After a nice quick dinner, Lady (Y/n) led the King of Hearts to somewhere he could sleep. They stopped in front of a door that Wally never saw opened before. (Y/n) took a moment before opening the door and going in. A large bedroom, with a king size bed. Despite the lack of dust or cobwebs, the place was a bit too tidied up, as if the only people who've ever been there were the cleaning crew.
"Could this be...?"
"My parents' room, yes." she looked around. "A little old-fashioned, even for me." she chuckled.
She then realized something and gasped.
"My goodness, what am I doing?" she held her head. "Making you sleep in the room whose previous owners are dead! I'm very sorry, my King." she bowed her head. "You can take my room, I shall sleep here."
Despite his curiosity, Wally shook his head.
"No need, my Lady. I wouldn't want to risk bringing back painful memories by letting you sleep here. Worry not about me, I'm not at all scared of ghosts." he smiled.
"Well ghosts aren't scary, they can't hurt you. But they can haunt you."
"Ah. So you do believe in ghosts."
(Y/n)'s eyes widened for a moment. She had forgotten about the lie she told at the masquerade. Wally chuckled.

"I do insist, let me sleep here."
"Alright, if you insist." she nodded. "I shall leave you now. If you need anything, just a tug on this cord will summon a butler."
"Very well."
"I bid you goodnight then." she bowed.
"As do I." he paused. "You are going to sleep, correct?"
"O-Of course." she nodded. "Naturally, as the Lady of the House, I should be on my feet at the first sign of trouble."
"If the trouble in question is of a medical nature, I would advice to leave it to the night team which you yourself have set up. You've been working without a rest ever since we stepped foot into this house until now. And I believe it's safe to assume that this has been your schedule ever since you came back to your homeland. Surely you can let others work while you take a much deserved night of rest."
"But what if it isn't something medical? What if it's something more dangerous?"
"It won't be."

(Y/n) looked for something to say, but his certainty made her speechless. After a moment, she sighed.
"Very well, your Highness, have a good night." she made her way to the door, but stopped in the doorway and faced him once again. "And...Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me." he shook his head. "At least, not until every patient is cured from the plague."
"...Right." she smiled. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
When he was left alone, Wally took a look around. He felt small in this room, like its importance was large but unspoken, which only added to the sense that there was a true history behind everything, every piece of furniture, every homemade artwork that decorated its walls. But that didn't bother him at all. Wally liked feeling small, in a life where he felt like he was above everything and everyone.
Not being able to partake in his usual nightly routine did bother him. However, with how tired he was, he quickly fell asleep nonetheless.

Wally – as usual – woke up before the Sun even rose. With a yawn, he stood up and put on his glamour. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled, satisfied. After dressing himself up for the day, he walked across the room and took the opportunity to open the curtains. Very little light was added to the room, and when he looked out, he stopped in his tracks to look closely. Below, sitting on the little steps of the patio was Lady (Y/n), throwing a stick for her dog to go fetch. He couldn't see the look on her face. He only hoped she wasn't too cold, out there in the morning of the Spades Kingdom.
He then sat at the vanity in the room and began to write two letters. One for his friends and one for Miss Partridge only. He wrote the latter one first, since he knew for sure what he wanted to say and so was quick to finish it. As for the other letter, he asked Julie and Frank to bring some things that were needed for the doctors and healers. But after listing a few items, he drew a blank. He thought for a long moment, but couldn't think of anything more, and he didn't want to risk missing anything.
'She would know for sure...' he looked towards the window.
He didn't want to disturb her in what was probably her morning routine. But he knew it was important to send this letter as soon as possible. And so, he wrapped his cape around his shoulders and exited the manor. The majority of the patients were still asleep, so he was careful to remain as quiet as a mouse, which he achieved with ease. Although, on the way, he was stopped by one of the maids who offered to get him breakfast, he couldn't refuse and got himself a cup of coffee with some sugar cubes. He went out the back door and approached the Lady.

"Lady (L/n)."
Said lady flinched and turned around, revealing her own cup of coffee in her hands, still warm, with a thin string of steam coming from it.
"My King."
She adjusted her shawl so that she could stand and properly greet him, but he told her she could stay seated.
"I do hope you've had a good night of sleep." she spoke quietly.
"It was lovely, thank you very much. Um..." he tilted his head. "Why are you whispering?" he asked, whispering himself.
"Oh... To not ruin the moment, I suppose." she looked ahead again.
"The moment?" he stood beside her.
"Yes. I come here every morning to admire the view." she took a deep breath. "I missed this quite a lot honestly."
Wally looked at the landscape before them. The manor was up a small hill. Everything was grey and dark green.

"And what is the view in question?"
"Oh it hasn't started yet. Rest assured that I'll get to work as soon as it's done."
"As soon as what is done?"
Just then, Walter came back with the stick. (Y/n) took it and called him a good boy before throwing it again.
"...Would you like to see?" she smiled and patted the spot next to her.
Intrigued, Wally sat down, wrapping himself in his cape like it was a blanket, just like she was doing with her shawl. She gently blew air inside her cup so that the drink's warmth came up to her face, before taking a sip. Meanwhile, Wally added his sugar cubes.
"You really do like to add the sugar yourself, huh?" she asked, still whispering.
"I do." he said, whispering as well. "How is your coffee?"
"I don't add anything in it." she looked down at it, then at his. "I never tried adding sugar."
Sadly, Wally already put all the sugar cubes in his. So he handed his cup to her.
"Would you like to try?"

Her eyes widened in shock.
"W-Well in that case," she handed him her cup. "would you like to take a sip of mine? That way it's an equal exchange."
"I can't argue with that."
They exchanged cups and each took one sip, which they then had to keep themselves from spitting out, turning away from each-other at the same time. (Y/n) successfully swallowed, while Wally just opened his mouth, the coffee spilling out if it. Without a word, the two of them took back their cup and drank from them to get a comforting familiar taste back in their mouths.
"I figured you had a sweet tooth, but I never thought it was to this degree." (Y/n) said.
"And I knew that the people of Spades were accustomed to bitterness in their food but..." his voice trailed off as he wiped his mouth and chin. "I suppose the coffee here is much stronger than...anywhere else. I did notice how mine tasted stronger than usual, despite adding my usual amount of sugar. I should add one or two more."
"I'm not an expert, my King, but that much sugar cannot be good for you."

