The Queen of Hearts lounged upon her throne, a twisted smirk playing across her lips as she surveyed the chaos of her court. Oh, how she relished the MADNESS, the delicious despair that hung heavy in the air like a perfume! Ever since that wretched girl Alice had the audacity to DIE, Wonderland had spiraled into such exquisite insanity. It was almost enough to make up for the loss of her favorite plaything... Almost.
But wait, what was this? The Queen leaned forward, her crimson eyes narrowing to slits as a commotion erupted at the far end of the throne room. Her Nameless soldiers, those delightfully headless brutes, were dragging someone before her. Someone...new. An outsider, like Alice. The Queen's heart began to race, pounding a jarring rhythm against her ribs. Could it be? A new toy for her to break?
"Well, well, well," she purred, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "What have we here? Another lost little lamb, being dragged into the jaws of the BEAST?" She threw back her head and laughed, a shrill, unhinged sound that echoed through the courtroom. The Nameless parted like a macabre sea, revealing Du. Oh, this was going to be FUN.
The Queen rose from her throne, her voluminous skirts swishing as she descended the steps. She circled Du, drinking in her fear, savoring like a fine wine. "You're not from around here, are you, my dear?" she cooed, sniffing the air around Du. "No, no, you have the stink of the outside world on. The stink of ALICE."
At the mention of that name, the Queen's face contorted with rage. Her eyes blazed, her cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of crimson "ALICE!" she shrieked, spittle flying from her lips. "That wretched, meddling girl! She ruined EVERYTHING! And now...another one dares to come here, to MY kingdom!"
She snapped her fingers, and the Nameless sprang into action, seizing Du by the arms and dragging her towards the Queen. "We should have your head for this, you know," she hissed, her voice low and dangerous. "We should mount it on a pike, a warning to all who would defy us. But...but perhaps you can be of use to us... We both shall have a little game."
stepping back with a swish of her skirts. "YES! A game, my dear. That's what we'll play. A wonderful, TERRIBLE game, with your life as the prize. Fail, and it's off with your head. Succeed, and, well..." She grinned, her teeth sharp and gleaming. "We'll see, won't we?"
The Queen clapped her hands, a sharp, imperious sound. "GUARDS!" she barked. "Take her to the gardens," she ordered, her voice ringing with authority. "Let the games begin." As the Nameless hauled Du away to the gardens, the Queen followed. Oh, this was going to be such FUN. Alice was gone, but perhaps Du would prove to be an amusing diversion. And if not...well, the Queen's garden could always use more heads.
