Chapter Text
It’s agonizing to sit around as his small boat slowly cuts through the water. If Reiju’s estimates had been accurate, then he should make landfall within the next two days or so as long as the weather holds. Unfortunately, this is little comfort considering the only other thing to do on his tiny boat is sit alone with his thoughts. He’d never found the sea boring before, in fact he’d spent hours just staring at the ocean thoughtlessly entertained by its endless swells and currents, but now he finds himself desperate for anything more stimulating than just sitting and waiting.
Not even the sunshine he’d so craved upon being released from his cell had done enough to distract him. Sure it had been nice for that first day or so to feel the sun’s rays soaking back into his skin, darkening the tan that had faded into a pasty, ashen hue in the dungeon, but even that was only a temporary comfort. No amount of sunshine could ward off the potent mixture of nervous anxiety and mind-numbing boredom.
At least the sun hadn’t been so brutal that the shade of the tarp couldn’t ward it off from overheating the medicine in his bag. God knows what he would’ve done if all of Reiju and Ichiji’s efforts had gone to waste-
And there go his thoughts circling back to that man again.
No matter how hard Ace tries not to think about it (because really, what good does driving himself mad do) his mind inevitably drifts back to the terrible kingdom he’d been trapped in and the man he’d left behind. No matter how much he tries to tell himself that Ichiji had deliberately created the opportunity for Ace to escape of his own free will and how hard all his siblings had worked to get him out of the kingdom, Ace couldn’t help the crushing guilt he felt squeezing at his lungs telling him that he’d abandoned the other.
It had taken every ounce of self control in his body on that first day at sea to not try and turn his ship around to launch an ill-advised rescue mission. He knew such a course of action would be tantamount to suicide (if he was lucky) and would make Ichiji’s whole sacrifice worthless. He understood that, and yet he still raged against the injustice of it all.
Every minute that passed as he waited to get back to the kingdom of Spades was like nails being driven into his skin. His anxieties simmered like a pot about to boil over, and he occasionally wrapped his arms around himself so he didn’t vibrate right out of his skin. It was a miserable position to be in, and Ace spent nearly every moment of his day wishing his boat would move just a little bit faster.
Of course, with his involuntary anxieties came dread, endless horrifying hypotheticals that chased themselves in circles around his mind like a dog in pursuit of a rabbit.
Was Ichiji alright? Had his siblings managed to find him before the King had him imprisoned or, god forbid, worse? Had even they been caught? And what had Reiju’s cryptic last words to him meant? Was something about to happen to the Hearts Kingdom?
“Ughhh,” Ace drops his head to thunk dully on the side of the boat. He’d never been much of a thinker. That had always been Sabo’s job while Ace and Luffy were the muscle that swung first and asked questions later. Tormenting himself with theories was causing him an unfamiliar and agonizing amount of stress.
Ace leans back balefully into the boat, squinting up at the sky. Judging by the sun’s position it was barely halfway through the day… meaning he had at least another day and a half to drive himself crazy on the sea. His stomach begins to protest. He knows he needs to be eating and hydrating more, but it’s been hard to work up an appetite lately.
‘Never had an issue with that before,’ he thinks wryly. Back when he was a kid, he and his brothers could eat the animals they hunted in the woods down to the bone marrow. Now for the first time in his life he could barely taste the food that hit his tongue.
He can practically hear Sabo’s voice in his head saying that worrying about such things was doing nothing for him aside from uselessly working him up. He wants to listen to the voice, but his stupid, stubborn heart refuses to get on the same page.
“Come on, give me something,” Ace mutters to the wind, as if pleading with it might make it pick up. As expected, there’s no response. For as powerful as his fire magic was, it wasn’t doing him a whole lot of good on the water.
Ace sighs, letting his fingers trail through the waves. He knows he’ll be home soon. He just has to hang on until then.
‘And then,’ Ace thinks, ‘I’ll find you again. I promise.’
When Ace finally spots land on the horizon he nearly jumps out of the boat and swims there. He only manages to stop himself with the thought that the medicines in his bag probably wouldn’t survive such a trip (not to mention he’d definitely drown considering how his fire magic gave him a natural aversion to water), but he spends that last hour triple checking to make sure all the medicine and remaining rations are safely tucked away so he doesn’t have to waste a second once he finally makes landfall.
