The land of Linatania was as fair a land as can be found in the world. Rolling hills, green pastures, sparkling seas, lush forests, clear blue skies, it was a veritable Eden. As fair as goddess, sweet nubile and welcoming. Crowning this fair goddess was her diadem, four sovereign kingdoms, each alike power and importance but vastly different from one another in just about everything else. You may, or may not, know them. They were fairly popular across our world., though not in the way you might think. They derived from what you call card decks, the suits of such anyway. If you look at them, you will see. The Kingdoms were of Clubs, Spades, Hearts and Diamonds, and ruled the land. Four Suits, Four Kingdoms, Four Kings, Four Queens, Four Jacks. I feel obligated to include here, dear reader, that Unlike your world, gender mattered not in comparison to Royal Titles. Men and Women could be Queens, Men and Women could be Kings, and the same goes for the Jacks
All were equals in each citizen's eyes. All lived in relative harmony with their neighbors, and all carved out their own niche in Linatania.
The Kingdom of Clubs laid claim to the majority of the fertile fields of Linatania's plains and pastures. Farmers were treated with utmost respect in this kingdom, and they did their jobs so well that the crops reaped were plenteous and of the highest quality, and were thus highly coveted, especially by the Kingdom of Diamonds who boasted (and rightly) the land's best chefs. They also held the bulk of Linatania's people within their borders, which meant the Club Army was the largest, though not the best trained, was the fond saying of the other Kings and Queens.
The Kingdom of Hearts held the crown jewel of Linatania, the capital city of all four kingdoms, Corona, in its hand. With its white and black marble pillars lining every major road, among which lanterns, chimes and sculpted glass images of every kind hung, to its wide canals of crystal clear water ribboning the cityscape and providing the backdrop for Corona's famed gondolas, to the colorful rows of box-like buildings stacked artfully on top of each other like children's blocks yet more lovely than anything a babe could create, to the lush forest the city built itself around, filled with any manner of flowers, plants and wildlife, with Evergreens in bloom and stately Oak branches snaking through Coronan skylines, Corona was the pride and joy of the Hearts Kingdom. The kingdom thrived on peace and love, and valued both highly, evident in the numerous festivals dedicated to the mysterious force that is love. The most famous, most lavish, Festiva de Amourna, attracted people from around the land and beyond to its luxurious Hall of the Lovers.
The Kingdom of Diamonds sat directly on top of Linatania's Gold, Silver, Coal and Diamond mines, and as such, was the wealthiest kingdom in Linatania, as it made lucrative business with all of Linatania and beyond. Their 'Lucrezia' diamonds could be found in every piece of royal jewelry across Linatania if you looked hard enough. The Kingdom of Diamonds was devoted body and soul to the perusal of cultural enlightenment. Music, Art, Fashion, Architecture, and as a general rule, Beauty were the tenets every Diamond subject lived by. From the numerous fine-dining restaurants, the true crown jewel of Diamond Kingdom was their cuisine, to the famous 'Floating water gardens' and 'Tour de diamants,' to the 'Carina Della Valle,' the largest, multi-level bazaar in three continents, where nearly every fashion trend in the land was born and one could buy any type of clothing in any color, and any fabric, The Kingdom held to the ideals of Epicurean tastes until death, and they could surely afford it. Artisans of every medium, be it food, silk, or marble, set up shop in the gilded city streets. It was the most popular tourist destination in all of Linatania, and they treated their guests so well that seldom did they leave. If that weren't enough, The Kingdom of Diamonds also housed the lands vineyards, which were tended with the utmost love and respect. The sommeliers there were so prized as to be on the level as their chefs, and them both near enough to royalty to make calls on lower nobles if they so choose.. If there was one thing the Diamond people loved more than fashion, architecture or food, it was their Château Blanc.
And lastly, the Kingdom of Spades. This was the oldest Kingdom in the land, an old kingdom with old ways and customs (some of them anyway) still withstanding. People still kissed the statue of the Good Queen Alexandra on the cheek when they walked past her post in every town square, people still tossed the first piece of food or drink during any meal into a pitcher of seawater as thanks to the bountiful ocean that gave them life, the Queen of Spades was still trained from birth to be the Queen, while the King was picked (not quite so) at random on their 18th year. It was an odd system, but the amalgamation of old and new suit the Kingdom and its subjects well. The Kingdom of Spades was located entirely around the Linatanian coast, with a hand wrapped around every port. No other port could be utilized, thanks to the Red Ocean's entirely unpredictable, incredibly volatile weather. The Strait of Calm was the only way ships could do proper business and as such, everything shipped in was under Spade control. They were a kingdom of merchants, captain's, fishermen, and sailors, and traders who took their very livelihoods from the seas, ships, trade and a hefty import and export tax for the three other kingdoms that had no choice but to pay. The Sea was their home, and they were madly keen on defending it. The Spade Navy was the most well-trained Navy in the in the world, a feat they were quite proud of, and they intended to keep it that way. Everybody, nobility or not, unless physical and mental health were too dire an issue, was required to spend at least their thirteenth year on the deck of a ship, or behind the desk of a customs official, in order to access higher-level jobs, or marry.
