That evening, while the High Council of Spades was dining, everyone could tell that something happened to Lady (Y/n) and Lady Catherine. Something was simply off about them, they weren't as enthusiastic as they usually were. The young Marquis was of course the one who confronted them about it.
"Alright," he put his silverware down. "what happened between you two? You've been quiet as hell."
(Y/n) looked at Catherine, who kept eating, unbothered.
"Nothing." she simply said.
"Right." (Y/n) then nodded with a smile. "We're just a bit tired after today."
"Oh yeah. Who did you hang out with this time?" he went back to cutting his steak. "The three royals again?"
"How did you know?" she blinked twice, surprised.
"Wait, really?!" both Catherine and Gwendolyn exclaimed while everyone looked at her with big eyes.
"Yes, but I don't think anyone was expecting them to come to the brunch."
"It was at the brunch? And you didn't tell me?!" Catherine leaned a bit closer.
"W-well, I wanted to. But then...you know..."
The lady let out a small 'oh' and stopped asking questions. Arnold had no idea what they were talking about and he didn't like that!
"We've exchanged a few words and they've asked me for a fourth opinion on something." (Y/n) continued.
"On what?"
"A painting."
He scoffed.
"You don't even paint!"
"That's...true, I suppose." she chuckled, her eyebrows furrowed.
"Arnold." Gwendolyn rolled her eyes. "One's opinion doesn't have to be professional to be valuable. If anything, having an outsider's point of view is just as important."
"Yeah Arnold, stop being jealous." Catherine gave him a nasty look. "You're not much of a painter either."
"Catherine!" (Y/n) said.
It would seem that the Baroness still had some pent up anger regarding what happened today. Arnold scoffed again.
"Alright. Whatever." he put his napkin on the table and stood up. "I'm not hungry anymore. I'm gonna go hang out with my friends."
"You have friends?" (Y/n) asked, surprised once again and genuinely happy for him.
But Arnold did not look happy. He looked offended, hurt even. But he quickly went back to his default mood: angry.
"Yes!" he pressed before leaving, slamming the door shut behind him.
A minute or so later did (Y/n) realize what she just asked.
"Oh no, that must've sounded so rude!" she exclaimed. "I feel terrible!"
"Don't worry too much, Lady (Y/n)." Gwendolyn shook her head. "He'll come back and be his usual grumpy arrogant self."
"Right." Catherine nodded. "Especially with the next official event tomorrow."
"Perhaps..." (Y/n) sighed.
The next official event was a fencing competition. The majority of the ballroom was cut into sections for each match that will be going on. As the master of ceremony, Wally couldn't participate, but as a fan of fencing, he offered friendly sparring sessions on the side. He also politely declined Julie when she asked to fight him.
"Whyyyy?!" she whined.
"First of all, you used the term 'fighting', which is concerning."
"But you also say-!"
"We're at an official event of the Shuffling, Julie." he leaned a bit closer to whisper. "We have to...dial it down."
She softly gasped.
"What happened to you...?" she slowly shook her head with a sad look. "My best friend."
"Don't you think I would've participated in this if I could've?"
"You're the king, man!" she harshly whispered. "You can do whatever you want!"
"I'm the King of Hearts, host of the Shuffling. This is different."
"Pffffff!" she folded her arms.
"Oh don't sulk now." he smiled.
"I can't wait for the Shuffling to be over so you can be fun again."
Wally wanted to apologize, but she spoke again.
"And Frank doesn't do sports. Why can't the universe line up circumstances to fit my needs? Like it did during the hunt?" she whined again, then loudly gasped. "(L/n)! Maybe she'll participate!"
"Lady (L/n)? She doesn't seem like the type to..." he tilted his head upon thinking about it further. "But she could surprise us once again."
"Oooooh where is she where is she where is she?" using a vine to elevate herself, Julie looked around the venue, shielding her eyes from the Sun that wasn't there because they were indoors.
Finally, she gasped as she spotted the Lady of Spades. She was with her peers across the room.
"There! (L/n)! Heeeeey!" she widely waved her arms.
Said lady flinched and turned over. Everyone stopped and looked at the Queen, then at the Lady. (Y/n) glanced around and gave a small wave with an awkward smile.
"Come over here! Come on come on!"
Immediately, (Y/n) walked over to them with quick steps. By the time she reached the two royals, people have gone back to their business.
"My Queen." she curtsied to her, then turned to Wally, a bit more hesitant. "...M-My King."
Wally curtsied back. Julie looked at her dress.
"Oww..." her shoulders dropped. "You're not participating either?"
"I'm not. The only blade I've ever used is a butter knife." she chuckled. "I'm sorry to disappoint you."
"Not at all." Wally shook his head. "If you want, you could learn the basis." he gestured towards his own personal station of the venue.
"Oh! U-Um..." her eyes darted around. "I'm sure it would be very fun and I would be honored to be under your tutorage, your Highness. However, as you can see... I'm not really dressed for any kind of sports at the moment." she awkwardly chuckled, opening her eyes a little bit.
