“What the fuck do you want?”
Yep, I should have left him in bed.
“Do you always answer your phone so rudely? What if it was your mother calling?”
“If my mother ever gave a shit enough to call me, I’d answer it in exactly the same way as well you know. What do you want?”
“I was going to let you know that the breakfast buffet is open, and we were wondering if you’d like to join us, but If I’ve interrupted something…”
He agreed to come down to eat, but with the mood he was in, I wished I’d just left him where he was.
Half an hour later, Solstice had gone up to her room to get a shower and I’d finally figured out why he was acting like an ass. He had a crush on Solstice. He denied it, of course, but it was as plain as day. It was also pretty hilarious. Orion didn’t get crushes. Still, it left me feeling much better about leaving Solstice with him if that’s all it was. I ran up to my room and dressed in my royal regalia, a dress suit in blue with the Club insignia on the breast pocket.
The Spades didn’t believe in horses and carts as many of the horses here were shifters and considered ferrying people around beneath them, so I had to order a bike train. It was the weirdest method of transport that I’d ever come across, but it was the only option I could find available. A bike train was made in a similar way to a bike except they could be up to five bikes wide and ten bikes long. Standing platforms between each length of bikes were available for passengers to stand on should they not wish to pedal. It was, perhaps, also the most economical way to travel. It was cheaper if you agreed to be one of the people that pedalled. I had no idea how it would work if no one wanted to pedal, but as they always seemed to be packed with people, it seemed to work.
I was just about to raise my hand to flag one down when a member of the hotel staff came running out from the reception to speak to me.
“Excuse me, Your Highness. The Jack of Spades has just telephoned to say he will be sending one of his fleet of flying unicorns to pick you up.”
I thanked him and looked to the skies. My sister, Star, owned one of the Unicorns from this fleet. It was donated to her after the Queen of Spades went missing, and my other sister managed to get its wing tip burnt.
A small white object in the sky flew nearer and nearer until it landed majestically in front of the hotel.
On its back was a black saddle with the Spade moniker emblazoned on it. I climbed aboard and clung on tightly as it spread its large wings and took off into the sky. The large Spade palace wasn’t difficult to spot on the horizon, and it wasn’t long before we were touching down in the courtyard amid hundreds of spires and turrets of different heights.
As soon as we touched down on the cobbled surface, a man in uniform appeared and helped me down before taking the white unicorn away.
“Juniper! So good to see you again.”
Leo strode over to me with a welcoming smile on his face. He held out his hand to shake mine, and with the other, he clapped me on the back. There were no airs and graces with Leo. He was just an all-round friendly chap, loved by his own subjects and those of other suits too.
“Thank you for agreeing to see me. We have much to talk about.”
“Of course we do, but first, lunch. I’ve had the kitchen prepare quite a spread for you. I trust that you’re hungry?”
It didn’t seem polite to mention that I’d not long ago finished my breakfast, so I nodded weakly.
“Fantastic!”
I followed him into the castle through what looked like the main doors. They stood at least three stories high, made out of long lengths of wood. I remembered from previous visits the large entrance hall with its black and white chequerboard flooring, like a large chess set. One year, at one of the New Year’s Eve parties, a number of the other royal sons and daughters and I had played an actual game of chess, each of us being a playing piece. That was quite a few years back now. I couldn’t imagine it happening again, the way things were between the suits now. The castle was eerily quiet, so very different from how I remembered it. The last time I had been here, it was alive with a vibrant mix of people. Maybe they had just come for the party. Today, our footsteps echoed ominously as the two of us walked across the large tiles to the dining room.
Leo had been right when he’d said there was a massive spread. Although the large table could have held at least a hundred people, almost a quarter of it was filled with plates of food.
“Are we expecting others?” I asked, looking at the hundreds of plates before us.
“No, just us. I didn’t know what you liked, so I asked the kitchen to make us a bit of everything.”
He pulled out a chair for me to sit and took the seat next to it for himself.
I picked up the nearest dish and spooned the smallest amount of it—some kind of fish dish—onto my plate.
“There has been word that your people are planning to attack the Hearts,” I began tentatively. “As you are aware, any acts of aggression directed towards the Hearts will put the Clublands right in the middle.”
“I want to assure you that we have no military action planned as yet.”
I noted the use of the word yet.
“But,” he carried on, “I am aware of more than one or two groups who are taking matters into their own hands.”
“One of those groups nearly flattened the town of Yelpish last week. My sister, the Six of Clubs lives there. It was she that brought this to my attention.”
“I am aware of that happening, but it is my understanding that the Spades that orchestrated that particular incident have since agreed to stay on in Yelpish and help to rebuild. They are not what bothers me. they There are a number of small groups like this, and I have the military keeping eyes and ears everywhere. However, there is one faction that is much greater and can cause bigger problems for both the Spades and the Clubs. They are building an army up in the mountains near a village called Charlesville.”
“Have you tried talking to them?”
“I’ve been up there myself, but they don’t trust the royal family any more than they trust the Hearts themselves. I can’t really say I blame them, what with my mother disappearing and my father stepping down from his role, but something needs to be done.”
