DAY 38-2: CONDITIONS

   Brightening, she yanks the plants from a dazed Avel and tosses them to him.

"Ro, save me!"

His fingers leave the sword he has slung against the straps of his hip in time to catch the plants. He blinks carefully when he receives them but right as they try to bite him too, his eyes narrow into slits. With that dark look alone, the plants flail and leap to the ground, crawling their way into the bushes of the forest around them.

   Leda releases a breath of relief and meets Ro's gaze with a smile.

   He shifts his gaze in the other direction.

   Her heart sinks in her chest.

   "'Ro'?" Both of them train their gaze onto Avel, who's suddenly gained an edge—a hostile one Leda doesn't expect. Nor does she anticipate the ink black serpent that has somehow worked its way around his shoulders, hissing maliciously. "So you're the Spade Leda wanted to save."

   Ro shuts his eyes. "I did not need 'saving.'"

   Avel's brows scrunch together, in a heinous scowl. "Huh?"

   "Master Avel," his serpent's hiss fills the air, "he's the—"

   "Ro! You should be thanking him," Leda interjects.

   He scoffs, "Over my dead body."

   "You would be a dead body if Avel hadn't helped you! He's our ally now. We're cooperating."

   Ro doesn't do more than stick out his chest in that typically proud manner of his. She sends him an incredulous look. Why is he back to being stubborn?

   "Zaire... is this Spade insulting me?" Lips pulled back, Avel raises his head. Cackles pools from his mouth as he juts his chin, the flecks of insanity not leaving his widened-eyes. "Do you want to die right now? Give me a minute; I'll revert you back to that beautifully incapacitated body you want so badly."

   Ro reaches for his weapon. "I'd like to see you try it if you can."

   Leda forces both men back by placing her palms at their chests.

   "What the heck? You two are princes, not little kids!"

   Neither are willing to drop their offences nor bloodlust. However, Ro relents against her push.

   "This insanity driven suit is a criminal, not a leader of his nation."

   Avel, on the other hand, stops dead in his tracks. "Wait, prince." His jaw plummets. "'Ro'... Ronan? As in the third prince of Edaps, Ronan III?"

   Leda's hands fall to her sides. "You know each other?"

   "Nice to see you're still the fool I remember," Ro responds.

   Avel goes back on guard, Zaire hissing on his shoulder. He reaches for her and she shifts into a long staff—his wizardly one. "You are that bastard! Leda had to suffer with such a vile suit this entire time? And I of all people aided a member of that royal family back to full heath?"

   "And?"

   "That's it. I'm murdering you. You're dead to me. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead—"

   Blood beginning to boil in her veins, Leda grounds her teeth. She slams her fists into both of their heads before they can dare lunge for the kill. "Dumbasses!"

   They recoil with similar shock etched into their faces. But Leda isn't close to done.

   Stabbing her finger into Ro's chest, she shouts, "Do you know how much trouble we went through just to get you to Avel and have him cure you? You barely escaped death the first time so why the hell are you complaining and trying to get yourself killed a second time?" She swivels so fast Avel stumbles over his feet. "And you! You need to learn to keep your damn insanity in check! You're a flippin' doctor for cripes' sake!"

   Ro clicks his tongue, caressing the spot with pursed lips. "You and your audacity. I'm a royal prince."

   "Leda punched me..." Avel has the polar opposite reaction. He rushes toward her, scooping her hands into his for the second time. "Ah, my dear, I'm sorry! I'll do everything you desire so will you punch and scold me again?"

   Leda falters a step but Avel is adamant. He... enjoyed it? "Uh..."

   "Oh," he goes on, reverting to his doe-eyed childlike grin from earlier, "and when should we have our wedding?"

   "W-wedding?!"

   "I fulfilled our deal, remember?" he prods, giddily. "You promised you would become mine. Declared I give you my heart for all of eternity. So when will that be? Today? Tomorrow? Or can it be right this very moment?"

