Somewhere in the King of Hearts' estate, an outdoors theater stage was being constructed and everything was going smoothly. From a window of the castle's third floor, a young woman was watching, still in her nightgown for it was still early morning. A beautiful robe embedded in shimmering crystals in the shape of stars, its light fabric easily floating in the wind, magically altered to make chime noises as it does. The lady had a grave expression on her face.
"In this regal palace, my presence reigns supreme." she spoke, even though she was alone. "A paragon of popularity. Behold." she turned around and began to move about her chamber with elegance, almost dancing. "Every step, every word, a calculated dance on the edge of destiny. As time passes and stakes rise, a wrong move threatens to dethrone me. But with poise and mystique, I navigate this intricate world of power and desire, captivating all who reside within these noble walls. But to thine own self be true- Oh wait." she abruptly stopped with a frown. "That's already taken."
With a hand to her chin, she walked to her desk, on which were piles of scattered papers and writing materials. She made a few changes to what she's most recently wrote.
"Oh but it's such a good line..." she hummed, thinking. "Maybe if I change the wording, no one will be the wiser." she smirked.

Someone knocked at her door. She stood straight, putting back her serious and poised expression.
"Enter." she spoke loud and clear.
"Hey Sally?" her butler and friend of many years opened the door. "Please don't tell me you'll skip breakfast again. The Hearts people will start to get offended if you keep declining-"
"Non-sense Jeremiah!" she waved a hand in a dismissive manner. "After all, I have been personally invited by his Majesty the King. For he entrusts me and my genius creative spirit to put up simply the best play in history. For a grand event such as the Shuffling, of course he would only ask the best of the best, and he would never let anyone question my creative process. Especially since I am from the prestigious Court of Stars, originated from the infinite beauty of space!" she stroke a pose, pointing up at the sky.
"Creative process? Malnourishment. Great."
"Thankfully however, I have been on a roll ever since I have awoken from my slumber! And I do feel like eating after coming up with such a fresh original monologue!"

She took a few papers with her to read over breakfast.
"Come along now, Jeremiah!"
"Okay, once and for all, why are you calling me that, and why do I have to dress like a dude?"
"Why for the thrill of it, my good friend!" she wrapped an arm around them and pulled them closer with an excited spark in her eyes. "This is the Shuffling. Everyone must have secrets to keep."
Indeed, everyone in the Shuffling has secrets, some deeper than others. Being from the Court of Stars came with an unshakable prestige, even for their servants. Living in space and being literal celestial bodies was a big deal, especially to the people of Earth. So no matter your status, you will be treated like nobility by them. Which was very convenient for Lady Starlet.

For you see, Sally Starlet wasn't actually of noble birth. Her and her friend were servants at the castle of their kingdom. When their King received the invitation for the Shuffling, he dismissed it, for he had "more important things to do". As Sally went to throw the letter away, as she was ordered to, she read it "by accident".

One thing your realm is known for is its ability to make an audience bear witness to breath-taking sights. I myself was simply blown away by a play one of your people put up last Shuffling. As a humble request, and an opportunity for our kingdoms to collaborate once more, I would like that same person – whoever it may be – to come back and put on another play to be performed on the fourth and final week of this event. As an act of trust, they may have complete creative control over production.

Sally didn't have to read any further. She's made up her mind and simple could not pass on this golden opportunity. With the help of her friend, they've intercepted their King's letter declining the invitation, and forged their own. In this new response, they told the King of Hearts that the King of the Court of Stars was feeling unwell and so wouldn't be able to attend the Shuffling and that the playwright who put on the play he loved so much all these years ago has retired– which was actually true – however, they would instead send their successor, a young and brilliant prodigy, who already captured the hearts of many.

Sally, thanks to her connections with the palace's servants, put together an entire fancy wardrobe then disguised her and her friend. She also gave themselves a detailed backstory.
"Why am I the butler?" Jeremiah, now known as such, pointed at their new outfit.
"Because any decent noble has a right hand man!" she smiled.

The two of them arrived fashionably late, but were still greeted by the King of Hearts despite that.
"It is an honor to meet you, Lady Starlet." he took her hand and bowed. "I would've never imagined such a talented playwright to be so young. You look to be around my age."
"King of Hearts, you must know to never ask a Lady for her age." she laughed.
He laughed too and apologized. When going over his plan for the play, he did remind her that he would have the final say over the script once she was finished with it, and would make changes if he judged necessary. Which, he assured her, will not happen if she is as talented as he was told.

Things went smoothly from this day on, for one can never have any problems with anyone if they never go out. Indeed, Lady Sally has been locking herself up in her quarters, working on her script. Despite the fact that she started writing five months ago and has finished long before the day she arrived, she's been rereading and re-working it nonstop. She didn't feel like it was quite right yet. It wasn't perfect. But it must be, if she was to surpass whoever put on last year's play. If not, then her cover would be blown, and instead of sending praises, the King of Hearts would instead report her mediocrity to her court and she'd be in big trouble. But most importantly, she would fail as a playwright, and that would be simply devastating!

"Have you ever thought of getting a second opinion?" Jeremiah asked, sensing her growing anxiety despite her perfect facade of confidence.
"I have you for that, dear friend."
"I mean someone other than me. The story takes place on Earth, yet you rarely even go there."
She scoffed with a smile.
"I go there whenever I have vacations."
"You go to the beach, and you stay there all day. That doesn't count."
"But I love the beach! We don't have any in space!"
Jeremiah sighed.
"If you ask like a servant or something, work some of your acting magic, they won't question anything."
"Aha! A beta reader! Great idea Jeremiah!" she pointed at them before leaving in a rush to change.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the castle, Lady (Y/n) was walking back to the Spades quarters, a couple of books on magic with her. She had some free time this morning so she wanted to study a bit in the library, then decided it would be best to do so in private. She walked with quick steps, hiding the covers from view. Lady Sally spotted her in the corridors.
'Bingo!' she thought. 'Doesn't look too important based on that dress. And little to no jewels?! Jackpot!'
She cleared her throat and went up to her.
"Excuse me."
(Y/n) looked at her and froze into place, startled.
'The playwright...' she thought, then gasped. 'Someone from the Court of Stars!'
"Y-Your Brightness!" she quickly bowed. "Good day to you!"
'Your Brightness? I like her already!' Sally tilted her chin upward.

