They all stared at him and Naqam tilted his chin up haughtily, trying to pretend like he meant every word he said. Hatter frowned, again looking at Lady Adira whose fingers were playing with a loop of her whip.

Alice bit at her lip, her eyes on her husband as he stood up. Tarian rose momentarily to her knees, then settled back on her heels, eyes glued to the Ace.

"We have an Ace," Killian said in a way that might have been dismissive if it weren't for the sudden flash of some unnameable emotion in his onyx eyes. His left hand went to his right, spinning the gryphon ring around his index finger.

Naqam dipped his head in acknowledgment. "One who, as I understand it, is far too young to be of any use to you right now."

"Is there any particular reason he needs an Ace right this second?" Hatter asked.

He turned his head slowly, until he was looking at the Real Worlder. Hatter's eyes were narrowed and he said, "I find you don't need a weapon when there isn't a war."

"That's why you walk around with those two guns then, right?" Naqam shot back, then bit his lip, silencing himself. 

Hatter let out an amused huff of laughter, flashing straight, white teeth. He scratched at his cheek, his eyes appraising now.

Naqam's stomach rolled with every word he spoke, and he trained his eyes on the floor. If he looked at the King, he was certain he'd be sick. No amount of training had prepared him for how he would feel.

Apparently, being a traitor — even a false one — didn't sit too well with him.

Killian scoffed, and he risked looking up. His gaze was met by varying levels of incredulity. Naqam's eyes flicked to Hatter and Adira, then to the Queen, resting momentarily on the princess before returning to the King.

His black eyes were half-lidded, seemingly deep in thought. Naqam lowered his gaze again in a show of deference. This was apparently the wrong thing to do, because the King growled, "Tell the truth."

Naqam stifled a gasp as the words — heavy with command — tried to pry the truth out of him. Killian's words were uncomfortably compelling. He struggled and said, "I am."

There was  a sensation like glass hooks were trying to pull something different from his throat. He lifted his gaze again, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead as he resisted. Meeting the King's eyes, he said, "I wish to serve as your Ace."

It physically hurt to say the lie and Naqam clamped his lips together, fighting furiously against the compulsion to divulge why he was really here.

There was another heavy silence as Killian seemed to judge the Ace's worth with nothing more than what his eyes could see. This made Naqam rather nervous, for those dark eyes seemed to see quite a lot.

The silence was broken when Hatter asked, "Why?"

At the same time, the Queen said, "Like Rakta."

Hatter paused, looking at Alice with a mixture of entertainment and regret. "Are you arguing for him, or against him?"

The Queen retorted, "You'd be dead if it wasn't for Rakta."

"I'd be dead if it wasn't for a lot of people. What's your point?" Hatter said, green eyes watching Naqam with a hunter's sharp gaze.

Killian snorted, stalking to the window he had been watching out of when Naqam had first entered the hall. Alice rolled her eyes, which seemed rather un-queenly to Naqam.

Then again, the whole family was not even remotely what he had expected of royalty.

The Queen looked up at Hatter with a mix of irritation and amusement as she said, "My point is that it's not unheard of for an Ace to be of service to another Deck. Rakta served... her for years."

"Before betraying her," Killian said.

"Because he was forced to," Hatter objected at the same time. Naqam frowned, wondering what he was talking about. Hadn't the Diamond Ace chosen to serve the Hearts?

Naqam turned his head to look at the Real Worlder and could have sworn he saw a flicker of sadness soften those cold green eyes. He stared, scrutinizing Hatter, only looking away when he found his scrutiny returned by the older man.

"To help us," Alice reminded them. She turned to her husband, who was now leaning his back against the glass of one of the windows, watching Mad, who was watching Naqam.

"No Ace but your own is to be trusted," Killian finally said, half to himself.

Hatter said dryly, "Your Ace doesn't even know she is an Ace."

Naqam blinked, surprised. He thought he must really be going crazy, the stress of this actually getting to him. Because it was absolutely impossible that Madison Hatter would be arguing his case for him.

Hatter twirled his hat between his fingers before tossing it to Tarian, who set it lightly on her own dark hair.

"Why does he need you?" Hatter asked, walking toward the Ace, whose heart pounded in time with every step the man took.

He opened his mouth to respond, then froze when Hatter suddenly grabbed the front of his shirt and hauled him to his feet. Naqam didn't dare to breathe as he stared up at the Real Worlder. He was taller even than the King and Naqam couldn't help but register the aura of lethal power that clung to the man.

He looked down at Naqam, who forced himself to return the gaze steadily, even as his blood began to riot inside of him. His hatred wrapped strangling fingers around his heart and he had to resist the urge to bare his teeth and hiss at the man.

A smirk tugged at Hatter's mouth and he said, "Never could stomach seeing someone on their knees. It's uncomfortable, isn't it?"

The words felt like a test to Naqam, its importance betrayed by the light tone Hatter employed. They continued to stare at one another and Naqam tried very hard to squelch the tiny flicker of what could possibly be admiration trying to ignite in his chest.

Finally, he swallowed and rasped, "It never agreed with me."

This, at least, was the truth. Naktis had beaten him more than once for his natural inclination to be anything but obedient. Hatter narrowed his eyes, seeming to sense this. He let Naqam go and raised an eyebrow, turning to Killian. "Sound like someone you know?"

"Yeah," Killian replied dryly, "and I only need one around."

Hatter scoffed then grinned, and Naqam was suddenly struck by how much the King and the Real Worlder favored one another in looks. It made an unpleasant shiver skitter down his spine and he bit the inside of his cheek, not entirely certain about what was transpiring here. 

