"During times of peace, the sons bury their fathers, but in war it is the fathers who send their sons to the grave" -Herodotus*
Of Mortal Men
"Feliciano."
Ludwig shook the Jack snoozing on his shoulder. The Vargas brothers were only second to Antonio Carriedo and Herakles Karpusi, the Nine of Hearts, in the most-likely-to-be-found-asleep unofficial contest of the Hearts Suit. However, it wasn't like the Jack to fall asleep in such an important meeting. Ludwig had thought that his friend,being an artist and art enthusiast, would be especially interested in the glyphs that Nine Karpusi had found and reported about.
The King shook him again. Feliciano mumbled something unintelligible and snuggled closer to his King. Ludwig froze, and convinced himself that the redness brushing his cheeks were only because the entire Suit were curiously watching as he tried to reclaim his arm. Even to them, it was strange enough that the Jack had fallen sound asleep. Stranger still was that the King allowed a man to be so comfortably laying on him. At least, that's what Ludwig assumed his fellow Suits were thinking.
Instead of yelling at him like he would usually to wake him, Ludwig shook him harder. "Jack Vargas, the meeting is over. You must wake."
Feliciano furrowed his brow and mumbled something that Ludwig was only able to hear due to their proximity. "...no…"
Alarmed, Ludwig unconsciously reached out and wrapped his arm around the Jack. "Feliciano!" He almost cried, shaking and cradling the man at the same time. "Wake—"
"Oi! I'm going to throw away the pasta if you don't wake up!" Lovino screeched from across the room, making half of the Suits jump in surprise.
And like magic, Feliciano's eyes snapped open and he jumped to his feet. "No! You can't do that!"
Ludwig pinched the bridge of his nose as Lovino growled fake threats of throwing away their favorite dish while Feliciano pleaded for mercy. Several of the Suit amused themselves by joining into the argument. Four Klaus Hoffman and Five Anouk Boeckmann were currently, and unsuccessfully, trying to calm Lovino's explosive temper as Queen Kiku Honda, Three Mei Ling and Two Lin Yi Ling attempted to console the distressed Jack.
"Enough!" Ludwig had meant to say it strictly, but instead the command came with a general's tone that demanded, and received, the Suits' attention. The King sighed and stood, the others doing the same. "Are there any others who wish to make a report?"
The Suits glanced at each other, and when no one spoke up, turned back to Ludwig. "Then, as the Authoritative King of Hearts, Ludwig Beilschmidt, I now declare this meeting over and give you permission to—"
"Your Majesty!" The great doors of the Conference Hall burst open. A messenger, panting and sweating profusely, had his eyes trained desperately on his King. The Suit collectively felt that the man's increased heart rate and gulps were from something more than racing the halls of the palace.
"King...Beilschmidt…" the messenger panted. Ludwig patiently waited for the man to catch his breath. The meeting had gone on long enough that he and the other Suits were no doubt hoping that this matter that was about to be presented was a minor thing.
"The...dungeonmaster…" The dungeonmaster? The last time there was a problem in the dungeons was last year, when several prisoners were found to be dead. There was a minor panic amongst the King's men of a plague, but the corpses showed signs of lacerations on vital places rather than sickness. That issue was never solved...
"Are you okay?" Feliciano asked, motioning for someone, anyone give the man a glass of water. Six Andre Esteves, after making eye contact with the Jack, stepped forward and handed the man his untouched glass.
The messenger accepted the water gratefully and gulped it all down. Remembering that he was in the presence of the thirteen most powerful beings in the entire kingdom, he snapped up straight, displaying immaculate posture, and addressed the Suit a whole formally. "The dungeonmaster's son, Lieutenant Zuruck, has been killed. The guards are currently investigating the scene and following every lead—"
"How long ago?" Ludwig asked.
"Approximately fifteen minutes ago, my Liege."
"Have any of the prisoners escaped?" Kiku inquired, giving voice to Ludwig's forming thoughts of a possible break out.
"We are still searching all the cells, my Queen, but…" the messenger trailed off, leaving the Suit irritatedly curious. However much patience the Hand had blessed him with, Ludwig found it running thin, but composed himself and waited for the man to continue.
"Spit it out," Lovino growled at the man. For once, Ludwig was grateful of his short temper because it had intimidated the messenger enough to get through his nervous pause.
