Cruel as a Queen

by Kendra Moreno

  I don’t wait for the Queen to claim we’re married before I throw my arms around his shoulders and press my lips to his. The ballroom erupts in cheers, the shouts and well wishes echoing like thunder in the large room.

  “Please welcome, the Flamingo and the Dodo bird, husband and wife!” the Queen shouts.

  “Tea for everyone!” I hear the Hatter shout, and another round of cheers go up. I chuckle against Flam’s lips, so completely happy, I can’t imagine ever being happier.

  We celebrate for three days, and each day, I fall more and more in love with the Flamingo. The first time I write in the leather book, I speak about the first time we met, and the love that transcended judgement, prejudice, and the odds. When Flam asks me what I’m doing, I chuckle and drop my flaming pen. I shove him away and sprint into the trees. I only look back over my shoulder once, a wide grin on my face.

  “Catch me if you can, pretty bird.” And then I shift. We run together in our beast forms, happy, unaware, lost in each other’s love.

  And that’s the way I would have kept it, if only I’d had the chance.

  Chapter 10

  Flam

  “The King and Queen request your’s and the Dodo bird’s presence.”

  I look over at Cheshire where he stands in our clearing, his expression anything but pleasant. “They make you the messenger boy now?”

  “Apparently,” he growls. “Do you receive their message?”

  “If I say no, will you punish me?” I tease, knowing full well that the cat hates that he’s been chosen. I can’t say I blame him. Watching the things the Sons have gone through, the madness that has stolen across the Hatter’s gaze, the anxiety in the White Rabbit, the hate in Cheshire, I’ve never been more thankful that I hadn’t been chosen for some greater purpose. I prefer to remain neutral, just as my mother always had.

  “I’ll fucking eat you, bird. Don’t test me.”

  We both know that Cheshire couldn’t harm me. I don’t need to be punished for one, but for another, I’m stronger than the Cheshire cat. At least, for now I am. He may grow stronger, but I’ll always still have the beast in me. The thing is, Cheshire has a beast inside him, too. Perhaps, one day, we can test out that theory.

  “Message received. I’ll be along shortly after I grab Doe.”

  Cheshire Fades away without another word, and I watch the empty spot sadly. That one just feels like turmoil and chaos. I should ask Doe if she would like to spend more time with the Cat and his sister. The Hope Bringer seems like she’d become fast friends with my wife.

  “Little bird,” I call into the cottage.

  “I heard.” She steps from the doorway and wipes her hands free of the paint she’d been working with. “I’m ready.”

  We walk to the castle hand in hand, not rushing but not moving slow. We’ve been summoned, which means we’re not being called as friends. We’re being called as subjects of Wonderland.

  The audience room is free of soldiers and butlers, unusual, but it’s the grave faces of the King and Queen that really put me on edge.

  “Your Majesties.” Both of us bow at the same time before straightening and waiting for their words.

  “I’m sorry to call you here on such short notice, but I need you to go on a trip.” The Queen steps down from her dais and stops in front of us.

  “We can leave immediately.”

  She shakes her head. “No, only you will go, Flam. Doe must remain here.”

  I glance at Doe when she squeezes my hand, already sensing my hesitancy. “I’m a big girl. I survived perfectly fine before I married the big bad Flamingo,” she teases. “I’ll be alright.”

  “Doe, I need you to ask your mother about some rumors, and if she’s had any word of a prophecy.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  “And Flam, I need a moment with you alone.” The King nods his head at Doe, and the Queen gives her a gentle smile as she bows. She gives my hand one final squeeze before she turns and leaves the room.

  “Is something wrong?” I ask, keeping my voice low. I can only assume whatever task asked of me will be dangerous.

  “Not yet. But it might be.” The King sighs and runs his hand over his face, exhaustion clear on his eyes.