"You seem to me like the kind of person who understands art."
"N-Not really-"
"Well rejoice!" she stroke a pose, pointing at her. "For I have chosen you to be my test subject for my script!"
"What?!" she pointed at herself, flustered. "M-Me?! I couldn't possibly-"
"Non-sense!" she waved a hand dramatically. "I must make sure that my play is absolutely perfect, I wouldn't be worthy of the title of playwright if I refused to get any second opinion!"
"I-It's an honor, Madam!"
"That's the spirit!" she huffed. "Come along!"

Sally lead the lady to her quarters and offered her some tea while she read. (Y/n) was beyond nervous and refused to reply to the Lady with anything but a nod and a 'yes Madam!' or 'I wholeheartedly agree Madam!'. Jeremiah could see Sally's ego growing twice its size each time the lady would speak to her. When she started reading the script, she'd keep glancing at her, like she was scared to read wrong. It was pretty funny to watch for Sally. A little concerning, for Jeremiah.
Yet, as the lady kept reading, she looked less and less at her. Eventually, she was solely focused on reading. But Sally wasn't seeing the expression of awe and woe that she's been thriving to get out of her audience. In fact, the lady wasn't showing any emotion at all. Was the script that bad? There was no way! Now it was Sally's turn to be nervous.
Finally, after what felt like hours, (Y/n) closed the script and put it on the table.
"You truly have a way with words, my Lady." she smiled. "I'm sure the people of the Shuffling will be in awe upon witnessing your art."
But Sally didn't buy any of it. As a professional actor, she recognized a fake smile when she saw one.

"Would you care to elaborate?"
"I-"
"And please, do not hold back." she leaned back on her couch, crossing her legs (she was wearing trousers). "In this moment, forget all titles. Think of me as – oh I don't know – a simple maid for example."
Jeremiah rolled their eyes. (Y/n) looked down, fixing the script, her smile nowhere to be found now.
"The story is engaging, the romance is lovely, the balance between comedy and tragedy is simply perfect."
With each comment, Sally's smile grew bigger.
"The characters are believable, all except for the villain, which leads me to my one and only question." she looked at her. "Why is my culture being painted in such a manner?"
Sally's expression fell.
'Shoot! She's from the Spades Kingdom?! But she's so polite!'

She glanced at Jeremiah, he looked back at her and shrugged with an expression that said 'you brought this on yourself'. She looked back at the lady, who hasn't said anything and just waited for her to explain herself. Sally couldn't tell if she was angry or sad, but she was clearly upset, and that made her feel a great sense of guilt.
"W-Well, you see..." she cleared her throat, still keeping her confident facade. "I didn't write it."
"Who did?"
"I don't know. I was..." she spoke slower so as to give herself time to think. "planning on recycling an old play we had in our catalogue. To modernize it a bit you see."
She could feel Jeremiah's judging stare on her, but paid them no mind, for she was used to it.
"I haven't made any changes to it just yet." she continued. "I wanted to get the opinion of people from Earth, since this is the story of its people."
"I see... Of course." (Y/n) nodded, relieved. "You couldn't have written something like this."
'I'm sorryyyy!!!' she pleaded in her head. 'The skies may strike me with all their might to atone for my ignorance!'

"To be completely honest," Sally said, her voice sounding more natural than before. "I've been so busy in the realm of space with my newfound success and responsibilities within the show business, since I'm so famous and all. I haven't had a lot of opportunities to get to know the many cultures of Earth. Especially the one from the Spades Kingdom, since the previous King was... What's a word for it...?"
"Protective." (Y/n) nodded. "Very much so indeed." she glanced to the side. "It's been the heart of a lot of conflicts in the past."
"Right?" she leaned forward. "Like, can we agree that he was one scary dude?"
'For being one hell of an actress,' Jeremiah thought. 'you sure are quick to break character.'
"I suppose so. If you only see him once." she smiled, her eyebrows furrowed.
Sally smiled, glad that the lady looked more comfortable now. All thanks to her wits and charms and approachableness.

"Now!" she clapped her hands together. "Let's start again from the beginning shall we? I am Lady Sally Starlet, official royal playwright of the Court of Stars." she bowed her head, a hand over her heart.
"It is truly an honor to be in your presence Madam." the lady bowed her head. "My name is (Y/n) (L/n), of the court of Spades. I'm of not much importance however compared to my peers-"
"That does not concern me in, the, least, Lady (L/n)!"
This made (Y/n)'s heart skip a beat. That was a first for her.
"Now please," Lady Starlet grabbed a new piece of paper and a quill to take notes. "proceed."
"Well... I know it doesn't explicitly say that the characters are from the Four Kingdoms, but they clearly are. And there are a lot of elements from Spades culture regarding the villain."
"I completely understand." she began to write that down. "I shall change that aspect of his completely."
"Oh I actually don't mind it at all."
"What?!" both her and Jeremiah exclaimed, confused.

"Yes, I like the villain!" she beamed. "He's really cool, I dare say he's my favorite part in this story."
"Aha! See!" Sally pointed at her friend. "I told you!" she leaned towards (Y/n). "I've been told repeatedly that he was 'too silly'." she made air quotes.
"Well then. I'm sorry." Jeremiah rolled their eyes and looked away. "After all, who am I to, y'know, express my opinion? I'm just a butler after all."
"Aww come on! Now you're sulking!" she laughed.
(Y/n) was pleasantly surprised to see such complicity between servant and employer. She believed it said a lot about Lady Starlet's character.

