Hihi mina-sama! Suboi Airi here! Here is the Cardverse fic that I said I was going to do. I hope you like it~!

Warnings! Cardverse!

Pairings: I have had a review asking about pairings, and I suppose it would be good to give fair warning about what I plan to ship. There will be some slight forced Gerita for the plot, however I believe in the monogamous relationship between the King and the Queen. :D Just my personal beliefs of relationships and marriage in general ^^

First time writing Prussia... Hope he's not too OOC ^^;

Disclaimer: Suboi Airi only owns this fic, but not the characters or Hetalia. Pity.

Edit: This chapter has been edited again. Hopefully it's better now.

The Royal Hearts

~(0w0)~

"He's here! He's here! He's finally here!" an exuberant voice voice exclaimed, followed by sounds of cushions being thrown aside and jumping.

"Calm yourself... you may accidentally spill the refreshments" a calmer voice said in response.

"Aw, come on, I know you're excited too. This affects everything after all" The excited jumping stopped and a finger was pointed accusingly to the second speaker.

"...I'm more sceptical if this one would turn out right" he said looking unaffected by the finger pointing.

There was silence for a few long moments.

"This one will" came a third voice gentle, soft and calm. "I can feel it"

~(0w0)~

Once upon a time, in a faraway dream, in a faraway land, there was a whole land that was very different from Earth. This land was called the Cardverse. The land was split between four Kingdoms. The Kingdom of the Diamonds, The Clubs Kingdom, The Kingdom of Spades and finally, the Kingdom Hearts. There, there were no people, or nations, but there were only Cards. Each Card had a destiny to fulfil, a part to play in the Game that went on throughout their lives.

In this land, the way the Cards grew up were very different from the way we people on Earth live. They all have their Card titles, and from there their official names. However that only meant that they have grown into their destiny and accepted it, willing to play out the Game as their characters and their functions. Once they had gotten their official name, they could finally endeavour to seek out and earn their personal name. In this name, held a power. In this name, held a bond that could be broken or formed. A power that can be used to bind and ensnare, and a magic that could be used to set themselves free.

The Cards all had destinies that they would have to play out, but there were twelve very special Cards from the land, three cards for each Kingdom. They were the Royal Cards. The King was destined to rule the Kingdom of their origin and marry the Queen of their Kingdom. Each Suit had a different way of raising their Royals, but the end result would always be the same. The King married the Queen. The Queen married the King. The Jack completes the trio.

This story focuses on one particular card. That card was a nameless card, and a Card that had not yet received their official name or title. This Card was no ordinary Card. This Card was a future Royal Card, the future Kingdom Hearts, and his fate was paved before of him from the moment he was born. Who he would be. What responsibilities they would have. How he would live them. It was also his destiny from birth that he would have to marry the Queen of Hearts. He knew this from the moment that he knew how to speak, read and write. His destiny was already prepared for him.

But who was this Queen of Hearts?

The future King didn't know. He had asked those that he could. His advisers, his subjects, he had asked anybody he could. His subjects just told him to wait for when he would be ready and the rest told him to listen to his subjects. But when would he be ready? He had already read most all the scrolls and learnt so much from all his teachers, so when would he be ready to know who his Queen was? Why couldn't he just have an inkling? Why was this so secretive?

He was always told to go back to his scrolls and each time, with a heavy sigh, he did so. A King had to be responsible for his country and he would need all preparation he could get. Even if he wasn't really a King yet in his eyes and all his advisers made the big decisions for him.

From young he was trained to be the King, hundreds and hundreds of scrolls, ready to be read by his eyes, he lived a life of quiet sombre isolation away from the world, in the stone palace that he would one day rule from. For seven years he lived his life in monotony, getting up, getting sustenance, learning lessons and going to bed at the allocated time. Nine fifteen. Nothing changed throughout these seven years. Thus, surrounded by scrolls and lessons, he was surprised when he had a visitor that was not announced two weeks in advance, nor supposed to be there. It was unheard of. It was slightly scary. It was a visit from the Joker.

"What are you doing here?" He hissed softly. He knew from the scrolls that the Joker had the power to go through all the countries, but he also knew about their reputation of mischief and way of misleading others. He put up his guard, even though the Joker was much bigger and older than him.

The Joker smirked at him.

"Kesesese! So this is the King of Hearts! You're quite small now, aren't you?" He said cockily, leaning one arm on his desk, pushing away his scroll on battle tactics.