They looked at each-other for a moment. Then, they started to laugh. Although, with the unspoken rule that they must be quiet, it was mostly muffled chuckles. After a sigh, (Y/n) looked ahead again with a relaxed smile and remained quiet. To Wally, this was the boring part. He wanted to speak, to keep the conversation going, but he had a feeling that the Lady wanted to remain silent for now, in order to see...whatever it was that she wanted to see. A while passed, during that time Walter came to lay at her feet, resting his head on his front leg. So far, looking over the landscape, Wally wasn't impressed. But then again, thinking of his own homeland, he doubted that whatever happened could even be worthy of comparison. The air was cold. He adjusted his cape, bringing the fur closer to him. But he was still cold...
Then, it happened.
Slowly, very slowly. A ray of sunlight peeked through the covered sky. The clouds parted, and the morning Sun rose, covering the plains, which expanded to the horizon, in a golden orange light. The few hills there created shadows that moved along with the light. This gloomy, depressing Kingdom, full of the strange and the unknown, now looked quiet, peaceful, noble even. He's admired the sunrise before, but the fact that it wasn't any less beautiful even in this Kingdom... It looked so different too. It felt different. The air was a little warmer now.
"It's not always cloudy here." (Y/n) whispered, though neither of them took their eyes away from the view. "We have our sunny days. But somehow, every morning, we get to see the Sun rise." she took a deep breath. "I could never get tired of it..."

A moment passed before she spoke again.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
"...As it is every morning, I'm sure."
She huffed a smile, looking at him. She finished her coffee before petting her dog's head.
"Well then." she stood up. "Is there something I can help you with? Or did you simply come here to have breakfast with me?"
"Ah." he stood up as well. "Yes. You see, I started to write a letter to both Frank and Julie to ask for supplies-"
"Ah yes!" she beamed. "We must send that letter right away!"
She started walking away but quickly walked back to throw the stick again for Walter to go catch.
"I actually made a list last night before bed. Let's go get it, and then it's off to work! We have a lot to do today!"
With a smile, Wally followed her.

Indeed, the amount of work didn't decrease compared to yesterday, it was pretty much the same actually. (Y/n) arrived here only a day before Wally, now that she's laid a foundation for a medical system – with the help of the doctors and healers who knew how hospitals worked – now she could truly focus on the matters that were within her expertise: providing for the patients.
"I gave my old toys to the children, but there aren't enough for everyone, and even the adults need entertainment. So I was thinking of setting up donation stands throughout the Kingdom." she said. "People could give clothes, books, blankets and toys."
"That's a great idea." Wally nodded. "I shall have a handful set up in the Kingdom of Hearts, as well as within the Shuffling." he said as he added this to his letter.
"Within the-?! Oh there's no need for that." she shook her head, her eyebrows furrowed. "The Shuffling is a party, I don't want to spoil the mood."
"I disagree. I believe the people there should remember what is happening outside."
"...Very well then." she nodded. "If you say do, your Highness."
Not only entertainment, but there was also the matter of making the makeshift beds more like actual beds, with actual mattresses and pillows. (Y/n) began to make a shopping list of how to improve the patients' stay in her home (since nobody knew how long they'll stay here). From soap for each of them, to firewood that would last longer. She also consulted the doctors and they told her that some of the surgical tools they had were for singular use, so they must buy more regularly.

After making her long list, she sent servants all over the Kingdom to fetch these items from the best providers possible (naturally, she did her research). However, there weren't a lot of people that she could send out, so a certain number had to stay. She thought for a moment. She heard her darling dog bark outside and had an idea.
"Excuse me?" she asked the professionals on the third floor. "Would it be alright if I take his Majesty with me for an afternoon?"
"Of course, Lady (L/n)." one of the healers said (while Wally went up to her without waiting for anyone's approval). "I believe we can manage without him now."
"If any mishaps happen, just send out a bird. My dog will notice it."
"Are... Are you sure he won't mistake any wild bird for a messenger one?"
"Oh no, he knows the difference." she smiled. "He's very smart."
'We're taking the dog along?' Wally thought, not without a hint of chagrin.

As they left the manor and took a carriage, she explained that they were going to make an order to a carpentry company. A family business that was one of the best in the Kingdom.
"And it's in one of our big cities, Pholkai." she told him during the ride. "I thought it would be nice for you, I don't want you to spend your stay at my house only." she chuckled.
"Oh but your home is lovely."
"Aw thank you." she smiled, her cheeks dusted with pink, a hand over her heart. "But I assure you, even by Spades standards, this house is very old-fashioned. I don't doubt Pholkai will be nothing compared to your capital, still I hope you'll see its charm."
Wally just smiled and nodded. Whenever he'd come to the Kingdom of Spades, he wouldn't go out to visit the area – unlike when he'd go to the Kingdom of Clubs or Diamonds, or anywhere else really – he's always felt he saw everything there was to see from his carriage's window as he went to his destination. To be perfectly honest, he would actually rather stay in the (L/n) manor. Alas, he simply could not refuse an outing with Lady (Y/n).
As they got off the carriage and began to walk through the busy streets of the city, Wally – his entire appearance altered with magic to disguise himself – stayed by her side. He listened as she rambled about the history of this city, all its quirks and fun facts. But, truth be told, he just didn't care for this place. Despite being 'one of the big cities', it would seem that the size of it, along with the population inhabiting it, compared to the average town in the Hearts Kingdom.
'Truly, nothing compared to my home.'

He noticed that, unlike during her visit to the Hearts Kingdom's capital, Lady (Y/n) was being more careful to mask her identity under the hood of her cloak. Which was strange, since she beared no such disguise whenever she'd visit the town she owns. She noticed the look of concern he gave her.
"I'm sorry." she bowed her head with an apologetic look. "It's just that I never know how people will react upon seeing me."
"Would some react negatively?"
"Yes. A lot of people in the Kingdom....don't like me." she glanced away with an awkward smile. "I'm from the High Council, which is constantly trying to change things and failing. And I'm the...the Nothing Noble." she looked down. "So, pardon me for being a little nervous."
"It's alright." he looked at her dog. "Is that the reason why you brought him along."
"Him? No."
"...Is that the reason why you brought me along?" he pointed at himself, tilting his head.
"N-No!" she shook her head. "Well...I know that nothing bad can happen if you're here."

His heart skipped a beat. He smiled.
"I'm happy to be your second guard."
"Second...?" she tilted her head before chuckling.
They kept walking for a while. They couldn't go by carriage since there were too many people. Then Wally heard something that made him stop, it was a sound he's never heard before, but his ears found it pleasant. He turned to face a stand that sold a variety of small musical instruments, one of them being...
"What is this?"
Lady (Y/n) stopped and followed his gaze. He was pointing at one of the many small wooden figurines of a rounded creature with big eyes. Its back had small ridges and there was a hole where its mouth was in which was a small stick.

