Gilbert was strolling the castle hallways, thinking about what to do next. Lilli had awoken, and she insisted on resting in the same room as Matthew, so he took her there and left Emil and the healers to watch over both of them. He hadn't realized how close the Intended King and Queen had become in just a couple days, but perhaps the mayhem they were forced to endure gave them a push in that direction.
He turned toward the meeting room, and saw a servant struggling to open the door while holding a tray with tea. He teleported to her side, and grabbed the tray while she squawked in surprise.
"It's okay, I've got the tea," Gilbert assured her, "You can get the door now."
"Well, thank you sir," the young girl accepted, and she opened the door before taking the tray back. Gilbert followed her into the room, where Ludwig and Yao were reading some Ledgers.
"I thought I heard a small shriek, Angelique, is everything okay?" Yao inquired as the girl brought the tea to the table.
"That would be my fault," Gilbert cleared up, "I saw her struggling to open the door, so I teleported to her side and helped her out."
"Gilbert, how many times do I have to tell you to not scare the servants?" Ludwig groaned.
"It's all right, your Majesty, I appreciate his help," Angelique said as she poured tea, "Would all three of you like some tea? Yao asked for it, but I have more than enough here for all of you."
"I'll take some, please," Gilbert requested as he took the seat beside Ludwig, "So, I see you boys were busy reading the Ledgers. Learn anything yet?"
"A couple of things," Ludwig answered, "For one, the Club Royals have been planning for this since Ivan got his Mark eight years ago."
"Wow, that's a long time," Gilbert remarked, nodding to Angelique as she brought him a cup of tea, "It looks like they actually had the patience to observe and plan accordingly. What else?"
"When reading Guinevere's mind, Svetlana saw on what day the Absorbing was set to begin," Yao continued as Angelique gave Ludwig his tea, "However, they did not know that Ivan and Natalya would be unable to take the Marks they targeted."
"What Marks, if I may ask?" Angelique pried as she gave Yao his tea, "Also, is that Matthew and Alfred in that book there?"
"That is none of your business, Angelique," Yao refused, reaching over and shutting the book so that she couldn't look any closer, "Now, if you are done serving the tea, you can take your leave."
"Of course, sir, my apologies," Angelique obeyed, leaving the teapot on the table and taking the tray with her to the door, "That drawing doesn't do Matthew justice, by the way."
"Get out, you silly girl!" Yao ordered, pointing at the door that Angelique immediately rushed through in giggles, before turning back with his hand rubbing his forehead.
"What was that about?" Ludwig asked.
"Matthew carried firewood into that kitchen once with his shirt off, and four girls cut themselves while distracted from the vegetables," Yao explained, "He's been banned from the kitchen, and the girls have been idolizing him ever since."
"Too bad you kicked her out, she had some good questions," Gilbert said, "Now, what's this about targeting the wrong Marks?"
"Svetlana saw that the Absorbing would start exactly 1640 days after Natalya got her Mark," Ludwig resumed, "That lines up perfectly to when Berwald and Mikkel were killed and the Spade Timepiece froze. Their deaths were needed to start the Absorbing, but their Marks couldn't be taken as part of the Absorbing."
"Damn, looks like you were onto something there, Yao," Gilbert commented, "Did they figure out why?"
"Although their own Timepiece froze, they had nothing on the other Timepieces freezing," Ludwig explained, reopening the Ledger Yao had shut and turning several pages, "However, they figured out why when they matched up another piece of Svetlana's instructions to a pair of twins who became Spade Royals that night."
Ludwig found the page and passed it over, and Gilbert saw the drawing.
"Angelique was right, this is definitely Matthew and Alfred," Gilbert mused aloud, "Let me guess, Svetlana saw them in Guinevere's mind?"
"Not only that, but she even saw that Matthew was the rightful King," Yao reported, "Elizaveta's notes confirmed that they figured it out when they attended Alfred's coronation. Svetlana also saw that they would be key players in the Absorbing."
"Anything about the Intendeds or the switch in Diamonds?" Gilbert asked.
"Nothing yet," Ludwig replied, "Svetlana suspected Matthew and Alfred of being Intendeds, but nobody else is mentioned."