"Forgive me, my Ace, but the Joker's cell has been reported empty. I had checked the cell myself along with the Captain of the Guard. He is currently assembling a search party—"
"That will not be necessary," Ludwig declared. The man silenced himself as his sovereign once again called all attention in the room. "A Joker on the loose is no minor threat to any kingdom. As Suits, we must personally find and detain this Joker." Ludwig turned to the messenger. "Inform the Captain of the Guard of his new orders: he is to leave all matter of the Joker's escape to the Suit, unless inquired by one of us, and instead focus on the dungeonmaster's murder. If his investigation leads to the Joker, then he is to abandon it as well and leave it to us."
The messenger bowed deeply before hurrying back through the doors. Once his footsteps disappeared, Ludwig continued, "Security in all the major cities must be increased. Any spare men we have should patrol through the smaller, outer villages. But do so in a way that will not cause an alarm to the civilians. The peoples' safety is, foremost, our priority as the Suit of this kingdom."
"King Beilschmidt," Eight Willem Boeckmann addressed in his gruff voice as the provincial Suits nodded, "the detainment of the Black Joker is one of the essential aspects of our relations with the Spades Monarchy. Without a doubt, this will cause more than just domestic problems for us."
It was the Queen who replied, "Yes, which makes the situation more urgent." Kiku was familiar with both the Queen and Jack of Spades. Ludwig had no second thoughts in trusting him in dealings involving the blue royals.
"Ten Carriedo, Ace Vargas, and Seven Karpusi," Ludwig called in his this-is-an-order tone as the Suits stood a little straighter, "you will accompany myself, the Queen and the Jack to the dungeons. Eight Boeckmann and Six Esteves, you are to relay my orders to the generals and assemble the troops. Nine Karpusi, you are to continue your research once your province has been taken care of. The rest of you, mobilize the troops in your respective provinces and ensure the safety of our citizens."
The Suits faced their royals, faces grim. The air had completely changed from the casual closing of a meeting to one that foreshadowed w—Nein, I refuse to let the situation get to that. They saluted the royals then filed out of the Conference Hall to carry out their orders. Antonio, Lovino and Heracles' brother, Xever, waited as the King, Queen and Jack descended from their high table and then followed them to the dungeons.
The weather outside was mockingly peaceful. Ludwig could feel the routine of his people in his veins, their lives powering his heart, the teetering stability of the markets at the back of his neck, the progress of the nation in his spine, and the small restraint tension of the so-called Clockwork Hammer rebels somewhere in his gut. It was a minor sensation, but Ludwig had no intention of waiting until disaster hit to pay them any attention. Especially with a Joker on the loose…
Hearts wasn't in turmoil, but by no means was it in peace. If a nation-wide event were to occur, Ludwig would feel it immediately. As the King, he was the nation. Other Suits could get a small inkingling of the happenings of the kingdom, but only the King can get a full idea of state the kingdom was in.
Little was known about the Jokers other than their chaotic natures and insatiable thirst for mischief. This didn't surprise anyone in the Suit at all—they only knew a bit more about themselves than the Jokers.
Forgive me, Arthur. Ludwig rubbed his temples as they neared the dungeons. He wondered how the Queen of Spades and the other Kirkland brothers would react when they learn about their brother's disappearance—his heart cringed painfully. He knew exactly how they would feel—his own brother was a Joker after all.
Ignoring the full view of the capital city below, Ludwig turned down a windowless corridor, sky blue eyes trained upon the steel door that led to the dungeons. He forced his pace to stay steady but did nothing to stop his hand from tightening around Innerste, the Hearts Royal Greatsword, that was bouncing on his hip.
The steel door opened and a handful guards poured out then saluted the Suits. "Would you—um, which would you see first, my Liege? The cell or the—the soldier?" One of them asked shakily.
Ludwig placed a comforting hand on the guard shoulder, reaching forward and letting him feel the assurance of the nation. "Just take me down there, son."
Dazed for a moment, the guard nodded and motioned for them to follow. The other guards quickly surrounded them as they descended to the dungeons. Ludwig had never understood why—perhaps it was trained into them—mortal humans were protecting them when they were the ones with higher chances of surviving an assassination attempt.
