This one has a lot of dialogue too but has some necessary world-building stuff.

Sorry for the late update! Anyways, enjoy!

"The foes that are unseen are often stronger than those that are seen"—Edward Counsel

Known and Unknown

When King Beilschmidt had sent the Queen and a handful of soldiers to announce their party to the Spades caravan traveling down the mountains, Feliciano insisted through chattering teeth and miserable sniffing to accompany them. Imagine his surprise when Ludwig refused this request. Stubborn.

Although the season was transitioning into winter, the Hearts capital city enjoyed warm temperatures and cool, breezy nights as it sat atop the largest island in the nation's eastern archipelago. And it was in that golden sunny warmth that Feliciano longed to be. Not in the pre-winter blizzards of the Spades-Clubs mountain range border.

A particularly large sneeze pushed itself out of Feliciano, leaving the Jack even more miserable.

"Hand bless you, aru," the Spades Jack's automatic response came from across the carriage.

Feliciano nodded his thanks to his fellow rank then pulled Ludwig's cloak tighter around him. For some reason that eludes Feliciano, the cold didn't seem to affect the King as much as it did him. Ludwig radiated heat beside him, and it took a good amount of Feliciano's willpower not snuggle against him.

Amber eyes gazed at the blue and red flags flapping wildly even though they had long left the blizzard behind. Feliciano muttered a chant that recharged the warming charm in their carriage. He wished that he could give the same comfort to those outside but the carm required an enclosed space. He had ordered all his men to distribute every single available article of clothing so that everyone had the most layers available to them. The warmth the layers provided were nothing to a warming charm, but Feliciano hoped that it helped the others somehow.

The wind still howled after them as they descended into the plains below. It wasn't until they reached those plains that the howls died down and allowed the Royals to converse.

"...received the message from Queen Kirkland. It seems my brother has been causing trouble," Feliciano heard Ludwig start.

The Jack of Spades let out a world-weary sigh. "You'll have to forgive us—it would seem that we were inadequate in securing the Red Joker—"

Jack Wang silenced himself when King Beilschmidt raised a hand. "There is nothing to forgive—we took a chance with the Jokers. We prepared whatever we could with our capabilities, and it has been proven to be lacking. I had already informed Queen Kirkland of the situation, and, hopefully, we can take care of this situation and return to our usual business of running countries. I have no idea what the Jokers have planned, but I doubt it's anything good."

"My apologies. I have been under a priority mission. I am under the assumption that the Queen will not want to interrupt the assignment," Yao explained. "Could you reiterate what you informed Queen Kirkland with?"

Ludwig let out a sigh. A quick flicker of his eyes showed Feliciano that the King had slouched slightly. He was slightly surprised at the anomaly in his usual stiff and proper attitude. Feliciano found that he couldn't blame him—he couldn't imagine what state he would be in if Romano was a Joker. And an escaped one at that.

As the King and Queen of Hearts informed the Jack of Spades of the situation with Black Joker Kirkland and the events of the day before yesterday, Feliciano let the memories and worries flood back to him. The death of the Lieutenant was alarming on it's own—made even more so with a Black Burn indicating the Insignia of the King of Spades. As concerning as those events were, a completely different matter plagued the Jack of Hearts.

Why is Feli covered in mud?

Big brother Antonio wasn't exactly quiet when he voiced to question to Lovino. He was thankful that his brother merely shrugged it off and cursed at Antonio until the man left to secure his province. As soon as Feliciano had left the dungeons, he immediately changed and disposed of his muddied clothing. It was just a dream. It had to be. But Ten Carriedo said it himself—there was no possible way he couldn't have dirtied his clothes during the short walk from the conference hall to the dungeons. How could something that occurred in a dream affect the physical world?

The village. The cobblestone bridge. The Edelstein Manor. These places were not fiction. Feliciano had seen them on a daily base for nearly a century before he and his brother became disciples in Deck's Holy Temple, the House of Cards. But, try as he might, the memory of the blonde boy kept slipping from his grasp. Even then, as he listened to his King and Queen explain the evidence they found of the Joker's escape, Feliciano could not recall the details of the boy's face.

