This Is A Goodbye

Along with the people, Clubs have provided medical aide and man power to help remove debris and rebuild some infrastructures. Diamonds has offered funding for businesses and people who need help with damage repairs. What surprised the people of Spades the most was the Jokers offering to host the children and the elderly while Spades continued the restoration. They have even offered to hold Rakepick’s devoted followers as prisoners, or more so to have them forced to take part in a comedic act where they are the targets of humiliation.

With Hearts’ contribution, they have helped with clearing the railroad tracks between the mountain path connecting Spades to Hearts so the train can operate again. Upon the last meeting between both the officials, Spades' Ace, Bill Weasley, had mentioned that Queen Veruca was upset after seeing the damage done to the garden she frequented. Wanting to make up for his horrible first meeting with Veruca, King Diego had taken it upon himself and prepared a new shipment for the country after the tracks were cleared.

The royal gardener, Sarahi Silvers, was tasked with gathering bundles of flowers, seedlings, sprouts and potted trees for Spades' restoration. King Diego had hand picked the types of flowers to be planted in Spades' parks. With all the florals in the kingdom, he wanted the perfect ones to be sent to Spades. Sarahi went through each of the plants, making sure everything was accounted for on the list as they were placed on the carts. Seeing that everything was there, Sarahi gave the guards a thumbs up for them to finish loading up the carts.

Standing by the gates, she waves them off as they head to the stations with the shipment. If the stations aren't crowded, the shipment should be able to reach Spades within a day.

~ Next Day • Country of Spades ~

Back in the Country of Spades, the newly appointed Jack, Rowan Khanna, rushes through the corridors of the palace, nearly bumping into the staff and workers trying to restore and clean up the damage from the war. The palace was the last thing Veruca wanted repaired as she wanted the resources to be used more for the people.

Hastily passing by people trying not to knock more things over, Rowan makes her way to the main garden of the palace. Excited by the latest supply delivery Rowan hopes the letter will bring some comfort to her friend. Afterall, the Country's acting Queen, Veruca McQuaid, cared more about her home than most people realized.

On the other side of the palace, Veruca stands in the middle of what remains of the main garden. What was once a beautiful place to relax during the day has now been wrecked in the midst of the war. As depressing as the sight before her, a melancholic aura hangs heavy in the remains of the garden. Her priority right now is to make sure homes and businesses were attended to first before public spaces like the parks. 

Though Veruca cannot help the doleful look as she made her way towards the broken down gazebo. This very garden was her favorite place in the palace. When her brother, Coby, was still the King, they would have lunch in the gazebo on days Coby was free. That was quality time for the McQuaid siblings, that he would make sure everything was already prepared and would send away any servant or guard to prevent any interruptions.

Oh how she misses those simple days. Days where she didn't have to worry about getting stopped on the street by guards abusing their authority or constantly looking over her shoulder for someone following her. 

If Veruca closes her eyes, she can remember how lush the plot of grass was, contoured by connected flower bushes and shrubs. The gazebo standing near the back of the garden, surrounded by a plethora of more exotic species. The flower beds were slightly overgrown, but looked otherwise in great shape; they were a unique, miniature world. 

A couple of benches were carefully placed in specific locations of the garden, almost taking people by the hand in order to show them the best sights. Grass and plants had crawl their way over and around the garden, eager to claim all pieces of land.

The gazebo demanded all attention, but in doing so also drew the attention to everything near it. The flower beds often looked fantastic, and the flower bushes and shrubs certainly attracted attention too, but the spotlight was always on the gazebo. 

Veruca hoped to restore the garden to what it once was. But how and where were they even going to start? Some of the flowers were not native to Spades, and the gazebo was designed by an architect from Diamonds. The last thing Veruca wanted to do was ask the regions for more assistance when they have already offered more than enough support for the country. Veruca has already owed enough people a favor for their assistance in the rebellion, she would hate to add more to ongoing list.

The sound of dead grass and twigs being crushed break Veruca out of her train of thoughts. She turns her gaze over towards the entrance of the garden to see Rowan rushing over to her, an envelope in her hand.