"But yes, the villain being from the Spades Kingdom is fine in my opinion." she continued. "What I find problematic however, is the fact that all these traditional practices are being demonized. It's actually a big problem nowadays..." she glanced to the side with a pained look on her face. "We have to make our own children books, lest these poor kids see themselves being portrayed like...well, like this." she gestured towards the script.
"My, that's... Terrible." Sally said with a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright, we're working on it." she smiled, her eyebrows furrowed. "We have some contacts with famous publishing companies to sell Spades literature worldwide."
'So far, they've all rejected us...'
Sally put a hand over her own mouth, thinking for a moment.
"...How about this?" she eventually said with a determined look. "You tell me about some famous stories of Spades literature, and I shall write in cameos and references to them. I shall pick people's interest!"
(Y/n)'s eyes widened, putting both hands over her now warmer heart.
"You are too kind, your Brightness." she bowed her head. "But-"

"But I can't play favorites, so I must know more about the other three kingdoms as well." she nodded to herself. "And – paradoxically enough – I don't care much for reading plain old books. I find it boring!"
(Y/n) tilted her head.
"I... I'm sorry to hear that Madam."
Uh-ho, it would seem that the lady of Spades hasn't picked up on Sally's subtle offer to offer her to teach her.
"I believe I should be going now."
"Are you... are you sure?"
"Yes. I do hope you find a solution to your problem." she stood up. "If you would excuse me-"
"Wait!" she reached out to her, her confident facade gone. "Can you..." she sighed. "Will you please teach me about Earth cultures?"
"Wha... Me?" she pointed at herself.
"Yes. Please I..." she closed her hand into a fist. "I want this to be perfect." she then gave her a pleading look.
(Y/n) looked at her with big eyes. Someone from the Court of Stars, asking her for help!

"I would love to." she beamed and sat back down, happy to finally share with someone what she's been studying for so long during her time working as High Council member.
"Ah! Wonderful!" she raised her hands in the air. "Marvelous! Amazing! I feel inspired already! I knew I would be speaking to the right person as soon as I saw you! My space guts are never wrong!"
"O-Oh!" she said, flustered, though a bit weirded out by the term 'space guts'.
And so, Lady (Y/n) kept giving her feedback, thinking she'd leave her reading for later tonight. Sally listened closely, taking a lot of notes.

"My one big problem is..." (Y/n) flipped through the script's pages, searching for a specific moment in the story. "The villain's dance scene. First of all, here it's called the Devil's Dance."
"Isn't that what it's called though?"
"It's what other people, outside of Spades grounds, call it."
"But if it's the other characters naming it, then it makes sense, does it not?"
"Sure, but it's never corrected."
"Okay, okay..." she nodded, making a note of that. "What's it called then?"

(Y/n) then said a name in a language Sally didn't understand. She had to ask how it was spelled. But since the lettering itself is very different, (Y/n) wrote it down for her, along with a phonetic translation of the word. Sally took a moment to look at the old language of Spades. It looked like a collection of branches. One would think it was morbid, creepy even, but the way Lady (L/n) wrote it was ever so meticulous. These branches, put together for them to hold meaning only to the people of Spades... It reminded Sally of the language of the stars. Like a long lost cousin. She didn't see any of the people from other kingdoms use their old languages. From what she understood, they were dead and replaced by simple English. She has then deduced that the Spades Kingdom and its people held their traditions close to their hearts.

"And also, you don't dance alone." (Y/n) said. "That's a bit silly, and really sad. It was used in ancient days before performing magic rituals, apparently it helps with your flow of mana." she shrugged. "But now, we practice it during celebrations and festivals. It looks 'scary' to others because it's not a waltz or anything like that. You don't dance with a partner, everybody dances together. It's also accompanied by songs that we all sing together, and the person who has the strongest voice leads the song."
'And I don't wanna brag,' she thought. 'but I am usually the one who leads.'
"Because its origin has something to do with the flow of mana, the dancers use their entire body, and put a lot of energy into their moves. That's what made it scary to foreigners..." she looked down. "Some believe that our traditional songs, in our old traditional language, are some kind of dark magic chants."

Sally pondered over this.
"...What if the villain does dance alone?"
(Y/n) gave her a weird look. Has she been speaking for nothing?
"No but like, to show that something's wrong? Maybe he used to dance with his loved ones but then... stuff happened, and now he's like this."
(Y/n) gasped.
"Ooooh. Oh that would be tragic."
"Yes! What if- What if him and the protagonist used to-" she gasped. "What if they were brothers?"
(Y/n) gasped again, louder this time, covering her mouth.
"Like they were both princes, but the protagonist was jealous and so neglected him in his time of need?!"
"But then the protagonist would be the one at fault."
"Exactly." she smirked. "But it's not revealed until the end of act two."
(Y/n) leaned back, holding her head in her hands. At the end of the day, Lady Starlet has come up with an entirely new play.

As much fun as (Y/n) had with Lady Starlet, giving her a quick recapitulative lesson about the Four Kingdoms as a whole and as individuals, as well as getting exclusive first accept to the script as it was being written, she had to excuse herself. She was running out of time on today's schedule.
On top of the invitations she's previously accepted after the ball, now was a bunch more that she's received after the hunt. Just because she was seen in the presence of all three royals for a brief second. From the servant's morning report, it would seem that the rumor of her being the 'real new Ruler of Spades' became a tad more prominent. This bothered her and Arnold greatly, only these two though.

Despite the ever so present insensitivity of others, the tea parties and other gatherings Lady (Y/n) attended today were significantly more pleasant. There were a lot less sarcastic comments and ignorant assumptions, though those were still very much present. She did also run into the Duchess of Tarock again and she stayed polite, for she was still hoping that they could talk business without any bias. But the Duchess, once again, didn't seem interested in that topic, or in talking to her in general, always giving out short answers in a dry tone. To (Y/n), this said a lot about the Duchess' professionalism.
"Let me make one thing very clear." she said at some point. "I do not appreciate it when little ladies like yourself push me and can't take a hint. I am not interested in being friendly with you."
'Who said anything about being friends?!' she gave her a tight smile.
She simply apologized for overstepping her boundaries, wished her a good day and moved on.

