"Oh my gosh!" (Y/n) exclaimed after Julie's big reveal. "It was them the whole time?!"
"The whole time!" she intensely nodded.
"I hope you got back at them for such a stunt." Frank huffed. "It's only fair."
"Oh I got a few pranks up my sleeve." she giggled with a smirk. "I've been waiting for an opportunity to use them!"
"Remind me to never get on your bad side, Julie." Wally chuckled.
There was a pause in their conversation. Lady (Y/n) has been so captivated by the Queen's tale that she has forgotten all about her anxiousness, for at least a little while. For as soon as silence settled...
'Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! I am sitting at the same table as the three royals!!!' she gripped her cup, trying to stop her hands from shaking. 'Nobody has been talking for so long!' it's been a few seconds. 'It's very probably because I'm here, I made it so awkward for them! I'm sorry!!!'

"By the way, Frank." Wally looked at his friend. "Have you decided on what talent you will be presenting at the talent show?"
"Yes. I have decided to not participate."
"Ah? Why is that?"
"Because knowledge isn't a talent. Simple as that."
"Oh but no one is as knowledgeable as you, your Highness." (Y/n) said. "I heard your personal library is so large, it has its own building!"
"Well I can't really pick it off the ground and bring it here, now can I?"
"R-right, I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize, Franky was just joking!" Julie giggled, patting her friend's shoulder and shaking it.
'He was?'

"He is not the best at conveying emotions I'm afraid." Wally chuckled.
"Excuse me?!" Frank sat up straight. "Says the one who literally cannot frown."
"That's not true."
"Try it now!" Julie pointed.
"I can't."
"Why not?" Frank folded his arms.
"I have nothing to frown about."
"Quick, someone say something mean!" Julie waved her hands in excitement.
"I-I could never!" (Y/n) shook her head.
"Just think of something that really ticks you off!" she turned back to Wally. "Like whenever your servants put the sugar in your coffee!"
"I do hate it when that happens..."
"You don't like sugar in your coffee?" (Y/n) tilted her head.
"On the contrary. It's just that he prefers to put in the sugar cubes himself." Frank said. "Said it's part of his process."
"Oh!" she puffed a chuckle.

"But why would I frown, in such joyful moments?" Wally smiled, opening his arms.
"Oh come on," Frank rolled his eyes. "you're telling us you can't frown on command?" he turned towards (Y/n). "(L/n), frown."
She did so immediately. It made Julie giggle.
"See?" he turned back to him. "Frowning is easy."
"Maybe for you, but not for me." he said, adding another sugar cube to his tea.
'He has a sweet tooth.' (Y/n) noted.

"And what about you Julie?" he asked. "What sportive prowess will you showcase this time?"
'She plays sports?!' (Y/n) thought. 'Actually...I shouldn't be surprised.'
"Actually, I don't wanna do it."
"Pardon?"
"Yeah! I wanna see everyone else for once, I can't do that if I participate."
"I see, understandable." he nodded. "Lady (L/n)?"
Said lady became tense.
"Oh yeah!" Julie looked at her. "What's your talent?"
"Assuming that I have one..." she mumbled under her breath before clearing her throat. "Um, well, what I have is more of a fun quirk than anything. And I also want to see everyone else's talent. So..."
"...So I'm the only one at this table who will participate?" Wally asked?

"I-I'm sor-"
"Of course you are." Frank shrugged. "Only His Highness is ever so willing to show off his painting skills."
"Show off?" he placed a hand over his heart. "You're hurting me, Frank. The talent show isn't a competition, therefore I can allow myself to participate."
"Oh don't act like you didn't put on a talent show just so you would have an excuse to paint!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Here, have some more sugar." he slid the small bowl towards him. "It'll make you sweeter."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" he frowned while Julie giggled.
"You paint, your Majesty?" (Y/n) asked.
"Why yes," he nodded. "ever since I was a boy. I find it very calming."

She gasped.
"Have I perhaps walked by one of your creations when I walked through the halls of the castle?" she leaned a bit closer.
"Maybe." he chuckled. "I do tend to hide them in plain sight. Only a select few however."
"That's true!" Julie smiled. "When we were kids, he would stick up his drawings on top of the other paintings!"
That made the two women laugh.
"He thought nobody would notice!"
"I only did that a few times..." he mumbled.
"But yes, um..." (Y/n) tried to keep the subject going. "I know my Lord, the Marquis of Spades will participate however."
"Oh, cool!" Julie nodded. "How old is he again?"
"Seventeen." Wally answered for her.

"And what does he do?"
"Oh I don't want to ruin the surprise-"
"No I mean in general."
(Y/n) blinked twice. She didn't expect that question, and she felt a certain shift in atmosphere, but this was an opportunity to vouch for Arnold.
"Well, as the Head of the High Council, he has a lot of responsibilities and-"
"Oh! I thought you were head of the council!" she pointed.

"I..." she shook her head. "I'm really not."
"I dunno, you just have the..." she gestured towards her, up and down. "You just have the aura of a leader!"
Now, Lady (Y/n) was aware that, within the council, she was indeed the most active member, and that the others did regard her as such. But that wasn't how she wanted others to perceive her, for she didn't plan on staying in this position forever. She knew her fellow council members struggled to work, but as soon as they were ready, as soon as the Spades Kingdom was in a better situation, she will step away from the council, and she will go home...

"I'm just doing my best to keep up with the others, my Queen. If anything, I'm mostly there for emotional support." she chuckled.
"Emotional support?"
"Yes. Our current situation happened very suddenly, none of us expected it. And for some, it was too much to bear. Thankfully, I managed to cheer them up." she beamed.
"Oooooh I get that, it's the same with my sisters and me! So you're like the mom of the group!"
"I-" she stopped herself and stared into space, as if she's never thought about it that way.
Julie bursted out laughing and (Y/n) eventually chuckled, along with Wally.
"I suppose I am, yes." she nodded.
In her laughter, Julie bumped the table and, while Wally has lifted both his and (Y/n)'s teacup just in time like he knew that would happen, Frank's however was knocked over, and while he tried to catch it so as to not get tea on his lap, it got on his chest and face instead.
"Oopsie!" Julie covered her mouth.

