Heart of a Diamond: A Rakta Diamond Story

Author's Note

I had to finish it in one go, because I wasn't going to just post that one really bad chapter.

... This story hurt more to write than I thought it would. In good ways and bad.

It was amazing to be able to show the true Rakta, not just the empty shell we saw in Hatter's Revenge. I loved developing the character of his princess and showing their love. Getting into an Ace's training was too much fun for me and I like to think I managed to show something new about Tamsus as well. It also let me explore Wonderland a little more fully. Since we spent so much time in the desert last time, I thought I'd shake it up a little and travel north. And also, though they were teeny bits of the story, I so loved dressing Avinos. It was a way to indulge my frillier side with a story like this and I admit to sometimes obsessing over how to explain what I saw in my head. (Personally, the green dress was my favorite, but I'm probably just biased;))

Then... the bad. After I wrote Torn Apart, I had to sit here and wonder how I could possibly do this to Rakta. Then I realized I hadn't given myself a choice. So I had to stick with it. If you had to shout at me through the chapter, I am completely fine with that. Actually, I would almost appreciate it since I really did feel awful. Made me wonder how authors can actually do all the horrible things to their characters that they ALWAYS do! I don't know. I understand the need for a little tragedy in a story, doesn't mean I had to love doing it to one of my characters.

Anyway, now that that ridiculous spill of emotion is out of the way - Thank you for wanting to hear Rakta's story. Really, this was just a pet project for me, so any time I see that someone has actually read it, I think it's amazing and crazy.

Really, from the bottom of my ... er, heart ;) ... thank you!