"Oh! Percussion frogs!"
"Frogs?"
"Yes!" she took one of those little wooden figurines and held it up to him. "It sounds like a frog, listen."
She took the small stick out and swiped it over the back of the small creature. It sound it made made Wally's pupils dilate.
"Aren't they cute, as well?" she looked at it and smiled.
"And this is what a frog sounds like?" he asked. "Do they look like this as well?"
"What, you never seen a frog before my guy?!" the merchant laughed.
"He's not from around here." (Y/n) said with a smile.

Wally ignored the potential mockery of that man and stared at the little frog.
"...I shall buy them."
"Them?" both her and the stand owner asked.
"Yes. I would like to buy all of your frogs." he took out a couple of golden coins out of his pouch. "Will this suffice?"
The merchant's face dropped.
"Y-Yes! Yes sir!" he took them with both hands. "Pleasure doin' business with ya!" he bowed, removing his hat.
Wally had now acquired about a dozen of small percussion frogs. He looked really happy with himself. (Y/n) contained a laugh. But seeing him this happy made her happy too.
"I don't think your pockets are big enough for all these frogs." she said. "Unless you can make them bigger with magic."
"I can, yes."
"Oh, but wait!" she exclaimed, remembering something. "I know this shop that sells bags of all sorts, and they're all really pretty. I believe it's on our itinerary, would you like to stop by? Surely this would be an easier solution for you. And..." she leaned closer and spoke more quietly. "That way you don't spend your energy on yet another spell."
"Mmh... You do have a point." he nodded with a smile. "Let's go to this shop."

Wally initially intended to just buy the first one he saw, quickly going in and out of the shop. To his surprise, the bags displayed were prettier then he expected. They had a rustic charm to them. One of them had interesting patterns so he picked it up to get a closer look. The shop keeper said he had a good eye and then explained how their artisans crafted this bag. (Y/n) smiled as she watched him listening and nodding along, even asking questions from time to time.
After he made his purchase and the two of them exited the shop, Wally was now more curious. He'd look around, ask more questions, but he knew they were here for business. They went to the carpentry company and placed their order. They said it was for the plague patients and so the carpenters assured them that they shall take priority over this order. (Y/n) thanked them deeply for this.
On the way back, she walked slower on purpose, to give Wally some time to really look around.
"This is strange." he thought out loud. "I could've sworn that everything was greyer on the way here."
"That's funny, we thought the same thing when we entered the Hearts Kingdom, but in reverse." she chuckled. "Everything was so much brighter that it hurt our eyes at first, but they adjusted to it eventually. Maybe your eyes are adjusting themselves right now."
"...Huh."
"Do you find it more colorful now?" she tilted her head.
"I do see a lot more shades, yes."

She chuckled again, shaking her head.
"Why are you laughing?" he asked.
"It's just that, I understand you may still have your grudges, but I make it my personal mission that you'll come to see the Spades Kingdom in the way that I see it. So that you can be comfortable enough to give it a genuine compliment." she smiled.
"Ah."
He didn't even realize he was being passive.
"And how do you see this Kingdom?" he asked.
"Like home. Which doesn't mean it's perfect, of course not, but..." she smiled. "It's home."
Wally's gaze wandered for a moment, pondering over these words.

He bought a few more trinkets and gadgets he found interesting or just neat. They stopped by a flower shop, with a stand set up outside of it. While Lady (Y/n) was looking at an arrangement of petunias, lost in thought for a moment, Wally was about to ask her if she would like him to buy it for her, but then he felt someone tugging on his cloak. He turned around and saw a small old lady.
"Young man, could I share a secret with you?" she asked, holding a hand up to her mouth.
Wally leaned closer, curious. But he was quickly pulled back by (Y/n), who took him by the arm.
"No you can not!" she glared. "You go on your way now!"
The old woman clicked her tongue and walked away. Wally watched, confused, as (Y/n) let go of his arm and faced him.
"You haven't dealt with these kinds of witches, I should've warned you before we leave the house. My apologies."
"That was a witch?" his eyes widened.
He looked for the old woman, but she was gone. She looked so ordinary...
"Hear me, your Highness." (Y/n) said with a grave expression. "Never let a witch share a secret with you."
She pointed at a bunch of posters put on the wall of a building. A few of them warned others to never speak with witches.

"Why?"
"Secrets can be very powerful. By sharing one with a witch, it's like a contract is being made. If you consent to it, you would then be under her servitude, forced to do her bidding."
Wally thought for a moment.
"What if the other party is the one who tells the secret?"
"Then... I suppose she could just use the information for blackmail, couldn't she?" she tilting her head.
Wally narrowed his eyes, thinking this over. He figured this had to be some kind of spell, he's shared plenty of secrets to his friends and no contract was made.
"What I'm getting from this is..." he looked at her. "You've saved me. Thank you." he placed both his hands over his heart and bowed.
(Y/n) gasped.
"Oh it was nothing, really!" she waved her hands.

"Please, let me buy you these flowers," he gestured towards the petunias. "as a thank you."
"Huh?" she looked at them. "Oh, not these at least."
"Why not?"
"They um... Their meaning is rather grim." she glanced away. "I know it might be silly to believe in the language of flowers but..."
"Not at all, I assure you. These superstitions are rather universal." he smiled. "And why not petunias? They symbolize respect and admiration."
Lady (Y/n) looked at him with big eyes. Clearly, they didn't learn the same thing about petunias.
"...Here, they represent anger and resentment."
Wally's eyes widened as well. There was yet another culture shock happening for both of them. Yes, the language of flowers was indeed universal, but that didn't mean flowers meant the same thing to people.

"Alright then, what about these?" he gestured to another bouquet. "Lilies of the valley. They represent joy, sincerity and luck."
"In our folklore, they grow from the tears of mourning fairies. So they symbolize pain and loss."
"Buttercups? Where I'm from, they're a symbol of happiness and friendship."
"Here, they're a symbol of ingratitude and unfaithfulness."
Wally pointed at all the flower types displayed on the stand, then they each said what the flower symbolized in their respective Kingdom. Yellow roses?
"Care and affection."
"Jealousy and greed."
Red tulips?
"True feelings of love."
"Aggression and danger."
Love-lies-bleeding flowers?
"Hopeless love."
"Disappointment."

"If all these flowers have such negative meanings, why would anyone buy them?" he asked at some point.
"To send to people you don't like of course."
At this point, Wally just looked for a flower for which the two of them would have the same meaning.
"Ah." he pointed at an ornament. "Cyclamen. They represent distrust and separations."
(Y/n) looked at him for a moment, a smile slowly forming on her face as if she was trying not to laugh.
"Here, they represent an empathetic, devoted heart, along with sincere and everlasting love."
"Oh."
The two of them laughed.

