Inky, I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you-
Boris: Allora's been going crazy all morning because her favorite story, Wonderland Academy: The Academy for Blades and Guns, by Ink n'Echo, was updated.
Blood: Ignore the young lady please, and read on with the story.
Ace: Allora-chi does not own J/C/HnKnA.
Previously:
"You got so far, it's too bad that you'll be stopped here." Masaka! (You know?!) His voice turned colder as well as authoritative. I guess I was right when I thought the Knave of Hearts was bipolar.
"Capture the other two in the group. They are Spaders."
Oh the irony of my jinxing statements.
The Land of Spades Part 1:
Chapter 10:
Family Issues (REWRITTEN!)
Clang.
I saw the prison bars swing shut in front of my miserable friends. Everyone was miserable because we thought we pulled it off, and at the last second, was caught red-handed.
Lucian couldn't afford to show her Water element at that time, and surrendered peacefully. Mia kicked, bit, scratched, and clawed the eyes out of every person who got close. In the end, they had to tickle her until she gave up.
Me? I was having the worst situation you could get for a prideful person like me. Ace was holding a leash that was attached to a collar, that shocked me whenever I disobeyed.
Lucian mouthed to me, "It's alright, we have a plan!"
Mia, who was being pessimistic for the first time since I had met her, muttered, "Probably."
"Guards!" Ace started giving instructions to the soldiers while I studied my surroundings carefully.
The prison cell was very clean, not like those medieval dungeons you find in books.
The cell itself was made of wood, and it didn't look very hard to break, but as Lucian struggled to push at it, I came to the conclusion that it was sturdier than normal wood.
I felt a prickling sensation on my neck, and gritted my teeth, thinking, "Oh, great."
The collar lit up with electric blue light, then I stifled my screams as it shocked me.
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?" I yelled at Ace, more than a little mad.
"You weren't paying attention to me."
"SO!?"
"Ignoring Ace-sama is punishable by death, " The soldiers all recited in monotone.
"Who was stupid enough to make a law like that?!"
Shock.
"KYAHH!"
"Calling Ace-sama stupid is punishable by death," The guards said again, creepily in sync.
Lucian gave me a slightly sympathetic glance. When I mean slightly, I mean she was barely sympathetic.
She was mostly trying not to roll on the floor laughing.
Mia wasn't even trying to conceal her laughter, and was already giggling into her hands.
"Come, Amethyst. Hmm, actually, that's probably an alias. What's your real name?"
"AND YOU JUST FIGURED THIS OUT!?"
Shock.
"GYAHH! Will you f******-" Shock. "KYAHH! stop-" Shock. "-DOING THAT!?"
"Nope," Ace said with a huge smile on his face.
Lucian was laughing so hard she was trembling, and Mia was already choking. Even the guards had small smiles on their faces.
The shock from the electricity making my nerves go numb, I struggled to stand up and hit him where the sun don't shine.
Shock.
"YOU M***********!"
Shock.
I didn't even have enough energy to get up anymore.
"Trying to assault and swearing at Ace-sama is-"
"YEAH, I KNOW, PUNISHABLE BY DEATH!"
Finally, one of the guards couldn't take it anymore, and started laughing.
Ace's easy going smile completely disappeared, and his hand moved faster than I could see.
He speared the young man's shoulder, and his hand burst into flame.
The guard yelled in agonizing pain, and I struggled to get up, to do whatever I could to stop him.
Ace's cruel smile was scary. Terrifying.
He twisted his hand further and deeper into the man's arm, and the soldier's yells became screams.
The burns, as well as the force from the attack, was taking it's toll, and the man's eyes went white with pain, and then nothing.
Ace agonizingly slowly pulled his hand out. I couldn't bear to watch.
I should have never messed with this terrifying man.
What had we gotten ourselves into this time?
Ace commanded the guards to haul the body away, and the command had a threat at the end-
Or else you'll end up with the same fate as He did.
I dropped to my knees.
Ace wasn't just a killer. He was a murderer. A torturer.
"Now then, " He said creepily, smile still intact. "Where were we?"
Ace pulled me out the door, and Lucian, who now looked completely scared and definitely not laughing anymore, mouthed, "We'll come up with something!"
He pulled me along as I struggled to keep up with his fast pace on hands and knees.
His eyes had changed again, and I was still as confused as ever as to what he was feeling.
The only thing that I could understand from the hardness in his eyes, was that he looked like he was steeling himself for something, but what?
In the way we were going, it looked like we were traveling further and further into the Palace. As woman servants increased, I understood that we had entered the Inner Palace. (Where woman stayed in the Emperor's Palace. Most girls were not allowed to come out of the Inner Palace. A women's sanctuary.) More like a prison, I snorted, surprised that we hadn't gotten lost yet.
We headed off in a dark hallway that split off in 7 directions. We took the 2nd one, then a right turn, then the 3rd one, then- You know what? I'll leave the rest to your imagination. So we ended up lost. I spoke to soon.
"Ace, aren't you just lost? Why don't you admit it? It's pretty obvious. " I said dryly. Ace just looked at me, and sighed. "We didn't get lost!"