In all her planning, (Y/n) did leave some free time at some point in the day. She was hoping she could talk to Arnold. She's checked his schedule this morning and saw that he'd be free around this time. Ever since the hunt, they didn't have a lot of time to talk, and she wanted to spend time with him.
As she came back from a birdwatching session, with some people from the Clubs Kingdom, and approached the Spades quarters, she stopped in her tracks when she saw someone standing by the door. A tall caterpillar man. Judging by his clothes, he was a servant of some kind. He seemed to be waiting for something, looking around and fidgeting his four arms in boredom. She frowned, confused, then walked up to him.
"Do you need anything sir?"
He looked at her and breathed a sigh, his shoulders relaxing.
"Good day, fair Lady." he bowed. "You must be Lady (L/n), correct?"

"Yes...?"
He laughed.
"Please don't look so confused. I come here under request from my King."
"Your king, you say..."
"Oh. That's right." he bowed again. "My name is Howdy Pillar. I'm a blacksmith here in the castle."
"Oh! It's nice to meet you." she bowed back. "I'm (Y/n) (L/n)."
"I know, Madam. I called you earlier."
"W-Well," she looked away, embarrassed. "I wasn't sure you knew my first name, that's all."
"Am I allow me to call you by your first name then?" he raised an eyebrow.
She inhaled through her teeth. It made him laugh. He had been told by his friend Barnaby that she was on the more casual side. Must be the low status, he thought.

"So...wait." she said. "The King of Hearts sent you?"
"Why yes!" he nodded. "From what he told me, you have a broken ring?"
Her eyes widened, her heart made a small jump from shock.
'Why?' was all she could ask herself. 'Why would he do that? I said I'd take care of it.'
"Y-Yes I do." she nodded. "Have you come to repair it?"
"Well I'll certainly do my best. My best being perfection." he smiled and winked.
'It must be no big deal for him.' she kept thinking about the king. 'Or else, why would he bother? Maybe because he wants to be a good host. Yes, that must be it. Simple as that.'
"Milady?" he tilted his head.
"Ah! Yes!" she exclaimed, snapped out of her thoughts. "J-Just a moment!"

She stepped in the Spades quarters and rushed to her room, taking the ring on her nightstand and leaving.
"Bye."
She gasped and stopped. Arnold was laying on the couch, reading a book. His new pet rabbit was laying on his stomach.
"Arnold." she exhaled. "I'm sorry, I didn't notice you."
"Someone's at the door for you," he said, not looking up. "told him to wait outside."
"...He can wait." she walked to him.
She leaned over the back of the couch to look down at him, her eyebrows furrowed.
"I can ask him to come back tomorrow." she spoke in a softer voice.
He glanced away, not wanting to look her in the eyes. For a split second, he looked hurt.

"Nah." he moved the book closer, hiding his face from her. "He was sent for you, by the King of Hearts, you shouldn't keep him waiting."
She pursued her lips, understanding that he wasn't in the mood to talk. With a sigh, she left. Once he heard the door close, Arnold let the book fall flat on his chest with a sigh. Hanging his head back, he stared up at the ceiling with tight lips. A moment of silence passed before he heard the noise of shredding paper. He looked down and saw Blizzard munching on the pages of his book.
"Hey!" he yanked it away. "You dumbass! Paper isn't edible!"

"Here Mr. Pillar." she handed it to him with both her hands. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
Howdy took notice of how carefully she handled it. He smiled and took it with the same amount of care.
"No problem milady. This should take me..." he took a close look at it. "at most, an hour. And it'll be as good as new."
"An hour?!"
"Is that too long? I can be quicker if you want."
"There is no way something of such precision can be done this quickly!"
He laughed.

"Do you want to see?"
She hesitated. It was true that she was uncomfortable not knowing where her family ring was going. He chuckled.
"You don't have to think so hard about this, I was just kiddin-"
"No no it's..." she glanced back at the door. "It's fine. Let's go."
Howdy blinked twice, surprised. He then led her to his workshop in the backyards of the castle. It was pretty big, which made sense to her if he was a royal blacksmith. There were swords, knives and spears displayed on one wall and a lot of tools on another. Howdy put on a pair of goggles with a bunch of lenses on top of each-other to look at the ring more closely.
"First, I have to know what kind of metal this is..."

He looked at it for a long moment.
"Is that... Osmium?!"
"Uh... I don't know." she shrugged. "I trust your expert knowledge however."
"Well that's unexpected." he exhaled as he raised the goggles to his forehead.
"How so?"
"Oh I mean... It's a rare metal is all. You'd think this belongs to a king or something."
(Y/n) pursued her lips, hoping he didn't mean anything by this.
"I should have some with me somewhere..."

He began to rummage through cupboards and drawers. Finally, he found a cube of the same bluish metal and raised it with a loud 'aha!'. She couldn't help but be excited as well. However, she became concerned when he began to gather the tools he needed.
"Have you ever worked on jewellery before?" she asked.
"It's not really something people ask me to work on, to be honest." he said. "But his Majesty trusts me and I shall not disappoint him."
She gulped when she saw him taking out a big hammer.
"You know, that ring is veeeery precious to me." she said in a higher pitched voice. "It's very oooold, kind of the only family heirloom we haaaave. Been in my family for generatioooons."
He laughed.
"Worry not milady." he smiled. "I also come from a long family, so I understand how valuable things like this can be."
"Oh!" she said, her cheeks dusted with pink as she realized how silly she made herself sound. "Good, good..."

"First thing first, I should remove the gem. I don't want to risk damaging it." he looked at it. "I've never seen such a black gem before."
Because the ring was very old, the gem was tightly stuck there. Despite that, Howdy was able to take it out without problem. Looking at it, he let out an 'oh!' and burst out laughing.
"What is it?" (Y/n) asked.
"Milady, it would seem I have more work to do than I expected. Your gemstone needs a good washing."
He raised it for her to see. She also let out an 'oh!' as she saw that the underside of the stone was of a whole different color.
"I never knew it was blue!"
"Now I see why I couldn't tell what kind of gemstone it was." he chuckled. "But it is an unusually dark blue sapphire. How beautiful! I'll take care of it later." he set it aside and set his gaze on the ring itself. "Mmh, I was indeed told that it was too big for you." he looked at her. "Would you like me to make it so it fits your finger?"
"You... You would do that?"
"Of course."