"Oh no!" (Y/n) quickly took a napkin. "Here, let me-"
"It's alright." Wally said, putting her teacup back on its little plate.
With a gesture of his hand, a couple of maids walk over with a change of clothes and a screen to hide Frank while he changed. Meanwhile, the King of Diamonds loosened his collar, fuming.
"What the hell?!" he yelled at Wally. "Why didn't you save my tea too?!"
"I couldn't let anything happen to our guest, the Lady of Spades." he gestured towards her.
"You have two hands!"
"This is my favorite teacup." he raised it. "I wouldn't bear it if it was to break. You understand, don't you off friend?" he tilted his head with an innocent look.
Frank groaned as his head started to spin around. It took (Y/n) by surprise once again, but she noticed something that really shook her. A thick scar on the side of his neck.

"I'm sorry Frankyyyy!" Julie said, joining her hands together. "It's all my fault!"
"It's fine Julie." he huffed and stood up to go change. "I should've been more prepared."
(Y/n) watched him leave, still looking at the scar. Wally noticed her staring and smiled.
"Frank?" he called out. "Would you mind if our guest knows about your scar?"
She became tense. She really didn't like being put on the spot.
"Not at all." Frank responded from behind the screen. "It's from a failed assassination."
"What?!" she became paler.
"Yes. From my own people too."
"Oh no... I'm so sorry. It must've been really scary."
There was a pause. The three royals didn't expect such an observation. Everyone knew things like this were commun for people in power, therefore people assumed that they were used to it.

"It would've been scarier if they succeeded." Frank spoke again as he walked back to the table with a new shirt and coat on. "They tried to throw a poorly executed yet powerful spell at me while the three of us were sharing a carriage during a parade."
"I sensed dark magic nearby and pushed him out of the way." Wally said.
"You did?!" she looked at him with big eyes.
"Yes. Although it still hit him. I'm sorry about that." he bowed his head to Frank. "I feel bad about it to this day."
"Oh don't even with that again. You saved my life." he frowned. "And I shall be forever grateful."
Wally smiled softly.

"It was so cool!" Julie exclaimed. "And I caught the bastards with my magic!"
"Haven't you heard about it?" Frank asked. "It was all over the news."
"I uh..." (Y/n) glanced to the side. "I wasn't really keeping up with anything outside of my home in the past."
"Well, they were caught, judged, and executed."
"Oh my..."
"Don't feel bad for them." Wally smiled. "Trust me, they do not deserve such kindness."
She gulped.

"Being royalty sure isn't easy..."
Julie and Wally laughed.
"That is an understatement, (L/n)." Frank said. "...That does bring up a question that has been on a lot of people's mind, and I'll admit, I am curious as well."
"What is it?"
"Who will replace the late King of Spades? Or, with the High Council, will there even be a replacement?"
(Y/n) pursued her lips and looked to the side, looking for the right words to say. The three royals patiently waited, their smiles gone.
"Well... Without a proper heir to the throne, the second choice would be the Marquis. But he's...not quite ready for such a role yet. I'm pretty sure none of us are. I do believe that my Kingdom needs a ruler, but as of now, we just need to focus on making sure that our home is in a more stable situation. There is just so much going on right now. We still have the economic crisis, we haven't had a sunny day in a while, the local religions are at each-other's throats more than usual, because of our limited budget we missed a few festivals and so many birthdays, and of course the culture thing outside of-!" she cut herself and held the bridge of her nose with a groan.
The three royals were taken aback, both by her frustration and by her words. (Y/n) loudly exhaled as she looked back at them.
"But yes!" she exhaled. "There is just no way only one of us can take care of all of that. At least I believe so." she paused. "Of course, once everything is settled – at least a good part of it – we will then discuss who shall be the new Ruler of Spades." she nodded.

The three friends looked at each-other with big eyes.
"Would a bunch of money help?" Julie asked.
Now it was (Y/n)'s turn to be shocked, while Wally and Frank seemed to have expected her to ask such a thing. (Y/n) opened her mouth but for a moment, she said nothing, hesitating. Of course, her first reflex was to politely decline, but...
"Yes." her shoulders dropped and she nodded. "Yes it would, greatly.
"Now now Julie." Wally finished his tea. "Tea time is not a time for business dealings."
"Right right right." Julie nodded and gobbled her cake in one go.
'Right.' (Y/n) thought as she took a sip of her tea. 'Now's not the time for joking around. I almost got my hopes up.'

"I am curious about one thing..." Wally leaned back in his seat, resting his cheek on the palm of his hand. "You say you're waiting for your kingdom to be in a better position. But I am curious about what your overall goal is."
She looked at him, slowly drinking.
"'You' as in the High Council of course." he clarified. "What do you want the Spades Kingdom to be in, let's say, ten years?"
"...So it's not okay to discuss business, but it's fine talking politics?" she smiled as she put her cup down.
He just chuckled.
"In ten years..." her gaze wandered. "I haven't thought that far ahead in a long time."
She thought for a moment. Once again, the three royals patiently waited. Frank glanced at Wally, who was still starring at Lady (Y/n).
"In ten years," she looked back at him. "people who come to our land- any of the four kingdoms really." she gestured towards the three of them. "Should feel welcomed and accepted. And if they need help, all four kingdoms should have the ressources to provide it."
Julie and Wally smiled, Frank nodded.

"That is very vague lady." the latter of whom said.
"I-I'm sorry!" she blushed. "Well of course I want my people to be happy and for our kingdom to flourish in many ways-"
"It's alright (L/n)!" Julie patted her arm. "Vague answers for vague questions!" she chuckled.
"I like asking vague questions." Wally smiled, still looking at (Y/n). "The way they are interpreted can tell a lot about a person."
His stare made her nervous and she avoided eye contact.