Faint sniffles crescendoed to racking sobs as they reached the threshold of the bottom most level of dungeons—not too far from where the Joker's cell was supposed to be. The body of the soldier was hidden from the Suits' view by the archway. However, they could perfectly see the heart-wrenching scene of a strong man on his hands and knees.
Ludwig took a moment and pulled on his knowledge as the nation. The memories of the deceased man were becoming blurry, but he could see that the soldier had a family—a father who was the dungeonmaster, a mother currently carrying his future younger brother, and two little sisters beginning their second year of classes. To verify this, he searched the memories of the supposed family. The King gritted his teeth—the boy was too young for this. He turned to the Captain of the Guard. "This is the boy's father, isn't he?"
The Captain's mouth opened in surprised. "Y-yes, sire. The Lieutenant was making rounds in this level. He was to return seven minutes ago. When he didn't, his father became worried and found him...like that. He refused to leave and none of us, uhm, had the heart to force him."
He found his son like this? The guards stepped outside as Ludwig entered the level, followed by a hesitant Feliciano. He felt the Jack tentatively place a hand on the crook of his elbow. Ludwig unconsciously placed a hand on his and squeezed lightly. The Jack let out a squeak and hid behind his king when the he caught sight of the body.
Ludwig grimaced then glanced at the other Suits. Each of them—even the usually expressionless Queen—showed visible signs of discomfort. They had all suffered through violence—Antonio was a former pirate, Kiku was born into a war zone, Xever served as a soldier before becoming a Suit like Ludwig. They were no strangers to death, but this particular one shook the foundations of whatever peaceful picture they had for their kingdom. Relative peace was an illusion—only there for those too afraid to see reality. Ludwig forced down the thought that this wasn't the only death they would be seeing in the near future.
Feliciano sniffed behind him. Ludwig's sky blue eyes wandered over to him and the Ace. The Vargas brothers were the most recent additions to the Suit, and Ludwig hardly knew their pasts. But they look even more uncomfortable than the others. As much as he hated seeing Feliciano without his bright smile, the King made his choice.
"Ten Carriedo, Ace and Jack Vargas will stay here and see to this matter. Captain, take me, Queen Honda and Seven Karpusi to the Joker's cell."
Those were the King's orders. Feliciano tore his eyes from the body and met Ludwig's gaze. The King offered no comforting smile, but the weight of his hand on his shoulder and the warmth of his body nearby was enough to give the Jack the strength to face the grieving father.
He kept his attention on the sobbing man until the others' footsteps disappeared further into the dungeons. Taking a deep breath, Feliciano stepped forward and placed a hand on the man's shoulder. The Queen of Spades may be the greatest spell-wielder in all of Deck, but not even he could perform healing magic to the level the Jack of Hearts could.
After several gasps, the dungeon master was able to gather his wits. "F-forgive me, my Lord...but my son..."
"Mourn for him, Dungeon Master Zuruck. No one will bear you any ill-will if you let your tears flow," Feliciano soothed, sending slight waves of calming magic towards the sobbing father.
Out of the corner of his eye, Antonio approached one of the guards and exchanged a few serious whispers while Romano approached the Lieutenant's body. With a small wave of his hand, a couple guards—friends of the dungeon master, if their sympathetic faces were anything to go by—surrounded the grieving man and led him away from his son's body. Once he was safely out of earshot, Feliciano turned to his brother.
"Deep laceration on his throat," Lovino muttered, drawing his eyes away from the body he was crouched over. "As you can see, his back plate armor is missing, but if we turn him over, it's a pretty safe bet that the front chest plate would still be there."
"Lovi—"
"What I'd like to know, is why remove the back of the armor plate? Why bother if you were just going fucking slit his throat and—"
"Romano!" Feliciano hissed, placing a firm hand on his brother's subtly shaking shoulders. Just as he thought, Romano was only putting up a front—the Vargas brothers, though not unfamiliar with death, avoided pain and suffering—regardless if it was theirs or not— as much as they could. It was simply not something they could stomach. "It's okay, if you don't want to—"
Lovino returned Feliciano's soft look with one of hardened steel. "Maybe if it was for our own sakes, Veneziano," he growled under his breath then turned his gaze back to the Lieutenant's body. "I have a terrible feeling that this death will be the first of many that will come too soon."
