Antonio sipped at his ale and listened as the commander reported to Ace Natalya on the aftermath of today's battles.

Matthew had ensured that the Spades border with the Imperial Lake was well-defended, should Diamonds choose to sail through their waters to reach Clubs. Lovino had also cut off land access to Clubs via Hearts, whether by request from Spades or his own kingdom's desire to stay neutral. Antonio found that the best access to Clubs was to sail around the east side of the Isle of Mediation, staying out of the sight of both Hearts and Spades, then spinning around to reach the Clubs ships.

The Diamonds ships arrived just in the nick of time, as the battle in progress had Spades holding the advantage. They quickly joined the battle, turning the tide of the battle and forcing a blue retreat. Through his binoculars, he even spotted Ace Matthew on one of the ships fleeing the scene, still unwilling to lose the day.

Now Antonio found himself on dry land again, making it to the heart of the Clubs encampments where the Ace and her commanders kept their tents. The sun had long since set, and the dark of night was only warded off by the light of the many campfires throughout the camp. While his own soldiers were busy setting up their own posts along the Clubs side of the lake, he had gained exclusive access to join Natalya's leadership base.

As the commander kept talking, Antonio lost interest in the report and found something far more compelling to focus on.

It was no secret to anyone that, if she weren't so vicious and cold, Natalya would certainly have her fair share of suitors to choose from. She is quite the beauty in her own right, with her fair skin, long blond hair, and entrancing purple eyes. She is tall and lithe, graceful and yet strong and confident. The fireglow at the moment was only accentuating her features, making Antonio unable to ignore.

He took another sip of his ale as she dismissed the commander, leaving the two of them alone.

"It likely won't be long until Matthew retaliates," Natalya addressed, "For being such a pushover around his brother, he certainly is a resilient and determined fighter."

"I saw him trying to rescue every Spade soldier he could from the water," Antonio reported, "Even as they retreated, he still fought off the loss to the last moment."

"We will have to be vigilant for when the next fight starts," Natalya judged, "Matthew had a clever plan this time, not even our scouts could warn us in time. We were lucky you arrived in time to help us."

"At least now you have the help," Antonio remarked, "My men are well-rested and ready to fight, which will allow yours some rest. You as well, haven't you been on your feet this entire time?"

"Such is the nature of warfare," Natalya mused, "No rest allowed until I can convince Matthew to surrender."

"Surely you can allow yourself to relax for a night," Antonio urged, "Now that I'm here too, I can insist on it. Ace Natalya, you are not allowed to answer to any of your men until dawn."

"As if you can command me around," Natalya chuckled, "Even so, my men know what to do. I already have the rest of the night to myself anyways."

"So do my men, how perfect," Antonio determined, "I will personally see to it that you relax and enjoy yourself tonight. I even know of several good means by which you could do so."

"That will not be necessary," Natalya declined, "I am already relaxing, it's not every night I can sit by a campfire and drink ale."

"But there's so much more we could do," Antonio hinted, adjusting his tone to change the mood, "So many more options when you have company to indulge in. Or rather, company that can help you indulge in other forms of pleasure."

As he spoke, he nudged closer to her and wrapped his left arm around her waist, prompting a very suspicious glare from her.

"What do you think you're doing?" Natalya gives him a suspicious look

"Trust me, Natalya," Antonio whispered as he leans his head in, deciding where to aim his lips for a soft kiss, "I know how to make you feel -"

Something very sharp suddenly pressed against his neck, halting him in his advance before pushing him backwards several inches. The fireglow kept reflecting off of it, so it took the extra couple seconds for him to recognize what it was. Natalya was holding the materialized Club Axe against his throat, and was now giving him a deadly glare over the broad blade.

"Back off before I cut you to shreds," Natalya warned.

"But it's just so hard to resist," Antonio pleaded, "It's not every day I have a beautiful woman holding the Club Axe to my throat."

"You want to lose your head then?" Natalya threatened, pressing just a little bit harder.

"I'd rather not, thank you," Antonio conceded as he backed away in surrender, hands now raised in the air, "It's just a pity that you're not interested."

"You're not impressing me," Natalya forewarned as she lowered the Club Axe, "Do not ever try that again."

"I will gladly take your instruction to heart," Antonio accepted as the Club Axe disappeared from Natalya's grasp, "I can't be everyone's type, no matter how much charm they all say I have. Surely you've seen enough soldiers and courtiers to figure out what you do like."