Yes, these were the Four Kingdoms of Linatania, and if you found them at all intriguing, then this next bit is sure to rivet you.
The Kingdoms relied on normal means for everyday life, it is true, but extraordinary happenings were so carefully interwoven into it that one couldn't tell you the difference even if they wanted to. Magic, dear reader. Magic was the lifeblood pumping through the veins of Linatania. No one knows where the first instance of sorcery happened, no one but the mysterious Jokers that were rumored to haunt the Wicked Woods at the base of the Linatanian flatlands. It is unknown how the people came to know how to use it, much less master it, or who these early practitioners were as all of the spellbooks and manuals had no names or dates, but master it they did, and those sorcerers and sorceresses could be found in every kingdom. But some powers aren't for mere subjects to hold.
The King, Queen and Jack of each Kingdom each held in their hands a very specific kind of magic that was singular to them and them alone. Everyone had a weapon to bring to the table, should relations sour so as to need it.
The King and Queen of Clubs held dominion over Strength, and Luck. The Mark, the symbol, -in their case, a Club- that not only marked one as the true King, Queen, or Jack, also bestowed upon the Club Royalty monstrous strength, and formidable fighting ability, along with sheer dumb luck that saved the Clubs Kingdom many a time. The Queens were usually the fighters, blessed with extensive knowledge of near every form of combat there was to know, and deadly skill of most, if not all, weapons. The Kings wielded monstrous strength in their two hands, to use how they saw fit, and woe be the man set up against either two. The jack, servant and head advisor to the King and queen, had both powers,, to a lesser extent, as befitting the jack's rank in the hierarchy.
The King and Queen of Hearts held domain over power of Love. That is to say, the giving and taking of it. Far too many former Kings and Queens underestimated their power and far too many former King and Queens suffered greatly for it. One may scoff at the mere idea, 'Love? Hah! Hearts, you got the short end of the deal for sure.' They'd say, but the King and Queen would only laugh behind their hands and nod. 'Yes, yes of course we did. Of course.' Those that made mock soon learned the devastating power of love when their spouses ran off with other people, when Princess's fled from politically arranged marriages and the bride or husband-to-be angrily broke off the alliance or truce that would have followed, when Prince's disgraced themselves by emerging from the bed of a wrong Prince or Princess, and the angry parent decided to press for war to preserve their dear one's honor, when a war general became so infatuated with a common milk maid that he can't focus on anything else but her ebony hair and amber eyes, and his battle plans end up feeble and easily broken or even nonexistent, when a common suitor was so madly in love with a Nobleman's daughter that she would do anything, murder included, to be with her. When the damage was done and the offender's came crawling back, why of course the King and Queen will come, swooping in with their heart staffs in hand, soothing over wounds, repairing relationships, and you can be sure no words of derision ever leave the lips of anyone ever again.
The Diamond King and Queen have abandoned their power, it is said by other Royals every once in a while. They are abysmally incorrect, but that isn't their fault. The Diamond royalty have long since used their abundant wealth for nearly every problem laid at their doorstep, so many newly enthroned Royals make the mistake of assuming they have no power. Which is exactly how the Diamond Royals like it. Underestimation is the main cause of death for many new Kings and Queens, and even a few jacks. You see, while their prefered power is their money, their true given magic is Manipulation. The power of suggestion is a powerful thing indeed and incredibly hard to detect, which is why even when their power is used, it's seldom recognized. Most scholars define this power as Charm, because the Diamond Royals have a reputation for being devilishly handsome, or heartbreakingly beautiful, and many people have found themseleve wrapped around bejeweled fingers with little more than a dimpled smile, but that idea merely plays into their true skill. Thought, Physical, and in rare cases, Environmental Manipulation are their magic. Thought manipulation, otherwise call mind control in Linatania, is their prefered method of manipulation, should it come to them actually using their powers. A simple proposal, thought or spoken, or written down, by the Diamond Royalty and placed in the mind of an unsuspecting (or even a fully informed) victim will have them doing Diamond bidding without a second thought, and the fact they won't remember anything about Diamond manipulation is one of the main reasons for the saying that the royalty's lack any sort of power. Physical manipulation was a favorite among all Diamond Royalty. It was said earlier that the Diamond Kingdom was a kingdom focused on beauty above all things, and this was true. Diamond Royal's loved to changed their appearance, different hair color, eye color, proportions especially, every aspect of their appearance. It could easily be used for ill purposes, there could easily be, say, two Spade Nobles, and no one can tell who is who, or a long dead Queen of Clubs can miraculously appear in Club Royal Court. And lastly, environment manipulation, the rarest of all Diamond magic, one about three Diamond Monarchs in the entire history of Linatania possessed. The ability to command winds, water, earth, fire, and even the weather, these were the gifts bestowed upon the Diamond Royalty.
