Chapter One
Another Time, Another Time
A long time ago…in Landor
Rosemary was running for her life. Anubis, the new King of Landor, had just ordered his soldiers to kill her younger brother Leon which they had done without question. The sight of her lifeless little brother was still fresh in her mind. She could hear the monsters chasing her. She looked over her shoulders. Through the tears in her eyes, she could see the monsters running on all four after her. She could also tell that they were gaining on her. There was no way that she could outrun them at the rate she was going.
There was only one thing left to do. She looked down at the amulet hanging from her neck. She knew it was a bad idea. Her own father had told her that unless she had had the proper training, she could lose all of her memories. She didn’t know exactly how that would happen but she hoped that she could use it without losing her memories. She held the amulet tightly.
“Please get me out of here.” Rosemary whispered. “Anywhere but here.” With any luck, she would appear in Alto Methos. Anywhere was better than there. Landor was no longer safe. She saw the amulet glow brightly and everything around her disappeared into a bright light.
The Ienpws stopped running as they saw the bright flash of light swallow the girl where she had been standing. When the light disappeared, they saw that the girl was gone. It was as if she had never been there in the first place. They all looked around as they sniffed the air. The scent of the girl just stopped right where she had vanished. Not knowing what else to do, they all turned around and ran back to the cottage where their master was.
Inside the cottage, James was cradling his dead son’s body. He sobbed as he looked at Leon. He couldn’t believe that the boy was dead. He had just seen him playing happily with his older sister before Anubis and the Ienpws had arrived.
Anubis was standing over them, looking at James with disgust. “And to think, you used to serve my father and my brother.” He said. He knelt down next to James and snapped his fingers, causing Leon’s body to vanish in a puff of smoke. One less problem for him to have to deal with and one less distraction for James.
James looked at his empty hands. “What did you do with him?” He demanded before he looked at Anubis. He didn’t care if the two of them had been friends in the past. He would kill Anubis to avenge his son.
Anubis smiled and snapped his fingers.
James looked down at himself. He couldn’t move for some reason. He looked at Anubis again.
“I got rid of him.” Anubis replied. “He was in your way and soon you won’t have a daughter either. All you’ll have left is the amulet and it would be all because you refused to help me with a simple task.” As far as Anubis was concerned, James had brought this down on himself. The man had denied him for the last time.
The Ienpws came in.
Anubis looked at them. He saw that none of them had the amulet. “Where is the amulet?” He demanded. All of his plans required the amulet. Without it, he wouldn’t be able to extend his power.
One of the Ienpws growled something.
James wasn’t sure what the Ienpw was saying but it was most likely something about Rosemary getting away. He looked at Anubis again. Sure enough, his old friend had an angry look on his face.
Anubis glared at James. “Your daughter used it to get away from my monsters.” He said in an angry voice. He couldn’t believe that a little girl could have used a powerful amulet so easily. He remembered how long it had taken James to learn how to master it.
James forced a smile. His daughter, wherever she was, had gotten away with the amulet. She had managed to stop Anubis from winning for the time being. “You can’t get to the twins now.” He said.
Anubis knelt down until he was looking eye to eye with James. “It also means that you can’t get to your daughter.” He reminded James. “Only difference is, I know that the twins are in one of the kingdoms. Your daughter could be in a whole new world by now.” It might take him longer but he would find the twins sooner or later.
James realized that Anubis had spoken the truth. The amulet could take someone to another world if they couldn’t control it. He had never tried to see what would happen if he had focused on going to another world. He had never had a reason to try that. Besides, his father had never taught him how to do that.
James knew that Rosemary had no idea how to use the amulet as well. He had never taught her. She only knew that if the owner of the amulet told it to take them to a specific place, that it would work but, if they had no practice controlling it, it could also take the owner’s memories away. He wondered what Rosemary had asked the amulet.
Seattle Washington…Two Thousand and Nine
Outside of a small home on the outskirts of the city, there was a bright flash of light and an unconscious girl appeared on the snow-covered ground. In her hand was the amulet.
The back door to the house opened and a young woman came out of the house. She gasped when she saw the unconscious girl. “Dave, come out here.” She called into the house.
A little boy came out of the house. His eyes widened when he saw the girl. “Mom, who is that?” He asked. He didn’t recognize the girl.