"Veruca, there you are! We just got a delivery from Hearts." The Jack holds up the envelope, the Hearts official stamp in clear view. "They sent an entire abundle of floral sprouts and potted trees. King Diego says it should be enough to help restore the plant life here."

Taking the envelope from Rowan, Veruca reads over the letter contained inside of it. "I hope these flowers can help return the Country's true glow with all their beautiful colors." Unexpected, but pleasantly surprised by the gesture, Veruca cannot help but smile. "So the King of Hearts can be genuine."

Rowan nods, "Despite his showmanship, King Diego does show genuine compassion towards others. It was a surprise though when he greeted you with that ridiculous comment."

A tight frown appeared on Veruca's face, "Hm, yes. Bill wasn't joking about Hearts and their obsession with beauty." A tired sigh escapes from her lips, "well come on then, let's go see what they had to offer." She nudges Rowan by the arm before making her way to the entrance. A small laugh was heard as Rowan comes rushing over to her side. "You're going to be impressed by the array of florals Hearts has. I wasn't even aware some of them were native to the Kingdom!"

The two made their way to the palace gates discussing what was next on their line of business. Bill was helping with the construction work while Veruca's family was helping in any way they can to provide for those who lost their homes. Rowan's family was working harder to provide materials and products for the people. Everyone was doing everything they could to rebuild Spades. Even Peregrine Pierce, a Trades Tracker, has even offered products and services from his company. Mister Pierce was a huge help during the rebellion, he was able to provide most of the rebels with equipment and gear without any of Rakepick's soldiers suspecting it.

"Everything seems to be going in order. The roads are being reconstructed, and most of the homes and facilities are in repair." Rowan addresses, flipping through the papers on her clip board. "I say if things continue to go this smoothly, we'll be done with all the repairs in no time!"

Veruca simply nods, "That's good. I want nothing more than for the people to go back to their old lives, before I plan to do anything else."

"I know, the staff here are surprised you haven't started the building plan for the palace's repairs."

"The palace can wait, the people should be able to sleep comfortably first. They're my priority right now."

The two women stepped through the palace doors, walking down the steps leading towards the gates. Three carts fully decked with plants and other gardening supplies, ranging from sprouts and seedlings to potted trees and shrubs. The carts were full with a beautiful array of florals, each one with its own unique set of gorgeous colors. They felt so out of place in the ruined remains of the palace entrance, surrounded by grey from smoke and soot. But still, these plants can help bring back some color in the country and lift people's spirits.

"Wow," amazed by the rainbow assortment, Veruca admires the way they shine under the sunlight. Taking her time to examine each of the greenery the Queen was impressed with Hearts' flora and vegetation. "You weren't kidding Rowan. I don't think I've ever seen some of these plants before."

Rowan lets out a small chuckle, "I knew you'd be impressed. Here take a look at this set right here!" The Jack takes a hold of one of the potted plants, holding it up carefully for Veruca to see. "These are Alstroemerias, also known as lily of the Incas. They come in many different colors. Their outer petals are solid colors while the inner petals are flecked or striped with darker colors. Beautiful aren't they?"

"They indeed are," Leaning closer to the plant, "perhaps we can–" the strong scent of the plant causes Veruca's face scrunches up, "we can– ah– achoo!" The sudden gush of air caused the pollen to spread.

"Bless you!" Rowan chimed, offering her handkerchief to Veruca. "Thank you," Veruca takes the cloth, sniffling a bit before wiping her nose. Her face scrunches up once again as she breathes in the pollen. Sneezing again, Veruca holds the handkerchief to her face.

"Veruca, are you alright?" Rowan puts the lily down quickly coming to Veruca's side. "You're not looking too well."

True to her words, Veruca's face was flushed. Her eyes were red with tears forming on her waterlines, slight swelling was beginning to form. A dull, throbbing pain was pounding against her head. Bringing her hand up to her head, she massages her temple to try and ease the pain.

