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Characters: Colette Marston and Red Army
Tagging: @plumpblueberry @thetwinkims
A/N: It’s been a good while since I wrote Colette but here she is!
A gentle pat against curly blonde locks startled the young girl. Her head swiveled up; clear blue eyes glazed over with water threatening to turn into more tears. The throbbing of her heart caused her chest to ache. Why didn’t he look angry? Edgar was a master of hiding his emotions, but the death of the King of Hearts by her own hand should be called nothing short of treason.
“I can see why you’re distraught. That was quite a vision to have.”
That’s it? He’d seen what she had. Where were the handcuffs? Wouldn’t he escort her to the cells? Her head spun, unable to tear her blurry gaze away from the Jack. “But I…”
“You should be well aware that King Lancelot won’t be foiled so easily, but the protocol of your visions is to have you tip them in our favor. You’ll work on it and report back to me, alright?” He’d inform his two superiors in private. The last thing the child needed was an explosion from Jonah.
Edgar relayed the vision to Zero without one important detail. Everything remained the same. Central quarter in absolute ruin. Destruction beyond comprehension, likely the end of Cradle altogether. And finally, a hooded figure before a wounded Lancelot, about to deal the final blow. Not a mention of Colette at all.
He hadn’t seen her as the villain of their tragic future?
Colette could hardly eat the breakfast that was served and decided to dump it in the trash. She couldn’t imagine what would possess her to harm Lancelot. He’d been incredibly kind to her since she’d arrived, and unlike most adults, he also had innate magical abilities.
“Don’t let Jonah catch you or he’ll give you a lecture.”
The sudden comment startled the girl and the plate slipped from her fingers, shattering into various pieces on the floor. The racket brought out the kitchen staff.
“Ouh-” Kyle pressed his palms against his ears, shaking his head gently. His hungover state did not appreciate the loud noise. Golden eyes darted over her features, concern showing in the crease between his brows. “You look pale. How are you feeling?”
Using magic drained her energy, like all magic users, and yet it wasn’t near as severe as with Lancelot. Perhaps it was her age. Not much information was available about natural magic users since they were a rare breed. Kyle had to compile his own research and continually build it with first hand knowledge. This instance, whether magic or not, something wasn’t right.
He bent down to place the back of his hand against her forehead. “Fever.”
Colette leaned into his touch, reaching out to grab his other hand and place it against her cheek. “Your hands are cold. It feels really good.” She swayed slightly, threatening to fall over at any moment. Her whole body felt heavy.
“Yeah, you’re coming with me. I’m officially committing you to the infirmary until this fever breaks.” The doctor rarely gave any orders, but this one he’d follow through with. Not that he truly needed to. The eight year old would obey any task or request given by an officer because Lancelot had told her to.
Shuffling the child to the infirmary, Kyle carefully observed her climb onto the empty bed near the window. It allowed her to see outside even when she felt ill. She wobbled, looking fainter than before. “This new vision. Did it keep you from sleeping?”
“Yes and—” The hesitation in her voice evident.
Kyle pulled up a stool, pouring a spoonful of medicine to aid in reducing the fever and allowing her to sleep. “You know you can tell me anything and it stays between us.”
Colette’s features soured as she dutifully swallowed the liquid. “Zero had to stop me from almost falling down the stairs to the storage building. I don’t… know how I got there.” If he hadn’t grabbed her, she might have been injured or worse. Those thoughts scared her terribly.
“Hmm. That is worrisome. You’ve never slept walk with a vision before.”
“What if it happens again? What if-” She nearly choked on her own words, visibily working herself up over the endless possibilities of what could go wrong. If the abilities she possessed allowed her to move without her own consent, it would be reasonable to believe that she could also wield attack spells and harm someone.
The doctor took her trembling hands and brushed his thumbs across the back soothingly. Having a meltdown would not aid in her recovery. “Easy, kiddo. Take a deep breath.” Kyle mimicked doing so as she did. “You don’t have to worry about that right now. I’ll be here the whole time you’re asleep, alright?”
He helped her settle beneath sheet, staying by her side until her breathing evened out. Although she silently struggled, the medicine worked her into a deep sleep. Kyle moved to his desk, taking notes of all the effects of her magic. The file thick with his scribbled pages of mostly questions and a few observations. Truly, magic in humans was a vast field of unknowns.
A few soldiers came and went, receiving treatments for minor injuries. The sun had slid completely beyond the horizon, giving the moon it’s time to light the sky in a silver glow surrounded by twinkling stars. The girl still wishing to rest hid beneath the sheet, squeezing her eyes shut at the conversation beyond the cracked door.
“That’s an order, Kyle. I must speak with her straight away.” Jonah’s harsh tone laced with urgency. It came as no surprise. He always reacted in such a way whenever it came to the King of Hearts.
The Seven sighed but continued to block the doorway, his back shielding anymore light from spilling into the darkened infirmary. “You’re only going to scare her. This is why Edgar was left in charge of this particular vision. You overreact.”
“Overreact? How is one to react with the news that there is an imminent attack on King Lancelot?”
“I am calm!” Jonah snapped, not willing to back down on this subject.
Without the knowledge of how she managed to show Edgar the vision and not reveal herself in it, Colette shivered. Jonah would surely lock her away for her participation, regardless of the reason behind it. She couldn’t live with the harsh judgement that would reside behind those amber eyes that used to be soft and kind when directed at her.
No, facing Jonah was simply too much.
Silently moving to the end of the bed, the girl unlocked the window and shoved the pane upward to escape. The task much harder than anticipated. Her knee dug into the sill, sending a wave of pain up her leg. Colette tumbled forward, rolling unceremoniously across the shrub beneath before smacking into the freshly watered soil of the flowerbed. “Ouch.”
A shadow fell over her. Matching clear blue eyes met as the young Two of Hearts turned her gaze upwards. Being caught by a patrol guard might have been less embarrassing. Her dress sullied with stains of green and brown, blonde curls stuck with twigs and leaves. Not the least bit presentable to be found by their prestigious leader.
“What is the meaning of this, Colette?”
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