"Perhaps the escapes were related—although I am not quite sure how," Kiku voiced, reeling his Jack into the conversation.

Yao sighed tiredly, pressing the long robes of his sleeve against his face before replying. "The escapes occurred within days of each other. I don't believe that to be a coincidence. On the other had, aru, I also don't believe that it is possible to travel from the Dragon's Stronghold to the Sundrop Keep in such a time."

Enchanting oneself or one's horse to travel faster can be easily accomplished by the most tender footed of novice Spell-wielders. Powerful ones such as the Jack from the Heart and Spade Kingdoms could enchant an entire caravan—their combined power allowed their current journey of a week to be cut down to a day. But even they couldn't shorten the month-long trip between their capitals to mere days.

"Such a journey could be managed through Rune Travel," Feliciano chimed, straightening himself. "However, I don't believe that the Red Joker would be capable of performing such a ritual."

Yao nodded. "Certainly not, especially since he has been imprisoned for nearly a millennia."

"There is also the fact that the Red Joker was not a Spell-wielder," Kiku added. "Besides, the little magical affinity he had would have been suppressed by the lock. And with the amount of time that he has been restrained, it would take a month for the effect to wear off."

"The Red Joker may not be a Spell-wielder, but the Black Joker might be," Feliciano thought out loud.

"But he has not demonstrated such power," Yao countered.

"Whether the main branch of House Kirkland recognizes him as their youngest or not, the Black Joker is related to the greatest Spell-wielder in history by blood," Feliciano stated firmly. "The brothers' affinity for magic is great and they grow stronger with each generation, but Queen Arthur Kirkland was the only one to follow the path of the Spell-wielders. What I am saying is this: Joker Peter Kirkland has the potential to be a Spell-wielder as great as Arthur if not greater."

"Decades of dedicated study is required to be Spell-wielder along with the most knowledgeable of texts and teachers, neither of which the Black Joker had access to in the entirety of his imprisonment," Kiku pointed out then turned to the Jack of Spades. "What do you think Queen Kirkland would say about this?"

Yao thought for a moment. "As Jack Vargas mentioned previously—the Black Joker is a Kirkland. Living with the elder brothers for centuries showed that they are a stubborn, ambitious and determined bunch. I have no doubts that Peter would the same. Rune Travel is very simple in theory, but very complicated—nearly impossible in fact—in practice. Four and a half centuries in a cell is a very long time, and if he's clever like my Queen, well, he's had plenty of time to explore a certain extent of his abilities."

He was only fifty when imprisoned? Feliciano thought in shock. Of course he was present when the Black Joker was brought into the Heart's capital, the Sundrop Keep, but it had not occurred to him how young Peter was at the time. We practically imprisoned an infant!

There was a heavy silence. There was no point to pursue the matter any longer without Queen Kirkland present. He was closest to the Black Joker after all. Yao made a comment to Feliciano about removing the Acceleration Enchantment from the caravan once they neared the capital city limits before they descended to a tense silence once more.

Once the rocky terrain became smoother from the city traffic and the Jacks removed the enchantment, the King of Hearts cleared his throat. "This Rune Travel method you speak of...could you explain the theory to me? I doubt explanation of the practice would do any good for me."

"Oh, it's very easy, Luddy!" Feliciano answered. "Basically, an experienced caster can etch a particular symbol into two runic areas—which is basically a place laden with powerful magic with minimal interference from nature. He or she can then travel between the two places as long as the rune they etched is still there."

"They can travel between the two places as much as they want?" asked Ludwig.

This time, it was Yao who answered. "Not exactly, your Majesty. The more you travel, the more the rune is worn down and the shorter it lasts. Also, the runic areas are very rare. In fact, the only ones in existence are the four castles and the House of Cards."

"The runes don't last very long either," Kiku added. "The longest that one has lasted was almost a month."

The King nodded and pondered this information as the Spades' capital city grew closer. "What were you doing up in the mountains, Yao? It was unpleasantly cold there—I doubt it was for sight-seeing," Feliciano asked curiously.

The other three royals flinched. "Feliciano!" Ludwig hissed.