She takes deep breaths, finding it hard to breathe despite her runny nose and congestion. Her throat and mouth begin to itch, coughing, clearing her throat and running her tongue on the roof of her mouth to try and soothe the itch. Her attempts were futile though as it just made the itch worse.

"I think–" another sneeze cuts Veruca off, "I think I'm allergic to… the pollen…" Rowan lets out a huff, "I'll say! You're definitely having an allergic reaction!" Taking Veruca by the hand, Rowan leads her back towards the palace. As soon as they were inside, the Head Maid, Aishe Durrant, comes rushing towards them.

"Aishe make some herbal tea, and call for a doctor. Her majesty is having an allergic reaction." Aishe nods hastily, running to call a doctor. Rowan helps Veruca to her chambers, guiding her to the bed before heading towards the private bathroom. She searched through the cabinets, sifting through the contents hoping to find something to help alleviate Veruca's condition. Finding a small bottle, Rowan checks the label. Painkillers. While it might not help much with the itchy throat or watery eyes, it could help with the headache.

Taking the bottle, Rowan heads back into the main room to see Aishe placing the tray of tea on the nightstand. Madam Strout, one of Spades' best healers despite being somewhat inattentive and naive, stands beside Aishe as she examines Veruca's condition. "So this is your first time having an allergic reaction?"

"Yes, doctor." The queen confirmed with a curt nod. "I have been around many flowers before, being able to breathe in the pollen until today." She sniffs, before coughing into a tissue.

"Mhmm," Madam Strout quickly wrote down the information on her clipboard, "and it was a lily that had caused your sudden allergic reaction." She stated, "The alstroemerias to be exact."

Veruca could only give a slight nod before another coughing fit starts. She swallows hard, taking deep breaths to try and steady herself. Rowan frowns seeing her friend in this condition, though she cannot do much but stand by as Madam Strout continues her assessment. The doctor nods her head, tapping her pen against the clipboard before turning her gaze towards the queen. "Well your majesty, your allergies are not severe. We are able to provide you medication."

"Oh that's good," Veruca gives her a small, shaky smile, "what are they, and when will I be able to take them?"

"With the alstroemerias being planted here, we can give you allergy shots to help your body build a resistance to the pollen. Yet remember since it will be your first time taking the shot, the medication will take some time for it to take effect." Madam Strout sorts through her medical bag, "I can prepare the medication for later and have it sent once it's complete. For now, you can take these allergy pills to ease the other symptoms."

"Thank you for your help, Madam Strout." Rowan takes the pills from Strout, grateful that Veruca's condition wasn't as bad as she thought, "I was really worried there for a second."

A soft chuckle left Madam Strout's lips, "Of course my dear. Now remember, call me if her majesty's condition gets worse." Madam Strout waves at the two women as she follows Aishe out of the room.

"Well, having an allergic reaction was not how I planned to end the day." Veruca sighs, throwing herself down onto her pillow. Rowan can only hum in agreement, "If I had known you were allergic, I wouldn't have brought the flower so close to you."

"It wasn't your fault, Ro. It's not like I knew I was allergic to those flowers too." Shaking her head, Veruca once again lets out another sigh. Taking one of the pills from the bottle Madam Strout provided for her, Veruca swallows the tablet. "I have never seen those flowers until today!"

Rowan stays silent for a moment, analyzing her friend before a smile takes over her face. "Well, we can place blame on King Diego. After all, he was the one to send it!" Even though she was joking, Rowan is already thinking of what she was going to say to the King of Hearts when she sends them a letter. Seeing the mischievous glint in her friend's eyes, Veruca can't help but laugh. "Oh alright, but go easy on him. It's not like he knew about my allergies as well."

"Of course, of course your majesty!"

~ Kingdom of Hearts ~

Back at the Kingdom of Hearts, the Royal messenger wolf cub awaits the postman outside the castle walls. Taking a short break from the day’s hard work of going around the kingdom delivering letters from the royal court and townsfolk, Borf was resting under the shade provided by the tree near the gate. After all, Borf was a good hardworking boy, and he deserved a little nap.

