I'm still alive! +rises from the dead+ For so long have I not tasted the sweet air! All was horrid and choking trapped in the box I dwelt. The black air lurking maliciously outside watching and waiting for it's victims...

The Haze was horrible. .

But I'm back with the next chapter! I admit I'm not doing so well as I hoped... My writing is quite choppy now... . And my beta is gone so there isnt any new editions to the chapters. so, okies ^^

Anyway on to the story~!

Chapter five

It was a new day for the Kingdom and the second day of his Kingship when Germany woke up. Stretching he glanced at his table where he had put the scroll from the dark eyed Card the night before. But he could not get to that yet. He wanted to make sure he was alone and that he had as much time as possible to mull over every single word in the letter. After all, it was a chance that it was from someone very very special. Thus for the time being, he created his schedule to put all his duties first as it should be anyway. The first thing he needed to do for the day was to say goodbye to the leaving Royals from the other Kingdoms and that meant that he needed to be up and there to eat breakfast with them. Getting up and getting dressed, he took notice of the new scrolls on his cabinet. The strings were tied differently and the colour was deep red instead of the usual lighter red of his preferred scrolls. He would go up to them and read them, but he needed to hurry to meet the Kings.

Walking through the hallways, he saw the maids and servants' rushing to make everything even more presentable than it was before. He was impressed by some of the gifts that the other Royal had given to his palace in lieu of the coronation. They were already being put up. Gorgeous gold frames now adorned the portraits, courtesy of the Diamonds. New scrolls were being placed in order with the blue strings around them courtesy of Spades. He spotted a one of the servants polishing a beautiful ornate vase that held a tiny tree in it. Very beautiful, who knew that plants could be manipulated to looked so much like trees? Was that from the Clubs? It was very intriguing.

The breakfast was in the dining hall, as per usual. He would have liked to have had it in the palace garden, but in lieu of his coronation, the gardeners were doing some changes to it. Apparently, there had been a long standing plan to change the garden the moment he was crowned. He heard something like new plants, trees and shrubs were going to be merged inside the whole scene. He approved them, of course, after checking that none of them were poisonous and that all of them could survive in the Kingdom's temperatures. He regulated them slightly of course. He didn't want his garden to be totally changed after all. But he had to admit, many of these plants did not seem familiar to him.

The other royals acted like the day before. Diamonds and Spades arguing and Clubs being in the world of their own. He was glad to see them go before they messed up more of the food or broke some of dishes. Yes it may be worrying too much, but somehow, he wouldn't be surprised if, while the Spades and the Diamonds were fighting, some cutlery would be thrown as projectiles.. When he sat down at the table, attention was diverted back to him for a while due to needing to show respect for the royal of the host country. When asked, he confirmed once again that he would create a meeting for all the Kingdoms and that they would all be informed what the plan would be. They all seemed agreeable to that as they ate their morning meal. Then another Card entered the dining hall. A Card that Germany had not yet seen before, but seeing the blue clothes and the spades symbol, could guess who it was. The person that the Queen had talked to the day before. Inwardly, his heat burned slightly at the unfairness of it all, but he calmed himself easily. He knew he was a young nation and that there was another King before him, so it would stand to reason that the Queen would have a past longer then his and that would have had a few good relationships with the Cards of other Kingdoms.

The Queen of Spades looked up and smiled. "Ah.. Germany. Please meet China. He is my Jack. A very wise person who seems to have good advice."

"I don't seem to have good advice, I do have good advice, you just never listen to me, aru" The Jack muttered under his breath. The he looked up and beamed at Germany. "It's nice to meet you your highness. Your palace is coming along very well with its preparations."

Germany smiled and nodded. So confirmed it. It was definitely the Jack that was talking with the Queen about his Queen. "It is nice to meet you as well."

With that short introduction, the Jack sat and ate quietly beside the Queen of his suits. The table was silent for a while and Germany found himself able to eat peacefully. Until someone made a comment that caused another fight to happen.

One the morning meal was done, it was time for the other royals to leave the Palace and return to their own lands where their people would most likely be waiting for them eagerly.

The Diamonds sent of first, after once again offering his advice on anything, before stepping on his carriage and blowing a kiss to all the maids out there and disappearing. With his departure, it seemed like the maids of the Palace seemed slightly despondent, though they did cheer for him well as he blew the kiss to them. Germany just moved to make sure that he avoided it. Next was the Clubs, who got on less flamboyantly and just waved good bye until his carriage disappeared. There was not much feelings being shown as he left, and the new King could only really manage some confusion and wonder. Wasn't his hand going to be tired after all that waving..? Finally the Spades went into their carriage. But before they left, the Queen turned to Germany.

"I expect another letter concerning the arrival of our last player soon." The Jack nodded in agreement and smiled at him. Then they both were driven off.

It seemed that once again, they knew more about his Queen then he did. But perhaps now he could have an inkling. The scroll.

~0w0~

In his study, the King strode to the desk, eager to find out what was in the scroll and if it really was from the Queen. He could not wait to find out more about the Queen. Still, he stopped at the sight of his advisor, the Netherlands. The other was leaning on the wall like he used to and nodded to him.

