The next day, it was time for the next event of the Shuffling: the Hunt! The guests were lead to the edge of the forest within the estate. There were a lot of small tables scattered around the area, a few stands for drinks and food, and a huge one right in the middle. There was also a display of weapons, such as bows and crossbows, and other hunting gears. The King of Hearts stood in front of his guests and cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention.
"Welcome everyone." he said in a clear, booming voice that everyone could hear. "Welcome to the Shuffling's Hunt."
The audience applauded.
"We all know the rules: catch whatever animal you want and bring them back here." he gestured to the large table, the to the others. "We've prepared a tea party for the ladies, but really, anyone who is willing can participate. As long as they're not too young." he winked at a group of children.
"Dammit!" one small boy kicked the ground, which made people laugh.

"You have a variety of hunting equipment at your disposal, and may only use these." the king continued. "The game starts at the sound of trumpet, and shall end before dinner time." he hummed, acting like he was thinking. "Am I forgetting something...? Oh yes!" he smiled. "For this particular game, I've decided to make it more...exciting."
There were intrigued whispered shared amongst the crowd. The king's smile grew a bit bigger.
"At this very moment, my men are releasing some additional trophies that are not native to the Kingdom of Hearts. Taken from my personal zoo. Animals and other creatures, from all over the world, now infesting this very forest." he gestured behind him. "Not to worry, they're still harmless."
Suddenly, a loud roar echoed throughout the area, making the crowd flinch, some even gasped.
"Well. Most of them." the king shrugged, his smile unchanged.

(Y/n) gulped and glanced at Arnold, worried. But he looked as excited as ever, with a big smile on his face. This only made her more nervous.
"Whoever gets the best catch is the winner, and shall receive a very special award. You can play by yourself, or join forces with others. Whatever your heart tells you." he clapped his hands together. "You are given an hour and a half to prepare. Those who want to participate, please queue up to receive your bell."
One of the rules was for hunters to wear something that made sound so that other hunters don't mistake them for animal. The small silver bell was attached to a ribbon that one could tie to their wrist, or wherever they chose. Some have pointed out that the bell would just alert the animals of their presence. But they were reassured with the fact that there bells have been enchanted for their sound to be heard only by other wearers.

After talking to Arnold about their strategy for the day, Lady (Y/n) went to look for Mr. Dear. She found him preparing himself for the hunt.
"Lady (L/n)!" he beamed when he saw her. "I hope the day finds you well."
"Thank you, Mr. Dear. Hello to you too." she nodded. "May I say, you have a certain...glow about you." she leaned back with a teasing smile. "Like you are in a really good mood."
"Oh I can't hide anythin' from you milady." he scratched the back of his neck with a bashful chuckle. "Yes I am indeed. The reason for which I wanted to share with you, as I told you in my letter."
"I remember, yes. Well then please, do tell. And spare the juicy details for after the hunt, to keep me on the edge of my seat."
They shared a laugh then moved to a different spot, to have a bit of privacy.
"So," he leaned a bit closer. "at the ball, the King of Diamonds came to me, said he had an important mission for me. He then asked me to fetch him this new butterfly he's been hearin' about- after the Shuffling of course."
"Of course." she nodded.
"And, and then he talked about this new specimen, describing it in precise detail so that I may easily identify it in the wild. And then the conversation changed to more insects he would also like."

"...Oh." she said, trying not to sound too disappointed. "So you just...talked about bugs?"
"Well, he did mostly. I dunno anything about that stuff." he waved a hand. "I don't even like insects all that much."
"Oh! Well then, that must've been a bore to you..."
"Oh not at all! I love listening to him talk- I mean!" he blushed, suddenly tense. "Wh-WHen someone rambles about their interest, they have a certain spark in their eyes! And it's just lovely to see!"
She chuckled. She noted that his southern accent would become heavier whenever he panicked.
"I understand now. It's good to know that you have a mission from a King waiting for you after the Shuffling."
He tilted his head, a bit perplexed.
"Most people would say it's a lotta pressure."
"Why? If anything, it's an honor. A mission given by the King personally nonetheless."
"...You're quite patriotic, huh Lady (L/n)?"
She chuckled, not sure how to respond to that.

