Heart of a Diamond: A Rakta Diamond Story

A New Queen

Rakta tugged at the collar of his uniform, before reaching down to his sides for the seventh time to check the revolvers that rested there. The knife he had in his boot scratched at his ankle, reminding him of its presence and the presence of its brothers lining the inside of his jacket.

He didn't touch them. Touching them would tip anyone else off that he was carrying more than the guns.

Queen Mielas sat easily on her throne, shoulders back, chin held high. Next to her, Avinos stood resplendent in a shimmering red dress, a choker of rubies set around her elegant throat. Rakta was to the Queen's left, waiting impatiently. He held his silence, more than aware that it was his duty to be nothing more than an intimidating presence.

Avinos caught his gaze. "Rakta shouldn't be up. He's still healing."

The Queen shushed her. "Rakta should be here. His responsibilities lies with me. They lie with you as well, my daughter. There is nowhere else he should be."

Avinos' mouth pressed into a thin line, but she didn't say anything. She cast an apologetic look at Rakta who barely avoided rolling his eyes at her. Instead, he smiled, nodding to show that he agreed with the Queen. His ribs were hardly worth noticing at this point, nothing more than an ache.

Avinos did roll her eyes at him, making him smile.

The expression disappeared as a trumpet sounded and the Nine at the door announced, "Her Majesty, Queen of Hearts, Mavros Heart!"

Rakta inhaled slowly, eyes trained on the door as it opened, allowing the Heart Queen entrance.

There was a brief pause, then the Heart swept into the room, her white dress glowing in the sunlight that poured through the massive windows that lined the hall. Rubies woven into the fabric glittered in intricate patterns around her waist and at the hem of her skirt. A line of pearls wrapped around her throat, strands of white silk festooned with dark red garnets trailing from it, weaving into the low neckline of her gown.

Her bare arms were dusted with glittering powder, her red hair wound into an impressive knot at the top of her head. A diadem made of rose gold adorned her brow, a large ruby fashioned in the shape of a heart set into the middle.

Rakta could appreciate none of the opulent display, his attention focused solely on the person who trailed along after the Heart Queen like a bloody shadow. He had never met another Ace before, but the Ace of Hearts was far from what he had been expecting.

Whereas Rakta had the perfect stillness of a tiger about to spring drilled into him, this Ace was a mess of hectic movement. He was never still, whether it was a subtle tapping of his fingers, the way he shifted back and forth on his feet or in the way his eyes darted around the room, cataloging everything with transient interest.

His messy hair was tied back in a haphazard way that left strands hanging around his face, framing sharp cheekbones and a rather cruel jaw, doing nothing to take away from his hungry eyes. Those eyes were still looking about the room, though the other Ace was very obviously bored by what he saw.

That changed when his gaze found Avinos. Rakta stiffened as the other Ace focused on the princess, his body coming to attention like a dog that had finally found an interesting scent. Rakta snarled quietly as the Heart's eyes traced over the princess, lingering on the necklace wrapped around her throat.

After a moment longer, the Ace's attention turned to Rakta who he looked at curiously before losing interest once more, his fingers beating a tattoo against the guns at his sides. They were pretty things, the grips carved elaborately and the metal lovingly engraved. The Heart trailed his fingers over them, glancing at Rakta before looking away again.