  “Is this about the coronation?” The Prince is to hold his coronation in four days. The celebrations will be large, and thanks to the Queen, we also know that the Prince plans on declaring the Hope Bringer, Cheshire’s sister, as his own Queen. It’ll be a scandal and chaos, but we already know the Queen is actually fine with the idea. Wonderland, however, might have other thoughts.

  “It’s not.” The Queen frowns. “We have reason to believe that a threat is coming to Wonderland. The Caterpillar is being tight-lipped, but we know there’s some sort of impending doom coming. We need you to gain control of your powers. We know it’s been a few years since we gave you the enchantment, and your control is growing, but we need it to be faster in case you’re called upon to fight for your world.”

  “What would you have me do?”

  “There is talk of a man who can help you, one in a different world. He goes by ‘The Wizard,’ and we believe he can help you gain control quickly. White will help you travel there. You’ll unfortunately be gone for at least a few weeks, but we will make sure Doe is protected in your absence. We wouldn’t risk this if we didn’t think it was imperative.”

  “I understand.” I don’t like the thought of being apart from Doe for so long, but my monarchy is asking me to step up, and so, step up I shall. “Will I have time to tell my wife goodbye?”

  “Yes. White will come to you tomorrow morning.” The King steps down next to his wife and claps me on the shoulder. “We’re depending on you, son. Go find The Wizard and then come back home. And please, don’t speak a word about this to anyone. We don’t want to cause a panic.”

  “Yes, Your Majesties.” I bow and back away, leaving the room, my chest already hurting for the good-bye.

  Dodo

  “You’re leaving for a few weeks?” I ask, frowning at Flam as we sit in the clearing outside of my cabin. “And you can’t tell me where you’re going?”

  Flam clenches his jaw. “I want to, little bird. I really do, but I told them I wouldn’t speak of it. Trust me. When I return, I’ll tell you all about the adventure that I went on.”

  “You’d better,” I chide, shaking my head. “My mother didn’t know anything about a prophecy, either. Apparently, the Caterpillar is being extra secretive.”

  “Something is going on,” Flam nods. “I don’t know what, but it’s something big. Are you sure you’ll be alright while I’m gone?”

  “Of course.” I lean forward and press my lips against his briefly. “Go on your adventure, complete your task, and then come right back home to me.”

  “Deal,” he whispers, and then we say good-bye in the best way possible.

  White shows up bright and early the next morning. I watch Flam disappear into the trees with him sadly, but not before we shared a long kiss, only breaking apart when White cleared his throat. The Time Keeper has the patience of a warthog.

  The moment he’s gone, I already feel alone. It seems I’ve come to rely on the Flamingo far more than I realized. I miss him so drastically that I attempt to lose myself in a good book. It’s pointless really. Nothing takes my mind away from him.

  Two days later, I’m driving myself mad with boredom, and I set up my easel outside to paint. I’ve barely began to brush red paint in a long line before my mother bursts from the tree line and frightens me so badly that I drop my brush and knock over my table. Her hair is wild, her appearance far more unkempt than I’ve ever seen her.

  “Get your things. Now!” she whispers harshly.

  “Mother, what’s going on?”

  “I’ll explain later. You need to grab anything you can’t live without, and we have to leave this world.”

  “I can’t leave. I have to wait for Flam.”

  “If we don’t leave, you wo
n’t be alive to wait for him,” she bites out, and I freeze, staring at her in horror.

  “What do you mean?” She doesn’t wait for me to start packing my things. She drags me inside the cottage and starts shoving my paints and some books into a bag. “Mother? What’s happening?” I start to panic. I don’t know what’s going on, but it can’t be good, not for my mother to be acting as she is. She’s usually so composed, no calm.

  She stops for a moment and meets my eyes. “Alice has returned.”

  I relax. “That’s all?”

  “She didn’t come back alone. No one knows, the only reason I do is because the trees whispered in my ear. She’s a much bigger threat than anyone suspects.”

  “That’s impossible. She can’t do anything.”