And Last, let me tell you the about the power of the Spades, and then our story shall truly begin. The Kingdom of Spades has a saying, "Time reveals all." And so it goes that the Spade Royalty controlled the elusive aspect of Time. Not only that, but even though it wasn't an inherited power the mantle of Queen of Spades since the dawn of Spades kingdom has come with the crest of Morgana, the symbol of highest level Witch or Wizard. Every Queen is respected in the magical community as a Sorcerer of the greatest caliber, and they are all sought as teachers when their reign ends up short. Time was hailed by many to be the hardest of all Magic to master, and with good reason. To pause, rewind or forward time required a steady hand, head, and heart to execute without horrible consequences. Some Kings and Queens could not control their power and it is only by the quick thinking of Former Royalty that the very lives of every Linatanian were spared. Changing events in time can easily turn sour if done incorrectly. In addition, some Spade Royals may also employ their powers without changing fate, by looking into the future of what or who ever their subject may be, though this talent is rarer.
And that dear readers, is all you must know so that our story may truly begin. It is my dearest hope that you enjoy it.
In the kingdom of Spades, it was early morning, the sun just beginning to peek over the tops of the Capital of Spades Kingdom, Taran. On the long winding road from the Spade seaside to the city square, carts of ceremonial wine, a present from Diamond Kingdom, were being driven to the Castle of Spades, for the coronation of the 37th King and 39th Queen of Spades was to begin at noon. The town was abuzz with gossip, "A new King!," A fishmonger called from her doorway, across the cobblestone streets to her friend, a handmaid of Lady Ava, a Spade noblewomen. "A what? A new king?"
"Oh yes. It's so strange and marvelous, have you not heard?"
"Heard? Heard what? I thought there was already an unofficial heir apparent."
"There was, there was! But with that whole fiasco with Sir Laurence, well, the boy turned eighteen three nights ago, you see, and the Mark wasn't anywhere on him!"
"You're playing tricks on me!"
"I'm doing no such thing! My girl Dina, you know Dina, she has her eye on your Rebecca you know, Dina is, was, the scullery maid in that Williams-Jones house, she was in the room when the boy was stripped and searched. Oh, if I could only remember his name. Michael, no, Marius, Max, oh I don't know. It'll come to me, surely. Anyway, the Mark was nowhere to be seen on that boy's body and the brother, he starts up all pale and starts inching towards the door." The Fishmonger leaned forward, looked up and down the empty street and beckoned to her friend. She hurried over, woolen skirts in hand. "What?! What happened then, you vile creature! You know I can't stand it when you stop like that!" The Maid scolded her friend warmly, let herself be pulled inside and set down in a chair near the fire burning away in the hearth. The Fishmonger bustled around her hearth, dipping ladles into cauldrons, flitting over to her stove and cabinets near the fire for a pinch of this and that, and soon there was a piping hot cup of spearmint tea in both their hands. The fishmonger plopped herself down in the adjacent chair and turned towards her friend, a sly grin on her face. She said nothing for a time, watched her friend get more agitated, all the while with that smile.
The handmaid poked her friend in the arm. "HURRY UP, MARY!"
"OK, OK. Fine, ruin the suspense why don't you, Janice, you killjoy. Like I said, the brother, to the boy whom we all thought would be king, He goes whiter than clean linens he does, and makes for the door all slow, creeps right past my Dina, and the boys were born early, early morning, so they're all up about two or so for the birthday, even though they're twin brothers, no one suspected what'd happen, not even a little. So, its real early, none but the maids have any proper clothing on. My Dina see's the Mark of Spades right on that boy, he's wearing some silk shirt all thin and sheer and some briefs, and My Dina spots it!" Mary said proudly. Janice gasped dramatically. "No!"
"Yes, Jan yes! We've started calling that one Kingspotter, and she'll blush to her roots if she hears you."
"Where was it, the Mark?"
Mary's grin turned a bit lecherous. "Right above his left arse cheek. Very fine cheek, if what Dina says be true."