"Oh, right. Apologies." he nodded.
"It's coo- Fine. It's fine. Thank you for the offer." she nodded.
"Who from your group is participating then?" Julie asked.
"Only My Lord, the Marquis."
"Don't you also have that captain man?"
"He is...not feeling well, from what I heard." she cleared her throat.
"Oh, is he sick?"
"I am not certain. But that is what Lady Catherine told me. I am not one to ask questions on such personal matters, you see."
"Why do you talk like that?" her face twisted.
"Mmh? Like what, your Highness?"
"Please stop." she looked scared. "You talk like Frank when I first met him and it's creating a weird image in my mind."
While Wally contained a laugh, (Y/n) blinked twice. She hasn't even realized she had changed her way of speaking. If Arnold was there right now, he would say 'Right?! I hate it too!'.
"I...I'm sor-"
Just then, a loud bell rang. The competition was starting soon.
"Ah! I must go back to my Lord's side now." she curtsied. "Good day to you. I wish you good luck my Queen." she smiled before rushing back to her group.
"Bu-byyyyye!" Julie waved until the Lady was out of sight, then she turned to Wally. "What did you do?"
"Pardon?"
"She was so nervous- Well, she's nervous all the time-"
'That might be because she's nervous around us.'
"-But she was especially nervous when talking to you specifically."
"To be completely honest:" he looked to the direction she left to. "I'm confused myself."
It did confuse him. After the letter she sent him, why should she be nervous? Maybe he should've written a letter back after all? But he didn't want to match her tone. If the two of them must have a correspondence, he didn't want it to be like that.
"Oooo," Julie leaned closer with a smirk, nudging him again and again. "maybe she's got a lil crush on youuuu."
"I do not believe that is the case." he shook his head. "You should save that subject for Frank."
"What about him?"
"Do you see the Dear Merchant anywhere?"
Julie looked around. Indeed, he wasn't there.
"Neither of them are here." Wally said.
"Right...?"
"Maybe they are not here...together."
That made Julie gasped and squeal.
Truth be told, that didn't mean anything. Eddie wasn't much of a fighter either and has dedicated the rest of the day to write letters to his family and friends – as a traveler, he had a lot of friends around the world – while Frank was simply reviewing the newest entomology book to see if it was accurate. As he does. Wally knew this, but at this moment, he needed to distract Julie, pushing her attention away from him and that poor Lady, and towards some other romance story that actually existed.
Meanwhile, Lady (Y/n) could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She's been so afraid to talk to the King of Hearts again ever since she gave that letter to Barnaby. For right after that, she realized the manner in which she wrote to him.
'I was so cold and dry, and I didn't get an answer this morning! I was so scared he'd taken offense to it!' she sighed. 'But he looked fine, acting like nothing happened...' she looked down. 'Actually, I don't know how to feel about that. Did he even read it?'
The thought of it made her sad, small. It made sense to her though. It was really foolish to address a King via his jester, a small lady like her... When she had decided to write that letter, she'd thought maybe, if what Wally said was true: if they were friends...
She sighed again. Now she was really sad. Her very first letter addressed to a friend, written in such a manner...
She shook her head. No, she thought, it had to be done! She refused to regret writing it.
Still, if only she could know if he read it... Maybe she'll find an opportunity to just ask him. Oh, but would that be just as preposterous?
'All that thinking, just for a letter.' she sighed.
"You sure are sighing a lot today, Lady (Y/n)." Gwendolyn said.
"Am I? I'm sorry."
"Is it because of Arnold?" Catherine asked.
It was true that, ever since this morning, Arnold has been solely focused on today's competition, training before the Sun even rose in the sky. Probably because it would be his opportunity to truly shine above all others. She wasn't sure if he was still mad at her for what she said last night. Still, if he took this event seriously, that could only be a good thing. And she shall cheer for him as best as she could.
"It's not that. It's just..."
"...The Queen seems to like you."
"She is a very friendly person indeed."
"Lady-" she sighed. "You need to loosen up."
"Excuse me?" she blinked twice, surprised.
"You said yourself that the Shuffling was essentially for networking. You have the opportunity to make friends here, you should just enjoy yourself. You shouldn't pressure yourself all the time with business."
"S-Sure but, I'm actually more comfortable talking business."
"How's that possible?" she gave her a weird look.
"Because!" she harshly whispered. "In a business meeting, the two parties have a good reason to talk, it's mutually beneficial. They have prepared documents and arguments. In a social setting?! One can simply just walk out if they're not interested, and that's terrifying!"
"No one just walks out on someone. That's not polite."
"Need to remind you that I'm a noble of the lowest rank ever? They can do it to me without any repercussions!"
Catherine sighed. After wishing Arnold good luck – to which he just responded with a nod – the three ladies took a seat on the bleachers in the back of the venue. (Y/n) took a look around, see who was competing.
"I don't see Grand Knight Mavis anywhere." she told Catherine.
"Oh haven't you heard?" someone from the other side of her leaned closer.
