Total Eclipse of the Heart (Royal AU Wally x reader)

Chapter Twenty-Two

[Just a little note: if this was a visual medium, the King of Spades' face would be crosshatched with black ink, like you would do on a picture with someone you don't like x)
Okay enjoy now!]

In order to understand the full story, let's start it from a different perspective.
No one knew of Ivan Moribund's origin, not even Ivan himself. But because of his bottomless pride, his mind simply couldn't accept that, and so, each time he would change his name, he would have a new story that he would genuinely believe to be true, until he changed his name again and came up with another one.
However, this new one was different, because this one was real. He was certain of that.
The only thing older than him was nature itself, and he's always felt a special connection to the Dark Forest, the pride and joy of his land. Surely, he must've come from this ancient place. He was the only one who held the key to its mysteries. But he would never tell such secrets to anyone. Because humanity wasn't worth it, not even his own people. Besides, if he ever told anyone, their mind would be broken, unable to fathom the reality of this world. Ancient magic and its history is not a trivial matter, everybody knew that. Such a burden he must carry, but he knew that only he could handle such knowledge.
Despite being content with these self-fabricated delusions, the King of Spades has always felt empty at the end of the day. There was a hole somewhere in this ancient heart of his. But it was so old that he could barely find it inside his own chest. As the King, his material needs could all be satisfied by just saying the word. And it would work for a while, but it was only a temporary distraction.
He felt it in his guts, there was something that he needed to do. A mission the spirits wanted him to carry out. A mission that, if he were to complete, would finally make him whole.

At first, he believed that this mission was to unite the Four Kingdoms, by burning the other three to the ground and claim their land as his own, turning the Land of the Four Kingdoms into the Land of Spades. He started this mission by going to war with those wretched Hearts and their Queen. It didn't work out like he had planned, the war was over before he knew it. It all happened fast, and the Kingdom of Spades lost, but only on paper. In reality, the King of Spades knew that Queen Ambrosia would never be the same after this. And he considered that a victory. That, and also the knowledge that she would eventually die while he would continue to live (as did and will all of his enemies). Which happened sooner than expected.
Next thing he knew, he was working with a child. He didn't know Queen Ambrosia had a son, but he found that laughably humiliating for the Kingdom of Hearts.
But the relationship between the King of Spades and the other three royals can wait. For now, let's turn our attention to the (L/n) family.

Now, there is no doubt that there must've been a reason as to why the King of Spades bribed the (L/n) ancestor upon discovering his secret. But over the centuries, he had forgotten that as well. And just like his own story, the reason would change with each new name he would take.
The (L/n)s lived the closest to the Dark Forest, while the castle was far away from it. Yet he needed to keep a constant eye on this ancient place, that would be the mission of that puny family. Always so simple, always so compliant. Good little donkeys they were. What a privilege he was giving them! Keepers of the Dark Forest, a duty passed down from generation to generation. He wondered when the newest ones will birth a son already. After all, they'll die before he could blink.
Time passed rather fast for someone who's immortal. He was late to everything.

Which was why he would tell the (L/n)s he would come every third day of every month, but never give a time of day. Today, he was on his way to the manor. He never liked it for some reason, he thought it lacked. While on horseback, he rode through his usual route, a perfect shortcut to make sure nobody saw him, if he didn't want to be seen that is. This time, he decided to ride alongside the mushroom line, to admire the darkness beyond it, to bask in the ancient magic brewing deep within the Dark Forest, and within himself as well no doubt.
Then, he heard a laugh. A laugh unlike any he's ever heard.
He turned his head, and didn't move further, wondering if this was his mind playing a trick on him. It would happen from time to time. When he heard it again, he began to follow the sound. He also heard a dog barking in the same direction as the laughter. He stopped when, in the distance, he saw a maiden, dancing with the fallen leaves of autumn. She had a dog with her, big and ebony black. A hound more than a common pet really. The King approached slowly. As he did, he could see more of her. Her (h/c) hair flowing in the wind, her (e/c) eyes bright even with the little amount of sunlight, pale (s/c) skin, and her laughter was simply out of this world. A pure and untainted fairy from the darkest pits of the Dark Forest, wandering in this wretched place.
The truth of the matter was, this was the first time in centuries that the King has heard something genuine. And he was mesmerized by it. She laughed again and his heart skipped a beat...
His heart? This feeling... This was it.