"Ve?" Jack Vargas asked curiously. DId I say something wrong?

"You certainly do not have to answer that, Jack Wang," Kiku said hurriedly for some reason. "Whatever business you had in the mountains is certainly none of ours."

Yao smiled vaguely then waved Kiku's hurried claim away. "A very important friend of the Queen's has unexpectedly passed away, leaving behind two sons. The Queen himself would have fetched them, but situations in the castle require his presence."

Jack Vargas did not understand the staring contest between his Queen and the Jack of Spades. However, he and Ludwig became very uncomfortable from the animosity from the two. The tension continued to build until the King cleared his throat. "Jack Wang."

Yao matched Kiku's stare for a moment longer before flashing a plastered smile to the King. "Yes?"

"You are the most knowledgeable of all the Suits thanks to the many years you have lived. I understand that you will be reaching ten thousand soon?"

"Yes, King Beilschmidt. How very kind of you for remembering, aru. Is there something you wish to ask?"

Ludwig nodded. "The Jokers. Each of the Suits have a general idea about nature—actually, that's more of an exaggeration. All I know about them is that they are chaotic in nature, and that my brother is one of them. Do you know anything more about them?"

Yao straightened himself and the atmosphere in the carriage turned serious as it did with historical problems that most of the Suits had yet to experience. "In all the years I have lived and governments I have served, the information we have about our natures as the Suits of the Four Kingdoms of Deck is shamefully lacking. And we know even less about the Jokers. What we do know is that we are surprisingly similar. They too are chosen by Hand and are Marked. However, they are not Signed. As you know, we are Marked at birth, meaning we have the inane abilities of Suits. However, the act of being Signed by Hand means that we are ready to serve the country with the Insignia he has placed on our bodies."

"Do you believe that the Jokers and Suits are related to one another?" Queen Honda asked.

"Yes, and quite literally," Yao answered. "Both Jokers are brothers to known Suits. But the Jokers are also chosen in a similar matter. In fact, the only difference between the Jokers and the Suits are the Insignia's claiming our power."

"Are you implying that the Jokers are rejected candidates for Suits?" Feliciano piped. There was a thought that nagged in the back of mind. Something to do with the blond boy plaguing his dreams…

"Whether they are rejects or replacements are up for debate," Yao corrected then held up a hand to silence whatever it enraged outburst was about to escape the King. "Forgive me, King Beilschmidt, but I believe that this conversation will be best continued in the meeting. Have you made a decision on whether you will call the meeting of Deck?"

Ludwig lifted his crown and ran a hand through his hair before returning it to its swept back style. "Your Queen should be able to inform you of the details. I do not wish to make any assurances that could change. I had given Arthur my confirmation, but the details of the meeting and whether it will take place or if he has changed his mind is up to him."

"I see. Thank you very much for thoughtfulness," Yao replied, bowing slightly on his seat.

"I would, however," King Beilschmidt added, "disclose details of the Black Joker's escape that we have if you could please tell me details of the Red Joker's escape. You were the one to find his empty cell, ja?"

The Jack of Spades inspected Ludwig's face, golden eyes analyzing the King's expression. "Normally, I would not disclose such details in an insecure place especially without the approval of my Queen."

"I insist that you do, Jack Wang," Ludwig commanded, almost threateningly.

There was an incredibly heavy silence that made Feliciano whimper quietly before the Spades man let out a chuckle. "No worries, I had every intention to, your Majesty. It concerns someone in your direct family after all."

Ludwig shifted uncomfortably beside Feliciano's trembling frame. He may have the highest rank and the most power in the Hearts carriage, but to Jack Vargas, it felt as if it was the Jack of Spades who was in control. Such was the power of the ancient. Feliciano resisted the sudden urge to slip his hand in Ludwig's. Ve, where did that come from? I learned a long time ago that he hated holding hands no matter how adorable he was when flustered. I stopped wanting to hold his hand a long time ago…

"During the time, I was on my way to a nearby province when I felt something...strange. I would normally have ignored it, but it came again and that time it was something magical and it felt serious. The first thought that occurred to me as I turned my horse around was to alert Queen Kirkland, but with the situation the castle was in, I doubted any of the Suits, including Arthur, would have taken the time to check what it was the ailed me."

