A Court of Cards

♦Seven♦

"Rose."

"Mmmhggg."

"Rose!"

Her sister cracked a luminous emerald eye, glazed with sleep. 

"Thorn. It's not even light out."

Thorn rolled her eyes, then made a mental note to stop rolling her eyes at people she was trying to persuade in joining her schemes. "I know, but we're leaving for the city now. There's been a change of plans."

Rose opened her other eye, her cheek still pressed against the pillow. "On who's part?"

"Well... mine."

Rose grumbled something unintelligible and rolled onto her other side. 

Thorn huffed. "Come on- remember that princess that snuck out of her palace and met a dashing street boy? Jasmine or something? That could easily happen to you."

Rose snorted. "Maybe so, but that so-called princess was dressed like a stripper. And I am a lady."

It was Thorn's turn to snort. She decided upon a new tactic: physical force. The younger tossed a pillow into the elder's face. "Come on, you great lump. I'll buy you some weird makeup shenanigan of your choice while we're out- any."

Now that got Rose moving. Thorn allowed herself a small, smug smile as she watched her sister hurriedly throw on clothes and do her hair. Thorn handed Rose a long, drab grew cloak when she had finished. "Here," Thorn extended her hand. "Put this on once we leave the palace."

At Rose's questioning look, Thorn sighed. "Two makeup things?"

A hasty moment later, the two girls slipped out into the grey dawn. 

Upon reaching the stables, Thorn drew herself up and put on an imperious look. Though she was small and slender, her dark green eyes held great ferocity and power, or so her father said. Sometimes, Thorn wondered if her father was the only other member of the royal family with half a brain.

"Gentlemen," Thorn greeted stonily to the stable guards, "I would like you to deliver a message for me- tell the Jacks that the parade has been cancelled, due to Rose being too sick to ride-" here Thorn jabbed Rose in the back with her elbow, and the latter emitted a kitten-like sneeze. Thorn again suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "-I'm taking her down here to admire the horses- you know she loves horses so?" the end was intended to be a strong finale, not a question. Thorn cursed herself internally and drew herself up even higher, which was difficult at five foot two. 

The guards exited without a word. Although, a couple of times they glanced back to make sure Rose hadn't magically exposed a feline side with her grand sneeze ploy. 

Noticing Rose's shocked stare at Thorn's act, Thorn slipped her hood and exited the stables.

Less than five minutes later, the two queenlings were hurtling out of the palace grounds on two prize white stallions- conspicuous, but the best they could do.

As Thorn rode along, the wind slamming into her face and her hair streaming along behind her like a river in the gale, she tipped her head back- and laughed. Laughed the sound of pure, wild joy- of birds screeching as they spiraled into the sunset and lions roaring as they bloodied their claws. The sound of true, absolute freedom. 

The city reached them too soon.

Thorn motioned Rose to dismount once they reached the edge of town. There was really no point in staying hidden, though- there were so many people crowded into the city just to see them that even if they stood up declaring their heritage, most probably wouldn't spare a glance. 

Also... did anyone even know what Rose and Thorn looked like?

No matter. Thorn tied the horses to a nearby post and, grabbing hold of Rose's hand, stepped into the fray of people.

Her immediate sensation resembled drowning in a violent sea whose every ripple spurred forward in a different direction. Jarred and dizzy, Thorn fought to keep hold of Rose's hand as they swerved through the crowd. The cacophony of noises and constant shove of bodies was such a terror that Thorn almost wept with relief when the townspeople stilled and went silent.

Then she saw what they were looking at, and thought back on her reaction.

In the deathly silence, a row of tall jet-black stallions were gliding into the city. Now, gliding certainly wasn't possible, but there was no other word for how the horses carrying ominous Spade flags moved- they were eerily silent and smooth. 

Atop all of the horses but one rode Spade soldiers, draped in pitch black cloaks.

And in the center of them all, astride the most imperial mount, was the Jack of Spades.

The crowed seemed to huddle together like a herd of cornered deer, so unlike the writhing mass they were only minutes ago. Thorn's heart began to pound. She had lost Rose's hand, she realized dimly as she watched the Jack of Spades throw off his hood.

Beneath the disguise was an astonishingly good-looking man- his dark hair was slightly tousled, as if he brushed it halfheartedly, and his eyes were the piercing, thunderous grey-blue of ice chips- or a hawk about to strike. 

"People of the Red Kingdom!" the Jack called out. His strong voiced reverberated through the square. "Feel free to be alarmed. We have come to search the city for the Ace of Spades. Anyone who has been in league with her will be prompted to come with us."

With a wave of his hand, the soldiers dispatched and flooded into the streets of the city.

Thorn's blood thrummed in her ears. She looked around the crowd frantically. Where could her cursed sister be?

A high, familiar scream shattered the deathly silent air. 

Thorn's heart nearly stopped as she turned, dreading the possibilities of what lay be fore her, all of them nightmarish. But Thorn wasn't prepared for what came next.

A Spade soldier was marching triumphantly out from the city streets toward the Jack. In his hand, lifted by her neck, was a struggling cloaked figure. It emitted a wail upon seeing the crowd.

"I present to you, Captain," the soldier declared proudly, "After running away when the Sealing of the Red Kingdom occurred, after aiding and sheltering the illegal fugitive the Ace of Clubs, she has finally been found! I present to you... the Queen of Diamonds!"

He yanked off the girl's hood, and Thorn's world shattered around her.

It was Rose.