Feliciano's eyes widened then dropped to the corpse. His brother was right—had they been the ones in pain, he could have ignored it. But this life left behind a father, a mother, two sisters, an unborn brother, and Hand knows how many friends. The dungeon master's sobs turned to sniffles somewhere behind him. For the sake of any one of our people, we can't turn away from this.
Sharing a silent look with his brother, they steeled themselves and investigated the body, determined to put find justice for Lieutenant Zuruck's death. As Lovino had pointed out, a straight incision ran clear cross his throat and the pool of blood beneath was more than enough to prove that the cause of the man's death was indeed a laceration on the major veins on his throat.
The next question to tackle was the armor. The back plate was removed but the chain mail remained. No damage was inflicted onto the garment. At first glance, everything seemed fine, but Feliciano's artist-trained eyes caught something that most others would glance over—a strange discoloration among the chain links. Slipping the white glove off his hand, he brushed his fingers over the discoloration and found that a black powder was smudged over his fingers.
"Ash?" Lovino whispered, peridot eyes trained on Feliciano's movements.
Suddenly, the Jack's face grew dark, his amber eyes focusing as he began chanting. Lovino, recognizing the counter curse his brother was uttering, joined him. Their chanting diverted all attention towards them, but that was ignored and remained so until the spell was removed from Feliciano's fingertips.
"Did anyone else touch the body?" Antonio asked the guards as the Vargas brother completed the counter curse.
"I-I did, my Lord," Zuruck Senior stuttered.
"It's okay, brother Tonio," Feliciano said softly but was heard by all. "This curse is only passed to those who touch the mark. Thankfully, it's a weak curse that can be dealt with immediately and without worry."
As his younger brother explained this, Lovino drew a dagger hidden within the folds of his expensive maroon coat. After enchanting it to have a sharper edge and only damaging the chain mail, he sliced through the armor to reveal the lieutenant's partially burned tunic underneath.
When the Ace revealed the curse mark burned into Zuruck Jr.'s body, the spell-wielding twins jumped into action. Feliciano quickly magicked barrier spells between the guards and the body. Antonio was a Suit, a powerful one, and would have a Hand-given tolerance against small mal-intended spells. Lovino began chanting counter-curse and charms that would deflect the curse's effects to him and his brother instead of anyone else.
"Lovi—" Antonio began, his hand making a motion that summoned his trusted axe to his palm. He may not have a large affinity with magic, but the magic the brothers were using were basic enough for him to somewhat understand.
"Stay back," Lovino growled between spells.
"It's okay," Feliciano told the older Suit. "The curse doesn't seem to be serious—in fact, it's nearly laughable. These are just precautions we are taking in case there is something we missed."
Antonio was on edge the entire time the brothers were inspecting the body. Lovino had made him stand on the other side of the Jack's barrier while they stayed on the side with the body. They had placed charms on themselves that would dispel the curse's effects immediately. Feliciano had assured the dungeon master that his son's body was not defiled and the curse and it's effects were easily removed.
"I don't think we can even classify this as a curse," Feliciano whispered to his brother as they warily inspected the symbol on the body. "It's more of a warning, or a foreshadowing."
"There's also no doubt that it was the Joker that placed it there," Lovino grumbled, identifying the magical residue, as they approached Antonio.
"Lovi," Antonio whispered, "the symbol—describe it to me. I may not know a lot about magic but I've lived long enough to interpret magical symbols."
The two brothers glanced at each other nervously, not knowing what the symbol made by Joker could possibly mean. Feliciano sighed and removed the barrier and, after a silent moment, deemed the curse to be harmless enough to allow the guards near the body without touching it.
Lovino motioned for Antonio to follow them as they retreated out of the chamber and out of the guards' earshot. "The symbol on Lieutenant Zuruck was easily recognizable," Feliciano started. "But it's meaning is a different story. I would not deem it wise to have it removed until the King and Queen have seen it."
Antonio swallowed, unused to a gravely serious Feliciano. "Jack Vargas, can you tell me what the symbol looked like?"
Feliciano shook his head and immediately retreated to the lower levels of the dungeons to find the Kiku and Ludwig.
"Lovi," Antonio called out, giving up.
"If he doesn't want to tell you what the damn symbol is, then you'll have to wait for potato-head to announce it—"
"No, it's not that. It's just that—the walk from the Conference Hall to the dungeons did not require for us to go outside. It also hadn't rained the past few days."
