The news of the Spades Plague outbreak quickly spread throughout the Land of the Four Kingdoms and beyond. The High Council of Spades released an official statement on the matter, saying that – although they have unfortunately suffered some casualties (they've listed the names and wished them peace) – so far, compared to previous cases, this was of a smaller scale and has been safely quarantined. Still they advised everyone to be careful. They then gave out a list of symptoms to look out for, which was actually a good idea, since the Spades Plagues was a very...specific disease. That way people can easily differentiate it from a common cold, and so no one will succumb to paranoia. To list a few:

"Do you have difficulty moving your eyes, for they've turned to wood? Do you have patched of moss or mushroom growing out of your skin? Is your saliva turning orange? Can you hear the breathing of nature itself as you breathe along with it? If the answer to all of these questions is no, then congratulations, you do not have the Spades Plague!"

Of course, the esteemed guests of the Shuffing have made the connection with this news and Lady (L/n)'s sudden leave. She was praised for her bravery and selflessness.

As he said he would do, Wally stepped away from his studies only to attend the next official event of the Shuffling. Which was the Four-Season-Meal: a magical culinary immersive experience that simulated the passing of the four seasons. From lunch to dinner, the guests would be in the ballroom where large tables were set up. On the ceiling were clouds that would change depending on the season, which would change every hour or so. The windows would get covered and dead leaves would appear on the floor when autumn came, it would snow during winter. But right now, it was the middle of summer, the clouds were parted, the fake sky was bright and blue and the dishes served were refreshing.

Wally was being his usual perfect self, not a thing was out of place, not a word was spoken without thinking. However, his close friends could tell that his heart wasn't in it! Credit to that joke goes to Barnaby. They asked him about it in private and he told them what Lady (L/n) told him. Julie and Frank were both shocked and devastated. Barnaby sighed.
"I knew the Lady had secrets, but I would've never expected that." he said.
Julie sniffed, trying not to cry.
"Does she hate us now?" she asked in a little voice.
"Me, very probably so," Wally said, seemingly casual about this. "but not you nor Frank. She thinks I acted alone."
"And what did you say to that?" Frank asked.
"I told her she was right."
Julie slowly gasped.
"Ow Wallyyyy." she covered her mouth. "Wally nooo."

"She said she still wanted peace despite that. Still, if there is to be friction between our Kingdoms following this, I would rather it fall on only me." he smiled. "I can take it."
"Can you?" Frank raised an eyebrow, concerned. "You look...off."
Wally blinked twice and took a moment to look down at himself, his suit, his hands – front and back – then he patted his hair to check if it was still in place.
"No." he smiled at Frank.
"No, I mean you're acting off is all."
"Do I? Ah."
His three friends shared a worried look.
"Did anything else happen?" Julie asked.
"...Our conversation was cut short by the news from the Spades Kingdom."
All three of them let out a heavy sigh.
"Well, you ought to resume it once she comes back. If...If she can come back." Frank mumbled that last part. "I should study this Spades Plague later in the library."

Indeed, Wally didn't tell them about his confession. But since Barnaby knew of Wally's recent realization... He waited for the two of them to be alone.
"Must've been one kick in the heart." he patted his back.
Wally looked down, though his expression didn't change.
"...I hope she comes back soon."
"Me too bud, me too."
"Excuse me, your Highness?"
Wally straightened his posture and looked over to see Lady Catherine approaching him. She bowed.

"Baroness of Spades." he bowed his head. "How may I help you?"
"You see, my Lady instructed me to give you some documents."
"Your Lady?" Barnaby raised an eyebrow and a chuckle. "You're of a higher class than her, milady. Why addressing her as such?"
"As members of the High Council of Spades, we are equal, Mr Beagle. And she deserves all the respect one can give." she nodded towards him before looking back at the King. "I was wondering when I could come by your office to drop them off...?"
"Ah, yes. Tomorrow morning would be a good time."
"Very well," she curtsied. "I shall come by after breakfast."
"Before you leave, may I ask." he paused. "Have you received any news other than the official statement published this morning? Any news from Lady (L/n)?"
Catherine couldn't help but smile. Of course he'd ask about her, she thought.
"We received a letter from her this morning. A rather brief one, I must say. She is working very hard to house the sick, a task that requires a lot of time and energy, but she says she manages to the best of her ability." she sighed. "But in complete honesty, I worry that she is minimizing her wellbeing. The poor thing, housing more than a hundred sick people..." she looked down. "What a terrible birthday gift from nature."

Wally's heart dropped.
"It's her birthday?"
"Today, yes." Catherine nodded.
His eyes widened, but quickly resumed the conversation as perfectly normal. Still, he pondered over this...
Throughout his entire like, Wally loved celebrating birthdays, especially his own. Because on that day, he was allowed to put everything on hold and enjoy himself without a care. The fact that Lady (L/n) would go through all that trouble on her own birthday, the only day of the year when you are allowed to be selfish.... But then he remembered... He himself has been selfish for a long time. And Lady (L/n) was indeed selfless, she was now known to be, she was the talk of the Shuffling once again because of it.
But selfless people don't care about themselves, it's in the name. They care about the wellbeing of others, they care about...the people.
Everyone talked about the brave Lady of Spades, no one talked about the sick, the casualties. These people were already branded as dangerous victims of the plague that now shouldn't be approached. In the eye of the public, they were already lost cases...
'But that's not true.' he thought. 'Not yet at least...'

