Warning: I wrote out a Card verse version of a concentration camp. If any one is offended by it, skip this chapter and don't get mad at me.
Several figures huddled together against a howling wind.
Years had passed since the King of Clubs had seen his family but little had changed with them. Yekaterina and Natasha still made men stop and stare. Toris, Eduard, and Raivis still followed them with undying loyalty and Felix was still Felix.
"How far now?" a woman asked.
"Several weeks still, your majesty." A man replied softly.
"My Queen, if I may, the Cards are hungry and tired," another man said. "We must rest."
"Make camp here, Ten."
XXX
"Your Excellency, a dispatch has arrived from the King." Yekaterina and Natasha looked up from their dinner.
"What does is say Toris?" Natasha snatched it from the quivering Ten. "They have taken Paris!"
"What?" Yekaterina stood and read over her sister's shoulder. "Thank God he's alright."
"Of course he is!" Natasha yelled happily. "We must push through to Berlin! We can find him there!"
Yekaterina read further.
"That seems to be his wish." She said. "Toris, has the King said when they plan on arriving in Berlin?"
"Not for several weeks, your Excellency." Toris glanced at a map. "The Allies want to regain their strength."
"Let us take Berlin alone, we have the Cards."
"No, Natasha." Yekaterina shook her head. "We have the numbers but our Cards are too tired. We need the other Suits."
XXX
Yekaterina stared out across her Cards, slowly knitting a bandage. This was not the way she had hoped things would go; the Clubs forcing the Hearts back across the Suits, the terrifying sieges of Moscow and St. Petersburg.
She missed Ivan. In the past four years, contact with her brother was limited to letters, her sister more insane than ever. She had not seen her brother since the war began.
"Your Excellency!" Toris rode up to her and slid out of the saddle. "A letter has arrived from the King."
"Saying what?" Toris pulled out the letter and broke the seal.
"'To her greatest Majesty, Yekaterina Braginskaya, the Queen of Clubs, from her brother, his highest Excellency, Ivan Braginski, the King of Clubs.'" Toris smiled a bit. "I think Berwald wrote it." Yekaterina smiled back. "'His Excellency wishes to report three hundred dead and injured in the battle for Paris. The Kings of Spades and Diamonds are fit and eager to push onto Berlin. However, they are convinced that waiting until you and your Cards are in a better position is wise.'" Toris paused to take a breath. "'To pass the time while we wait, sister, the King of Diamonds has taken to 'cleaning' his city. He wishes to rid Paris of all Heart influence.'"
"Oh, the handwriting has changed." Toris said. "The King wrote this next part. He says to keep it between you, Natasha, and," he blushed. "Me."
"The King trusts you, Toris." Yekaterina said sweetly. "Please go on."
"'Please, Katyusha, keep this between Natasha, Toris and yourself. The battle went well, dear one. The Kings and their Cards fought bravely, but ours out did them with courage. The King of Diamonds, his brothers, and I went on to the palace, looking for the King of Hearts. He had left two days earlier, much to my disappointment. (I look forward to the day we can see him again.) In the throne room (quite poetic, yes?), we found the Six and Nine of Hearts. The Six, if you recall, left the Spades for the Hearts. During the battle that had killed King Arthur, I had seen those two Hearts fighting him. I regret to say I did not help him, I did not know Fate would claim him that day.'" Yekaterina sighed a little. "'I wanted to kill both of them, but Francis stopped me. I told him what had transpired when Basch said h was the one that had killed the King of Spades. Francis would have killed him if not for King Alfred to knock him, Kiku, and Basch to the floor. (Alfred doesn't know his own strength). Francis told Alfred Basch had killed his brother but Alfred, about to kill the Eight of Hearts, stopped. The Nine, a sweet little girl of 16, entered the room. Alfred could not bring himself to kill Basch. Needless to say, sister, I would have killed that worm. He does not deserve to live.'"
"Does he say anything about the attack on Berlin?" Yekaterina asked.
"Yes." Toris took a breath and continued. "'A summer attack would be the most prudent. That would give us the spring to travel. I wish you luck, my dear, in traveling in winter. I hope General Winter is kind to you.'" He blushed a bit. "'I love you, my dearest sisters, and miss you terribly. Not a day goes by I don't think of you. I am so very proud of everything you have done in our Suit's name. The Suit has never had a better Queen, nor a better Jack. Toris, my friend, you could have stopped reading this out loud several sentences ago.'" They both laughed.
"He knows you so well." Yekaterina said, smiling.
"'Tell Timo to expect Berwald in a few weeks. Much love, Ivan.'"
"It is good to know he is well." Yekaterina said.
"Your Excellency!" Eduard and Raivis rode up, followed closely by Natasha.
"My Queen!"
"What is it?" Yekaterina's face fell.
"You need to come with us." Natasha said.
XXX
"Mariya, Materʹ Bozhiya." (Mary, mother of God)
Piles of bodies lay in the sun, a few flies buzzed around them lazily. A few people, it was hard to tell if they were men or women, wandered about as if in a dream. Small boys, no older than fifteen, stared at the armed Clubs with apprehension.
The Clubs had seen the thinness caused by poverty and hunger. But this was far different. This was torture.
"What is this?" Yekaterina asked. Despite tears of anger, pity, and horror running from her eyes, she spoke with a strong voice.
"A place for those condemned to die." Eduard said softly.
"Criminals?" Toris asked.
"No. People deemed unwanted by the government." Raivis said, shaking slightly but lifting an emaciated man in his own tiny arms. "Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs."
"Spades?" Natasha asked.
"We found Spade uniforms, but we don't want to ask." Eduard said. "These people have been through enough."
"Who's idea was this?"
"The documents are signed by both the King and Jack." Raivis said, coming back from helping the man to the hospital. "But all the documents are written and signed in the same hand."
"Toris, I need to write a letter." Yekaterina turned away from the decaying bodies.
Two guesses as to what Katyusha's letter is about.