Hearts and Chess

The Sisters

"TIllie, Elsie, Lacie." Cath said. "You're looking good. Are you well now?"

The girls had white silver hair with milk colored skin. Their big eyes were blue, instead of their original coal black. They each wore white muslin dresses. And they were .........smiling.

Tillie spoke up. "There were three sisters in a treacle well who helped people...for a price. They were very sick. They were dying."

"They knew that a queen's heart could sustain them for a long time. They knew that a queen who no longer needed a heart would come." Elsie said.

"And the queen provided her heart for vengeance, and the sisters ate it. They got better." Lacie said.

"They felt sorry for the queen and offered Time a deal. Time would give the queen's heart back with her only love. If the queen...." Tillie said.

"Finished what she could not." The sisters spoke at the same time.

"Impossible." Cath whispered to herself. She felt like she was stabbed in the stomach. Could time really bring Jest back? What was what she couldn't finish?

"Why are you helping me if you only help others for a price?" Cath asked, suspicious.

The sisters smiled. "But we already took the price. Your good friend, Mary Ann, offered her heart for you." They turned into a badger, an owl, and a fox, and left. The jury and people of hearts looked completely dumbfounded, and so did the king. But Cath was buried in her thoughts and couldn't notice this.

Mary Ann, that foolish maid tried to help her. Tried to bring him back. And offered her heart?

Burying all those thoughts, she faced her kingdom and announced that she would be taking a break which would be best for all of the people here. She rose and headed to her bedroom.

She opened her closet and changed to a simple white cotton dress and flats. She asked Raven. "Raven, do you think if I stop the war, Time will give my heart and Jest back?"

"Of course."

"Will you go with me, Raven?" Cath asked.

"Of course."

"I thought you could say other things than 'Of course'."

"Of course." Cath scowled at him. "I'll be talkative later." He added quickly before Cath went into 'full heartless mode.'

Raven had a hard time for five years, trying to tell Cath that this is not what Jest would have wanted. He had a hard time being a murderer. Executioner would be a more precise term, but in his mind, he was nothing but a killer. Raven saw Cath sometimes go into 'full heartless mode' which was when she got so angry, she ordered the person who was responsible for the slightest thing she hated, to die.

Still, Raven was glad when he killed Sir Peter. He killed his most beloved friend who was always with him. Well, not now. But that fantasy that Jest could magically come back might be real if they crown Cath queen in the White Kingdom of Chess and end the war.

"Should we take Hatta with us?" Cath asked.

"Absolutely not. He's mad. We should take her." Raven replied, and Cath groaned. She knew who Raven meant. Evelyn.