He realized something else as he looked around: here were the most influential and powerful people in the world, all in one place. News broke out about the Spades Plague infecting and killing people. Only one single person left to go help them, and it was a simple noble lady. She had no magical abilities, she wasn't a doctor, she was as clueless about this disease as was anybody else. But she did not hesitate to go back home. The rest stayed here and went about their business, for the news didn't affect them, for they were safe here at that moment.
And at that moment, Wally hated himself even more. But he realized something else: to hell with it. To hell with guilt! To hell with expectations! The only thing he should care about is the people, because that's what a good ruler does! Not just his own people, the people, those in need of help which he can provide! Even if he can't, he has to help, lend support in this very serious situation! A crisis might be happening and no one is doing anything about it! He's not doing anything about it, hasn't been for almost a year now...
'Well no more.'
"Barnaby, prepare a carriage or two." he walked away.
"Huh? Where are you going?" he followed him.
"To the Spades Kingdom."
"Huh?!"

Once he left his own Kingdom, Wally couldn't help but feel a familiar anxiety tightening his lungs. Each time he would go to the Spades Kingdom, he would make his stay as short as possible. For every time he went there in the past, it would be under some royal obligation, which meant he would reside in the Spades castle, with its King... He shook his head. This was different, he told himself, widely different. And besides, he'd get to see Lady (L/n) again. He held this comforting thought close to his heart for the entirety of the journey.
The clouds became denser and grey, the Sun was covered along with the entire sky, the colorful nature became darker, the air turned colder. They were entering the Kingdom of Spades. Of course, the guards at the border denied them entry at first, but as soon as they saw Wally, they let him in. He asked where the (L/n) estate was.

"Who?"
"Lady (L/n)."
The guards looked at each-other, confused.
"...The Nothing Noble?"
"Ah!" their faces lit up and one of them clapped his hands and spoke. "Right, her! No idea where she lives. If you go to the castle, I'm sure they could tell you."
Wally kept his eyes from rolling and thanked them before giving directions to his coachmen. They passed through towns and a few cities, each more bleak looking than the other. And despite his carriages being the more discreet ones, their colors still caught a lot of attention. It was then that Wally closed the little curtains on the carriage's windows. This place looked just as depressing as the last time he was there.

They reached the royal castle and he asked someone for direction once again. On the northern part of the kingdom, past a city, then a small town, near the west parts of the Dark Forest, the dirt road turned into a narrow path. It was clear that not a lot of carriages ventured here. He looked out the window and saw the (L/n) residence in the distance as they approached it. It was indeed strange, to a King like himself at least. A big manor in the middle of a bare plain, with no gardens nor courtyards nor statues, not even a fence around the estate. No one in sight, all the windows and all the curtains were closed. A bit farther away were the woods, and beyond that, he could see the tall black trees of the Dark Forest.
Before they could even park, someone exited the house and went up to them. A butler. He must've seen them approaching.
"My good sirs." he said once he walked up to them. "As I'm sure you've heard, we are unable to receive guests at the moment. I must ask you to leave."
Wally stepped out. The butler looked shocked, but said nothing.
"Who are you?"
"Your Highness." he bowed. "My name is Henry. I am the head butler at the royal castle, but have been called here for further assistance in the care of the patients."
In the back of his mind, Wally couldn't help but wonder: was this the trusted butler (Y/n) talked about? That didn't matter.

"Well Henry," he smiled. "I'm here to help too."
The butler looked shocked once again. He looked at the luggage and the crates the three carriages were carrying.
"You are?" he looked back at Wally.
"I trust Lady (L/n) has informed the High Council of the founding of the new partnership between our kingdoms. As such, I am here to help in any way I can. Where is the Lady of the house? I want to make my presence known."
"She is out at the moment for a short break."
"Out and into the woods I presume."
"Y... Yes." he blinked twice. "How did you know?"
"She spoke of her frequent outings there." he smiled. "May I?"
Henry took a moment to respond, he might still be suspicious, which was fair. But was it because of preconceived wariness of anyone from the Kingdom of Hearts, or because he knew of what Wally has done? Nevertheless, he quickly decided to allow him to go ahead.
'Maybe Lady (L/n) is guarded.' Wally thought as he made his way to the woods.

Wally stood at the edge of the woods, looking around to see if he could see her right away. He didn't, and so he walked in. When he was a child and Julie dared him to go in the Dark Forest, they didn't have to go through woods. He had to admit, with the silence and stillness of this place, it looked rather peaceful. He could see why Lady (L/n) would often go there.
Still, what if they missed each-other, and she exited the woods just as he entered them?
Just as he asked himself that question, he walked around a path and came across a dog, who started growling at him, its head lowered, ready to jump on him if he made any sudden movement. Face-to-face with the animal, Wally took a long look at it. It seemed to be a mix between a great dane and a doberman – and even for such a mix, it looked particularly tall and intimidating! – ebony black fur with black eyes, pointy ears, and as it showed Wally its teeth, he saw that they were bigger than a wolf's. Although, Wally would bet that the wolves in this Kingdom were also particularly scary.
"Ah, I see." he smiled. "So you're her bodyguard."
He tried to take a step, but the dog started to bark loudly. It seemed to be certain that Wally was a threat. But Wally wasn't worrying in the least, he knew he could very well scared that dog away, make it run with its tail between its legs. He just needed to make his 'scary face'. Yet, as he stared into the animal's eyes, it didn't look down. It wouldn't budge. Wally would be lying if he said he wasn't ticked off by that. It would work every time before.
"You are such a good dog..." his smile slowly widened, thinking of maybe making his scarier face.

