King of Hearts

12.

On the way to her quarters, not even one servant passes Val. And she has been walking for quite a bit. She doesn't carry a clock with her but she assumes at least fifteen minutes have passed. Finally, a guard dressed like the ones at the entrance is approaching. The man's gaze is fixed straight ahead. If he notices Val he doesn't show it. Before he is even close enough, Val immediately shouts, "Excuse me!" The guard's gaze is still fixed above her head. "Please", Val goes on, "Can you tell me where the servants' quarters are?"
She can tell he would rather not speak to her but Val doesn't care. She's glad she's come across someone she can ask for directions.
The guard hesitates but eventually admits, "At the end of this hall you'll find a door that'll lead to the royal patio. Walk all the way through and you'll find the stairs to the servants' rooms." He already runs off quick-paced before Val could thank him.

She passes a row of giant windows from which the royal patio can be seen. With the angel statues, all the pretty and colorful flowers, and the round water fountain it looks like a scene of a fairytale. Everything looks so magical. Even the two gardeners watering the plants look magical. 

This corridor feels like a déjà vu. Maybe because it scarily looks like the long hall of the museum. Val imagines the windows are paintings and portraits and that she's still with her friends, laughing and having fun, and ... is that a cat?
On a bench under a tree, a black and white cat is curling up, preparing itself for a good nap. Val could swear it's the same one that knocked her over yesterday. The cat notices her watching hence its eyes shoot up to meet hers. It's so beautiful. Val loves cats which is why she leans on the glass, admiring such grace and forgetting the time.

The cat doesn't take its eyes off her either until something else catches its attention. Only then, Val notices a group of men approaching. They are so caught up in their conversation that they aren't even looking ahead. Val recognizes one of them, unfortunately. Not wanting to bump into them, particularly him, she searches for a hiding spot. She's not prepared yet to face him.
Her eyes automatically turn back to the patio when Val realizes that the cat is gone. It's nowhere to be seen. The voices are nearing. Val takes a step back. Should she just walk past them?  Maybe they are so busy talking that if Val keeps her head down, he won't recognize her.

The men are now only a few feet away. If they were looking where they're going, they would've already noticed her. The cat is still gone. It couldn't help her anyway. A sudden and rather loud "meow" startles her. After that sound, something soft sprints between her legs causing Val to trip and fall to the ground followed by a nerve-wracking laugh. And an evil cat running off.

Of course, these sorts of things only happen in front of him. Still, in pain, Val curses at the cat. And herself for being this pathetic. Three men are now standing in front of her. One of them has a white beard and white hair. He's wearing a black suit and a teal tie matching his teal shoes. His face is full of moles and looks rather expressionless.
The other man is wearing an all-yellow suit with an orange bowtie and pointy leopard loafers. His golden hair is tied in a long braid reaching his hips. A pair of lime-green eyes are observing her, creating a strong contrast to his dark skin. Smirking, he examines her from head to toe.
The last man, the one proudly towering over Val, is wearing a satin flowy shirt in the color of the summer sky, black pants accentuating his muscular legs and black leather shoes. Oh, and let's not forget his arrogant smirk. His eyes are gleaming charmingly.

Val, once again on the floor, can't help but stare at his buttface. She has to admit that even in this simple attire, he still looks attractive. What a pity that such a pretty face comes with an ugly attitude. 
"Already wiping the floor, lovely?", comes out of that obnoxious mouth. "I could use your face to wipe the floor", she comes back and immediately regrets her words. She's talking to a prince, for god's sake! Oh well, she can't take it back now. While the two men look surprised, Prince Ulio chuckles, "You can't talk to me like that. I can tell you're not from here otherwise you would show me respect." He clearly forces himself to smile but Val can see the rage he's trying to control. Prince Ulio abruptly gazes at a small figure approaching Val.  

The cat has returned only to put its soft paw on Val's lap. Touched by this cute gesture, Val is paralyzed. If the cat wasn't that adorable, she would've shoved it away. "How strange. That beast only steals food and places to sleep. It never gets near anybody", Prince Ulio states inspecting the cat suspiciously.
He then shrugs and sets his attention on Val again. "I would offer you my help but I guess you're too stuck-up to accept it." Val instantly stands up, not wanting him to look down on her anymore. He's not superior to her. He may be a Prince to others but to her, he's nothing more than an arrogant douche. "I don't think I am the stuck-up here", she hisses. The expressionless man widens his eyes in shock whereas the braided man tries to contain a laugh, clearly amused by this encounter.

Val's eyes unwillingly travel to Prince Ulio's ring and a thought crosses her mind. Does he know about their connection? Does he wear it all the time, every day? Is he hoping to meet his soulmate, although he's unable to fall in love? At this thought, she shivers. She forgets too quickly who he really is. He's the King of Hearts. He's not just a Medéi but also a murderer. He could easily kill her if he wanted to. As Val's mind is busy creating wild scenarios of him killing her, she doesn't even realize how intensely she has set her gaze on him. Judging by his triumphant expression, Prince Ulio must have misunderstood her staring. 
"Like what you see, kitty? I thought I made myself clear yesterday, but if you're so pleading, maybe we could arrange something", he chuckles as his smirk intensifies. Val is about to vomit. How she wishes to punch that smirk off his face. "If I throw a stick, will you leave chasing it?", she tries to hold herself back not to say anything too offensive. A snort comes out of the braided man. "What a bold young lady. Pretty admirable", his voice is thin and ashy.
Val doesn't pay much attention to him, her eyes and fury are set on the prince who is not smirking anymore. Val's heart is beating in victory. 

"You really don't know how to shut that insolent mouth of yours. You really want a punishment so badly, do you? And by that, I don't mean anything you might consider fun." His voice is as deep as the ocean and his eyes are dangerously dark. Val won't show him any intimidation, however. "Anything that involves you is far from fun", she responds narrowing her eyes. Not taking his look off her, he takes a step forward, and now the two are standing so close that she can feel his warm breath. This might seem very intimate but the other two men don't interrupt. They gladly proceed with watching. 

Prince Ulio lets out a low chuckle. "I like how you try to be tough. It's cute", he gently takes a hair strand but Val quickly takes a step back. The last thing she wants is to be touched by him.  "As I said, I like how you try", he laughs out loud. "Now you better step out of my way, sweetheart. I have better things to do than play with a little girl." He looks down at the gown Val is holding. "Have fun cleaning my palace", he adds and confidently strides past her, the two men following. The old one ignores Val while the braided one winks at her.

Val is exploding. She's so furious she could chase and choke that idiot. Who does he think he is? The King of Hearts, more like the King of trash! What a buffoon. Garan was utterly wrong. The two could never be destined to be together. Never! Val aggressively throws the ugly cloth on the floor scaring the cat. As it runs away, Val shouts, "You are not any better, you betrayer!"
She's so angry she could cry. All she wants is this nightmare to end and go home.

Val clumsily picks up the uniform and stomps away. Finally, she finds the bloody staircase.