"Shall I only gift cyclamen to you then?" he asked.
(Y/n) contained a scream and cleared her throat, blushing.
"Th-There are other flowers that mean good things! Although there aren't a lot of them... And I can accept these other flowers, if they mean such pretty things where you're from."
"Ah, I'm glad." he smiled. "My list of potential presents would've become rather limited otherwise."
Despite agreeing to this idea. He still bought her the cyclamen ornament. The flower shop keeper complimented them as if they were a couple, which Lady (Y/n) was quick to correct. But Wally didn't say anything to it. The two of them had a lovely time on the way back to the (L/n) manor. Then it was back to restless work, but they felt invigorated now.
However, not everything went smoothly. There was a situation...

"Where is she?!" a voice shouted throughout the manor.
"My Lady?" a maid went up to (Y/n). "One of the patients is looking for you."
"So I've heard." she took a deep breath and followed her.
Somewhere in the third floor, a man had awoken after his operation and was now frantically shouting and pushing people away. Wally was called as well and he grabbed the man's arm before he could punch anyone.
"That is no way of treating the people who are just trying to help." he calmly said, scaring the man into silence.
"Your Highness." (Y/n) said when she stepped into the room. "You can let him go now."
"I can't do that, not when he is unstable."
"It's fine. Please."
Begrudgingly, he did as told. The patient's eyes were now locked on her.

"You..." he glared. "What have you done to me?! You took my arm!" he waved the stump just below his shoulder.
"I'm sorry sir." she calmly spoke. "The plague had taken over the limb, we had to resort to amputatio-"
"Are you serious?! Do you even realize what you've done?!" his face became redder with rage. "I'm a toy maker, I need both of my hands to work! I'm the sole bread winner for all four of my kids! You've doomed us! Did you even think of asking if I wanted this operation?! No! I was knocked out and taken to that room!"
"It... It was an emergency operation. If it had spread any faster-"
"I would've rather died! Now I'll just be a failure and a burden to my children!" he began to cry, overcome with rage. "What are they supposed to do now, huh?! They're all below the age of thirteen! They can't work! You don't fuckin' care about us!" he pointed at her. "You just want to look good and get sympathy points from us so we forget about all the fuck ups you nobles did throughout the year!"
She felt like crying as well, but forced herself not to.

"I...I'm sorry."
"Oh, you're sorry?!"
He went up to her and slapped her across the face. She didn't react, didn't even try to protect herself. The patients and doctors in the room gasped. Wally's eyes grew big and the air began to spiral around him.
"Your Highness, please don't."
(Y/n)'s clear voice held him back from punching that man in retaliation.
"He has every right to be angry." she looked back at him. "Are you feeling better now?"
"The only way I'd feel any better is that you lose an arm as well, and a leg too, for good measure!"
"I'm sorry, sir, but that can't happen. Just like I couldn't let you die. My priority here is to keep everyone alive. Rest assured I shall make sure that neither you nor your children will be in need once you return home."
"Yeah right. Me and the entire village. How would that be possible, huh? How many people will lose their livelihood thanks to your benevolence?"
(Y/n) didn't respond. She clenched her fists.

"Daddy?"
Everyone looked to the door and saw four kids, two of whom were twins, with one holding their baby sibling. They must've heard that their father had his amputation. The oldest one was a young teenager, her head had been shaved, on account of the fact that little branches were sprouting out from half of it. It pulled back the skin on her face, preventing her eye from closing which then became bloodshot. One of the twins was shirtless, for tiny mushrooms were covering one of his shoulders, growing on top of each-other, making him always tilt his head to the side. The other twin's foot was turning into wood. And the baby's skin looked decrepit. Like old tree bark...
"Kids..."
Their father looked devastated – perhaps feeling ashamed to be seen like this – but upon seeing him, his kids' faces lit up.
"You're cured!" they ran up to him and hugged him. "You're cured!"
He cried again and fell to his knees, hugging them back.

"Does that mean you can go home now?" one of the twins asked. "You're so lucky!"
He sobbed and shook his head.
"No way I'm leaving you four. No way!"
"We need to observe his condition for the next few days anyway." one of the doctors said.
"Good. Good..."
Wally sighed. He looked towards Lady (L/n) but she had just exited the room, he only saw a glimpse of her. She was going to her father's office.
'He's right.' she thought. 'I didn't know, I didn't care to know. I viewed all these people as simply patients. They are people with lives and circumstances.' she sat at the desk and ran a hand through her hair. 'But it had to be done! The staff needed to act fast!'
She took a deep breath and began to write down ideas of programs the victims of the plague could go through in order to get back into society if need be. When the King of Hearts came into the room, she immediately shared her ideas with him and the two of them began to brainstorm. Wally initially came here to check up on her, but if she was back to work, then he supposed that meant that she was fine. He noticed the red spot on her cheek, where she was slapped.

"Your cheek."
"Huh?" she placed a hand on it. "Oh, it's alright." she smiled.
Wally's eyes softened.
"As a royal, I can tell you with certainty, Lady (L/n), never will everyone be happy with your actions." he said. "For better or for worse, there will always be people who disagree with you."
"...But if everyone can be happy, that's what I want to strive for."
"Such goals will leave you restless, trust me. Do not consider what you're doing for these people a failure."
"I'm not..." she looked away. "I just realized that I...have overlooked some critical elements to this." a moment passed before she smiled at him. "I could never be in your shoes, your Highness, these things are just too complicated for me."
"You already are. You're a member of the High Council of Spades."
"I mean doing it on my own. Being the only one in charge..." she shook her head. "I can't even think about it!" she chuckled.
He smiled, but didn't say anything. He instead offered to heal her cheek, and though she assured him that it didn't hurt, she let him go ahead anyway. He placed his hand on her cheek and while she avoided eye contact, blushing, he kept his hand there longer than he actually needed to.

During the following days, there was significant improvement to the understanding of the plague. The greatest of news being that, each time the growths on people's skin would get cut off, they would grow again but in lesser density. That meant that the patient might be completely cured if the process was done regularly.
"So this really is nothing like the last Spades Plague epidemic." one doctor said during a meeting. "From what we've learned, it used to be unstoppable, and it wouldn't grow any weaker."
"Maybe it did, over the centuries." a healer said.
"What matters is that there is hope!" Lady (Y/n) beamed. "It might just be a matter of time before everyone is cured then!"
She shared the news to the royal castle so that the High Council could release another statement. Overall, things were looking brighter. The patients' living conditions in the manor improved as well, and the place became a functioning hospital. Which meant that Lady (L/n) and the King of Hearts had a little more time for themselves. Time which they would often spend together.

