Villainess Of Hearts

"You say those words without hesitation." She frowned and ignored the heat in her cheeks. Of course, hearing those phrases from him was enough to elicit a certain amount of pleasure from it. To see her Knight thoroughly and even anxiously enamored with her. And this was in spite of all their previously exchanged words.

Julius gave her a look, "Because they are true."

Her actions as of recent times showed no clue or even encouragement to this behavior and yet he still showed. It was both a nuisance and a compliment. More of the former though if she were to think of it carefully. Too much adoration for someone… she was aware of how quickly it could change someone.

One moment would be filled with adoration. Then the next moment would be unbridled rage if love was unrequited. Extreme possessiveness if otherwise.

It was a dangerous thing.

Better to have more lukewarm feelings between each other, to be tied by loyalty than love.

And yet the man's words still flattered her so. Too much really, it was an inevitable thing. "...So you say that it is true, well, it cannot be helped when I am indeed someone easy to love." Rosalyn Lockhart pushed back a lock of her hair behind an ear. She sighed softly and shook her head, a resigned smile formed on her lips. "Beauty indeed has its price."

A soft chuckle erupted from his lips.

It was almost a laugh.

It changed the atmosphere and she threw him a look, questioningly so. "Did I say something funny, Gine?"

"Loving you Rosalyn requires me of many things—and though I love you." He reached out to her, once again ignoring the desk in between them as he held her hand. "I am also not blind to how… some people do not think of you in the same way."

She narrowed her eyes at him and tugged her hand away from him. "I would have not taken that as a positive statement."

"Well I believe that Her Majesty has nothing to worry about. You have begun to gain love from people around our Kingdom." The Knight admitted, not exactly sounding happy. It was as if he was reporting the number of tarts he had stolen from her plate. "I believe that your servant, Mary Ann is enjoying herself when she serves you, it is an honor for the Hatter and his friends to be at your side. And even the King of Hearts is trying to get back into your graces again."

And so it wasn't only her who could see the results of her actions.

She was pleased to hear of this, save perhaps for the latter part about the King of Hearts. Rosalyn Lockhart smiled lightly. "Indeed, I have started to become much more charismatic than ever…" She placed a hand over her heart and straightened up. "And that is why I am loveable or now beloved by these people, aren't I? I've done a great job."

"Perhaps, Your Majesty."

She gave him a look, "...You don't sound awfully sure."

"If I may be truthful once more, I do not understand the necessity of this or even your sudden desire for it—well, I understand that you had a fear due to your nightmare." A small frown tugged on his lip, he returned her look with one of his own. "But someone at your position does not need to fear or fret about what the people think of you."

He almost sounded like a lecturer.

Her Knight sounded like a tutor who thought he knew more about ruling than she did.

"And that is where you are wrong. This monarchy cannot survive if the people ruling are hated. That is why the Joker did well in establishing Alexander Hartsmichdt as the King of Hearts to the throne despite being a complete stranger—his reputation precedes mine and of the Lockhart House." Rosalyn explained to him and clicked her tongue.

Even the mere statement of it was enough to make her a tad frustrated. Especially because he knew of this. He had served the Lockhart House while she had been away for a year—that was the period when her family had been too hasty. Rash actions. Sloppy strikes. Unthoughtful moves. 

It hadn't made much sense before on why 'Mister Rosswall' kept visiting her family in the past. The reason why he sought to meet up with her parents. She had been naively happy to have a friend at that time. Fed with roseberry tarts to keep her happy and even complacent.

But now it had become much more clear.

She now understood it—especially more that she had begun to check for any old documents in regards to the Card Trials. The Joker had wished to intervene prior to any of the events that would happen, even while she was a child and the aristocracy had their own split factions due to the loss of the previous monarchy. Yes, the Joker had already known that the Card Trials would have a victor didn't he and had wanted to prevent the coup?

Was the Time Man involved in this?

She tried not to focus on it and instead chose to pay attention to something else. It might have been their House's downfall if not for her move.

...and yet nobody appreciated it, did it?

"Your Majesty, if it were not for you—the King of Hearts would have already been a puppet on strings. There is room for ruthlessness and a steeled resolve. Compared to that, I am sure that someone would be more willing to work with an enemy. Someone they know that can work efficiently over an ally that can offer nothing."

Her Knight had a point.

She sighed and mustered a weak smile, "Thank you, Gine. I appreciate your thoughts and comforting words."

But despite all of this, a certain Alice would come and sweep people off their feet. Her own efforts turned into dust and smoke by that vixen and all it took for that woman was that smile of hers. A singular curving of those lips of her or cheerful laugh that possibly made men's hearts skip a beat.

She wanted to tell that to Julius.

Tell her that the reason for these changes was because of that woman. It wasn't because of her dreaming that he had killed her. It might have been painful, but the true harbinger of all the pain in her life was that woman.

How much more could she counter a person like that if not for her doing the same? 

Alice was the girl who could summon armies. She could have men and soldiers take arms and battle for her desires and whims. She may be the girl that could divide Alliances. Make people forget their word in exchange for her hand or even for the girl to spare a look into their direction.

That was true power, wasn't it?

When she compared herself to that, it was easy to become disheartened. Of course she was going to think that there was something wrong with her own method—even if the Kingdom wouldn't have been able to run and manage itself if not for her. If all she did was bat her eyelashes at everyone and smile like an idiot, then their Kingdom would also crumble.

Her position was truly at a difficult spot.

The Queen of Hearts left to act on the defensive and reactive. Everything that she was doing right now was because of the Alice that was to come—her blood boiled. She raised a hand to her face and rubbed her forehead.

"...Are you alright, Rosalyn?"

Julius Ginelleve's brows furrowed together and he resumed calling her by name. It seemed like she had managed to move past his earlier words, he no longer brought it up. Perhaps he wasn't exactly waiting for a response from her? Did he merely wished to express his intentions about not leaving her?

She only had to make sure that whatever had happened in the past would not reoccur again.

The Queen of Hearts managed a weak smile and waved a hand at him, "I am, perhaps I am in need of my snacks."

"...I see, would you wish for me to get your afternoon tea?" 

He didn't exactly sound happy. Perhaps the only confirmation that he didn't like Mary Ann. She shook her head, "I told the girl to deliver it to me at four in the afternoon, I'll manage until then. Have you had any responses from the Lockhart House, yet?"

"There is no arrival yet, Your Majesty."

"I see…"

"We could send a follow-up?"

"No, it's alright. We still have ample time to prepare before the King of Spades arrival."

The man stiffened for a moment, moreso with this than mentioning her brother. Although the latter was something she would have avoided herself, save for her agreement with Alfred Villeuce.

It was something that perhaps didn't need to be brought up—but her Knight was the only one she could ask about. 

His statements of people loving her was still a little more false than the truth. And though she would catch some servants and soldiers wandering around her area now unlike before... the people more or less still preferred to cower and avoid her if she actually tried to approach them.

Except the few people she had interacted with like Chesire and Nicholas. The rest were happy to stay out of her sight and mind. She still couldn't forget how Harold and Mallory were the last time. They were uncomfortable and event reluctant at the tea party.

The Queen of Hearts glanced at her documents. Most of them were already finished and the letters were also prepared and signed.. "Please take these invitations instead and have them sent."