"Ah!" she let out in surprise.
"She resigned from her position as knight and went back to her hometown."
"What?" both her and Catherine said, the latter of which leaned forward, so much so that she was pressing on Lady (Y/n)'s shoulders, lowering down her upper body.
(Y/n) didn't say anything, for she was too shocked by the news.
"Right!" someone from the row behind them leaned over to join the conversation. "She said she had a revelation and decided that that life wasn't for her anymore."
"But there's no way that's true." a third person joined. "She was always so...confident, in her career."
At this moment, (Y/n)'s gaze wandered, her eyes wide open in realization. The King did read it. She accused one of his best knights of something terrible without any proof, so he must've made his own investigation on the matter. Either way, he took her words seriously and he did something about it. Inarguably the most powerful man in the land, trusting someone like her... She looked at him, who was still with Julie, cheering on others from his personal station. As if he could sense whenever he had eyes on him, he looked at her and she quickly looked away. She could feel her heart beating like a drum.
"Yeah... Some might even say cocky."
'Wait, what?' she looked back at the ladies.
"Don't get me wrong, Mavis was a wonderful person. But sometimes, whenever the attention wasn't on her, she would..."
"Command it instead?"
"Yes, exactly."
"I love her- We all do, obviously. I'm just saying that there is no way she resigned of her own free will. I'm just saying. 'Cause she sure loved being Grand Knight."
"Right. And of course we wish her the best, and that she feels better. But honestly? She was becoming too much for a knight of the court of Hearts."
"A Grand Knight nonetheless."
"Yeah honestly, I never really understood that."
"Yeah, I don't you about you girls. But when I think 'Grand Knight', Mavis just isn't the first person that comes to my mind."
While Catherine relished in this conversation, nodding along with a pleasant smile, (Y/n) did her best not to frown. Weren't these the same people that praised Mavis just yesterday? Maybe, because she was a Grand Knight, they couldn't bring themselves to say their real opinions of her...?
'There's no use in thinking about it, now that she's gone.' she mentally shook her head. 'For now, let's just focus on today's event!'
Unsurprisingly for the people of Spades, Arnold won match after match with little to no effort during the first rounds. Although multiple duels would happen at the same time, he would catch the eyes of the audience a little bit more every time he claimed a victory.
"The Marquis of Spades is a talented one!" (Y/n) heard someone say after his fifth victory. "Like he was born with a sword in his hand!"
"He is the best swordsman of all of the Spades Kingdom!" she beamed.
"Tell us, Lady (Y/n), has the young man ever underwent military training?"
"People are interested in him!!!' she felt her eyes getting glassy, if Arnold could heard this!
"Actually, not that I've heard of. I believe it is all simply just sword training. His mentors did take notice of his natural aptitude very early on."
"How fascinating! And he's only seventeen?!"
She nodded. Lady Catherine and Lady Gwendolyn have never seen her this proud before.
Meanwhile, Julie, being the all-time sports champion, had to wait for her worthy challenger to climb their way to the top. Then, she shall be the last obstacle standing between them and the prize: the golden coveted cup of the fencing master! A couple of hours into the competition, she had her eyes on the young Marquis in particular.
"Wow, he's really good." she said, nodding to herself. "Makes me wanna fight him!" she shook her hands in excitement.
"He undeniably have a talent for fighting, yes." Wally said.
If Julie wasn't so focused on her future opponent, she would've noticed the venom in his voice. He believed what he said, he did think that the Marquis of Spades was good at fighting. But this was a fencing competition. A graceful dance between two people, where every move one makes is quick and precise. Wally saw none of that when he looked at Arnold. And he knew other skilled fencers would see it too. His approach was rash, violent, and Wally even noticed how he would purposefully not take advantage of an easy opening just so the duel would go on longer. And the way he would relish in his victory, in the applause of the audience. How Wally wished that he could participate now.
'How grotesque.' he thought, his grip on the handle of his sword getting tighter.
He remembered something he said, about him and the Marquis being of a similar situation. He now stood corrected. They were nothing alike.
And now that he thought about it: This was the head of the High Council? This child would be the new Ruler of Spades? That upset Wally, to say the least. He knew he wasn't the best at those things, but he thought this had to be a joke.
Through the cheers after yet another victory, a particular voice made him look over the bleachers. Lady (Y/n) had stood up from her seat to applaud the Marquis, along with other people in the audience.
He remembered the look on her face whenever she would talk about him. She would say nothing but good things. Wally reviewed everything that happened concerning that young man, and was nothing but bad things. He heard the reports his servants gave to him after the hunt: eleven out of fifteen mystic beasts defeated in a similar manner, none of them were sent back. And, looking at the Marquis at work, he had a feeling who did it. His behavior didn't match (Y/n)'s words at all. Either she was blind, or he duped her. Such a kind-hearted woman...
"Aaah! It's my turn it's my turn!" Julie suddenly shook him. "Finally finally finally!"
"Julie, please." Wally said, still being violently shaken.