"You are not supposed to be here…! I'm supposed to be studying, and if any of the cards knew you were here you would be thrown out!" He hissed again, though he could say that he was apprehensive inwardly he was also curious. He knew his situation well, his young mind already moulded by the lessons to be aware of the things around him. Currently he was alone… His knowledge on battles came from scrolls and the few fighting classes with his instructors, while he knew, once more from what he had read, that the Joker, this one at least, knew how to fight. Should they engage battle here…. He would definitely lose. But that didnt stop him from finding a slight magic at having his schedule disrupted in such an unplanned way.

"Calm down buddy! I'm not here to hurt you."

The future King looked up at him uncertainly and the Joker sighed.

"Kid, I'm not going to do anything. But you know what? I think you need a break. I've been watching you, and you've been sitting here all day just trying to read those boring scrolls!"

The future King slowly lowered his guard, his curiosity of the situation and the strange Card growing.

"So… why are you here..?" He asked.

The Joker smiled. "Kid, you need some fun in your life, and I'm going to make sure you get it."

~owo~

He supposed that this could be called kidnapping, but he didn't seem to sense any bad coming from the Joker so he just let him lead to where they would be going, though he knew his advisers would be very worried if they found out that he had somehow left. He couldn't bring himself to care. It was too fun, something he had heard of, but had not actually experienced much. His whole life previous had been scheduled and controlled by his advisers after all and something like this seemed to be a dream as compared to the slightly dreary life in the palace.

The Joker brought him to the edge of the Kingdom, where trees grew wildly and the animals played about. The sun smiled in delight as the young boy drank in the sight of the land's green grass and brown trees. The water glimmered in his sight as the fished jumped from the blue surface in greeting. He had never known that such a thing was possible. He had known, yes, from books and illustrations, but he had never really known until then, the smell of earth and soil or the fresh coolness of dew.

He looked at the Joker, eyes wide in delight and disbelief. Was this really real? Or was this just some dream that he had dreamed up at the wooden table in his study? The Joker just grinned at him, and without warning, pushed him into the stream, where he fell and felt how different the water was from the cold ceramic pots of the palace. He sprang up in the stream, for it hardly reached his waist, and wondered at the fishes that swam around him in curiosity.

He hardly dared to blink, afraid that this wonderful world would disappear before he could memorise it and keep it implanted in his thoughts to dig out whenever he wanted. The Joker splashed him. And with a wide smile, he splashed back with all his might.

They played in the stream, they walked through the forests, and the Joker even taught him some good tricks with a sword! For the first time in a long time, there was no advisers around him, telling him or reminding him of his responsibilities. For the first time since he could remember, he did not feel the need to try and fill the role brought to him and he just had fun.

"Is this really real..?" He asked, breathless with amazement, ignoring the bruises that he had gotten when the Joker's sword stick had hit him slightly too hard, or when he fell over and scrapped his knees and palms, not judging the terrain well enough. He did not care for his appearance, all wet in his expensive embroidered clothes, dirtied by the soil and the leaves that were sticking in large patches here and there, all over him. His hair was in a mess, and he knew that this was no way a future King should look like, but it did not falter his beam when the Joker replied.

"Of course it is! What else could it be?"

The Joker was then branded in the future Kings eyes forever as a source of amazement and inspiration. Someone who could show him wonders that he would never have known otherwise. Someone who was not afraid to give him a few hard knocks to ensure that he had learned something properly instead of being too scared of his future status. Someone who had the knowledge and wisdom that he could not comprehend. Someone who he immediately cared about and looked up to. Someone he knew he would always want to have close to him. Someone like...

He was sad when the Joker told him that he had to leave and bring him home. He wanted to stay longer and have more fun, but looking at the darkening sky, he knew that that was the right thing to do.

The Joker brought him back to where he was before, his study room, and the left with the promise of 'next time'. The future King could not be any happier at that.

Of course the other cards asked him where he went, and when he told them truthfully, they had an odd look in their eyes and did not ask for any more information. He wondered inwardly why that was and made a little note to find out why, just beside the note to find out more about his Queen.

He found out soon enough.

It was a long time after he had met the Joker and had soon considered him to be a brother of sorts. A brother who drags him around to have fun and keep him from becoming too bored with his monotonous work. A brother that told the advisers around him to give him a chance to have fun and play around. A brother also taught him so much more than what was just in the scrolls and what his teachers taught him. Life outside the castle was so much more than he thought before. There were always more things that he did not know compared to what he knew. Life lessons. Lessons about people. Lessons about growing up. All these things that he soon found out that he could never learn being cooped up in the castle, stuck reading scrolls. It was just so different, the theory and the actual experience. He didn't understand that until he had met him. He could not be grateful enough to his Joker of a brother.

