Trusted Soldier
"Trusted Soldier"
or
Awakening
Alice watched as her mother walked through the gates of the castle, normally she would have been awaiting her mother’s return with her sibling in the courtyard but mother had sent word about something that made Alice sour.
Alice looked at the boy accompanying her mother, he had led the Spade’s Armies while her mother had been injured. It was impressive as he looked to be Alice’s age, he was well built and had blond hair. He looked a lot like the current Ace in their ranks, Matthew Williams.
Morgana, Alice’s mother, dismounted her horse and was quickly followed by the boy. The guards opened the door for her as walked into the castle, the boy was by her side and Alice’s sibling’s quickly followed behind as if they had practiced and they probably had.
A few minutes later, she heard, “Alice?” Charlotte said, Alice looked over at her sister who was older than her yet still looked younger. Her ginger curls framed her face, and her eyes were the same color as Alice’s.
“What do you want, Charlotte?” Alice asked even though she knew what she was going to say.
“Mother wants you in the Throne Room,” Charlotte said, before she turned and started walking back to the Throne Room. Her dark blue dress swished with every step and the small high heels she was undoubtedly wearing made a muffled clicking noise. Alice followed her.
Soon, they were exiting a stairwell hidden behind a tapestry in the Knight’s Hall, Alice and Charlotte walked down the Hall and were in the Throne Room a few minutes later.
Morgana lounged on King’s Throne, the Queen’s Throne stood empty as it had for almost the entirety of her reign. Her dark red hair was in a braid that her hair was falling out of, her eyes were a slightly lighter green than Alice’s. “Alice,” Morgana greeted.
“Hello, mother,” Alice said of reply.
“This is Alfred,” Morgana said gesturing toward the boy she had brought back to the castle with her. Alfred smiled, it was one of those smiles that looked to be too beautiful to be real. His blue eyes looked like stars, or looked to have stars in them. “You are too marry him.”
Alice gaped, marry him ? He was just a common soldier, therefore not worthy of her affections. As if reading her mind, Morgana said, “The Jokers have told me that my time as King of the Spades is almost over. They have chosen to make Alfred the next King and as a Kirkland has always been on one Throne or the other and since your siblings are all married or betrothed and Peter is still a child, you will marry Alfred.” Alice nodded mutely, she looked at Alfred, she wonder if he was really worthy of being King.
Alfred smiled at Alice and for the first time in her life, Alice smiled back.
A month later, the Joker’s visited. The younger looking one was the one Morgana was more familiar one, he may have seemed like the younger but he was actually the older one. The Joker were semi-immortal, but they began to die after a few hundred years. Morgana knew he was dying. His name was Davie.
The other she had only met once, when he told her that Alfred would be the next King of the Spades. He was peculiar looking, with the palest skin she had ever seen and white hair, but the most interesting part was that his eyes were red. She knew he only became a Joker a few years ago because he was originally first in line for the Throne of the Kingdom of Hearts then the news broke that he was chosen as the next Joker.
“What do you want?” Morgana hissed, it was true that the Jokers were the ones who chose each rank for the higher-ranking members of each Court and it was true that they controlled the four Kingdoms but when they came calling unwelcomed, it meant something bad was about to happen.
“Should you really talk to us that way, King?” The red eyed Joker, Gilbert, drawled easily smiling. He was really the perfect Joker as Davie had once told Morgana.
“You are in my Kingdom, in my home, I can talk to you anyway I want.” Morgana snapped, her green eyes wild.
“We have come to collect the next Joker,’ Davie said, the calm to Gilbert’s storm. Morgana couldn’t think of anyone in her Court who could be the next Joker.
“We’re here for your son, Peter.” Gilbert said, his red eyes glinting with a mischievous light. Davie glanced at Gilbert, before looking back at the King of Spades.
“My son? Why would you want him to be a Joker?” Morgana asked.
“We only know who is meant to be who, not why they’re meant to be what they are. And your son is meant to be a Joker.” Davie said, very little emotion in his voice.
“Very well,” Morgana said, before calling a servant over. “Bring Prince Peter here.” The servant nodded and hurriedly walked away.
Peter arrived in the Throne Room a few minutes later, confused to see the Jokers and her mother together. Peter wasn’t aware of his mother having set a meeting with Jokers. Peter made eye contact with the white-haired Joker, surprised to see red eyes staring back. “Mother, what do you need?”
His mother stood and hugged Peter tightly. “You must go with these two to discover your destiny. You are a Joker now.” Peter looked at his mother, confused.
“We will teach you our ways, and eventually you will replace me,” Davie explained, he had known that Peter desperately wanted to distance himself from his family, he used that to his advantage.
Morgana gently pushed Peter forward, Peter joined the two Joker’s. The three left together, acting as if he had known them forever. Peter was eager to learn from the two.
He only looked back once.