Villainess Of Hearts

Today was an ordinary day—the Queen of Hearts had her breakfast and lunch in her office as usual. More often than not, her Knight would be leaving every now and then to take care of other matters and perhaps more at ease during the day? If she glanced out the window, she'd end up seeing five bumbling men outside and stationed there.

"Why do I not feel comfortable with them?" Rosalyn Lockhart clicked her tongue but went over the documents in her desk. Empty plates lay on the corner and she wished that either Gine or Mary Ann would drop by to pick up the clutter, and possibly return with more snacks.

It had been approximately a week or so since the representatives from the Clover Kingdom finally left the Heart's Kingdom.

Whether it was through some miraculous speed or the man had help, Nicholas Hatter finished the quota of hats to the pleasure of the Delegate.

Catherine Duke had also left along that time—and she hadn't been able to see the Chesire after that time.

"He must have returned to the Blue Forest…" The Queen said to herself and finished signing the last of the invitations. After the Gathering of Suits would come the time that the Royals would share their agreements and updates to the Nobility if they so desired it. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she rubbed her wrists.

The Lady had insisted that she visited their manor and even the Blue Forest for a vacation—and though the idea presented itself like a refreshingly hot cup of roseberry tea, she didn't know if it was worth it.

For the past week or so, ever since the incident with the King of Hearts arriving at the Hatter's shop and accusing the man of giving strange potions, she made no move to visit him nor his friends. Her own incessant movements before had cooled down. And surely simple men and women didn't deserve to be visited and invited by someone like her on multiple occasions.

The Queen of Hearts had her own pride.

If there was anything that she might have waited for—it would be the response from the Lockhart House. Her fingers idly tapped on the wooden surface, the soft clicks filling her room. This peace and silence she was now having, she didn't have much words for it. Relieved? Definitely.

And yet it was also odd.

It really had been a notable amount of time since she had actually gotten upset—and it felt like she was losing her edge. Would she feel much better if she pointed at a random servant and found trouble in them breathing the same air as she did? A snort escaped her lips, unroyally so, but she could find problems in even the smallest of pittance.

There were too many occasions that even today she couldn't exactly recall what had made her attempt to behead the Hatter the last time. At least prior to their meeting of recent times.

"...my temper is easy to trigger and yet I forget too fast." Rosalyn Lockhart clicked her tongue.

A soft click and push revealed the door opening and a familiar Knight. He bowed at her, "I believe it is on a case to case basis, Your Majesty."

So he had overheard her.

Rosalyn would have gotten embarrassed for being caught talking to herself but it was him. She arched a brow at him instead, "Really? Can you give me a good example, Gine?"

"His Majesty of Hearts."

That mention was enough to make her frown. And so her Knight was right—she didn't forget everything. And she could tell that it was the same with him, she tilted her head. "I suppose it depends on the weight of their actions, but you must agree with me, I've become slow to anger, haven't I?"

A harried cough escaped the man's lips, "If I may be honest with you, Rosalyn?"

"When have you ever told a lie to me?" She chuckled and waved a hand, "Tell me what is on your mind, I promise not to get upset."

"...I believe that you have started to eat much more."

Her lips parted and she affixed a stare at him, "And what does that have anything to do with what I've asked?"

"I believe that the key to the Queen's temperament is the meal that she eats—the sugar, heavily laden sugary tea. I'm worried that there might be even more in the tarts." 

A silence descended in the room.

Rosalyn Lockhart took a sharp inhale, and then shook her head. "Ah Gine you speak of the most ridiculous things—I am not sure if you know but the Prime Minister already took an inventory of the servant's kitchen, dare I say, Mary Ann's kitchen because a third kitchen had been prepared for the soldiers and servants. All of the ingredients are checked and noted down."

There was one thing she hadn't exactly forgotten however.

"But who knows? There might be a chance that the tea or tarts might be laced in a love potion?" She eyed him. Surely if that was the case then the Knight would have already been going against her by now, wouldn't he? Or perhaps that was the case of his recent departures?

"You may be right, Your Majesty." Julius Ginellevé agreed.

"What?"

She had no idea what was running in the man's mind—did he not understand what she was implying? Rosalyn Lockhart rubbed her cheek, "I very much doubt it, the two of us both consume her cooking and I also make her eat it. Surely you could tell if you have any lingering feelings for Miss Mary Ann?" A soft sigh escaped her lips and she rested her face on her palm. "Besides, acquiring a love potion is an endeavor in and of itself."

"What if she got it from the Royal Doctor?"

He was missing the point entirely.

"Gine I'm asking if you have any feelings for the girl?" She frowned. The thought of it… well, it had always been a present thing in her mind that. It occupied her thoughts even before she had become the Queen. 

The man blinked and spluttered.

"You are completely aware that the Lockhart Knights like you can live comfortably, don't you?" She gave him a serious look, and sat up more properly. "Even more so once you retire and receive your pension. My own brother would not deny paying you for your services, having fought valiantly during…" She frowned and chose not to finish the sentence.

It had already been in the past.

A weak smile formed on her lips, "Albeit he might ask you to extend your services and serve him instead of me." She didn't think that she would speak of this, but it had always been bound to happen.

Her Knight was still silent.

Possibly pondering? Their relationship complicated things, for what… occurred between them in recent times, it was a selfish thing of hers. But he had aired no complaints about it. Might she even say that he enjoyed it more than herself. And yet she could not offer him anything else.

She could not give herself to him.

Nor did she have any intention to leave her position for something like this—no matter the bond and intimacy between them. It was one of the things that she didn't care about before, she acknowledged what could happen but she was more content with her own pleasures and satisfaction and ignored reasons. But this time...

It would be for the best.

"Surely you have the intentions to settle down in the future?" She asked and finally reached for another invitation to sign. She dipped the quill in ink and penned down her name, "Marry a woman. Maybe an esteemed one from the commoners? Perhaps even one of the lower nobility for your appearance is striking enough and their father would see you as an asset. And then you could have children, have someone inherit—"

"No."

She raised her head at his word.

It was as if a force compelled her to do so—to look at him. Even when she did not need to. She could comprehend it, but at the same time, she didn't. The man may have shown similar refusals before, but surely he could see reason, didn't he? 

Her nerves sparked and ignited with his approach.

"I am aware of the things that you have sacrificed to be where we are right now, Rosalyn." He took one step towards her, a tired smile on his face. "And I am conscious that you do not wish for anything to be thrown into oblivion. For the blood that had spilled in the land and for names that now remain forgotten—I know it. You do not wish for the sacrifices made to be in vain."

Words.

Words, fragments and sentences she did not wish to hear. And yet ones that she didn't think she needed and wanted to hear. Her gaze met his and she understood that she truly had him distressed and even upset.

"But surely you are aware that I would never leave you." A soft sigh escaped his lips, his amethyst eyes looking at her. "Do not think that you could easily throw me aside, Your Majesty.. The only one that I desire is you and only you."