Wally was seated at the table on the patio, reading the letters he received from back home – they were sent to the royal castle of Spades, then were delivered to the manor – when Lady (L/n) exited the house, holding a bouquet of small dry yellow flowers in her arms.
"Lady (L/n)." he put the letters aside and stood up.
"My King." she curtsied. "I hope you're enjoying this quiet afternoon."
"I am, and I hope you do as well." he bowed his head. "May I ask, who are these immortelles for?"
"Immor... Excuse me?" she blinked twice, confused.
"These flowers." he pointed at them. "They're immortelles, are they not?"
"Oh!" she nodded. "Here, we call them dwarf everlasts."
"And Frank calls them helichrysum, if I remember correctly."
"How lovely! Who would've thought that we would have the most cultural differences on the matter of flowers!" she chuckled. "But to answer your question: these flowers are for an old family friend. I'm about to go pay them a visit."

"Ah. Have a safe tripthen." he nodded.
"...Would you like to come with me?"
"Yes."
She chucked again at his immediate response.
"Your friend won't mind me, I hope." he said as the two of them began to walk side by side.
"Not at all, I'm sure they'll like some new company. They don't get a lot of visitors."
She looked around and saw her dog in the distance.
"Wallyyyy!" she called out. "Come on, we're goi-" she gasped and looked at Wally. "I apologize! Force of habit."
"It's alright." he waved a hand.
"...It shall go without saying that I gave him this nickname before I learned of your own name."
"I do not doubt it."

With the dog now by her side, the three of them made their way into the woods. (Y/n) and Wally talked for a bit before he noticed that they were walking deeper and deeper into the woods. He glanced at (Y/n), she didn't seem alarmed, she seemed to know where they were going, so he wasn't too worried.
He did pause in his tracks when he saw the white mushroom line a bit farther away. Beyond it were tall black trees with thick trunks, their foliage so dense that no light came through it. One could only see pitch black darkness after just a few meters. (Y/n) paused as well to look at him. She smiled.
"Yes. It is breathtaking when you're not used to it." she looked at the darkness ahead. "I myself still get chills when I look at it for too long."
"Your...Your friend..."
"They live near the Dark Forest, yes." she nodded. "Rather unfortunate for them, but they don't seem to mind."
The three of them started walking again, this time, along the mushroom line.

"I thought you lived closest to it." he said.
"Well... My friend doesn't really go out much, only me and my parents knew of them."
Wally couldn't help but suspect that she was being vague on purpose.
"Rest assured, my friend isn't a witch by any means." she spoke again. "Although..." her voice trailed off.
Wally tilted his head.
"Yes?"
"Um, nevermind." she smiled. "You'll see, they're really nice."
"I don't doubt it."
They walked for a little longer, until a small house was seen in the distance. Walter barked and ran towards it while Wally's eyes widened upon seeing the place. It was a charming cottage painted in bright colors, with two closed windows on either side of the front door. As they walked closer, a little sign could be seen above the door. On it was written in pretty letters...
"Home..." Wally said under his breath.
"That's what I call them anyway." (Y/n) gave him a cheeky grin.

There was a moment of silence, Wally didn't react to the strange thing she just said. He just stared at the house. She frowned with a huff and cleared her throat.
"I say this because – and please, do not panic – this long time family friend is..." her voice trailed off, to try and pick his interest.
"The house itself." he finally looked at her. "For the house is alive." he smiled at the house. "Hello, Home."
The closed shutters opened by themselves, revealing giant flat black pupils moving from inside the glass of the windows. Upon seeing its visitors, the chimney happily whistled and huffed. (Y/n) was shocked for a moment, then she scoffed.
"Oh come on!" she exclaimed. "Here I thought I could pleasantly surprise you for a chance, yet here I am, caught off guard once more!"
"If it can be of any comfort, my Lady, you are always full of surprises."
"I-" she huffed, her cheeks dusted with pink. "Thank you. But now isn't the most important matter! You know Home?! Home- Hello, old friend." she spoke more softly, smiling at the house. "It's lovely to see you again. You know the King of Hearts?!"

Home made a variety of noises, to which she just gave them a blank stare.
"He says it's nice to see you as well." Wally said.
(Y/n) gasped and looked at him with big eyes.
"You understand what they're saying?!"
"You don't?" he tilted his head.
"No, of course not! We usually communicate with a 'knock once if no, knock twice if yes'."
"Isn't it usually the other way around?" he tilted his head the other way.
She glared at him.
"Let's just go inside, so you can give me a proper explanation." she turned towards Home and smiled softly. "I brought some flowers."
Home clapped its shutters in excitement before opening the front door. Walter stepped in first, then (Y/n), followed by Wally. On the inside, Home looked to be a regular cottage, one big room that served both as living room and kitchen, there was a chimney, and on the second floor, there was a bathroom and a bedroom. Walter hopped on the couch, on which there was a blanket, which then wrapped itself around him, like Home was giving him a hug. Wally watched as (Y/n) went to the kitchen area, took out a vase from one of the cupboards to put the bouquet inside.

"So." she huffed, facing Wally. "How do you know each-other?"
"...Don't tell Julie."
"Huh?" she frowned, confused.
"Do you remember when she told you about when her and I were children, she dared me to go to the Dark Forest, but my mother stopped me?"
"Yes." she nodded.
"Well, that night, I snuck out and went back. I ended up walking along the mushroom line to gather up some courage, that was when I came across Home."
"You walked? For how long? The closest inn from here is pretty far away."
"Mmh..." he thought for a moment. "I don't remember, quite a long time I assume."

"Okay... So you met Home."
"Yes. I went in and he offered me a cup of chocolate. You know how, if you ask nicely, Home can make anything appear?"
"Anything, within reason of course. Speaking of which, Home, may we have something to drink?"
There was a knock from inside the oven. With a 'thank you', (Y/n) opened it and took out two cups of hot cocoa, one of which she gave to Wally. There was also a knock from one of the cupboards, inside was a bowl of water for Walter. The Lady and the King sat at the kitchen table, after she opened the window that wasn't the house's eye, to get some of the dust out.
"I told him about my situation, he told me the Dark Forest was no place for anyone, especially a child."
"I agree." she nodded.
"So, upon discovering this power, I then asked if I could have a piece of the Drak Forest that I could bring back with me to trick Julie into thinking I've completed my dare. Home then gave me a piece of old tree bark."
(Y/n) gasped.

"Your Highness!" she exclaimed, shocked. "Home!" she turned to one of the house's eyes. "You gave a piece of the Dark Forest to a child?! How did you even...?!" she held her temples, at a loss for words.
Home shuffles its curtains.
"He says he's sorry."
She huffed with a frown. There were a few more sounds
"He says that since the bark was old and dead, it should've been safe."
"We don't know that, Home. The Dark Forest can be very tricky."
"Oh don't worry, I'm alright." Wally opened his arms a little bit. "See?"
"I apologize, your Highness, but I am not trusting my eyes anymore when it comes to your wellbeing."
"Ah. Right." he said with a chuckle.