"Mary Gemma Parker, That boy is half your age and then some!"
"I never said I was going to do anything! Geez, Jan, get your mind out of the gutter. So anyways, Dina gasps out loud, she does, that calls the attention of the Boy and the Father and Mother, and they corner him, all "What have you got there, boy?" He blushes red as a maid, reluctant though I can't imagine why, tries to dodge the question, but eventually he shows them and Lord, Jan to hear Dina tell it the parents near brought down the neighborhood with their celebrations. Dina says the father cut a caper! Imagine Lord Whatsits doing a little jig, nearly snorted tea up my nose when I heard. So Dina got rewarded for pointing that Mark out. My little girl's gonna handmaid to the bloody king come tomorrow!"
Janice leaned back, mulling this new information over. "So the slated son ends up being passed over. Oh that poor boy, I know how that feels. I wonder why this whole thing happened. I've never heard of the Mark switching family members."
"Well Jan, the Mark only appears when you turn Eighteen right? It wasn't on either boy until then, so it was up in the air either way, yet we were all casting our cards in for the wrong brother. They were training the older one up for this too. But after that bad business with Sir Laurence..."
"Mary, I swear that's all I've heard for weeks on end and no one will elaborate, you'll tell me what all the fuss is about, won't you?"
"Of course dear! Well, you know Sir Laurence, always goes on and on about those fancy carriages of his, and the boy...Matthew! Matthew, that's the boys name! Ah thank the gods, that would have given me no peace, right, so Matthew is invited on a carriage ride with him some weeks ago hence, His lordship probably trying to curry favor with the 'King', and the brother tags along, I believe he was supposed to be the Captain of the Royal Guard when Matthew ascended so it only makes sense he'd followed his brother, but since Matthew won't ascended now, I wonder what he'll do. Like I said, The brother accompanied his Lordship and Matthew and they set to go to a little resort town right on the edge of Spade Kingdom, Glamis, the name was. They set out early morning about five weeks ago, and everything goes just grand until they reach the Alexandra Bridge. You know what it was? Bandits."
"Bandits? In Spade Country?"
"I was shocked as well when Alice told me. Yes. Bandits. Clubs, probably, those sly bastards. There were three of them. Well, the carriage gets about halfway across the bridge and the bandits swarm it, kill the horses, pull the boys and Sir Laurence out. Alfred, that's the new king-to-be, can't believe I didn't remember that name till now. Alfred, they drag him out kicking and screaming, always a fiery one that lad, and the bandits make a giant show of threatening them, Sit Laurence first, and then Matthew. You've had to have seen the boys before Jan. Alfred and Matthew, nice enough lads, Matthew especially. Matthew is a sweet one, Alfred's a sight too cocksure for his own good, but those boys have good hearts. Alfred, he's got that hero complex you know, and all that but when it boils down to it, he's damn protective of that twin of his. You'd think think Alfred was at least a few years older than Matthew from the way he protects that boy, but no, identical. Anyway, Matthew's life is threatened and, Sir Laurence recanted the whole thing to his household so I'll take Alice at her word, Sir Laurence says. 'It was like a demon possessed the boy.' He rears up against the bastard holding his arms behind his back, damn near caves his skull in, grabs one of the weapons at the bandits waist, a sword or something like it, slits the throat of the one nearest him, turns and the last bandit's got his lordship and Matthew by the throats, tosses them over the side of the bridge, and you know Cali's river is a tempestuous bitch. Alfred jumps in after them, fishes them both out of the water, not a moment too soon because his lordship couldn't swim a lick. The boy's been hailed as a hero, and he'll puff like a rooster sure as rain. But his Lordship doesn't like being reminded of how cowardly he acted, paid a fair bit of coin to have it all hush hush, so I suppose you mightn't have heard. I suppose Alfred's bravery prompted the Gods to shed their blessing on him instead."
Janice nodded. "I think you're right. Oh, look at the time! I'll be late if I don't start out, Lady Ava's got to be dressed for the coronation ceremony. I've been swimming in silk and samite since Monday."
"Take your tea with you, I've cups aplenty."
Janice stood and pushed the chair underneath the table. "Bless you, dear." And she left, walking down Carter Street to her lady's chateau, CarRaine. If she looked up, she could just see the tallest towers of the castle of Spades perched on the Hill of Kings. The spires atop the towers were orange with sunlight. The blue flags of Spades Kingdom fluttered in the breeze. 'Today will be interesting.' She thought.
In the Tower of the King-To-Be, the very same Janice casted a fleeting glance at, two boys, one leaving against the cold stone interior, the other pacing around the room, waited for noon.