She hesitated. What if someone else wears it in the future? Would they have to change the size also? Why can't rings come in a one-size-fits-all?
"Wait, can magic make it so a ring could fit any finger?" she asked.
"Mmh... It could. Sadly I'm not as polished with magic as my family." he made a face that said 'get it?'.
She blinked twice.
"Get it? Polished? 'Cause I'm a blacksmith?"
"Oh!" she burst out laughing. "I'm sorry! Apparently, I'm not really good when it comes to jokes."
"It's alright." he smiled. "I'm not as good as Barnaby when it comes to telling them."
"You know Barnaby?"
"Why yes, we're good friends, he always uses me as test subject for his jokes, and I'm always up for a laugh." he raised an eyebrow. "Real question is: You know Barnaby?"

"Yes," she nodded. "we had a chance to talk at a tea party."
"Do you know about...?"
"...About what?"
"Nothing." he quickly looked back at the ring, clearing his throat.
She frowned in her confusion.
'Sorry bud. Almost blew your cover there.'
"So, milady! About making the ring custom...?"
"Oh. Uh..."
"You know, you're reeeeally lucky I'm doing this for free. I'm a businessman through and through. Not a lot of people get that opportunity. Not even the King." he raised an eyebrow with a grin.
Truth be told, it was the King of Hearts who paid for it beforehand. A bag of gold to follow any request the Lady would have for her ring.

"Y-yes please!"
"Wonderful! If you may excuse me..."
He took out a thin rubber ring from a drawer and went up to her, extending a hand. She put her hand in his, palm up. Gently, he turned it around and raised it.
"Which finger?"
She wiggled her ring finger, it made giggle before he put the ring on her finger. A moment passed and she gasped when the ring began to shake and shrink in size, only stopping once it fitted her perfectly. Not too tight, not too loose. Finally, a number appeared on it in glowing pink. Howdy took the ring off to look at it.
"Ooo, a nice well-rounded six and a half."
'But then it's not rounded is it?' she squinted her eyes, smiling.

She watched as Mr. Pillar started to melt the metal cube, heat up the ring, cut the damaged part, resize it with a hammer. Despite his four big hands, his speed and the big tools he was using, his moves were very precise. She could see the years of experience through his work and couldn't help but be in admiration. While he was carefully fusing the liquid metal to the ring, which seemed to be the most time-consuming step in the process, (Y/n) took one more look around and noticed something new. She approached a wall where a few small paintings were. There were all of caterpillar people. The biggest one, where they were all together, featured Howdy. They were all smiling, they looked pretty close.
"Your family I presume." she leaned a bit closer to it.
Pausing in his work, he leaned back to look at her, moving the goggles he was wearing up to his forehead again.
"Yes." he beamed, putting them back on and going back to work. "All my siblings and my parents."
"Your siblings?!" she looked at him with big eyes, then back at the painting. "There's so many of them, I could've swore some of them were your cousins."
"Oh trust me, if I wanted to put my entire family, this entire wall would be covered in paintings." he chuckled.

"Wow..." she turned towards him. "You have one big family, Mr. Pillar."
"That I do. A long line of blacksmiths too."
"Oh! Do they also work at the palace?"
"No actually, they're all still at the family workshop."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I remember when I heard that the King of Hearts was looking for a royal blacksmith. I jumped at the opportunity and came running!" he looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. "As it turned out, that was just a rumor, and I gave everyone at the castle a good fright."
"Oh no!" she laughed imagining this tall imposing caterpillar man running to the castle, demanding to see the King.
"But the King liked my enthusiasm and he let me stay anyway." he smiled before going back to work.

"So you live here now?"
"Pretty much, yes."
"Do you get to see your family often?"
"Not as often as I'd hope, we're all just busy with work. Especially them, weirdly enough." he let out a 'heh'.
There was a moment of silence, he glanced at her and saw the sad look on her face.
"I don't mind." he said. "If I know they're healthy and happy, and they know I'm healthy and happy, then I'm satisfied."
(Y/n) pondered over this for a moment.
"Must be nice."
"What is?"
"To have so many siblings."
"How so?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Well, if you were an only child, then only you would've taken over your family business after your parents were gone. You don't have to carry the burden of being the future of the family by yourself, you can share it, you can rely on each-other." she smiled, but it faltered a little bit. "Having siblings, I think, makes things lighter..." realizing that her mind was beginning to wander, she quickly came back to reality. "I'm just happy that you were able to do the things you wanted to do, for the sake your own personal career, and without worrying about what might happen if you were to leave."
At this point, Howdy has stopped working to really listen to her. He puffed a chuckle when she was done.
"Not really the thing people say when talking about siblings."
She tilted her head.
"You do raise an interesting point though." he stared into space. "Would I have decided differently if I was an only child? Mmmh..."
He held his chin, thinking for a moment, long enough to make her feel awkward.

"Nope!" he finally spoke. "I would've still ran to the castle!" he laughed.
"Really?" she blinked, surprised.
"I think so. Whatever burden someone is holding, I believe it shouldn't stop them from following their own personal calling. Everyone should just do what makes them happy."
"Blacksmithing makes you happy?"
"Of course!" he beamed. "Nothing brings me more joy!"
(Y/n) smiled. Mr. Pillar sure was a jolly man. But she didn't believe what he said when he answered his own question. To her, being the sole future of a family was something he couldn't understand. It was then that she understood that they really were from two different worlds. She felt that way with a lot of people. The person she had the most in commun with was Arnold. She'd sometimes wander if he was aware of that as well. However, his own burdens created a big gap between them, although she was doing her best to bridge it so that she could help him reach his full potential...