Then for his interest of trying to find out more about his Queen, he went to his scrolls to read up on his country's history. He had found this particular dusty old half eaten scroll tucked away in a small corner shelf. It was forgotten and would probably need to be thrown away soon. When he unrolled it, he discovered what could be a more in depth version of the history that he already know, showing him more of the place he had grown up in. It was like learning about his kingdom all over again and learning more about it. He eagerly devoured the scroll with bright blue eyes, reading each word and new piece of information with a healthy vigour.

When the world was created and everyone was given a place in this world, the destinies of Royal Children who were destined to rule their kingdom was created. When one would arrive, the other would certainly arrive soon as well, for they were a pair destined to be wed together. This is the same for all the Suits in Cardverse. The pair that will be discussed would be known as the future Queen and the King of the Kingdom Hearts. Both destined individuals were brought up with the intention to rule the country, however the way they were brought up and shown to the Kingdom were different.

The King would be brought up in the open, right in the house that he would rule in. He would from young be known throughout the Kingdom as the King, no matter his age as it is his destiny. Still, though he is known as the King and destined to be the King, he shall not sit on the throne until he is ready to rule it with a sense of justice and peace, but also the strength and tenacity to wield the country to greater heights.

The Queen would be brought up in the place of their Origins, knowing of their destiny but not at sully entwined with it as the King. Only those around the Queen and those who were there at the Queen's birth would know who the Queen is. The Queen would be revealed to the Kingdom once the King is able to wield it, and be the deadly knife of the Kingdom, as well as the kind and gentle flower that the Kingdom would need.

The King and Queens relationship would not start until both of them have matured. On their thrones, their roles are set to support each other in every way so as to make the proud Kingdom Hearts prosper and bloom. Between morals and actions, they would have to work together to make decisions for all of us. However this scroll would focus on the developments of the latest of the two Royal children, in particular, the future King.

The King's name is-

The future King's eyes widened slightly. That… That was not his name.. Or rather, he was not yet on the throne so he did not have a name yet… But it could not be his name. He chose his own name. He knew who he was and what his name would be and this name was not it.

He scrolled down to see if there was a picture engraved and painted on the scroll and there was. It was not him.

It was a person similar to him, but not him. Blue eyes, blond hair, same facial structure.. It was almost him… But he had grown up while the picture had not. He was still a teen, but this person was still a child.. Who was this person, and if this person was the rightful King… what did that make him…?

He had to sit down in order to straighten the thoughts running around in his head.

"Yo kid, you ready to get out of here?"

He twirled around and showed him the scroll.

"Do you know who this is? You should know right? You've been here all along so you should know right?"

He could see the Joker's eyes widen at the picture and sadness flash through them.

"Yeah kid. I know him." He said softly, and due to that tone, the Future King could do nothing but look at him lost and confused, pleading with his eyes to make sense out of the world.

"sorry Kiddo... Maybe next time" The Joker said and withdrew from the room with a small frown.

The future King could only stare at the spot he was previously, wondering what was going on to the world he thought he knew, but soon another feeling started to creep up to him. The Joker left frowning. That had never happened before. He looked around a room that was suddenly bigger and scurried out to have some cold company of his teachers, advisers and servants. He knew better then to ask for information about this, certain to his very bones that his questions would be deflected, just as how his questions about the Queen or the Joker was. But this was a question he needed to know about.

That night he went to his large bed and huddled in the sheets. Around him were mementos of the previous Kings, scrolls about them and lessons about how to be a good King. But was he really a future King any more...? There was another future King before after all. He frowned and bit his cheek. There /was/ a former future King at least. Unless he was still here...? But if that was the case why was he here...? The troubled card chewed his cheek again curling up harder in his covers wondering what the other had done, where he was and what would happen to him if the other was still alive. What did that mean for him...? Was he some understudy...? A backup plan...? A substitute...?

The next morning, he changed the still damp pillow covers and tried to wash away the remains of red in his eyes. Despite his sleep he still felt tired and lethargic. Looking at the door, he knew he would need to get up soon or someone would be sent to wake him up. He didn't want to be seen as weak. Especially not if that was the reason for the other future King's disappearance. He didn't want...

Shaking his head, he moved to do his usual daily morning rituals, trying to keep his face as usual, though he tried to please his tutors more and work harder on his activities. His heart was not in it though, and he yearned for someone or something that he would be able to lean on, even if his questions were not answered. At least something to tell him that he was not replaceable...