He nearly cries with relief to see a port harbor coming into view, and he recognizes the city immediately. The Kingdom of Spades had ports sprinkled up and down the coast, and the Moby Dick has docked a dozen times at each of them. Ace is suddenly very grateful that the kingdom had few restrictions for any vessels trying to find safe harbor. Whitebeard had always said that anyone was welcome in his kingdom unless they gave him reason to act otherwise, and Ace can’t help the swell of comfort that settles in his chest when he sees Pop’s flag flying proudly over the docks.
His boat comes into the docks faster than he’d like, but it was small enough that aside from being jolted as it knocked against the edge there wasn’t any damage. Ace leaps from his boat to the docks, sparks flying behind him and startling the dockhand that had been sent to help him.
“I- Sir Ace?!” The man sputters, eyes widening as they dart across Ace’s recognizable tattoos. It was hard to miss Whitebeard’s mark inked across the entirety of his back along with his name trailing up one arm and the spades marking the other.
“Just Ace,” he replies reflexively at the formal address.
“I- you-?!”
“Is Pops here?” Ace asks, cutting off the man’s floundering.
As bad as he feels for the clearly shell-shocked man in front of him, the impatience that’s been simmering under his skin for the past five days is suddenly roaring in his veins like an inferno. He needs to find his captain, tell him what’s happened, and maybe, just maybe, he’ll be able to ask the man to help him get back into Hearts Kingdom to save the soldier that rescued him.
The dockhand in front of him finally seems to collect himself. “Um, I think the Moby Dick docked last evening. I don’t think they’ll be in town for long though. I, well, they’ve been turning the whole kingdom upside down looking for you!”
“Me?” Ace asks, startled.
“Yes, Si- Ace!” The man says emphatically, “You’ve been missing for nearly a month now! There have even been rumors that we might start a war with the Hearts Kingdom since they suspected you to be captured!”
Ace’s blood runs cold. Admittedly he’d been more than a little hot-headed and not thinking things through entirely when he’d left, but he’d never thought war might break out due to his disappearance. A fresh wave of guilt cuts through his anxiety for causing trouble for his King and the rest of the royal guard. He can only hope this doesn’t make Marco lose any more hair than he already has.
The prospect of war with Hearts Kingdom is deeply concerning. It wouldn’t be the first time that the Spades Kingdom went to war, but it was never anything to be taken lightly. War was usually an option resorted to only if every other path had been tried and exhausted. For Whitebeard to consider war meant that not only had repeated written and in-person communication been denied, but the other party must have said something to insult him on a much deeper level. Then again, considering everything Ace had managed to put together about the King of Hearts’ cruelty, maybe it shouldn’t be too surprising that the man had managed to provoke Whitebeard’s ire.
That said, this information only made his need to find Whitebeard all the more urgent. Ace couldn’t let the royal guard and his Pops declare war or rush out to rescue him when he’d already managed to escape.
“Do you know where they’re staying?” Ace asks, mind racing. His body isn’t in the best shape, three weeks in a dungeon cell followed by five days on a cramped boat isn’t the best recipe for maintaining his physical fitness, but he’ll run until his legs fall off if needed.
“They’re staying at the Rusted Harpoon-“
“I know where that is, thanks!” Ace hastily cuts the man off and shoves his boat’s tied off rope into the other’s hands. “Just tie her up… wherever!”
He books it to the end of the docks without waiting for a response. The salty air of the harbor whips past him as he skids down the wooden pier and weaves through the heavy pedestrian traffic already clogging the city’s cobblestone streets. There are a few noises of surprises and protests as he flies past, but Ace just tosses apologies over his shoulder as he continues his sprint. His lungs are heaving in protest and his legs are burning with the strain, but Ace doesn’t slow down for even a second. His bag thumps heavily against his back with every step, reminding him of the reason he’d left in the first place.
It’s ironic how he’d returned somehow both successful and a failure.
Already his mind is playing out the worst case scenario of missing Pops and the rest of the guard before they headed off to declare war on the Hearts Kingdom. Not only would that lead to an untold amount of pointless bloodshed on both sides, knowing what Ace knows now about the card soldiers of the kingdom of Hearts and how they might not even possess their own free will… the thought of fighting them turns Ace’s stomach.
It takes a good fifteen minutes of crashing through the city like a charging bull before the inn he’d been referred to comes into view. Well, honestly it’s hard to ignore. The Rusted Harpoon, normally a fairly busy but casual tavern-slash-hostel, now looks packed to bursting with people. Ace can practically feel his jaw drop as he can spot a myriad of familiar faces through the wide open windows.
