Crimson

A game of looks.

Juno was walking a little too fast to be considered cool or charismatic, qualities he had always smirked at when they were attributed to him.

But , this was Queens and Juno loved gambling dens .

Not the dens , with the sweating , swearing and desperation but the games .

And the thrill of winning,the thrill of knowing the outcome beforehand and forcing others to show their hand.

Mama had always been the most beautiful when she played.

*****

I arrived at Queens much faster than I had estimated,maybe the roads had grown shorter,who cared enough to measure them.

Queens was one of those few places where the populace gathered regardless of social or blood barriers.After all, everyone loved a good game.If brigadiers were here,then,they were here to gather some information.

At the entrance,there were guards looking sternly at some folks, probably lost several games and still refused to leave, gambling dens were the same In every part of the world. A woman stood to the side with a child on her arms,the child was wailing unapologetically whilst it's mother only stared wistfully inside.There were a few people who loved the games a little too much, enough to sacrifice the important things in their lives,the worst.There was almost always no salvation for them.

Mama had made it a point to play against such folks.She would play them till they had nothing and then force them home,she had called it her cleansing.

I walked up to the entrance.All of the guards looked extremely bored,so,I just walked past them,no one tried to stop me.Unlike other dens I had visited, Queens was full of light.

Really,it had no roof whatsoever.The building was covered by a slab of translucent glass,it added to the appeal of the den.

Several tables with players at different stages of paranoia littered the interior.There was no point searching for the brigadiers,they would come when I made this building my b***h,yeah, I said it.

I scanned slowly and found the perfect table,a group of young,well dressed men.

They were drinking wine and talking ,it almost looked like they were not interested in the game of cards,almost.Their eyes were on fire,they were definitely not new to this.I made my way towards them just as one of the men,a redhead,was clearing the table, seems he had won again.

"Can I join?",I'd put on my best smile.

The one that had just won remained how he was,head bowed,studying his cards and his earnings.The others did the same, except one,he lifted his head and smiled at me.He was a stunning man, probably had been told one too many times.

" Are you sure about that ? Keanu is a tough bastard ",

He was pointing at the one that had just won .

Keanu raised his head , it wasn't just the head on his hair that was red , every bit of facial hair he had was also red .

There was some aesthetic symmetry to this and the result was an alluring man , his skin was pale and dull, probably from staying in and reading all day.

He accessed me quietly while the others all raised their heads,four of them were staring at me now.

They all had no visible scars or markings,so, Scarlets.

Keanu nodded," She can play,we are starting off with one silver bar" , his head was bent already.

I cleared my throat and he looked back at me.I stared at him, waiting,might have also been showing off my manly chin.

" What ?"

He spat out .

I knew now ,he was one of those non-compulsive players that imagined it all before they played,an extra player was always a negative variable.I smiled apologetically.

"You don't have a silver bar?",he asked incredulously .

Courtesy of flamboyant red hanfus.

"I do have silver but I'm not female",I supplied as I dropped my pouch on the table.

Keanu gave me a once over and began to sputter,strange,since his drink was untouched.

Stunning and the other nameless two were laughing now,they laughed like it was a norm to laugh at Keanu's obliviousness.

Keanu was glaring at them,he looked like what an embarrassed kitten would resemble.Stunning stopped first and patted me on the shoulders.

He pointed at one of the other men with shoulder length brown hair framing his face,"That's Gus,you don't need to worry about him,his head is never truly in the game",Gus nodded at me and I did the same, awkward.

He turned to the other guy,this one looked unique,Oriental roots maybe,"This is Jun, he's a terror with cards, Keanu is the douse to his terror",Jun smiled, shaking his head slightly.

Keanu had started distributing the cards.I turned to stunner,he raised his brows and proceeded to laugh again,if he was interested in me,I'd probably be on his bed now or any surface really,thank the gods for tanned skin.

"You didn't say your name either so....."

"Juno",I interrupted.

"Juno",he was smiling and saying my name like he was tasting my name.

"A female name?",he looked at me questionably.I shrugged.

He chuckled again,"I'm Marcel".

Marcel,it suited him.Someone cleared their throat.I looked away from Marcel,all three men were staring at us.