"Wally?!"
His heart jumped when he heard Lady (L/n)'s voice calling out for him. She finally called him by his name, it caught him off guard a little bit. He wanted to respond, but then she spoke again, in a higher pitched voice.
"Where are you sweetie?!"

Wally's mind went blank, blushing. Now that caught him off guard. Was it really her after all? Footsteps came closer and sure enough, Lady (L/n) came to view. She loudly gasped and froze into place as soon as she saw him. She covered her mouth, blushing as well.
"M-My King!" she stuttered. "Wh-What are you- Down boy." she said to the dog, which was still growling and barking. "Come here." she crouched.
The dog went silent and came up to her, waging its tail as she petted its head with both hands.
"Thank you for protecting me." she spoke in a higher-pitched voice again. "But don't worry," she kissed the top of its head. "he's a friend." she stood up and looked at Wally, talking normally again. "His name is Walter!" she quickly clarified, her eyebrows furrowed. "I call him Wally..."
Wally looked at the dog again. He remembered the time (Y/n) learned his name and her reaction to it. She did say that she knew someone of a similar name.
"...Oh."
He laughed, it made her blush even more.

"What.... What are you doing here?" she asked.
He looked at her. Her hair wasn't tied up, nor professionally done for the day, it was down. She wore a long skirt and a blouse as opposed to her dresses, her skirt was less poofy and she wore a shawl around her shoulders. No jewelry, except of course for the family ring around her finger. She looked more like a fancy peasant than a plain noble. But in Wally's eyes, she didn't look any less beautiful. In fact, seeing her in a more natural, casual state, made his heart skip a beat. And at that moment, all he wanted to do was to tell her that he loved her.
"...I heard it's your birthday today."
"Oh! Yes, it is. B-But wait," she shook her head, confused. "what about the Shuffling?! You're the Master of Ceremony!"
"Everything that should be taken care of, I left it in the hands of my fellow royals and Miss Partridge." he smiled. "I am certain the Shuffling will go smoothly, even if I'm not there. And besides, such a dire situation is much more important."
"You're... You're here to help?"
"Yes. I've brought with me anything that could be useful."
(Y/n)'s eyes widened and she placed a hand over her heart.
"Thank you..." she said, still a bit baffled. "Well let's go right away, I was just on my way back."

The two of them walked back to the mansion, with Walter putting himself in between them. They were silent for a while, which made (Y/n) feel awkward.
"...I do hope your journey wasn't too much trouble." she broke the silence.
"Not at all."
"When did you leave?"
"Yesterday afternoon."
"During the Four-Season-Meal?!"
"That is when I had my epiphany yes." he nodded.
'Epiphany...?' she thought.
"We did have to spend the night at an inn." he added. "It was very...local."
From the way he glanced away when he said that, (Y/n) could tell this wasn't a compliment.
"Oh...I'm sorry to hear that, your Highness."
"Not at all." he shook his head. "It allowed the horses a well deserved rest and we were able to leave early in the morning. Thanks to that, we've arrived earlier than expected."

"Ah, that's good." she smiled.
"And you left on horseback, correct? I hope your journey went just as smoothly."
"It did- Well..." she tilted her head, looking away. "I was in quite a hurry. I do feel bad for pushing my horse beyond his limits, but I made sure he was taken good care of once I arrived."
"How kind of you." he smiled.
He wanted to talk to her about the plague outbreak, but decided not to just yet. This was still her break after all. Might as well enjoy this moment of calm before dealing with an undoubtedly troublesome situation. While walking, he brushed his hand on the dog and it growled.
"Now now." (Y/n) petted its head, calming it down.
"He's very protective." Wally said.
"He is. More than usual actually, after I've been away for weeks now... He also doesn't like strangers." she chuckled with her eyebrows furrowed.
"Yet he's standing between you and me." he kept his eyes on the dog. "How brave..."
"Oh he is the bravest!" she kissed the top of its head. "And the most loyal too, you won't find any better guard or companion!"
Wally smiled, but when (Y/n) wasn't looking, he glared at the dog. And he could't help but think the dog was glaring back.

They walked back to the manor from the back entrance. They walked up a few stairs to a patio and (Y/n) told Walter to go play.
"Should I cover my mouth?" Wally asked as they went up to the door.
"You'll be fine." she smiled. "From what we've learned, it's not contagious."
She stood in front of the door and took a moment to take a deep breath, preparing herself to get back to work. Wally could hear voices inside. She then opened the door and the voices became a lot louder. As they stepped inside, Wally looked around. They were in a large room, all the furniture was pushed up to the walls to make as much space as possible for the multitude of makeshift beds. People of all ages were chatting, some were getting checked by doctors, and the youngest ones were playing with toys. This must be the people whom the plague just started to infect.
Wally – just like anyone in this world – knew of the plague, but seeing it with his own eyes was something else. A disease that would slowly turn people into trees... It did not look pretty. Somewhere in the house, he could hear wailings of pain.
"Alright," (Y/n) took off her shawl and hung it on a hat stand. "did anything happen while I was gone?"
"Yes ma'am!" one of the maids who passed by stopped and stood to attention. "We're running out of anesthetics, a lady woke up in the middle of her operation and she immediately passed out again from shock."

