Without another word, Alice left the Oracle and stepped back through the shimmering portal to her home.
Her body flooded with a mixture of emotions. It was not an experience she enjoyed. Every little sound put her on edge; even the air was too loud. Deep down, she knew she was mad, but Alice couldn’t bring herself to seek help. Instead she lived her life always on the edge of a meltdown. The simplest things would set her off.
Everyone thought she was just spoiled, but she knew it was more. Insanity lurked at the edge of her awareness.
After several moments of deep breathing, Alice felt composed enough to search for Landon.
Why she had feelings for him was beyond her. He was of a lower class, and he barely gave her the time of day. If anything, he was borderline rude. Oh, he was never outright insolent – that would cost him his life – but there was something in his eyes when he spoke to her. Just the sight of her irked him.
In a huff, Alice stormed down the long hallways, not making eye contact with any of the help. When she finally stepped outside, a sense of relief washed over her, but it was short lived.
Her mother was coming up the staircase. They met midway.
“Mother,” Alice greeted her mother without emotion.
“You’re not really going out dressed like that are you?”
Alice glanced down at her gown. It was stunning, and they both knew it. “I was being thoughtful, I didn’t want to outshine the Queen, so I’m downplaying myself a bit.”
The Queen’s face remained neutral. She lowered her voice. “We both know your beauty is your only redeeming quality. Do not concern yourself with my appearance. My beauty will always shine brighter than your own, because your soul is withered and black, and people can see that my dear.”
Alice smiled serenely. “Like mother like daughter.”
The Queen’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Were you my true daughter, I wouldn’t have so much trouble sharing the same air with you.”
Her words cut deeply, like they always did, but Alice was determined not to show her feelings. “If you weren’t so flawed, perhaps you could have borne your own children.” Alice’s voice was sickly sweet.
In a rare display of emotion, the Queen’s face clouded over. She didn’t say another word as she continued up the stairs.
Why would a woman want a child if she couldn’t stand the thought of it not being her own flesh and blood? Alice never wanted to have children. She refused to bring a child into this cruel world.
With a heavy heart, Alice made her way to the stables. She wasn’t dressed for riding, but she’d think of some excuse.
There was a young boy carrying water to the horses. When he glanced up, fear was evident on his face. With haste, he looked down again.
“Where is Landon?” Alice demanded.
The boy pointed behind him, his arm visibly shaking.
With a curt nod, Alice strode down the pathway. As she entered the stable, Landon’s head came up, and their eyes met. His light brown eyes were unreadable. “Princess.”
“Have a horse ready for me within two hours, and I demand that you join me for a ride.” The words surprised her as they flew out of her mouth.
He looked as startled as she felt. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. I want to travel to a place I’ve never been and I know you know the trails better than anyone.”
He scratched the top of his head, and his brown hair remained standing on end when he lowered his hand. On anyone else, it would look ridiculous, but she found that, on him, nothing looked bad. A part of her longed to reach over and smooth the unruly hair down, but she knew better than to do such things.
“Shouldn’t you take one of your guards?” he asked warily.
She knew he’d rather do anything than spend time alone with her. When they were children, he was forced to play with her. She’d even made him play dolls, but he’d never enjoyed himself. It was always a chore, and those times ended many years ago.
“Who are you to question a princess? I’ll be back in two hours, and you will be ready.”
He stood up, dropping a dirty hand towel onto the table. “I’ll be ready.”
Alice couldn’t help but take in his massive frame. He’d grown so much over the years, he was bigger than some of the knights. His shoulders were broad, his waist narrow, his legs appeared muscular even through his pants. Masculinity oozed out of his pores.
If he noticed she was staring, he didn’t acknowledge it.
She cleared her throat. “I’ll be back after I change and have lunch.”
He gave a slight bow. “I’ll be humbly awaiting your return.”
She heard in his tone he was being facetious. Anyone else would have been whipped, or worse, for such a sign of disrespect, but she acted as if his words were respectful. “Don’t make me wait.” She spun on her toes and walked away, head held high, back erect.
As she walked, she inhaled deeply, waiting for her heart to return to normal. Landon always had that effect on her. She had no idea what it was, but he made her feel things no other man had ever come close to.
Maybe it was the fact her mother would have a heart attack if she ever found out she was attracted to someone like Landon, or maybe it was more.
Soon she would be forced to marry another, so there was no sense in wasting any time. And the Oracle had said there was a chance. The woman was seldom wrong. If there was a chance, Alice was going to take it. After all, she deserved some happiness in this dreadful world.