"I take it that the magical disturbance that you felt was the destruction of the Joker's lock?" Kiku asked.

"Yes, but, unfortunately, I did not realize that until it was far too late."

"But," Feliciano piped, "if it was a magical matter, wouldn't the other Suits have noticed? I'm surprised that Arthur didn't notice."

"Please understand, Arthur does not want anything to do with the Jokers. The shock of his brother as the Black Joker was a bit much for him. Arthur does not forget nor let go easily—even after centuries. He has left all matters of the detainment of the Joker to me and me alone. The other Spell-wielders in our Suit are Numbered. They spent more time outside the castle than in and would not have been any help."

"When you found the Joker's cell empty, what did you find?" Ludwig asked rather hurriedly.

"Only a strong magical presence. The Joker didn't bring anything with him in, when we detained him, or out, when he escaped. All of his possessions were left behind in the cell, which has not been disturbed since the I found the cell. You are welcome to inspect the scene yourself once we arrive."

When the King of Hearts nodded his acknowledgement, the Queen barraged the Jack of Spades with questions. They were menial questions, no doubt the information will be repeated in the meeting. Feliciano took this chance to gaze out the carriage window once more.

The golden plains of the Spades countryside had long given way to the structures of human inhabitation. The soft thuds of the horses' hooves turned to loud clops as cobblestone replaced the dirt roads. The others in the carriage quieted down when the wheels began to rattle loudly and the ride became a bit more bumpy.

Outside, small homes were scattered over harvested farmlands. They passed by a wagon distributing chopped wood around to families and another selling furs. Winter was on its way and the Spades citizens were preparing themselves.

Feliciano, unconsciously scooting closer to Ludwig's warmth, remembered the first and last time that he visited the Dragon's Stronghold in winter. It was several decades ago when he accompanied his Queen to a meeting with the Spades Royalty. The trip itself wasn't memorable, nor was the purpose of it—probably just some alliance business. But what Feliciano did remember was that Spade winter was nearly as bad as Club's winter only windier, and the bitter resentment between Queen of Hearts and the Jack of Spades.

Stealing a glance at the objects of his musings, Jack Vargas couldn't help but wonder how well the two of them really got along. Sitting across from them, they didn't seem to have any bad blood between them, and they certainly did well in hiding any of it. But this was the oldest and the second oldest beings in the entire world—they are masters at being unreadable. Feliciano had once asked Kiku what qualms he and Yao had against each other. The only reply he received was that it was personal and that it would not affect the business of Suits or his ability to rule as Queen of Hearts.

The Dragon's Stronghold was exactly as Feliciano had remembered it to be. To an outsider like him, the Spades' capital city was just a labyrinth of stone walls and bridges ascending towards the castle. It was surprisingly spacious with the amount of people that lived there—Spades was the most populated kingdom and consequently had the most populated capital. Crystal clear water flowed through the canal systems that interlocked with the roads and spouted out the plaza fountains.

The castle sat atop the city like a colossal crown of silver with a bluish tint thanks to the sapphires embedded to its wall foundation. The gems gave the castle a brilliant shine with the right amount of sunlight. But Feliciano knew there they, like the rubies in the walls of Sundrop Keep, had another reason.

Magic.

Gems had enhancing properties towards magical spells. And with a Spell-wielder of Queen Kirkland's caliber and a scholar of Jack Wang's stature, the Dragon's Stronghold will go down in history as the most impenetrable bastion this world has ever seen.

"There are more people out and about," Kiku observed then turned to the blue royal. When Yao did not reply, all attention was turned towards him. The Jack of Spades was rendered speechless. Golden eyes were wide in surprise as he gazed at his subjects.

"Yao?" Ludwig called, concerned.

The ancient man opened his mouth then closed it again, eyes never straying from his people. "They-they're—it's been so long since I've seen so many smiles…"

To the Suit, nothing is more important than the safety and happiness of their people. It is the one thing that they will prioritize over all other roles. There've been rumors—ones that the Suits have pointedly ignored—about the impossibility of marriage since their first love would always be the people they serve.