"Oh boy." she mumbled as she tied up her hair. "Where's Henry?"
"He's outside, waiting for your approval before bringing the others in."
"The others?"
"She must be referring to the doctors."
While the maid squealed and bowed – having just noticed the King of Hearts, here in the flesh – (Y/n) looked back at him with big eyes.
"I didn't just bring supplies with me." he smiled. "The doctors and healers of my court are one of the bests in their fields, they'd be happy to lend their knowledge and help."
"You brought people?!" she turned back to the maid. "And we're making them wait outside, what are we doing here?! Let them in at once! I'll meet them in the foyer."
The maid told another butler to go let them in. (Y/n) ran a hand through her hair, slowly inhaling.
"That is going to require more beds..." she said as she exhaled.
"They can sleep at the town's inn, my lady." the maid said. "The owners did say that the staff from the castle could stay there for free."

"How many people have you brought along?" she looked back at Wally.
"About a dozen."
"A dozen?! That's a lot of people." she mumbled that last part.
"Our healers are severely understaffed, may I remind you." the maid leaned a bit closer.
"But would it be too many people though- I'll go talk to them." she made a small wave with a nod. "Anything else?"
"Yes, the cooks have come up with a proper menu." she took out a paper and handed it to her.
(Y/n) took it and quickly read.
"No... No, no. What?" she handed it back. "Dishes like these would take too much time, effort and resources. Listen." she leaned closer to her, to make sure she paid attention. "Go to my room, bookshelf to the right, second row from the bottom, there's a cookbook there with a bunch of bookmarks sticking out of it. You're going to bring it to the cooks and tell them to follow the recipe that's bookmarked in purple. Purple, you hear?"
The maid nodded.

"It's a delicious porridge, not a lot of ingredients needed, but it packs a lot of flavor. We simply cannot afford fancy cuisine right now. Okay?"
"But what about you?"
"I'll eat it too, it's no problem." she shrugged.
"What about his Majesty?"
The two women looked over at Wally, who was looking around. (Y/n) furrowed her eyebrows.
"Do make something nice for him please." she whispered. "Thank you, go on now."
The maid left in a rush. (Y/n) huffed, she had her work cut out for herself yet again.
"First and foremost, let's go welcome your people." she told Wally.

The two of them went to the front door and welcomed the doctors and healers. The basic difference between a healer and a doctor was having the ability to use magic or not, doctor therefore leaned to more scientific methods, which in this world didn't really have as much leverage just yet, but it was still something. While Henry and other servants brought the medical supplies into the house and added them to the inventory. (Y/n) invited them to her father's office, along with the head doctor and healer of Spades, to give them a run-down of what they knew so far.
"How does a disease like the Spades Plague come back all of a sudden after centuries of zero cases and infects about a hundred people?" a doctor from Wally's court asked first.
"We did some research, asked every patient here, see if there was a common thread there." (Y/n) said. "And..." she looked at the two people from her Kingdom. "We have no clue! Zero! It doesn't make sense!" she held her head. "Oh I'm feeling the headache again!"
Wally quietly asked if she wanted a glass of water, she politely declined.

"The only thing we found was that they were all from the same village, whose entire population is here in this house now." the Spades healer said. "We sent some people to search the place, look for a source. Since it's a magical disease, a source should be detectable by magic-users. But so far we have nothing."
"Was the village close to the Dark Forest?" a Hearts healer asked. "The legends do say that the plague is some kind of curse from the place."
"It was nowhere near the Dark Forest." (Y/n) shook her head. "And to be completely honest, I don't believe that it matters right now. Right now we have to focus on helping the people who are already infected."

Wally thought for a moment.
"What happened last time there was the Spades Plague?" he asked. "It did disappear. How?"
They all looked at him.
"My King, you don't know?" (Y/n) asked.
Wally gave her a blank look.
"They all died. All the infected people turned into trees or died trying to prevent their complete transformation, taking the plague with them."
Wally's eyes widened, as another, more gruesome question dawned on him.
"And what happened to those trees?" he asked without thinking.
The Spades healer and doctor exchanged a look while (Y/n) simply tilted her head a little bit. Wally looked towards the window, out of which he would see the woods.
"We don't know which ones used to be human, since it happened throughout the Kingdom. We don't even know if they're still around today." she said. "That's another reason for us to be respectful to nature. For we also respect the dead."

"We have no way of curing it completely yet," the Spades doctor said, bringing everyone back to the present topic. "but we know how it works, through our observations. It stars with changes on the outer skin – such as patches of moss, mushroom or leaves – then it makes its way into the deeper layers of the body, turning the flesh into wood. For example, if someone starts by having moss growing on their arm, the plague would take over the entire limb before moving to the rest of the body."
"That's... That's not how it would work the last time there was an outbreak." a Hearts healer said.
"Exactly." (Y/n) nodded. "We were just as confused as you are."
"But it's good!" the Spades doctor spoke again. "The process is much slower, and it starts small, so it's a lot more manageable than we thought it would be!"
"We still have zero cure for this," the Spades healer said. "all we can do for now is slow down the process even more. Cut off any plant that is growing on the patient, they might regrow but we'll just have to cut them off again. If it gets to a point where the entire limb is taken over...we have to resort to amputation." he looked down. "If it gets to the organs... There's nothing we can do."