"What are you getting at?" Lovino grumbled impatiently.
Antonio ran a gloved hand through his brown curls. "Why is Feli covered in mud?"
"It was a good move to keep Feliciano there, Ludwig," Kiku voiced as the Captain led them to the Joker's cell. "If there was anyone who could comfort a man who had lost a loved one, it would be Feliciano."
Ludwig eyed Kiku carefully. Dressed in large purple kimono and a red robe draped over narrow shoulders, the Queen and his close friend looked to be a simple, peace-loving man. However, it had always unnerved the King when Kiku would voice his very thoughts as he was thinking them—yet, Ludwig could never get a single inkling of what the man was thinking.
As far into the dungeons as they were, torch lamps became the sole source of light. It didn't take long before the Captain stopped before a heavy metal door. Unlike the other cells, this one had a level all to its own. Unlike the other cells, this one was closed off by a wall of iron instead of just bars of the metal. Unlike the other cells, this one looked like it hadn't been opened for centuries. And unlike the other cells, this one had a mangled rock sitting on the ground before it.
The Captain cleared his throat. "With the lock like that, we assumed that the prisoner wouldn't still be squatting in there, sire. We daren't open the door without your permissions."
"Good man," the King praised then dismissed the Captain as Xever bent to pick up the broken lock.
"I wouldn't," Kiku warned. "Remember, this is a magical lock that was enchanted by Queen Kirkland. It also came in a pair. The other is what the Spades are using to keep the Red Joker detained."
Ludwig flinched involuntarily when he said Joker.
"I do not doubt Queen Kirklands abilities, having witnessed them myself," Xever started as he stepped away from the lock. "But could the possibility of a mistake on his spellcasting lead to this be valid?"
For a moment, the King almost thought this suggestion to be a valid explanation. Suits were born human after all—human error, though rare, was possible for them. But he shook his head. "All Spell-wielders within the Suit were present as he performed the ritual," Ludwig thought out loud then turned to the Queen. "You were present at the time, ja?"
"Hai, I was. As were Jack Wang of Spades, Six Bondevik of Diamonds, Eight Serghei of Clubs and our own Hera—Nine Karpusi. We, along other minor Spell-wielders in the each Suit ensured that the reinforcement charm placed in these locks and their casting of the spell precise. I can personally ensure that the spell was perfect—no mistakes were made."
"Then the answer is simple; something or someone was able to ruin a lock built by the finest blacksmiths with the strongest steel ever discovered and reinforced by the most potent of spells and the most powerful Spell-wielder," Ludwig pointed out. "We made a mistake, now is the time to fix it—wait, did you say this lock was part of a pair?"
Kiku suddenly gasped. "These locks are magically linked. If one of them was broken…"
"Then the other would just as damaged if not worse," Xever finished, dark eyes widening.
"What can we discern from the lock itself?" Ludwig asked the two magic users.
This time both the Queen and the Seven bent over the lock but refused to touch it. "It would seem, Ludwig," Kiku mumbled after a moment, "that it was broken nearly twenty minutes ago, and that an immense power was responsible for its failure."
"Xever," Ludwig said after a moment, "I understand that you have recently begun studying magic under your brother. Are you able to send a message to the Queen and Jack of Spades via wisp from here?"
Seven Karpusi nodded. "As long as it is a simple message and would be the only one you would need to send within the next hour or two, my Liege."
The King considered his options. Wisps were the fastest modes of message over long distances. They can only be received by magic users—which would be any of Suits for they have a higher amount of magic in them than the average human. The Karpusi brothers were the strongest Spell-wielders in all of Hearts, aside from the Jack who only new healing magic and the Queen who refused to use magic for an unspoken reason, but neither were as strong as the Queen of Spades.
After sorting through priorities and the pros and cons of each option, the King said, "Create a wisp and dedicate it to Queen Kirkland and Jack Wang. The possibility of a breach in their security of my br—of the Red Joker is no longer what we presumed. Warn them of what has transpired here then—"
"Ludwig!"
Feliciano.
In a split second, the King of Hearts whirled around, slid Innerste from her sheath and pointed its dangerous tip towards stairs. Footsteps thundered down the spiraling stone steps. Suddenly, Feliciano appeared racing towards the point of his sword with the breakneck speed he takes on when he was terrified. Bracing himself and with a slight turn of his wrist, Ludwig pointed Innerste away long enough to catch the frightened Jack that barrelled towards his chest.