"So it finally happened huh?"

Germany nodded. "I need to thank you for your guidance."

The other nodded and stole a glance at his hand where the scroll was, and smirked. "I see you got it. That's good. Leaves me less to talk about." He stood up from the wall. "Things are going to change now, especially. Try to leave your chambers unlocked. But if you don't, I doubt you'll impede anything. Don't be too upset with the new additions." With that he left, leaving a very confused Germany. Still, his curiosity was itching at him and he rushed to the table.

He unrolled the scroll, of course keeping the crest on the string, and spread it out in front of him. The words were not done in the usual quill-ink way..it looked like it was done with a brush, much like the first scroll, and his excitement only grew. The writing was beautiful, and you could see how carefully the words were painted on. Every stroke was deliberate and every brush beautifully done with a steady hand and a sharp eye. It was more like an artwork than a simple paper with words written on. He could stare at it for hours. Shaking his head, he started to read the actual message.

To my King of Hearts,

Salutations and dear greetings.

Congratulations on your successful coronation. I am sure that you have been waiting for this for a very long time. Your steps though reaching Kinghood, at the last quarter was fast and you have improved by leaps and bounds since. What you have accomplished is something very impressive and admirable. It is something to be truly proud about. You have the qualities that many would envy and when you wield them, your foes would think before challenging you.

From here onwards, the path would be very much trickier than ever before. You are a part of the Game now, and the other Royals and their Kingdoms would be already be preparing to play. Please, be on your guard. The Diamonds are rising slowly but steadily and the Spades have the knowledge of centuries on their side. The Clubs are slightly brash but they have strength in numbers and the Cards to follow their hand. The Hearts needs to be fortified so and not lag behind. As the King you have the power to lead us where you wish us to go, but a Kingdom is not like a dog where commands would always be followed. The Cards of the Deck are an important part of the whole being and they have much power to determine where the Kingdom would go. The masses may not be easily led, but they can be a great ally should they have trust in the Kingdom they choose. Sometimes even the Kings and the Queens must follow the Cards to keep the Kingdom running. I have faith in your abilities. A King need not only be stuck in his palace after all.

The advisor you once had will still be around, but now he is appointed with other duties since you have been crowned. He has taught you many things and seems to have taught you well. Should you wish to say anything to him, you may do it by ruling the Kingdom well. Your lessons with him are over now.

For us not truly meeting, I deeply apologise. It is not yet the true time. I ask for your patience before my arrival. Until then, please take care of our Kingdom. I will arrive soon enough.

Sincerely,
Your Queen

Germany's eyes widened. His Queen…. The scroll really was from his Queen..! He grabbed the crest and studied it again. This crest was the crest of his Queen. The person he was destined to be with. The person, who from young, had him captivated and taking prisoner... Not literally of course. It was just a line that he had heard of before about someone who was very interested about another. He blushed slightly at that. Taking the crest, he tied it to his wrist so that he would not lose it. It was very important to him now that he knew exactly who it was from.

Calming himself down, he also remembered that the scroll had said many important points, and he re-read it through, trying to get what he could. The Game… He was still puzzled. What Game was it? He knew he was here to play the Game, but what Game was he supposed to play? What were the rules to this Game? The aims and the objectives? He sighed. He still had a lot to learn, even if he was already crowned as King. How was he supposed to play properly if he didn't know the Game..? He hoped that the Joker, or a least the Queen would be able to tell him. He may even try and ask the Joker. In the spades, the Joker was the advisor after all right..? Well, for one thing, he supposed he could ask the no-longer advisor about a few things if the other was not busy with other duties from the Queen.

Shaking his head, he continued on. The short overview of the other Kingdoms… Are the Hearts behind them already..? Was his starting so late make the Hearts at a huge disadvantage..? He continued reading. He read it a few times before laying back on his chair. His Queen was entrusting him with a task. Something that he would not hesitate to accomplish should he have the means. But did he have the means…? He thought back to the meeting. It ended disastrously, with nothing done and so much more responsibilities on him. If he couldn't do something as easy as holding a meeting, how was he supposed to hold the entire Kingdom and all it's Cards..?

With a stress filled sigh, he rolled up the scroll. He was still thinking of how he was supposed to do such a huge task as to make the Cards like and listen to him, when he noticed something else that was on his table. It was a piece of paper, folded like a fan with a string tying it in the middle. The string was the same kind of string as the scroll's string and the paper was the same kind as well..he quickly took it, untied it and straightened it. The same practised, careful handwriting greeted him. It was another note from his Queen. This time though, while the writing was still as beautiful and deliberate, his blue eyes, caught some lines that had very slight smudges and very hasty strokes, but that was at the end. Looking at the paper, the ink had really just dried, and was very close to making the letter illegible, but it did not.

The Queen wrote this in a hurry and, not waiting for the ink to dry, sent it to him as soon as it could be sent. But he was in the study the whole time. How did the Queen pass this to him..? How did he not notice it at all? The ink made it clear that it was very recently done, so… How…?