"But maybe you can help us with that." (Y/n) said, looking at the people of Hearts. "The medical field in your Kingdom has cutting-edge technology. Maybe you have the experience and the material to perform some kind of surgery."
"If such a procedure requiers a lot of magic, I would be more than happy to be of assistance," Wally added. "you'd just need to tell me what to do."
(Y/n) looked at him when he said that.
'Is it just me, or is he more...humble?'
Indeed, it might be the grave situation, the fact that this was out of his expertise, or maybe it was simply because he was away from home, but Wally didn't have this glow of confidence he usually harbored. And the fact that he was willing to give others the reigns and follow their lead made him more like an equal to her.
After this, it was mostly the professionals doing the talking – while both (Y/n) and Wally listened closely – but they didn't have a lot of time before they were needed around the house.
"It's true, we've talked long enough." (Y/n) checked the time. "Thank you all very much for your time," she curtsied. "if you need anything to make your work easier, don't hesitate to ask me."
"Thank you, my Lady." the professionals bowed before leaving.

It was just her and Wally left.
"Oh my King," she faced him with an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry I can't be a proper host at the moment, nor can I thank you enough for what you've done. I can find a quiet room for you to settle in while I-"
"Nonsense." he said. "I didn't come here to pay a visit."
He removed his cape and put it on the office chair, along with the jacket of his suit.
"Just say where you need me to be." he smiled while rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt.
(Y/n) pursed her lips, touched, before quickly getting serious again.
"On the third floor, the healers will need a strong magic-user like you. How is your healing magic?"
"Much better, thank you."
"Excellent!" her expression softened. "Thank you so much."
"Anytime, under any circumstances." he nodded with a smile before the two of them exited the office.

The third floor was for the intensive care. With the plague being a slow process, Wally could only imagine the pain these poor people were going through. Some were already amputated, but it would seemed that the disease was faster than anticipated. Wally would use his magic to ease the pain of anyone who was wailing. And over on the makeshift operation room, Wally would be asked to hold down the patients, for sometimes, the anesthetics weren't strong enough. To say he wasn't disturbed by this would be lying, however, he bore with it, for he knew he himself wasn't in the worst situation here.
Him and (Y/n) would rarely see each-other, there was so much going on. Whenever one caught a glimpse of the other, he or she would be in the middle of a task, too busy to talk. Though Wally was assigned to assist on the third floor, Lady (L/n) seemed to be rushing from one part of the house to another, helping anywhere and in any way she could.
Every now and then though, they would just so happen to go to the same place. And sometimes, they would be alone in a room. One time, they went to the inventory room to get supplies for potion making.

"...Why are you here?" (Y/n) broke the silence. "After I...basically double-crossed you, how can you even trust me?"
He took a moment to respond.
"...I can't fault someone for simply wanting the truth." he smiled. "And I'm here because it's a King's duty to help people."
"Are you sure this isn't out of guilt?"
"If that is the case, then I wouldn't even know myself." he chuckled. "Sorry."
"...It's alright." she smiled, her eyebrows furrowed.
That was all they could say in this short moment. They got what they needed and went back to work. Thankfully, the addition of more staff members brought a huge improvement to the work of the doctors and healers. Things were a little less chaotic. Once Wally wasn't needed in intensive care, he would go to the other floors to see if anyone needed help. Of course, when there is more than a hundred people under one roof, and a hundred of them are sick with the plague, there was always something to do.

Of course, as the King of Hearts, he would get stares from people. But he noticed that, while the young adults were admiring him and the children even asked him to play or perform a magic trick (which he happily did), the older people looked at him with disdain, some looks were even hateful. At some point, while him and Lady (L/n) were giving out warmer blankets, an old lady refused to get anything from him, and she shouted things in the old Spades language, it confused him. The elders here seemed to mostly speak this language. Thankfully, (Y/n) managed to calm her down and gave her the blanket herself.
"What did she say?" he asked her as they walked away.
"Um... I think it'd be best if you didn't know."
"It was insults wasn't it? I recognized one of the things she said. You said the same thing to that actress."
Her eyes widened.
"...Yes." she exhaled, her shoulders dropping. "Please don't hold it against her. She lost people close to her during the war... And also, during the war, the propaganda was...you know how it is."
"I can imagine yes. I'm not mad, I'm happy this hatred wasn't passed onto the children. Although..." he tilted his head. "Some of them asked if I could bring them with me to the Hearts Kingdom."
"Yes. It seemed we went from one extreme to the other... I'm still working on that."