Julie suddenly felt inspired to ask more vague questions about more simple subjects. Such as 'what's your favorite color' but in a vague way. She had an electric aura about her that made (Y/n) follow her in all her silly bits, thoughts and ideas. At some point, a butler came in with a bunch of notes, he seemed exhausted but relieved to have finally found the center of the maze.
"Ow, can we get him some water?" (Y/n) asked.
Wally gestured for a maid to do just that.
"Th...Thank you, Milady." the butler bowed.
After drinking a glass of water to refresh himself up, he cleared his throat, stood tall, and walked up to their table where he handed out the notes to each royal. Each one of them declined, saying they intended to stay here for the entirety of the event.
"Enjoying friendly company. Surely they'll understand." Wally smiled, his chin on the back on his closed hand.
"Of course, your Highness." the butler then turned towards lady (Y/n). "And these are for you, Milady."
"Huh?! Me?" she pointed at herself.

"You sure have a hard time believing that people are interested in you, (L/n)." Frank said.
"True." Julie nodded. "Like, I said you have the aura of a leader when push comes to shove, but other than that, you're really lacking in self-confidence."
"Wha- I- Well..."
'Why am I suddenly being called out?!'
"Well it's just that, it's my first being in the presence of...such a crowd. I've never really left my kingdom- Even my hometown before the King's passing."
"Ah. So like a 'big fish in a small pond, moving to a bigger pond with bigger fishes' situation." Frank pointed.
"More like a... A moderately average-sized fish, in a smaller than average pond, then moves to an ocean and-"
"See that's the problem right there!" Julie pointed at her and shifted in her seat to face her. "You need to be more assertive! Be more confident, be more sassy! Tell people what you think, take what you want! Tell them what you need and if they won't give it to you, make it your own!"

(Y/n) blinked twice, leaning back as the Queen grew more passionate with every word.
"You sure can be scary sometimes, Julie." Wally chuckled.
"Look who's talking!" she glared at him with a huff.
"And then you wonder why you're still single." Frank shook his head. "You're always so dramatic. We told you the majority of people don't like that."
"That just means that only a select few can handle all this!" she rapidly gestured to herself up and down.
"I think it's great that you can so freely be yourself, your Highness." (Y/n) smiled. "If it were anyone else, people would say that their behavior wouldn't be fitting of a lady. Yet when people talk about you, I only hear about how perfect you are."
Julie's smile softened.

"When I first became queen, I tried to be everyone's definition of perfect... It just didn't feel right." she shook her head. "I later found out that to be perfect, you have to feel perfect about yourself. It's about finding the right fit, the most natural fit. Be happy and be kind and you will glow as bright as the Sun!"
"I'm sure the caves of the Clubs Kingdom aren't as bright then, without their Sun."
"Oh my, (L/n)!" she covered her mouth and lightly hit her arm. "Where did that come from?!"
"Huh?" she blinked twice, confused. "I was just making a reference to-"
"I know I know!" she giggled. "You're really sweet!"
She smiled. Wally chuckled.

"So, Milady," the butler spoke. "about the notes...?"
"Ah! Yes, um... Please tell them that I'll have to politely decline."
"Very well." he bowed before walking to a trashcan that a maid presented to him.
"Oh. I didn't even get to read them." she realized.
"Doesn't matter, does it?" Julie shrugged. "You declined anyway."
"Still, I don't know who sent them..." she looked at the piles of notes that were for the four of them before turning back with a shrug. "I suppose you're right."
If she had kept looking for just a few more seconds, she would've seen Arnold's name on one of these as it was dropped into the can. She had a lovely time with the three royals and they kept chatting about various things, even after the event officially ended. Once (Y/n) came back, everyone had left and moved on with their day.
She was satisfied, the Shuffling's tea party was a great success.

The next morning, the members of the High Council of Spades were going through their letters. Lady (Y/n) seemed to have received a lot more of them than before.
'It's like they know who invited me! Even though we were in the center of the maze.'
Everyone was still rather fatigued from yesterday, laying back in their seat and flipping through their letters with slow and heavy movements. Arnold let out a big yawn. With the bags under his eyes, it would seem he hasn't slept well.
"Would you like to borrow some makeup to mask them?" Gwendolyn asked.
"No! It makes it look like I worked all night!"
"Ooooh, clever." (Y/n) nodded.
She flipped to another letter and as she saw who it was from by looking at the seal, her expression slowly fell. As if she was struck by lightning and was suddenly full of energy, she suddenly stood up and shouted something in the old language of Spade, scaring everyone.
"Lady (Y/n)! Language!" Catherine exclaimed while Arnold laughed in his shock.

"What in the world?!" she dropped all of the other letters and began to pace around the room, holding the one she had with both hands. "No way! No way! There is no way!"
"What is it? Who is it from?"
"Hold on!" she opened it and began to read it.
Gwendolyn grabbed the envelop as it was being tossed and looked at the seal.
"Is that the royal seal from the Kingdom of Clubs?!"
"What?!" the other two members exclaimed. "(Y/n), what does it say?!"
"Hold on!"
"Just tell us!" Catherine tried to look over her shoulder.
"Just hold on I tell you!" she faced her, hiding the letter from view. "Because if this is about what I think this is about, then this is huge!"

"So we have to share with you every word of the letters we get," Arnold folded his arms. "but the moment we ask you to share, suddenly-"
"She is not listening right now." Gwendolyn shook her head.
He scoffed and had to wait with everyone while (Y/n) carefully read her letter. The handwriting was very cute and round, with little flowers drawings. Not to frame the words, for some sometimes overlapped them. Like the writer randomly decided to put one here and there while writing and eventually had to write over them.

