Matthew had always thrived for adventure. It was something that he longed for.
Now, he just wanted to go back to his cozy home, and forget everything that had happened in the past two days.
As Matthew fixed his black masquerade mask, he felt giddy. He gave himself a once over in the tall mirror.
He was dressed in a black cape, and his black, long sleeved shirt and black pants went along with his outfit. There was gold embodied on the hem of the cape, which gave the whole outfit a majestic look.
He felt like royalty.
He never thought of himself as royalty. He was just an Ace. No one ever said anything about Aces being a part of royalty.
"You look amazing, Matthew." Matthew spun around, to see Lilli. She wore a long, yellow dress with layers of lace starting waist down. She held her mask in her right hand, twirling it a bit.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. You look lovely as well." Matthew bowed, feeling slightly awkward. He heard Lilli giggle.
"Call me Lilli, if we ever meet again after this." They exchanged a smile.
"Your Ma- Lilli, thank you for letting me use your room for dressing, and for providing me this outfit as well, but I hope you don't mind me asking, why don't you share a room with the King?"
Lilli felt red blossom onto her cheeks.
"W-Well, Francis and I, we aren't… we aren't really in a relationship. The only reason we're married is because my I was born with the mark of a Queen. Francis could sense it when we first bumped into each other after the civil war." She fiddled with her hair. "We are good friends though. He's only a few years older than me, and you too Matthew."
Matthew blushed this time.
"Well he was more like a dad to me than a brother, and I wasn't aware of how young he was when we first met."
Lilli smiled.
"I see."
"You know, I haven't worn lenses before, so this is pretty weird."
"It's only so no one recognizes you. Try to keep a distance from my brother and the king. If you see your King and Queen, even Jack, go to them."
"W-Wait! I thought the ball was only for the Kingdom of Diamonds!"
"It's the Annual Ball of the Deck, Matthew. Masquerade Ball is the theme. Spades hosted it last year, remember? The theme was… time travel, I believe? I didn't attend since I was ill."
"O-Oh, right." Matthew remembered it, but he didn't show up. He was nervous, there'd be so many people from all around the Deck. This would be his first ball.
The thing about these balls were that you couldn't always guess the right kingdom for a person. You didn't have to wear the colors of your kingdom, unless you were a royal.
Well, since Matthew was wearing black, he wasn't even sure why he felt like a royal, seeing no kingdom represent the color.
"Remember, don't take your mask off. Stay away from Francis and my brother, Vash. Don't draw too much attention. Try to escape one you have your chance. And of course, be careful."
Matthew nodded as she spoke, mentally listing the things down. He felt a bit excited though, because he'd have to go through the ballroom and find the exit that Lilli told him was the most unguarded. He was going to see the ballroom! Actually attend in a ball!
She looked to the gold clock by the door.
"Oh no! Big brother's going to be here any minute! You have to go!" Lilli squeaked. As he rushed out the room, he could see a ghost of a smile on the emerald eyed girl, wishing him luck.
The ballroom was amazing. Of course, if his papa was anything, it was a designer. From clothes, to food, to ballrooms.
The yellow and white tiled floor sparkled. There were columns on both parallel sides of the ballroom, and people were spread out across the ballroom floor. A large chandelier hung from the ceiling, yellow light illuminating the room. Small diamonds hung like water dew on the tip of a leaf. Candles hung behind the columns, on the walls. On the left, there was a refreshment stand, filled with pastries and food. A few people were standing by there. On the right, there were curtains hanging on the columns, and a few open doors, which Matthew recognized as balconies.
Right, Lilli said that he had to find the right balcony (she didn't remember which) and the exit would be impossible to miss from there. Matthew still wasn't sure what she meant by that.
People were scattered across the floor, chatting, gossiping. The music hadn't begun yet. As Matthew walked to the refreshment stand, not wanting to look suspicious by bee lining to the balconies right away, he spotted the Royals of Kingdom Clubs.
Queen Elizaveta of Clubs had her long brown hair in a classy bun, and she was holding her mask on her index finger, twirling it around. She wore a long, floor length, green ball gown. There were layers of fabric, different shades of green, which went down on the skirt part of the dress – or whatever it was called. Her sleeves were ruffled, and were a dark shade of green. She looked engaged in her conversation with the King of Clubs, King Roderich.
The King, Roderich had dark brown hair, and seemed to not be wearing glasses, revealing his violet eyes. Dressed in a very dark shade of green suit and cape, he definitely looked elegant, something he was famous for looking. He held on tightly to his staff, which was tall and green. He didn't seem happy at something the Queen said, and just sighed.
The Jack, Jack Ivan, was just watching them with an amused expression. His hair was blonde, but so light it almost looked white. He had eyes like Roderich, violet and deep, and wore a light green suit, the back of the suit extending to the back of his knees. He began to fix his mask, looking bored suddenly.
Matthew scanned the ballroom, hoping to find someone, specifically the Royal Family of Spades. It appeared that Alfred was spending too much time on his hair. Maybe he was dead. After all, after eating Alice's scones, it was hard to survive.
Trumpets blew suddenly, almost sending Matthew flying a few feet in the air after being caught off-guard. As the arrival of the Royal Family of Diamonds was announced, Matthew could feel his heart pounding, and looked away from the door.
It was quiet, and people began to bend down. It took Matthew a few seconds to understand they were bowing. Catching himself on time, he quickly bowed and looked up at the chandelier, unconsciously checking to see if his mask was on properly. He turned to face Francis, and dressed in a long, yellow suit, with a silk cape, accompanied by his crown, the King had a strained smile. The Jack, Vash, and Lilli stood a few steps away.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have a few important announcement to make. First off, The Royal Family of Hearts will not be attending, along with many of Kingdom Heart's citizens, as the civil war has only gotten worse. I know you all may be curious as to what is currently happening inside the kingdom, but I'm afraid we do not know many details yet. Upon learning more information, a public announcement will be made to inform you of what's happening at Kingdom Hearts, until then, we can only hope that those in Kingdom Hearts stay safe during their troublesome time.
"Secondly, we are looking for a young man. He's blonde, wears glasses, and was last seen in a blue tunic, accompanied by a blue cape. He is seventeen, and his eyes are violet. If found, bring him to me. The reward for this young man is ten thousand dollars."
No! He's talking about me! He's trying to find me! Is it because I'm the ace, or because I'm his adopted son or-
Vash coughed loudly, and he could see Francis visibly swallow.
"And of course, the best for last. We wanted to thank the Royal Family of Clubs for attending this year's annual ball, whose honor we've had to hold. This is a graceful occasion, and we are happy that the Royal Family of Clubs is here with us today." At this, the said family smiled a bit, looking content at their acknowledgment. "We are not sure if the Royal Family of Spades will be attending this year, but from what we know now, they will have a delayed arrival. When we find out more details concerning their arrival, we will announce it. Until then, please enjoy the ball."
Francis curtsied, and slowly chatter resumed as the hosting family made way to the visiting one.
Great, so Alfred, Alice and Yao may not attend. Just great.
