How they met

“Traitor, traitor to the kingdom!!”, “You don’t deserve to be our king!”, words of insult continued to assault the king. “He shouldn’t have tried to get involved with the people of the Spades”, screamed another. How did it all lead to this...?

The story begins with a history lesson. There were once four kingdoms, the Kingdom of Hearts, Spades, Clubs, and Diamonds. Every person is born with a symbol on their hand, signifying their birthrights or citizenship. Each kingdom thrived in their own ways, yet the Kingdom of Spades and its denizens were shunned by many for their practice of darker magic. Yet, it wasn’t an unjust decision to do so, for their ruler was a man of ambition, a man who will do whatever it takes for his goals to be fulfilled regardless of cost.

Even if it was at the cost of his own brethren, he had no qualms to sacrifice them in a heartbeat. It had gone unchecked, until The Great Battle of Spades, the compassionate king of hearts could no longer stay his hand, for the king of spades was ready to lift a whole village next to the border of the Kingdom of Hearts to gain more power. War waged, and the king of spades, powerful, yet faltered under the coalition of power of the three great kingdoms.

However much the King of Hearts desired to help the Kingdom of Spades more, he was forced to leave them to fend for themselves post war, for his own citizens and advisors have warned him against getting involved with the people of the spades again. Last that he’s heard, the surviving nobles have created a council to rule over the kingdom, rather than crowning one single noble as their monarch.

Yet, this story is not about the kingdom of spades, it is of the King of Hearts. In the Kingdom of Hearts, nestled between mist-covered mountains and sprawling meadows of flowers, ruled a wise and just king named Wally. A monarch with unparalleled magical power, yet kind and compassionate to the needs of the people. The kingdom prospered under his rule, but amidst the grandeur of his palace and the splendour of his court, a forbidden love story unfolded.

The air was magical, charged with energy and joy, bereft of any sadness or tiredness as it should be in a festival within the Kingdom of Hearts’ domain. It was a celebration on a grand scale, fitting the flamboyant and his love for the flair of arts and magic. On his way to the grand fountain in the main plaza of his city, King Wally can see how lively the festival was, children were running around, magic danced in the air to create spectacular sights, and festivalgoers were loitering all around the plaza, eating food and watching performances. Laughter and lively chatter could be heard anywhere in the plaza, and it brought a smile to the king’s face. It was then he spotted a person that stood out, they were hooded, yet he could not mistake the symbol of a black spade on the person’s barely gloved hand.

“How curious… A citizen of the spades?”, the king muttered under his breath before he started to tail the person. The person was agile, and seemed to know the ins and out of the city, so perhaps they’re a citizen? Yet he wasn’t aware of any spade refugees staying in his city, let alone one as suspicious as them. They were hooded, and walking at a very brisk speed, that alone was enough to catch the king’s curiosity. In a few moments of tailing them, the king came across a dead end, but the person was nowhere to be found, but yet..

The King deftly dodged a magical strike from behind him, turning around with a smile, “I see you noticed me tailing you. You must be quite the smart individual to bring us somewhere secluded to keep me quiet.”. The hooded figure clicked their tongue before saying, “Yet you were not smart enough to stay away from a citizen of the spades. I’m sure you’ve heard rumours of the power they possess.” Within their words, you could hear their voice shake, as though they aren’t used to situations like these. The king could tell in an instance that the person isn’t a common thug. “What are you doing here on this festive day? Having a lovely walk around?”, the king stated without any fear in his voice. “Tsk, didn’t you just hear me say that I’m a citizen of the spades? How could you still talk to me like nothing’s wrong??”, they screamed as they flashed the symbol on their hand at him.

Their eyes locked for a fleeting moment, and in an instant, the king could see that they’re afraid, like a small kitten cornered by naughty children. “You’re fearful, and you’ve never done this before, have you?”, he commented. “You know NOTHING about me, how dare you presume anything about me?”, they shouted and shot a dark blast towards Wally. The blast stops midair and dissipates into magical aether in an instant, causing their jaw to drop, and they looked at Wally fearfully. “W-what… what are you?”. The king pulled off his hood and smiled at the stranger, “Wally Darling, the King of Hearts. How very lovely to make your acquaintance, citizen of Spades.”

“I-I…”, they stuttered before turning tail and attempted to run away from the scene, however they quickly realise that their limbs aren’t following their command, as Wally stepped closer. “The proper courtesy is to introduce yourself when the opposite party introduces themselves, don’t you know?”, Wally said with a smile as he walked closer and unveiled the person behind the hood. Fearful eyes looked into his as they quickly introduced themselves, and the purpose behind their appearance in his kingdom. “Ah, so you’ve been a refugee here living with your estranged brother after the death of your king, is that so? That explains why you know the area so well.”

“I.. I usually don’t leave the house because of my… symbol. I had to head out to get some supplies since my brother would be gone for a bit due to the festival. I’d never thought I had it under control with my glove and cloak, until I felt someone tailing me.”, they admitted quietly. “I see, don’t worry, I don’t have ill will towards you just because you’re born of a different land. How do you feel about living in the kingdom of hearts?”, he asked, curiosity laced in his tone. “It’s.. peaceful, I like it here. The people are nice, but I don’t know if they will turn their back against me if they find out who I truly am..”, they said before realising they can move freely again. "The king has found out about my secret identity, will I be deported into my own kingdom? Please don’t, I’ve learned to live freely here without fear of being picked as a sacrifice daily. I don’t want to return to the kingdom of spades..”, they begged with tears threatening to spill from their eyes.

“Oh my, please don’t cry, nor worry. I have no plans to do so, and I’m glad you find my kingdom a peaceful place for you to live in. If you have no ill will towards my people, then I will gladly welcome to into the refuge which is my kingdom.”, he said as he handed them his handkerchief. They took the handkerchief cautiously and thanked the kind king. Yet, before another word could be said, the bell tower strikes 12, and the king jolted in shock. “Oh, my word, I’m late for my own appearance, please take care and live well, I’m certain we would meet again”, he said with a grin before striding out of the dead end and into the plaza. “What did he mean that we would meet again…?”, they questioned before realising that the king’s handkerchief was still with them. They looked out to the path and caught a glimpse of his cape disappearing with him.

A smile blossomed slowly onto their face as they feel accepted and loved for once in their life.