"Oopsie, sorry!" she stopped and dusted off his pompadour, even though it was still so perfect-looking. "Cheer me on, okay?!"
"Like you even need to ask." he smiled.
"Yeah but Frank's not here right now, so you have to cheer for two!"
He chuckled and wished her good luck. Julie put on her helmet and, with a determined huff, she went to stand on the ring, the last active one in the venue. The two opponents faced each-other.
"Arnold, right?"
"Queen of Clubs." he nodded. "I only have one request." he got in position. "Don't hold back."
She smirked and did the same.
"Arnold is in the finale..." (Y/n) said to herself, her hands over her heart. "And he's facing the Queen of Clubs. Oh, if his mother could see this!"
"I think she already is." Gwendolyn whispered to Catherine, making the two of them snicker.
Naturally, the crowd was very excited for such a duel between two very capable swordsmen. As soon as the bell rang, Arnold charged at her but she swiftly dodged just in time. Now that she was up close, Julie could see everything that Wally has been seeing. The easy thing to do would be to match her opponent's energy, but she wanted to honor her friend's favorite sport. It wouldn't be easy for someone like her, but lucky for her, she's been observing Arnold for a while now and had an idea on how he fought. That way she could take advantage of his weaknesses. Which was very annoying to Arnold.
"You gotta wait a bit, before dodging."
"Huh?"
She attacked, he quickly dodged.
"'Cause I see you move too early there, so I can just-" she suddenly changed her angle of attack and hit him on his side.
One point for her. They were neck and neck.
"This isn't a lesson, Joyful." he glared. "This is a duel."
"Ooooo! No one's ever called me by my last name before!" she smiled widely.
"In both sports and fights, there are no such things as titles."
She giggled. It irked him.
The match continued. Despite Arnold being cheered for during the entirety of this competition, Queen Julie was an obvious favorite to everyone. Even (Y/n) cheered on both sides. She couldn't tell who was winning and who was losing, but Arnold seemed to get more and more frustrated while Julie just giggled most of the time, but she could tell she was also taking this seriously.
Arnold has never had a fight go on for this long. The rumors were right, he thought, the Queen of Clubs was really strong. He would be happy about that, under other circumstances, finally having a worthy opponent. But in the situation he was in, he knew he had to win this duel, so the fact that it was dragging on was getting to him.
The Queen made yet another joke and giggled. It was then that he noticed that she'd put a hand over her stomach whenever she did that. He could use this, he just needed to wait for an opportunity.
Or he could try and make a joke.
'I think I'd rather die.' he immediately thought.
Finally, a opportunity presented itself. He took it and may have been a bit too enthusiastic about it. For he knocked the air out of her and sent her flying, making her collide against a wall. Gasps echoed throughout the venue and the crowd fell silent. Even Arnold was shocked by how hard he hit her. Wally was really to grab his own sword and avenge his best friend. Julie couched a few times and hoped on her feet, raising her fists in the air and let out a loud 'Wooooow!'. The crowd then exploded with cheers. Taking off his helmet and letting in drop on the floor, Arnold laughed with open lungs and opened his arms. But then he realized that no one was looking at him. They were all looking at the Queen, thanking her for such a show, saying that she did amazing and that they were happy that she was okay.
'Surely she isn't-'
He looked over to (Y/n) and his heart sunk. She was also looking at the Queen, relieved. He scoffed.
"Are you serious?!" he exclaimed, not looking away from her, though from the audience's perspective, he was looking at everyone. "You're praising her?! Why?! Because she's a Queen?!"
"Oh no." (Y/n) mumbled as she sunk into her seat. "No no no no no no no."
"Well I just beat her!" he pointed at himself. "The most capable athlete in the land, a Queen! I just beat her! You think anyone in the world can do that?!"
"Wow, you are a sore loser!" Julie laughed as she took off her helmet, not taking offence by this.
He sent her a dark glare. His pitch black eyes sent a shiver down her spine. Not because he himself scared her, but because, for a split second, this glare reminded her of someone else.
"You wouldn't be laughing if this was a real fight." he quietly said before facing the crowd again. "The answer is no! If there's a real royal here it's me-!"
"My Lord, please!"
Everyone looked over to see Lady (Y/n), who stood up from her seat.
"I humbly beg of you!" she said with a pleading look. "Please calm down!"
As if brought back to reality, Arnold looked around him. He saw the King of Hearts, closer to him than before, a glove in his hand, glaring at him along with the Queen of Clubs. He looked back at the audience, the people who applauded him not even an hour ago, now looking at him like a hot-tempered child. Again. He looked back at her...
With a frustrated groan, he threw his sword on the ground and rushed out of the room. (Y/n) wanted to call out for him, but he was already gone.
"Excuse me a moment-"
"Are you really going after him?" Catherine whispered.
"I think he needs it right now." she whispered back. "Please excuse me."