The woman shook her head. “I have no idea.” She said. She also didn’t recognize the girl and she knew most of her neighbors. To the best of her knowledge, most of the neighbors didn’t have kids.
The woman walked to the unconscious girl and knelt down. Now that she was closer, she saw that the girl was dressed in something that looked like it came from a medieval fair. She knew that there weren’t any medieval fairs near the city. She noticed that there weren’t any tracks leading to the girl. “Where did you come from?” She asked quietly.
The woman looked at the amulet. She had never seen anything like it. It didn’t look like a prop from a fair. She was about to reach for it when she saw the girl start to wake.
“Where am I?” The girl asked before she looked at the woman. “Who are you?” The girl became scared. She wanted to call for help but she didn’t know who to go to. She didn’t even know who she was.
“It’s alright.” The woman told the girl. “You’re in Seattle Washington.” She wasn’t sure how the girl didn’t know where she was. After all, Seattle wasn’t a small town that could be overlooked. Even if the girl wasn’t from the city, she should have known where Seattle was. “I take it you’re not from around here.”
“I don’t know where I’m from.” The girl replied in a shaky voice. She slowly pulled herself away from the woman.
The woman frowned. She didn’t like what she was hearing. She couldn’t help but wonder if she should call the police. If the girl had patches in her dress, maybe she had been in a bad family. “Where are your parents?” She asked the girl. Maybe the girl was running away from her home.
“I don’t know why they even are.” The girl replied. “I…I don’t remember anything.”
“Not even your name?” Dave asked. He had never seen another kid have trouble remembering their name.
The girl shook her head before she started crying.
The woman saw that the girl was shaking. No doubt wherever the girl had come from, she had never experienced a cold winter like the one Seattle was experiencing. “Dave, can you go get one of your winter coats?” She asked her son.
“Yes Mom.” Dave said before he ran back into their small home.
The woman rubbed the girl’s arms. “It’s going to be alright.” She told the girl. “Nothing bad will happen to you.”
The girl looked at the woman. “What’s going to happen to me?” She asked.
The woman smiled. “You’re going to stay with my son and me.” She replied. She picked the amulet up off of the snow and hung it around the girl’s neck. “What is this?” She asked even though she already knew the answer. She wanted the girl to feel safe.
The girl looked at the amulet. She had never seen it before. “I’m not sure.” She admitted. “I don’t know where I got it from.” She didn’t want to get rid of it though. The amulet might be the only clue to finding out her past.
Dave came back out with a jacket. “Here you go.” He told his mother. He looked at the girl. She looked like she might have been a couple of years older than him. He wasn’t sure if she even remembered her own age.
“Who are you?” The girl asked as the woman placed the jacket on her. She felt a bit warmer.
“My name is Amelia. I’ll be your mother.” Amelia replied before she gestured to Dave. “This is my son, Dave. He’ll be your brother.” She wasn’t sure if the girl was older or younger but she knew that their doctor would be able to figure that out when they took her there.
“I don’t know what my name is.” The girl told the two.
The woman thought about it. She knew that she would need a name for her new daughter when they took her to the doctors and Child Services. She wasn’t sure how she was going to explain where the girl came from. She would worry about that when the time came.
“I’ll name you after my mother.” Amelia replied. “Her name was Riley.”
The girl smiled. She liked the sound of that name. There was something about it that seemed familiar. She wasn’t sure why though. “Riley sounds wonderful.” She told Amelia before she hugged her new mother. “Thank you.” She said before she started to cry with happiness.
“Of course.” Amelia said before she hugged Riley. She would do everything she could to make Riley feel like she was at home.
“Welcome to our family.” Dave said. He hugged Riley as well.
Eighteen Twenty…London England…
A young girl in a blue dress was running away from a large manor. “Wait!” She cried. She was chasing a white rabbit.
An odd white rabbit it was too. It was running on its back paws but what made it really odd was that it was wearing a waistcoat and a small top hat on top of his head. It looked like it was about a few inches shorter than the girl.
“Come on Alice.” The White Rabbit replied.
Alice frowned. Did the rabbit just talk to her? How was that even possible? Normal rabbits didn’t speak like people. She had a feeling that wherever the rabbit was from, it couldn’t be found on any of her father’s maps. “Who are you?” She asked.
