…

Ten was late coming back to his room that night. He had detoured to the roof after his duties were complete, and to his delight, Kate had managed to slip away as well. It had been nearly a week since they had last both been able to sneak away and meet on the secluded corner of the roof, and though they had frequently passed in the hall, the opportunity to talk, or exchange more then a smile, had eluded them both.

The Six of Diamonds was watching Kate very closely now. Twice at the tea party, she had seen Kate, foolishly in her estimation, flirting with the Ten of Clubs. And then Kate had disappeared from the party entirely, and not shown up back at her rooms until the early hours of the morning. Kate had refused to elaborate on her whereabouts, but Six had a fair idea. And she had been monitoring Kate ever since.

Ten knew he was being watched as well. He had gotten much better at hiding his newfound emotions, or masking them with tea when necessary, and at times it seemed that the Queen had forgotten her suspicions about him. But White Rabbit suits were all over the casino, and on occasion he would notice one or another's gaze lingering a little too long in his direction. Similarly, Mad March, who had been at the casino a great deal of late, had caught his eye a few times and had smirked at him in a way that was completely disconcerting to Ten.

Tonight they had both, however temporarily, shaken their watchers, though they were aware that they could not be unaccounted for for very long without raising suspicion. Still, the feel of his Diamond in his arms, the taste of her mouth on his, to Ten made it all worth while. They didn't talk much tonight, just held each other and tended to more basic needs. And when he had pulled away, and looked into Kate's eyes, it had just slipped out.

"I think I love you."

She hadn't said it back, but her eyes had grown even more bright and a little wet, and her smile and the kiss that followed told him all he needed to know.

...

But Ten's elation was short-lived. When he opened the door to his chambers, he instantly realized he was not alone. He could smell her before he could see her, and it wasn't Kate.

The queen sent them frequently. Glamorous looking girls in overly-revealing dresses, armed with bottles of Lust. It was all a part of the Queen's game, another way that she controlled those that were closest to her. The encounters were short, and rather impersonal. The tea would be taken, they would writhe together in a fit of carnal need until the Lust was sated, and then the girl would be gone, to report to the Queen that he had been tended to and was satisfied.

But after the moments spent with his Diamond, and the love he'd finally admitted to, the last thing Ten wanted was one of the Queen's minions. Especially one so obviously sent to spy on him.

"Hello Ella." Ten averted his eyes as the buxom blonde sidled her way out from behind the door and into full view, wearing a tight gold dress that barely covered her charms, and dangling a bottle of deep red Lust from her fingers.

"Hello Cruz." Ten was struck with how different his name sounded coming from her then from Kate.

He felt his body tense as Ella moved toward him. He took a step back, then another, but Ella pressed forward and the distance between them closed despite his retreat.

Ella raised the bottle of Lust to her lips and took a sip, before slowly running her tongue over her lips. Ten retreated another step, only to find his back up against a wall. And Ella moved forward, until her body was pressed against his.

She frowned slightly when he didn't relax, and when, instead of looking at her he closed his eyes. "Cruz," she coaxed, a little singsong. "Open your eyes, Cruz."

Ten finally did, but only to glare at her as she rubbed her body against his again. He was struggling to ignore the traitorous southward rush of blood or the involuntary twitch in his trousers. He did not want this.

"Have some tea, Cruz." Ella rubbed herself against him again, a self-satisfied smile curving her lips as she felt his body's response. She raised the bottle toward his lips, but she was startled when he, instead of giving in, swatted the tea away and pushed her back.

"I don't want it." Ten's throat had gone dry and his voice rasped slightly, but it was firm. "And I don't want you."

Ella's eyes widened and for a moment looked frightened. But she regained herself quickly, and stepped forward again. "The Queen insisted." She tilted her head to the side, and swilled the tea around in the bottle. "Take a little Lust, it'll relax you."

Ten shook his head and stepped away from her again.

Ella lost her patience then. Her cheeks, already flushed from the sip of Lust she had taken, went even redder and her eyes flashed dangerously. All playfulness disappeared from her voice. "You have to, Cruz. You know that."

He did know. Knew that he couldn't just reject the Queen's offering. But instead of taking the tea and giving in, he pleaded with her. "Just tell the Queen I was satisfied. Please."

Ella glared at him for a moment before spinning on her heels and stalking out of his room, slamming the door behind her for emphasis. Ten breathed a sigh of relief that she was gone, but then his legs wobbled as his nerves got the better of him, and he collapsed, shaking, onto his bed. What if she didn't tell the Queen that? What if she told the Queen that he had rejected her?

He buried his face in his hands. "You should have taken the tea," he chastised himself.

…

"Well?" the Queen snapped. "What did you learn?"

Ella looked frightened, but curtsied low before answering. "It's a girl," she stated. "He has... feelings for someone."