"Feliciano?" Kiku tried to coax an answer out him, but he was trembling too much to say a word.
It didn't matter because there was a light coming down the stairs. It would have been normal if there were footsteps accompanying the light. But only a red orb of light came bounding towards them. A small voice told him that the orb was harmless, but years of battle instinct had him turning so his body stood between the Jack and the oncoming light, and keeping his sword straight and true.
When the orb of light finally stopped before them, Ludwig felt the magical trace of whoever had sent the wisp—Arthur Kirkland of Spades. As a precaution, he did not lower his sword until Kiku had confirmed that the wisp was no threat and only contained a message.
"It's from Arthur," Kiku said. "Do you think it has something to do with the Joker?"
"Unlikely, my Queen," Xever answered. "Unless they are having problems with their own captive Joker."
"There's only one way to find out," Ludwig said, sheathing Innerste. "Let us hear that message—Feliciano. Let. Go. Off. Me."
"Ve~but you're so warm!" The Jack pointed out and proceeded to snuggle his chest.
"Let go!" The King growled, flushing as he pried the smaller man from him. "Kiku, do you know why the wisp was following Feliciano?"
The Queen shook his head. "My guess would be that he is or one of the recipients of the message it carries."
Kiku inspected the messenger wisp while Ludwig lifted the smiling idiot and set him on the ground beside him. "It appears that only the ranks Jack, Queen and King are the only ones that can receive this message. Very well then." The Queen of Hearts held out his hand. The wisp immediately flew to his palm then pulsed as a voiced flowed out of it.
"This is Arthur Kirkland, Queen of Spades, highest power of Spades until his Majesty, the King, is found. This message is exclusively for the ears of the King of Hearts, Ludwig Beilschmidt, his Queen, Kiku Honda, and their Jack, Feliciano Veneziano Vargas—and it is within my request that only the previously listed people be the first to hear the contents of this message.—"
Xever silently saluted his Royals then climbed the stairs to where the Ace and Ten of Hearts were no doubt waiting. As soon as Seven Karpusi's steps faded, the Queen allowed the wisp to continue.
"—Further, it is the Hearts Royals' choice to share this message to their fellow Suit and to their Council should they deem it necessary."
"Arthur is playing it safe," Kiku whispered. "Whatever this is must be important and has influence to future events if he is giving himself deniability."
Ludwig nodded in agreement, far too invested in the Spades Queen's message to be unnerved of how his own Queen voiced his exact thoughts.
"First and foremost, I apologize to you, King Ludwig Beilschmidt. You have entrusted me and Jack Yao Wang in the detainment of the Red Joker, Gilbert Beilschmidt. It is with great shame that I inform you of our failure. At approximately 3:06 this morning, the Joker had somehow broken out of his cell, three hours before the Jack had discovered it. I sent this wisp as soon as I found out. These locks are paired, and I pray to the Great Hand that you receive this message before any unsavory events occur.
"This message is an apology as well as a request for a meeting. The escape of a Joker can be catastrophic, therefore, all matters of their escape must be investigated and the finding of them must be prioritized. This situation will require more than the attention and power of a full Suit, which the Spades are currently lacking. As your closest ally and fellow Major Suit, I am requesting a meeting of all the Royals of Deck in order to discuss the situation and any future actions to deal with it. As you know, only the rank of King can call such a meeting. I request that you make this call on my behalf if you agree. If not, then I request a meeting with the Hearts Royals for the same purpose.
"An immediate answer is requested. This message is extractable and the wisp has enough power for a return trip to Spades. I trust Jack Vargas will know what to do. May the Great Hand hold you in his palm."
As soon as Arthur's voice disappeared, Kiku nodded to Feliciano. With an inaudible mumble, the Jack began to extract Arthur's message. Or so Ludwig thought. Yes, he was familiar with certain types of magic—battle magic mostly—but something as simple as this was beyond him. When Feliciano retrieved the message—it looked like a white wisp sitting on the Jack's palm—the wisp from Arthur turned blue then pulsed, waiting for the King's message before beginning its return trip to Spades.