"Do you need more time for your foreplay?",this was from Jun.

"We weren't...",I stopped when Keanu roughly pushed my cards into my outstretched hands.

Everyone was looking at the cards they had been dealt,so, i did too.There was no need really.I had played enough cards with Mama to know you could win a game with even the worst cards.

Gus had been quiet all along,he spoke first now,"Let's play, I'll start".

******

Marcel had lied.

Keanu was a tough player but he wasn't as good as Marcel.Keanu,Gus and Jun and lost about an hour ago.I was having fun playing with Marcel,so,when opportunities had been presented to win the game,I had ignored them and continued playing.

We had emptied several wine glasses and Marcel had become more chatty as he drank.He was charming.A small crowd had also gathered and the stakes had been increased,the crowd had made bets on us.Still,we laughed as we played,maybe it was the drinks.

I wondered briefly if the brigadiers were still here.The serving boy brought more wine over,my seventh glass now,it was time to end the game.I looked over at Marcel who was studying his cards intently.

"There's no use,I'll win in the next three moves",I whispered.

He smiled,"I don't think so, darling".

He had started calling me endearments halfway through the game,I didn't know how to deal with it,so,I'd just ignored it.This was what lack of human relations caused,I had no idea how to deal with other humans,so,I ignored most.

He played his card.

I looked up at him ,"Move 1",I grinned.

I dropped my cards,"Move 2 and check",I whispered.

Marcel looked at the cards for a long second.

"You said three moves",he tried to look stern but I could see his eyes twinkling.

"I don't remember that",I said lifting my shoulders.

Marcel stood up,"It seems my opponent is a much better player",he announced to the spectators.

A mixture of groans and applause broke out.I stood up after gathering all of the silver I had won into my pouch.Marcel was talking to a well dressed Man by the side,an acquaintance maybe.

Ahead,two men stood by the bar.They were dressed casually but I knew.Seems the brigadiers had watched my game.

I turned when someone tapped my shoulder,Marcel.

"Want to grab one last drink with the boys and I?",he asked gesturing towards the bar.

I somehow felt closer to them,Gus was married and expecting a child,his friends complained about him never wanting to have fun again.

Jun was a part of the governor's inner military.He was a great player but was all attack and no defense.He was also funny and quiet.

Keanu was an historian like I thought,he was married to his books and hardly ever came out except to gather information.Apparently,he saw playing cards as some sort of education and not a game.

Then,Marcel whom I had thought probably spent all his time on women and cards was a designer.He had even once dressed the royal Crimsons.That had come as a shock,he even knew what seasons the fabrics of my hanfu were made just by touching them.He said he became a designer to meet lots of beautiful women but I'd seen it when he touched my clothes,he had been elated to tell me unnecessary information about my clothes.

We moved towards the bar,Marcel and I taking up the rear.The brigadiers were watching us approach,the blonde one staring intently at Keanu.The other one pretended to look at his drink.

We fanned out at the bar and I somehow ended up between Marcel and the other brigadier.The blond brigadier had sashayed towards Keanu.

I knew I was tall but these men were ruining my height confidence.Marcel got our drinks from the tender and passed mine.It was green and thick.

"What is this?",I asked staring suspiciously.

Marcel smiled evilly,"Iced nature,it's okay if you can't drink it all".

I raised my brow at Marcel,"Are you trying to make me drink this?"

He leaned closer,"Is it working?"

I frowned,"It is".

"You shouldn't drink it".

I turned towards the source of the warning.The other brigadier was looking at us,he looked like he'd rather be anywhere.The lights at Queens did him justice highlighting his face.He was good,no, great looking.His eyes were wide,slanted and deep cut.They were dark,so dark but when the light caught them,they glowed as though liquid gold flowed in it.His nose was strong and beautiful,the kind I had always wished for, ugh.And his lips were beautiful,the upper lip was thin and slightly covered by the hair that grew short above it,his lower lip was full, sensuous and a deep red,a true scarlet.His hair was cut very short,just long enough to grab.He even had a butt chin,what was happening?

I shook myself discreetly and got all defensive, insecurities were a real b***h.