"Aaaaand voila!"
Howdy's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. He walked up to her, holding the ring in his hand.
"May I?"
She raised her hand for him.
"You might be surprised again to find that it isn't just a ring." he said as he gently took it and slid the ring on her finger.
Indeed, she gasped when she saw it. The rectangular gemstone, all cleaned up and polished, now revealed its dark blue color, not only that, but now one could clearly see the crest engraved on it. It wasn't just a ring, it was a wax stamp.
"Makes one wonder what you previously used for your letters." he said in a joking manner.
"In the past, we didn't usually send letters." she said, almost absentmindedly, not looking away from the ring. "Not a lot of opportunities for that... Of course, that had changed recently."

Despite that, she's only been using her Kingdom's crest. She didn't know her family even had one. She brought the ring closer to her face to see it better. A spade, framed with tuberoses, with a donkey at the center of it.
"A donkey?" she asked no one in particular, feeling a twist in her heart.
"Don't be so sad, Lady (L/n)." Howdy tilted his head, smiling with furrowed eyebrows. "Donkeys can be symbols of peace and humility."
'Of service and suffering as well.' she thought.
"How fitting..." she mumbled with a bittersweet smile.
"Are you satisfied with it?"
"Huh? Y-Yes! Very much so!" she looked back at him and curtsied. "Thank you so much Mr. Pillar! I'm sorry you had more work to do than expected."
"Not at all, Madam." he waved a hand. "I'm sorry you had to spend some time in this dirty place."
"Dirty? Oh come on now." she looked around. "This is lovely! Obviously I don't know much about blacksmithing, but I can tell by the way you work that it was perfect for you. Your workplace should be comfortable for you."

"Still, I wasn't much of a host, I didn't offer you any tea. I don't get a lot of visitors, you see." he scratched the back of his neck with an apologetic smile. "Especially not a Lady such as yourself."
"You flatter me Mr. Pillar. I promise you I'm not worth it." she smiled. "Again, thank you very much. If a metal thing of mine gets broken, I'll be sure to get back to you."
"Ohohohoho!" he waved a finger, a pair of arms folded, and his fourth hand on his hip. "Careful now my Lady, next time will not be free of charges."
"I understand that." she nodded.
"Well then, it shall be a pleasure doing business with you." he bowed his head. "If something of yours gets broken, knockin' on wood."
In their shared superstitiousness, the two of them knocked on the nearest wooden furniture at the same time. They both laughed.

Unfortunately, (Y/n) had lost track of time and was running late to her next gathering of the day. Having learned from the Duchess of Tarock, she tried to not talk business so much. She began taking a more casual approach to conversations, talking about the weather, complimenting the outfits of others, 'how do you like the Shuffling so far?' type of questions. It was indeed much easier this way. She felt a bit less awkward. That didn't mean she would've not rather talking about more important things.
Once she was back in her quarters, she collapsed on her bed and let out a long sigh.
'Who would've thought that being casual would be even more exhausting?'

She stared up at the ceiling.
"...That was week one." she whispered.
She reviewed what had happened during this week. It surely wasn't uneventful. So far, it went according to plan. Although there were some other developments outside of her control... So far, she could only hope that it won't affect her or the Spades' plan in any way.
'I was right.' she thought. 'Ten days were not enough at all. I'm glad.'
She closed her eyes and ended up taking a nap.

"Your Majesty." Lady Starlet bowed deeply, standing in front of the King's desk. "I have here the finalized script for the play of the Shuffling. Finalized, ready, perfect, and most importantly, culturally correct!"
Wally lightly clapped his hands.
"How exciting." he smiled.
She placed the script on his desk and slid it over to him. He took it and quickly flipped through it.
"I cannot wait to read it, Lady Starlet. If it is written by a playwright such as yourself, then I'm sure I won't need to make any changes whatsoever."
"Your words are unlike any other, King of Hearts." she bowed, a hand over her heart. "But I must point out that I wasn't alone in the writing process. If I may refer you to page one..."
He opened at the said page. His smile faltered. Credited as a consultant...
"Lady (L/n)...?" he read.

"Yes! She was a very helpful presence. I dare say the play would've been very different if it wasn't for her insight- Not saying it would be bad or anything. I just mean that-"
"Thank you, Lady Starlet." he put the script down and smiled, intertwining his fingers together. "I shall read it with the upmost focus. You will receive a letter with my feedback shortly after."
Sally blinked twice. That smile was fake, she knew it. She cleared her throat.
"Very well your Highness. Good day to you." she made a bow as dramatic as ever.

Wally waited for her to leave. As soon as he heard the door closing, he leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on the script.
"Her again..." he whispered.
He wasn't sure what to think about this yet. He believed he needed to think this over, so as to act accordingly.
"...I'll talk to the others about this."
He could already hear Julie's voice saying this was fate. He sighed, smiling and shaking his head as he grabbed the script to read it.
By the end, it brought a tear to his eyes. The plot twist at the end of act two was indeed very powerful. This activated Sally's sixth sense and she suddenly felt very proud of herself.

For the last two days of the week, there were no official events, to really give everyone a chance to relax and recuperate from all the parties going on during the week. Naturally, these two days were filled with the most and wildest parties of the week. The High Council of Spades has agreed to be most careful during these times, under (Y/n)'s advice. But even she could tell that her friends wouldn't be following that advice. They'd go out early and come home late drunk (except Arnold). (Y/n) actually stayed in for the last day of the week, for she wanted to focus on her work. For letters inviting her on that day, she lied and said she was feeling light-headed.
"Wasn't it you who said that one should know when to find time for themselves?" Catherine asked before leaving for a party.
"I have time for myself, this is just what I choose to do with my free time." she said, not looking up from her papers.

The Baroness rolled her eyes before hopping to join her darling fiancé. Arnold came up to her desk and put Blizzard on top of it, making her lean back with a gasp.
"What are you-"
"Take care of that for me."
"Arnold!"
He ignored her and left with quick steps. She sighed and looked at the pale pink rabbit, who was looking up at her, moving its cute lil nose up and down.
"You are really cute." she gently moved it to the side. "But I have work to do- Hey!" she exclaimed when it began to chew on her papers. "Did Arnold teach you how to do this?!"
Said young man burst into cackles when she told him about it later on. Speaking of whom, (Y/n) had finally explained to him what happened in the forest. He was quite baffled by the series of events that led to her being part of such a group.