"So you'll participate in the hunt I see."
"Yes. I want to catch a rabbit to give to my mama back home. She's always wanted to have one as a pet."
"Awww, how lovely!"
"Will you participate perhaps?"
"Oh I'm more of an observer when it comes to animals." she waved a hand. "Countess Gwendolyn didn't even join us, as a vegetarian she is strongly against hunting. The Marquis, Lord Arnold will participate however, along with Lady Catherine's fiancé."
"Ah, well, may the best man win. I hope I'll run into them during the event."
"Maybe you will." she smiled. "Oh, and I must tell you about what happened to me at the ball."
"Why yes! I almost forgot!" he suddenly leaned closer. "Spare no detail milady!"
She did. Every sentence of hers were punctuated by Mr. Dear's comments, his tone and expression changing almost every time, for this was a real rollercoaster of emotion to him.

Finally. The participants of the hunt gathered in front of the trees, standing in a line, geared up and read to go. The King of Hearts called upon his servants to bring him a giant hourglass. The sand was on the top half, yet wouldn't budge.

"Now. May the Hunt begin! And may the best one win!"
After saying this, someone played a loud melody on the trumpet and the king lightly hit the hourglass. As if he turned on the gravity within the glass case, the sand started to go down. Arnold was one of the firsts to run into the forest. Others – like Mr. Dear – calmly walked in. Surely, every contestant left, under the applause of the audience. Then the guests turned to their tea party. There were a variety of snacks and Barnaby and his mates provided entertainment. (Y/n) wanted to talk to him, but he was busy at the moment. The two of them did curtsied once they locked eyes. Walking around, looking at the different stands, she noticed that one of the guests was setting his own. And it was already the most popular one yet.

"Come on people of the Shuffling!" he exclaimed towards the passersby. "Which one will be the winner of the Hunt? How many will perish at the bite of one of those creatures? Anything could happen! Place your bets!"
"A betting stand...?" she mumbled, her eyebrows furrowed. "Not a fan."
Curious, she leaned to the side to see how many bets were placed. Her eyes widened. So many already... And the scenarios they came up with kept getting more and more outrageous. It made her more unsettled.

"Lady (Y/n)!"
She turned over to see the young Duchess Molly, rushing towards her.
"Miss Molly." she smiled and curtsied.
As if this gesture reminded her that that was what she was supposed to do. She abruptly stopped and curtsied back.
"I hope you've been doing well." (Y/n) said.
She could feel the looks people were giving them. Well, her mostly. She was talking to a Duchess from the court of Hearts after all... But she ignored them.
"Very well, thank you." she nodded. "I saw Mr. Dear went hunting."
"He sure did. We wish him good luck."
"We do, we do! Father went too. And I'm already bored, do you wanna play?"

(Y/n) took a look around, she spotted Lady Catherine. Without her dear fiancé, she was afraid she'd be all by herself, but she was chatting with other people. From what she heard, she's joined a group of spouse. She was glad.
"I would be more than happy to Miss Molly." she smiled.
The child's face lit up. She grabbed the woman's hand and pulled her with her.
"Come! Let's go get matching cupcakes!"
There was a stand where one could customize their cupcake, which would then be made right in front of them by a chef. (Y/n) gasped in delight at all the delicious possibilities in front of her. Sadly for her, she wasn't the one calling the shots around here.
"Make them look like lemons!"
"Very well, your Ladyship. What flavor-"
"Lemon!"
"Okay, but which part-"
"Lemon!"
"Oh dear..." (Y/n) whispered, braising herself for what's to come.

Once the pair had their snacks, Molly led them to a picnic area she's set – she had her maids to it and took all the credit – with a large cloth on the grass, a trail with a tea set and comfy cushions to sit on. Once they were settled, (Y/n) stared at her cupcake. Lemon flavored, with yellow lemon frosting, yellow lemon sprinkles, and on the top of it all, a small green biscuit, lime flavored. She glanced at the child in front of her and her face dropped when she saw young Miss Molly devouring it like a hungry animal. Not a flinch out of her, not a twist in the features of her face. That scared (Y/n) a bit.
"You're not eating?" Molly looked at her.
"I'm...not hungry just yet. I'm mostly thirsty actually."
She took the tea pot, but Molly stopped her and had a maid to it for her instead.
"A true lady shouldn't have to do that kind of tedious stuff. That's what father says." she smiled with a huff.
"Ah, thank you."
'But I don't believe your father would include me in this...'

