original

The fallen ace

Chương 1: The Spadillle with too much blonde

The soft ruffle of her gown was the only sound in the quiet hallway. Her loose hair fell on her face, blocking her vision but she made no attempt to arrange them. Her posture wasn't as stiff as the other ladies. The reason was, she hadn't the money to buy herself a corset that could correct her posture.

There was a time when she felt conscious and loathsome of her body but later she realized; It was all for nothing. She was a slave, a neener. She was a nine of hearts, a tribe famous for their beauty but what use was her beauty when she was a slave, a disgrace to society.

Sometimes she wished she could change herself, be an ace, or even one of the clubs would be fine. But it wasn't something she could change, what she would do and what she would be for the rest of her life was defined by her birth, with nothing to be done about it.

It all starts from the Ace; Superior, powerful, loyal. The attractive men no women could ever have for they had sworn to never marry. They had no job apart from bedding pretty women.

Back to the topic, after the aces came the diamonds, or the truth keeper, as many like to call them. The Diamonds are one of the scariest tribes even through their inability to fight. They have the strength to read into people's heads and uncover their secrets.

Then there were the hearts; Pretty attractive women who pleased men. The only tribe fortunate enough to visit the room of an ace, to touch their skin, something all aces keep covered under a white shirt and a red coat that is never seen away from their body.

the third tribe from both the end and the beginning were of the clubs. The clubs were people who made stuff. A group of middle-class men doing all sorts of things starting from hiring slaves to chopping wood.

the second last, which most of you, of course, would have guessed is of the neener.

Most of you are wrong.

It's the jokers, the fools. The animal-like psychopaths. You'd ask why they are classified that way. At a child's birth, they are bound to get an imprint of their tribe, usually, the one their father is born in, but there are some children, who aren't strong enough to have their tribe burned on their head. they become the fool, withering in pain for eternity, like a tree, and people will pity them, but none would want to help.

Then the last is the neener tribe. The neener tribe is different and the most secluded one. Usually, tribes are separated by their symbols or their 'Pips', but neeners are secluded by their number. The tribe of nine, be it nine of hearts, nine of clubs or nine of diamonds (which are rare), and nine of spades, all bound to be slaves.

That leads us to the topic of spades. The most unique tribe. In fact not quite a tribe, but the most powerful of pips. Most of the spades grow up to be promoted to the rank of an ace while some live in large houses working for the royals.

Then coming to the royals, Of course, they aren't above the aces, one wrong move and they'd have their heads cut off, but they are evil. Meilie could spit on the ground at the mere thought of them. Loathsome creatures who never learned to love. Not their own parents, nor their siblings, it's only foolishness to hope they care about the kingdom.

Her nose wrinkled upwards, and her dry lips scrunched together in pure disgust. Here she was talking about fools being animal-like a while ago, but the royals or the one-eyed royals as they liked to call their family, 'blue bloods' were the most animal among all. Meilie could go on and on about their crimes all day but it was a waste of time. What use was it when no one could ever change the royals? The Aces have always been involved with them even though it was their responsibility to safeguard their people, at least that's what the laws stated.

The clicking of her boots stopped. The quiet hallway ended in front of a dark door. It seemed taller than Meilie's maehem trees she often planted outside her house, the ones with the glowing orbs on them. In front of the Door stood two aces. One was the ace of hearts with the A and the heart burned on his temple. The other was the Ace of Spades, better known as 'Spadille'.

They were both fair-headed. All Aces were fair-headed with twinkling purple eyes. (Aces aren't genetically born with blond hair and purple eyes. When the royals promote pips to the rank of an ace, they acquire sort of similar attributes) The Spadille, however, had hair a little too blonde even for an Ace and his eyes had a blueish lilt to themselves, his skin too, was extraordinarily smooth. He looked handsome overall, but the frown ruined much of his handsome face. The other looked much more...kind. That's the only way Meilie could describe him. He was leaner than the Spadille and a little taller, his medium-length fair hair fell over his eyes and temples and a little over his neck.

His pouty lips parted, ready to ask a polite question but the Spadille cut him off in a much ruder tone "What's your business here?" Meilie looked at him. He was in the usual Ace clothing with a red coat and white trousers. He was wrapped with weapons. One spade's blade was hanging on the loose strap of his coat from his shoulder, two twin swords were hidden behind his back, inside his coat, one visible Genoese knife hung on the weapon's belt on his waist and another long sword protruded out from his coat touching his feet.

Aces sure were an insecure bunch. "Do you aim to kill a girl at first sight"

The Ace raises his eyebrows "I aim to make a girl swoon"

"It's working" she mumbles. The Ace of Heart cracks a smile her way, his eyes wrinkle sweetly and his lips are warm. She smiles back.

"What's your business here?" The Spadille repeats his earlier question.

"I need to meet the one-eyed royals." She says.

"For what reason?" By his tone, Meilie can tell that Spadille is annoyed.

"To increase my payment. I haven't been getting enough payment lately, not enough to at least fill my stomach" Meilie says trying to keep her voice casual. It was in the morning when she saw she did not have enough food to eat. Unther, her twin was already out to do the work for his master or he would have come here. Since she was here now, there's no use in turning back even though she was sure the aces would prove to be much more persuasive than her.

"You can't" The Spadille's voice is monotone; emotionless.

"Unless you could give me some food," she says, looking at the Spadille with an innocent face. She was so hungry, her stomach had begun hurting on her way to the Castle. Meilie was so sure she could faint any moment.

He chuckles as if she had made some kind of a joke "Bold of you to argue with us, neener, but we are bound by orders. We cannot send you in, the royals are busy."

She folds her hands across her chest. "Then ask them to not be busy. I've been hungry all day yesterday, I can't go another day without having food"

The spadille's face is unreadable "Take the day off"

Meilie glares at him "Easier said than done. We need money"

"The royals can't give you either food or money"

"What are they royals for?" She stubbornly raises her chin.

The Spadille sighs "What's your name"

"Meilie"

"We'll tell the royals a Meilie was here to meet them"

"I prefer you don't mention me as a thing and the royals don't know me by name you..." Idiot. Meilie had to swallow the word. It wasn't really in her to have a death wish.

The Spadille laughed as if reading her thoughts "did you hear that Guilford?"

The Ace of hearts, who Meilie assumed was Guilford said "Yes Devon, I heard it. And she's right. You are an idiot"

"Humiliating" Devon Grumbled. He then turns his gaze towards Meilie "We are not being insensitive neener. Even if we wished to, now is not the time." He moved a few steps further towards her until there was little distance between the two of them. Slowly, he says "Let me tell you this; the kingdom is in trouble and the royals are trying to save it"

"Dear Ace," She says slowly "Come back to reality. If the royals want to save someone; it's themselves." She struggles out of his grip and runs back home to take yet another day off.