"I actually saw you with them in the forest."
"Really?!"
"Yeah, you guys ran passed me."
"Oww, you should've said something!" she nudged him. "I would've felt more at ease if you were there with me."
He pursued his lips at that comment she casually said before speaking.
"Well you all seemed really set of catching that bird. You were out of sight before I could say anything." he huffed. "Which actually leads me to my question..."
She leaned a bit closer, tilting her head.
"The two Kings giving the birds back, was that planned?"
She leaned back. She didn't expect him to assume something like that.

"Did you guys actually agreed on this while you were all in the forest?"
"N-No..." she shook her head. "I was as shocked as you were. Couldn't you tell?"
He looked into her eyes for a moment. Finally, he hummed.
"Alright." he stood up from the couch and walked away. "By the way, can we put the bird back in its cage?" he pointed at the bird from the hunt, now flying around the living room.
"I don't like keeping animals in cages."
"Well can we at least move it somewhere else? It's scaring the rabbit."
"The rabbit has a name you know?"
"Don't care."
"You named it!"
"Oh, did I?" he looked back at her, tapping his chin with the tip of his finger.
She laughed.

To kick off the second week of the Shuffling, the next official event was relatively tame. It would seem that the King of Hearts has accounted for all the hangovers that would be resulting from all the parties yesterday and the day before that. The grand gardens were beautifully decorated to have one giant tea party. With a lot of tables for any group of any kind and any size. There was also the maze nearby, an occasion for more private groups to form. The High Council of course took a seat at their own table and (Y/n) had fun teasing her friends about their hangover.
"Have you tried this tea, Lady Catherine?" she asked in a loud voice. "It is delectable!"
"Lady (Y/n) please..." she rubbed her temples.
She laughed. Eventually however, people began to pass on notes to others, inviting them either to their table, or to make a whole new group of their own. Soon enough, they were a lot of people switching places.
'Well this is fun.' (Y/n) thought with a smile.

Lady Gwendolyn had receive a note and has excused herself to join her book club. They looked more wasted than any other group here.
"What the hell do they do at that book club?" Arnold leaned over to whisper to (Y/n).
"Getting drunk on engaging stories?"
The way these words naturally came out of her mouth made him laugh. Then, a butler from the court of Hearts came over.
"Lady (L/n), of the court of Spades, this is for you." he bowed and handed a note to her.
"Oh! Thank you!" she bowed her head and took it.
She waited for him to leave before reading the note.

Lady (L/n), I would like to invite you to enjoy tea within a small group of good friends. If you do so accept, please refer to the itinerary below. And please, keep our location a secret. Hopeful to see you there.

She blinked twice and turned the paper over to check if the sender had signed it on the backside. There was no signature, only a stamp of the Kingdom of Hearts' seal. She showed Arnold, hiding the itinerary with her hand.

"Will you be going?" Arnold asked.
"I'm not sure... I don't like it when I don't know who I'm talking to."
"Whoever it is, they got a poor handwriting." he snickered. "Oh! Maybe it's that kid that likes you!"
"Nah, there would be a lot more errors if it was her."
'Someone from the Hearts Kingdom...'
Her mind wandered and she grew hopeful. She quickly brushed those thoughts away.
'No way. Him? There's no way!'
"Well, if it's nothing serious, I'll try to quickly come back." she smiled and stood up.
They waved at each-other as she left. She carefully read the instruction and walked into the maze. Arnold wasn't that worried, but then he noticed that with each step she took, the other guests were growing silent, looking at her. And when she was out of sight, they began to whisper amongst each-other.

"What's up with them?"
"Really?" Catherine asked. "Who do you think would have a private meeting in an open tea party? The maze may be open to everyone, but really, not everybody uses it."
Arnold frowned and looked towards the direction of the maze.He hoped (Y/n) would be back quick.
This would be the last time he saw her until the very end of the event.

"Then turn left and..." she read out loud as she followed the instructions.
"Good afternoon, Lady (L/n)."
She became tense and looked over to see the King of Hearts, sitting at a small table in the middle of a clearing at the center of the maze. Like a secret tea room.
"My King! Hello!" she quickly bowed. "I'm sorry, I, I must've taken a wrong turn somewhere..." she turned away and quickly reread the note.
He laughed.
"I know I don't have the best handwriting, but you did read correctly."
"Huh?" she slowly looked back at him. "This was from you?"
"Is that so hard to believe?" he tilted his head with a raised eyebrow before gesturing to the chair across from his. "Please, have a seat. The others should be arriving shortly."

He took a sip of his tea, closing his eyes. (Y/n) took this opportunity to intensely fan herself with her hands and take deep breaths. She stopped as soon as he looked back at her. Once she took her seat, he gestured for a maid to serve his guest some tea, and she did before going back to stand by the hedge wall with the other servants. As this happened, (Y/n) looked around and her eyes went big. There was only one table, four chairs. She was scared to know what that entailed.
"I see Howdy has done a wonderful work with your ring."
"Ah! Y-Yes!" she nodded, instinctively raising her hand to show it to him. "He was really nice."
He leaned a bit closer to see.
"A donkey? How charming."
'Shoot! That's right it is a stupid donkey!'

"Right!" she put her hand back down. "I wasn't even aware that our family had a crest like this. We don't even own any donkeys!"
He chuckled at how nervous she was.
"Would you like some cake?"
She inhaled.
"Yes please." she exhaled, then saw that there was a variety of choices displayed on a little trolley beside the table. "A-Any of these is fine-"
"What is this?!"
She flinched and the two of them looked over to see the King of Diamonds walking over to them with heavy steps.

