Chapter 3:
The distinct murmuring of voices stirred Vash’s consciousness awake again. He knew he lived alone, but then who was talking above him in?
“…the Jabberwok would get him.” A surprisingly loud voice stated. The Jabberwok? Vash thought, faking sleep to get more information. So that was the reason that he had been chased out into the woods after tortured near to death. They assumed that the Jabberwok would kill him for them.
“Not surprising.” Even though this voice was quieter, it still held some sort of power with it. He set something down on a nearby table that sounded like cheap tea cups.
“Still don’t understand why he did it.” He? Now that piqued Vash’s attention. He assumed that the Queen was the one who ordered his “execution”. If it wasn’t the Queen, then who? “I mean, right after ordering it, he gave most of his power to Queen Bitch!”
“Alfred!” The softer one chastised. “I don’t like her either, but she is still a queen and deserves some respect!”
Vash’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. From what he got, a male who used to have a lot of power that he handed over to the Queen ordered him to die. But the only one who fit that description was the Red King. Yet that still didn’t make any sense. Roderich hating him was simply unthinkable! It was in no way possible!
“…Should we wake him up?” The one called Alfred said, poking Vash’s injured side.
Calmly and as if his side wasn’t on fire from a simple poke, the blonde duke sat up to face his hosts. “No need. I’m up.”
The two boys that greeted him when he opened his eyes looked at him, then each other, then back at him.
One with a curly adoge and a bear in his arms stepped forward. “I’m glad to see that you’re feeling better, Duke Zwingli.”
Vash’s sharp green eyes narrowed. “Just call me Vash.” He stated, cringing at the unusual statement coming from him. “I don’t have a title anymore.”
~*~
Panic welled up inside of King Roderich as he nervously paced the elaborate hallways of Heart Castle, the swishing of his royal cloak accentuating his anxiousness. Where was he? He thought, hand on his chin and his crown slightly askew. Vash is never late to our meetings. Did he find me annoying? Is that why he blew me off?
No, Vash wouldn’t abandon you for such a petty reason. Roderich calmed himself. He knew there was a good reason for his Vash to not appear by the large wooden gates to the maze at sunset. Perhaps he was ill, or exceedingly busy with financial affairs. Yes, it had to be a good reason like those.
While he was busy trying to control his worry train, he didn’t notice his queen rushing towards him, also in a state of her own panic.
“Roddy!” She cried her pet name for him and collapsed into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I have terrible news!”
His entire body tensed when she suddenly touched him. They were married, but only for political reasons. He would never love her; his love was saved for one person.
“What is it, Elizaveta?” He tried to keep his voice as calm as possible for her, so she wouldn’t know he had been worried over anything.
“Duke Vash has been murdered by the Jabberwok!”
~*~
Silence was a heavy fog in the room of the forest safe house as everyone present absorbed every word that was just said.
However, that could only last so long. “So that’s the story.” Vash said, looking over the two rescuers again. His prescence was graced by the infamous “White Rabbit” spy and the infamous Officer of the White Army codenamed “M.A.”. He hadn’t expected the two most famous allies to the White Kingdom to be only nineteen, but life had a habit of throwing him unexpected things. Like being nursed back to health by said former enemies.
“I already alerted our king and queen.” Matthew spoke up in his automatic whisper. “They are kind people and will be more than happy to help you find a job in our kingdom-”
A large BANG accompanied a feminine-sounding male voice. “WHERE IS THE DUKE OF RED?!”
The trio turned to see who in the world slammed the door open like that. Standing in the doorway was a (questionable) young man wearing a simple white, sparkling dress, a silvery cloak and a diamond-studded circlet atop his faintly blonde hair. If he hadn’t been wearing the royal clothes, no one would know that standing before them was Tino Väinämöinen, the White Queen himself.
“Your Highness!” The two brothers knelt – as was custom – in front of their leader. The look they gave each other said it all: When did he get here?!
Unswayed by the sudden appearance of a powerful noble, Vash nodded his head out of respect. “I am right here.”
Relief washed over the thin queen’s body. “Thank goodness you’re awake.” He gingerly came closer and smiled. “As soon as I heard you were hurt and safely here, I rushed over as fast as I could.”
He was shocked that such an influential figure would take time out of their schedule to visit him.
“May I ask why you’re here, Queen Tino?”
The blonde’s eyes narrowed. “We have a bit of a problem.”