"So, you've met when you were a child. You only met once?"
"No, I came back a couple of more times after I became King. I wanted to investigate, understand how a sentient house came to be. Which was difficult, Home is very secretive." he glanced at one of the eyes.
The chimney puffed.
"I wasn't nosy. I just wanted to know the truth of what you were."
They heard the sign outside tapping on the wall. 'I am Home.'
"I eventually gave up."
"Do... Do others know about him?"
"I did try to bring magic experts with me, but whenever I would, Home would be nowhere to be found. He would hide."
"Hide?!" she leaned closer with big eyes. "What do you mean?"
"He simply wouldn't be where I last saw him." he shrugged.

"How can this be?" she looked around. "Home is just a house... He's always been at the same spot."
"Home is no ordinary house." Wally shook his head. "We've come up with some theories. He will tell you himself, no one owns him, so maybe... A dead witch's house that can grow legs and run away."
(Y/n) pictured this in her mind – for some reason with chicken legs specifically – and she squinted her eyes.
"Somehow, I doubt that." she said.
"Maybe Home used to be the owner of this house, a person, just like you and me, and before they passed away, they fused with their home."
"Can such a thing even be done? We would have sentient houses everywhere if that was the case."
"Well..." his gaze wandered. "There's really no way of knowing now."
"Maybe... Maybe someday Home will share his origin with us, won't you, Home?"
An arrangement of sounds were heard all around the house.
"Maybe someday." Wally translated. "By the way, can I ask, how have you come to know Home?"
"My family has been friends with Home for a long time. I don't know how my ancestors found him, however. My parents just introduced me to him when I was very young and we would visit him frequently."

"Do you think your King knew about Home?"
She thought for a moment.
"I don't think so, no." she said. "He's never mentioned him, and I saw no record of a sentient house in any of the documents in our royal library. At least...when I got access to it, so after the Great Departure. There's a chance someone stole these documents... But after a year, we would know about this."
"I agree. You really are a mystery, Home."
There were some knocks, a door somewhere opened and closed. Wally chuckled.
"Must be nice to understand the language of onomatopoeias. Were you taught?"
"No. Somehow, I just know what Home is saying." Wally paused. "Now that I think about it, I don't quite understand it myself." he chuckled.

There was a single knock.
"What is it, Home?"
Once again, an arrangement of sounds were heard all around the house.
"He says that, now that he has an interpreter, he would like to tell you something."
"What is it?"
Wally listened for a moment. He then looked confused.
"He says he's sorry."
(Y/n) seemed to immediately understand what Home was apologizing for. She smiled softly.
"Oh friend... It's been so long, I've forgiven you. You know that."
"What is he sorry for?" Wally asked, curious.
"Um..." her and the house's eyes exchanged a look. "Home and I had a fight long ago. However, it's all in the past now and all is forgiven. We now understand the reason for each-other's actions, and we went back to being friends." she smiled, nodding.
"I see..."

Home then asked what they've been up to and they talked about the Shuffling, how they met – the two of them silently agreed to not talk about anything related to the last King of Spades – and the friends they've made. Sadly, (Y/n) and Wally eventually had to get back to work.
"Home asks if we'll come back to visit."
"Of course, that goes without saying." she nodded with a smile. "And now that I know you're also a friend of Home, we can visit him together in the future."
"Even after I go back home?"
"If it's not an inconvenience, of course."
"No, I would be delighted." he smiled while Home happily huffed its chimney.

Both (Y/n) and Wally went back to work, it was still relentless and tiring, however, with the improved organization and the plague's hold on the patients slowly but steadily getting weaker, it was easier to get through the day. Things were going well, all things considered. But when the Sun started to set...
"My Lady!" a maid burst into her father's office, where she'd work.
"What is it?" (Y/n) stood up, seeing the panic on her face.
"In the town, they need you immediately!"
"What happened?!" she rushed out.
"I don't know! I wasn't given any information, but it sounded very serious!"
"I shall bring his Majesty with me."

Wally didn't ask questions when he saw her grave expression upon asking him to come with her. When the two of them stepped out and left on horseback, Walter also followed her.
"Scout."
With this one word command, Walter picked up speed and ran towards the town. He was out of sight within thirty seconds. Once they've reached the town, they saw that Walter was waiting for them at the edge of town, barking.
"Where?"
He took them to the town square where-
"Happy birthday!!!"
Flower petals were thrown in the air, colorful garlands decorated the town square, in the middle of which a big fire was lit. There was a lot of food, music, and a crowd cheering, shouting in joy. (Y/n) was at a loss for words, she was so focused on imagining the worst that she now couldn't understand what was happening.
"We know this is a late celebration." someone said. "But with all that happened, we know you couldn't celebrate your birthday. So we've all come together to prepare a big party for you."
Upon hearing this, the Lady's eyes became glassy. Wally removed a petal that got stuck in her hair.

"Did you know about this?!" she asked.
"I may have caught wind of it from the staff members." he smiled.
"Well... W-Wait!" she suddenly exclaimed. "I'm in my work clothes, I must go change!" her panic over something like this made everyone laugh. "I'll be right back!" she left in a rush.
"I shall go change too." Wally looked down at his dress shirt, there was some blood on it.
When they came back, the party had already started and (Y/n) could fully joined the festivities. She knew exactly what to get and where to go: some wine, at the buffet. Meanwhile, Wally was already faced with a problem. Unlike in the (L/n) manor, he wasn't accommodated for his food. (Y/n) realized that and asked the granny in charge of food if he could have something 'sweeter'.
"[Well, I suppose I have some baby food somewhere!]" the old lady exclaimed as her and the people nearby started laughing.
"[That would be great, actually. Thank you.]" she bowed her head before turning to Wally. "You can try this."
It was still a bit too bitter for him, but he accepted it. Good thing his instinct told him to bring some sugar cubes from the manor with him. Anyone who saw him put sugar in his stew gave him a dumbfounded look, some even laughed in disbelief.