After this, they went to lit up a fire in every fireplace of the house, since it was getting dark outside. Although Wally could easily do that with magic, (Y/n) still went with him to show him where all the fireplaces were. When they went to a small empty salon, he saw an opportunity.
"I'm more curious a to if you trust me." he said. "After you've discovered everything."
She looked down, holding her arms.
"I..." she sighed. "The King of Spades, I realized that when I joined the High Council, wasn't the best at his job. You're right, many of the problems our Kingdoms is facing predates his death. Still, it was conflicting to me. Since I – like many others – was raised into idolizing the King. But hearing your account of who he was, after hearing everybody else's when they talked about him, it confirmed my doubts that he really wasn't...the man everyone here thought he was..." she looked at him. "I believe you when you say it was all for personal reasons. And I understand that, what he put you through – I assume ever since you became King, so when you were very young – it pushed you to go through with this." she paused. "However, as much as I sympathize, what I still have a hard time with is the fact that, after he was gone for good, you did nothing to help us. Frank and Julie did nothing either."
"Please don't hold it against them." he shook his head. "Every time they would raise concerns, I would convince them otherwise."
"And that's the thing. You said that your hatred for him extended to the people of his Kingdom. As much as I understand and I sympathize, that's not okay."
"I know." he looked down.

"But, the fact that you're here, helping us... It makes up for it, and I hope that we keep helping each-other and work together." she bowed her head.
"I hope so too." he bowed his head as well. "And maybe one day, you will be able to trust me to the fullest." he smiled.
"...I'm sure I will." she smiled back.
A moment passed. They heard (Y/n)'s dog barking outside.
"Wally?"
Just then, Henry entered the room.
"My Lady. Um... Three people of Katharos are at the door."
That news put seemed to bother (Y/n) greatly, she let out a long groan and she covered her face, mumbling no over and over again.

"Wally is holding them off right now...They're calling him a demon."
Now, Wally knew they were referring to Walter the dog, yet every time he heard the name, he would think 'huh? But I'm right here'.
"Of course they are." (Y/n) held the bridge of her nose.
"What is Katharos?" Wally asked.
"It's one of the religions in our Kingdom." she said. "When you have a giant source of unknown ancient magic in a forest that people never return from, in a culture that is all about the relationship between people and nature itself, some will think this forest is something really good, some will think it is evil incarnated. The people of Katharos are of the latter. They must think that, because my house is the closest to the Dark Forest, then it will only worsen the patients' wellbeing." she sighed. "I'll go talk to them."
"Shall I go with you?" Wally asked.
"I can handle them, don't worry." she smiled. "I've done it before, they'd sometimes uh... pay visits."

She left with Henry. Wally looked out the window and saw three men wearing robes, they were yelling things at Walter while he barked at them. A minute or so later, the Lady of the house stepped out. She called off her dog who then left the scene. She began having a conversation with the man in the middle. Wally couldn't hear them, but he could tell that the man was yelling a lot while (Y/n) remained calm throughout their conversation. Wally didn't want to worry, but the man was getting more and more agitated. When he stepped closer to her, Wally quickly headed downstairs.
Some of the members of the staff and medical team were already listening to the front door and looking out the windows. Once they noticed him, they quickly made way for him to open the door. Now that he was closer, he could hear one of the men outside say something about an undeniable truth.
"Well here, I'll give you an undeniable truth: there are people that are dying!"
He froze. With the door opened just a little bit, him and the others looked outside, at the back of the Lady.

"They are dying as we speak!" she pointed behind her. "And we are doing everything we can to not let that happen! Do you think I want this?! Do you think I want all these people in my house?! This place is not made for that! But the closest hospital is on the other side of the Kingdom! And it's too small! We are working our asses off to make this work, we need any help we can get, and you three so-called gentlemen choose to show up on my property and cry out 'cursed'. I know you don't like this, some of them might not like it either." she gestured behind her. "But it's the best thing we have right now... And the best thing we can do is cooperate with each-other."
"How dare you even put that idea in our heads?!" the man in the middle exclaimed. "The Dark Forest drew you to witchcraft but our pure minds shall not suffer the same fate!"
The Lady let out a long sigh.
"In the eyes of the rest of the world, we are already 'the bad guys'." she motioned quotation marks. "Let's not make bad guys out of each-other. Things will not get better if we do. I mean-" she scoffed. "Aren't you guys tired? Don't you want to prove them wrong, prove them that we're better than this? This," she gestured towards them. "is not a good way to do that. Say whatever you want about the Dark Forest or my house, but this place was turned into a hospital to house the sick. You don't like it? Help in the building of more hospitals, help funding researches for a cure so they can leave faster. Do something helpful! Instead of being scared of my dog and insulting me." 

A moment passed. She huffed.
"Would you like some tea before leaving?"
"Like we'd take one step closer to this cursed place!" the man in the middle said. "We're leaving!"
He started walking away, but realized that one of his men weren't following him.
"Um..." the man in question seemed hesitant to speak. "Do you have a Sarina Parvil in there?"
(Y/n) thought for a moment.
"Yes." she nodded. "Do you know her?"
"She's my sister."
Her and the men gasped. She placed a hand over her heart.
"She's there. She... She started to cough out pollen." her expression softened. "She's scheduled to undergo surgery soon."
Hearing this, Mr. Parvil was clearly trying not to cry.

"Would you... Would you like to pay her a visit?" she gestured behind her. "I'm sure having her brother by her side would make things a little easier for her."
Mr. Parvil was conflicted. He sniffed, his hands were shaking, and he had trouble speaking.
"Go, Viktor." the man in the middle said as he placed a hand on Viktor's shoulder, surprising everyone here. "Your sister needs you. Be careful, keep your mind pure, and keep your eyes on what's important."
Mr. Parvil nodded, shedding a few tears.
"And don't cry. Be strong for her. We'll wait for you at the town."
"Y-" he quickly wiped his tears. "Yes Father."
He went up to (Y/n), who still looked at the Father, shocked.
"Even if your intentions aren't ill, I know that this place is." he sternly said. "The majority of these people better survive this. If not, may their ghosts forever haunt you."
"...I'd deserve it."