The two friends then engaged in some light-hearted small talk. (Y/n) spoke about the parties she attended the other day, and Molly complained about the other kids she was forced to spend time with during dinner. It would seem she had a hard time connecting with her peers.
"Kids my age are just the worst!" she huffed.
"My, that is a bold statement Miss Molly." she chuckled.
"But it's true! All they want to talk about are horses and hair."
"While you want to talk about...?"
"Ducks and vegetables!"
"Right..." she nodded, suppressing another chuckle, she didn't want her to think she was being mocked.

"Did you know some ducks are used for pest control?! I read that in a book once then took Clarabelle to our vegetable patch. She's had a real feast!"
"I did know that, we also use runner ducks for our gardens."
Molly gasped loudly, her eyes sparkling.
"How many ducks do you have?!"
"Um... In my estate, six or seven."

"Can we arrange a play date between them and Clarabelle?! She doesn't have that many duck friends!"
She chuckled at the girl's enthusiasm, though she knew the Duke would never accept such a thing.
"You know what, let's put a pin on that, and we'll talk about this after the Shuffling. Okay?"
"Okay!" she nodded.

"So, have you tried sharing your knowledge with the other children?"
"They're too busy playing horses..." she mumbled, looking down.
"You should at least try. Maybe they'll take an interest in your passion if you just share it. I believe it's a great way to make friends."
The young girl looked at her for a moment.
"Would you like to hear more about ducks and vegetables?"
"Sure." she chuckled.
Miss Molly then proceeded to list her top ten favorite ducks. And went on a rant about how pumpkins were actually fruits, and so weren't her favourite vegetables.

As she took a few sips of her tea, Molly turned her attention to the band playing as background music. They didn't have any singer and she didn't like that. Not only that, but they stopped playing at some point to take a break.
"I wanna sing."
"Oh." (Y/n) blinked twice, surprised. "Alright then."
"Do you sing?"
"You want me to sing with you?"
"Yes. It sounds much better this way."
"Um...Over there?" she gestured towards the band.
"Nah."
"Okay." she exhaled, relieved.

"Do you know the song of the willow maiden?"
"I do, yes."
"Do you know the harmonies?" she asked more excitedly. "I love them! They're so pretty!"
"Alright, as long as you take the lead."
She nodded. The two of them set their tea aside and faced each-other. (Y/n) began to snap her fingers to create a rhythm and they started to sing. It would seem Molly's eccentricity made (Y/n) forget about all the eyes that were on her. For some, this was getting boring and so they turned away, but others kept watching, some of which were by the betting stand.

"Five gold pieces the Lady of Spades is using the young Duchess." one lady tossed some coins to the stand owner.
"Ooo! A most interesting development!" the man noted this bet in his journal.
"I raise that bet to ten gold pieces!" a man handed that exact amount of coins. "No way a Spades doesn't have such intentions when spending time someone of such status. She must be trying to crawl her way up."
"Up and out of the Dark Forest."
"Must be hard, the Dark Forest is pretty deep." another person said.
They laughed. More people joined in on it.
"Oh. What's this?"
Everyone became tense and looked over to see the King of Hearts, his jester by his side.

"Y-Your Highness!" they all bowed.
"Barnaby." he said, though his eyes were fixed on the stand owner. "I believe we've talked about the Baron's stand, didn't we?"
"You sure did, my king." he nodded.
"And what did we agree on again?" he tilted his head, pretending to think.
"That betting and such activities weren't fitting the spirit of the Shuffling."
"I remember, your Highness." the baron nodded, a few drops of sweat on his forehead. "But I can't help it, if this is what the people want."
Wally glanced over at the chest that has been filled up with money.
"I understand." he sighed. "Who am I to go against the will of the people? You may partake in your bets. Outside of official royal events." he looked into the man's eyes. "Am I clear?"
"As clear as cave water your Highness!" he quickly bowed.

"Now go one and give everyone their money back." he waved a hand. "And please," he smiled. "keep a watch on these gambling tendencies you have. What would your wife think?"
"She divorced him, my King." a woman said.

"Oh my. I'm sorry, I didn't know that." he lied, covering his mouth to hide a smile.
"It's alright..." the Baron looked down, his face paler, and began to take down his stand with a defeated look.
Satisfied, Wally walked away, with Barnaby not far behind.
"Have someone keep an eye on him, will you?" he quietly told him.
"Got'cha." Barnaby gave him a thumb up.

