"Will the Jack be fine?" asked Tohru nervously when the Ace of Hearts opened the door of his clinic.
"Of course," said the Ace, smiling wearily. "He's not the Jack of Hearts for nothing!"
The Hare appeared. "Ace of Hearts, the Queen must rest for now. She has been through quite an experience in the Kingdom of Diamonds, you know."
Tohru blinked. "M-Momiji!" she squealed happily. "Wow, at last I found you!"
The rabbit looked puzzled. "Huh? You're puzzling me, Your Highness."
The Ace of Hearts bowed. "I presume you have things to talk about, Hare." He left for the hallway.
The Maid of Diamonds was sitting on the bed of what used to be her room in the palace of Hearts when the door opened. She turned and found the Ace of Hearts staring at her, somewhat awkwardly.
"Um…" She stood up. "I-I'm sorry. I know I have no right to stay here. I-I'm about to leave…"
He held a hand up. "No, it's fine. Stay if you must."
She looked away. "T-Thanks."
Silence.
"So how is the Jack?" she began.
"The operation was a little tricky, but it went well. He really had the desire to live."
"See what love can do?" she asked, smiling. "O-Oops, I forgot. The Ace is clueless with love."
He cleared his throat. "A-Actually…" He was desperately groping for words. After so many years…
She had grown more beautiful than ever, and time had not made his feelings for her fade away.
She stood up. "I better go back to my palace. After all, this is trespassing." She bowed and made her way to the door.
But then the Ace of Hearts blocked her way. "Wait!" he said urgently.
"E-Eh?" She gaped at him, flushed. "W-What is it?" She then looked down at the hand he was holding tightly.
He looked at it too, then dropped it, as if he held a hot potato. "About that night-"
She shrugged. "It's ok. I was young, and you just got carried away."
He was stunned. So all this time, it was only he who suffered so many years thinking about that incident? How it changed him so much and turned his world upside down?
"It means nothing to anymore," she said breezily. "You know how kids are. Always reckless." She headed for the door, and this time, he let her out.
When the door shut, he collapsed weakly against it. "Damn it!" he hissed.
"Maybe it means nothing to you, but it meant the whole world to me back then," he whispered, his fists clenched. "You don't know how much it hurt when you really disappeared the next morning."
"And until awhile ago, that hurt still persists. But right now, it hurts more then ever, because my hopes that you did love me was dashed."
He smiled sadly. "What a fool I am."
The Maid of Diamonds wiped a tear away from her eye silently. "God, why did he have to remind me about that? He's so sadistic…can't he see that it hurts me so much to be reminded by my stupidity? That I really thought he loves me?"
"Maybe because when he kissed me, I could feel that he want me. Only now, I understand that he just enjoyed it. It was all lust. Lust."
She looked up at the sky sadly. "What a fool I am."
The Momiji look-alike shook his head, fascinated by the tales that the Queen narrated.
"So…just like the others…you are not Momiji…just another character in Wonderland," sighed the onigiri.
"I'm so sorry to disappoint you, Your Highness."
"Ah well…" She looked out at the window. "What is the King of Hearts planning to do with me?"
"To tell you the truth, I don't know," he said. "My best guess is that you will be his prized trophy that he can brag to the neighboring kingdoms. You will be one thing that his fellow kings do not have."
"E-Eh?"
The Hare sighed. "The King is like that. He's fiercely competitive, and he can be possessive with the things he own. And now that you're in his kingdom, you are part of his possessions, so watch your actions, Your Highness."
Tohru felt unexplainable worry about the ominous statement of the Hare. "H-Hontou?"
"Nevertheless, you should rest-"
"The Jack told me that I can ask any wish from the King," she said slowly. "Is it true?"
"Yes," said the Hare solemnly.
The onigiri started to think deeply.
"Your room is upstairs," said the Hare. "It's this way-"
"If you don't mind," cut Tohru in. "I would like to explore the palace a little more."
He looked hesitant, but he nodded. "Of course, but you must remember not to go past the walls of the Hearts palace. It is dangerous…"
"I know," she said. "I'm going to explore the inside of the palace." She bowed the went towards the stairs.
The Hare sighed then shrugged.
The Maid of Diamonds was about to exit the gates of the kingdom when she remembered that she forgot to say goodbye to the Queen. Although it was against her better judgment, she decided that somehow the Queen became a dear friend to her, so she wanted to bid her farewell. She knew it would be the last time that they will see each other.
But then, deep inside her heart, she knew there was another reason. Her heart was still crying for her love.
She wanted to see him too one last time.
Tohru was awed by the endless carpeted hallways of the palace. It was exactly a fairy tale setting, however, she was confused now more than ever. Where is she? And can she ever make it back home?
But the real question that she refuses to answer is, does she want to go back home?
Fortunately, she had no time to answer it, for she saw the end of the hallway already. A blank wall.
She sighed, exasperated. She wasted all her efforts to walk the long hallways just to face a dead end?
But then she immediately noticed a bulge on the corner of the wall. Overtaken by curiosity, she drew towards it and inspected it closely. She gave it a little push.
To her shock, it swung around, revealing another staircase!
Although she was feeling fear, she decided to climb it.
"The Queen of Hearts?" echoed the Hare, blinking. " I think she said that she was just going to explore the palace a bit. Would you like me to help you look for her?"
"I think I can do that."
The Maid felt her heart race. That voice.
It was the Ace's.
"Run along, Hare. I'll help her find the Queen," said the Ace, firmer this time.
"Y-Yes."
A minute later, they were left alone in the hallway.
The Maid, having no idea what else to say, walked ahead. "Um, maybe she went this way-"
"We're going this way," said the Ace, pulling her towards the other hallway – where her bedroom was. But he didn't stop in front of her bedroom. He pulled her on the very end of the hallway – his room. He pulled her inside then locked the door.
"W-What…you're going to rape me?" she cried when she saw him take his coat off.
"No, you're going to ask for me to do that," he teased. When he saw her face turn white, he chuckled. "Chiisa, I was just kidding. We're just going to talk. I just removed my coat because it's hot."
"You mean, you won't?" she said, blinking. "Darn!"
His eyes widened, then he laughed. "Oh Chiisa, you are still that same naughty girl!"
"I'm not a girl anymore! I'm all grown-up!" she said proudly.
"I know. I can see that. You've changed." His eyes saddened. "Does that mean that your feelings changed too?"
She was silenced.
"I'll see if I'm right." Without warning, he pulled her close to her and leaned down towards her face. "Someone told me that kisses change everything…let's see if she's right."
Her eyes widened when she felt him kiss her with fierce passion. Oh, good Lord, it was much, much sweeter than the last time! The years that they were separated, the longings, the sleepless nights…they made their kiss grow hungrier and more urgent.
He pulled away, panting. "Damn, you can still literally take my breath away!" he murmured huskily.
She blinked. "S-Still?"
"Back then, it was wrong for me to say this, but now, I don't care about what the rules say. I cherish you more than anything else in the world." He held her close. "I love you, with all my heart and soul."
Her eyes welled up with tears. "It certainly took you long enough to say that."
"Oh yeah? Then we'll start making up for the lost time…" he murmured as he started to kiss her again, slowly this time. He knew she was his.
Upstairs, Tohru found a solitary room amidst a beautiful garden.
I didn't know that there is an indoor garden here in the palace!
Her attention was caught by the sudden flutter of feathers of a bird. She turned around and found a young man dressed in royal maroon robe, face expressionless, but was staring hard at her.
tsuzuku