Heartless (by Marissa Meyer) Fanficiton

Chapter One.

Catherine continued to glance away from Margaret, into the crowds of people, searching for Jest. It was another one of the King's balls and although he and Catherine had recently became courted she could not stop thinking about her's and Jest's past encounters. They always seemed to leave her cheeks as red as the dress she wore the first time they met.

"Lady Pinkerton." said Margaret. "Who, or what ever are you looking for?"

"No one, no one. Sorry." Cath apologized looking back up at the girl in front of her. "What were we talking about once again?"

Margaret's eyes widened, and she bit the right side of her lip. "No class is what you do not have." She said clearly insulted. "Not only were you rudely not looking at me while I was speaking to you, but you were not listening ither."

"I was listening... at first. Then... Then I got distracted." Catherine took another glance around the room, this time to the head of the room. She quickly caught a glimpse of Jest. Noticing him not only by his attire, but by his golden eyes. Even across the room they shined brightly.

"Well," Margaret said turning her body to face the head of the ballroom. "It looks like you found what you were looking for."

"Are you not listening to me?" Asked Cath. "I said I wasn't looking for anything, or anyone." She tried to think something up while looking at Margaret. "I got distracted by the Peter's. It's amazing how the King allowed them to another ball with the way they were acting at the last."

"Oh." Margaret said surprised. "I know, it's quite astounding isn't it? I mean just look at them." Cath looked back to the head of the ballroom where Jest no longer was. "Standing there, they're not even dancing, nor at least talking to each other. A bunch of nuisances they are. You know what I always say..."

"Once a goldfish, forever a goldfish." The two of them said in unison.

"Would that happen to mean once a joker, always a joker?" Catherine quickly turned to her side where Jest was grinning his hands behind his back. He took Margaret's hand, and kissed it. "Lady Mearle". He looked up at Catherine his eyes laughing. "Lady Pinkerton." Cath held her hand in front of herself. Jest gently grabbed and pecked it. "It's always a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"It's rather rude of you to eavesdrop." Said Margaret. "How long have you been standing there anyway?"

"Only long enough to hear your sentence about being a goldfish." Said Jest his dimples appearing. "And actually I came here because the men I was entertaining brought to my attention that Lady Pinkerton looked like she might need her help searching for someone."

Catherine blushed. "I actually do not need any help."

"Oh, do you mean that you've already found them?" Jest asked not hiding a hint of his amusement. "Tell me who, and I'll bring them over to you."

"She actually wasn't looking for anyone." Said Margaret. "She was only wondering why the King invited the Peter's again."

Jest lifted his eyebrows at Cath and gave a smile that did not show his dimples. "Well, if and when the king proposes as he's bound to, I'm sure he'll grant your request about not wanting them to come."

"Well-" started Cath.

"The king!" Said Margaret. "She was most likely looking for the King, and used the Peter's as some excuse. Again rude of you to do so."

"Ah, that makes sense." said Jest. "Of course Lady Pinkerton would be looking for her beau."

Cath looked away from Jest's sight and to the ground. "I really was distracted by the Peter's. I assure you I was not looking for the King." She refused to call him her beau, all she wanted was to get out of this courtship, but her parents made that seem impossible.

"How modest of you Lady Pinkerton." Jest said taking a step forward. He looked at Margaret then back at Catherine. "It's okay to admit that you were looking for the King."

"I was not."

"Joker, you should help her find the King." Said Margaret. "I've got to leave anyhow. My parents want me to speak to more people."

"I will, if that's what Lady Pinkerton would like." Jest said trying to hide his smile by biting the inside of his lip. He turned to Catherine. "Would you like me to help you find your beau?"

Cath knew arguing would be futile and decided to go along with it. "That would be great Joker." She said not wanting to sound too intimate in front of her friend by calling him by his name.

One of Jest's eyebrows raised at the sound of Joker. He laughed shaking his head. "Before we leave Lady Mearle, would you mind answering my question?"

Margaret turned. "What? What question?"
"Would your goldfish theory happen to mean for me, that I would remain a Joker?" He turned to face Cath. "Or could I happen to change into something else, take for example gain another title."

Margaret scrunched her eyebrows, looking up at the ceiling. "I suppose you could change, and gain another title, but you will always remain a Joker." She looked back at Cath and Jest. "So yes. Once a Joker, always a Joker."

"I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment, or as an insult." Said Jest. "But now I should go help Lady Pinkerton find her beau. Goodbye Lady Mearle." Before he could even finish saying his goodbye's Margaret had already started to walk away.

"Now to find you that King." Jest looked around the room turning in a complete circle. "I can't seem to find him."

Catherine looked around the room pretending she was actually looking for the King. When she looked at Jest again he was looking at her grinning, making it seem as if her act was not working. He laughed.

"Perhaps he's in the garden in search for a rose as beautiful as you are to give to you." He brushed his hand against Cath's, almost as if he was going to hold her hand, but then realized it would be inappropriate to do in such a setting.

Catherine looked around the ball one last time spotting the King eating on of her raspberry macaroons. She took a deep breath knowing that here mother would expect her to go up to the King and make conversation. "Perhaps. We should go." When she turned she noticed Jest looking at the same direction she was.

He looked at Catherine, his whole face showing his smile. "Yes, we should go."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Author's Note: So I have finally finished the first chapter. I don't know exactly how I feel about it yet but I thought I would post it. If you have any advice to how I could make my writing better message me. I hope you guys like it. And sorry that it's so short. I wanted to get my first chapter out there, I promise they will continue to grow in length and in writing skills once I get used to it. Also I'm always going to put the date I updated in the Author's Note so you guys can see how often I update, and the date of when I last updated. 

12/29/16