In Spades, as far as Feliciano heard from reports as well as his sparse stopovers, the people haven't been content. In his past visitations, there were barely any citizens wandering about and close to zero smiles.

Looking at them now felt like a switch has been flipped. More and more people were nearly swarming the plazas and the chatter grew festive, as if they were all simultaneously celebrating their birthdays. Shopkeepers were calling to the crowd in hopes of sales. Men and women clapped shoulders and embraced, basking in the sun. Children chased each other around their parents and pulled all sorts of shenanigans.

"Jack Wang!"

Outside Feliciano's window, the four royals found Eight Kirkland pushing his horse to catch up with the carriage. Ludwig barked an order for the driver to slow down to allow Jett to gallop to them.

"Forgive me for interrupting, Lords and Majesties." The hurried formality was waved away by Yao who urged the man to spit out whatever it was that he came for. "But one of our, uh, guests, has fainted."

"Which one of them?"

"The, um, louder one…?"

Now, Feliciano was very concerned for this person. Falling off a horse—I hope they've put him on a wagon or carriage—was not a pleasant experience especially when one wasn't feeling well. However, the Jack of Spades didn't seem concerned about his guest. In fact, he seemed delighted to hear the news.

"You...don't seem worried, Yao." Even the King was confused.

Yao let a smile spread on his lips before replying to the Eight. "Have Six Kirkland bring him and his brother to the Castle Infirmary immediately. Meanwhile, inform the Queen of the arrival of our guests."

"Will your friend be okay?" Feliciano asked, watching in concern as the Eight disappeared somewhere behind them. When he returned his gaze to the man sitting across from him, he was surprised to find that the ancient man had a genuinely happy yet relieved smile on his face. He wouldn't be surprised if the man started crying tears of joy.

"His fainting is a good thing, aru," Yao replied, practically glowing. "A very good thing."

"Ace Vargas, you have summoned for me?" Nine Herakles Karpusi announced, his voice echoing in the small chamber. The Ace didn't even look up from the desk he was hunched over as he waved for the newcomer to approach.

As soon as the Royals had left for the Spades capital, Lovino and Antonio returned to the dungeons and investigated the scene thoroughly. The King had given them total authority over the situation as well as orders for a daily report be sent to them via wisp. Hours in to the repeated investigation, and by a stroke of luck, the Ace found a sliver of a very important clue.

It was a miniscule amount of magical trace different from the his, his brother's, and the escaped Joker. He immediately sealed a sample of all the traces then quickly headed to the library. Once there, he settled down and summoned the Herakles, second behind his brother as the most knowledgeable in the magical arts in Hearts.

"Here." Lovino handed him the parchment containing the sealed traces. "Tell me who these traces—which were found on Lieutenant Zuruck's body—belong to."

Herakles raised an eyebrow before accepting the parchment. With the Royals on an out-of-country business trip, the Ace was highest ranking. Disobeying him would have been disrespectful, and technically against the law, but Nine Karpusi was more concerned about the fit Ace Vargas would throw if he refused.

Lovino watched as Herakles inspected parchment and mumbled out the identities of the traces. "I see...you and your brother having the most prominent traces here...as well as the unknown one somewhat similar to a certain Spades family…"

"That would be the Black Joker's," Lovino grunted returning his attention to the tome he had picked out earlier. It was a detailed volume concerning magical traces and their effects on a spell. Tch, nothing useful here.

"There is another one I am supposed to be identifying, isn't there?"

"Try bringing it closer to your face—have your nose practically touching it." If that tomato bastard hadn't bumped into me, I never would have noticed.

Herakles shrugged and did as the Ace told. Lovino waited a moment before the Nine's surprised brown eyes flickered towards him. "The King's…?"

"That's what I had thought as well. But he, like the rest of the Suit, was in that godforsaken meeting during the time of the murder. There's no possible way that he could have done it," Lovino sighed.

"No," Herakles confirmed keeping his eyes focused on the parchment. "King Beilschmidt has no motive to kill one of his subjects. None of the Suits have given any inclination for disloyalty for the people."