   "U-um, Avel—"

   As Leda stammers, attempting to pry herself away for the life in her, Ro unhands his scabbard with a bolstering sigh. He's the first to notice the bandaged wolf that hobbles into the area.

   "How are you feeling?"

   Orian responds to Ro's concern with a faint smile. "Master Avel said I'd heal soon enough." His green eyes shift right, and soon, all essence of his nonchalance is lost. "More importantly... I see he is still all over her."

   "He's an idiot," Ro says. "Don't even bother with him.

   "Bastard! Who are you calling an idiot?"

   "You. It's obvious you aren't serious about her."

   "As if! My love for Leda isn't going anywhere! You've always been jealous over how popular I am with girls, just admit it!"

   "Your delusions are getting to you aren't they? Over the course of our lives, there's never been a single girl who hasn't requested they be put out of their misery after interacting with you."

   Avel opens his mouth to retort, only to stutter. Seizing Ro's collar, he shakes him vehemently. "You!" he hisses, through the frustrated tears. "You have no right to look down on the ways of this kingdom! So what if the only wife option I ever received was from a fox who ran away and my very own sister?"

   Ro scowls at him, fetching his sword. "Unhand me at once you vile Heart."

   "Who're you calling' 'vile' huh, you cocky Spade?"

   "They don't seem to get along..." Orian mumbles.

  Leda sighs. "You once told me Hearts and Spades have issues, but it seriously is bad." She brushes it aside with the shake of her head. "Avel."

   Fortunately, the call of his name draws his focus to her at once.

   "Ro's cockiness aside," she says, ignoring the glare that came with it, "we came here to Straeh for a reason."

"To marry me?"

She fidgets for a moment. "Not exactly. You see..."

Ro calmly steps in front of her. "The antidote you prepared for me—I'm going to need you to make an entire kingdom's worth."

Avel's eyes narrowed. He leans against the nearby tree. "You're talking about that plague going through Edaps right now, aren't you?"

   "You're aware?"

   "I'm not too familiar with the details. But the whole plan once I became king was to wipe out Edaps then take over Revolc and Dia on top of that. Mother was to become the Queen of Annadia, and Straeh, the most impregnable kingdom."

"So... you're telling us you can't do it?" Leda says.

"No, I'm very much able to." He caresses Zaire who regresses into the serpent she once was. "Since Mother's no longer around I don't have to listen to her wishes, whatever I decide to do with the other kingdoms has nothing to do with her."

Leda and Orian share a bright look.

   "Then...!" Leda says.

Avel grins right back. "I had a feeling that's what this was about. I've made preparations to ensure enough was made to begin with. You need me to accompany you back to Edaps, don't you?"

"No, that is perfectly all right," Ro replies. "The antidotes will be plenty. Now fork them over."

Avel glowers, and they share an equally menacing glower, ready to slit each other's throats. But Avel holds himself back at the last second by raising two fingers. "I'll help you on two conditions."

"This sounds oddly familiar," Orian muses.

Leda sweatdrops in agreement. It's what he said before he asked her to marry him...

"Your family had the audacity to manipulate one of my brethren and played a role in the decimation of my kingdom, and you're making conditions?" Ro demands.

He pauses. Then, pouts, shooting a longing glance in Leda's direction. Shaking his head, he extends a finger. "Then, one condition!"

"I refuse."

"Master Ro, you can't refuse before hearing him out," Orian interjects.

"If it's a condition coming from a Heart I don't want to. Are you going to help us or not?"

"Ro!" Leda says. Why is he especially salty today? "Avel—"

"—nearly killed you two." The harshness of Ro's voice lodges her own in her throat. Orian goes equally as mute, but the strain in Ro's face doesn't alleviate. "He trapped you with false security and kindness and was going to slaughter you as unforgivingly as he could. If it weren't for some miracle that you guys are alive despite those treacherous injuries, you would've long been dead by his hands. And you're telling me you already forgive him? And that you want me to as well?"

