Of Kings & Queens

Montresor

"Okay, we're done!" Mikey was already on his way out of the building.

"Me too!" Frank ran after him, but the two didn't get far.

"Hold it!" Ray grabbed them by their jacket collars and pulled them back, "Just because those kings look like you and Gerard, Frank, it doesn't mean we're going to be in danger!"

"Didn't you hear what Leo said?! We could die here!" Mikey roared, trying to struggle out of his grip.

"Yeah, but nothing's happened yet and you promised to stay unless we saw a sign of danger." Bob pointed out, "I know you hate it here, but aren't you gonna stick to your word?"

"...Fine, but just this once!" Mikey calmed down a bit but was still a bit nervous.

"Oh come on!" Frank threw his hands into the air, "Next thing you know Fall Out Boy will be coming by for their own vacation!"

"Wait a second, where's Gerard?" They all looked back to see their frontman was gone.

"I didn't see him leave." Leo spoke, shaking his head when they looked to him.

"Do you have any idea of where he could have gone?" Mikey asked.

"He could be anywhere, but if I was him after seeing the picture, I would head to Gervasius' room, in the Spidantia wing. Follow me." As Leo began to lead the way, Mikey reached for his pocket and found that the brochure he placed there was still there and he knew Gerard didn't know his way around, so could his brother be lost? Why did Gerard leave the room in the first place, anyway? Was he just curious or was there something more to it? As he headed down the red-lined halls of the Spidantia wing, Mikey felt that there was definitely something more to it, something that gave him a feeling like the one he had at the Paramour. And he didn't like it, not one bit.

After viewing the portrait, Gerard's mind had drawn a blank until now, where he found himself in a lavishly furnished room of red and blue, mostly red. There was a huge bed on the back wall with a spider carved into the footboard and curtains of red, ready to protect whoever laid in it, and the windows had elegant carvings around the stone sides, carvings of hearts and dragons and fire and skulls. There was also a large fireplace that was big enough for him to stand in with a bookshelf on each side, but he barely took any note of the room except for the portrait that hung above the fireplace.

It was large, as big as the ones in the Hall of History, but it showed five people instead of two this time. There were two boys and three adults, one man and two women, one of whom looked to be getting up in years with her graying hair. She also wore the spider crown, indicating she was the queen. She stood behind the rest of the people, mainly the younger woman while the man sat and held the younger boy in his lap. The elder boy stood beside the queen and the young woman. All in all, it looked to be a family picture, but Gerard was creeped out a bit by the similarities the people in the picture held with his own family.

"Gerard!" The frontman turned to see his friends enter the room, "There you are!"

"Hey." he greeted softly, turning back to the picture, "That looks really familiar, doesn't it?"

"You shouldn't-" Mikey paused in his tirade once he saw the large portrait, "Y-yeah. That looks like Elena, doesn't it?" He pointed to the elder woman.

"Guys, you shouldn't be in here..." Leo was the only one who hadn't gone inside, restlessly standing in the doorway.

"Why not? This isn't Ferdinand's room." Frank pointed out.

"No, but it's Gervasius'." A chill seemed to descend at the mention of the mad king's name.

"Then this is a portrait of his family, right?" Gerard gestured to the framed painting.