Knowing she was the only one he knew here tonight, Lady (Y/n) tried to stay by Wally's side, to keep him company. But of course, being the birthday lady, a lot of people wanted to talk to her, and sometimes they'd bring her with them. Wally would then be alone, which would lead to his second problem of the evening.
Wally didn't enjoy loud noises, and the parties in the Kingdom of Spades would hit the deepest parts of his ears and give him a headache. It also sounded very scary. People would randomly shout at the top of their lungs, the music was mostly drums, which he associated with war, and he couldn't understand what most people here were saying. He even suspected some of them to talk in the old Spades Language on purpose. And the dancing...the dancing was intense, for someone who's only known the waltz all his life.
Recently after becoming King, he was invited to the Spades Kingdom. Its King threw a banquet in his honor, except he made sure to give the event a big budget so that 'the young King could have the full Spades experience'. It was a very intense party, it overwhelmed Wally to the point of tears and ever since then, he would make up an excuse to not attend any party thrown by the King of Spades. Wally tightened his grip on his bowl just thinking about it.
Just then, he heard her laugh. He looked over and saw her in the distance, talking to a few people. She looked so happy, so comfortable. It warmed his heart. She was home after all... And he noticed that everyone would laugh in a similar way.
'Hers is lovelier though.'

After a short while, Lady (Y/n) came back and sat beside Wally with a huff.
"I apologize for leaving you so often, my King."
"You don't have to force yourself to keep me company. This party is for you, you should make the most of it and connect with your people."
"I'm not forcing myself at all, I assure you!" she shook her head. "Your company is just as valuable to me."
His heart skipped a beat. He smiled.
"I'm glad to see that the townsfolk are friendly towards you."
"Right." she nodded, looking over at the fire. "Throughout the years, my parents weren't... They didn't take good enough care of this place. And when I came to own the estate, I did my very best to atone for that. I'm happy to say that the townsfolk now see and appreciate my efforts." she smiled.
"Then maybe, soon the whole Kingdom will be like this as well."
"I can only work hard to achieve that." they smiled at each-other.

Just then, the music stopped, and someone shouted an announcement that got everyone excited. Wally recognized the name, he knew it as the Devil's Dance, and he felt a knot in his stomach. (Y/n) gasped and lightly clapped her hands as more people gathered around the fire. The drums and flutes changed tempo and, to Wally, it sounded like the beginning of a ritual. But it changed as it kept going, it sounded more like music now. (Y/n) recognized it as people started to sing.
"Oh it's my favorite one!" she clapped again.
"Why?" Wally asked without thinking.
"It's a beautiful song about the euphoria of being in love."
"It is?" he blinked twice. "I would've never guessed."
He then noticed she was tapping her heels to the rhythm. He looked at her face, she was staring at the dancers and mouthing the lyrics. Some dancers gestured for her to join them, but she would shake her head every time.

"...You can join if you'd like."
"Huh?" she looked at him. "Oh no, I'm okay with staying here."
"My Lady." he tilted his head. "It's your birthday party, you should do whatever you want."
She still looked hesitant.
"I will be fine on my own, you don't have to worry about me." he leaned a bit closer and spoke more quietly. "Go."
A big happy smile formed on the Lady's face and she suddenly stood up and began to sing at the top of her lungs. It actually startled Wally and he flinched as everybody cheered for her.
"The Lady's entered the scene!" he heard someone say in the shouts and the whistles. "It's over for us!"
Her voice was definitely the most powerful of the bunch, because of that, she took the lead of the song. She kept singing as she approached the dancefloor and let her hair loose. She began to dance and everyone followed her. At some point she lifted up her skirt so people could see her feet's movement. It caught Wally off guard and at first he averted his eyes, and once he understood that it was within the context of the dance, he let out an inaudible sigh of relief.

Looking at Lady (Y/n) as she danced filled Wally's heart with warmth. She looked over the Moon and she was clearly having the time of her life. Suddenly this barbaric dance made more sense to him. While the waltz was all about keeping a good posture and following the rules, this Devil's Dance seemed to be the complete opposite. So of course it would look off-putting to him. Not much anymore, however. And some of the movements the dancers would sometimes pull were genuinely impressive. Unknowingly, Wally began to clap along.
Each time (Y/n)'s gaze would meet his own, she'd smile widely. He's never seen her smile like this, it made him love her even more.
Some kids went up to him, asking him to dance with them. Wally wanted to politely decline, but the kids pulled him by his hands and took him to the dancefloor. The only instruction he was given was 'Do what I do!'. They would then show off their footwork then stare at him to recreate it, like it was easy. It didn't help him much and he almost tripped on his own foot. (Y/n) noticed, sang the rest of the verse, then went up to them.
"I'll be honest, I didn't expect that." she told him. "You're such a skilled dancer. I thought you would pick up on it rather quickly."
"Quite the opposite, actually." he sighed. "What you've seen at the ball was simply the result of a lifetime of dancing lessons."
"I see..." she thought for a moment. "In that case, may I try teaching you?"
"You can certainly try."

"Let's start with a simple waltz." she offered her hand.
Wally gently took it and the two of them started waltzing, which did not fit the music at all. It attracted a lot of attention, but (Y/n) didn't mind it.
"Move your feet to the rhythm, without a pause."
Wally did his best to follow her instructions.
"Okay... Now, let loose. Have fun with it."
He tried to remember how he would dance when it was just him, Julie and Frank, and he tried to apply it to this dance.
"Looser."
They spun a little faster, their waltz became messier.
"Looser. Ah!"
He picked her up by the waist as he spun around. It made her laugh. They kept going, at some point they were holding hands, spinning to the rhythm. Suddenly, (Y/n) let go of him.
"You got it!" she smiled before she started singing again and went back to the others.

Wally was wondering how she could still be standing. All this spinning made him dizzy. He figured he's learned enough for now and went back to his table to sit down. (Y/n) saw him and gave him an apologetic look, to which he waved a hand as if to tell her not to worry. At this moment, he figured he much preferred watching her dance. The night continued and Wally got to talk to some of the townsfolk. He asked about the real name of the dance and about some of the traditions in the Kingdom of Spades. He learned that the random shouting was actually a cheer of support. During a birthday, it would mean that you wished the birthday person good fortune. The people then encouraged him to try.
"Oh I don't shout." he smiled.
"C'moooon!" they insisted. "It's a sign of respect for the Lady!"
"Well, if that's the case..."
He took a deep breath before slowly inhaling. He opened his mouth as wide as possible...
"Ah."
"...What was that?!?!?!" they all shouted.
"I told you, I don't scream." he bowed his head. "I apologize."

