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❤Queen of Hearts❤
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a story by
alyson yang
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a pokemon adventures fanfiction
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Diamond Arc:
◊Chapter One- The Wind in the Willows◊
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The children sing it like a hymn, a solemn melody of overlapping words and tones: "Four babes of three Queens shall the Joker bequest..."
Crystal listens to their drifting voices from the open window in her study, while she studies the ancient texts and tongues of long ago in an attempt to escape the sweltering summer heat. Such scholarly pursuits are generally frowned upon as a proper noblewoman, but she finds solace in immersing herself in tomes and publications, and bears no small amount of contempt to what society dictates.
She is in the middle of deciphering a particularly cumbersome chapter of Childre af God when the tell-tale knock of the maid interrupts her thoughts. "Mistress Crystal," Lyra says, dark brown eyes boring into her own, "there is a visitor loitering outside the gates asking for you. He claims he is-"
"Send him in," Crystal says dismissively, returning back to her notes. "I was expecting him. I do apologize for not informing you earlier about this, Lyra."
"Yes, Mistress Crystal," Lyra answers demurely, giving a small bow, before turning to leave. Her quiet footsteps echo in the otherwise silent hallway, and Crystal makes a small footnote on the closest scrap of parchment she can find to remind the girl to close the door completely the next time she enters.
Muffled footsteps alert her to the presence of the guest, and she blushes, hurriedly smoothing her wrinkled dress and her mussed hair into something presentable. "Really, Sir Green," she sighs after reassured of her appearance, melodramatically fanning herself with her crystal-blue satin fan, "must you visit so early, but five minutes to tea time?"
"I apologize, Lady Crystal," Green replies suavely, entering the room, and for once she is glad of the heat as it disguises her rapidly reddening face. He is as handsome as ever, the afternoon light shining through the window and casting a halo of light over his brown locks. "I would not have come if I had known it would inconvenience you. Please, accept this fine jasmine tea imported from the ports of Unova as a consolation. I trust it will taste rather fine with the rosemary biscuits you served at Grandfather's reception last week?"
"Sir Green, you rascal!" she exclaims, gratefully accepting the small wooden box. The fragrant scent lingers in the air for a slight moment, before blowing out the open window with the light summer breeze. "You planned all of this beforehand, did you not?"
Green smiles teasingly. "I do admit I could not simply pass on the chance to taste those wonderful biscuits, My Lady. Magnificently baked, they were... perhaps I should steal your maid. I'm sure Grandfather would not mind, either."
Crystal shakes her head. "My sister Yellow made those, actually. She's quite a talented cook. I'm sure she would not mind baking a few extra for such distinguished company like you."
"I'm quite honored, My Lady," he chuckles. "Then perchance I should think about taking the talented Lady Yellow for my wife?"
"Sir Green!" she cries out again, scandalized, as her face blushes an unhealthy crimson color. Green laughs, a deep, throaty sound that resonates against the floorboards, and leans casually against the wall as he opens his mouth to speak.
Whatever he is about to say next is interrupted by the ringing of the tea bell, startling the both of them. "Please, join us for tea," Crystal smiles after an awkward pause, rising as gracefully as she can from the chair. "We would be honored to have you."
"I am obliged to you, Lady Crystal," he replies, giving a mock bow and allowing her to take the lead. He follows her from outside the study and into the tea room, where Yellow, Silver and Ruby have already arranged themselves around the circular tea-table, and nimbly seats himself in an offered chair by a passing maidservant.
"This is Sir Green, the grandson of the distinguished Sir Samuel Oak," Crystal introduces, settling down gracefully on the seat beside him, as Lyra pours the jasmine tea into delicate porcelain teacups. "He is a... co-worker of mine, you would say. Sir Green, these are my siblings Ruby, Silver and Yellow, as you may know."
Yellow giggles softly behind her pastel-yellow silk fan. "It is a great pleasure to meet you, Sir Green," she smiles warmly, standing up and giving a slight curtsy with her long yellow gown. She looks less pale and more robust than usual today, perhaps in part because of the weather. "I am honored to be in your presence today. I am Yellow."
Green smiles suavely in response. "Lady Crystal has already told me of your magnificent cooking ability, Lady Yellow," he replies, offering a gloved hand. Yellow blushes faintly, before shaking it timidly. "The rosemary biscuits you prepared for Grandfather's reception last week were simply marvelous. And I can see your beauty is even more breath-taking than your remarkable cooking skill."
"Thank you," she responds shyly, retreating back into the safety of her fan. Green watches Yellow sit down with an odd look in his eye, which makes Crystal's heart ache painfully for some strange reason. She shakes her head. Perhaps she has been exposed to too much heat. She fans herself vigorously at the thought, attempting to ignore the dull throb in her chest.
"Sir Green," Ruby says, initiating the conversation, "it is a pleasure to have you for tea. Please, enjoy yourself."