"Gods, I can't do this." Matthew, the boy that was almost king, looked up. His boots were far less interesting than the sight before him. Across the room, knees deep in a pile of garments from the old, faded blue, wood garderobe, stood the new King of Spades. He checked the gilded mirror every few seconds, wringing his hands together, and he apparently did not like what he saw there. Matthew couldn't find it in him to feel any animosity towards his twin when he was the one to be crowned king now, not when Matthew couldn't remember ever seeing his younger brother by two minutes so nervous.
"You have to, Al." If there was one thing Alfred hated, it was being lied to, so he didn't even try to sugarcoat the truth..
Alfred shot a baleful glance at his twin and ran a hand through his hair. He'd been doing that a lot since yesterday, and within the last hour more and more strands of gold have gotten caught between his fingers, and in hindsight, he really should have slept as well, but it was way too late for that now. He'd never be able to sleep anyway, even if he could. His heart was beating so fast and loud that it'd awake the dead. This was so wrong, so unfair, he wasn't at all cut out to be royalty, much less a King! So why the hell was the Mark on him and not his brother?!
"This is madness. I'm not the true King, you are!" Alfred pointed out, almost accusingly. Matthew shrugged, pushed off the wall and walked over to the musty four-poster canopy bed opposite the garderobe and the mirror. He sat down with a billow of dust.
"Not according to that." He pointed to the Mark peeking just above Alfred's pants. Alfred twisted his head to look at it. The blue Spade symbol, with its white outline and ornately scripted K, and the crown surrounding the whole thing, looked particularly ugly right now.
"You-you should have it, not me. This doesn't even make any sense, everyone knew you'd be King. Even I knew that!" As the hysterical edge to his voice became more and more apparent, Alfred bent over, bracing his hands on his knees. Breathing was becoming increasingly difficult, wheezing was about the best he could do at that moment. That was most likely not great. The room was also far too stuffy, or maybe that was just him, but he was fairly certain it wasn't supposed to be spinning like it was. Or was it? He didn't know, which certainly didn't make him feel any better. Alfred felt a hand on his back. "Alfred, Calm down."
"S-shut up." He muttered, staring his hands that somehow managed to keep trembling braced as they were against his thighs. He tried to get his erratic breathing under check before he ended up passing out. Calm down? How the hell was he supposed to do that? He was about three hours from being crowned. That was a huge deal, with so many things that could go wrong, and with so many lives in his hands. He was about to be in charge of about 5.2 million lives, and they'd all depend on him for safety, law+making, amongst other things. That was terrifying. He wasn't trained for this, Matthew was! He was trained to fight, protect one person, maybe two, not rule. That was never a possibility, not when all signs for the new king, when King Chelsea -beloved as she was- died and Queen Richard abdicated his throne, pointed to Matthew. Alfred was never jealous, he was happy, proud that Matthew was going to be his new King. He was even happier to find that he'd be Matthew's Captain of the Guard. He sore that he'd protect Matthew from every danger ever, but now? This was so far out of his realm of expertise that Alfred felt like he was drowning, and there was nothing he could grab onto to help keep him afloat.
"You'll be a great king, Alfred. I know you will. You've always had it in you." Matthew said soothingly. "Besides, I'll be here to help you every step of the way." He watched very carefully for his twin's reaction. Alfred froze for all of three seconds, and straightened up, distress forgotten. "You...Aw, Matt, please tell me you're not…"
"We made a promise, Alfred, right?" An old promise, back then they were mere children.
"Back when we both knew you'd be king!"
"Well, as it stands we were both wrong. You're the king now, and I'm your new Captain of the Guard." Matthew folded his arms across his chest and glared defiantly at his twin, who responded with a truly pitiful look. Then Matthew looked away. He couldn't bear to stare into those watery blue eyes. They were weakening his resolve by the second. "I don't know why you're so set against me doing this."
"Because this Kingdom runs through captains like Diamond Kingdom runs through wine, Matt! There's a horribly high likelihood that I will be presiding over your funeral if you do this!"
Matthew had lived under his brother's (over)protectiveness for about eighteen years but never had it been so apparent until this moment. "Alfred..."
"Don't 'Alfred' me Matthew! You know as well as I do that this is a damn dangerous job you're asking for!"
"So it was all OK when you were going to be it?"
"I'VE BEEN, WAS TRAINING FOR THAT MY ENTIRE LIFE, MATT."
Matthew crossed his arms, "Well let's hope it wasn't a complete waste then."
They said nothing for a few more minutes.
Alfred turned back to the mirror, hands balled at his sides. He looked at himself and his twin's reflection, one in the plain cotton shirt and tweed, the other in silks. "We did make a promise. All I'm asking is that you change your mind."