The White Rabbit didn’t even turn around to reply. He just kept running. He had to get Alice to Wonderland and he knew that if he stopped to talk, she would either catch him or lose interest. He ran around a tree and jumped down a rabbit hole.
Alice ran around the tree and stopped when she saw the rabbit hole. She couldn’t believe how large it was. She wondered why the White Rabbit would need a hole that large. “Mr. Rabbit?” She called down the hole. She was surprised to hear her voice echo farther down the rabbit hole.
Alice looked around her. She knew that no one would believe her if she told them what she had seen. Her older sister would just say that she had been dreaming the entire time. Alice looked back down the rabbit hole. If this was a dream, she didn’t want to wake up.
“You can’t hide from me!” Alice called down the rabbit hole before she jumped down.
Alice’s eyes widened as she fell down the rabbit hole. It definitely wasn’t what she had expected. She saw so many strange things attached to the sides of the hole. A bookshelf that had several books on it but the books were backward, a mirror that showed her flying towards the ceiling, several clocks that told different times and many other strange things.
She looked above her. She couldn’t see the entrance to the rabbit hole. She had a feeling that she wasn’t even in London anymore. She looked down and saw the bottom of the hole. She quickly closed her eyes, expecting to hit the ground. Instead, she felt herself go through the ground and hit something hard.
Alice groaned and opened her eyes. To her surprise, she had landed on a carpeted floor. That was definitely weird. She had expected a wooden or stone floor. She looked above her. She could see the hole she had made in the ground above. “How peculiar.” She said to herself.
Alice looked around and that was when she saw the White Rabbit. He was sitting at the only table in the room. He had a pocket watch in his hand and was looking at it.
“Took you long enough.” The White Rabbit said before he looked at her. “For a curious girl, you do take a long time getting to places.”
“That’s what my older sister says.” Alice replied as she continued to look around. Besides the table and the chair that the White Rabbit was sitting on, the only thing that stood out in the room was a door-size mirror. “Where am I anyways?” Alice asked.
“The entrance to Wonderland from your world.” The White Rabbit replied before he smiled. “Believe me, it wasn’t easy finding that rabbit hole.”
Alice looked at the White Rabbit. “Wonderland?” She asked. She had never heard of that place before. “What’s Wonderland?”
The White Rabbit hopped off of his chair and went to the mirror. “Wonderland is the realm that I am from.” He replied. “It’s a place full of wonder and magic.” He pushed the mirror, revealing it to be a door. “Come with me if you want to see Wonderland.”
Alice looked past the White Rabbit. She could see a yellow brick road that disappeared into what looked like giant mushrooms. “Maybe I will.” She said. She knew how to get back home. Once she had finished exploring Wonderland, she could always go home. It wasn’t like anyone would miss her. Her older sister was the family’s favorite.
Far off in her throne room, the Queen of Hearts was eating tarts when a young man in fashionable red and purple clothes that went well with his knee-high black boots came bursting in, startling her greatly.
“Your Majesty!” The man shouted, showing his fangs.
The Queen of Hearts groaned as she looked at the tart she had dropped. “What do you want?” She demanded from the man. “I was just in the middle of enjoying my tarts.” She reached for another tart.
“Is that any way to welcome your son?” The man asked. “Especially when I come bearing news that I know you would want to heart?”
The Queen of Hearts didn’t look away from her tarts. “If you have something to say, just say it already!” She shouted.
The man smiled, baring his fangs once more. “There’s a new arrival in Wonderland.” He reported. “Someone not from this realm or any of the known realms.”
The Queen of Hearts paused, her fingers mere inches from a tart. “A new arrival?” She asked. She hoped he wasn’t saying what she thought he was saying. She looked at the man again. “Is it a girl?”
The man nodded. “I believe she’s the ‘Alice’ from the prophecy.” He replied. He saw the soldiers in the throne room slowly back away. No doubt to stay clear of his mother if she tried to have someone’s head removed. He wasn’t worried. There was only one blade that could harm him and it didn’t exist except for in myths and legends.