“Is there anyone else you can send up to talk to them?”
“I’m reluctant to send the military up there as it will seem like an aggressive move on my part. These people are really just ordinary people who are angry and scared. Their livelihoods have been taken from them, thanks to the Hearts. The Queen of Hearts has ordered that prices of everything shall be tripled for anyone outside of the Heart Kingdom. We buy almost all of our technology from the Hearts. All our factories use Heart equipment. Without it, our manufacturing companies will come to a standstill. Many of them already have. Even those factories that are still managing to keep going are unable to sell their wares to the Hearts because they are refusing to pay our prices. A lot of people have lost their jobs. Whole communities are going under, and I’m not going to lie to you, I don’t really know what I can do about it.” He closed his eyes and sighed.
It suddenly occurred to me just how difficult this was on him. A couple of months ago he had both his parents running the country. Then, as all hell broke loose, he lost both of them one because she went into hiding and the other because he hadn’t left his room for weeks by all accounts.
“Look, maybe we can come to some trade deal.” I offered. “The Clubs are still allies of The Spades. I could speak to my father…”
“It won’t be enough. The people in the mountain are too angry to be placated. There is still free trade between our two kingdoms, but it isn’t enough. Trade between the Spades and Diamonds is also becoming more limited. No offence to you or your kingdom, but it is the Hearts we do most of our trade with. We need their technology, and they know it.”
Unfortunately, it was true. Anything technological was made in the Heartlands.
“How about I go
up to this mountain of yours? Maybe I could do something, talk some sense into them.”
“I don’t think it will work. I have already tried. They have a complete distrust of monarchy.”
“Your monarchy. I trust they have nothing against the Clubs?”
“Well, no, but…”
“So there you have it.”
“Some Spades do not like outsiders. Although I’ve not heard anything about this particular group having anything against Clubs, in general, they certainly don’t like The Hearts right now. Besides, while there is a stop for the Zeppelin in Charlesville, you’d still have half a day’s trek up the mountains.”
“If you can lend me that fantastic flying Unicorn of yours, I’ll fly up there and chat with them. If they don’t want to hear it, I’ll turn back around and come back here. I don’t see how you have anything to lose at this point. I do, however, have my own land at stake.”
He looked like he was considering it.
“Ok, I will get a stable hand to saddle up one of the unicorns. You are a great man Juniper. I am only letting you go because I know this group to be intelligent. I do not expect them to hurt you. They probably won’t listen to what you have to say, but I think the worst you can expect from them is for them to laugh in your face. The leader is called Aaricka. She is a fierce and proud woman. Her whole village has lost its one factory, and she is extremely angry. They are hungry too. She is a tiger so just be careful.”
“Be careful? I thought you said they weren’t dangerous.”
“In their human form, they are not. In their animal form, it is a different matter entirely. If she changes, her animal instincts will take over. If that happens, you need to get out of there as quickly as you can. Even the most placid tiger in human form will kill in its animal form if it is hungry enough, and I’m telling you now, food is scarce up on that mountain.”
I looked about me at the huge spread that was slowly going cold on the table.
“Can I take some of this? There is much too much food here for just the two of us.”
Leo suddenly looked uncomfortable, as if he was about to tell me a dark secret.
“They will not accept it. I have already told you how proud they are. They do not want charity. They want to work and to trade freely.”
“And?” I sensed there was something else he wasn’t telling me.
“And this food is everything we have in the palace. I thought if I put it all out, it would impress you and you wouldn’t realise just how dire the situation was, but what is the point of hiding it from you?” He held his head in his hands.
I looked at all the food that had been put out just to impress me. It could feed a couple of people for a week.
“We have barely anyone left working for us. My brothers and sisters laid this out for us. We thought that if you assumed we were still affluent, you’d be more likely to help us. Once you had left, they were going to come and eat with me.”
“Left? I thought you had planned meetings with your advisors for me today. We had a packed schedule. You couldn’t have known that I would volunteer to go up the mountain.”
“No, I couldn’t, but I did know the meetings wouldn’t be able to go ahead. The royal advisors have quit. The army is in disarray, and we have no one to lead it. I’m doing the best I can, but I cannot afford to pay anyone. My father refuses to come out of his room and help. I’m sorry. You didn’t come here to see me like this.”
“Look, the Clubs have been known as the poor kingdom since eternity. It’s about time someone came down to our level. I can give you a great recipe for swamp fish soup if you like?” I tried a spot of humour to lighten the atmosphere, but he barely raised a smile. I’d never seen a man so utterly lost.
“Ok. Get your stable hand and call your brothers and sisters. They may as well eat while the food is still warm. How far away is this place in the mountains?”
“By unicorn? About half a day.”
“Good. I can be back by tonight.”
“You are really going to do this for us?” He looked at me with such gratefulness in his eyes.
“It’s not just your land that is at stake. Mine is too. I’m doing this for everyone.”
I stood to show him I was ready to go. He shouted out a name and a young servant appeared.