HEY (L/N)! Remember at the tea party when you listed all those things your Kingdom was going through and I asked if money would help and you said 'Oh yeah big times'? Well I'm still up to give you that! Don't worry about me I got a bunch of it! We don't even use that kind of currency in the Clubs Kingdom it's mostly for outside stuff. Just give me an estimate whenever you want and I'll send it over as soon as the Shuffling ends! Your – I hope – friend, Julie Joyful. P.S.: WE SHOULD TOTALLY HANG OUT MORE!

(Y/n) jumped up and down, frantically waving her hands.
"Okay so!" she turned to her fellow council members. "Basically, at the tea party, the people who invited me were the three royals-"
Catherine squealed loudly.
"I told you!" she shook Arnold, who then pushed her away. "Lady (Y/n) is climbing up the ranks!"
"I am doing no such thing." she shook her head. "It's not like I would've invited myself at such a table- It doesn't matter!" she shook her head again.

She then told them all about the discussion her and the three royals had regarding the Kingdom of Spades, while leaving out everything else. They were shocked.
"So we can ask for however much money we want?!" Arnold smirked with a spark in his eyes.
"However much money we need, Arnold." she frowned. "We're not going to rob the Clubs."
"Gosh, you're no fun." he huffed. "We would need a raise with all the work we're doing."
"This is basically charity money, it's not for us." Gwendolyn shook her head. "It's for the kingdom."
"That means...we'll have to do some math." (Y/n) began to think. "Round the numbers, consider our current budget, how much our fundraisers made in the past months- We simply cannot raise the taxes, the people simply can't afford it and some already hate us enough as it is. And-"
"God dammit..." Arnold said under his breath with a deep frown.

"Lady (Y/n), you might now want to get all worked up so soon." Catherine said as she went through the letters (Y/n) had casted aside. "Because you have just tossed away a letter from the Majesty the King of Diamonds!" she raised the letter.
"What?!" her, Arnold and Gwendolyn exclaimed.
(Y/n) rushed over and grabbed it from her. Unlike any other letters, its sender wrote on the envelope who wrote it.
"He wrote his full name too, so he must've wrote it personally!" Catherine gasped in excitement. "Just like the Queen I bet!"
"I cannot believe it..." she laughed in astonishment.
'I feel like I'm dreaming...and I don't know if I even want to wake up!'
She quickly opened it. The handwriting was the complete opposite of Julie's: thin, clean, in italic.

Dear Lady (L/n), I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing this to you with the intention of keeping up my end of the verbal deal we've made after the hunt. Please join me in the library this afternoon before tea time for a lesson of ornithology. I find that having a snack makes any learning experience more enjoyable. Kind regards, Frank Frankly, King of Diamonds.

(Y/n) simply let out a bewildered shout.
"What does it say?!" Catherine asked.
"Ah. Eh. Uh." she waved the letter. "Aaaah!"
"Just give it!" Arnold tried to snatch it away from her but she suddenly walked towards the piles of letters.
"Is there one from the King of Hearts?!"
"No... I didn't find one from him. Went through the whole pile." Catherine looked down at it.
"Oh..." (Y/n) cleared her throat and nodded, her cheeks redder. "Right, yes, of course not."
Catherine and Gwendolyn sent each-other a knowing glance while Arnold huffed.
"Well!" she said, louder than she wanted to be. "I gotta get ready and do some math. Gotta go get ready for that. Bye!" she quickly gathered her letters and fled to her room.

Now that she was alone, her excitement changed into nervous panic.
'I will be alone with a king. Again!' she held her head and paced around her room. 'But this is different, he'll be teaching me! I have to make sure I stay focused and learn good!' she sighed. 'King Frank is the more stern of the three... Probably one of the most stern man I've met. I can't say I'm not nervous...'
She took a long breath and sat at her desk.
'Well in the meantime, I'll have to read the rest of the letters and write back to them all. Which will probably take me all morning, again...'
As she did just that, she came across yet another letter that made her pause everything. She read it intently, then gasped.
"Oh my gosh. This is perfect!" she looked up with a smile. "A complete win-win for everyone! I must meet with him first."

"I do apologize m'lady, I must've misheard ya there. Must be the wax in my ears. You want me to what?!"
"Mr. Dear, pleeeease!" she joined her hands together. "For the sake of our friendship!"
"But... But the King asked you for such an audience." his eyes darted around. "It would be rude of me to go with you."
"I would feel much more at ease if I was in the company of a friend however. Besides," she leaned closer, speaking more quietly despite the two of them being in a secluded part of the Eastern gardens. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind. And it would give you the opportunity to see him again."
Eddie's face became all red.
"Wh-What? Whaaaat?" he looked away twiddling his thumbs. "What do you mean m'lady?! Ahaha! It's not like I have any particular interest in- Not that I wouldn't be honored to!"
"Pleeeease?"
His head wavered back and forth in hesitation while (Y/n) gave him puppy dog eyes. Finally, he sighed.
"Alright m'lady." he huffed, puffing up his chest. "If my presence brings you any comfort, I shall join you!"

Her face lit up and she lightly clapped her hands.
"Thank you a thousands Mr. Dear! May your fishes be dumb as rocks!"
"Excuse me?"
"Oh. That's a Spades saying." she explained as they walked back to the castle. "When fishermen can't catch anything, they say it's because the fishes are getting smarter. So when we say that to someone, it means that you wish for them to get a lot of food and other good things."
"Aaaah, I see!" he nodded, smiling. "And here I was wondering how you knew I had pet fishes at home."
"You have pet fishes?"
"I don't, that's why I was so confused. I thought I missed somethin'!"
She burst out laughing.

Frank was certainly surprised to see Eddie there. He had already acquired the entire library to himself and set up the table, snacks and board for this lesson, and as soon as he heard the Lady's voice, he was ready to start right away, but he froze when he saw Mr. Dear with her. Eddie also seem to have frozen up when their eyes met.
"I was wondering if it would be okay for Mr. Dear to tag along." she gestured towards him. "We already had plans to meet up again, and I thought that – being a traveler – he would greatly benefit from your knowledge."
'Which isn't technically a lie.'
Besides, she had a feeling that, no matter how good she was at lying, Frank would be too busy looking at Eddie's eyes. Said man nervously chuckled.
"I-I do apologize for comin' in unannounced, my King." he bowed. "I would completely understand if you don't-"
"I set up this table for two people."