Now it seemed as if time passed too slowly for her liking, so Alice changed into riding clothes and hurried back to the stables. It was not uncommon for her to go to the stables, because horseback riding had been one of her passions throughout her life. However, the real reason for her love of horses was Landon. Okay, maybe that was not completely the truth. She did feel a bond of sorts with animals. They understood her in a way that humans could not. Horses had no trouble allowing her to be free and run wild without any rules. There was a peacefulness that came over her, with the wind on her face, and her hair blowing behind her. Freedom.
Once she got to the stables, she was annoyed to see the horses were not ready. “Landon!” she yelled.
He came around the corner, his jaw set in annoyance. “Yes, Your Grace?”
“Why aren’t you ready?”
“Because you said two hours, and it’s only been one.”
“Well I’ve changed my mind. I want to go now.”
He yelled out for one of the other stable hands to bring around the horses.
Alice watched in dismay as he walked away from her. He glanced over his shoulder. “I think Jim will be a better guide for you, since you’re in such a rush, and I haven’t eaten.”
Alice stomped her foot into the ground. “No. That is not an option. You will accompany me, or I will see you whipped in the courtyard.”
He stopped mid-stride. “Well then I guess I better get cleaned up.”
Impatiently, she waited while he took his time getting ready. When he came back into view, she was surprised to see he was carrying a bag. When he noticed her stare, he shrugged. “You might be able to force me to go with you, but you’re not going to force me to miss my meal.”
He strode toward the horses without waiting on her. Anyone else she would have had drawn and quartered. Instead she took a deep breath and followed him. He could be infuriating at times, and yet her heart leapt to her throat at the thought of being alone with him.
When one of the other grooms tried to help her onto the horse, she shoved him away and jumped on by herself. Landon took off, and she urged her horse to catch up. How dare he!
Once they were beyond the castle walls, Alice slowed her horse to a steady trot. Landon heard the difference in the hoof beats and reined in his mount. For the first time, he looked over his shoulder at her. It pissed her off that her breath caught at the intensity of his gaze. He’d always been able to see through her, even when they were children.
&nb
sp; “Why are you like this?” she asked, as she eased her horse beside his.
A smirk crossed his handsome face. “Like what?”
“I’m a Princess. You can’t treat me the way you do.”
He laughed. “You’re no Princess. You’re a tyrant.”
Alice sucked in a breath.
She watched his lips form a lazy, arrogant smile. He knew he was pushing her patience. It was almost as if he took pleasure in it. The same as when he was a young boy.
Pulling the reins, Alice brought her horse to a standstill. With ease, she jumped off the horse and started walking towards a trail in the woods.
“You’re just going to leave your horse out here?” Landon called out, the annoyance clear in his voice.
Alice didn’t bother to reply. She knew he would make sure their mounts were safely tethered. He loved those horses more than he loved his own life. She needed to create some distance between them; the day was not going at all as she’d hoped. How could she bring things back around? Why did she desperately want him to see her as something other than a spoiled Princess, and yet whenever she opened her mouth she acted exactly the way she knew he hated?
It didn’t take long for him to catch up with her. Without turning, Alice said, “You really don’t like me, do you?”
She could feel his presence. He was close enough that if she turned they would be nearly touching. It was another thing stable hands were not supposed to do: invade the space of royals. Even though she was warm from the heat of the sun, Alice knew the flush she felt was from being so near to Landon. It was strange the effect he had on her. She could have any guy she wanted, but she wanted the one who despised her.
“No, I guess I don’t much care for you, Alice. You’re mean as a snake. You spread your venom around, infecting everyone you come into contact with.”
She hadn’t expected him to be so honest. His words didn’t really sting, at least not much, because she knew he spoke the truth. Her whole life had been living on the attack.
Alice turned, tilting her head up. His eyes snapped to hers, and a muscle in his cheek twitched. It was useless to demand he take back his words or even to threaten to punish him. For a long moment, they stared at each other.
“You know you’re my only friend,” Alice said, dropping her gaze. Why did she keep saying the things she was thinking?
Landon’s abrupt laugh turned into a frown. “If I’m your only friend, you’re in a sad state of affairs. I’ve thought many things about you, Alice, but not once have I thought of you as a friend.”
“I know.” Her voice was sad. She turned and continued down the narrow pathway.
Cursing under his breath, Landon followed after her.
