The Deck of Destiny - A Caraval Oneshot Collection

Scarlet Jewels {rewrite}

     Setting: Chapter 16 of Caraval but in Julian's POV
This is a rewrite of "shady meetings and earrings" and I like this version a lot better.

Julian had nothing in common with romantics. They always got swept off into fantasies in their heads holding unreachable standards. He often made fun of them with Aiko, but there was one romantic in particular he was beginning to admire.

     He didn't know why Scarlett cared so much about these earrings. Sure, from what he remembered of them they were pretty, but he didn't understand the significance behind them.

     And one thing he couldn't even to begin to comprehend was why in all the hells he was tracking down the performer who stole the scarlet jewels. They were just a pair of jewelry, but he could tell they held some importance to Scarlett, and for some reason that meant it held importance to Julian too. The way her face fell when she had lost the jewels, the face she'd no doubt make when he returned them to her...

     He knew exactly where to find the little blackguard who took Scarlett's earrings, and it was where time moved the fastest on La Isla de Los Suenos.

     The heart of the Castillo.

     It was also where players tended to get the most swept up because of how much magic ran through the centre of the Castillo, which was where Leo tended to do most of his preying. He was lying on a maroon sofa with a girl draped over him on each side.

     Julian cleared his throat.

     Both of the girls' eyes darted to Julian, and Leo simply frowned. "Julian, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

     "I'd like to talk about a pair of stolen earrings. Whether these two girls would like to stay or not is up to them, but I'm not leaving until I get the jewelry back."

     Leo scoffed, but the girls seemed to awake from a trance when Julian said the word stolen. As they walked past him, he stopped them swiftly.

     "If you two still want to have fun, I heard there's a kissing tent not too far off," he winked.

     The girls' mood lightened as they giggled and pranced off. He disliked ruining people's moods during Caraval, especially when they had merely done nothing wrong.

     But thinking of the kissing tent made him also think of Scarlett, and where he had to be shortly.

     Did she really not want to kiss him that bad?

     Perhaps she really was immune to his charms?

     No, that couldn't be it. Scarlett Dragna was loyal, and it was partly why he had already begun to admire her. But he was confident his charms would erode her eventually.

     "Well?" Leo waved his hand around. "Get on with it."

     "Where are they?"

     "About to make big money. Scarlet earrings of the Scarlett girl who just so happens to be the centre of this year's Caraval. Good headline, right?"

     Julian clenched his jaw. "You don't need the extra money, and you most certainly did not need to steal them."

     "Oh, what's the big deal? Everyone else was doing it."

     Greed. It was why so many people failed at winning Caraval. It was why he was confident Scarlett would succeed.

     "Where are they?" Julian repeated again.

     "Wouldn't you like to know?" Leo gave him a coy smile.

     He cracked his knuckles threateningly. "I would, actually. Why do you think I'm here?"