"This is the Ludwig Beilschmidt, King of Hearts. This message is for the ears of Arthur Kirkland, Queen of Spades, highest authority of Spades until their King is found, exclusively," Ludwig paused and made eye-contact with Kiku.
The Queen, understanding that Ludwig wanted a private moment to ask about his brother, nodded then led the Jack—who remained clueless of the atmosphere—by the arm up the stairs.
"Arthur, it is not only my brother that has broken free…"
"Feliciano."
"Yes, Queen Honda?" The Jack replied with his usual smile.
Kiku chuckled. "Ludwig may not have seen it, but I can."
"Ve? What are you talking about?"
The Queen and Jack were making their way up the stairs to where the dungeonmaster was mourning his son. Seconds after Feliciano had departed from his brother and Ten Carriedo, he started getting shivers from the overwhelming darkness of the lower levels of the dungeon. For as long as he could remember, Feliciano had always avoided the dark. He wasn't exactly afraid of it—just, wary. The sudden light from Arthur's wisp had surprised him enough to bolt blindly down the stairs to Ludwig.
"There is something bothering you, isn't there?" Kiku asked, stopping at the final step.
Feliciano looked up to his Queen, catching sight of Lovino and Antonio over his shoulder, with wide-eyes. "It's not every day that I inspect a dead body! Also, I feel awful for the dungeon master—I even thought to place a calming charm over him, but he has every right to mourn for the loss of his son and—"
"Jack Vargas," the Queen said firmly.
Feliciano sighed then dropped his smile. A man of few words indeed. "How did you know?"
"You always smile around Ludwig, no matter what is going on," Kiku explained simply, eyes softening. "I doubt you even notice yourself."
"Ludwig is my friend. Isn't it only natural to smile around him?" Feliciano asked, becoming more confused.
"You are not smiling right now, am I not your friend?"
"Oh! No—I mean, of course you are my friend! I just thought that—" Feliciano stopped himself from blabbering further. The small sparkle in his Queen's brown eyes meant that he was only joking—which is rare in itself.
"However, down there, whenever Ludwig wasn't looking towards you, a disturbed frown would appear," Kiku continued. Feliciano fought the shiver going down his spine—he had forgotten that Kiku was one of the most observant people in the world when it came to others. "What is troubling you?"
"It's the body," Feliciano heard himself mumbling. "It was Marked with a disguised curse. A Black Burn was placed on the Lieutenant's back, under his chain mail."
"On his tunic or…?"
Feliciano shook his head. "On his skin."
Kiku's face turned serious. "The Black Burn is usually a warning—a foreshadowing of a future curse. But a Mark can only be placed on someone's skin if it was a personal matter. Can we confirm that the Joker was the one that placed the Mark on Lieutenant Zuruck's back?"
"I had checked myself," Feliciano answered. "The trace was definitely the Black Joker's. But I don't think that it was the Lieutenant that Joker Kirkland had a personal vendetta against."
"Oh? What makes you say that?"
"I had touched the Black Burn. A normal one wouldn't have any effect, but this one did. The effect was insignificant because I was not the intended target," Feliciano continued, scratching his head. "The obvious target of the Red Joker's would be Arthur, but I have my doubts."
Kiku, ever encouraging and helpful, said, "And why do you think that?'
Feliciano swallowed. He knew the answer—he knew why Arthur may not be the target. The real question was why not? "Because he has a bigger target," Feliciano muttered, realizing the answer.
"A target bigger than his own brother, the Queen of Spades?"
"Yea, because the Black Burn was drawn as the Insignia of the King of Spades."
The Suit of Hearts
King Ludwig Beilschmidt (Germany)
Queen Kiku Honda (Japan)
Jack Feliciano Vargas (Italy Veneziano)
Ten Antonio Fernandez Carriedo (Spain)
Nine Herakles Karpusi (Greece)
Eight Willem Boeckmann (Netherlands)
Seven Xever Karpusi (Cyprus)
Six Andre Esteves (Portugal)
Five Anouk Boeckmann (Belgium)
Four Klaus Hoffman (Luxembourg)
Three Mei Ling (Vietnam)
Two Lin Yi Ling (Taiwan)
Ace Lovino Vargas (Italy Romano)
Not sure on all the human names but I like these so I'm keeping them :P
Eight Serghei is Romania and we'll meet him later on. Sorry for my late tumblr updates! Please Review:)