Queen of Hearts

Eleven

Standing guard was boring.

When Ace first decided to join the awesome spying team (as she mentally referred to it), she had imagined the things of movies. She would be the hero of the team. The protagonist girl who saves everyone, and who everyone falls in love with. She would be Katniss Evergreen from The Famine Games, or something of the sort. This was her way to prove to the world that she was more than Jack Cards' little kid sister. This was how she would become her own woman.

In none of her imaginings had Ace pictured herself being put on guard duty.

It hadn't taken Ace long to realize that she was not the main character of this story. This was not the story of Ace defying the odds and saving the day. This was the story of Alyson Wonderland falling in love with her enemy. This was the story of Hearts Hearts...doing whatever it was that she did. Ace didn't know why, but she got the feeling that Hearts was the main character of this story. Everything just seemed to happen whenever Hearts was around.

Ace stared down the hallway and willed someone to come out. Despite guard duty being dreadfully boring, it was still nerve racking. Every little sound made the hair on her neck stand on edge.

"We are going someplace safe," Ace heard Hearts whisper somewhere down the tunnel.

"What about Chase?" asked a small voice. It had to belong to Sterling White.

"Chase is...he knows what he's doing."

There was a pause, and then the smaller voice spoke. "I trust you. You're the princess."

Ace froze. What had Sterling just said?

"I am," said Hearts, "but you can't tell anyone. Okay?"

"Okay."

Ace didn't have time to react as Hearts emerged from the tunnel with a small six year old girl wearing a pair of gloves three sizes too large. "Did you run into any trouble?" Ace asked.

Hearts-Lizzie, whoever she was- shook her head. "No," she said, "Let's go."

Hearts started off with the little girl following behind her. Ace watched her as she fell into step. She didn't know what the princess looked like, she had never been terribly interested in her. Maybe Hearts really was the princess. If she were, Jack would be happy.

♥ ♥ ♥

"Why do you think they're being held separately?"

Alyson glanced at James, and continued down the corridor. "Because Courtly's a crazy murderer."

A small smile formed across James' face. "Ha ha. I'm serious though. Why would you hold the older siblings separately from the youngest one? It doesn't make any sense."

"Jack probably knows," Alyson offered, "You could ask him?"

"Jack trusts me just about as far as he can throw me. Which isn't far."

"That's bull," Alyson said, "Jack trusts you a lot more than that."

"I doubt-"

"Is this about Jeb?"

James stopped. "What?"

Alyson stopped, turning to face James and crossing her arms. "I'm not stupid, James. I went to high school with you for a year before this started. You are not Jeb. Now, we've got some royals to save." Alyson turned on her heel. James was only a second behind her.

Alyson sighed. James was so impossible. Alyson didn't like him, not by a long shot. They were not friends. What they had was something other than friendship. The closest thing that Alyson could think of was comradery. They understood each other in a way that no one else did.