The Martyr (Heartless Fan Fiction) ON HOLD

Chapter 7

The tension builds up right when we walk in. I confidently stride past the onlookers and walk toward a man that I didn't notice before. He's holding Cath protectively and from Cath's puffy eyes, I can tell that she's been shedding some tears. Good.

I smile brightly as I greet him. "Sorry you had to see a family squabble, but I am Sarah Pinkerton, or Cath's so called little sister."

He squints at me and tries to see if I'm acting. He unsurely sticks out a hand and says, "I'm Jest, nice to meet you."

I shake his hand eagerly. "I'm assuming you are the friend that Hatta has told me nothing about." I drop Jest's hand, and look back at Hatta. "No hard feelings though."

Hatta coughs and glares at me. He steps in front of me and greets Jest. I sneak a glance at my sister and she's studying me. Her eyebrows are knit together and her mouth is scrunched up. Her eyes are like a rat's, sharp and beady.

I flash a grin and a wink and turn back to Hatta. "Care to share some dirt on your friend?"

Hatta rolls his eyes. "He's the King's Joker."

"Ooooh." I point and accusing finger at him and smile. "You're the one that littered the ball room with paper."

"If you put that way, yes. Although I wouldn't call it littering."

I continue. "Sorry I couldn't see the show, I was doing my business."

Cath butts in, smirking. "Too bad, it was the show of a lifetime."

I nod. "I'm sure, although I'm sad that you missed the King's announcement."

Cath's body tenses.

Hatta looks inquiringly at me. "What announcement?"

I clap my hands together and pretend to think. "It was something about the King's wife. If I remember correctly, the name was-"

"Maragret!" Cath shouts rushingly. "Her name was Maragret!"

Hatta lifts an eyebrow. "Maragret?"

Cath nods and forces a smile. "Definitely Maragret."

I look at her innocently. "How do you know, Cath? The King only got to whisper the name when the Jabberwock attacked."

Cath frantically tried to come up with an excuse. "Um, Mother told me! Yes, Mother told me last night."

"I see." I smile, I'll let her win this one. I sit down in my chair-that has been put back in its place- and close my eyes. "By the way, where did you go at the ball?"

"Outside. I needed some fresh air."

I open one eye and spot Jest's hand wrapped around her waist. "Of course."

Hatta sits down on his throne and feels my mood. He turns toward Cath and says coldly, "Lady Pinkerton, I think you'd better go home. Right now you are not welcome."

Cath sputters and I can imagine her face going red. This was definitely not the way she thought the day would go.

After they leave Hatta turns to me.

I can feel him frowning and I sigh and open my eyes. "I don't know how she managed to wrap such a polite gentleman around her finger."

Hatta narrows his eyes. "Jest will be very angry with me."

I roll my eyes. "Why would he be mad at you? He's definitely mad at me. Oh my, another enemy."

Hatta leans back into his throne. "Jest will never be anyone's enemy."

"I wonder if that will hold."

"What do you mean?"

"You honestly don't think the new queen is going to be Maragret. It should be obvious it would be Cath." I pick at my clothes. "And then Cath is going to be Queen but she loves Jest and not the King and then the King won't like Jest anymore because he's stealing her girl and then BAM! Problems."

Hatta tries to reason with me. "Jest will never intentionally try to make the King his enemy."

"Then he's doing a very bad job of it. It doesn't matter whether it's intentional or not. The King is already his enemy."

"Jest will keep their courtship a secret."

"How long do you think a secret lasts in this place. A place where there is an eye on every corner, and where the mouth speaks faster than the brain works."

Hatta purses his lips. "Then Cath just has to refuse the King."

I laugh. "I've known Cath for all my life. She will never refuse the king, not if it means disappointing her parents for life."

That's all Cath is and will ever be. A puppet that can only follow others.