On her way out, her eyes met the two royals'. She nodded her head with an apologetic look. Julie waved a hand, as if to say that it was okay. Once she left, the after-party of the competition started. Everyone moved to another venue and were offered snack and refreshments. With the winner of the competition absent, Lady Catherine and Lady Gwendolyn gladly accepted the coveted cup.
"Has Lady (L/n) returned yet?" people would ask them.
"Not yet, no."
"Do you think she went to talk to the Marquis?" someone asked at some point.
"Uh..." they looked at each-other.
They knew that (Y/n) wouldn't want others to know she was having a one-on-one with Arnold. But if people were to find that out themselves...
"I'm not sure." Gwendolyn responded.
'Playing dumb, great move Gwen!' Catherine nodded.
"Aww, she wants to calm him down!" a Baroness exclaimed. "How motherly of her!"
"That is very noble, but uh..." a Duke shook his head and eventually sighed. "I just think she could do more important things with her time."
"He just really wants to talk to her is all!" his sister laughed.
Catherine and Gwendolyn glanced at each-other again, with bigger eyes this time. They were so happy that Lady (Y/n) was finally getting the attention they felt she deserved.
Lady (Y/n) walked through the corridors with quick steps, checking every room she passed by. She wanted to call out for him, but she didn't want people to hear her call him by his first name...again.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she found him. He was in an empty salon room, standing by a tall window with his elbow on the windowsill, leaning onto it, a hand on his forehead. In the silence, she could hear him whisper to himself. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but she could tell it was in the old language of Spades. She stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.
"Arnold?"
He spun around to face her, his eyes wide open. He saw the concern in her eyes and frowned.
"Don't look at me like that."
"I just want to talk to you."
"You don't have to!" he turned away. "I know I messed up again, I know! It's just...It's so frustrating." he ran a hand through his hair. "Everyone here just treats me like a child, even when I do good!"
She pursued her lips. Unable to tell if that was true or not. He let out a 'heh'.
"But you wouldn't know that, since you're never there." he looked back at her. "You're always mingling with the higher-ups."
"That isn't my fault." she calmly said. "You know I can't refuse these invitations."
"...Right." he nodded, his nose turned up.
"What you said back there..."
"It was true!" he exclaimed. "That was so...two-faced of them! Acting like I wasn't even there!"
"The Queen is the Queen. People will indeed favor her no matter wha-"
"But I'm the future King."
(Y/n) sighed, her shoulders dropping.
"Arnold..." she exhaled.
"They all know this. You know this. You're the one who told me I was the logical next in line to the throne. You promised-"
"I know. I know! I know..." she stepped closer. "But I told you, one does not go from a Marquis to a King just because no one is standing in his way. You need the approval of everyone."
"Of them?!" he gestured towards the door. "As if they were even worthy of their own title, they are deemed so just because they were born lucky!"
"Not them specifically- Of course the opinion of the people back home is more important. Just-" she stood in front of him and joined her hands together as she inhaled. "Just picture this for me." she exhaled. "We come back from the Shuffling, triumphant, with partnerships, business dealings- All of the tools we need to help our Kingdom flourish! And all the credit would go to you."
He frowned.
"Would the others even agree to that?"
"I'll take care of Catherine and Gwendolyn when the time comes." she said without hesitation. "Arnold listen, I know that... With the turn the course of my stay here has taken, we cannot spend a lot of time together. But I can assure you that everything I do, I do it for the benefit of our home, and for you."
She hesitated for a moment, then took his hand in a loose grip. He looked down and she tilted her head so he would see her smile.
"I promised, remember?" she said under her breath.
"...Yeah." he squeezed her hand, speaking just as quietly.
After that they didn't say anything, nor did they move. As if the simple act of holding hands was sacred. For someone like Arnold, (Y/n) knew it probably was. And she would only let go if he wanted. They stayed like this for a while. She wanted to be patient, but knew that, the longer they were absent, the more questions people will ask. She cleared her throat.
"You should go back and apologize, to the Queen at least."
"...You're not coming?"
"We can't go back together, I'm sorry. We need people to think that you came to apologize on your own accord. That way, they'll think you're mature."
"Great..." he mumbled.
"Hey." she tapped the underline of his chin with the side of her index. "Chin up. I'll come back just a short while after you."
He straightened his posture, it made her smile. He took a deep breath and let go of her hand as he walked out of the room. Now alone, she let out a heavy sigh. She was glad that they've finally talked one-on-one, but on the other hand, there was more she would've liked to say. Maybe this was the first step of a process. Maybe there shall be more opportunities later on.
That thought made her feel better and she left the room as well. Except she made a big detour so as to enter the after-party from the opposite side of Arnold's.
"(L/n)! Heeeey!"
She looked over at saw Julie, standing with Wally.
"Ah, your Highnesses." she rushed up to them and bowed. "I want to deeply apologize for the scene my Lord has caused."
"It's alright." she waved a hand. "The competitive spirit can overtake anyone and make them act a lil too crazy sometimes."
"I do hope you forgive him."
"Of course, I don't mind."
"Though it would have been easier to do that if he apologized." Wally glanced to the side.
