My Dream

❤️ Tart Plans

Riddle glared down at Ace. Cater giggled nervously. "Oh my, Riddle. You're super crazy cute today~"

"Cater." Riddle started, grey eyes turning to him. "If you talk too much it's going to cost you your head."

"Hey now, gimme a break!" Cater said nervously.

"It's the guy who put that weird collar on me during the entrance ceremony again!" Grim realized.

"And you're that monster that almost got expelled yesterday." Riddle replied. "Will you knock it off, calling someone's unique magic a weird collar?" Riddle shook his head. "For goodness sake. The headmaster is soft. If you forgive rule breakers the whole system will collapse. All you have to do is cut the head off of those who don't follow the rules."

Gwen's eyes went wide at that. That wasn't what you do! That was cruel! That was how you got people to hate you! That's why... that's why... why what? Yet another memory so close yet so far.

"The things coming out of his mouth don't suit his looks." Ace muttered.

"The headmaster appears to have forgiven you but make no mistake the next time it happens, I will not." Riddle warned. Strangly, it seemed his wrath was directed towards Grim, Deuce, and Ace, not Gwen.

Ace grinned. "By the way, dorm leader, is there any way... you could say, remove this collar?"

Gwen shook her head, knowing what the answer would be. Why did she have the only braincell in the group?

"I was going to if you had learned your lesson but, the way you were just talking shows that you haven't at all." Riddle said. "Keep it on for a while longer. Don't worry, as first years you'll only be learning fundamentals, not actually using magic."

Riddle smiled. "You also won't cause a scene like yesterday, isn't that great? Now don't just sit around chatting away, finish lunch and head to your next class. Laws of the Queen of Hearts,  No. 271: 'One should eat lunch and leave their seat within 15 minutes'. If you break the rules... I'm sure you understand?"

"Another weird rule." Ace sighed.

"The answer is Yes Dorm Leader!" Riddle snapped.

"Yes, Dorm Leader!" Deuce, Ace, and Gwen responded.

Riddle smiled at Gwen. "Miss Brookes, I'm not your dorm leader. You can just call me Riddle."

Gwen smiled back. "Then you can call me Gwen!"

"I will look after them for you." Trey offered.

"Hm. You're the vice dorm leader so I expect you not to act foolishly." Riddle said. "Following the Laws of the Queen of Hearts, No. 339, 'After a means one must always drink lemon tea with two sugars'. I must go buy sugar cubes from the school store, so I'll be on my way."

He started to turn, then froze as if remembering something. Riddle turned his head to glare at Ace one more time. "Oh, and Ace? If you ever drive Gwen to the point of tears again, that collar will never come off."

Riddle actually turned and walked away this time. "Letting the sugar cubes run out is a huge offense, I can't believe..."

Two drops of ink landed together on a red heart.

Cater let out a relieved breath. "That was close. Uh, Gwen, you alright? You got really pale there..."

"He's too close. He'll fall over the edge into the darkness." Gwen responded.

"Gwen?" Ace put a hand on her shoulder in concern.

Gwen flinched. "Huh? Wh-what was that?" She asked.