The Queen of Hearts’s face turned pale. She knew of the prophecy that the man had mentioned. It was the prophecy that spoke of the end of her reign. The prophecy had said that the girl would come from another world but she had still been on the lookout for any visitor who was named Alice from all of the other realms.
“What do you ask of me, Mother?” The man asked. His mother would want to take action right away to stop Alice from fulfilling the prophecy. They would have to act fast to ensure that no one else knew of the girl’s arrival.
The Queen of Hearts glared at her son as she stood up. “Find her!” She shouted angrily. “Do whatever you must to get rid of her!” She stormed up to her son, causing her soldiers to quickly hide. “Find Alice and get rid of her, Jabberwocky!”
The Jabberwocky quickly bowed to his mother. “Of course, Mother.” He said before he left. He had a feeling he knew where the girl was going. That yellow brick road would lead her right to the Mad Hatter’s house.
The Queen of Hearts shook her head as she walked to a window and looked out toward her kingdom. She knew it was just a matter of time before he showed up to help Alice fulfill her destiny. She only hoped that her son would be faster.
Out in the courtyard, the Jabberwocky jumped onto his horse and looked at his soldiers. “We ride for the Mad Hatter’s house!” He shouted before he drew his sword. “Find the girl and kill her!” He knew it was against the law to harm a child but his mother had told him to do whatever he could to get rid of her and he would do just that.
The next day, Alice was at the Mad Hatter’s house. According to the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter was having a tea party that day. Alice wasn’t sure what to make of her new friends. The Mad Hatter seemed like a nice man when he was making sense. The March Hare was just as insane as the White Rabbit had warned her. The Door Mouse seemed to love her teapot.
Alice looked at the White Rabbit. He seemed nervous for some reason. She had spotted him looking at his pocket watch a few times.
“Tea time!” The March Hare shouted, startling Alice.
Alice looked in his direction just in time to duck as a teacup flew over her head. She heard it smash against a tree behind her. She sat back up. “Why did you throw that?” She asked. “That’s not how a tea party works.”
The Mad Hatter, the Door Mouse and the March Hare all started laughing.
“Can’t take tea on the fly?” The March Hare asked, causing the three to laugh even more.
Alice shook her head but smiled. She knew that her sister would never like this tea party which just made her like it more. It was crazy. Nothing like the tea parties those stiff old hags she had seen training her older sister had.
The White Rabbit shook his head before pocketing his pocket watch. “We should get going.” He told Alice. “We’ve been here for too long as it is.” He looked around.
Alice looked at the White Rabbit again. “Leave already?” She asked him. “We just got here. It would seem rude to leave now before having tea.” Besides, it had been the White Rabbit’s idea to go there to begin with. He couldn’t just change his mind like that and take her away.
That was when Alice noticed that the others had become very silent. She looked at them. To her surprise, all of the joy and humor had left their faces. She looked in the direction that they were looking at, jumping at the sight of the new arrival.
“Who are you?” Alice asked the man. He didn’t look like he belonged in Wonderland where everything was full of color. This man was dressed completely in black robes and a black cloak. She couldn’t even see most of his face. The hood and scarf covered most of it. All she could see of his face were his eyes.
The man’s eyes twinkled silver and gold. “I am the Mythical Being.” He told Alice. “I have been called many names over the years though. He Who Knows All, Hears All, And Sees All, the Mythical One and Ethro.”
Alice wasn’t sure what to make of those names. She had never heard of any of them before. She wasn’t sure which name to use for him. “Why are you here?” She asked. It seemed like him being there scared her new friends. Even the White Rabbit was trying to not look at the man.
The Mythical Being looked at Alice. “I’m here because of you.” He replied, pointing at her with a small stick. To Alice’s surprise, the stick glowed silver and gold, just like the Mythical Being’s eyes.
“What do you mean?” Alice asked. Why was the Mythical Being so interested in her? She was just a girl from London.
Before the Mythical Being could reply, several shouts could be heard in the distance.
Alice watched the March Hare dive under the table.
“Oh no!” The Door Mouse cried before she jumped into her teapot.
The Mad Hatter stood up, looking very serious all of a sudden. “It’s the Queen of Hearts’s soldiers.” He told Alice.
“The Queen of what?” Alice asked. She wasn’t sure she had heard the Mad Hatter correctly. She didn’t want to know why the Queen had that title.