Now the two friends could finally resume their conversation. But then their attention was caught by Lady (L/n) and Duchess Molly. A young woman and a child, two friends, singing a song together. A song about a hunter who fell in love with a woman living on the branches of a willow tree, who confessed his love and proposed to her, but she rejected him, saying she simply couldn't leave her willow. The hunter then took an axe and took down her ancient tree. He then took her out of the forest and she collapsed, lifeless, turning into a beautiful flower after leaving the land of her birth.
Once thing Barnaby noticed was that, at some point during the song, the look in the Lady of Spades' eyes changed. She didn't look away, but her eyes grew distant, like she was lost in thoughts. He would see that look in Wally's eyes sometimes. He glanced at his best friend, who was still looking at the duo. Finally, the song ended.

"Wow, I love that song!" Molly clapped, along with her maids. "So pretty!"
"It does sound beautiful." (Y/n) nodded. "But, it does tell a tragic story."
"Really?" she tilted her head.
'Did she not hear the words she was singing?'
"The hunter wanted to marry the maiden so badly, he didn't listen to her. And in the end, she died."
Molly though about it for a moment.
"I thought she was cursed to stay in the tree. He just wanted to save her."
"Oh, that is an interesting interpretation." she nodded. "But she's the maiden of the willow, the willow is her home. Yet the hunter chopped it down, despite her cries. And besides, he could've still loved her, even if he couldn't take her home with him."
"Huh..." her eyes wandered. "I never thought about it that way. He must've really loved her a lot."
"He must've..."

Meanwhile, the two best friends faced each-other again. Barnaby told him of what he noticed. This, plus what happened at the tea party yesterday, made Wally all the more intrigued.
"Could the rumor be true...?" he wondered.
"She don't seem like the type to like rumors." he shook his head. "Pretty sure she'd disagree with it."
A moment passed. Wally's gaze turned to the Lady of Spades once again.
"Let's say she was the 'real new ruler of Spades'." Barnaby continued. "What then? Will you blow her cover, or play along?"
Wally didn't have an answer. Recalling their interactions during the night of the ball, she seemed like such a simple person. And she still seemed that way as he looked at her from afar. But that was it. It would seem she only looked that way from afar. The closer he looked, the more questions he had. It left him curious, but mostly wary. He still didn't know much about her. A small frown formed on his face as he began to make his way towards her.

"Wallyyyyy!"
Said man yelped when his other best friend Julie, the Queen of Clubs, suddenly wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind.
"Woah, what happened to your reflexes?" she smirked. "Are you getting sloppy?" she gasped. "Am I getting better than you?!"
"Hello again Julie." he opened his arms to make her let go of him. "Is there anything you need?" he faced her as he dusted off his shoulders.
"I'm boooored!" she whined. "Why can't we participate in the hunt again?"
"Well, you can. I can't however, since I'm the master of ceremony. Some would say it wouldn't be fair."
"But I don't wanna do it by myself! My sisters aren't participating and neither is Frank!"
"Believe me, I would if I could." he sighed. "And come one now Julie. You only have..." he leaned to the side to look at the giant hourglass. "Four hours to wait until the hunt is over."
The Queen of Clubs let out another whined. Wally was used to it.

"You can just leave if you want." he suggested, not in a mean way of course which she understood.
"Why, when there's all these cool animals in there?!" she pointed at the forest. "But you said we can't participate."
"As I said, you yourself can-"
"We can't!"
He chuckled.
"Since we can't, mmh..." she narrowed her eyes, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "An excuse to go in the forest..."
She thought long and hard about it, and Wally patiently waited.
"Ah!"
"Ah."
"I know!" she huffed. "Why don't you help me with my magic?"

"Your magic? Julie, you are one of the most talented magic-users I know."
"Oh come oooon, please spar with me. Pretty please with a cherry on top?" she leaned closer to him, her hands joined together while giving him puppy dog eyes. "And also, with you being so busy the past months preparing the Shuffling, you haven't worked out at all!"
"You have a point there..." he thought for a moment before nodding with a smile. "Alright then. As long as we don't interfere with the hunt, I shall allow it."
Julie jumped up and down, her loud squeal catching the attention of the people