  “We have to leave. No one else knows what she hides, and she’ll be coming for me. She’ll know that I hold the secrets.”

  “We have to get to the King and Queen,” I reason. “They can help us.”

  “They can’t, sweetheart.” She turns and meets my eyes. “When I told you that I hadn’t heard any prophecies, I lied.”

  “What?”

  “There’s a prophecy, but I thought we had more time. If we don’t leave, we will die, and Wonderland will follow.”

  “We can’t just leave them all!” I cry.

  My mother shoves the door open, and we step outside. I pause, a chill running down my spine. The Mockingbird stands in front of me, her hand holding me back, as if she’s strong enough to protect me. Whatever my mother had been frightened of, we’re too late. We didn’t move fast enough.

  “Hello, Mockingbird.”

  I stare in horror at the woman sitting high on a massive beast, a wicked smile on her face. She’s dressed in a bright-red dress, armor on the sleeves, the color of the monarchy, and the Queen’s crown sits on top of her head.

  “What have you done?” I whisper, but she hears me.

  “You must be the Dodo bird. We’ve never met, but I heard all about you from your mother when I was a child. She said you were beautiful.” Alice glances down my dress, at the paint splattered on my fingers. “You’re not as beautiful as I expected.”

  “What do you want?” my mother asks, her shoulders shaking in fear.

  “I think you know what I want, old bird.” She tilts her head to the side. “I’m not ready for my secret to get out. I can’t have you blabbing your mouth.”

  “I won’t say a word,” my mother reassures her, and I frown. We must tell everyone immediately, warn everyone. “You know how well I can keep a secret.”

  “I don’t believe you.” Alice glances towards me again. “Your own daughter doesn’t look like she agrees. Did you already spill my secret to her?”

  “No! Leave her out of this! She doesn’t know!”

  “There’s only one way to be sure.” She snaps her fingers, and beastly-looking creatures dressed in armor come from the trees, swarming around us. I don’t know what any of the creatures are, what Alice has made them. “Capture them.”

  I start to shift, preparing to spirit my mother away from here. I’m the fastest in Wonderland. I can get us out of here as long as I shift. Something slams into my shoulder hard, but when I look down, expecting a wound, there’s nothing there. I wrinkle my brow in confusion, and when I move to transform again, my eyes grow heavy, and I start to drop.

  “I can’t have you escaping,” Alice says, but her voice sounds fuzzy to my ears as I collapse to the ground. My mother screams, but after that, I hear nothing else.

  I float in a sea of darkness, confused, and all I see is brilliant fuschia-colored eyes.

  Flam, where are you?

  “Wake up!” Someone shouts. I jerk upright as ice cold water splashes down on me, sputtering at the agony. My arms are tied behind my back, my shoulder aching from the odd position. Alice stands in front of me, a grin on her face. “Finally,” she purrs. “The fun is about to begin.”

  Beside me, I can see the Hatter strung up against the wall. He isn’t moving, and my heart gives a hard throb. He can’t be dead, not really, not as a Son, but still the sight threatens to send me into a panic.

  “Where’s my mother?” I ask, my voice a hard croak.

  “Oh, you’ll see her in a moment. We’re about to join her.”

  Alice’s soldiers surround me, their faces smooth and without emotion. Then one opens its mouth, and I jerk away in horror, but they hold tight to me, making sure I’m marched right behind Alice. We don’t stop until we’re in the gardens, and I gasp at the blood everywhere. A slaughter must have happened between the moment she came and now, because it’s everywhere. Grotesque creatures, many we celebrated with during the Heathen Festival swarm the gardens, boisterous laughter coming from their group. They’re amped up, feeding on the violence Alice is supplying them.