Her and Viktor walked back to the house. As soon as she turned around, she heard the front door closing. When they stepped inside, a lot of staff members were looking anywhere but at her, and she caught a glimpse of Wally as he hurried up the stairs. She squinted her eyes and asked someone to escort Mr. Parvil to his sister.
"How did it go my Lady?" Henry asked.
"A lot better than I thought it would. I didn't get spit on this time."
"Oh that's good!" "Wow, you're so kind, my Lady!" "You truly are a rare gem!" "Working for you is an honor." the other staff members beamed.
"Alright, enough all of you!" she waved, though her cheeks were dusted with pink. "Back to work now!"

When it was time for dinner, Lady (Y/n) made sure to taste the porridge first before giving it out to the patients. Wally noticed how his food was different, but his previous experience with food from the Spades Kingdom made him glad that he didn't have any of that strong smelling porridge.
"You can eat in my father's office, it's no bother." (Y/n) smiled.
He thanked her, but then noticed how she didn't get food for herself just yet. He thought maybe she wanted to be the last one served, even though she was the Lady of the House. But even when the line to the kitchen was no more, she went to bring food to those who couldn't walk or were too tired to make the trip. Wally even quickly went to her father's office to get his cape and jacket back. When he came back down, she was still working.
"My Lady," a Hearts doctor said. "you can have dinner in peace now. This evening is rather calm, all things considered."
"Are you sure? Absolutely certain? You know, if you need anything-"
"If we need anything, we know we can call you." they nodded. "You sure are a reliable one, but after running around all day, you'll faint if you don't eat and rest."
"I...I have plenty of rest." she mumbled, glancing away. "I've had my ten minutes outside."
"Bon appétit, my Lady." they bowed.

(Y/n) sighed through her nose. She went and got herself her balanced dinner, just like everyone else. She noticed that by that time, everybody else had already finished their food and the servants were taking the dishes back to clean them, some people were even prepared for bed.
"Shall we go, my Lady?"
She flinched and looked over to see Wally, walking by her side.
"Your Highness!" she exclaimed. "You waited for me?! Oh no, your food must be cold now!"
"Not at all, I can keep it warm with magic." he smiled.
She pursed her lips, still feeling bad. As they walked together, she'd glance at him from time to time. Despite working all afternoon non-stop, everything about him still looked well-kept and put together. Meanwhile, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in a mirror and immediately looked away.
'What a contrast...' she thought as she quickly retouched her hair.

Finally, they entered the small empty salon they were in before, the fireplace lighting up the room. It was dark outside now. After setting their trails on the table, (Y/n) let herself fall on the cough with a groan while Wally put his cape and jacket on the couch opposite of her. She rubbed her face and took a deep breath. She stared at the ceiling for a moment, then she remembered who she was with. She gasped.
"I-I'm sorry!" she immediately stood up and tapped on the cushions. "I apologize for letting you see me in such a sorry state, my King! Please have a seat wherever you'd like!" 

She rushed to the windows, going passed him and avoiding eye contact, embarrassed. She checked to make sure they were closed, along with the curtains.
"And we have to find somewhere for you to sleep. We don't have a lot of rooms available as of now, but you can-"
From the corner of her eyes, she saw a faint pinkish red light. She turned around, her eyes widened. Wally was enveloped in this light, and when it disappeared he looked...a little different. His pompadour was almost falling as if gravity was finally having an effect on it, his dress shirt was wrinkly and stained in some places, he had bags under his eyes. He looked...not perfect, tired, exhausted even. But he was still smiling. She stared at him with big eyes. She's heard of a glamour spell, but she would've never guessed the King of Hearts would be using one. And the fact that he took it off, when it was only the two of them... She knew this meant something important.

"Do you... Do you use this spell often?"
"Yes. People, commoner and noble alike, wouldn't want to see the King of Hearts as anything but flawless."
That made her sad.
'I supposed that all the work he does isn't so effortless after all.'
Wally sat on the couch and patted the spot next to him. She sat beside him. He then patted his lap.
"Rest your head here."
"Uh..."
"Please?"
She gulped, blushing. She turned away from him before laying on her back, resting her head on his lap. She was as stiff as a stick.
"Relax." he softly said.
She became even tenser when he started to caress her hair. She looked at him. His eyes were closed.

"Is this your way of relaxing?" she asked.
"It's true that I do this with Barnaby when we're just sitting in the gardens."
She picture this small man petting this big tall blue dog person, and she couldn't help but chuckle. With a sigh, she tried closing her eyes as well.
"...That is pretty nice." she said under her breath, but he could hear it in the silence of the room.
The two of them kept their eyes closed, enjoying the present moment, or picturing themselves someplace else. Wally was so relaxed that he began to doze off. He let his head fall down, which made the pins in his hair fall off. They fell on (Y/n)'s face and she squealed in surprised, quickly sitting up.
"Ah. Sorry." Wally said as they began to pick them up. "I'm so used to having them staying in place."
"Isn't it tiring to keep up that spell all the time?"
"It was, at the beginning. But at some point, it's became like putting on an extra coat." he smiled.