The words hit Leda hard. She grits her teeth. "But you were sick. Dying. And Avel didn't give those orders to kill us—the Queen of Hearts did!"

"There is nothing more shameful than a prince who can't protect those he holds dear."

   Her stomach churns.

   "Ro..."

Avel breaks the forming tension with a nonchalant shrug. "I can't say I feel regret for what I did—truthfully I'm not sure I understand what 'regret' is supposed to feel like—but at the end of the day, you need my help. A Heart's. So either you swallow your immense pride and accept my condition or watch more of your people die." The corner of his lip quirks up. "At the end of the day, the collapse of the Edaps Kingdom is none of my concern. I'd honestly be overjoyed to see your race die off. If you ask me, though, it'd probably be in your best interest to choose quickly. Who knows how much longer your people will live."

There had to have been a better way of putting it. Then again, after everything that's happened it's naive of her to believe it'd all be glossed over as if it never happened.

Ro scoffs. "Spit out your condition already."

"It's simple. Leste and Pashee—the two pieces of land in Straeh territory Edaps has claimed all those years ago. I'm going to need you to return them."

Ro's eyebrows rose.

"Edaps has our land claimed in name only, but it's technically still governed by Straeh's rules and laws. There has always been this huge divide between Spades and Hearts, and the troubles there are never-ending. According to Val, it'd honestly be easier to control and stifle a potential revolt without getting directly involved and complicating things. And considering Edaps has no need for neither, just officially sign them back to us and I'll gladly help you."

"I can't do that."

"Huh?"

Leda frowns. "Ro—"

"I mean I do not stand in the position to make those decisions," he clarifies. "If you wish to discuss proper land dealings you are to talk to the King of Spades."

"I was hoping to avoid that." Avel clicks his tongue. "So?" he asks, tilting a brow. "I'm guessing he's ill also?"

"We need to head out as soon as we can," Ro replies. "Or else there really won't be a chance for your condition coming true."

"Fine. Consider it a deal." He pouts as he meets Leda's gaze. "I'm sorry, my love. I was going to make my second condition having our wedding before our departure but I guess it's going to have to wait a bit longer."

"A-aww..." Thank you, Ro!

   Witnessing their exchange, Ro scowls. "Can you stop fooling around and ready the antidotes for our trip?"

"Do you have to ruin every mood? Let me woo Leda in peace."

"Woo? She has no interest in marrying a criminal like you. Are you that blinded by your insanity to realize that?"

"And you're saying she'd rather marry a stifling suit like you?"

"Who are you calling stifling you stupid Heart?"

"Who else you damn Spade?"

As they headbutt one another, growling from vexation, Leda heaves another sigh. "He's such a hopeless flirt..."

"I'm sure all Hearts are," Orian responds with a weak smile.

"Don't think I forgot, by the way," she says. "I'm going to need a proper explanation to why I didn't die after having my head severed from my body."

"Oh... right. About that—"

"Your Highness! There you are!"

All eyes swivel to the boy who comes bumbling down the path. He carries a large scroll in his hands, bug-eyed and dazzled. Leda blinks. A herald?

"Can this not wait until I rip the smug face off this bastard?" Avel asks.

"I-It's amazing news, Your Highness!" the herald cries, snatching their attention once more. "It's the King of Spades! He's passed away!"

   All air is sucked dry, until suddenly, none of them can breathe. Limitless applause can be audible in the distance—Hearts celebrating the news in the palace.

   Ro grabs the herald by the collar, yanking him off the ground and dangling him with a heated glare. "Who told you that information?"

"Y-you're—"

"I am demanding you tell me!"

"I-It's all over Annadia!" he squeaks, wriggling around for freedom—a way to muster a proper breath. "A messenger came to the castle moments earlier to deliver the news! It was yesterday evening—apparently he's died of illness!"

   The King of Spades is dead.

   Ro's father... Dead.

   Many thoughts and emotions swirl in Leda's mind, leaving her weak in the knees and sick to her stomach.

   They've gotten close. So, so close.

   But like always, they were too late.