Both (Y/n) and Eddie suddenly looked defeated, she looked at him with a pained look.
"I understand..." Eddie nodded, speaking in a low tone.
"I guess I'll have to just stand then."
Both (Y/n) and Eddie's faces lit up.
"N-No, my King! It's alright, I'll stand! I'm used to it!"
"Or we could just get another chair." (Y/n) shrugged. "I'll go find one." she began to walk backwards. "Oh, but tell me, your Highness, how long do you think this lesson will be?"
"A couple of hours at most."
"Then I will need a very comfortable chair, not just any chair." she stared at Eddie. "It might take me a while to find one."
He didn't seem to understand what she was implying.

"Completely understandable." Frank nodded. "I myself took a long time to find these two." he patted one of the chairs at the table. "I found them on the second floor."
"Thank you so very much your Highness." she curtsied. "I shall leave you two be for now."
It was then that Eddie finally realized that he would be alone with the King.
"L-Lady (L/n)!"

She was already gone. She chuckled to herself as she took her time to walk up the circular stairs to the library's second floor. She could still see them from the balcony. They seemed to be having a pleasant conversation, although Eddie was clearly nervous. She chuckled again and started looking for a chair similar to the ones Frank got. Again, talking her time. She let out a small 'ah' when she found it. Just as she was about to lift it up, she flinched when she heard a loud thud. She turned around to see a book on the floor. She went to it and crouched to pick it up. Just then, in her peripheral vision, she saw a silhouette of someone turning around a corner and going to another aisle.
"Excuse me?" she called out and followed whoever that was. "You dropped this..." her voice trailed off.
There was no one. She looks around, frowning, even looked through the books on the shelves to see if there was anyone in the other aisles.  But she saw no one.

"Huh..." she said and went to put the book back on the shelf.
"Are you alright (L/n)?" she heard Frank call out for her.
"Ah!" she rushed to the balcony. "I'm okay, thank you for your concern. It's just that someone dropped a book and..."
"Someone?" he raised half of his eyebrow. "Could've swore I booked the entire library for this lesson."
"Ahahahahaha! Booked!" Eddie loudly said. "Hilarious your Majesty!"
"No. 'To book' is an actual verb, Mr. Dear."
"Oh... Pfff. I knew that." he looked away, patting the outer sides of his thighs.
He glanced back and saw that Frank was still looking at him. He quickly looked up at the balcony.
"M'lady! Do you need any help?!"
"I'm okay!" she waved a hand, dragging the chair with the other, making a loud creaking noise that echoed throughout the library and made the two men wince.

(Y/n) did her best to keep up with Frank's teachings. As it turned out, he tended to speak faster once he entered a monologue, and she didn't want to ask him to speak slower for her so as to not thrown him off his rhythm. Eddie was very much used to it, he just became completely lost by minute five and he began to make bird origamis. It was when Frank asked if she had any questions that (Y/n) could go back to anything she missed or didn't understand. The lecture then turned more conversational, which was a lot easier for her to learn this way. Frank even took Eddie's origami and placed them on various maps as a visual explanation of certain ornithologist methods.
By the end, (Y/n) leaned back in her very comfortable chair and looked at the piles of paper full of notes she's made.
"My my." Eddie leaned over to try to read. "Those are some real chicken scratches right there." he chuckled.
"It's my system." she said. "But I agree that it would be difficult for people to read back. I'll rewrite it more properly."

"We could do it right now." he beamed. "Put it all neatly in a binder!"
"A binder?! I love binders!" Frank exclaimed. "All of the useful information you need on any subject, neatly packed and organized in one place."
"And you get to customize it however you want." Eddie added. "Thankfully for us, I always carry some paper-crafting supplies with me at all times." he said as he took out a bunch of colorful papers, tapes and pencils from multiple pockets of his.
"...Why?" (Y/n) asked.
"You never know." he shrugged with a smile.
It took them another few hours to make this binder. In the end, they have made – 'with their powers combined' so said (Y/n) – what all three of them considered a masterpiece. Lady (Y/n) promised herself that she would cherish it.

The next official event of the Shuffling was the talent show. Which, unlike any other talent shows, wasn't a competition taking place on a stage with four mean judges. It was actually taking place throughout the estate and was more similar to a convention. Each participants would have their own space to showcase their talent, like a panel. And, if their talent allowed it, some passersby could even try it out. For example, a lot of people chose to showcase their cooking or baking abilities, all these people were then sharing the kitchens. Of course, the food was offered to anyone who desired it, and if someone asked, one could even give them a quick lesson.

Arnold was doing archery and sword fighting, all blindfolded. People could throw him an apple and he would slice it clean. The one time he missed it, he ended up catching it in his mouth. Everybody cheered when that happened. (Y/n) felt very proud.
'He's having so much fun!' she thought, watching him take his blindfold off and bowing to the crowd before eating the rest of the apple. 'I'm so happy for him!'
"Wow! The Marquis' pretty cool!" Molly, who tagged along, said in awe while holding Clarabelle in her arms.
"One thing to know about Arnold is that he's not all bark and no bite." she smiled.

The young man noticed her and the two of them waved at each-other. Her and Molly walked around the gardens to see all the outdoor talents people had. It was mostly sports, some animal handling, magic tricks, etc... They saw Queen Julie going from sport to sport, destroying anyone that played against her.
'Oh, so she just didn't want to be tied down by one sport.' (Y/n) chuckled.
"That could be me!" Molly pointed at a stand where someone was displaying their giant pumpkins, which they claimed they grew naturally without any magic.
"You have your own personal vegetable garden, Miss Molly?"
"Of course I do!" she huffed. "But kids can't participate!"
"Next Shuffling will be the one, don't worry." she smiled.