“Byron is one of the few that have not left us,” said Leo. “Byron, can you fetch my brothers and sisters and tell them it is time to eat. Then can you get the stable hand to saddle up one of the royal fleet and pack supplies? When you have done that, you may come and eat with us too.”
“Yes, Your Royal Highness.” The boy nodded and then turned away.
“You are a good man, Juniper Club. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate what you are doing, and I wish you well on your travels.”
“You are a good man too, Leo. I couldn’t have kept anything together if I was in your position. You take care of what you need to here, and I’ll do my best with this Aaricka.”
I shook his hand warmly and followed him as we walked slowly to the stables. Byron was already there talking to the stable hand.
“This is where I leave you, my friend,” said Leo. “Have a safe journey.” He turned and made his way back to the palace with Byron.
I was given the same unicorn as before, although this time, it had a thick blanket under its saddle and two saddlebags at either side.
“What are these for?” I asked the stable hand, indicating the bags.
“They have been packed with supplies Your Highness, should you need to stay on the mountain overnight. There is enough food for a couple of days.”
“Thank you,” I replied, although I certainly wasn’t planning on that. The best I could do would be to try and make them see sense. If I couldn’t do that in one day, I’d have to give up and come back. “Can you get a message to my hotel? My cousin is staying there. His Name is Orion Club. Please let him know that I’m on a mission for The Jack of Spades and that he is not to worry.”
Not that he would. He probably wouldn’t even notice I was gone with Solstice around.
“Yes, sir.” The stable hand bowed his head, and once again, the unicorn and I took off into the sky. It was only when the city was beneath me that I realised that I didn’t have a clue where I was going. The unicorn seemed to be heading out towards the mountains, so I just held on and hoped for the best.
The mountains rose majestically beneath us, but we didn’t stop. The unicorn took us higher into the air to clear them. Leo had told me it was half a day away so it was too much to hope for that it would be these mountains he spoke of. At the other side, laid out right to the horizon were desert plains. Below me, like tiny ants, were herds of zebra, elephants, gazelles and a myriad of other animals. With the absence of any towns or villages I could see, I was inclined to believe that they really were just animals and not shifters, but in all honesty, I had no way of knowing if that was the case. The sun rose higher in the sky, and although it was only February, the heat beat down on my back, making me wish that I’d had the forethought to bring a bottle of water with me. Hours passed until the terrain once again became hilly and the hills turned into mountains. The unicorn slowed and circled down until it came to the banks of a small lake where it landed with a soft thump. I jumped down and raced to the water’s edge, and using my hands as cups, drank in some of the crystal clear water. The unicorn bowed its head next to me and followed suit.
Once we had drunk our fill, I stood and took in the scenery around me. The terrain was rocky with dozens of dirt paths cutting through the rocks both up and downhill. The sandy bank where we now stood showed evidence of having been recently used in the form of a pile of burnt logs and ashes, evidently used as a campfire. I could see footprints, some human, some animal, crisscrossing all over the sand. At the edge of the bank was an occasional tree, bare of leaves.
“Which way do you think we should go?” I asked the unicorn. He bowed his head again and tried to nuzzle me. I gave him a quick pat on the
head and then led him to a patch of grass where he munched happily. I found a flat rock to sit on and parked myself there, waiting for the unicorn to finish his lunch. The footprints led in all directions, it was impossible to know which way to go. They looked fresh enough that I could just sit where I was, and someone was bound to pass by sooner rather than later. I was still deliberating which way to go when I heard a growl from the undergrowth just meters from where I was sitting. I barely had time to stand before a flash of white appeared from out of nowhere, and a huge beast knocked me to the ground, making me fall onto the sandy bank. I looked up to see the amber eyes and bared teeth of a huge cat. It was a tiger, but it was no ordinary tiger. Where tigers were usually orange and black, this one was pure white with black stripes. The weight of it pinned me down, and I had no way to defend myself against its brutal force. It was still growling menacingly, and I could feel its claws digging into my skin through my clothes. A drop of saliva fell from its mouth, landing on my cheek. My heart rate increased, and the adrenaline kicked in, but there was nothing I could do. I wasn’t strong enough to fight it off. I closed my eyes waiting for the inevitable attack, but it never came. I heard the unicorn’s hooves and then the pressure lifted from my chest. Opening my eyes, I saw a blur of white on white. The unicorn had pounced on the tiger, pushing it away from me. I pulled myself back and rolled away from the fighting duo. The unicorn had no chance against the fearsome strength of the white tiger, and yet, it had provided me with the chance to escape. I couldn’t let it die for me. Looking down at the ground, I saw a smooth gray stone, just large enough to fill the palm of my hand. I picked it up and took aim, waiting until the tiger was on top and then threw as hard as I could, scoring a direct hit on the animal’s head. With a yelp, the tiger rolled off the unicorn, allowing it to stand and run away from the angry beast.
I caught up with it and calmed it down by running my hand along its back slowly and whispering to it. I knew very little about animals, but after years of watching my sister, Star, doing her magic with animals, I’d learned a few tricks. With one last pat on the unicorn’s back, I walked back to the sandy shore to see what had happened to the tiger.
Seven of Clubs (War and Suits Book 6) Page 2