The Deck of Destiny - A Caraval Oneshot Collection

Shady Meetings and Earrings

Setting: during Caraval, Julian's POV of chapter 16 (If you want, you can read chapter 17 right after this and everything will flow together)
Inspiration: "Julian getting the earrings back" ~ a request by @JuneDanielIparis

Julian felt a little guilty for lying to Scarlett about meeting her later by the kissing tent. He tried to push the image of her waiting by the tent for a man who wouldn't show up. But if he missed this meeting, there would be a scolding later from his brother.

In all honesty, Julian couldn't have cared less about a scolding from Legend. But he was falling for Scarlett, hard, and he couldn't but help think that she was falling for him too. That should have made him happy, but he didn't want to distract her from saving her sister. In the end, they wouldn't last. He needed a reason to drive her away, and this meeting was the perfect opportunity.

He weaved his way around the tunnels, getting more and more annoyed with the ploy screams.

"You can cut it out, Ria, it's just me," he said once he passed Ria and the girl in gray screaming.

"Mace, give your voice a break." Ria waved her hand dismissively at the girl and turned to Julian with a flirtatious smile. "Sorry about that, Julian."

He felt like rolling his eyes at her not-so-discreet ways of trying to get with him. Instead, he gritted out a smile and continued on his way until he reached Legend's private quarters. Only his most trusted performers were invited to this meeting as not many of his performers even knew Legend's identity.

"You're late," Legend clucked his tongue as Julian entered the room, and Jovan, Casper and Leo all looked down as the brothers exchanged pleasantries.

"Excuse my tardiness, Brother, but I had to wrap up a few things in the game first," Julian apologized, though the tone of his voice made it clear that he wasn't really sorry.

"Speaking of the game, your role was supposed to end at the clock shop, yet you're still playing. Care to explain?" Legend tilted his head to the side, narrowing his eyes at his younger brother.

He could have lied, but he wasn't in the mood to come up with lies to tell his brother. Besides, Legend usually always knew when Julian was lying.

"I want her to win. And I know sometimes you don't always play in the fairest way." Julian shrugged while taking a seat at the table.

"So you're helping her play unfairly in return?" Leo, the man who took Scarlett's earrings, accused.

Julian always disliked Leo and his stupid bowler hat.

"We aren't playing unfairly. I'm just helping keep her on the right path," Julian replied, annoyed with Leo already.

"That was supposed to be Dante's job," Leo retorted, "though, your motives are never that pure, Julian."

"Okay, dial it down a notch, Leo," Jovan sighed, "Julian is helping things along if anything. We're trying to help the Dragna sisters, not toy with them."

"Thank you, Jo." Julian closed his eyes, developing a headache from Leo's need for drama.

"Speaking of," Legend cleared his throat, "we need to put Scarlett through a test. Jovan, you can give Aiko the signal tonight."

"Of course."

"Is Donatella following the guidelines, Casper?" Legend continued.

Casper laughed shortly, "Most of them. You can't blame her for watching Scarlett, she just wants to make sure she's doing okay."

"Where's Scarlett now?"

"In the fortune teller tent with Nigel," Julian answered, "That's where she was before I left for the tunnels, anyway."

"Good. We should get more insight then. Meeting concluded, I have other matters to attend to." Legend left the table abruptly.

While Leo liked to be dramatic, no one has a flair for drama more than Legend.

Jovan and Casper left the room after Legend, leaving Julian and Leo alone.

"I better get going-"

"I don't think so." Julian pinned Leo against the wall, narrowing his eyes. "You talk about unfairness, yet you steal innocent girls' earrings. Hand them over, Leo."

"You really do think you can do whatever you want because Legend's your brother. You can't just go off-script and get away with it," Leo hissed, slamming Julian into the wall behind him in turn.

"So you want to do this the rough way?" Julian brought his fist up to punch Leo on the jaw. "Why do you care so much?"

Leo rammed his head against Julian's. "I have worked so hard to get on Legend's most trusted performers list, but you truly are careless. You have no respect for Caraval. They're just earrings, get over it."

"I had respect for Caraval once upon a time, but then you helped drive Rosa so far to the edge she ended her own life. Just because Legend trusts you doesn't mean you're a good person. You have no regard for the players in Caraval, you only care how it benefits you," Julian sneered, pushing Leo off of him. "Scarlett gives me hope Caraval can be as it once was."

"Rosa did that to herself. And who knows, maybe when Donatella jumps, Scarlett will plunge after her; then her blood will be on your hands," Leo taunted.

Julian slammed Leo on the table.

Leo grabbed the vase of roses that sat like a centrepiece on the table and smashed it into Julian's head, drawing blood.

Julian's fist collided with Leo's head again.

Right before Leo fell unconscious, he whispered, "Remember, it's only a game."

Julian was beginning to dislike those words. People like Leo used that as an excuse to justify their actions.

If Leo was anyone else, Julian would have felt a little guilty. But Leo was not a good man, and one of them was going to go unconscious eventually; it just so happened to be Leo.

Julian noticed two shimmering red pieces of jewelry in Leo's coat pocket: Scarlett's earrings.

He tucked the jewelry into his own pocket and snuck out of the room. He knew Leo would be fine, he didn't do anything that bad to him. But Julian knew he would go unconscious as well if he didn't tend to his head soon. He knew he shouldn't go to Scarlett, she would ask too many questions, but he couldn't go to anyone else. If Legend knew what they were fighting about, Julian really would receive punishment.

And what Leo said about Scarlett still sent a tremor down his spine.

But he wanted to return her earrings first hand, and she most likely had experience with medical attention, right?

Julian didn't know what the earrings meant to Scarlett, but he knew they meant something. He swaggered his ways through the tunnels again until he was walking through the hidden door to Scarlett's room.

"Hello, Crimson."

A/N
I loved writing this so much. The other two requests will be up soon :)