The House of Cards

Entr'acte

Entr'acte

The King of the Pit has his feet propped up on his desk and is filing his nails with a dagger when the Nine of Pentacles strides into his study.

"Lady Nine," he says, barely looking up. "You're early."

The Heart Huntress stands with her feet apart, shoulders set back. She holds a sword, Faerie-made, like a walking stick, the point planted in the solid stone of the Keep's floors. "Do you have what I came for?"

The Demon Lord rolls his eyes. "Do you think I am incompetent?"

"I have recently found myself dealing with a lot of people who I used to see as competent, and have recently proven otherwise."

The Prince of Darkness smirks, and swings his feet from the desk, planting them on the floor and rising. He eyes the point of her sword as it digs deeper into his floor.

"The Arcana are in my dungeons, awaiting their trial by combat. Held just as you asked. Now, can you please stop ruining my floor? It took centuries to obtain such fine marble."

The Nine smirked, but politely obliged, removing the sword from the floor and sheathing it.

"I did not realize they had wronged you in such a way to be deserving of a trial."

"Not all," the King of the Pit clarified. "Just one in particular, and he isn't even Arcana. They were just caught in the crossfire."

The Nine's fingers twitched. "I don't want my prisoner's harmed for asinine reasons, demon. My lady still has need of them. Especially the two Major Arcana."

The Demon King leans against his desk, waving an idle hand. "Yes, yes. I know. Your Lady awaits and shall take back what it rightfully hers and whatnot. Don't worry; the Major Arcana shall not be harmed. Irreversibly. But you must understand, Nine; this offense cannot go unpunished." He took a few striding steps towards her, eyes glittering with demonic fire. "Of course you understand. We're two of a kind, you and I."

She smirked. "It takes a monster to know a monster. And we are the worst of them all." She pauses. "A little punishment is fine. It's good for the moral character. But see to it that I get what I came for."

Without another word from him, she turns, striding from his study with all the authority she had striding in. Behind her, the Prince of Darkness bows low to the cold wrath of the Heart Huntress, his eyes never leaving her form.

"But of course, my Lady."

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