  Beside the Queen’s ornate throne stands Alexander, but when he turns, I realize he’s no longer the Prince I know. His face is mottled with red roses, his one remaining eye empty. Whatever Alice has done to him, I can’t count on help from his hand. On the other side of the throne, stands White, his arms folded behind him as if he’s comfortable, but I can see the tension in his shoulders, as if he’s fighting an invisible battle. His eyes dart to mine as I’m led forward, and the tendons on his neck stand out harder. No help there, either. In front of the throne, my mother kneels, her arms wrenched behind her back same as mine. She’s sporting a black eye, and anger fills me at the sight. The Mockingbird isn’t violent. She isn’t capable of such things. I’m thrown on the ground beside her, and the creatures around us go wild.

  “Now that everyone is here, let’s begin.”

  “Please. You don’t have to do this,” my mother cries. I glance at her, at the other wounds on her skin. “Just let my daughter go. She doesn’t know. She doesn’t know!”

  “I don’t care. Get rid of one, get rid of the other. It’s a precaution, nothing more. Don’t take it personally.”

  My mother starts to cry then, and when she turns and meets my eyes, my own tears leak over my lashes. We’re going to die here, and I’ll never get to see Flam again. I fight against the restraints on my wrists, but it doesn’t do any good. They’re too strong. I can’t save my mother. I can’t save myself.

  “God, the crying is annoying. Someone take care of her.”

  I scream when the creatures surround us, but they don’t touch me, not yet. They lift the Mockingbird into the air.

  “Let my daughter go!” she screams. “Let her go!”

  I snarl, fighting harder against my bonds, and feel them loosen. “Don’t you touch her!” My left hand frees, and I stumble to my feet, attacking the nearest creature. He falls to the ground when my claws slash across his throat. My bones start to pop, and I shift, far faster than I’ve ever done before. It’s a risk, exhaustion dancing at my senses, but I can’t allow Alice to stop me again. I barrel through the creatures, knocking them away from my mother, biting any who get too close in half. We’re going to get out of here. We must!

  Alice sighs. “Stop them, you useless twits. You’re ruining my fun.”

  “Mother!” I scream, standing in front of her as protection. “Get on my back.”

  She scrambles up as fast as she can, her fingers wrenching at my feathers, but I grit my teeth against the pain. She wraps her arms around me, and I turn, preparing to dart into the trees, but her hold loosens, and I feel her begin to slide. “You have to hold on,” I scream, but she’s not listening. Her body slumps from my back, and I’m not quick enough to catch her. When I turn to her body, I scream.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Alice purrs. “Did you need that?”

  My mother stares at me with lifeless eyes, a small sword protruding from her chest. She’s gone, so fast I had no chance to save her. I scream in pure rage and sprint towards Alice. She doesn’t move or look frightened at all as I bear down on her. Someone loops a chain around my neck, jerking me backwards, but it isn’t strong enough to stop me. “You will die for th
is!” I snarl, throwing off the creature, but another chain wraps around my throat, and another, and another, until I’m being dragged to the ground with a snarl, roaring my agony, my eyes glancing at the lifeless body of my mother. “I’ll shred you to fucking pieces!”

  Alice smiles. “I see you’re not as proper as your mother tried to make you. Silly thing about mothers, they never quite do what they promised. They never protect us; they don’t quite love us like they should. They’re useless, really.”

  “Don’t think that your mommy problems are my own,” I snarl.

  “Were your own.” Alice laughs. “You don’t have a mother anymore. And neither do I.”

  Something wraps around my throat. When I look down, I see a red glowing string. The creature that tied it gets too close, and I slice him in half with my beak, snapping at any others who are too brave, who think me subdued. Alice only claps her hands with glee at the sight, and then I’m being tied down to the ground in the center of the gardens, blood beneath my face, my eyes on my mother as Alice addresses the beasts around me.

  “Let’s see if a Dodo bird tastes like chicken, shall we?”

  The first feather they pluck from my hide brings a scream of agony ripping from my throat. The first kick brings stars to my eyes. White never moves, never steps up to help, and I cry out for Flam over and over again, but he can’t hear me because he isn’t here.