"What?" (Y/n) frowned. "He didn't?"
They both shook their head. She blinked twice, bewildered.
"Has he not come back yet? Where is he now?"
"Right over there with the old folks." she pointed.
(Y/n) looked over to see Arnold in a group of men, most of them old. She recognized Duke Lawrence from the Mao Provinces, along with the friend of Arnold's late uncle. They were laughing, and he was laughing alongside them while holding the coveted cup in his arms. Were they the friends he talked about yesterday? Nevertheless, she scoffed without thinking.
"I can assure you, your Highnesses," she turned back to the two royals, a hand over her heart. "he is deeply sorry about this. Please have mercy on him."
Julie told her it was okay and quickly changed the subject.
"Say, do you have any idea why Mr. Dear isn't here right now?" she asked.
"Um..." she tilted her head, thinking. "I believe he wanted to write some letters."
"Oh is that what he told you?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Whatever do you mean?"
"I can't tell youuuu!" she covered her mouth, containing her excitement. "'Cause I don't know if you know!"
"Know what? Nothing serious I hope." she furrowed her eyebrows
"Depends on who you ask." Wally chuckled.
"Well now I'm concerned, please tell me!" she leaned closer, a bit panicked now.
"I caaaan't!" Julie quickly waved a hand. "Not without Frank's approval!"
"The King of Diamonds?"
'Eddie, and the King? What could possibly-?' and just like that, she's made the connection, her eyes widened but it soon turned into a knowing smile.
"Well," she leaned back. "whatever is going on, I wish that things go well for Mr. Dear."
"And I wish the best for Frank."
The nodded at each-other for a moment.
"Whatever is going on." (Y/n) raised her hands.
"Whatever is going on indeed!" Julie did the same. "What is going on? I dunno! Can one not just wish the best for their best friend?"
(Y/n) laughed, which made the two royals laugh as well. The three of them had a lovely time. She didn't even realize how long they've been talking until the event ended.
"I shall go back to my quarters now."
"Oh? No dinner plans?" Julie asked.
"An official event, to me, is enough to fill my entire schedule for the day, to be perfectly honest."
That made Wally chuckle. Lucky her, he thought.
"Well why don't you join me?" she enthusiastically asked. "I'd love to introduce you to my sisters!"
(Y/n)'s expression fell into one of shock.
"Oh, I would be honored your Highness, but uh..." she looked back, spotting her peers.
"Come on now, Julie." Wally placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "The event is over, the Sun is setting, everyone should go back to their nest."
(Y/n) glanced at him. Was he being considerate, or did he not want her at the Queen's table?
"Ow, alright." Julie said. "But we gotta eat together at some point!" she pointed at her.
"I'll...I'll make sure to keep my schedule open for you." she curtsied.
They bid each-other goodnight and she left. Her smile fell once she did. Throughout the event, she was still bothered by what happened with Arnold. She wanted to confront him about it, but when she looked for him, he was gone. She rejoined Lady Catherine and Lady Gwendolyn to go back to the Spades' quarters.
"He left with these men." Catherine rolled her eyes when she asked them if they've seen the young man. "He'll probably come back in the middle of the night again."
"Did he really not apologize to Queen Julie?"
"I don't know. But, well, why would the royals lie about that?"
"We didn't even see him come in." Gwendolyn added. "We were both in the middle of a conversation. Out of nowhere Arnold comes in, takes the cup from us, telling us it belongs to him then goes back to his lil friends."
(Y/n) looked down with a frown. Has he not listened to anything she said?
"I can't believe you ended up apologizing on his behalf." Catherine shook her head and folded her arms. "I get that he's young and hot-tempered, but he needs to learn how to take responsibility."
(Y/n) didn't say anything. Thinking she'll talk to him the next morning.
Lady (Y/n) was awoken by the bird from the hunt singing in her bedroom. She groaned and opened one eye to see it on top on the backrest of her desk chair. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, her hair a mess. As much as she enjoyed the lovely song of the bird from her childhood, it was still dark outside, with the sky on the horizon only starting to be lighter.
"Come on sweetheart." she stood up and walked over to the bird with wobbly steps.
The bird sung again, but she froze when she heard a response, completing the duet. With big eyes, she looked over to her window. The curtains were closed, but in the faint lights on the setting Moon and the rising Sun she could see a small shadow. Slowly, so as to not scare it away, (Y/n) walked closer while the bird flew to get closer to the window as well. She drew back the curtain and saw a second bird, much like the one in her room right now, standing on the windowsill. She softly gasped and stayed motionless, in case it flew away. The two birds sang together a couple of times and the one from outside eventually tapped on the glass with its beak.
"Hello you." she spoke softly as she carefully opened the window. "What are you doing here?"
The two birds inspected each-other close and it was then that she noticed that this new bird had a harness, and attached to it was a letter.
"Oh, is that for me?" she gently took it.
The two birds hopped into the room and (Y/n) closed the window again, since it was still cold outside. She looked at the envelop.