Another silence descended, the conversation seeming to come to an impasse. Naqam was fine with that, though. It gave him an uninterrupted moment to sort out what he thought had just happened.

He tentatively thought that Mad Hatter might have just helped him.

Naqam really didn't know how he felt about that. He was almost certain that it wasn't a nice feeling.

"Why do you want to serve us?" Tarian suddenly asked, drawing every eye to where she still sat in front of her father's throne. She ignored the admonishing looks from her parents and the interested glance from her uncle, tilting her head like a curious bird at the Ace.

Naqam bit into his lip, his sharp teeth stabbing into the sensitive skin there. Various responses fought each other in his head, clamoring for attention, but no single answer immediately cropped up.

Tarian shifted until she was sitting cross-legged, the dark material of her pants highlighting the slim shape of her legs. Naqam stared at her, surprised when she didn't flinch away from his gaze. Unlike with the guards, though, he had no immediate urge to see fear flash in those exotic eyes.

Everyone appeared to be awaiting his answer to the princess' question.

His mouth went dry, his rehearsed answers flying from his head. When he opened his mouth, all that came out was, "To protect you."

Tarian raised an elegantly dark eyebrow before looking up at her mother, who seemed just as perplexed by his answer. Hatter made a sort of interested sound in the back of his throat, sharing a glance with Adira once again. Killian hissed, stalking forward until he was standing between Naqam and his daughter.

Naqam paled at the stormy look the King now wore. Perhaps the daughter was not the key to get to the King, after all. He looked down, his chained hands curling into fists, furious with himself.

That wasn't what he was supposed to say!

He scrambled to recover, taking a step forward, then dancing backwards just as quickly when the King snarled at him. Naqam held up his hands placatingly. Quickly, he said, "All of you! I just want to serve a Deck. It's what I'm supposed to do. The Hearts didn't want anything to do with me. You're the only royal family left. I just..." He stumbled, then recovered. "I want to know what it feels like to really serve as an Ace."

Silence echoed after his words. His stomach was in knots. His breath hissed out. For some reason, his gaze was drawn to Hatter.

For once, this appeared to be the right instinct because Killian turned sharply and asked, "Mad?"

Hatter tilted his head, frowning fiercely. Slowly, he asked, "Why didn't they want anything to do with you?"

Naqam, thinking on the spot, flicked his eyes suggestively toward the King. Trying to make his voice apologetic, he said, "They were afraid you would take it as a challenge, your Highness, and that you would seek retribution."

The last bit didn't feel like much of a lie to Naqam, so he was immensely startled by the reaction his words provoked.

Hatter rolled his eyes, swearing under his breath and Killian shook his head, looking truly bewildered. Sadly, the Queen said, "We always knew it might not happen, Killian."

"Hilarious, coming from him," Adira said harshly. "Doesn't he know what the last one did?"

Hatter wrapped calloused fingers around her delicate-looking wrist as she tried to step forward, jerking her back toward him. Adira looked up at him in shock, then took a quick step back. Softly, Hatter said, "He wasn't even born yet, Addy."

Lady Adira scowled at him, rubbing unconsciously at her chest, but she didn't say any more.

Naqam had the sense that he had found the right opening and pressed his advantage. Speaking slowly, he said, "I didn't believe them. But it didn't matter. I've been on my own for a long time. I just... wanted a place to belong."

Hatter sighed heavily and Killian stared at Naqam, then at the Real Worlder. In a voice as heavy as the other man's sigh, the King said, "I can't test him here."

Hatter waved an irritated hand. "I was taking him with me either way, Killian."

Both Alice and Adira gaped at him, surprised and concerned, respectively. He accepted his hat from the princess, the only one who didn't look shocked by his words and put it on before glaring at Naqam.

No, not at Naqam. At Naqam's hands. "Get rid of the shackles," he ordered.

"What?" the King asked. "Why?"

"Because they start to hurt, that's why," Hatter replied curtly. Naqam's lips parted slightly at that.

The King nodded his head in some kind of acknowledgment, like Hatter had said something completely different. Naqam had the thought that he was missing something here; some vital piece of information.

A guard was called for and Naqam watched in disbelief as the cuffs snapped apart and rattled to the floor. He rubbed at his wrists, the skin a little raw, and raised questioning eyes to Hatter.

The other man started to walk toward the doors, gesturing for Naqam to follow. "You're coming with me," the Real Worlder said. "We're going somewhere you can't do any real damage."

"Adira will come see you in five days," Killian said, and Hatter looked over his shoulder at the Jack. She was watching him with narrowed eyes, a complicated look on her face that Naqam couldn't understand.

His attention was torn from the woman when the King growled, "Convince me that you're telling the truth."

Naqam bowed, his mind racing wildly at the turn of events, then made to follow Hatter.

They walked in silence, Naqam staring at the other man's back as they made their way through the castle, back to the main courtyard. He stopped dead at the sight of two impossible looking beasts that were tied to a rail near the gates.

Shortly, Hatter said, "They're called horses. Get used to them."

Naqam blinked, still hesitating near the doors leading into the castle. He flinched minutely when they closed shut behind him with a resounding boom, but still didn't move.

This did not figure into any of his plans at all.

He frowned as Hatter hissed something under his breath, then he turned toward the Ace with a speed that was astonishing.

Naqam's eyes went wide when he suddenly found himself pinned against the great doors of Spade Castle, the barrel of a gun pressed under his chin.

His heart rate tripled.

Naqam had never seen anyone move that fast. He'd actually been caught by surprise.

For the first time in his life, real fear rushed through him, making him sicker than any of his words to the Spades had.

Hatter's eyes flickered between his and his eyebrows drew together for a moment. Then, his green eyes turned unreadable when he said, "Don't convince him. Convince me."