Heart of a Diamond: A Rakta Diamond Story

Ace of Hearts

Rakta regarded the other Ace coldly. "Aren't you supposed to be with your Queen?"

Tamsus gave him a tolerant half smile. "Aren't you?"

"I'm where I should be," Rakta hedged, watching as the Heart paced over to one of the massive tapestries on the walls.

"By that, I take it you mean Queen Mielas has asked you to watch me." Tamsus cocked his head at the vicious battle spread out before him, running his fingers over a line of scarlet thread that turned into a pool of blood beneath a Spade general. One that had fallen at the hands of a long-ago Diamond Ace.

When Rakta didn't answer, Tamsus looked over his shoulder with a charming grin. He sighed before turning back to the tapestry. "That's okay. Mavros wants me to watch you too. So I guess that makes my job easier. Though..."

Rakta stiffened, forcing himself into stillness when Tamsus whirled around and bolted over, sudden standing right next to his Diamond counterpart. He was shockingly quick. He leaned close and whispered, "It does make it dreadfully boring."

Rakta met eyes that reminded him of frozen drops of blood. Tamsus tilted his head, unruly red hair falling into his face. 

"Wouldn't you rather things stay boring? I find most treaties don't go over well when one Ace is trying to kill the other."

Tamsus chuckled, sounding delighted by the thought. Propping his elbow up on Rakta's shoulder, the Heart gave the tapestry a wistful look. "Boredom is my enemy, Diamond. Not you, though perhaps you can be part of the solution?"

Rakta raised an eyebrow. "And why would I do that?"

The other Ace shrugged, eyes glittering. "Because it won't go over well for any of us when I pick a fight with anyone else."

Rakta pulled away from Tamsus, turning so that he faced the Heart completely. Tamsus winked at him before turning on his heel. His red coat flaring out around him, he called over his shoulder, "I prefer knives myself. I'm sure you'll know where to find me when you want to come play."

He watched the other Ace stalk gracefully down the hall, everything about him predatory. "What do you mean, 'when you pick a fight'?" he asked, raising his voice.

Tamsus turned so that he was walking backwards and spread his arms out wide. "You know what I mean, Rakta," he said, voice almost jubilant. "You're the same thing I am. Two of a kind."

"What makes you think that?" Rakta asked, half-turning to head out the front door.

The slightest tap against the marble was the only thing that warned him. He sidestepped and Tamsus went past him in a red blur.

Rakta's vision crystallized and, almost before he knew what was happening, he found himself holding two of his knives. He ducked two blurs of silver, twisting the blade of his left knife around to catch a third blow.

There was a clang that reverberated down the stone hall, and Rakta let out a slow breath as he kept Tamsus' blade barely an inch away from his eye.

Tamsus took a step closer to Rakta, who wouldn't back up. The edges of the knives ground together, the metal protesting the abuse. The Heart grinned. "Your princess is lovely," he said. "I especially liked her necklace. That line of perfect red. Almost like someone had cut her pretty throat."

Rakta snarled and jerked his knee up, but Tamsus had already danced away. The words sparked fury in his chest, and he flipped the dagger in his hand before flinging it hard at the other Ace, who snatched it out of the air by the blade.

Tamsus dove back in, driving Rakta's own knife towards him.

Rakta plucked another from his jacket and met this attack with another block, his wrist protesting the force being exerted upon it as Tamsus continued to try and drive the blade down.