"What's your talent Lady (L/n)?"
"Oh it's not really a talent..."
"What is it? What is it?" she jumped lightly.
She looked around and leaned closer, Molly leaned too.
"I can make flower crowns fast."
The young girl gasped.
"That's so cool! Show me!"
"I don't think I can..."
"There's gotta be a flower craft spot somewhere?"
"I really don't believe so." she shook her head with a smile. "It is considered a bit childish. I don't think many people would consider it a-"
"Here's one right there!" she pointed.

She looked over with big eyes. There was indeed a stand full of various flowers, although it was mostly for flower arrangements. Molly let go of Clarabelle to grab her hand, while the duck quacked and made her way to the pretty flowers.
"Come on!" she dragged her with them.
(Y/n) was hesitant, but knew she didn't have much of a choice.
"Alright. Um..."
While Clarabelle shoved her head into flowers, (Y/n) took an assortments of them plus a few blades of grass. Then, she started braided them together. The beginning process was rather slow, but it did catch the attention of the people around her. They whispered to each-other, asking what she thought she was doing. Then, once she's build some momentum, she suddenly went really fast, and within minutes, she's crafted a small flower crown. An 'oooo' resonated through the crowd and they clapped. (Y/n) chuckled and bowed, her cheeks dusted with pink.

"Here you go Miss Molly." she handed it to her.
"Woooow." she looked at her in awe. "Here Clarabelle, there are your colors!"
She put it on the duck's head, but it was too big and so fell down her neck. It was a flower necklace now!
"Awww!" (Y/n) let out, along with other people.
"Do one for me now!" she pointed at herself.
"Can I have one too?" someone asked.
"Pardon?" (Y/n) looked at them, surprised.
"Oh I would love to have one with petunias!" more people chimed in.
"Could I have a necklace to match my dress?"
"Can I have a ring? The one my husband gave me sucks!"
"Oh my..." she said under her breath.

Soon enough, this flower arrangement panel turned more into Lady (L/n)'s flower crafting stand. It was nice to make people happy, but she didn't like to do it because people asked her to. Flower-crown-making should come naturally, she thought, when you're out with some friends in a meadow and you want to make a memento of the lovely time you spent together.
'At this rate, I won't get to see all of the talent show.'
She quickly thought of a plan.
"Look!" she pointed. "A butterfly landed on Lady Clarabelle's beak!"
"What?!" everyone looked over.
Although that was a lie, a butterfly was indeed trying to land on her flower necklace, but Clarabelle was trying to eat it.
"Clarabelle no!" Molly rushed over to it. "Think of your diet!"
The crowd laughed and turned back to Lady (L/n), but she was gone, hiding behind a pillar.
"I'm sorry Miss Molly." she whispered. "I do hope you enjoy the rest of the day without me."

And so, Lady (Y/n) walked through the talent show, now by herself. She stopped by a blacksmithing panel to say hi to Mr. Pillar.
"You're not participating?" she asked.
"Naaah." he shook his head, his two pair of arms folded. "Just lending my equipment and keeping an eye out in case someone gets a bit too ambitious."
"Don't you want to participate though?"
"I do." he sighed. "But I am just a servant, these kind of events aren't for people like me."
"Oh, I see..." she nodded. "But you are the royal blacksmith, surely such a prestige could give you permission to perform your craft."
"I think it's so as to not discourage the others." he leaned over and whispered to her.
They both chuckled.

After a while, Lady (Y/n) entered the castle. Each large room were dedicated to a talent. Music, dancing, singing, board games, puppetry. There was a stand up comedy one, with Barnaby as a mediator. She wanted to chat with him, but didn't want to enter the room. She didn't want to risk making a fool of herself again. They did wave at each-other though. There was also a room where people would recite their favorite soliloquy, showcasing their acting abilities. She found Lady Starlet there and watched a couple of performance.
"I was thinking this could be a great opportunity to scout some hidden gems." Sally whispered to her.
"Oh, good idea." she nodded. "And may I say, that monologue of yours was captivating."
"Why thank you." she nodded with a hand over her heart. "I couldn't find a place for it in the play and I simply couldn't bear to keep it in the drafts."
"That would be a shame yes. Although... One of those lines sounded strangely familiar-"
"No it didn't!" she exclaimed, a drop of cold sweat on her forehead.
"Oh."

Lady (Y/n) had a lot of fun. The hallways were filled with music, singing and laughter. The entire castle was full of life and it brought her a sense of joy. She found Eddie in an arts and crafts panel, he taught her how to make origami butterflies. King Frank joined them at some point, he turned out to be particularly good at making paper airplanes. She left after he went on a tangent about the knowledge of aerodynamics needed for such a craft.
Every door to a panel was left open, so (Y/n) – eating a pastry she got from the people in the kitchens – walked through the hallways, peeking inside each room. She didn't expect to see such a variety of talents. Maybe she could've participated after all...

Walking by a door bigger than the others, she stopped in her tracks. The room was large, the ceiling was high, paintings all over the walls, with blank canvases by the floor. Painting easels everywhere, surrounding a pedestal on top of which was one singular red apple. Not only was there a lot of painters, but there was also a lot of people watching, a bigger crowd than any other panel had, whispering and giggling. And (Y/n) instantly knew why. Despite the many painters, she spotted the King of Hearts right away, for it was him that everyone was watching, even the painters would look at him once in a while. But he, however, was solely focused on his craft.
Seeing such a sight, from afar, with the rays of sunlight coming through the tall windows, (Y/n) couldn't help but let out a quiet 'wow'. It was already like looking at a painting to her, she was afraid to ruin this beautiful illusion by stepping in. And besides, there were too many people there already. She sighed through her nose and walked away.