"Come to think of it, didn't Guinevere foresee Antonio and Lilli after Juliana forced Svetlana out of her mind?" Yao mentioned, "It's possible that Guinevere and Juliana were the only ones to know about the Diamond switch."
"That's a good question," Ludwig concurred, leaving through Svetlana's Ledger, "That would explain Ivan's comment about his attempt at taking Francis's Mark not going according to plan."
Ludwig halted as he reached several blank pages, and checked the front of the Ledger.
"This is the end of Svetlana's Ledger, she died shortly after drawing Matthew and Alfred. She didn't get to say much, but she made it count."
"So we can suspect that they had no idea about the Diamonds," Gilbert concluded as Yao went through the other Ledger.
"Here we go," Yao said as he found a section, "Elizaveta describes the attack on Diamonds. She was rather surprised when she was unable to find Juliana's Ledgers, as she used a spell that searched for her name in every Ledger in Lilli's study. On top of that, when Ivan got confused over not being able to take the Diamond Mark, Francis laughed in his face and revealed he had been the Ace all along."
"Ah, Francis, you certainly got the last laugh there," Gilbert chuckled, "That would also explain why Elizaveta and Natalya were being extra pissy at Antonio when he showed up in Hearts."
"Come to think of it, Antonio didn't know about the Spade switch until he died, didn't he?" Yao noted, "If you knew there was a switch in your Suit's Royals going into something like the Absorbing, wouldn't you try to find out if it happened in more than one Suit?"
"That makes perfect sense," Ludwig agreed, "He likely saw that, like with himself and Francis, another switched pair would've had to receive their Marks at the same time. Spades and Hearts each ended up with a pair of brothers who fit the bill."
"When Natalya killed Lovino, Antonio likely concluded that Hearts didn't have the other switch," Gilbert elaborated, "He understood that Natalya taking Lovino's Mark proved that he was also an Ace. The only pair left to check was Matthew and Alfred."
"When you returned to Spades, didn't Alfred help Antonio to a chair before Lilli tried to heal him?" Ludwig pointed out, "If Alfred was a King, he'd have taken Antonio's Mark right then."
"That's right," Gilbert said, "When Antonio gave Matthew his Mark, I heard him say 'I knew it would be you'. He possibly even know it before we returned, when he saw Ivan wanting to kill Matthew in Hearts."
"So, we can conclude that the Club Royals knew about both switches, and suspected that Matthew and Alfred are Intendeds," Ludwig recapped, "After today's show, I wouldn't be surprised if Elizaveta now knows that Lilli is also an Intended. That leaves the Intended Jack as their only uncertainty."
"That might be our only advantage, yes," Gilbert seconded, "Whatever happens next, both groups will have a fairly even matchup in terms of intelligence. We still have strength in numbers for now, at least, including two non-Intended Royals that can still have a say in how this all ends."
"I've already agreed to work with Feliciano on taking down Roderich," Yao disclosed, "We'll need to think of something clever to outwit him. I understand I may not survive, but I will help Feliciano and the others while I can."
"In other words, you've given up on surviving this," Ludwig criticized.
"I have not given up, I am merely looking at this with another perspective," Yao explained, "The Intendeds are meant to bring peace and unity to the Deck, and any non-Intendeds who survive in the place of an Intended will hurt the potential. I have considered the possibilities under which you and I would survive, and I can see flaws with each scenario."
"This sounds intriguing," Gilbert said, "Please, do tell."
"As we all know, Lilli and Alfred are the only feasible choices for Queen and Ace, as the only other options are Usurpers," Yao illustrated, "It is the King and Jack that are in flux as there are still two options for each: myself or Feliciano as the Jack, then Ludwig or Matthew as the King. If we first consider the scenario where Matthew and I both survive, that would result in the surviving group having 3 Spade Royals. If we then tried to go to the other Suits and proclaim to the citizens that we now rule everyone, they wouldn't see a balanced selection of Royals. They would see an aggressive dictatorship by Spades, with Lilli betraying Diamonds."
"I can certainly imagine that happening in Hearts or Clubs, especially with those who remember the Mad Queen trying to take over the Deck," Ludwig said, "So that option is definitely out."
"Yes, and the only other combination where I survive is if you are King instead of Matthew," Yao continued, "We would have the balance of the three Suits represented, and we would be able to make it work, but it is still flawed. If you and I both survive, then Matthew and Feliciano both have to die. Alfred would be devastated over losing Matthew, and I am pretty sure you would miss Feliciano."