Troubled, he tried to concentrate on what was written in the letter.

To my King,

I hope you do not disappoint yourself with how the meeting or breakfast went. It was much better then how it would have gone usually. I am certain you would be able to hold a meeting with ease. Still, you have much work to do outside. As your Queen, let me take on this task of relations until you are more at ease with your role. It has been stressful for you.

Your Queen

Germany's eyes widened yet again… How did his Queen…? He stood up fast and looked all around the room where someone could hide and place a letter on his desk. He looked at the corners, he stared at the shadows, he even looked under the desk. Nothing. The room was as empty as it was when he first entered, with the exception of himself. He slowly sank down in his seat trying to take everything in. His Queen was truly special to be able to do such a thing... Then he thought back to the contents of that smaller letter The Queen definitely knew about the on goings of the land, perhaps more than he did, and the Queen had also already devised a kind of strategy for the future. Something he should be doing as well. But what really made him stop, was how the Queen seemed to know how he was feeling and what had only just recently happened…

He put a hand on his head, trying to will the hot feeling at his cheeks and that tremulous smile on his lips. His eyes glance to his chambers remembering a very secret place where he had kept the very first scroll, and he just felt light headed and... odd. Even after all this time... Who was his Queen…? And how did the Queen know all of this…?

A Queen shrouded in mystery.. It unnerved him..but it also, once again, made him quiver with excitement.

He needed to calm himself first. One way, he was taught, was to walk around the Kingdom, and thus gathering his sceptre and his scroll and letter, he went out of the room.

He nearly tripped on the Jack who was sleeping on the floor right outside his study.

He twitched. "Italien!"

The Jack's eyes shot open. "Ve!" He practically jumped up. "What happened? Are we in trouble? Please don't do anything to me!"

Flushing hard half due to anger half due to embarrassment and a small bit to the arm feeling from before, Germany just grabbed the other's clothes and forced it into him. "When will you learn to stop trying to sleep naked! And if you want to sleep, do it in the room! You are blocking everybody's way!"

The Jack squeaked and hid away from him. "B-But.. It's so much more comfortable to sleep without any clothes on…! A-And it was time for my siesta!"

Germany just twitched again and tried to control himself. He turned his head away from the Jack and close his eyes, taking deep breaths. Control. It was something needed and expected in the King. He could do it.. He would not explode…

"Ve~ What's that paper you are holding?"

The feeling of frustration were lost to the confusion and emotions that came from the words and actions of the Queen. He sighed. "It's from the Queen…" He mumbled. Immediately the Jack perked up.

"Can I read it?" He asked his enthusiasm and intrigue clear. Germany hesitantly just passed it to him. He didn't want anybody else to read a letter that was specifically meant for him by his Queen, but the Jack could know some of the things that were there. The Jack took them and silently read them, his expression becoming quite sombre.

"Ve, I hoped it would not come to this…" he muttered at the first, and brightened up slightly at the second. Then he gave the letters back to Germany. "I think it's quite straightforward. What are you going to do?" He asked the King cheerily, though in his eyes was a seriousness that the King knew could lead to good advice. Once more, from the words, he was reminded of a main role of the King. The role to make the decisions on behalf of the Kingdom.

"I believe… I will try to follow what the Queen has in store for me. And that means getting to know my Cards."

The Jack smiled. "First priority, right?"

The King blinked and looked at the Jack confused. "What do you mean…?"

The Jack continued to smile cheerily at him. "It's fine, ve. I'll let you figure it out." With a beaming smile he started to go, but the King called him back. Germany had an inkling that the Jack had gotten something more out of it.. but what could it be..?

"Italien, explain what you think the Queen meant. Please."

Italy pouted at him. "Call me Feli~"

Germany bit his lip. He wanted to know, but if he wanted to know what the answer was he would be forced to compromise by calling his Jack his human name.. Was it worth it? The implications of calling the Jack by his human name were huge. It meant a very personal relationship. Not just as beyond the titles of the two, but even beyond the official name calling. It was relatively intimate. He would not even be calling him by his full human name, but by a short form. The implications of that… Was it worth it…?But then again, this was for is Queen's important letter that helped him to govern the land. He steeled himself.

"Explain what you think the Queen means, please… Feli."

The Jack beamed. "Ve~ The Queen is not only talking about our Kingdom, The Queen is talking about the Kingdoms in general~" With that he walked off but not before turning back.

"I think you should be able to figure out the rest." He said mysteriously and disappeared, though not before almost bumping and breaking a fan ornament that was newly placed on the wall's shelf, leaving Germany speechless and even more confused.

The Jack had just showed a side of himself he did not know of.. And how did the Jack know what was in the letter even after just a cursory glance…? It was as if… Was the Jack…? Did the Jack…?

And now the relationship between them would change drastically because he had agreed to call him by name…. What had he gotten himself into..? He would have to observe the Jack more instead of glossing over him as he did before…

(TBC)

What do you think? Please review and tell me what you think. As much as I am determined to finish this no matter what, some encouragement would really help ^^ Until then, Bai Bai~!