Heartful || Heartless Sequel/Fanfiction ||

Ch.10 || Jack of Hearts

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Her breath was shallow when she heard the echoes of shackles in the distance. Catherine's fingers tightened on the shimmering scepter. The room felt suffocating regardless of how empty it was. Even with Raven's bickering of her decision to bring back the Knave of Hearts from his prison or the King's prominent joy of Elara's decision to stay for as long as the winter's in Diamonds blew, her mind remained fixed. She hoped the pounding of her staff cracked the polished floor so that Raven could understand her hopelessness.

Cath crossed her legs and slouched her back when the pain in her neck was already too much to take. Rubbing the skin on her forehead wouldn't help, it only made her more anxious. With Hatta leading her son towards the truth and the King never once in court she wasn't so sure if anything could be handled so easily anymore.

A creaking came at the doors pulling her attention away from her troubles and instead to the four spades walking towards her direction. They marched in unison, shielding a man who they knew was capable of many things. Horrible things.

From all the heads Catherine had taken, she believed Jack had stolen many more. What the tortures of Spades had taught him, she didn't know, but perhaps it had given him a lesson on not putting too much faith on his sword. She used to remember him as that snobbish boy who always pinched at her back; thieving her baking delicacies, and garnered an embarrassing amount of attention. He was never kind to her, never, but when she had placed a speck of trust on him, Catherine had not expected to be so brutally betrayed when he had turned half the forces against her.

They halted only a few feet away from her, separating to reveal the broken man inside their circle. "The Knave of Hearts, Your Grace." one spoke. They each passed weary glances before retreating to their posts by the doors-far enough to keep away from whatever the Queen's reasons were to bring Jack back but close enough to pierce a sword through his throat if he tried anything suspicious.

Cath raised her chin in spite when she caught sight of him. He looked fractured- more spiritually than physically- but the scars were still there. His hair was passed his shoulders and from the way his knees attempted to buckle him straight, she could hardly call him a threat anymore. Despite him ignoring to meet her gaze she could tell the eyepatch was missing its place in his face. A long, thick scar started from his forehead to his cheek in that lost eye but Catherine couldn't deny the lack of beauty was not there. Jack had grown to be a handsome man in those ten years of being held captive, and maybe if the tangling beard weren't there, he could still pose for the boy he once was.

Cath pulled her scepter high before slamming it hard onto the surface below. He shuddered when she spoke. "Seems Spades taught you well-just not manners." She shook her head. "It isn't polite to ignore your queen, Jack. Its been a long time after all."

Jack persisted on staying still but forced a slow gaze on her. She couldn't tell very well from the strands of hair sticking to his face but it appeared a few more scars had dazzled his skin.

"Y-Yes. No. No, my Queen." He stuttered with a shaky breath.

Bang. She was sure her scepter had formed a crack on the floor this time. "Let us not waste time, I have already lost quite a lot of that you see." Cath rounded her throne to pour herself a glass of wine before approaching him. A guard shifted in his post. "I have a proposition for you, Jack. One I think you will enjoy far more than I myself." She handed the glass to him, drops of it spilled with the shake in his hands. Catherine sighed, already bored of how foolish he looked without trying. "Stop it." she commanded harshly.

"Y-Yes, Y-Your-My Queen." Jack grabbed the glass with both hands before crushing it within a fist. Catherine stared at his bleeding hands noticing how little damage Jack suffered from the cuts.

She snapped her fingers at a handmaiden who hurryingly bandaged at the wound. "Speak when you are spoken to. Understood?"

Jack nodded sure to not avoid her gaze this time.

"Good." Catherine smiled. "From what I can see, I'm sure you do not want to return to Spades. How terrible that must have been, but a Queen must do what she must when she is stabbed in the back." His face twitched in an attempt to focus. "Here's the thing, Jack. The idiots that are my guards seemed to be blind enough to allow a dangerous criminal to escape." She chuckled. "No. My mistake. In fact, it was two. Fools. But with your... record. I can correctly state that under the command of the Knave the land was very safe." Jack swallowed aware of what she meant by 'safe'. " If you, the Knave of Hearts, bring me back, the Mad Hatter; for what it's worth, give you my word, Spades will not just be yours but so will the entire army of Hearts be at your command once more."

Catherine could feel the guards' eyes widen in disbelief. The little maid quickly left Jack's side and retreated back to the door almost as shocked as the others.

Jack's teeth grinded on one another tightly clenching his jaw. A sharp breath left his lungs before an ancient smirk met Catherine, teeth and all. He bit his lip before giving her a satisfied look. "As you wish, my Queen." he said.

Catherine nodded, reflecting his smile onto herself. "Dead or Alive-I don't care- bring me that hatter."

♛♛♛♛♛

Cold wind stung Crow's already freezing nose. He was afraid if he didn't reach the warmth of the castle sooner, the snow outside might engulf him.

"Giving up so soon!" Pepper called from the massive snow structure he had built. "That's the third time this month, lad." he said as he tried reaching him with heavy breaths.

"I'm just cold. And it's getting late, shouldn't you be heading home by now?" It was half-true, he just wasn't fond of getting his face hit by snowballs anymore, they burned his cheeks but it was really losing that bothered him. Crow rubbed his arms.

"Hmph. Rather freeze to death than listen to ma and pa nag at me all day about failing my lessons. All about 'keeping the family proud'." Pepper mocked his father's old voice. "If I have to waste my time being taught about how to be a proper Duke I better be allowed to use my time elsewhere for once."

Crow chortled. He quickened his pace when a flash fluttered throughout the sky. "Ice rain." he swallowed.

"Heavy one I'm guessing."

Feet of snow sat on either side of the courtyard with little bit of a path for them to pass through. The winds grew stronger as they carefully walked, coating the stone with a layer of ice.

"Have you asked your mother about the Royal Guard?" Crow asked.

"If I have to lie everytime I come back from a sparring lesson, do you really think I can ask her about the real thing?"

Crow gave him a pat on the back. They walked in silence till they had reached a spring of warm air from inside the doors. The cold melted from their faces and brought back more movement for them to laugh and stretch.

Pepper tensed. "It's best I leave. Don't know when the rain will start or stop." he nodded his farewell. "And get rid of that gloominess you're having lately, it's starting to rub off on me." Pepper nudged Crow's shoulder before striding away.

Crow faintly smiled when he watched him leave. There was a truth to his words he was not aware of. Parting from the halls he rested his head against the walls silently watching as people carried things in and out the rooms. He bit his cheek returning to the loneliness of his chambers and throwing himself into the bed covers. Crow stared at the snow from his window wondering if the girl with the blue eyes or the madman were wondering about him. He watched it with a set of droopy eyes getting lost in the darkness of his dreams missing the ebony gaze that studied him back.