"Come on, boy!" an old man with a beard waved a fist.
"Boy?" Wally mumbled, a bit perplexed.
No one has ever called him simply 'boy' before.
"It's gotta come from the guts!" the old man said. "Try again!"
"Ah."
"No! Use your inner rag- Wait no, that's for hate-jamborees. Use your inner-love!"
"Love?" a spark formed in his eyes.
The people in this conversation noticed his change of attitude. He was determined now. With a huff, Wally straightened his back. He deeply and slowly inhaled...
"Ah."
Everyone groaned and threw their hands in the air.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this." he smiled.
"No you're not!" the old man bluntly said, giving up. "You're terrible at it!"
Wally learned something else about the people of Spades: when they tell the truth, it hurts. Thankfully, they were still friendly, even though he literally could not participate in this custom.
The night went on, (Y/n) introduced Wally to people. They learned about each-other's culture. He tried the wine and immediately spit it out. Everyone laughed and offered him some apple juice instead, made from local apples. He also immediately spit it out, everyone laughed again and offered him some water. Despite laughing at almost everything he did, (Y/n) assured him that the townsfolk were warming up to him. At some point, she asked if he wanted to dance again.
"I don't think I can keep up with any of you." he gave her an apologetic look.
"Oh it's not about keeping up at all. Of course, some songs have their respective dance, but you don't have to follow it." she smiled. "It's a party, we can just dance without a care!"
"Huh... I'm willing to bet Julie would love to be here."
She laughed.
"That's true! I'm sure she'd take the lead everytime!"

"If I dance with you, then I'm willing to give it another try." he stood up and offered his hand to her.
She smiled and gladly took it. Wally was struggling, every time he'd mess up, (Y/n) would tell him to look around. He would see the other dancers, drawing everyone's attention, so few people even noticed the mistakes he'd make. It made him feel better. Throughout the night, Wally and (Y/n) developed their own version of the waltz. It was more carefree, more cheerful. Wally couldn't help but think that, if his tutors could see him right now, they might faint. If his mother saw him...
'Actually,' he thought. 'I think she'd want to join as well.' he chuckled.
(Y/n) smiled softly, glad that he was enjoying himself.
The night went on. Not a lot of people went to bed. Wally was impressed that most of the people here were still so full of energy. He pointed it out to (Y/n).
"I know." she said, wiping some sweat off her forehead. "I would be as well, if it weren't for the work we went through today." she smiled with a tired huff, her eyebrows furrowed.
"I will admit, I'm tired as well."
"We might have to get back then..." she glanced at the fire, just then, another song started and her head swayed in her hesitation. "Okay one last song!" she exclaimed before rushing to join the dance.
This time, Wally simply waited for her. Despite what she said, dancing seemed to fill her with life. To him, it was a sight for sore eyes.

Despite getting a short night of sleep, for them, it was plenty of rest. (Y/n) and Wally sat at the table on the patio, side by side, watching the sunrise and reviewing everything that happened at the party. He told him about the time he tried shouting and she laughed, saying she wished she could have been there. Everything was silent, everything was still. Life was good. Wally wished things could be like this forever...
"This is nice." he said.
"Oh? Does that mean you are enjoying your stay, here in the Spades Kingdom?" she smiled.
"I have to admit." he sighed. "I can see why you love this place. It is charming, in its own way."
She smiled widely, and giggled in victory. Then, she sighed and fell silent, enjoying the view. Wally however kept his eyes on her.
"I wish things could be like this forever." he said without thinking.
(Y/n)'s smile faltered.
"I... I know." she quietly spoke before taking a sip of her coffee.

"...In case you have any doubts: I do still love you, deeply so, even after everything you said."
She glanced at him, but only briefly. She looked away and blushed.
"To be honest... I really didn't expect someone like you to..."
"Well, I was certainly surprised to hear that no one has fallen in love with you before. Considering your age, and your beauty."
She pursed her lips, her face twisted, like she was in pain, but wanted to hide it. She turned her head away.
"I'm sorry." Wally quickly said upon seeing her reaction. "I didn't mean to be rude."
"It's not that." she shook her head.
"Could this be a touchy subject?"
A long moment passed. Wally thought that maybe... There has been someone else in her heart before. But he figured that couldn't be it. Wally knew what grief looked like, and he could tell that wasn't what she was feeling. (Y/n) took a slow deep breath before turning back to him.

"Do you remember all the things the Duchess of Tarock and the Count of Rummoli's mother said about my family?"
Wally blinked twice. He didn't expect her to bring that up again.
"Yes." he nodded.
"Well, it's all true. Not the organized crime allegations of course." she quickly clarified. "But, we have no business to our name, no one on my family tree has ever gone to war, our wealth really comes solely from a yearly allowance. Our only prestige is that we are the longest line in the Kingdom." her gaze wandered, searching for the right way to say it. "I don't know – rather, I didn't care to know – how my ancestors came to find that out but... The (L/n)s have always known of the King's secret."
Wally's eyes widened, his expression fell into one of shock. Now that he thought about it, when Lady (L/n) explained her entire thought process throughout her investigation, she seemed to know more about the Late King than any of his subjects.
"And because of that, the King gave us... Everything. He gave us land, he gave us a manor, he gave us money, he gave us nobility, a seal, everything. Everything my family is..." she looked down at her ring. "All because... I guess, a long time ago, a relative of mine was once at the right place at the right time." she shrugged then sighed. "And we were rewarded into silence for it. We had everything we would ever need, everything we would ever want. And so we wanted nothing, we asked for nothing." she looked at him. "I said a few times before that I didn't leave home much prior to the King's death... This was actually an understatement. I never left my estate. The farthest I ever went was the woods." she looked down again. "My life was perfect enough, or I thought so at least."

There was a pause. It gave Wally some time to process all that information, and to connect a few missing pieces together. Still, he didn't know know why she was bringing this up now. Or rather, he had a certain feeling of dread growing in the back of his throat.
"In addition to the allowance he would send, the King would also pay my parents a visit every few months. I think he also believed we had some kind of connection to the Dark Forest, he's always been fond of it." she looked at the black trees in the distance.
"Obsessed would be a better term for it." Wally said. "He would even claim to have originated from there. And his senile mind believed it."
"Maybe it's true. Who knows..."
"I assure you, he would reinvent himself with every new name."
"...Do you know his real name?" she looked at him.
He shook his head.
"He would call himself Michalis. Or... 'Michalis the Holy'. He would insist that people said the whole title." he glanced to the side, a hint of venom in his voice.
"Mmh... I'm not even sure if he remembered his real name, the one he was born with."
He looked back at her.
"His real name was Ivan." she said. "Ivan Moribund."

A moment passed. (Y/n) looked towards the horizon.
"For the longuest time, I myself never met him. I wasn't allowed to. My parents would always make me go to my room whenever it was time for him to arrive." she paused. "One day... It was one of those rare sunny days, the outside looked beautiful. I snuck out. I thought it would be safe, I thought the King had already arrived. But when I was wandering through the woods... I saw him. Well, he saw me first..."
The Lady then told the story about how she met the King of Spades.

[Art by Blu Rivers on Facebook 🥺💖 This is so pretty! I'm sure quotev will fuck up the image quality, so go check out their profile! Cause it's some cool art and there are a LOT of cool details in there! They clearly put a lot of time and effort in it and I love it so much!!! 😫💖