‘Marco, Thatch, Izo, Jozu… did Pops call the whole guard in?!’
Normally the many divisions of the royal guard were spread across the kingdom of Spades, each with their own territories to patrol. It wasn’t unusual for divisions to work together, of course, but it was rare to see more than two division commanders together in the same place outside of the annual summit meeting. To see all of them now? Something truly disastrous must have happened.
‘And that thing is me,’ Ace thinks bitterly, slowing to a stop outside the inn. His chest heaves and sweat drips freely down his neck and chest as he stares at the establishment’s front doors.
Should he just walk in? What would he even say? God, he should have been thinking of how he was going to explain on the way over instead of panicking! Where would he even begin? “Hey I’m back, we don’t need to go to war anymore?” Yeah, that probably wasn’t the best way to open the conversation. Maybe he should just-
“Ace?”
Ace freezes, shoulders tensing as he hears his name called from behind him. He slowly turns to see an equally surprised Vista standing behind him. The man’s eyes are larger than Ace has ever seen them, and he’s gone so pale that Ace almost worries the other might be getting lightheaded. For a long second the two of them can only stand there, staring at each other as a storm of unspoken emotions flood the space between them, and then Vista is moving.
“Ace!”
Ace isn’t given a chance to react before Vista is wrapping him up in a hug and he finds himself crushed against a wide muscular chest. “V-Vista,” Ace manages to squeak out as the other man squeezes the air from his lungs. It’s only when Ace is half convinced he might pass out right there that he’s finally released. He stumbles back from the hug, sucking in a huge gasping breath as he does so.
“It is magnificent to see you again, Ace!” Vista proclaims.
When Ace finally manages to get his breath back again and look up, he’s startled to see a lone tear tracking its way down his fellow commander’s cheek. “I…”
“Pops was beside himself with worry, as were many other commanders, myself included!” Vista says, “Why, I dare say we were all prepared to march on Hearts Kingdom within a moment’s notice!”
It’s that proclamation that jolts Ace into action. “There’s no need for that! I’m here now, see?” He gestures frantically to his body which, admittedly, is a little worse for wear but definitely still in one piece.
Vista still frowns. “You look much thinner than I recall you being upon our last meeting. Have you been eating properly?”
“I…” Ace runs a hand through his hair, “Maybe it’d be better to tell all of you at once.”
“Ah, a splendid idea,” Vista agrees quickly, “And with most prudent timing too! I believe we were set to cast off within the hour!”
Ace feels his stomach drop. “Good thing I got back in time then.”
“Quite right,” Vista nods, “Are you ready to greet the others?”
Ace sighs, knowing that even if he hasn’t had time to prepare any words or explanations he was going to have to face the music anyway. “As I’ll ever be.”
“Then in we go.” Vista steps in front of Ace and pushes open the tavern doors.
Almost immediately Ace can hear the clamor inside skyrocket, dozens of frantic voices climbing over one another in a futile effort to be heard. Though Vista’s sizable frame blocks much of the doorway, Ace can still make out dozens of people sitting inside - at tables, at the bar counter, standing along the walls, hell, there might even be some standing on the back stairwell. He hopes for the sake of the poor barmaids that everyone is giving them some room to breathe.
“Pops! Fellow commanders!” Vista’s voice booms over the crowd, “I have a welcome bit of news that you all might like to hear!”
The cacophony inside dulls at the proclamation, then Ace can hear a round of irritated shushing coming from the room before the noise stops completely. He can practically image all the eyes turned in his direction now, even if Vista is standing protectively in front of him. It makes his palms sweat slightly, and he wipes them on his pants. He hasn’t felt this nervous to see the rest of the commanders and Pops since the first time he stepped on Whitebeard’s ship and challenged the King for his crown.
“What is it you’ve found, Vista?”
Ace’s heart soars at the familiar sound of Whitebeard’s timber. Despite everything he’s gone through and all the anxieties crowding his chest, there’s something so reassuring about the King’s presence. It bolster’s Ace’s own confidence enough that when Vista glances back over his shoulder to check on him, Ace holds his head high and nods in response.
Vista turns back to address the room. “I believe he would like to explain for himself.” The swordsman then steps aside revealing Ace to the league of commanders and Pops.