But she did want to see the other paintings however. So she decided to go back once the event was over, once everyone will have left. She felt proud of having made the entire round of the talent show, and she did brag about it to her fellow council members. Arnold didn't believe her and he was right, she did lie. There was one panel left.
'I just spoke from a future-me perspective.' she thought as she made her way to the art studio.
The doors were still open, but everything was much more silent now. She passed by servants who were tidying everything up and would say a quick hello to them, which caught them off guard, surprised that their presence was being acknowledged. There was no servant going in nor out of the art studio, she thought maybe they were already done with it. She suddenly stopped at the doorway.

Without the easels and the crowd, the room looked much bigger than before. The setting sunlight made everything look orange and the silence made it seem like time had stopped. But it wasn't the sight of the room that made her halt. For there was one easel left. Despite not having a model anymore, the King of Hearts was still painting. It was like he never moved from his stool once.
The one thing that came to (Y/n)'s mind in this moment, was that it was the first time she saw him without a cape.
Her heart jumped when he glanced at her and their eyes met. He smiled.

"Ah. Lady (L/n)." he said as he tapped his brush on his palette to add a bit more paint. "I see you finally decided to join us. I do apologize, but the panel has been closed for a while now." he said with an apologetic smile.
"Oh n-no! It's not that!" she shook her head, her face red. "I just wanted to look at the paintings now that everyone was gone. But I see you're here, so I won't bother you any more than I am." she bowed.
He chuckled.
"Not at all, do as you please." he said as he kept painting. "These doors are open for a reason."
"Thank you, my King." she curtsied.
She walked passed him and glanced over to see what he was painting: the walls, with all the shades of orange. She thought that if she licked it, it would taste like orange too. She looked at the wall behind him, framed paintings all over it, even up to the ceiling. They were all of various things, some with a very different art style.

"You painted all of these?"
"Most of them." he said without looking away. "Some are by good friends of mine, some by other artists who I've commissioned. I let them paint whatever they want and I put it up there. I like looking at different art styles, it helps me recognize what makes mine unique. And besides, it's just nice to have art of your friends."
"...That must be Queen Julie." she pointed up at the most colorful and messy one with a smile. "King Frank..." she leaned towards the cleanest and most detailed butterfly sketch she's ever seen.
She stopped in front of a painting which only had three dots, red, blue and yellow, with a bigger red dot under them.
"Um... Barnaby?"
"My, you really have a keen eye, Lady (L/n)." he looked back at her.
"It just... It feels like him." she took a step back to look at them all. "They're all so beautiful."

"Do you have an interest in painting by any chance?" he put his palette aside and turned towards her.
"Not particularly. My father did, however, and I would watch him paint."
"Oh really?" he hopped off the stool and walked to stand by her side. "What kind of painter was he?"
"He used the same paint as you I think, only he used a knife."
"I'm sorry." he blinked twice. "A knife?"
"Yes, knife painting." she looked at him and saw the look on his face. "You've never heard of it?"
"No, but I'm intrigued. Could you show me?"
"Show you?"
He nodded. There was now a glimmer in his eyes that she simply couldn't say no to.

"S-Sure..." she looked around. "I would need a knife."
"We could get one at the knife-swallowing panel."
"I would have to politely disagree. For hygiene sake."
"Then to the kitchens at once!" he raised an index before walking away.
She followed him in a rush. Despite simply power walking, he was still very fast. They walked passed the servants in the hallways, who were even more surprised to see who the lady from earlier was now with. Her and the King secretly borrowed a couple of knives – of different shapes and sizes – from the kitchens and quickly went back to the art studio.

"I would like to preface this by saying that I have never painted before." she said, a new palette in her hand after the King set up a new canvas for her. "But I will do my best to show you." she cleared her throat. "So, most of the time, the paint is displayed flat on the palette. And with the knife, you cut across and take a small chunk." she did just that and raised the blade for him to see. "So now you have this small roll of pain along the blade."
"I see..." he leaned closer to look.
"And so," she faced the blank canvas. "of course you don't cut the canvas, you just...gently drag it...along the canvas." she said under her breath as she did so, trying to focus on what her hands were doing and explaining it at the same time. "It allows for very thin lines. My father would mostly paint nature landscapes so... Oh! And if you drag it across like a shaving razor." she took a bit more paint and did just that. "The line becomes super thick, and if you're gentle with it and allow the knife to make little bumps on the canvas, it creates a cool looking effect- I remember my father would do this when painting snow-covered surfaces!"
"Ah, clever." he slowly nodded.

"And, and!" she quickly looked around. "If you take a regular big brush."
"Here." he handed one to her as if he had it this whole time.
"Thank you." she took it. "So imagine you're painting a lake or a body of water. You would make the edges with the thin lines. Then, to recreate the reflection of the water, you take the brush... And push the paint down to do a nice gradient effect."
She tried to do that, but she must've put too much paint already and too much pressure, for it came out wrong.
"Oh no- Uh, no, not like that." she panicked.
She tried to save it, but it just made it worse. She kept stammering, it made Wally chuckle and that made her blush in shame.

"W-Well, that's how my father did it." she faced him. "Obviously it would look a lot more elegant than this mess." she gestured toward her canvas.
"For a complete beginner to know such techniques, it's already very impressive." he smiled.
"...You flatter me, my King."
"I don't mean to."
"And yet, I feel flattered."
"Then, shall I say 'thank you' or 'you're welcome'?" he tilted his head.
She blushed again, pursuing her lips, not knowing what to say to that. He chuckled again.
"Would you like to try again?" he asked. "I'll join you this time, we're both beginners in this painting method."
She hesitated, looking at the strange painting tool in her hand.
"Alright." she smiled.

The King's face lit up and went to set up another easel. While he did that, unbeknown to Lady (Y/n), he passed by the doors and closed them. He gave her a few tips before starting, such as to start with a sketch using a pencil.
"Ah! Pencil! That I can do!"
"So you do draw."
"Well I haven't done it in a long time. I would sometimes try and sketch the landscape while my father was painting..." she took a pencil and stared at the blank canvas.
The King noticed her stare.
"Don't think about it too much," he said as he prepared his palette. "just start drawing, the rest shall come to you."
"It's not that I don't know what to paint." she said without looking away. "I'm just trying to figure out how to fit everything into this tiny space..."
He watched as she pressed a closed fist on her mouth and squinted her eyes, humming while thinking. Suddenly, she gasped, surprising him. She then took the canvas and rotated it to be more panoramic.
"Perfect!" she beamed.