His ears perked at the sound of an engine running, alerting him of another presence. Instantly awake, Borf gets up from his laying position and stands guard. Facing the entrance, his blue eyes searched for the new presence approaching the castle. Finding that it was just postman's vehicle pulling up to castle gates Borf's tail wags expectantly. The postman steps out of the vehicle, waving towards the excited wolf cub hopping in place before it trots towards the postman.

Letting out a content sound from being petted, Borf sits to enjoy the attention the man is giving him while the postman places the navy blue envelope in his messenger bag. Accepting the treat with a happy bark, Borf waits till the postman leaves the castle grounds before turning around and heading back inside the castle.

A happy bark catches Chiara's attention and she turns to see Borf skipping over to her. "Hey there, Borf." Chiara crouches down to Borf's level, a smile adorning her face, "Did you retrieve the letter from the postman?" Another bark from the cub tells Chiara that he has received it, before turning around to show off his bag. Chiara takes the envelope from Borf and pet him on the head, "Good job, boy." Standing up with the letter in hand, Chiara makes her way to the monarchs sitting under one of the big trees in the garden.

The messenger cub makes his way through the massive corridors or the castle. His grey coat along with his red and gold vest shine under the bright lights as he walks by. Borf has completed one part of his task, retrieve a letter from the postman, and now he has to deliver it to the Jack of Hearts. He makes his way to the private garden the monarchs occupy for their usual tea time. Upon reaching the doorway, Borf wags his tail once his eyes land on his owner, Chiara Lobosca, the Jack of Hearts. Her silver hair is the first thing he notices.

Diego's eyes light up at the news, "Ah, wonderful! I have been expecting their letter." He sets his teacup down and readjusts his position to lean back against his chair. "I wonder if her majesty is quite pleased by the array of florals she has received."

"Your majesties, we have received a letter from Spades." Chiara calls out, catching the King and Queen's attention. The silver, spades shaped wax seal catches their eyes as it shines under the sunlight. "It must be their response about yesterday's shipment."

Carewyn, the dutiful Queen of Hearts, squints her eyes at her fellow monarch as she sets her own cup down. "An array of florals?"

"Nothing but the best!" Nodded Diego, feeling proud of his noble deed. "I had heard from their Ace, Bill Weasley, that her majesty wishes to restore the gardens and parks. So I–"

"Tasked Sarahi to pick out every floral arrangement you had requested and shipped them off to Spades." Carewyn cuts in, waving her hand to signal Chiara to open the letter. "Well, she is better at handling floral than you are."

"Absolutely! She was our best person to handle it. All the assortments were gorgeous," Diego exclaims, happily snacking on the tea cakes. After dusting his hands clean of any crumbs, he clears his throat, "Chiara, what has the Queen of Spades said in her letter? I'm sure she and her people adored our gift."

"Actually, it's from the Jack, Rowan Khanna." Noticing the slight disappointment in the King's eyes, Carewyn raises her brow as Chiara lets out a small chuckle before reading the note.

"Dear King Diego, we appreciate the shipment you have provided and will happily plant every flower and tree around the country. Her Majesty was quite fond of the alstroemerias–"

"Ah I knew the lilies would be perfect for her majesty!" Diego raises his cup, making a small cheer before bringing it close to his lips.

"However," Chiara interjects, cutting Diego's celebration short, "despite her majesty's appreciation for the flowers, they have triggered an allergic reaction and her majesty is now on bed rest until it passes. Her majesty has ordered that the alstroemerias will still be planted, yet it will be on the far east side of the country by the tracks by the mountain path. The next time you send something over, please make sure it will not potentially kill our queen."

As Chiara finished reading the letter a loud thud resonated from the table. Both women looked to see Diego's head faced down on the table, his teacup knocked over on the side. Muttering can be heard, yet he dared not to make any movements. "Uh, Sire…?" Chiara called, Borf walking over to the King before nudging his foot. "Are you okay?"

More mumbling from the King, "That's twice… twice I messed up my impression to her… Stupid Diego, how could you be so stupid?!"