For a second there’s only silence, and in that moment the only thing Ace can think is that he’s never seen the other division commanders look so completely stunned. Even Pops, sitting toward the back of the tavern surrounded by his medical monitors and nurses is silent with shock. As soon as Ace spots Marco, the other’s eyes looking so wide that they might just pop out of his head, he can’t help it. Hysterical laughter born from a strange mixture of shock, relief, anxiety and fear wells up from his stomach, and Ace bursts out laughing at their expressions.
As if that were the signal, chaos descends.
It’s a futile task to rein the others in after that. Almost immediately after revealing himself Ace had been bombarded with hugs, smacks on the back of the head, questions, tearful apologies, and at some point had even had a tankard of beer shoved in his hand. After downing it in one gulp, Ace had slammed the glass down on the counter and yelled at everyone to (please) shut up.
It was only once the others had reluctantly done so that Ace recounts the whole sordid story of his departure to the kingdom of Hearts, his search for medicine, his meeting with the mysterious doctor who had helped him, his capture, and his escape. It was strange to look back on those things now, feeling like he was telling a story rather than recalling what had happened to him, but Ace tried to keep in as many details as he could.
He tries (god does he try) to not get too caught up in the story of the card soldier that had guarded him for all those weeks and later helped him escape. Despite his rising fear for Ichiji’s safety, part of him selfishly wants to keep those moments they shared in the dungeon private. It’s a ridiculous sentiment, even Ace can admit that, but he worries that the moment he talks too much about the other it’ll be obvious to anyone listening what his true feelings for the Hearts soldier are. He does his best to keep Ichiji’s part in his escape perfunctory and hope he’s successful in not showing too much of his heart on his sleeve.
His enraptured audience hangs on his every word, occasionally making noises of anger or sympathy as Ace describes the hardships he’d gone through. Some of them look particularly angry when he mentions his three week stint in the dungeon, and later horrified when he tells them what he’d realized about the modifications of the card soldiers, but no one interrupts him. By the time he finally finishes his story, nearly an hour later, he all but chugs the pitcher of water that one of the kind barmaids had left on the table next to him.
Following his account, whispers break out around the room. It’s hard for Ace to keep up with the dozens of conversations happening, eyes darting left and right trying to gauge the reactions of his fellow commanders. Some looked furious, some looked appalled, others still looked shocked that Ace was even standing in front of them, but at least none of them looked like they were about to start anything, at least not yet. Ace can’t seem to find a place to jump in anywhere, so he continues to stand awkwardly in the middle of the room as conversations buzz around him.
“I want to do an exam of you later,” Marco says, sidling up next to Ace. He pokes Ace’s ribs with a pointy finger, making the other grimace. He doesn’t move away from the doctor though, knowing this would have been coming anyway.
“Hey!”
“You’re too skinny,” Marco says, brow furrowed. “Were they feeding you over there?”
“They were,” Ace says, because really if nothing else that was the one thing they did manage to do while he was in the dungeons. “But I was on a boat for five days with just rations.”
“You need more calories than that,” Marco mutters, “You usually eat an entire restaurant down to their raw ingredients.”
“I’m not that bad,” Ace grouses, which they both know is a lie. He hesitates for a second, the question he wants to ask on the tip of his tongue, before he finally manages to get the words out. “Were all of you really ready to go to war?”
Marco blinks, then sighs. “Yeah, kid, we really were.” He glances around the room. “Izo and Jozu practically had to be physically restrained from taking a ship and blasting their way through the Hearts checkpoint.”
Ace frowns. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have gone through all this trouble for me.” The guilt he’s been carrying increases tenfold.
“All this trouble?” Marco repeats, eyes narrowing.
Ace shifts. “You know. Getting everyone together. Planning to storm a whole goddamn kingdom… I’m not worth all that.”
Marco’s expression shifts to surprise, then anger. “What are you saying? There’s no way we would’ve just left you there!”
“You should have!” Ace says, “I would have-!”
“You better not be about to say you would have been fine,” Marco cuts him off dangerously, “Because you just got done telling us they were about to execute you.”
“Yeah, but…” Ace flounders, “I mean, I’m just, you know… me. To risk the whole royal guard would’ve been stupid.”
“Stupid?!” Marco’s voice raises enough that some of the other commanders around them glance over, making Ace wince.
“Marco-“
“You think it would’ve been stupid?!” Marco continues, heedless of Ace’s words.
“I just meant-“ Ace trails off, not knowing exactly how to word it.