“The Queen of Hearts.” The White Rabbit replied in a terrified voice. “She executes anyone who displeases her.” He looked at Alice. “Assuming she doesn’t do something worse.”
“I’m here because of who she sent here.” The Mythical Being explained, causing the March Hare and the Door Mouse to come out of their hiding spots.
“What does that mean?” Alice asked. She was suddenly scared. She understood why the White Rabbit had wanted to leave the tea party. The Queen of Hearts, whoever she was, must have known that she would be there.
“Her son, the Jabberwocky, is coming.” The Mad Hatter said, causing the March Hare and the Door Mouse to go back into their hiding spots.
The Mythical Being nodded. “The Jabberwocky.” He said.
Alice had to admit that the name sounded terrifying. She almost didn’t want to see the monster. “What is the Jabberwocky?” She asked in a shaky voice.
“One of the most vilest creatures in all of Wonderland.” The White Rabbit replied before he shook a little. “It’s almost impossible to escape him.”
“He’s also the son of the Queen of Hearts.” The March Hare added, peeking out from the under table. “He’s supposedly impossible to kill too.”
“Why is he coming here?” Alice asked. What could she have done to make a monster want to hunt her down? She had just arrived in Wonderland. She was just a little girl.
The Mad Hatter looked at the White Rabbit. “You didn’t tell her?” He demanded. “Rabbit, I swear you’ll be the death of us all!”
“She just arrived here yesterday!” The White Rabbit protested. “There wasn’t any point in telling her about him yet. Not when we spent most of yesterday and today getting to your home!”
“He is right about that.” The Door Mouse told the Mad Hatter “No one lives near you except for March Hare and me.”
“Enough.” The Mythical Being ordered, causing everyone at the table to be quiet. He stood up. “There’s no time to talk about it now.”
As soon as he had said that, several soldiers in crimson red armor came marching out of the woods. The Jabberwocky followed them on his horse.
“The Jabberwocky.” The White Rabbit said, looking at the horse rider before he hid behind the Mythical Being.
Alice looked at the Jabberwocky. She hadn’t expected him to look so…normal. Sure the red and purple clothes seemed a little ridiculous and the knee-high black boots reminded her of the uniforms from her older sister’s history books but she had expected a monster.
The Jabberwocky got off of his horse and looked at Alice. “I take it you’re Alice.” He said before he smiled. “You’re to come with me.” He would execute her in front of all of the Queen of Hearts’s subjects so they could see what would happen if they challenged the Queen of Hearts.
Alice watched the soldiers surround all of them. She had a bad feeling. She looked at the Mythical Being. She hoped that he would be able to protect her. She didn’t want to go with the Jabberwocky.
The Mythical Being placed a hand on Alice’s shoulder. “You’re not going to take her anywhere.” He told the Jabberwocky. He knew what the Jabberwocky wanted to do.
The Jabberwocky laughed. “Are you really going to challenge the Queen of Hearts?” He asked the Mythical Being, causing his forces to laugh.
The Mad Hatter, the Door Mouse, the March Hare and the White Rabbit all joined Alice and the Mythical Being.
“I hope you know what you’re doing.” The Mad Hatter whispered to the Mythical Being as he looked at the Jabberwocky’s soldiers. He wasn’t keen on fighting just yet.
The Mythical Being’s eyes glowed gold and silver. “The Queen of Hearts is no queen to me.” He told the Jabberwocky. Did the Jabberwocky really think that he was scared of the Queen of Hearts?
The Jabberwocky drew his sword. “You are in the Kingdom of Hearts.” He told the Mythical Being. “What the Queen of Hearts says, goes.” He looked at his soldiers. “Get the girl. Kill the others.” He looked back at the Mythical Being. “Time to see if you can die.”
The Mythical Being’s eyes glowed brighter. “Not today.” He told the Jabberwocky. “My friends, hold onto me!”
The Jabberwocky and his forces watched Alice and her friends grab the Mythical Being’s robes before a bright light enveloped them. When the bright light cleared, the Mythical Being and his allies were gone.
The Jabberwocky growled. “You can’t hide the girl from me forever Mythical One!” He shouted angrily.
