A Royal Flush

Setting: Cardelia, home of the Cardelians

Time: Seven years ago

"Alice, can you please ask Abigail to come to the dining hall, please? She's late again."

It was King Harold, the King of Hearts, speaking to the young Alice. He was a kind old man, who had a peaceful rule over his part of Cardelia. He had two daughters, Alice, the oldest one, and Abigail, the younger one.

"Yes, father." Alice nodded and slipped off of the bed she had been reading on. She tucked the red ribbon in to the pages of the book to mark her place before shutting it and setting the book down on to a desk. She then ran off to find her little sister.

"Abigail, dinner is ready." She peeked her head in to her sister's room.

Abigail, who had been sitting with her back to the door and in a chair at her desk, nodded silently and set down the pair of scissors she was using to cut paper. She then stood up and followed Alice to the dining hall, where the two sisters are together with their family and the royal servants and workers.

After dinner, Alice and Abigail went off to their own rooms to sleep. Alice had trouble that night with sleeping. As soon as she closed her eyes, she would hear whispering from the side if her bed. She would repeatedly turn on her light and look around the room, but nobody would be there...

She decided to go to Abigail's room. She's usually still awake at this time, probably working on some art project or whatever.

She quietly opened up the door to her sister's room...

"Hey Abigail- hey, wait... Abigail? Where are you?"

She fully entered the dark room and turned on the light. The bed was empty, the chair was empty... and the window was open. The pink curtains flowed gently in the soft breeze entering the room.

"Abigail?" Alice walked over to the desk and noticed the paper replica of the Royal Palace. A red marker line led from the window of Abigail's room in to the main hall. Inside of the replica, the red line continued through the palace, traveling in a strange pattern that led to the royal bedroom. It was only after a few moments that Alice realized that the path was made to avoid any guards.

Suddenly, a piercing scream sounded out through the palace.

Alice whirled around, seeing multiple guards rush past the open door of the room down towards the royal bedroom. One of them stopped and looked at Alice. "Where's Lady Abigail?"

Alice rushed over to the guard and shook her head. "I don't know."

The guard nodded and continued after the others, Alice following close behind.

Upon entering the now quiet bedroom, Alice saw a sight she would never forget.

Abigail stood in the middle of the room, the blood of other Cardelians staining her white sleeping gown. A pair of bloody scissors were gripped firmly in her shaking hands, crimson liquid dripping from its deadly tip. Her vibrant red eyes looked much more alive in the dark room as the two sisters stared at eachother, the bodies of the guards scattered across the room. The mutilated body of the King and Queen lied lifeless in the once white bed, now a gory red from the soaking blood.

"Abigail- what did... why did you..." she felt her tears rolling down her cheeks and draining in to her sleeping gown as Abigail slowly turned her body to face her sister. She held out a hand and gestured to the room. "See for yourself."

"But.. . Why? This isn't something you would do... and you're so young..."

"... Alice. Why are you so weak?" Those words made Alice's heart skip beats.

"Alice. How do you expect to become the new Ace of Hearts if you cry over a few deaths?"

"Is that what this is about? I already told you, I don't WANT to be the new Ace! I said I wanted you to have that! So why! Why's would you do this? You're a Heart, of all suits."

"... I don't have time for this, Alice. You WILL be the new Ace. And I WILL return, to destroy the rest of you all. But not yet. Not when it's this easy. Goodbye, sister."

Abigail walked past Alice, both girls completely silent at this point. A few moments later, Alice fell to her knees, clapping her face in her hands as she sobbed. Her exposed knees splashed in the puddles of blood, her tears mixing with the red liquid...