“No, I know what you meant,” Marco snaps, “Don’t you get it, Ace? You’re one of us! Of course we would’ve stormed the kingdom for you!”
“But-“
“What do you think, Pops?” Marco suddenly says, voice echoing above all the muttered conversations around them. His eyes glint defiantly. “Would you have smashed the gates of the kingdom of Hearts for Ace if needed?”
“What the hell are you doing?!” Ace hisses, looking between Marco and Whitebeard with alarm. He feels himself reflexively flush as every eye in the tavern turns on him and the room goes silent once more. There’s a beat of silence where Ace feels like his heart is about to pound right out of his chest. And then-
“Gurararara!” Whitebeard’s laugh booms across the room, filling every space inside. “I would have smashed that young whelp myself if Ace hadn’t managed to escape!” He laughs again as if he hadn’t just declared his intentions of war towards the king of another nation.
“Pops…” Ace protests weakly.
“Come here, son,” Whitebeard orders, voice warm.
Ace glances around nervously, but Marco just gives him a nod. Ace swallows and takes a few steps across the room toward the massive table that Whitebeard is sitting at. He can’t help the look he steals at the many machines that surround his King, all beeping with pulse lines and readouts as dozens of tubes trail from them into Whitebeard’s veins. He doesn’t look weak, he never looks weak, but it’s painful to have the constant reminder that his time left could be limited. That was the whole reason he’d left in the first place, Ace thinks grimly as he tightens his grip on the bag in his hands.
He takes the final step forward, forcing his eyes up to meet Whitebeard’s. “Pops.”
Whitebeard lets out a long breath, one massive hand coming down to rest on Ace’s shoulder. “We were worried about you, my son.”
Ace bites his lip as he feels tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. Despite his confidence that going to Hearts territory had been the right choice, and he’d certainly never regret it, he still felt bad for making his King and fellow commanders worry.
“I’m sorry.”
Whitebeard sighs. “Marco told me his suspicions of where you’d gone and why after you’d been missing for a week. While I cannot say I’m surprised… I do wish you’d at least taken some of the others with you to keep you safe.”
“I’m a division commander,” Ace muttered, “I’m not- I thought I could handle it on my own.”
“I know you’re capable,” Whitebeard says, “But luck does not always run fair.” He squeezes Ace’s shoulder, “And at the end of the day more than gold or fame or power, I would always choose my family.”
“I…” Ace sniffs, willing himself not to cry.
Whitebeard lets his hand drop and leans back in his chair. “That’s not to say I wouldn’t have also enjoyed planting my fist in the King of Hearts’ face! Gurararara!”
There are a few snickers from around the tavern as well.
“It’s almost disappointing you came back, Ace,” Thatch jokes, taking stock of the lighter atmosphere to slap Ace on the back, “I was hoping to face off with some of those Hearts soldiers!” He makes a face, “Well, maybe not as much after everything you said about them, but I swear most of us here were itching for a fight!”
“Been too long since some of us have seen combat,” Izo says, picking at his nails disdainfully, “I think some of the new recruits were getting antsy.”
“You say that as if you hadn’t sharpened your sword every day Ace was gone!” Jozu laughs.
“Not that we’re not thrilled to have you returned,” Vista adds quickly.
“See?” Marco says, coming up behind Ace, “Everyone was ready to go after you… though some might have had some ulterior motives.” He laughs good-naturedly, pulling a weak one from Ace himself.
“Thanks, guys,” Ace says, grateful that none of them point out how watery his voice has gotten.
Marco gently takes the bag from Ace’s hands, flipping the top open and squinting down at the medicine inside. “It’s a wonder you managed to get so much out of there. Usually people can barely get more than a blister pack across the border.”
It’s then that the other thing that’s been gnawing on him resurfaces in the forefront of his mind. Admittedly it had never left, though it had gotten quieter in the chaos of reuniting with his friends, but now that Marco’s brought up one of the last things Ichiji had done for him it all comes flooding back.
All at once Ace is overwhelmed with the need to just see him again, a bone deep desire to know that the man who had risked so much for him is alright.
“Actually, I…” He pauses, not sure how to phrase his request. No matter how he turns it over in his head the words seem unbearably selfish, especially after all the trouble everyone present has gone through for him.
“What’s up?” Marco asks.
“Uh,” Ace freezes, “It’s…” He can’t get the words out in the face of all his eager companions, and yet he also can’t seem to deflect either considering he knows who’s waiting for him on the other side of the sea.
