The Shattered Crown (A Caraval Fanfic)

It's a Personal Sort of Thing

  "Legend!"  Tella went searching in his room.  He was supposed to escort her to the wedding, but so far he hadn't shown up.

  Tella walked near his desk and stopped there.  She was interested of the contents on it.  Curious, she opened one of his drawers.  Personal items.  Letters she had sent him over the years.  Her tickets from Caraval.  A pair of blue gloves with butterflies on them, which she didn't even realize could be what he used to propose to her.  A Prince of Hearts card.  A flattened top hat.  And a king and queen of spades.

  Tella dug through the drawer, feeling more guilty with every item she looked at.  Not only guilty for looking through his belongings, but for wanting Jacks.

  Suddenly, a glum-looking Legend came out from his closet.  His eyes were red and puffy, making it look like he was crying.  Legend, crying?  Impossible.  "What's wrong?" Tella asked.

  In response, Legend handed over the paper he was clutching.  When she started reading it, she saw what could only be tearstains on it.  She immediately saw why.  Still, Legend crying?

  "Legend, I promise I didn't write this!" Tella pleaded.

  At the end, Tella's name was written in blood.  She knew Jacks had sent it, but why blood?  Why his own blood?

  "Are you ready?" Legend asked.  His voice was hollow, his eyes were hollow.

  Tella took one last look at the letter, and gave herself a papercut.  She accidentally smeared blood right where Jacks's was.

  Something coursed through Tella's body.  A good feeling, like her heart had just become fuller.  The more she looked at the letter, the more it looked true, the more she wanted it to be true.

  Jacks and Tella.  Tella and Jacks.  Had a nice ring to it.  She could be the Princess of Hearts.  The Queen of Hearts.  Tella knew Scarlett would ask why she was acting weird.  Legend would wonder what was going on.  And when they asked, Tella would say that it's a personal sort of thing.

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So, in case you're wondering, the whole blood thing was kind of the spell coming back.  I just remembered something from Legendary about blood, time, and strong emotions fueling Caraval, so I thought maybe it would work here.  Hope that makes sense :)