She looked at him. She was taken aback by this rare sight: the King of Hearts with his hair down. She couldn't help but thing that he looked just as handsome.
"Ah. That reminds me." he went to his cape and jacket and began to search the pockets. "I'm sorry I don't have a birthday present, but I do have something for you."
"You do?" she tilted her head.
"They wouldn't let me leave until they were all done."
"Who?" she frowned, confused.
He stood in front of her and handed her a pile of letters, wrapped together with a string. She took it, undid the knot and opened the first letter.

Dear Lady (L/n). I herd it's your birthday today, HAPPY BIRTHDAY. When you come back, we'll have a party together with Clarabelle. Friendship and respect, Molly. P.S: I think Philip wants to elope with Clarabelle, I won't let him!

(Y/n) looked at Wally with big eyes. He just smiled and sat beside her to watch her reactions up close. She opened the next letter...

(Y/N) (Y/N) (Y/N) YOU NEVER TOLD US YOUR BIRTHDAY WAS DURING THE SHUFFLING! I FEEL HURT but I know I shouldn't because I'm sure you had a lot going on just like there is a lot going on right now. Oh how I wanted to come along with Wally! But I know we can't have two out of three royals leave the Shuffling! I didn't get to send you a present BUT ONCE WE SEE EACH-OTHER AGAIN (BECAUSE WE WILL) I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU! I am a little worried but I know you'll be fine and you'll do a fantastic job at whatever you set your mind to! Do team Friendship-Business proud! Love and friendship, Julie!

She then opened another, then another, and another. On all of them she could tell who wrote it by just the handwriting, even those who've never written to her before.

Hello Milady. You know, during these trying times, you need a funny man at your side, which is why I sent Wally over to you, you're welcome! I kid, I kid. (We actually had to hold him off or else he would've left like a doctor getting chased by an apple) Still, to fill the hole the lack of funny men left in your heart, I provided a list of never heard before jokes! All Howdy-approved! Warm wishes and yummy quiches, Barnaby Barnabyestein Beagle. (It does have a nice ring to it)

My fair Lady and friend. Happy birthday! I hope you like this little crane friend I made. I know that origami isn't the best of presents, I can promise you I would've given you something fancier and more meaningful if I had a little more time. But his Majesty is about to leave so I'm writing a little faster that usual. I shall be honest, that Spades Plague stuff gives me the hibby-jibbies, you really are twice the person that I am for running back home like that! It's just a shame that we didn't get to say goodbye, since we don't know when you will be coming back. If the Shuffling ends while you're still gone, then please let me know when you have some free time, I will be sure to come visit. Deepest appreciation, Eddie Dear. P.S.: I just thought of another gift! I shall give you the recipe of how to make cocoa just like my mama does! It's good for reducing stress.

Dear Lady of Spades, my fellow consultant. In the end, the play was a complete success thanks to you! We didn't have the opportunity to converse after the performance, so I sadly have to convey my feelings via written words on paper. I realize now that this way of communication pales in comparison to talking face to face. How I miss the little quirks you display. You are such an expressive soul and it would've been a delight to see your reaction to every sentence you are reading at this very moment. If only I had more time, I would've written an additional three or five pages! Alas, I shall keep this short. I know that the Kingdom of Spades, despite its gloomy everything, is now a little brighter, for its light has come back to her homeland. Our relationship started out purely professional, yet now I can view us as nothing less than good friends. The Kingdom of Spades, the Moon of the Land of the Four Kingdoms, has never looked welcoming to me. But if you keep it close to your heart, then, I am now certain, it has to be a lovely place. After all, you came out of it. I would love for you to give me a tour! Have your people contact my people, but do contact me directly if it's to simply have a cup of tea or talk theater and the arts, I would be delighted. May the galaxies bless you, until we meet again and we shall. With warmth, Lady Sally Starlet.

To my friend (Y/n). We've heard of what transpired over in your Kingdom. I want you to know that our absence doesn't mean we do not care nor worry about the wellbeing of you and your people. We deeply do. I will do my best to send over all the information I can find on the Spades Plague. And me and Julie are ready to send any additional medicine or other supply you might need, you just need to write us. I'm sorry you have so much to take care of on your own birthday. All I can give you are my good wishes and my friendship. I know your people are in good hands now that you're back home. Take care of yourself, and happy birthday. Love, Frank Frankly.

And there were more. Howdy, Poppy, Mr. Vin-Vandle, Catherine and Gwendolyn (who were playfully mad at her for not telling them when her birthday was), Molly's father, even the Count of Rommuli! The tears wouldn't stop flowing. This warm feeling of being appreciated and loved was overwhelming. (Y/n) held the letters close to her chest.
'That's right.' she thought. 'I'm not alone anymore.'

"Oh no," Wally instinctively caressed her cheek with the back of his finger to catch a tear. "please don't cry."
She sniffed and shook her head, smiling.
"Those are happy tears. Tired, happy tears."
She put the letters asides and hugged him.
"Thank you." she said under her breath, squeezing him gently.
He almost melted into her arms, but eventually hugged her back.
"Anytime, and forever."

[Fanart by kellytati0618 on twitter! Absolutely fantastic! 🥺💖 It took them like TWO MONTHS to make this, so please go check out their twitter!!!]