The Jabberwocky’s soldiers all looked at him nervously. A few backed away a few feet. None of them were sure what to do since the girl was gone and they knew not to speak to their master when he was angry. The Queen of Hearts wasn’t the only one who removed people’s heads.
The Jabberwocky looked at his forces. He could smell their fear. On any other day, he would enjoy the fear that he caused his men. It was what made them so loyal. He wasn’t in the mood though at that time. “What are you waiting for?” He shouted. “Go back to the Queen’s palace!”
The soldiers all took off running, not wanting to fail their master.
The Jabberwocky looked around as his forces ran. He had to figure out where the Mythical Being would have taken the girl and her friends. It would have to be a safe place. Somewhere where the Queen of Hearts wouldn’t dare enter. That didn’t exactly narrow down the list. The Mythical Being’s tower was the most likeliest though. No one ever entered there unless they were summoned by the Mythical Being.
The Jabberwocky shook his head. The tower was a safe place but it wasn’t a fortress. It would have made more sense to take the girl to either the White Queen’s castle or Alto Methos in the heart of Ephrim. Both locations had armies.
The Jabberwocky sheathed his sword. There would be time later on to figure out where the girl had been taken. For now, he knew that his mother would want a report. Even if the news made her angry, she had to know that the Mythical Being was now involved and that it was just a matter of time before Alice started fulfilling her destiny.
The Mythical Being, Alice and her friends all appeared in a white courtyard.
The March Hare grabbed his stomach. “I’m going to be sick.” He said before he ran behind a pristine bush.
The Door Mouse shook her head as the noise the March Hare was making could be heard. “Traveling like that on a full stomach is never a good idea.” She said. She was determined though not to be sick.
Alice looked around. She was amazed by how bright the courtyard looked. She almost had to cover her eyes so the bright reflection of the sun wouldn’t blind her. “Where are we?” She asked.
The Mythical Being looked at her. “In the courtyard of the palace of the White Queen.” He replied. “You will be safe here until we can explain why you are here.” He gave the White Rabbit a side glance. “Something that he should have explained to you.”
The White Rabbit crossed his arms over his chest. “You never told me that it was in your vision.” He told the Mythical Being. “Not all of us can see the future like you.”
Alice was about to ask them what they meant when she saw a young woman in a white gown, rush up to them. The woman was obviously the White Queen. She reminded Alice of a porcelain doll with how white her skin was. Alice was surprised to see that the woman didn’t have any cracks or blemishes.
“Welcome Mythical One.” The White Queen said, curtsying to the Mythical Being as she spoke. “We are honored to have you here.” She looked at Alice. “And how are you?” She asked.
The White Rabbit stepped forward. “She is Alice, Your Highness.” He said, before he bowed to the White Queen.
Hearing the March Hare make more noise behind the bush, the White Queen looked in his direction. If she was disgusted by the noise she was hearing, she didn’t show it. “I take it you transported them during their tea party.” She said to the Mythical Being.
“There wasn’t time.” The Mythical Being explained. “The Jabberwocky and his forces had shown up shortly after I did.”
The White Queen sighed. “Of course he did.” She said softly. “The Queen of Hearts wouldn’t want to leave anything up to chance.”
“Excuse me.” Alice said. She was starting to feel like everyone was ignoring her even though the Mythical Being had gone to great lengths to get her there to begin with. “Will someone please explain to me what is going on?” She looked at all of them, making sure not to look in the March Hare’s direction. She didn’t want to know how much of a mess he could make. “Why is the Queen of Hearts so interested in me? Who was that strange man with the fangs? What was I supposed to be told?”
Alice looked at the White Rabbit. “Why exactly did you bring me here?” She asked him. “It obviously wasn’t to show me how wonderful Wonderland can be so why?” She wanted answers.
The White Rabbit looked at the Mythical Being and the White Queen. “You two should explain it to her.” He told them. “You understand this stuff better than me. I’m just the delivery rabbit.”
The White Queen smiled. “Thank you for bringing her to Wonderland.” She told the White Rabbit. “Maybe you can take Mr. Hare somewhere where he can get better.”
The White Rabbit bowed again. “Of course, Your Highness.” He said before he looked at the Door Mouse and the Mad Hatter. “Let’s get him out of the courtyard.” He told them.