"Lord Ruby," Green responds, "I thank you for your hospitable treatment of myself, who is a lower rank than you. Although your brother is heir to this family, I know that you will make a good and respectable Lord one day, after your Rite of Manhood is passed."
Ruby smiles uncertainly, but Silver's face is troubled. "I thank you, Sir Green, for such flattering words," he says carefully, "but I believe you are mistaken. I am not my father's heir. My oldest sister, Blue, was the one that he chose."
"A woman as a heir!" Green says, clearly shocked. "And with two perfectly young, talented sons to choose from? Your father-"
"-made a sound choice," a voice cuts him through. Crystal looks up, and indeed, Blue stands at the threshold, straight and proud. She is perfectly poised as always, her favored midnight-blue lace fan in her hand, the very image of a model lady if not for her outfit. It is a black tunic meant to be worn underneath a dress, sleeveless and high-collared, cutting off mid-thigh with high slits at the sides.
Why, Blue, why, Crystal silently despairs, did you choose today of all days to wear that outfit? Why?!
"Y-your legs!" Green stutters, his face burning a crimson red. "I can see your legs!"
Blue glances at him cursorily, nonplussed. "Yes," she says, as if the answer is obvious. "You can see my legs. Unless, of course, you are visually-impaired or particularly dim-witted, in which what you are currently seeing are not my legs."
"Cover yourself at once, woman!" Green snaps, refusing to look at her. "I refuse to look or speak with someone so indecent! Even the wenches in the whorehouse dare not flaunt their legs like you so insolently do!"
"What right do you have to order me around, Sir Green? I could easily have you brought into court for disrespect toward your betters," Blue shoots back, settling herself elegantly on the seat reserved for the head of the table. She taps her fan mockingly over her lips, showing the inkling of a smile. "And exactly how would you know about a prostitute's state of dress? Unless, of course, you know about these things in a rather... personal basis, of course."
"Blue! Don't go muttering such indecencies in front of a honored guest. You'll spoil our family reputation!" Crystal hisses, appalled. And then, louder, "Sir Green, please forgive my sister's actions. She must be addled by all the heat. I'll send for the maids to escort her back to her room."
Blue harrumphs contemptuously. "There is no need for that, sister of mine. Just spending time with this... scoundrel is enough to make me feel faint. Very well, I shall take my leave. Lyra, be a darling and send me a cup of tea when the noon bell rings, will you?"
Green sneers, an ugly expression. "I'm afraid I've overstayed my welcome," he says, sounding both gracious and spiteful at once. There is a light clinking sound as he sets his now-empty cup against the table. "Thank you very much, Lady Crystal. Your company was very much preferred. And Lady Yellow, I hope to see you again." He procures a single cardinal rose from his pocket, slightly battered from rough handling but doubtlessly fresh and expensive. He nods at her brothers. "Lords Ruby and Silver, I am greatly honored to be in your company."
Lyra wordlessly leads him out, the door closing quietly behind the duo. A moment later, Blue growls angrily. "Crystal, you need to make a better choice in choosing your connections. People like him aren't to be trusted."
"I don't know about that, sister," Yellow says quietly, her face tinted slightly pink. She fingers the rose tenderly, her pale fingers winding around the stem, careful to avoid the thorns. "He seemed very pleasant to me."
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A bell chimes loudly as the door to the florist shop opens, alerting Red to his first customer of the day. He yawns, hurriedly brushing his hair back in an effort to look more presentable, before stepping out from the back room to greet his client.
"Welcome, how may I help you today- Green?"
His best friend stands at the threshold, smartly dressed as always in that rather ridiculous black silk suit of his, a flushed expression on his face. "Red," Green greets tersely, nodding. "I was wondering if you have any of the rose you gave me last week in stock? It was the cardinal one, I believe, the one I got in exchange for helping you around the store..."
Red takes a moment to process the fact that his asexual best friend wants to buy a flower, before the dots connect in his mind. "You finally got a woman to notice you?" he asks incredulously, unable to hide his disbelief. "You, Green Oak, had a girlfriend before I did?"
"How vile, what you speak of," Green says dismissively, peering at a plant covered with small white flowers on display. "No, Grandfather has told me that he intends to marry me off to a woman I know not of- most likely a flighty, air-headed wench, just to spite me- if I cannot find a bride by my Rite of Manhood Ceremony. However, just recently, I met a girl who has the qualities all womankind should possess, the sister of one of my colleagues. I intend to court her."
"Huh," Red says, not knowing what to say. "Well... er... the rose I gave you last week, that was an experimental breed, actually. Gold was trying to breed a blue rose, but somehow it ended up bright red, so he suggested that we give it to you instead."
"Really, now," Green says dryly, sighing. "Well, I suppose it can't be helped that my only friend also happens to be an immense cheapskate. Do you have any other roses close to that shade?"