Matthew watched his twin in the mirrors reflection. "Your safety is important to me too, my King."
Alfred flinched, covered it up by crossing his arms over his chest. "Don't. Don't you dare call me that, It's not noon yet. Besides, We're brothers first. You'll call me what you've been calling me for the last eighteen years."
"An insufferably smothering pompous idiot?"
Nothing happened at first, and Matthew was beginning to think that joke was a bit too cruel, especially now, but eventually Alfred started snickering. "I like it better than 'My King.' It sounds so formal, and frigid."
"I think that's the point."
"Uh-huh." Alfred bent down and picked up a plain white shirt and pulled it on, and finally he crossed over the mannequin and pulled on the customary Blue Vest, embroidered with the symbol of Spades near the seams. Matthew didn't miss the way his twin's fingers trembled as he buttoned the vest up. The last remaining pieces of the royal outfit, the Jacket and the Timepiece, would be given to him at his coronation.
Alfred was struck with a sense of dissociation and more than a little wonder when he turned to the mirror again. It didn't look like him, the tall, broad-shouldered blonde, with the glasses and the flyaway hair, in the wools and satins.
"How do I look?" The stranger asked out loud.
Matthew studied his twins back, choosing his words carefully. "Regal."
In the Tower of the Queen-To-Be on the opposite side of the Castle of Spades, the Queen-to-be sat in the unlit room he'd been living in since he was two. Today was the day, the one he was trained his entire life for, his marriage and coronation. The thought made him smile around the rim of the teacup he held to his lips. "I will be queen in less than two hours time," He said to the dark and empty room. The canopy bed, hung with heavy blue brocade, offered no reply, nor did the desk and the quill and parchment on it. The gilded mirror on the far corner of the room, his room, and the wardrobe were equally silent. The spellbooks lining his bookshelf said as much as they ever did. His room. In two hours, it wouldn't be his anymore, in two hours he'd be bedding down with his mystery king for the rest of His life, or reign as it might happen. This room would go to the next Queen when He was no longer fit to rule, or it would go to the girl children he and his 'King' would have, if his 'King' turned out to be a woman. It mattered not what gender they were, or what they looked like, or how they acted to him, all the Queen required of his future spouse was that they'd be a good ruler, or at least not get in the way of his rule. No matter what, He would be a successful Queen.
He rubbed absently at his Mark, the blue Spade circumscribed inside a Q and set inside a crown, underneath the fabric of his Queen's vest. He always liked the fact that it was on his shoulder. It was easily seen, and thus not easily ignored. 'I am Queen, and You'd do good to remember that.' He liked to imagine it said. Ever since it appeared, faintly, on his shoulder at the tender age of four -much to the relief or his parents for they dreaded to think all the training up they did would be wasted on yet another child, and the jealousy of his elder brothers- He'd been elated. He was slated for royalty, for huge and brilliant things.
A series of faint knocks, thrice against the thick oak door, sounded. The Queen-to-be set down his teacup. "Enter." The accent of Berkshire, the land from which his family originated, made the word sound like "En-tah."
The door swung open, and the familiar face of the Jack-to-be came into view. His brown, Oriental, eyes darted around the room, missing nothing, as they always did. "My Queen-"
"Peace, Yao. I am not queen yet."
"Nor I Jack, your grace. That hasn't stopped either of us before today. "
The Queen-to-be smiled again, revealed pearly white teeth and a fierce look in his green eyes that made the queen seem rather feral. "I suppose you're right. What is it that you require of me?"
"The other Royals have come to witness the coronation and pay their respects." He said, eyes cast down. He knew very well of his Queen's distaste for most of the Linatanian Royalty. He'd grown up with these people, since every other kingdom's King and Queen were picked very young, like the Queen of Spades, and crowned ten years after their Marks appeared, which meant they were all anointed Royalty and He'd have to show them that respect. The only one who wouldn't know any of them would be the King-to-be, and he'd be introduced to his fellow Royals soon enough.
The King of Clubs, one Ivan Braginski, was a nice enough chap on the surface, but bloody insane underneath. The Queen, Elizaveta Héderváry, a mite too strong-willed for Arthur's tastes. The King of Hearts name was Ludwig, and he was a veritable stone in pink satin, and his Queen, his Majesty Kiku a tad too quiet for much besides the occasional tea. The Queen of Diamonds, the Reinette Lilli, couldn't be hated even if she wanted it, as sweet and gentle as possibly could be she was, but she was barely 13, and always under the incredibly watchful eye of her elder brother, the Jack of Diamonds, so Arthur didn't fancy his chances early on of getting close to her, and her husband... If such a title can be bestowed. Every King and Queen had, however unwillingly, consummated their relationship, except for the Diamond Royals. It was decided by a court of the other Royals themselves, the highest-ranking Linatanian nobles, and especially the future Jack of Diamonds that the consummation would wait until her 18th birthday, at least. Her husband had no trouble slaking his lust while he waited for her, it would seem.