To (Y/n) (L/n)
"Huh." she turned it and saw no seal of any kind, it was simply folded shut. "Not even using 'Lady'? I can't tell if this is done with disrespect or..." her voice trailed off and she yawned. "I'll read it." she put it on her bedside table. "Just five more minutes." then let herself fall back on her bed, face first.
Without looking, she pulled a cord that was attached to the wall. Somewhere in the quarters, a small bell rang. A short while later, a maid knocked on her bedroom door and walked in.
"You rang, my Lady?"
"Mmh? Yes." she raised her head, though her eyes were still closed, speaking in a mumbly voice. "I'm sorry, I know it's late, early? Sure." she gestured to the two birds. "Could you get them a treat please?"
"Right away, my Lady." the maid curtsied and took the two birds out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Around an hour and a half later, the Moon had been drown out by the Sunlight that now lit up Lady (Y/n)'s bedroom. And she naturally woke up with a stretch.
"Alright!" she sat up. "That's better."
She stood up and checked the calendar she's made herself.
"Tatatatata," she hovered an index around to find today's date and eventually tapped it. "the second weekend of the Shuffling." she lightly clapped her hands. "This is when business happens!"
She then reminded herself to not be too loud, the others must still be sleeping. It was still quite early in the morning. As she put on her robe over her nightgown, she called a maid and asked for a cup of coffee.
"Letters have arrived for you and the rest of the High Council."
"Already? My goodness, they're arriving earlier and earlier."
"I've heard they write them before bed, that way they can be sent first thing in the morning."
"Huh. Maybe the others should do that too. Ah, speaking of which." she glanced at her. "Has... Has the Marquis come back?"
"He did, my Lady. In the middle of the night. He..." her gaze wandered.
"...What?" she tilted her head with a small frown. "Is he okay?"
"Yes! He is. He was just...really tired, that's all."
"I see... Could you add some vitamines to his breakfast when he wakes up?"
"It shall be done, my Lady." she bowed. "As for the letters, I must warn you: there are more addressed to you than last time, and I can assure you that you will receive more throughout the morning."
'Because this time, I've had an entire conversation with the King and Queen in front of everyone!' she pursued her lips.
"I see..." she exhaled. "I should start reading them right away then. Get a head start. With a nice cup of good ol' strong bitter coffee." she nodded to herself just thinking about it. "And please tell me when the Marquis wakes up."
"Very well." the maid bowed and left the room.
She grabbed a hairbrush and began to brush her bed hair. As she did, she finally noticed that the bird with the harness was on top of her nightstand, standing on the letter. It was looking around, like it didn't notice her either.
"Oh that's right." she said, getting its attention. "I almost forgot about this one. Thank you."
The bird stepped aside for her to take it. She sat at her desk and began reading. Her expression fell, her eyes went big, her face got redder. Once she was done, she suddenly slammed the letter face down on the desk and she stared into space, with her other hand covering her mouth. She looked at the letter again, then at the envelop, inspecting the handwriting, before once again slamming the two objects on the desk.
'He made an effort to write more properly.' she thought, her heart beating faster.
Her cheek was dusted with pink, but she quickly became paler. 'First thing in the morning' the letter said.
'I was asleep for an hour and a half!!!' she screamed on the inside.
She skipped the breakfast and the coffee – the adrenaline rush she was experiencing in this moment made up for it greatly! – and quickly dressed up to leave. She passed by a still half-asleep Lady Gwendolyn.
"Lady (Y/n)? Where are you-"
"No time to talk I am catastrophically late!" she left in a rush.
"Oops." Wally said to himself, sitting at his office chair. "It would seem I did it again."
He could hear Barnaby's voice, telling him: 'You know not everyone has your sleeping habits right? I bet'cha she's still sleepin' right now.'
"I suppose I got a little too excited." he intertwined his fingers and tapped the tips of his thumbs together. "Oh well, I'll just have to wait for her the-"
He heard a knock at the door.
"Enter."
He flinched – almost unnoticeably so – when the door slammed open. There stood Lady (Y/n), out of breath. She quickly realized what she's done.
"I-I'm so sorry!" she cleared her throat and stood tall. "You wanted to see me, your Majesty?"
Wally took a moment to reply. Despite his letter, he actually didn't expect her to come here so soon, right as the Sun rose. He smiled.
"Yes. Please come in."
She did so, closing the door behind her. She went to stand in front of his desk.
"I wanted to bring your bird back but-"
"The bird? But it's yours- Well, the Spades Kingdom's, after the Shuffling ends, remember?"
"R-Right! I just thought... It was the polite thing to do, you see?"
He chuckled, but as she tucked a strand on hair behind her ear, he saw the red scratch marks on her hands and forearms and his expression fell.
"Your arms."
"Huh?" she looked at them. "Oh my, that got really red." she said to herself before smiling at him. "It's alright. It's just that... The bird really didn't want to leave its peer. It was my fault to try and grab it, really." she awkwardly chuckled.
As she spoke, he stood up and went up to her.
