Four Suits (Book 1)

Day 39-2: Blackjack

   With a happy hoot, Grimm nestles its wings once more. It opens its mouth to swallow Leda's head.

   "But no touching my human head," Estelle adds, quickly. Grimm stops, beak halting before it can dare crush Leda's head in between. "She's the only one in my possession."

   Grimm goes for three heads beside Leda's, tossing them into the air before gobbling them whole. Leda emits a breath of relief but even that's caught in her throat the moment Estelle spins around.

Her eyelids narrow for a moment. Leda steels herself, eyes growing wider subconsciously. As Estelle reaches her vicinity in large strides, she aims her attention onto her. She parts her lips.

   A loud screech consumes the air.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

A servant dashes into the bedroom. Estelle's eyes snap towards the little boy racing around in wide circles, bumbling with nerves. Leda can feel all the muscles in her face relax the moment Estelle straightens herself and faces him. As soon as she does, Leda sourly sticks out her tongue. Estelle swivels back around. Leda's breath hitches in her throat, but she sucks her tongue back, stilling herself from movement in time.

Estelle's brows crease together, scrutinizing her from confusion. Leda's mind runs a rampant circle. Why oh why did she let herself do that?!

"Your Majesty!" the stumbling servant screeches once more.

This time, Estelle pops a nerve. She swivels around so fast even the servant loses his footing.

"You sure have a lot of audacity barging into my room and screaming," she hisses. "Shall I roll your head for this?"

The servant teeters over, a star appearing in his eye. He claps his hands together. "Do you really mean that, Your Majesty?"

"I'd suggest you hear us out first."

Attention is directed towards the wide open doorway. He adjusts his top hat, but the grimness in his features don't suit the ironed maroon suit he's donned in.

"Mavix?" Estelle asks, lips flattening. In the silence that follows, she can now hear the rowdiness that is going on outside. Her astonishment falls short, replacing with a beautiful sense of unease. She smirks from the pleasure. "Are we ready for this afternoon?"

"Yes. Everything has been prepared in advance, Your Majesty," Mavix replies, slipping off his hat and performing a mannerly bow. "The hall is ready, the chefs have prepared today's menu—the delicious blood cake you've requested as well. All guests have officially arrived and the citizens of Straeh are beginning to gather in front of the palace, offering flowers and words of congratulations to His Highness Avelious."

Mavix's oddly stiff jargon makes Leda sick to her stomach (or, head?). He's nothing like the man she'd initially encountered. All Hearts are good at putting on facades—the words and kindness he showed her wasn't different.

As he rises, Estelle titters, placing a hand to her cheek.

"That's wonderful news," she says. "Then, what is all the fuss this morning? Is everyone too excited to greet our new couple?"

"On the contrary," Mavix replies. "I'm afraid the engagement party has to be cancelled."

Leda can feel the room turn to ice, the chill that goes through. Proof to that, the floor beneath Estelle's feet begins to crackle.

The sweetness of her smile gains a dangerous edge as she titters, "What did you say, Mavix? I could've sworn I heard you say we cancel this?"

"It'd be in our best interest. The Dia princess, Remi Mercer, has gone missing," Mavix responds, as flippantly as before. "She snuck off in the middle of the night, with some of our gold and treasure to boot. We've issued a search party but I fear she's already long tucked away in Dia by now—"