The Queen's bright red lips curved upward in a sinister smile. She had thought as much. He had seemed too... happy as of late. Less intimidated. Less driven down. This piece of information could prove valuable. "Who is she?" she demanded.

Ella faltered. "I don't know, your Majesty. He didn't tell me." The Queen's eyes narrowed, and Ella started to tremble.

"What did he tell you?"

Ella whimpered slightly. "He didn't tell me anything," she admitted, her voice barely audible now. "He said he didn't want me." She bit her lip and looked down.

The Queen's countenance darkened in an instant. "Then what use are you to me?" she snapped. Then she waved her arm dismissively. "Off with her head!"

As the guards stepped forward and dragged a sobbing and protesting Ella away, the Queen turned to another of her servants. "Get me Agent White," she commanded. "Now!"

…

News of Ella's death rocked Ten to his core.

The Queen had said nothing to him the next morning, and at first he took that to mean that Ella had simply told her that he was satisfied, as he had requested. In fact, other then the occasional, somewhat unsettling glance, the Queen had all but ignored him all day.

It had been the Nine of Clubs that had told him the news. And by then it was too late to plead with the King to stop the execution. Ten had rushed for the nearest empty room and locked the door, before his composure failed him and he collapsed against it, the weight of guilt and fear nearly driving him into the floor.

Ella was dead. The Queen had ordered her beheaded after he had rejected her. Another wave of remorse and guilt flooded through him, followed swiftly by a wave of fear so strong that it turned his stomach.

Ella had obviously told the Queen the truth. Which meant that the Queen knew, though without specifics, that something was truly going on with Ten. He had always been obedient and had never turned away one of the Queen's courtesans before. And it wouldn't take long for her to figure out what had caused the change in him. Or who.

As careful as they had been since, he knew there were plenty of people who had seen them together at the Tea Party. No one would have particularly taken notice that night, but if questions started to be asked, someone was bound to remember who it was that was with the Ten of Clubs.

A cold hand constricted around his heart and squeezed as he realized what he had to do. It was too great a risk. He wouldn't put Kate in jeopardy like that. He had to warn her. And then he had to let her go. He was the Ten of Clubs, right-hand to a volatile Queen. Being with him was too dangerous.

A tear dripped, unwelcome from his eye as loneliness and pain encroached upon his heart again. He let it sit there on his cheek, ignored, for a long moment before finally reaching up a hand and wiping it away.

…

He couldn't find her.

Ten had written it all down in a letter. How he felt about her, how the past month had changed his life, how much he cherished the times they had managed to be together. He wrote about Ella's execution, and the reason behind it. And he wrote about the danger she was in if the Queen were to find out... and why he had to end it between them.

It wasn't a cop-out. He hoped she would realize that. It was just safer this way – safer to slip her the piece of paper then to try to steal away to talk again.

But despite running frequent "errands" through common rooms and past the game room floor, he hadn't caught sight of the green-eyed Four of Diamonds. And the longer he looked, the more unsettled he became.

In the end, he had caught up, instead, with her friend, the Six of Diamonds. Six had eyed him warily when he had handed her the letter, asked her to give it to Kate, and pleaded with her to ensure it didn't fall into the wrong hands. Six had reluctantly agreed and hurried away from him as quickly as possible, not looking back.

He took another dose of Calm before he returned to the throne room. It wouldn't do for the Queen to pick up on his heightened emotions, even if they were negative ones.

…

The Queen was sitting on her throne on the dais, the King sitting below her on a much smaller throne. The long table before them was lined with Aces, the Cards of her council. And as always, courtiers of every description milled along the walls, making agreeable noises to everything she said.

Her face lit up when she caught sight of Ten, and she half-rose from her throne.

"Number Ten," she called out. "How are you today?" Her smile was anything but pleasant, rather it seemed much more like that of a crocodile ready to devour. He was instantly on his guard, even moreso when he saw the King glance at him and shift uncomfortably.

But he plastered a smile onto his face as he gave a quick bow. "I am very well, your Majesty." Any other response in the Queen's presence was unacceptable, and he knew it.

She nodded at his appropriate response, and motioned for him to come take the drink she was holding. Then she turned back toward the council and continued her address to them.

But that facade lasted only for a moment. The doors of the throne room flew open, and Mad March strode in, flanked by two White Rabbit suits. His eyes lit on Ten and he smirked again, his eyes flashing darkly, before turning and nodding to the Queen.

The Queen looked absolutely gleeful. "Bring her in," she commanded. Then she turned to Ten, and took the long fluted glass from his hand. Her eyes glinted treacherously. "Number Ten, I don't believe you've met my new pet."

A cruel smile spread across her dark red lips as Mad March stepped to the side, to reveal a very frightened looking Four of Diamonds.

…

AN: Four chapters in and I finally manage one of my signature cliffies. Hope you're enjoying the story so far.

Please review. :)