The Shattered Crown (A Caraval Fanfic)

Immortally Yours

Hi guys! So it's been quite a while. I actually wanted to publish this a while back, but it's my longest chapter and it'll take forever to type. So yeah, I took a break.

But what I didn't realize is that it's been two months. Two months! I guess I've just been super busy. But I have a couple chapters left that WILL all be out by the end of this week. So yeah, on with the story!

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At the same time Legend became immortal, Tella and Jacks were playing their own games.

Jacks took a small sword off the desk in his study. "I don't assume you want to do it this way, do you?" he asked.

Donatella was slightly nervous. But she decided not to be. Binding your heart your heart with someone who may or may not love you for the rest of your life wasn't a big deal, right?

Plus, Tella was super happy. She finally got her dream to come true. Except every few seconds, her heart would turn bitter towards Jacks. Her joyful thoughts would be replaced by awful thoughts like, What is Jacks doing here, or Aren't you supposed to hate Jacks?

But Donatella was determined to do it. "No, I want it done the other way," she said with a smile.

So, Jacks leaned forward to kiss her, but a part of Tella longed to see Legend's face there.  Her fingers fumbled around on Jacks' desk until they closed tightly around the dagger.

  Jacks finally pulled away, and Donatella, feeling lightheaded, went to sit down while Jacks relit the fire.

  Tella saw a pile of letters in his burn pile.  As he slipped out of the room, Tella walked over to examine them.  The top one was just a random letter from someone, which Donatella couldn't decipher.  She lifted the next paper and found a letter addressed to her.

It was from Legend.  Every part of her told her to put the letter down, to never think of it again, to let it burn. But still, her eyes skimmed over the page.

  Dear Donatella,

  I can't seem to say this enough times, but I love you.  Whatever games we've been playing for so long are over.  You've clearly won.  You've made the Master of Caraval love you.

  -Legend

  Tella clutched the letter, slowly returning to reality.  The letter was probably sent weeks ago, and delivered to the wrong place, but it sent a fresh wave of anger through her.  Not at Legend, but at Jacks.  All this time, he had manipulated her.  Made her his dummy.

  Tella suddenly became very alert.  What had she done?  Of course, she had no clue Legend was now an immortal with a cold heart ready to target her, but possibilities in Tella's mind were much worse.

  Jacks was on some leave of absence, so Tella quickly got out a bottle of ink and piece of parchment and began pouring out her heart to Legend on the page.  She wrote with a sudden urgency, for fear Jacks would kill her, or do something much, much worse.

  The door quietly opened, and Jacks noiselessly peered in.  All he could see was his love penning a letter, so he briskly glided over to see the matter.

  "Donatella, my love, what are you doing?" he asked.

  "Nothing," Tella said cowardly for the first time in a while, as she attempted to crumple up and hide the paper.

  But Jacks saw the word Legend and the word love and his playful face changed.  Not to one of sorrow, or even rage, but one of confusion.  "Donatella, may I ask what you are doing?" Jacks inquired.  All happiness had left his voice, making him sound like an angry professor who found a student cheating on a test.  "Donatella," he said for a third time, "What are you doing?!"

  In response, Tella dumped the ink all over Jacks.  He stood in shock for a moment, then rage overtook his face.  That one moment, though, was enough for Tella to get a good lead.

  A piece of her kept trying to go back to Jacks, but the stronger part of her resisted.  Still fisting the sword, Donatella ran, but Jacks was gaining on her significantly.

  "Give me back the sword!" Jacks yelled, charging at her.

  Suddenly, Tella fell to the ground and started spluttering and coughing.  She made a last attempt to stick the sword right into Jacks' heart, but failed miserably and pathetically gave Jacks possession of it.

  Tella stopped coughing, but her heartbeat wasn't as fast as it should have been.  She knew Jacks couldn't kill her this way, but it still posed danger.

  Jacks crouched near her and started talking.  "You. Have. To. Cooperate. Do you understand me?"

  Tella was still crouching down and slowly, slowly dying.  Oh Jacks, just kill me now, she thought desperately, Let me die so that I never have to be near you again.

  Already Tella could feel Death's cold embrace starting to close in on her.  In that moment, Tella decided she'd rather die than be stuck with Jacks for the rest of her life.

  But Donatella wasn't that stupid.  She knew Jacks wouldn't let her die.  He'd torture her until the very last minute and come in like the hero, and in time all she would remember would be Jacks saving her.

  Finally Jacks realized Tella.  Her heart went to normal, if a little fast.  "Jacks," she snarled once she regained her strength.

  "What is it, my love?" Jacks said, biting an apple.

  "Listen," Jacks whispered, "I don't know what has gotten into you, but it's going to stop now.  At the end of this, you'd better be head-over-heels in love with me."

  Tella really wanted to resist, but Hacks kissed her any something flooded through her body.  Relief?  Happiness?  She didn't know, but she definitely liked it.  All thoughts of hating Jacks escaped her mind and she fell into an entirely new world.  A works where she loved Jacks more than ever.

  Jacks was putting thoughts in Tella's head, making her hate Legend and wanting to run away with her true love.  Every part of her obliged, but she knew her body wouldn't go.  Scarlett would have considered this as her being pink and happy, but yellow and rotten every few seconds.

  But there was no more Scarlett in her life.  No more Legend.  Only Jacks.  She tried to forgot them.  She was happy here.  Oh, how she tried to forget.  And she couldn't do it alone, but Jacks' kiss made her forget it all.

  Total Word Count: 1108