The King of Diamonds had a special place in the Queen of Spade's heart, one of intense dislike leaning towards downright hatred on bad days, and amiable companionship on good days. Francis Bonnefoy, crowned and anointed King of Diamonds, was singly the most annoying, perverted, obtuse, aggravating, boneheaded, lustful, disagreeable, flamboyant jackass The Queen ever had the displeasure of knowing, and He had to keep knowing him, because Spades Kingdom and Diamond Kingdom had a fairly nice alliance with each other and the Queen-to-be was forced to visit the King-to-be many a time under the guise of keeping up friendly relations.
"Brilliant. Where are they?" He had a feeling he knew where at least one of them was.
Yao shifted from one slippered foot to the other, almost imperceptibly. "The King and Queen of both Hearts and Clubs are currently residing in the Royal Visiting Room, I have seen that they are refreshed from their journey and are lacking nothing. The Queen of Diamonds is in the garden with her Guardian, the Jack."
"And the King of Diamonds?" The Queen-to-be almost couldn't help the way his tone curled up at the end. He knew it. Yao managed a sheepish look, and gestured behind him. "That King demanded I take him to you, and as you know, Your Grace, I could not refuse." The Queen believed he knew why as well, the ever-so faint glow of well-executed magic still clung around the Jack-to-be's head.
Dammit all. And here he'd been having a very pleasant time alone, before he was to be wedded, crowned and bedded.
A mop of artfully tousled blonde hair, attached to an admittedly attractive face, with its aquiline nose, deep blue eyes, and laughing mouth, popped in the doorway. The King smiled like the lecher the Queen knew he was.
"Well, Mon Ami, Don't you look charming. I can't believe my little Arthur is to be on the same, or close to it, level of magnificence as me in just and hour and a half."
Arthur Cornelius Kirkland, Queen-to-be of the illustrious Spade kingdom, was a man that had been told from a very early age that appearances were everything. So, from a very early age, he strived to remain, outwardly at least, calm and collected and poised, like a gentleman, and then here came this bastard diamond King who undid all his hard work with a mere sentence of two. Arthur took a second to civilize his tongue and remember his courtesies, and stood up, sweeping a low bow to this person who would only outrank him for just a little while longer.
"I thank you for the sentiments, my Lord." Now would you kindly go stick that pathetic patch of stubble you call a beard elsewhere? Arthur came back up, expecting that damnable smile to still be there, mocking him, but the look on His Majesty's face was surprisingly sentimental.
Francis turned to the Jack "Monsieur Wang, some wine, if you please." The Jack looked at his Queen-to-be, who nodded his assent, and disappeared down the hallway to the cellar. Now, Arthur and Francis were alone. Francis walked into the room, looking around with a fond expression. "I remember the day we first met, mon ami."
Arthur sensed that Francis was getting into one of his nostalgic moods, and sat back down, motioning for him to do the same in the chair on the other side of the tea table. "Considering your damned meddling in my head had me set numerous things ablaze, I remember as well, very vividly."
Francis laughed. "That was the pinnacle of amusement, your eyes were as large as dinner plates the moment Monsieur Kirkland's tapestries lit up."
Arthur didn't try disguising his scowl. "It might have been funny to you, but Daddy Dearest lit onto me for that. When I told him it wasn't my fault, he said I shouldn't have a let a Diamond into my head in the first place. However, I heard that your father's entire wine cellar caught fire not a second after the moment you and your father left Kirkland manor." Arthur's smirk brought one out of Francis's.
"He was so upset, you could see the steam coming from his ears. I've never heard such creative words come out of his mouth."
"Hm."
Yao came back with a tray bearing two thin-stemmed wine flutes and a bottle on it. "Ah, thank you, Yao. Set them here please." Arthur gestured to the tea table. Yao left with a bow. And the Queen-to-be of Spades and the King of Diamonds were alone again. Conversation ceased as they sipped champagne in the darkness of the Queen's chambers.
"It isn't easy to rule, Arthur." Francis murmured. "Not at all, as I've come to know. I am only nineteen, I've been King in name since my thirteenth birthday, with my father as regnant, and a true ruler for a year, and it is very, very difficult. Mon Chere Reinette Lilli helps as best she can, and she does, yet she is still a child, and her viper of a brother is less than helpful in matters that don't involve the well-being of his souer."