"Then whose trace is that?"

When Herakles said nothing, Lovino stood and approached him with his hand held out. The parchment was handed to him. "Do we have a sample of the King's magical trace to compare this to?"

Herakles shook his head. "As you know, there are two kinds of Suits: Spell-wielders and Combat Mages. We Spell-wielders are more magical inclined and, with practice and discipline, perform any spell they wish."

"And Combat Mages are those who have limited magical abilities and usually stick to low level magic like enhancing themselves during combat," Lovino finished irritatedly. "I'm well aware of that fact as well as the one where the only possible way that the King's trace could have gotten on the victim is if the potato bastard attacked him in close range fight."

Herakles took the parchment from Lovino and held it under great scrutiny . "I believe we are mistaken, Ace Vargas."

"Oh? In what, exactly?"

"In our assumptions. This trace is too...magically inclined or concentrated to belong to a Combat Mage like the King. In fact, this magical trace could be bigger than the Jack's, your brother's."

"How…?"

Herakles turned the parchment towards the Ace. "Your traces covered up a significant amount of the unknown trace. Although, it is strange that the same thing didn't happen to the Joker's trace."

"Wait a second. What are you going on about now?" Lovino ground out.

"Most powerful magical traces can't be covered up by other magical traces. However, it is possible for it to happen if it's a very old trace."

"So, we are looking for someone whose magical capabilities are on par with the Spell-wielders of the Suits who has been in contact with the Lieutenant for how long exactly?"

The Nine took a moment to ponder the Ace's questions then placed his palm on the parchment. Herakles muttered an incantation then sighed worriedly. "This magical trace is powerful enough to compete with the Queen of Spades himself. I hypothesize that the victim has met this person several times for this kind of trace, but I won't be certain of that until I see the body."

"Any ideas as to why it feels like the King's trace?"

"My guess is that it belongs to someone who is related—"

"The Red Joker?" Lovino interrupted.

Before the Royals departed, they disclosed the news from Queen Kirkland of Spades of the escape of Gilbert Beilschmidt, Red Joker and King Beilschmidt's older brother. To travel from the Dragon's Fortress to here in such little time...it's not possible…maybe Rune Travel but even that's a far cry...

Herakles shook his head. "I believe not—unless the King has an identical twin brother. The traces are too similar for them to be just brothers, but different enough to not be the same person. But..."

"But what?"

"Pending on how old this trace is, it is possible for it to have been tampered with. In fact, that's the theory I am leaning towards"

"Wait. Wait a second," Lovino growled pinching the bridge of his nose. "So it can be anyone's trace that's been altered to identified to be the King's? That's possible?"

"It's an extremely difficult and dangerous process, made even more so since whomever is responsible is targeting a King," Herakles sighed, handing the parchment back to Lovino. "However, as aforementioned, I won't be able to provide more concrete facts without inspecting the actual body. Do I have your permission to do so?"

Ace Vargas held up a finger. "One more question before you go: is it possible to store someone's magical trace? Like in a special container or something? There is that seal I'm currently using, but that'll only last a few more minutes at best."

Herakles raised an eyebrow. "I have not heard of such a way. I will have to research this matter before I can give you a confident answer."

Lovino grumbled his thanks then dismissed Nine Karpusi with a wave. As much as he disliked his King, he trusted him enough not to harm anyone of his innocent citizens—it was the purpose of their existences after all.

Ace Vargas ran a hand through his dark brown hair frustratingly and read over his notes. The Lieutenant was killed two hours before the messenger burst into their meeting. The cause of death was the cut throat—quick and merciful. However, the evidence left behind on the body complicated things tenfold especially the Black Burn in the shape of the nonexistent Spades King's Insignia and a trace resembling the King of Hearts.

What kind of egoistic bastard has the gall to think that he has what it takes to challenge the two kings of the Major Suits?

Sorry for the late update everyone! Anyone ready for the gravity Falls Hiatus end today? Can't wait to learn about the Stans' past and asdkjfasldkfjakdhfadasdf

(I'm gonna start doing this now XD) Next Chapter: To Be a Brother

Please review! :D