He cursed himself quietly when only through half the day his tutors told him to simply go back to his chambers to have the day to himself. Once he may have been happy for the free time and used it well to do his research on his Queen or the mystery of the Joker, but today he could only think that despite his efforts, his tutors noticed his listlessness. What would happen if he would not be able to go back to being the way he was...? He started to chew his lip again. Curling up on the bed, he fell asleep again, but this time he was smart enough to put a layer of cloth to catch his insecurities as he slept.

When he woke up, he blinked at something laying right in front of him. It was a small short scroll tied in a red ribbon that was slightly muted then his usual red ribbon that tied his scrolls. Ribbon colours did symbolize status and he frowned trying to remember what that shade of colour meant. It was just as rich as his own, meaning very high status, but that's all he could remember. He frowned. Just as he thought, he was a horrible student. He was definitely going to be replaced, he thought bitterly, to tired to feel that insecure. With a small sigh, he unrolled the scroll.

Stay strong, my little future King

You are not alone, and you are here to stay

Answers will come soon

The future king blinked at the scroll, heart filling with hope and wonder. Did he have a guardian angel...? It had to be right...? Who else would have known what was going on in his thoughts and gone to write him something like this..? He looked at the letter again, eyes wide in awe and wonderment. He looked to where a signature would have been. A small intricate Q was there, resting delicately on the page.

Q...? Did it mean...? No... It couldn't possibly...

He shook his head trying to dispel the thought. It was silly to think of such a thing, but he couldn't help but hope. Even when his mind told him it was silly, his heart still believed. He was smiling again and moved to hug the little scroll before gasping and smoothing it out, hoping he had not done too much damage to it. He gently rolled up the scroll, his whole body feeling warm as he gently stroked the parchment gently and tenderly, afraid to do this piece of wonder any more harm. His own...

Then he remembered the promise in the scroll. Answers...? To which...? He blinked again. He had so many questions and what answer could he have..?

There was a knock on the door and his head snapped towards it. "Y-Yes..?" he asked softly moving to hide away the scroll. A head popped in and red eyes looked at him apologetically. "hey kid" he said. "can I come in...?"

The future King blinked. "Bother...?" he asked and nodded before finally remembering how he deflected his questions too and looked away not really knowing what to say or feel. For one, he felt angry because he was like the others, keeping him in the dark. For another... he could still feel the sting in his heart when he asked him who he was and what was going on, needing some kind of support. But he turned away... "... What are you doing here?" he asked softly looking at him.

The joker winced slightly at the colder and more subdued attitude. "kid... I want to talk to you about yesterday." he said softly moving to sit himself on the bed. The future king looked up at him in question.

The joker frowned again. "You know I love you, right kiddo? Not in the weird way! Like, you're a brother to me."

The future king just blinked. "Weird way...?" he asked

"Uhhhh... Like when two fully grown cards like each other, that kind of love... It's not a bad thing, it's just... going to be very weird if it was between us..." the joker said

"Love of two fully grown cards... Please tell me...?" the future king asked, his curiosity growing again.

"well... you know... when you think the other is really nice and you want to spend the rest of your life with them and they care for you and you care for them and they make you feel all nice and warm and fuzzy..." the Joker said awkwardly, scratching his head in embarrassment

"... hairy...?" The future king did not get it at all

"Nevermind!" The joker said, wanting to move on from this subject, afraid it would move on to 'but why cant you love me like that?' and make it very awkward for him indeed. "I'm here to talk to you about yesterday... you know... when you asked me about the other King..." He said softly, sadness appearing in his eyes again.

It was only then that the future king noticed it. He wondered why he had not realised it before. Was the Joker sad about something...? Did he disappoint him...? His blue eyes widened and then looked down. "I'm sorry..." he whispered, hands holding the sheets around him tightly. He missed the Joker looking at him in surprise and guilt

"what..? No..! No, you don't have to be sorry for anything" the Joker said moving to ruffle his hair and pushing his chin up for eye contact. "listen here kid. You were just curious, and very confused because you found out you may not be the only king of Hearts right?"

The future king gave a slow nod.

"It's natural to want answers for that! If it were me, I'd be banging down doors till someone gets me what I need to know" The Joker said with a laugh. "You don't need to be sorry for something that is a natural reaction"

The future King still frowned. He did not want to really say anything and just believe that he didn't do anything wrong, but he was always told that to be a responsible Card he needed to say it as it was. He glanced to where he hid the scroll, trying to draw some strength from it. "But I made you sad..."

The Joker was silent for a long while. Then sighed. "It's not really you that made me sad." he said softly. "is more of missing the memories and the time..." and started to explain.