Arthur took a sip of the fruity champagne before he spoke, searching for a response. "Why are you telling me this, Francis?"
"Because," Francis stood up, walked in front of Arthur's chair, and leaned forward and gripped either side of the chairs back, bracketing Arthur in between his arms. "Despite whatever you think of me, I do not want to see Spade's monarchs dragged out of this lovely castle to their respective nooses. I've seen mon pere come uncomfortably close to that end once myself."
Arthur pushed his arms away, gently. "Then it's a good thing I don't intend to have that happen to either of us." Francis stood up, straightening his yellow Diamond Jacket, but the somber mood still permeated the air, and his eyes were trained grimly on the floor.
"Look, I appreciate the concern, really I do. Trust me, then, when I say we'll both be fine, now and until the end." Arthur stood as well, patted his friend on the shoulder, and then, the flippant man he knew since childhood was back, smiling that infuriating smile of his. "Bon, now, about this new 'King' of yours..."
Arthur smirked, secretly relieved that the conversation wouldn't be so damnably dreary now. "And here I was thinking you'd actually be serious for once. I don't know a thing about them, Francis. You should know already that the King is picked randomly on their eighteenth. All I know is that they arrived early yesterday at the castle. Its all the maids have been talking about."
"You haven't bribed a kitchen wench into divulging details about your fiancé? Mon dieu, you're so...I don't know what you are but it isn't good. Let's go find out who they are!"
"No! I'll find out in an hour, you git. Some of us actually pay attention to tradition."
"Tradition is so boring, what if he's old, or rude, or, gods forbid, impotent!"
Arthur sat down again, reaching for the bottle and pouring himself a fresh glass of champagne. "Is sex really all you think about? ... ...And how do you know it's a man, it could be a woman, Like I said, I don't know."
"Oh, mon dieu, how little you know Arthur. Sex, good sex, is one of the most important, wondrous things that can happen to you, Mon Cher. There is nothing worse than crawling into the bed of a god and discovering he can't perform."
"That's all very interesting, Francis, truly I'm bloody riveted please tell me more when you get the chance and maybe I'll be able to snatch a bit of sleep before my coronation, but how do you know the King is a man?"
Francis said nothing for the longest time, but he did sidle towards the door in a manner that would have been subtle if Arthur hadn't known this man nearly his entire life. "I think my wine arrived a while ago, I'd better check to see if something unsavory happened to it." He beat a hasty retreat out the door. Arthur followed him as far as the doorway, "WHERE ARE YOU GOING, GET BACK..." By then, the King of Diamonds was too far away to hear Arthur's demands, and knowing Francis, when he didn't want to do something, neither hell or high water would convince him to do that something. Arthur closed the door lest he be heard yelling after the king like some sort of hooligan. "What on earth did he mean by all of that? Custom dictates that the King-to-be remains in his chambers until we wed, and no-one but the maids, and only one or two, and the head of the high council even see him before the ceremony, who'd that wine-soaked moron bribe to know so much about my Spouse?" He muttered quietly, pressing his slender fingers against his chin.
Arthur didn't sit down at this tea table, the tray of wine, and the tea he'd been enjoying before interruption completely forgotten. Instead, he crossed to his bookshelf, fingering an old leather-bound tome that went back a particularly long time. "A man, huh?"
He may not like Francis all the time, but he knew him at least, very well, and if there was one thing Francis didn't do, it was lie. So, despite what little he knew about His new King, this new spouse was a man.
Arthur pulled the spellbook off of the bookshelf, the smell of old paper, burned incense and faded magic reassuring in its familiarity. This book was as old as he was, as dear as a friend. But he wouldn't use it now, Tradition was Tradition, and it would be respected.
Despite himself, and his earlier declaration that he didn't care a whit about his fiancé, now he was curious. Was he short, or tall? Broad or skinny, old or young, kind or cruel...handsome or homely? What was his name, where did he come from, what was he planning to now that they were to be King and Queen of Spades?
And perhaps the quietest, yet loudest question of all, Will I like him?
Surely it helped when Monarchs were fond of each other, yet a word like 'Love' and 'Spade Royalty' had been polar opposites for decades.
"My Queen?" Came a voice from behind him. Arthur didn't need to turn around to know who it was, but he did so regardless. Yao was dressed in the blue hat, mantle, overcoat, and dress of a Jack of Spades. "It is time. I am to escort you to the Coronation room."
Arthur set the book on his desk. "Alright."
Here we go.
Arthur left his old room as the Queen-to-be, and he would only enter again, and the true anointed Queen. The thought was terrifying, and exhilarating. He fairly bounced as he followed Yao down the hallway, and the stairs, and the main hall. "Its time, its here!"
"I am the Queen!"