Hearts

The shifting of fabric and the soft, padding footsteps were all that could be heard in the large hallway. The man moved in a way that would make any person envious of his grace. He walked with a silent authority that demanded not attention, but respect. This was a man who held great power, but did not need others to know. The Queen of the Hearts Kingdom, Kiku Honda, sighed; his brown eyes the only part of his usually stoic expression that betrayed his worry. He had just come from a fairly tense meeting, and was on his way to see the King of Hearts. The two royals had decided that they would meet for a late breakfast after the meeting. Of course, it was a meeting that the king should have been attending as well, Kiku thought smugly. But perhaps the king had other matters to attend to. Kiku had barely rounded the final corner that lead to the private royal chambers, but froze as the door to his destination opened. His expression did not change as he watched from ten meters away. A man with bright auburn hair stepped out from the royal bedchamber, a glowing smile on his face. His jacket, hat, and belt seemed to have been removed, the bundle of clothing held in his arms. Everything else that he wore seems to have been wrinkled. His voice, higher-pitched than Kiku's own, said an affectionate "good bye" in his own language before blowing a kiss to the individual inside the room. The door was closed before the man practically skipped down the opposing side of the hallway.

"Other matters to attend to", indeed.

He crossed the remaining section of the hallway, knocked on the door, and entered before a reply was given. Kiku stood quieter than any warrior as the man disappeared around the corner. He hadn't seen him. He hadn't noticed that Kiku was there. It was just as it always had been. Kiku waited a few minutes, not moving, glad to see no other inhabitants around to witness his embarrassment. Then, unable to wait any longer, he crossed over, knocked on the door, and entered before a reply was given.

The King of Hearts sat on the edge of his overly large, plush bed. With tights already snugly on and a pair of unclasped breeches on over top, his strong hands tugged on his open shirt as he heard the knock on his door. Ludwig's strikingly blue eyes quickly darted over to the intruder only for a moment before moving back to buttoning his shirt. "Good morning, my Queen. Is the meeting over already? I could have sworn I had another half hour at least." He did not get up to address his spouse, continuing to tuck his shirt into his breeches.

Kiku was used to being treated as such, with no familiarity. In truth the phrase "my Queen" was one that he could have laughed at. There was nothing in their marriage that the King had done that possessed Kiku to Ludwig. Otherwise, it was just a title, a matter of formality. The Queen gave a formal bow to the King before giving his report. "No, Your Majesty. It ended a half hour ago. I suppose that your important, impromptu meeting with your Royal Advisor interfered with the sense of time. Be careful; his absence was not overlooked by the others. Your court will start questioning why he has the job if he does not... perform to satisfaction." Despite Kiku's warnings, and perhaps unknown to Ludwig himself, the court already questioned the Royal Advisor's true role. Feliciano Vargas had never been known to be a man of much intelligence or strategy. Most assumed that his position was due to his family lineage, but others still whispered about the potential attachment that the King must have for him to raise him up so far.

Ludwig merely tensed in response. It was no secret between him and Kiku of his feelings towards the Jack of Hearts. Kiku knew of the infidelity right from the start. It was an unsaid, mutual agreement that the King and Queen would never speak of it, negatively or otherwise. Ludwig rose, buttoning his breeches and moving to find what spot of the floor his jacket was thrown onto. "Was the new budget not satisfactory? I even went over it with him personally. There should have been no error, no faults, this time." The King was confident in his words. After all, he was the former Jack of Hearts prior to his ascension to the throne. Ludwig bent over to pick up his now located jacket, placing his arms through each sleeve and up onto his shoulders. "Walk with me to the dining hall." Ludwig walked to the opposite side of the room with pride in each step, opening the door for Kiku to pass. His heart may not be with his Queen, but he certainly did not treat him poorly.

Kiku walked through the opened doorway, nodding his thanks. He did as he was told, walking a step behind the King, as was customary. He wasn't looking forward to having to summarize the meeting for the King, but now was the time. "The budget plan seemed decent, but the meeting ended with the Captain of the Mining Forces. The tunnels of the mountains have been nearly depleted. To succeed with the budget proposed, the Captain explained that they would have to build new tunnels." Now came the part that Kiku was sure that Ludwig wouldn't like. "New tunnels... that will weaken the mountain even more. It has already been nearly exhausted. The Captain says that, if they tunnel any further without fortifications to support it, the mountain will collapse. It will kill many of our citizens, Your Majesty, if this happens, as well as lowering the morale. The Captain wrote up a plan for how much the fortifications will cost—" Kiku handed Ludwig the piece of parchment from his kimono sleeve, "—and the proposed budget will not cover the cost." Kiku waited, letting the information sink in before he hardened his voice. "...I know what you will say, and no. You cannot tax the people any more than you already have. They will not pay for this, and if the government does not pay, then the miners will pay with their lives."

Everything that Kiku was leading up to Ludwig already knew. The current mine tunnels were almost to extinction. This fact had been weighing on the King for quite some time now. Ever since he took the throne, Ludwig doubled mining production in hopes of bringing about a large enough profit that, combined with Kiku's family fortune, would bring the Kingdom out of the deficit that his elder brother put them in. Ludwig's gaze dropped to the piece of paper that was now in his hands. His mind wandered just a moment to what else his Queen could possibly be hiding up his sleeves before looking at the financial document. His brow furrowed as he looked at the numbers; Kiku was right, he was always right. "The fortifications must happen. We are so close to a surplus, it's not an option. Surely, we can raise money by some other means." Ludwig's blue eyes made their way over to his Queen. Their marriage was planned as nothing more than a business transaction. Not only was Kiku's family the wealthiest in all of the Hearts Kingdom, but one of the richest in the entire continent. It was their wealth that contributed to the Hearts Kingdom's new budget and spark in production.