There was a previous King, a long time ago. He was studious and serious, but he was also infatuated with a card that he was not supposed to be infatuated with. And really, he was! He would stare at that card for hours on end and skip lessons to get the card to teach him to paint. He would give the card his share of his food and was completely enamoured. However, because of that deep love that he had, he didn't concentrate nearly as much on his work. It was not that he was sloppy, it's just that everyone knew he could do better. From then, they pulled him to this particular palace, and away from the card he had loved so much.

Soon the King started to become sick. He had a terrible illness. An illness that would not let itself be cured. It was something unheard of in all the Kingdoms. A dying future King.

There were any speculations about why he became sick. Some thought it was due to an injury because he was in a battle. Some thought that it was because he was connected to the land and the land was doing badly thus he did too. Others thought that it was because he was reaching Kingship too fast. But the Joker thought differently. The Joker thought it was heartsickness due to not being able to see the card that he loved so dearly. That was what killed him.

How did he know? Because the previous King.. was his little brother.

The new future King's eyes widened. What could he say to that?

The Joker looked up at him. "But it's okay. I have you now right?"

Well, of course… Both the past future King and the new future King had the same blue eyes, same hair colour, same facial structures..

"Don't think that you're some kind of replacement, because while here are some parts that are similar, there are other parts of you both that are not similar at all. And really, I know you're you and he's him. I wont merge two different people together. It's not fair to either of you."

The new future King went up to the Joker and hugged him. The Joker hugged his new full-fledged little brother back.

From there the future King trusted his Joker brother wholly. He did not hide any secrets from him and confided in him like he would a real brother because that was what he was. And one day, when his courage was up and his curiosity for his unanswered question up again, he remembered the question in his mind.

"Do you know who my Queen is going to be?"

~0w0~

It was a graceful figure that he could immediately tell, even though the person was but a silhouette from behind the curtain. Dainty hands exposed themselves from long sleeves as they reached for a teapot. The movement was soft and… flow-y… he would say. He couldn't really describe it, but it was as smooth as the.. He really was not sure what to compare it too. Rippling waves of the pond? The birds flying across the sky? He wasn't sure it would be a good enough comparison. The movement was gentle too, though how he could tell that he couldn't guess.

The delicate hands picked up the teapot, and in one movement, poured it into a small cup. A very simple action he knew he could do, but so much more deliberate and controlled then he thought he could ever accomplish. A hidden strength with the gentility and grace of the movement? He wasn't sure what to describe it at all. But he knew that he was entranced by that one simple act.

How could one person be as graceful as that? It was impossible, but it was right in front of him.

He reached out a hand to pull the curtain away and expose the angel that was behind it when there was a hand on his shoulder and suddenly he was back in his palace.

He looked at the Joker horrified and slightly petulantly. Why were they gone so fast? He didn't manage to see the card or hear the card or know anything about the card! Why was he shown the card in the first place if he wasn't there to know the card?

~0w0~

"Chill kid! You weren't supposed to come into contact with each other in the first place! Good thing he didn't manage to notice us.." The Joker looked up as pink flower petals suddenly wafted into the room. "oh…." He scratched his head. "Sorry kid, but I gotta scram!" And with that, he disappeared.

The future King looked around confused. What had just happened?

When he asked the Joker if he knew who the Queen was, he was just given a smirk and suddenly he was there at that place with… Was that the Queen…? His heart started to thump slightly and his face grew hot. What now? First he didn't manage to really meet the Queen, and now he was sick!? Today surely wasn't his day at all…

The future King sat on the chair of his study. If that was the Queen… He smiled. He could live with having a Queen like that. It would be his honour. He picked up the scroll with a muted red ribbon tied around it. He needed to be the King that was worthy of such a graceful and lovely Queen of the Kingdom Hearts.

Perhaps when the Joker came back.. he could ask him to let him sneak a peek at the Queen again..? His heart blossomed with hope at the prospect of seeing his Queen again. But alas, it did not happen. Two days later, the Joker came back with news that he was caught by the Queen on that night and with firm abut gentle words, was given strict warning to not do that again. Apparently he was being let off slight easily, since the Queen was known for being in such Isolation, none but the body guard or close family could visit. Others would be hauled off immediately. Should they be caught again, the consequences would be harsher, Joker or not.

The future King sighed. At least he knew something about the Queen. Strict but gentle. It fit with those hands and the movements they possessed. He looked at his own small and growing hands. He could never wish to achieve such movements, but he could achieve strength and foundation in his hands. As a King, he would need to be solid and steady and reliable for his gentle Queen.

That's the first Chapter~ What do you all think? I hope you like it ^^