"Why can't I drink it?",I all but screamed,yep, definitely jealous.

He raised his brows,what was with handsome guys raising their brows at me.Marcels' hand crept unto my shoulder patting me.The brigadiers eyes followed this and his already glowering face hardened.

"If you had that much wine to drink while playing, taking this will render you immobile",he spoke so stiffly.

Was this how he intended to blend into the crowd?

He even spoke like a soldier.I rolled my eyes and downed the drink.I turned to look at Marcel who had an unsure expression.

"What?",I was definitely screaming now.Not my fault,my throat was burning and I had to pretend it wasn't.

Marcel examined me carefully,"He's right, you've had a lot to drink.How does your throat feel?".

I rolled my eyes,"Fine".

Marcel chuckled and held out his hand to the brigadier,"Marcel and the spitfire is my friend Juno".

"Friend?",the brigadier and I asked at the same time.

I glared at him and mistakenly noticed his chest,even with his clothes,I could see the definition.Was this make Juno cry day?

Brigadier shook Marcel's outstretched hand,"I'm Vita".

I waited,nothing more.

"What's your full name?",I had to reduce my glare.Kinda hard to glare and talk.

"Vita".He looked down at me daring me to say something.Who did he think I was?

"Not Vitalis or Vitaloc?", I batted my eyelashes at him.

He was full on glaring now,he bent his head to speak into my ear.

"It's Vita,like you're Juno",he whispered.

My legs shook,he'd said my name the way one might whisper a moan.

He looked away and I cleared my throat.I turned to Marcel who had a s**t eating grin on.

Marcel grabbed me by the waist and suddenly began to tickle me.Unfortunately,I began to laugh or cry,who knows?I had tears in my eyes.When he released me,Vita was looking at us with a strange expression,I straightened my clothes and turned to Marcel.

He was still smiling,"I needed to ease the atmosphere,you were almost growling at him".

The other brigadier was walking towards us pulling Keanu along, Keanu didn't look particularly resistant.This brigadier was blonde and beautiful, definitely a man of his ways.

Poor Keanu,the brigadier would eat him and spit his bones out.The brigadier was smiling at us like we'd known each other for centuries.

Keanu sighed,"These are my other friends,Marcel and Juno".I inhaled sharply,I had to buy more of the oils I had sprayed today.

The brigadier looked expectantly at Keanu who sighed deeper,"And this is my.....this is Nero".He finally said.

"He and his companion are brigadiers",Keanu added.

Vita spluttered, coughing violently and I laughed.It seemed it was going to be the other way round.Keanu was going to eat this brigadier for dinner.Probably today's dinner.

I turned to observe Vita,his face was red,very red.

"Shouldn't you be investigating and trying to catch you know,the thief?,I asked.

He glared distastefully at me.Just then,a lady in an ivory jacket passed and I remembered.Shit.

Ring.

Ali.

Haze.

Gold.

Ali was going to b***h all day.

I pushed my drinks back and grabbed my jacket from where I had discarded it.Marcel raised his brows.

"What?Are you leaving?",he asked.

I nodded as I struggled to put on my jacket,it had somehow twisted messily.

"I need to be somewhere else". Someone was helping me with my jacket.

"Do you need an escort?",Marcel asked standing too.

"No,I'm okay to go alone".I replied.

"You shouldn't be walking alone at this late,the city's dangerous",Vita came from behind me,he must have been the one helping with my jacket.

I smiled softly,"I think I should also be considered a danger to the city".

Vita's bored expression was back.

Marcel threw his hands around me, engulfing me completely.

"Let's have a meal soon,come to the design house anytime and I'll treat you",He was definitely drunk now.

I squeezed out of his embrace, pushing him onto Keanu's back and I came into Vita's line of vision,he looked away hurriedly.I turned,spotting Jun I waved and walked out of Queens.

I had never had this much fun with other people.Mama had always said it was best for me not to make friends and like everything she had said I had obeyed, asking no questions.

The night was cold,worse than the night before.I pulled my jacket tighter around me.Ali would know to have a cup of some warm liquid for me.

He would also have a lot of insults to dish out,but,for now I was happy.