Kiku was relieved to hear the King agree with him. He would hate to think that Ludwig cared even less about his own citizens' lives than Kiku already believed. But to raise money another way? Kiku wasn't sure if that was even possible. His voice grew flat as he responded. "I hope that you are not insinuating what I think you are, Your Majesty. My family has grown tired of this game, and will not help you to save face another time." His response was definite, final, unyielding. Kiku's family would not stand for having all of their money drained from them to save the kingdom. Their citizenship, even the fact that one of their favorite sons was the Queen, did not matter. They had not made such a name for themselves by giving handouts. The Honda family made smart investments, and expected benefits and results. Given that neither were showing in their very generous investment in the Hearts Kingdom, they were growing less and less generous.

The Queen's reply grated against Ludwig similarly to how his teeth clenched together, his jaw locking in place as he processed Kiku's outright decline. As the royal pair reached their destination, two servants opened up the large oak doors that led to the dining hall. The Hearts Castle was one-of-a-kind. As like it's neighboring counterparts, the structure is built from resources of its landscape. It sat high above the capital, forged from the peak of a large mountain. The brown stone walls of the castle blended seamlessly into the rock foundation. At the height of the clouds were several towers, wrapped in ivy, all sealed off by a glass dome to view the sky and foliage above. Most of the connecting walkways were open and arched to prevent a disturbance in the currents of the natural waterfalls. Ludwig led Kiku through the circular dining hall, it's interior a slight greenish hue due to the trees above the glass, dome-shaped roof. "I requested for us to dine outside. I figured we both could use some fresh air, and I know how much you enjoy the view." The King walked past the main seating area and out through one of the many porticoes that led to the balcony, pulling out a chair for his Queen to sit in.

Kiku lowered himself into the chair, adjusting his kimono until he felt properly situated. He waited for Ludwig to join him before the King gestured the servants forward. Platters of the King's favorite breakfast foods were placed on the table. Kiku served himself one of the dark bread rolls, choosing to pair it with the apple butter out of the various spreads available on the small, wooden carousel. Next were a spoonful of the colorful berries that grew in the fertile soil of the mountain, brightening up Kiku's simple, ceramic plate. He chose to forgo the greasy sausage and meat that he knew his King would favor; instead, he allowed himself a small wedge of the white, creamy cheese to finish off his breakfast. It was the same thing nearly every day and Kiku had long since grown tired of their limited morning selection. How he longed for the cuisine that was prepared by his family. Some grains, rice, or even a clear-broth soup would be all he needed. But food was food, and he supposed that he should be grateful for it. He sent up a small prayer to the Gods before taking a reserved bite of the cheese. After some moments of quiet eating, the Queen of Hearts knew that it was time to make polite conversation. He cleared his throat, as if to ask the King's permission, before speaking. "What news from the other Kingdoms? I have not heard much since last month's letter from our contact in the Diamonds Kingdom."

Ludwig filled his plate with a roll and a several links of sausage, just as Kiku predicted. His food consumption was like clockwork: cut, chew, swallow, drink, and repeat. "I have been told that King Alfred has been housing a foreign Prince and a Joker for an advisor. Depending upon the success of his courtship, we may have to travel for a wedding ceremony in a few months time." Ludwig found it unlikely, for the boy that was dubbed the Spades King had a lot to learn. He repeated his eating cycle once more before continuing. "I do believe the Jack of Diamonds requested a meeting with Francis to discuss trade. Perhaps, I can convince them of funding the fortifications project should we reach an agreement that could benefit the both of us." The Hearts King interrupted his cycle to pick up his bread roll, taking a bite out of it. "As of King Ivan, nothing has changed. He continues to block communication from everyone that so even attempts. Makes me wonder what he could be planning…or recovering from."

Kiku nodded politely at all of the right intervals as the King spoke, listening with a patient, neutral expression. The news from most of the kingdoms were unsurprising, except for that of the Spades Kingdom. The fact that a foreign prince was visiting the Four Kingdoms certainly wasn't something to ignore. "We will find out with time. The Clubs Kingdom cannot lock themselves away forever."

Kiku's statement was punctuated by the sound of an opening door. He chewed his bit of bread as a servant approached the King. With a low bow, the boy lifted up a silver tray containing the day's mail, offering for the King to take what he liked.

The King of Hearts glanced over to the presented stack of postage, noticing an elaborate letter that was placed on the top. He knew exactly whom it was from. With an eye roll, Ludwig reached over and picked up the golden envelope in one hand and the paper knife in the other. He carefully lifted up the orange, diamond-engraved seal, sliding out a piece of parchment that was also gold. He unfolded the letter, leaving the Queen in silence as he scanned its contents. After a few long moments, he tossed the ornate stationary back onto the servant's tray, folding his hands in his lap as he glanced at Kiku.

"It appears our musings will be answered soon enough."