"I don't have a type," Natalya countered, "I don't think I've ever been attracted to anyone."

"Never attracted to anyone?" Antonio verified, "Maybe you just haven't found the right person yet."

"That's not what I mean," Natalya explained, "I have a front row seat watching my sister flirt with the nobles, and my brother responding to flattery from rich ladies. I've observed how Erzsébet and Roderich each impress the court. I can see how certain men and women can be deemed conventionally attractive, how they are nice to look at. I've just never felt any desire to partake in romantic or sexual activities myself."

"No interest in romance or sex?" Antonio remarked, "I've never heard of that before. So you can recognize that people are attractive, but have no drive to act on it?"

"That is correct," Natalya elaborated, "For example, I can see that you are aesthetically pleasing to look at, and you definitely have the charm and social skills to impress whoever you want. And yet, I am not inclined to flirt with you, nor do I want you flirting with me."

"So what does it all mean for you then?" Antonio inquired, "If you don't want romance, then what do you want? Surely you'll get lonely at some point if the rest of us partner off with lovers, right?"

"I suppose solid, trusting friendships are what I'd like," Natalya considered, "Even if I don't want romance, I'd still like to be able to talk to someone once in a while about what's happening in my life. There's not a lot of drama, and most of it is of the political kind, but I'd like to have a confidant I can rely on to be there when I need to vent."

"Nothing wrong with wanting that," Antonio approved, "And do you have anyone like that in Clubs?"

"Not in that way specifically," Natalya answered, "I have my brother and sister, but they're family so that's a different type of relationship. There's also Roderich and Erzsébet, but that's more of a working relationship than a friendship."

"Well, I can be a great listener," Antonio offered, "If you ever do want to talk to someone, you're more than welcome to reach out to me."

"You'd actually do that?" Natalya checked, "Why?"

"Even if you refuse my advances, you're still quite fascinating," Antonio justified, "And as far as I can tell, I still haven't pushed your limits enough for you to chop my head off."

"Indeed you haven't," Natalya noted, "And if you do, your head is mine."

"I happily accept that condition."


Antonio awoke to find himself in an unfamiliar room, with simpler bedding and wooden walls. A small window in the far corner allowed a bit of light in, revealing it to be the cusp of dawn.

After a moment of confusion, his brain became alert and he remembered where he was. This was the small inn the Diamond Royals were staying at, just past the border into Hearts. They had left Zorora the other day, and would arrive in Oriasa this afternoon for the four-Suit reunion week King Alfred was hosting.

Antonio sat up in his bed, brushing his hand through his hair as he thought of this new dream. The three-way war had progressed even further, and the arrival of his Diamonds army had turned a battle from a Spades advantage to a Clubs victory. The focus of the dream was at the campfire late at night, where he had attempted to make a move on Natalya, only to get rejected and learn she had no interest in romance.

Antonio shook his head, he could swear there was something happening there between the two of them. Why were most of his dreams of the past focused on this strange relationship with Natalya? Was their friendship a key to what would happen later? They were about to reunite in Oriasa, and the Jokers weren't telling him who else knew about all this, so is it possible she knows?

Should he ask her if she knows?

Noting that his throat was a bit parched, Antonio climbed out of his bed and walked over to the small table at the side of the room. There was a pitcher of water there, along with a cup for drinking and a basin for a quick wash, as well as a bevel-edged mirror on the wall. He took the cup and poured himself a bit of water, before putting down the pitcher and drinking from the cup. As he swallowed the water, he lowered the cup back to the table and looked in the mirror.

The reflection was not showing him, it was showing someone else.

Antonio nearly choked on his water as he stumbled back from the mirror in shock, trying his best to observe the stranger in the mirror that clearly wasn't either Joker. This man wore black like they did, but with accents of green and grey along the trim of his clothes. His skin was fair, and he had shaggy brown hair grown out nearly to his shoulders. His facial expression was relatively neutral, but the gaze from the mossy green eyes seemed both gentle and deadly at the same time.

Antonio coughed a few times to clear his throat, determined to figure out who this fellow was. Before he could speak though, the figure suddenly disintegrated into a black mist that obscured everything, before that too faded away to leave Antonio alone in the reflection.

Antonio could only stand there in shock for a few moments, his sleep-addled brain unable to process the event.

Did that really just happen?