By the time I was ready, Felix had already changed and was drinking the coffee I had made.
"This is good stuff," he congratulated and I sighed.
"Why are you still here?" I asked and he smiled.
"Because you don't want me to leave," he replied and I shook my head.
"Yes, I do. You just won't," I corrected and he raised an eyebrow.
"I won't, huh?" he muttered and I turned around to talk back but he was gone. A sudden wave of loneliness hit me like a ton of bricks but I didn't comment.
"Mr. Victory, tell me what Royals are," I said clearly and I heard a chuckle.
"See? You missed me?" he goaded and I sat down at the table with him.
"Answer the question," I snapped and his smile widened into a grin.
"Fine, Royals are humans that have the magical ability to go into and out of objects. Of course, we're called royals because we prefer playing cards but it's basically the same idea. Once you get used to bending the laws of physics you can't exactly go back. It all starts out with pain. First, you get really bad headaches and then you start to get angry. By the time that your power manifests itself, you're almost insane due to the pain. By that time, you have to either find another Royal or die. The Royal usually teaches you how to control it and how to get rid of the pain. Once you learn that, you get a ceremony with a Joker and they present you with a card. That card is your home for the rest of your life. If you aren't able to keep it then you die. It holds you in place. Your entire existence counts on that card. Do you understand? You can't lose it," he said seriously and I stared into my coffee. It seemed like a horrible way to spend your life. Inside of a card and having to deal with all that pain but Felix seemed to had managed it well.
"How did you become a face card?" I asked finally.
"I was about five or six when I started having the headaches. It kept getting worse and worse. At one point my mother thought I had attracted demons and they were possessing me, so she took me to the priest and he tried to get the 'demons' out of me. It didn't work. In fact it made it worse, the anger attacks hit and I wasn't able to grasp anything beyond my rage. I ended up killing my mother...and my father. I had a couple of brothers and a little sister but they were away in our summer villa. It was lucky too because when they heard about it I was put into an asylum...you have to understand. They did whatever they could to make us 'sane'. It involved anything from starving us to torturing us for days on end. It wasn't until the end that I thought that I would die. Honestly by that point I would have welcomed death. Even if I tried to describe to you the state I was in, it wouldn't be enough. I had been locked up for years and I would have turned twenty-one when I met King Montgomery.
"I had been locked up in my cell for weeks without food. By that time, my body had grown accustomed to malnourishment and I didn't really notice the hunger. It was obvious though that I was going to die there. Simple as that and I did die. However, Montgomery rushed into my cell and pumped my heart himself to make sure I kept living. I didn't know how he knew where I was. I still don't know but he saved me in a sense. Although, I didn't think so at the time. In fact, at first I thought he was some devil to take me to hell for killing my parents. He wasn't though. He had me freed and put me up in a small house on the edges of town. The next few months....were the worst months in my life. Montgomery had no idea what leadership was and he had more issues than any kind of King I ever knew. The man was still half insane from whatever hole he had dug himself out of and we all knew it. I met a few other royals while I was there. Three Jacks, a Queen, and the other three Kings at the time. I don't know what became of them but I soon filled out my apprenticeship (if there was another way to address it I would) and I got my card. The Joker that had to be called was one of Montgomery's friends and he had told him all about our time together. I did have quite a bit of potential but I didn't get very far with it and the King had often called me a failure. When the Joker gave me my card with the name Victory on the back (that's your name in the Royal world) I flipped out. I was so...furious with him. He had taken me away from death and everything had almost been alright but he scared me with a name that nobody would accept with any kind of gratitude with a story like mine. That's the day when my true magic came out and blasted him away. Since I had already been awarded the card, I couldn't have it taken away but it was the Joker's choice to either kill me or chose another fitting punishment. He chose Shelia and that's a different story," he finished and I took a sip of my coffee. It was cold.
"Tell me about the Decision of the Dove," I ordered and tried to play the harsh command with a smile. It didn't work because he looked stressed and tired.
"The D.D. had been made years before I was born. If I had a choice I would change it. Then again, It's to keep the Royals in check. To be completely devoted to someone or something is a very disturbing feeling the first time you feel it but you get used to it over time. Yes, the Royals are completely devoted to their Dove. However, since the doves just have to love them in any way, we get the short end of the stick. Our Doves can cheat on us, hurt us, or even kill us and we aren't supposed to do a thing. It's true that I've had all three done to me by one special lady," he added and I felt my heart twinge.
"Shelia," I murmured and he nodded unhappily.
"She had been my world, when I knew her. I told her about my powers and about the decision. She didn't listen to any of it. Said it was just an old wives' tale. Not something that you want to make light of. She did anyway. She's cut men down before with her might, what gave me the idea that I would be any different? In any case, she got bored of me and found a nice little count to mess around with. In any case, I'm getting off the topic. The Dove must choice either to or not to love the Royal. The love can be in any form, friendship, family, lover, and they must make the decision within the year of meeting the dove if not...well a massacre will be held by the Royal and he will be obliterated by the Royal members. A new card will be born in the world and we have to be on the look out for him. Recently a card did die so we've been looking for the new card with a diligence. However, my priority was to you first, not the card. In any case, we have to get to work...there we are," he suddenly brightened and I blinked. We were sitting in my classroom with him on the other side of my desk. My bag was even there when I checked. Meeting his eyes, I smiled and his eyes widened. His face broke out into a grin and I had the image of a purely happy Felix Victory just like his name should be.
"Are you going to tell me anymore?" I questioned and he shook his head.
"That's all for now. You know the basics of the D.D. and you know they shouldn't be taken lightly," he answered getting up and I realized that he had been sitting on air.
"I already know my decision. I'll love you. I can't promise a certain type of love but I can give it to you," I informed him and he stared at me. Then he laughed, long and loud.
"You haven't changed Victoria. Well, maybe in the revenge department but everywhere else you're just the same," he chuckled and left still shaking. Since I wasn't sure what to say to that I merely looked at my desk and found the King of Hearts staring back at me. I wanted to call him to see if it worked but I had a feeling that he would've gotten mad at me so, I put it in my pocket and got up. Grabbing my keys, I locked the door behind me on the way out.
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