Slightly amused by Diego's moping, yet is in disbelief by his intentions, Carewyn lets out an exasperated sigh. "Diego, you didn't think to ask what flowers Veruca or her council would want for their parks?" A groan was her response followed by a mumbled 'I wanted to surprise her.' Carewyn pinches the bridge of her nose, "Oh you surprised her, alright."

Diego turns his gaze away, looking anywhere but the two women with a pout on his face. "I'm not trying to make a fool out of her."

"It's hard to root for you when you're fumbling terribly over a woman." Carewyn claims, resting her elbows against the table and her chin upon her hands. A sly smile graced her features. "You've never been so shaken up over a woman before. Are you perhaps fond of the Acting Queen of Spades?"

"Right, because the only one who is making a fool out of themself is you, my Lord!" Chiara chimes, earning a soft chuckle from Carewyn and a huff from Diego. "Hey, you're supposed to be on my side here!"

Before Diego can answer, Carewyn raises her hand to silence him. "Veruca is clearly not like the women here in Hearts. They did not lead a rebellion and lost their only brother to a tyrant. Veruca is dealing with more than what we manage. You understand that, right?" She sternly holds his gaze, the seriousness of her words getting to him. "I know you're not trying to hurt her, nor were you intentionally being ingenuine. But do you understand that simply giving Veruca flowers without knowing her wasn't going to turn out in your favor?"

Not being able to turn his gaze away, Diego nodded, "I do… I do, I just–" he lets out a deep breath, "The way she looked at me when we first met… It was almost similar to the glint in your eyes when we met but more… intense. I felt chills throughout my entire body, and I liked it." Chuckling as he recalled their first meeting with the acting queen. "And then I acted on impulse! Said the first thing on my mind, tried to fix it and I blew it!"

The two women laughed thinking back on the memory. Carewyn left Chiara to continue the lecture as she took Veruca around the castle. The silver haired Jack remembers her king pouting as he watched Veruca follow Carewyn. He probably wasn't aware of it at the time, but he was quite smitten by Veruca.

Another sigh is heard, "I was hoping that by giving Spades flowers and trees for their parks, I'd be able to make it up to Veruca for our first meeting. I don't want her to think I see nothing past her beauty."

A moment of silence passes, letting Diego's words sink in before Carewyn hums in acknowledgement, "Remember the music box you gave me for Christmas?" She asks, receiving a nod, "You went out of your way to give me something when I was feeling down." She gave him a pointed look, "You can give thoughtful gifts when you are being genuine and sincere."

Diego remains quiet. Carewyn and Chiara are right, Veruca doesn't need a thousand flowers. And her reaction to their first meeting proved that she was not the type to accept compliments so empty like that. He can remember the look of absolute disgust when he asked what else was there to beauty. And he still remembers the hard hit to the head and the lectures about his poor choice of words. He truly was making a fool out of himself.

Seeing the realization dawn on his face, a knowing smile graces Carewyn's face. "So you now understand, that you have this whole thing backwards." She stands up from her seat, "You're treating her like she's one of your fangirls. We ladies of Spades are more inclined to accept praises when we earn them." Carewyn pats Diego on his shoulder before heading towards the archway entrances, "I can help you, but first," turning around, she gives Diego one last earnest look, "stop trying to mindlessly impress her and get to know the woman. Veruca will be more appreciative of you and your gifts if you are genuine about it." Carewyn then exits the garden, leaving behind Diego and Chiara.

"She's right, Sire." Stated the Jack, breaking Diego out from his thoughts. "And her majesty won't be the only one to help you. There's also me to help," Borf lets out a bark reminding them of his presence, "and also Borf!" The wolf cub barks once again in agreement. "It's honestly getting quite sad to see you try so hard only to fail."

Diego laughs, shaking his head. "Of course. I appreciate the help from all of you." Chiara smiles before handing him the letter. "We aren't the only ones offering our aide, it seems even the Jack of Spades herself is willing to give you some advice."

Taking the letter, Diego reads past the lines. He lets out another small laugh as he reads the words written at the bottom of the paper under where Rowan had signed.