Red laughs, rubbing his hair sheepishly. "We had a shipment of Blackjack roses yesterday, but those are more crimson then cardinal. And... I think that's about it, actually. It seems a lot of wealthy aristocrats like to buy roses in the summer, so we've been profiting a lot around the time of this season, but our stocks have gone dangerously low. Would your lady prefer red lisianthus or ranunculus instead?"
"I told you earlier yesterday, brother, we're out of ranunculus," a voice says from behind him. Red turns around, surprised, to see Gold, still not entirely awake, clad in only his sleeping-clothes and a lopsided nightcap, standing tiredly at the open door of the storeroom. "Who are you talking to right now, brother- holy mother of Diamonds is that Green?"
"Yes, it is," Green says, bemused. "Why is it that you are so surprised to see me here?"
"Aren't you, like, I don't know, capable of reproducing by yourself?" Gold asks, the sleep on his face gradually lifting. "I thought you had no interest in women. Why the sudden change?"
"I already told this to Red, but I suppose I'll repeat it for you again. I have to marry before my Rite of Manhood," Green says flippantly, bending down to examine a small tulip bud hidden below a display of much flashier flowers, "or Grandfather will choose for me. And so I'm courting the sister of one of my colleagues, although she is much younger than I and from much higher birth."
Red blinks. "There is somebody of higher rank than you?" he asks, confused. "I thought your grandfather was the Bug Minister. Isn't he the person that supports the weight of the entire Kingdom?"
Green shakes his head. "No, you've got it wrong. Grandfather is indeed very important, but he is not of aristocracy, and his power is limited. The true Wild Card is the Joker- you know, the adviser to the Poker council- who actually controls the entire workings of Pokermon from the shadows. They say that he and his children are the ones mentioned in the Prophecy of Four, but that's nonsense. He has five children, not four, and as far as I know, he never had three wives, only two."
"So you're interested in one of the Joker's children?" Gold asks, a sly smile on his face. "Who also happens to be the sister of one of your colleagues- wait a minute, that means that one of your grandfather's assistants is one of the Joker's sons! What's he like? Is he nice? Is he good-looking?"
"Why have you so much interest now, of all times?" Green asks, frowning. "It is not a he, but a she. Lady Crystal, in fact. And although I disapprove of women working men's jobs in general, I must admit that she is indeed a general asset to our research. Without her, we would not have nearly accomplished as much. However, I sometimes do wish that she would act more ladylike at times."
"Women, huh?" Gold says, not quite phrasing a statement but not quite asking a question either. "Ah, you are so lucky, surrounded by such respectable ladies. Even though I am blessed with Heaven's Graces and benign looks, no fair maiden has come forth to request my hand as of yet. I envy you, Green. I really do."
Green snorts loudly. "Perhaps if you were to act more respectable in public and dress more conservatively, women would flock to you in droves," he says, taking a glance at his watch. "Oh dear, it appears that I am behind schedule. Where were we, before Gold so kindly interrupted us... ah, yes. I don't want imitations, I wish for true roses. I care not for the color- as long as it is red, I am sure my lady will treasure it so. Cut me ten stems, will you not?"
"Coming right up, good sir," Red says teasingly, coming from the back storage room with the said roses. With a movement perfected by years of practice he expertly snips off the thorns and wraps up the freshly cut flowers. "Would you like a bouquet, or do you want them individually separated?"
"Bouquet," Green says mechanically, "and wrap it in yellow cloth, if you would."
"Here you go, Green," Red says, handing the flowers to his friend carefully. "I'm sure your lady will enjoy it very much. Oh, and that will be a hundred and thirty-three Chips please, including tax, if you would please."
"This is clearly an attempt at highway robbery," Green grumbles, but complies, fishing out a handful of colorful coins from the leather wallet in the back pocket of his silken trousers and placing them methodically on the counter-top. "I'll be reporting you to the sheriff's office, just you wait, Red. No sane man would ever pay that much for two less of a dozen roses."
"And yet you do, anyway, and I can wholeheartedly say that you are the sanest man I know," Red says cheerfully, collecting the coins and counting them systematically. "Alright, you're free to go. I'm looking forward to your next visit!"
"I'm never coming back," Green says back, with no real venom in his voice. He opens the door with more force than necessary, causing the bell to ring loudly, echoing inside of the store. Red watches Green leave while carrying the ludicrously large amount of roses in his hand, his silken black silhouette disappearing into the distance, and suddenly feels strangely alone.
"Those roses were really pretty, weren't they?" Gold asks, leaning against the counter tiredly.
"Yeah," Red agrees, slumping against the wall. "But I don't think red roses are as beautiful as everybody says they are, really. I bet roses made of gold and silver would be so much more lovely."
"Hmm," Gold says, making an affirming noise. "But who has ever heard of such a thing as a gold rose, anyways?"
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