Full story description and tags are as follows.
The Aces of the Deck have noticed that something is wrong.
First they realized that they are missing memories from earlier in their time as Royals. Then they started dreaming of working with another set of Royals during a war between Clubs and Spades. Those two strange "Joker" fellows showing up in mirror reflections are only making things more confusing, same for the soul of that mysterious sorcerer from centuries ago.
Which set of Royals are they each supposed to work with? Why are the Aces the only ones to remain in the same Suits? How can they set things straight again, and what is the cost to pay if they do so?
Characters: Canada, Belarus, South Italy, Spain, North Italy, England, Germany, Liechtenstein, Russia, America, Hungary, Switzerland, Austria, France, China, Japan, Prussia, Sealand, Lithuania, Ukraine
Relationships: Spain/Belarus, Canada/Liechtenstein, Switzerland/Hungary
Tags: Cardverse, Royalty, Magic, Mystery, Drama, Missing Memories, Aromantic Characters
And now, onto Chapter 1!
Antonio stretched out on his comfy chair and looked down from the balcony, silently observing the presentation and discussion below. Some court officials had arranged to meet with the Diamond Royals in the library today to propose a new trade development opportunity on the south coast.
Not that the Ace of Diamonds really needed to be part of the discussion, this was more for the Queen and Jack to see eye to eye on. That was why he was allowed to loiter upstairs in the comfier lounging chairs, with plush yellow cushions, rather than one of those wooden chairs at the big table below.
Antonio only half-listened to the discussion downstairs as Kiku and Yao took turns pointing out the benefits and constraints of the proposal. Jack Yao seemed very interested in the expansion to the economy that this arrangement would provide, while Queen Kiku seemed concerned with the likely opposition from the local citizens who would be affected.
"Let them protest if they want, but any sabotage will be strictly punished."
Antonio could only roll his eyes as the presenters briefly cringed at King Ivan's unsettling remark, before picking up where the conversation had left off. With the likelihood that Yao and Kiku would not see perfectly eye to eye on the discussion, Ivan was fulfilling his kingly duties of keeping peace and justice for when a decision would ultimately be made.
Losing interest in the discussion, Antonio rose from his seat and strolled over to the window to look outside. It was a beautiful day in the capital city of Zorora, with warm sunshine bathing the early spring landscape. The skies had even cleared enough for Antonio to see the outline of the Delortawa Lakes and the Terrenlam River to the west.
He leaned against the window, continuing to stare out it as the familiar voices continued below. It really wasn't hard to spot the similarities and differences between the Jack and Queen, who were at odds in the current discussion. They were both quite serious about their work, and also wise beyond their years. Yao is more extroverted, and willing to push for what he wants, while the introverted Kiku would stay quiet and keep a conservative approach when deciding whether to pursue new things.
Adding Ivan to the mix certainly made things interesting. The King has this aura to him where, no matter how charming he tries to act, there is always an undertone of a threat beneath it. Along with his imposing figure, it was hard for the court officials to not get a slight chill when Ivan ever implies that he disagrees with them. Antonio had learned to see through this aura, and found that the two of them had similar personalities that worked well together.
All in all, the current Diamond Royals made for quite the curious team. Kiku and Yao were the detail-oriented planners, while Ivan and Antonio saw to it that things got done. The only times the system wasn't efficient was when Kiku and Yao couldn't agree on a plan. That would happen on a regular basis, but was never usually a call for alarm, as they've been doing this since…
Antonio paused mid-thought as his mind suddenly drew a blank. He frowned and shook his head, not able to believe he could forget that of all things. He focused his thoughts on recalling Kiku and Yao becoming Diamond Royals, only for his mind to not give him any memory to work with.
"That's strange," Antonio muttered to himself, "Why don't I remember that?"
He focused again as he tried to put together in his mind the order in which the four of them became Royals, only to find even more blanks. The more he concentrated, the more gaping holes in his memory that he found.
Not only could he not remember Yao or Kiku becoming Diamond Royals, he couldn't remember Ivan's coronation either.
He couldn't even recall becoming the Ace of Diamonds.
"Antonio, are you still up there?"
Antonio snapped out of his strange thoughts at the sound of Ivan's voice. He walked over to the railing and looked down to see the other three Royals and the court officials staring up at him.
"Please forgive me, I was distracted," Antonio apologized, "Did I miss something?"
"We were calling for your input," Ivan recapped, "If protesters were to choose violence and attack the development site, the military might be needed to counter them. How easily can we have support in place?"
"There's a fort only a few leagues away along the coast," Antonio answered, "I can have a squadron placed there on reserve easily. The soldiers don't need to be on-site at all times, that would stir a panic, but they'd still be close enough to summon when needed."
The others nodded at his response, before turning back to each other and continuing wherever their discussion had left off. Antonio relaxed as the stress of being caught not paying attention dissolved, and knew he would not be allowed to do that again. He walked back to the comfy chair and sat down in it to resume overlooking the meeting. He tried to listen in and figure out where they had gotten to, only for those other strange thoughts to come back to mind and continue distracting him.
Why couldn't he remember how the four of them became Diamond Royals?