"I should add in that Lilli and Matthew are pretty much an item by now," Gilbert noted, "She would also be heartbroken if Matthew was killed."
"Although they show it in different ways, Matthew and Feliciano are the emotional glue that is keeping us all from losing hope," Yao clarified, "As strong and intelligent as we may both be, Ludwig, we cannot replace both of them."
"So, that counts out the two scenarios where you survive," Ludwig dismissed, "That leaves us with the scenario where Feliciano survives, but I take Matthew's place."
"To be fair, I see this as the combination that would be most successful if an Intended were not to survive," Yao revealed, "We would still have Feliciano there to keep the peace, and you are very experienced as a King. However, as much as you may not want to hear it, the flaw here lies with how you lack the kindness and humility needed for being an Intended."
"What makes you say that?" Ludwig asked.
"You were a soldier, serving under King Gupta and Ace Heracles, before you got your Mark and became King," Yao described, "Although you have ruled well, you've done so in a very authoritative manner. If you are to unite the Deck, you will have to work with the people of the other Suits, and you have to be adaptable and willing to cooperate, which I honestly think you are not. You are more likely to lay down laws and refuse to budge, making you appear to the citizens as a tyrant instead of a true leader. On the other hand, Matthew and Alfred were orphans, living destitute on the streets, when they were taken in. They saw the difficulties of life at a young age, and they never lost sight of what is important. Even now, Matthew is incredibly humble, truly appreciating this privileged upbringing that he wouldn't have had otherwise. Whenever we go into the city, he always give coins to the poor children on the streets that remind him of his childhood. Yes, he is brave and intelligent, and will stand his ground with incredible strength when he needs to. However, his kindness and humility will allow him to listen to what the citizens need, and he will do what he can to help as many people as possible. That is what the Deck will need, a King that can break down the rivalries, bring everyone together, and lead a united realm."
"In other words, the Deck is better off if I die and he is King," Ludwig summarized, "Do you really believe that Matthew can handle it better than I can?"
"I know you may not want to hear it, but I certainly do," Yao defended, "When I first arrived here and met the boys, I questioned why they were taking the risk of training the boys while keeping them hidden in plain sight. Berwald told me how he believed the imprints of their Spade Marks must be a sign that they would be among the strongest Royals Spades would ever see. As we now know with the Absorbing, this turned out to be absolutely true. I have watched these boys come into their own over the last three years, and I have faith in them. This group of Intendeds is what the Deck needs. We should be helping them achieve this, whatever the cost."
Ludwig rose from his seat, and walked out of the room without saying a word. Once the door was shut, Yao turned to Gilbert.
"Do you think I pushed that too far, Gilbert?"
"No, I don't think so, Yao. You were right about everything, Matthew is better suited as the Intended King. Ludwig just needs time to consider where he stands in all this."
"He's not a threat to Matthew, is he?"
"I'm not sure. I hope he at least backs down on the issue in favour of dealing with Ivan when the time comes. If they can work together to bring down Ivan, like you and Feliciano are planning with Roderich, I think there is still hope for a peaceful resolution. It's up to Ludwig, though. He's always been a soldier at heart, and he will not step aside and let someone else decide his fate for him."
Yao nodded, before taking one last sip of his tea. Gilbert looked at the Ledger again, and realized that one more question hadn't been answered.
"Hey, Yao, why would Matthew be walking through the kitchen with his shirt off?"
Yao choked on his tea, and shot Gilbert a look.
"It was a hot day late in the summer, and Matthew worked up a sweat while chopping the firewood," Yao said, "After that incident, only Alfred ever worked in the kitchens, and we would send Matthew to the stables."
"What a pity for the girls. Still, I suppose it explains why you have stayed single for so long."
"How do you figure that, Gilbert?"
"Why bother finding anyone else when you could see Matthew shirtless whenever you want?"
"Oh, screw off."
Gilbert merely laughed as the Jack stood up and left the room. If Matthew was indeed the most dashing young man in Spades, then perhaps Lilli was luckier at getting him than he was at wooing her.
Author's Note
As I warned, another long chapter with a lot to cover. Now, we have all the intelligence portions in place, and we can start guessing what will happen next.