He let out a 'heh' and started painting. They were facing each-other and so couldn't see what the other was painting. Sometimes, (Y/n) would glance at him, seeing his expression. It was different than when he healed her hands, for using magic came naturally to him. When he painted, he was focused, a small frown on his face, contrasting his faint smile.
She realized she's been staring and quickly went back to sketching. This painting session was quiet, with only the sounds of pencil, knife and brush going across their canvas echoing through the large room. They didn't talk either, the two of them were trying something new and didn't want to mess it up. At some point, Wally glanced at her. Her tongue was sticking out from between her teeth, she would frequently lean back and every time she did, her expression would range from one of cringe to one of delight. He contained a chuckle and put the finishing touches.

"There." he leaned back. "I'm done."
"What?!" (Y/n) leaned to the side to look at him. "I just started painting!"
"You just finished the sketch?"
"Yes!" she exclaimed with furrowed eyebrows. "But I get the feeling that you are also very fast!"
"I admit, I could've spent more time on it. I might work on it again some time." he put his painting tools aside. "Would you like to see?"
"Oh yes, please."
He picked up his canvas and rotated it with a smile. (Y/n)'s jaw dropped, the look on her face made him chuckle. It was a painting of a mountain, with an entire city on it, in a perfect fusion of rural and urban. It would seem that he used regular brushes to make the sky and background, which, contrasting the sharpness of the knife lines, created a blurry effect and made it all the more realistic.

"It's beautiful!" she said, then looked back at her painting. "...I don't even want to finish mine now."
"Oh don't be like that. Do finish it, I'll wait." he put the canvas back on the easel and hoped down his stool. "In the meantime, I'll look for a spot on my wall."
"For your painting?"
"For your painting."
"Mine?!" she pointed at herself.

"Of course." he smiled, walking up to her. "You're the one who introduced me to an entire new painting method, I must honor you and your-" he stopped when he saw what she did.
Just lines. Horizontal lines. (Y/n), her face red, wanted to throw that canvas away.
"Ah." the King spoke before she could. "These are the Rook plains, are they not?"
She blinked twice, surprised.
"Yes, actually." she nodded.
"I recognize it. The Spades Kingdom is known for its plains and prairies."
"Right, we don't have a lot of mountains there." she smiled.

"You simply must finish it. At least the line art."
"My King," she sighed. "I'm really not-"
"Wally."
"Excuse me?" her eyes widened.
"My name is Wally." he smiled. "Please refer to me as such."
"Is it... Is it short for something?"
"No. Simply just Wally."
There was a short moment of silence.
"Baha-!!!" she slapped a hand over her mouth.
He was taken aback. She would've laughed so loudly if she hadn't stopped herself.
"A bit silly, I suppose..." he glanced to the side.

"N-No no no no no!" she quickly shook her head and hands. "It's not that at all! It's a wonderful name! I just... I know someone with a similar name, and I call him Wally."
"Oh. I see." he smiled. "You must be really close, if you're giving him a nickname."
"Yes... Yes we are." she nodded.
"Strange, you don't strike me as the type to give nicknames to people."
"There are always exceptions."
"Mmh..." he cleared his throat. "Anyway, you really should finish this painting."
"We've been at it for a while now, I really don't want to waste any more time on this."
"Waste?" he raised an eyebrow. "What would your father say if he heard you right now?"

This made something click in her mind. She looked back at the unfinished cluster of lines and pursued her lips. Without a word, she kept painting, and Wally watched. Anytime she'd stop herself because she messed up, he would chime in and give her a solution, without taking away from her art style. In the end, the painting was nothing but horizontal lines, but the different pressure put into each strokes created different shades of the same color. And so, if one would take a step back, they could clearly see a scenery from the Spades Kingdom.
"See? That's not so bad at all." Wally smiled. "It's very lovely even."
"Yeah." she nodded. "It's just like how he used to..."
Hearing a quiver in her voice, he looked over to see her eyes filling with tears. She turned away, hiding her face.
"Oh boy." she said to herself.
"Oh no, are you okay?"
"I'm alright, thank you." she waved a hand. "I just didn't expect it to...hit me this hard."

He smiled softly and gently patted her back. He felt her tense up under his touch. She cleared her throat, sniffed a couple out times and turned back to the painting, blinking a lot.
"I agree." she said. "It turned out a lot better thanks to your advice."
"You can keep it if you want."
"Huh? Oh, no no no. I wouldn't even have made it if it wasn't for you, my King."
"I told you, call me Wally."
She turned to him.
"It's only the two of us here." he looked her in the eyes. "There's no need for formalities."
"...Okay." she said under her breath. "W-Wally, you can have my painting."

He smiled.
"I guess I have no choice then. I promise you I will take the upmost care of it." he picked it up. "I shall hang it in the morning."
"In the morning...?"
She looked around. The Sun had set and the Moon has risen, the studio was now lit by chandeliers and candles scattered around the room. (Y/n) let out a cry of shock that made Wally almost drop the painting.
"It's so late! How come I didn't notice?! Oh my gosh my King I am so sorry to have taken so much of your time," she bowed deeply as she made her way out with backward steps. "you must be so tired I will leave you be now if you'll excuse me!"
She opened the door but turned to face him one last time. She hesitated, then curtsied.
"Thank you very much, I've had a lovely time." she said before leaving in a rush.

Wally stood there for a moment, processing what just happened. Eventually, he laughed. She called him 'my King' again.
"I guess it'll take her some time to get used to it." he said to himself, gently placing her and his knife paintings in a corner somewhere, side by side.