"Frank, my friend." Wally smiled. "You, late? Now that's a first."
"I am right on time I'll have you know." he sat down with a huff and another maid immediately served him some tea, just the way he liked it. "What is a first is the fact that you're here early!"
"I've been here the whole time." he beamed. "I didn't want you to wait for us alone again."
"Oh wow." he rolled his eyes. "Where was that attitude for the past twenty years or so?"
Wally just laughed. Frank turned to (Y/n), but she quickly looked down. He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, a loud groan was heard. The two childhood friends knew exactly who this was.
"Guuuuuuys!" Julie came over, dragging her feet. "You won't believe the day I've had today!"
"I'm sure you'll tell us all about it." Wally smiled.

She fell back on her seat with a huff and began to talk about the "crazy-exhausting-annoying-but-funny-in-retrospect" day she just had. But (Y/n) wasn't listening, she kept looking down, holding her hands together and squeezing them.
This couldn't be right, she thought, this had to be some kind of mistake.

During their time in the forest together, one thing was clear to her: the two Kings and Queen were very close. Watching them interact with each-other, one could just feel the years of friendship they've shared. And she only saw a glimpse of it: the result of trials and tribulations, getting to know each-other as they grew older, arguing and making up, becoming royals one by one, balancing business and friendship, supporting each-other in times of need for they knew of the burdens and difficulties of leading an entire kingdom. Surely, their bond was unlike any other.
And here she was now. She felt like a mouse surrounded by lions, afraid that they'll notice her anytime soon.

For as much as she felt honored to be here in the presence of royalty, this was all too sudden for her. She wasn't given any time to prepare, mentally and emotionally. If she was, she would've come up with an entire list of potential subjects they could be talking about. She would've practice talking more...

The King of Hearts invited her, but the other two didn't seem surprised at all to see her here. Did they know about this beforehand? They agreed to invite her? That also didn't sound right. Especially for the King of Diamonds. Despite his very generous moments, (Y/n) didn't feel like he appreciated her enough to be close on a personal level. Not like this for sure...

This led her to a conclusion, and she felt a twist in her stomach. Being invited to a secluded secondary location, four chairs only, each of them from one of the Four Kingdoms. This wasn't a tea party. This was a meeting, between representatives.
'No no no no! This isn't what I planned! This isn't what I wanted!'
Even if it was, she simply had to clear up any misunderstanding.

"Your Highnesses."
The three royals looked at her.
"I... I truly apologize if I sound rude, but..." she finally looked at them, not hiding her confusion. "What am I doing here?"
There was a moment of silence. Julie looked at Frank and Wally. Frank frowned, confused himself by her question. And Wally just stared at her, his expression unchanged.
"I-I know there's a rumor that says I'm the 'Ruler of Spades', but I can assure you I'm not." she continued. "I am but a simple noble of no consequences. I am of the lowest class of nobility. The only merit my family holds is that we are the oldest line in the kingdom. Yes, I am now a member of the High Council, but as we all know, that is purely coincidental." she paused. "You have nothing special to gain in associating yourself with me."

"What are you talking about?" Frank sent her a weird look. "We get you."
This did not make her feel better. She was reminded of the first tea parties she went to, being laughed at and mocked for the crimes of being herself.
"Oh..." she looked down. "I see."
"Lady (L/n)." Wally's voice made her look up. "Friendship transcends such things."
"Friendship?"
"Yeah!" Julie beamed. "Me? I just wanna get to know you! We barely talked during the Hunt, and you left us so suddenlyyyy!" she whined, leaning to the side and almost twisting her neck.
"I didn't want to be a bother."
"A bother?!" Frank exclaimed. "After you helped us out of that forest?!"
"W-Well, surely you could've gone out by yourselves eventually."
Frank let out a baffling noise and threw his hands in the air.
"Can't you believe it?!" he turned to Wally.

Said man chuckled.
"Is it so hard to believe that we simply want to be friends with you?" he asked, tilting his head.
Her eyes grew bigger, her face became redder because of her fast beating heart.
"I'm not used to it." she said under her breath.
Julie giggled.
"Owww poor thing!" she leaned over to ruffle her hair. "Here, have a cake!"
She pushed the trolley towards her. (Y/n) hesitated for a moment, then picked the cutest one and placed it on her plate.

"So... Would you mind starting from the beginning, your Highness?" she bashfully asked. "I'm afraid I was too deep in thoughts to pay attention."
Julie and Wally's face lit up while Frank nodded to himself, the three of them were happy that she decided to stay.
"No problem!" she suddenly stood up and ran to the direction she came from, turning around a corner and disappearing from view.
(Y/n) was confused for a moment, even looking at the two men who seemed to know what was going on. Then Julie came back, dragging her feet.
"Guuuuuuys! You won't believe the day I've had today!"
(Y/n) burst out laughing, her reaction made Wally chuckle.
"Pssst, Wally." Julie whispered to him. "That's your cue."
"Ah. Sorry." he looked at her. "I'm sure you'll tell us all about it."

"My gosh!" she fell back in her seat with a huff. "I've had such a crazy exhausting annoying but funny in retrospect morning! First of all, I get up and the worms are here, in my room! And I'm like 'Who opened the window?!'"
'I will surely need some context for this...' (Y/n) thought.
But she didn't want to interrupt, and besides, this probably wouldn't be as funny as it was right now.
"Worms are attracted to strawberries." Frank leaned over to her. "Her hair naturally smells like strawberry."
Nevermind, this was just as funny! She laughed.
"Oh no!" she covered her mouth. "Who opened the window?!"
"That's what I was determined to find out!" Julie pointed at her with a smirk. "So I go up to my sisters, and-"

As she listened to the Queen's story, (Y/n) mindlessly cut a piece of her cake and ate it. Her mind went blank.
'This is crazy good!!!'
Meanwhile, Wally was nodding along to his friend's story and glanced over at Lady (L/n), who seemed to be melting from the inside after tasting her cake. She nodded to herself with a shaking fist before immediately going back to listening to Julie, like a flip switched back on. He couldn't help but puff out a chuckle, which he tried to hide with the back of his hand.

[If you're curious, the font for the old Spades language would be "Edhiron Asdhúriel". And so the dance's name would look like this 🥰