“Hm,” Whitebeard says, eyes keenly regarding Ace. “Does it have something to do with the young soldier who helped you escape?”
Ace immediately feels his cheeks flushing. He thought he’d been subtle in his retelling of his escape. He should have known he wouldn’t have been able to hide his true feelings from the King anyway. Whitebeard had always had astounding intuition, especially when it came to the feelings of those in the guard.
“Gurararara!” Whitebeard slaps his leg in amusement at whatever he sees in Ace’s expression.
“Ohhh?” Marco’s grin turns shit-eating, “What’s this?”
“I don’t- it’s not-“ Ace sputters.
“Does little Ace have a cruuuuush?”
“Shut up!”
“What’s this now?” Izo’s eyes light up in a way Ace really doesn’t like.
“It’s not like that!”
“You sure?” Thatch chortles, “You’re turning the same shade as a tomato, pal!”
“I- shut up!” Ace fails to come up with any other protests because really, they aren’t wrong. He buries his face in his hands as more and more of the guards begin to pick up on what’s happening and begin ribbing him good-naturedly.
“Ace leaves for one month and he comes back with a boyfriend?”
“From the kingdom of Hearts too! Imagine the scandal!”
“When do you think the wedding will be?”
“We should have Thatch start on a wedding cake.”
“Who’s the best man then?”
“Marco, definitely.”
“I thought he’d be officiating…”
“Guys!” Marco yells, cutting off the teasing, “Leave him alone.”
Ace can still hear the amusement in the other’s voice and is far from impressed. That said, at least someone is standing up for him here. “Thank-“
He’s apparently spoken to soon as Marco quickly adds, “Ace’ll have to get the balls to ask him out first!” This, of course sends the watching crowd into another uproar.
“You haven’t even asked him out yet, Ace? Seriously?”
“We didn’t raise you to be a coward!”
“If you don’t ask him out I bet Thatch’ll do it for you!”
“No, no, definitely Haruta!”
“I hate you,” Ace mutters to Marco with feeling.
Marco beams. “I know.” He pats Ace on the shoulder.
“Alright, alright,” Whitebeard finally says after a few more moments where Ace debates the pros and cons of jumping out the window, running into the sea, and never coming back. “Whoever my son is taken with, he should be allowed to pursue.” He glances at Ace. “You wish to help this boy, yes?”
“I- yes,” Ace admits.
“Then we shall come up with a plan,” Whitebeard nods, “Together this time.”
“Thanks, Pops,” Ace says, meaning it with every fiber of his being.
Whitebeard grins. “I cannot wait to meet this boy if you speak so highly of him. But for now, it seems you will have plenty of obstacles in your way. I fear the path back to Hearts territory is more treacherous than ever.” The air immediately changes, and Ace balks at the somber expressions crossing his companions’ faces.
“What? Why?” Ace asks, glancing around in alarm, “Has something happened in the kingdom of Hearts?” All his earlier fears come roaring back, each more ominous than the last. Whitebeard nods to Marco, who sighs.
“A lot has happened in the last five days,” Marco says, fingers drumming anxiously against the strap of the bag, “It’s been hard to connect with our contacts inside Hearts territory, and it’s been too dangerous to risk flyovers.”
That was an ominous bit of news. If even Marco, who’d managed to take out full battalions on his own in past scuffles, was wary of flying over the territory then something truly dangerous must be happening.
“What’s wrong?” Ace asks, heart sinking. All at once he remembers his last conversation with Ichiji’s sister.
“Especially when your escape provides my siblings and I an opportunity that we’ve been waiting years for.”
Marco pushes his glasses up to rub his eyes before letting them fall back into place. “Apparently the princes and princess of the Kingdom of Hearts attempted a coup.”
Ace feels his blood run cold. His mind races with memories of Niji and Yonji pulling him out of the dungeon and Reiju all but throwing him out to sea on a ship. Was it even possible to rebel fully against the king with the modifications that were doubtlessly in place?
He hadn’t even managed to see Ichiji at the time.
What had happened to the other? Had he set the whole coup into motion to create a distraction? Had he been taken prisoner by his father? Had he been sent to the very dungeons he’d been tasked with guarding? Or worse-
The King of Hearts was widely known for publicly making his enemies lose their heads… would that apply to even his own children?
“A coup,” Ace repeats numbly, feeling his throat close up.
“Yeah,” Marco sighs, “The whole place is in the middle of a revolution.”