The Ghost Of The Past

A Queen walked through the corridors, only the sound of her steps were heard throughout the minute, all was quiet and she was introspective for a moment. A sigh escaped her lips futilely as she gazed around and found the corridor to be empty, she deemed it as an appropriate place where she could show even a moment of weakness. She rubbed and massaged the sore part on the back of her neck, trying to ease the tension that tightly formed there.

Did she sleep uncomfortably last night? Her pillows and mattress were the best out of the entire Kingdom and neither did she shift and move restlessly so either. A thought formed and planted itself in her mind. What if it hurt because it was where she had been struck in her previous time?

The cruel blade that fell on her neck made a shudder run down her spine. And it was there that she nearly shrieked as she felt a tap on her shoulder as she spun to face the intruder.

Before her was Sir Julius Ginellevé who appeared to have arrived like a ghost, far quieter than her as she nearly staggered down towards the floor, and might have hit her head—if not for the man grabbing her wrist and tugging her toward him.

"Careful, Your Majesty. I may have surprised you more than I thought I would, my apologies." The Knight apologized with a sheepish laugh as she found herself in his chest. His arms and chest were a warm place to be in… warm like the red blood that spilled from her body that time.

Where had he come from?

Her ears drummed loudly as she pulled herself back and tried for a small smile. Things were different now weren't they? She continually tried to relieve herself with that and yet her lips failed to curl up and instead formed into a frown as she eyed him, "What would have happened if my heart would have beat too hard in shock and I died this very moment?" Her voice was far sharper than she intended.

Perhaps she was still cross with this man in the deepest part of her mind though she had tried to assure her heart that everything was fine.

Alas, even trying to say that things were different now was a dreadful thing to consider.

Fearful it may be to know that in the future that her Knight may try to lop her head off, it was at least more certain and something she could prepare for unlike new circumstances that started to come into play. Besides…

The Knight's eyes widened as he bent his body low, far lower than she expected him to go, nearly grovelling to his knees. "I...This Knight of yours didn't expect that much to happen, Your Majesty. Has your heart been weakening?" Amethyst eyes looked up and glistened with tears that shimmered underneath the light of the corridors that they were standing in. "You've always been sickly when you were a child, Rosalyn. Shall I bring you to the Royal Doctor?"

Given the look of the pitiful man before her right now, it wasn't hard to see that somehow he cared for her. Of course he did! Or else those years of them staying together when they were younger had all been falsehoods and lies. And she didn't want to consider the implications that the young boy who swore to protect her was the same man that lifted his blade against her. Had they been someone who had calculated and waited for when she was at her weakest to strike her? 

It was a preposterous thought!

Surely enough there was a reason to it and what that actual reason might be—she didn't know.

Neither could she ask the man before her now, the current man in front of her was still clean from shedding her blood so he didn't know it either. And even if it was true that he had intentions to finish her off later on… couldn't she at least use him now rather than getting rid of him? Wasn't it better to use a known blade in her own hands.

There was no other person she could rely on—well of course she had her own self to rely on but that didn't amount to enough time to do her bidding. She may have been given the time to live again in this world again but that wasn't enough as she herself had duties to accomplish as the Queen of Hearts. Even now she was being asked to act as the host to the other Queens.

"Your Majesty, your silence worries me." The Knight still hadn't gotten up from his bow as he still looked at her with concerned eyes.

Those amethyst eyes that never strayed far from her.

They were able to send both assurance and terror through her body all at once. He wouldn't allow danger to come to her but simultaneously he could inflict it as well in the future; the past might renew itself if she didn't change the present. She lifted a hand to her head as she felt a throbbing ache, "I'm fine Gine, perhaps I am stressed as he says…"

Well who wouldn't be troubled at the situation she had on hand?

The clock was running.

Tick - tock.

Tick - tock.

Sooner or later that 'Alice' would arrive and everything would all go down from there if she didn't act quickly. Never in this particular moment had she ever the deepest of wishes and desire to throw a cup of hot tea towards his face. If only that man… that 'time man' hadn't given her more time to live, if only he hadn't reversed time for her. His face was somewhat blurry but she couldn't forget those blue eyes of his.

'Ah, how death gives you a new perspective.' The time man's eyes were lit up with mirth as he gazed at her, 'Though I had the perception that the Red Queen of Hearts would have been more vengeful until death.'

She sighed and placed her hands down for a moment and took a deep breath. It might have been better if he never really gave her time as she looked at the Knight and approached the kneeling man and extended a hand, "Stand up already, Sir Ginellevé. It's not your fault that I'm a bit weak hearted, try not to surprise me anymore." Try not to suddenly lop her head off again if he could.

Living once more brought more questions than she asked for.

And Rosalyn Lockhart was an impatient woman.

If she couldn't get them then she'd decide those answers for herself!