"Do you know where you are?" "No, but-"
"Ace, you just admitted it yourself."
"But I like going on adventures!"
"Adventures are my favorite things as well, but I like going around by MYSELF unrestrained." I said, pointing at Ace and then the collar.
"But if you went around without the leash on then you would run away!"
"No kidding! Who wouldn't run away when you've been pulled around by a guy that you hardly know that randomly put a collar on you and killed a guy right in front of you?!"
Ace thought about it for a second, then remarked, "Hmm, when you say it that way, I guess you're right. "
"YOU HAD TO THINK TO SAY THAT!?"
I opened my mouth to retort back again, but was cut off.
"Ace! You insolent man! You're late, and lost, again!"
A pretty woman in her late 30's came running in full court dress.
She had dirty blonde hair, and sparkling blue eyes, that looked angry, but only made her look more beautiful.
For some weird reason, she looked familiar.
Full court dress is at least 30 kimonos that you have to wear on top of each other.
They were colorful with swirling designs, and probably of the finest silk, but more importantly;
How can she even stand in all those layers!?
"This is Alice, my mom." Ace said quietly, his eyes looking resigned and serious.
ALICE!?
The Land of Spades catches you with more surprises than the Land of Hearts, Clover, or Diamond.
That is a fact. A simple, astonishing, fact.
"I'm very sorry Mother, I-"
"Don't call me mother. You are not my son."
Alice gave him a cold glare, full of hate. Wow. Nice mother.
She glanced at me. Whoops. I should probably bow down to her.
I sank to the floor and bowed. "I'm very sorry for his behavior Alice-ojou sama. It is my fault for not learning of the facilities earlier." (Ojou-sama means Lady, or Mistress.) She gave a humph, and with a swirl of her fine robes, walked off, beckoning us to follow her.
Ace looked at me and mouthed,
"Why did you lie?"
"Shut up, Mister! I just saved your freaking butt!" I mouthed back.
He just smirked and kissed me on the cheek, causing me to go fire engine red for obvious reasons, then pulled me in the direction that Alice had went.
Later...
With the conversations and arguments swirling around them, (mostly just Alice scolding Ace.) I figured out that Pierce Villers, from the Land of Clovers, was Ace's little brother.
"Your father, Jericho, is cheating on me again! That imbecile! I wonder why I even married him! Oh right, because he was the Emperor! That idiot had the nerve to fall in love with a servant of all people! And the worst part about it is that it gave us this stupid son, Ace!"
The topic had moved to Ace's parents, and I was fighting the urge not to slap Alice in the face.
It was a true love story: Jericho, the one destined to become the Emperor, had fell in love with a servant, Lena, and had a child, Ace. The scandal was quickly covered up, but it was no mystery to Alice, a court lady who was ordered to marry the Emperor.
"Daitai anata wa nee-" There was a voice outside the doors that cut off Alice.
"Okaa-sama, I am here."
"PIERCE~!"
Alice's face changed into a squealing and adoring one of a REAL mother, and almost yanked open the sliding door.
Pierce was just as Quin Rose had thought. Small and cute with brown hair and brown eyes.
Nothing particularly special about him, but there was something about the way he twitched, the way he smiled uncomfortably, that made me narrow my eyes.
This guy was not to be trusted.
Alice bought the act, completely and hugged her son.
Pierce was Alice's biological child, and she adored him on so many levels that it sickened me.
"Mother, it's alright, Father didn't mean it.."
"It's okay Pierce! Mommy understands! You're my one and only son!"
This seemed to strike Ace the most, and I saw his knuckles go white, and blood seeped out. Pierce didn't even try to defend his own Father! I was astonished at how angry I was because Ace was getting insulted.
Pierce looked awkward in Alice's arms, but I could tell he gave a smug look to Ace.
That was the last straw.
I stood up, stomped over to Alice, and slapped her. Yep, you heard me right. Full on, right in the face, with as much force as a rhino.
Those karate classes did pay off! Alice, who was used to a dainty and fine court life as a lady, flew across the room, and slammed against the wall, holding her cheek.
"What are you-" "Are you even a mother? Because you are the most sickening person I have ever met."
I glared at her, rage filling me.
"Burn in hell, demon." My glare must have been quite scary, because she squeaked, turned pale, and ran out of the room.
"Hmm," I said to myself, surprised. "It looks like the collar came off. Best be going." With that, I strolled out.
~The Land of Spades~
ANNOUNCEMENT! That last part is a surprise cliffhanger.
And yes, I did rewrite this chapter. With the way things are rolling, it looks like we'll be in the Fire Ring for a while...
Ace: YES! Allora-chi is with me the entire time!
Allora: I don't know whether to feel flattered or just plain out scared.
Lucian: The chances of you getting away... Are about 10%.
Allora: THAT LOW!?
Ace: You heard her, Allora-chi.. *Lowers his voice and cunningly snakes his hand around Allora's waist*
Ace: Let's have some fun!
Allora: GAH! SAVE ME!