The White Queen looked at Alice again and smiled. “There’s not really a delicate way to say this.” She told Alice. “You’re here because Wonderland needs you to save it and all of the realms.”
“What do you mean?” Alice asked. “I’m just a child. I can’t save the realms.”
The Mythical Being reached into his robes and pulled out a curved sword. “It’s your destiny to save Wonderland.” He told Alice. “It was foreseen years ago that you would come here to defeat the Queen of Hearts and end her reign of terror.”
Alice looked at the sword. “Am I supposed to use that?” She asked before she shook her head. “I’ve never even carried a knife. How am I supposed to use a sword?”
The Mythical Being looked at the blade. “The Vorpal Blade.” He said. “It was created years ago by an evil sorcerer before I stole it from him. It’s the only thing that can defeat the Jabberwocky. With him out of the way, the Queen of Hearts will fall.”
“Do we even have an army?” Alice asked. She knew that battles required armies. Or at least her older sister’s history book said that.
The White Queen smiled. “We do have an army.” She replied. “One that is willing to follow you until we have defeated the Queen of Hearts.”
Alice hesitantly took the Vorpal Blade from the Mythical Being. It didn’t feel as heavy as she thought it would. The Mythical Being had said it had been created by an evil sorcerer. She wondered if it was enchanted to be carried by her. She still wasn’t sure if she was ready to battle but she knew that if she was destined to defeat the Queen of Hearts, she would do it.
The Jabberwocky entered his mother’s throne room. “Mother, I have news for you.” He said as he walked across the throne room. He noticed that his mother wasn’t trying to eat her tarts again. No doubt she had either finished them or had lost her appetite knowing that Alice was in Wonderland.
“Please tell me that you killed her.” The Queen of Hearts said. She really wanted to hear some good news.
The Jabberwocky shook his head. “Unfortunately, no.” He replied. “The Mythical Being got in my way.” He shook his head. “I’m afraid that Alice has been taken somewhere out of our reach for the time being.”
The Queen of Hearts stood up. “What?” She shouted angrily. “You just had one easy job my son! You were to get rid of Alice!” She stormed up to her son, ignoring how her soldiers backed away from her. She grabbed her son by the shirt. “Where did they go?” She demanded.
“I’m not sure.” The Jabberwocky replied. He wasn’t scared of his mother. “Like I said, the Mythical Being took her away before I could kill her.”
The Queen of Hearts released her son. As much as she wanted to punish the Jabberwocky for failing, she knew that it was pointless. The Mythical Being would have known of course that she would send her son to kill Alice. She walked over to the window, making the soldiers by the window back away.
“Where would he have taken her?” She asked the Jabberwocky. “We need to know where to send our spies.” She was determined to stop Alice from fulfilling her destiny.
The Jabberwocky joined his mother. “I doubt he would have taken her to his tower. She can’t do much from there.” He said. “It’s not exactly large enough for an army.”
“Obviously.” The Queen of Hearts said. “That leaves the Red Queen’s palace, the White Queen’s palace and Alto Methos.” She thought about the three options. “I doubt he would take her before the War Council in Alto Methos.” She continued. “We have allies in some of the other kingdoms. It would be a huge war, something that hadn’t been seen since Alexandra’s mother had tried to kill her.”
“That leaves the Red Kingdom and the White Kingdom.” The Jabberwocky said. “If I had to pick between the two, I think the White Kingdom would be where we would start.”
“Quite right.” The Queen of Hearts said. “Even if the girl isn’t there, it would be nice to get rid of the White Queen and conquer her kingdom.” She smiled. “Plus it would be a lot harder for Alice to save Wonderland if most of it was under my control.”
“Should I prepare our forces then?” The Jabberwocky asked.
“Not yet.” The Queen of Hearts said. “First, send the scouts to each and every kingdom. All because the White Kingdom is the most likely place to take the girl, doesn’t mean she will actually be there.”
“But I thought you wanted to conquer the White Kingdom either way.” The Jabberwocky said.
“Oh, I do.” The Queen of Hearts said. “But I want to know where Alice is even more.” She could conquer the White Kingdom any time she wanted after she had gotten rid of Alice. That girl was the only thing that stood in her way of ruling over all of Wonderland.
