wrong move—even Rosalyn Lockhart was unsure if she could stop the man from finishing the other two off. This nature of Julius Ginellevé...this was something brought up by his circumstances. Circumstances that perhaps even she didn't know when they parted for a year.

But it benefited her so she hadn't questioned this nature.

And yet despite all of that, remembering the man's blade on her neck. Even her spine tingling at the chill in the man's gaze—she trusted his words. He really didn't know it and there was no reason for him to lie to her. She frowned and looked at Mallory, trying to be the voice of reason for the hot-tempered lady and it was surreal to be on the other side of the spectrum. "Are you sure that he's here…?"

"Yes! Bloody hell yes! The man wouldn't go anywhere else, y'er the only person who he would have gone to if he ever left the shop besides us!" Mallory gritted her teeth but didn't make a move to lunge at her. Perhaps even she knew that it was a folly to strike when the Knight would slash her hand down without question.

And yet her words made Rosalyn Lockhart blink, "Are you sure that I'm the only reason he would go out?" Nobody else but her? Was that how much she weighed to the man's perception now? It was quite odd and unheard of because they've only known each other for quite some time. 

"Don't get yer knickers in a twist over what I said! The man's still gone and I ain't going anywhere without him!" Mallory stomped her foot on the ground.

The woman had a point.

There was no use for her to get flattered now over that declaration. Mallory might have been overexaggerating but she nodded, "I'm not sure how you've managed to sneak in the Castle, I'll let it go now but I'll ask about the Hatter—"

"Your Majesty, please let me do it instead." Julius suddenly spoke up and lowered his sword lightly.

His sudden request was fishy when she was aware of how he had practically begged to stay at her side last night. The Queen of Hearts pursed her lips together and eyed him, "So you wish for me to stay alone in my chambers? I don't think that's what you want, is it?"

The man grimaced at her words, he was caught redhanded…and so he finally sighed and rubbed his face. He took a deep breath and bowed slightly, "I believe it is much better for the Queen of Hearts to stay here than go out of her room for her own safety."

"All of the assassins were killed now right?" Rosalyn Lockhart crossed her arms.

Julius shook his head. "There is a Court Trial ongoing now."

"W-What?" Mallory's jaws dropped. "What the bloody hell is this one for?"

Rosalyn Lockhart blinked at her Knight's words. Familiar words were phrased but not in their usual fashion. It made her frown at him, "I haven't sentenced anyone to death yet. So why is there…" Her eyes widened, "Is the Hatter on Trial?"

"So he's as good as dead now!" Harold ran towards Mallory and shook her shoulders. The woman for this moment was stunned. The hand holding the knife went limp as she raised a hand to her face.

The Queen of Hearts glared at her Knight. "Why didn't you tell me—no, forget that.. Get out of my way." Rosalyn Lockhart pushed past him and stormed out