"May I?"
Without waiting for an answer, he gently took her hands in his. Her heart jumped and she became tense. But she quickly calmed down when her small wounds glowed a familiar pinkish light, slowly healing and disappearing. Once it was over, she looked at the King with big eyes. He smiled widely.
"I've been visiting Miss Partridge for some quick lessons."
"Oh! That's great!" she smiled back. "Thank you, my King." she curtsied.
"No need to thank me. Now."
He took a step to the side and gestured towards the desk. The two of them took a seat, across from each-other. In the short moment during which the King had his back turned to her, (Y/n) looked down and caressed the back of her hand, where a scratch previously was.
"I would like to apologize for asking you to meet me so early. I tend to want to deal with important matters as soon as possible, and I am quite an early morning person."
"No i-it's completely fine, my King." she shook her head. "I'm an early person myself- Well, I thought I was, and then I've arrived late, I deeply apologize for making you wait." she bowed.
"You didn't make me wait at all, I've had other matters to attend to in the meantime." he lied.
She sighed through her nose, relieved.
"So... You speak of 'important matters', what could possibly be something that you must discuss with me of all people?"
He smiled and readjusted himself in his seat.
"The second week of the Shuffling approaches its end, and throughout these two weeks, I have kept an eye on each of the members the High Council of Spades during each of their public appearances."
(Y/n) discreetly gulped.
"I have had several discussion with my two dear friends, and we have come to an agreement."
"...An agreement on what?"
He looked at her for a moment. He brought his hands up and rested his chin on his intertwined fingers.
"Do you remember when we spoke of art and you had an idea for an cross-continental cultural trading system?"
"Yes."
"Well, I am interested in such a project. And I would like to hear about what you came up with after you've left the brunch." he smiled. "In fact, if the High Council of Spades has any more projects or programs. I would love to hear them as well. I'm sure the Head of the Council should be the one addressed to for such matters. But after what happened, today specifically," he mumbled that part. "I think we can both agree that he isn't...mature enough, to speak of these things. And I personally, would rather hear it from you, for you seem very knowledgable. And if I must hear a business proposal, I would much prefer to hear it from someone I trust."
Just then, Wally saw something that caught him off guard. A bright spark appeared in the Lady of Spades' eyes, her cheeks dusted with pink. He recognized it, Frank and Sally would make a similar expression when someone asked them a question on their favorite subject.
Except, he didn't find it as cute then as he did in that moment...
(Y/n) covered her mouth so as to not squeal.
"Just a moment please." she stood up, knocking over her chair but she grabbed it just in time and put it back in place. "I will be right back." she then began to slowly step backwards. "Please don't go anywhere!" she pointed at him. "It will just be a minute. I'll be back before you know it." she opened the door then turned back to him, still pointing. "Don't move! It'll be quick!"
He shrugged and placed his joined hands back on the desk.
"I won't lift a finger."
(Y/n) nodded, looked out the hallway, then back at him.
"It'll just be a moment." she said.
A second passed and she suddenly sprinted away. Wally kept his words: he did not move a muscle. Not a finger, not a blink, he fixed one point and never looked away (where he last saw her face), one wouldn't even be able to tell if he was even breathing. With the door still opened, the people passing by would flinch and yelp when they made eyes contact with him. They'd apologize, then quickly go on their way. At some point, Barnaby stopped by and leaned on the doorway.
"Eyes up here buddy." he pointed at his own eyes.
"I know."
"Did you send that letter to (L/n) too early?" he snickered. "I told you do be patient."
"I suppose I got a little too excited."
"Are you still waiting for her?"
"Not 'still', but I am waiting for her."
Barnaby raised an eyebrow, not understanding what he meant.
"Whatever you say, bud." he shrugged and left.
Wally waited some more. Finally, he heard fast footsteps coming closer, along with something wooden and heavy being dragged across the floor. Unbeknown to him, his face lit up when (Y/n) came back, she was holding a big piles of documents and dumped them on his desk with a huff. Upon seeing them, he let out a small surprised laugh.
"Sorry, I'll clean that up!" she said. "Just a moment!"
She quickly went back out into the corridors to come back into the office, dragging a black board with her.
"Do you need help?" he stood up.
"I'm okaaaay, please stay seated."
He reluctantly did as told. She placed the board in front of his desk, rearranged her documents so they were not scattered across the desk, then grabbed the long ruler she put in her pocket. She dusted off her dress and took a deep breath. Then she huffed, with a determined smile. She has been waiting for this exact moment for a year!
"Now! By way of explaining this program I came up with, I shall first need to talk about a little thing called..." she rotated the board, revealing a map of the land with a bunch of color coordinated arrows then slammed the end of the ruler in the middle of it. "The Land of the Four Kingdoms!"
Wally lightly clapped his hands, ready to listen and pay attention (try to anyway). He didn't know how long this meeting will end up taking, but as he listened to this young woman talking, speaking on and on about things she is passionate about, that clearly mattered to her, he didn't really care.