It’d been a long time since Alice had returned to this particular area. She wasn’t even sure what lead her to go there. The last time she visited was when she was about twelve years old, and she’d tried to run away. There was a portal nearby with access to the dimension of Wonderhills, but she’d never made it. Her mother’s guards had chased her down. She’d been locked away for nearly two weeks in the dungeon for disobeying the Red Queen. During that time, Alice learned to access her own magical powers. It quickly became apparent that she was equal in strength to, if not stronger than, her mother. Once she freed herself, at the expense of several of the guards, Alice and her mother came to an agreement of sorts. The Queen would stay out of Alice’s way, and Alice would remain in Wonderland and take her place on the throne once the Queen’s lifetime was over.
Life had been going rather smoothly, until The Red Queen insisted that Alice marry someone from Wonderhills before her eighteenth birthday, all because of that damn prophecy. It wasn’t a bad pairing. In fact, the man she was supposed to marry was gorgeous, but he wasn’t Landon. He didn’t make her stomach drop or her heart pound like a jackhammer. If anything, he bored her to tears. The idea of spending the rest of her life with someone like that was not acceptable. However, the Queen was not open to discussion. Of course, Alice could flat out refuse, but a part of her was also worried about the prophecy.
The Oracle was seldom mistaken.
The rustle of the tree branches brought Alice back into the moment. It was not that she’d forgotten Landon was nearby; she’d just gone into that quiet place in her mind where she could think without being distracted.
Half-turning, Alice gave him a side-long glance. “I hope you brought enough food for two.”
One of Landon’s eyebrows lifted. “I thought you went back to the castle to eat?”
“I couldn’t stand one more moment being cooped up in that dreaded castle. If you don’t have enough food, I’ll conjure my own.”
“I’ve got plenty.” Landon glanced around before moving toward a large boulder. He was tall enough to just drop down on it. Alice had to hoist herself up.
“I never understood why you hated that castle so much,” Landon said while opening his bag and pulling out sandwiches, fruits and a canteen. “When I was a boy, I used to dream of living in a big-ole castle instead of the small one room hut I lived in with my parents.”
Alice reached for an apple. “Did you? It’s funny how, no matter what we have in life, we’re never satisfied.”
“Speak for yourself. I’m quite content these days.”
Her head came around abruptly. It didn’t surprise her to feel her stomach twist and jealousy rear its ugly head. “Why’s that? Have you met someone?” Alice cringed at hearing the anger in her voice.
Landon shot her a skeptical look. “What gave you that idea? Can’t I be happy on my own?”
Alice reached for a drink from his canteen in an attempt to regain her composure. “I don’t know. Is that even possible?”
“Come on Alice, it can’t be that bad living up on the hill with all those servants. You literally have anything you want at your command. No offense, but it’s a little hard to feel any sympathy for you. I know your mother is psycho, but you could rise above that. Nothing says you need to act like her. You could be nicer. It might surprise you to find out there are some decent people in this world. If you wanted, you could even leave this realm and go to another to live. Your past doesn’t define you.”
As soon as she felt the tears well, Alice dropped the canteen and jumped to her feet, turning away from him. There was no way she was going to let Landon see her cry. Not now. Not ever. “I’m ready to go back. Now.”
She heard the shuffling of him cleaning up the lunch. Alice blinked her eyes several times, pushing away the sadness that was coming down on her like a thick blanket. Please, not now, she wanted to scream. Dammit, she hated when this happened! It usually came out of nowhere and she had no control over it. Closing her eyes, she tried to center herself, but all she could see was the walls closing in on her.
“Hey.” Landon touched her shoulder from behind, instantly sending a jolt throughout her body. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Alice.”
Forcing a smile, Alice turned. “You didn’t. You’re right. I’ve got everything a girl could ever what. Power, money, long golden locks that guys seem to love. Soon I’ll be married to the perfect match. What more could I want? I need to get back home. I have a lot to take care of.”
What she really wanted was to lock herself in her room and rock back and forth until she calmed. Right now, she felt like she was going to come out of her skin or kill someone or something.
“So, it’s true then?” he asked, hoisting his bag over his broad shoulders.
“Is what true?”
“You’re going to marry him? The guy from Wonderhills? I’ve seen you two together. Neither of you looks very happy.”
“It seems that way. Believe it or not, Landon, some things are out of my control. Even magick can’t break a thousand-year-old prophecy.”
“What does the prophecy have to do with you getting married? If anything, I’d think your mother would want you dead by your eighteenth birthday, not married off.”
Alice had thought the same thing man
y times. “The Red Queen couldn’t kill me if she tried. And believe me, she has tried. Plus, Mother doesn’t believe the prophecy is valid with my twin presumed dead. She believes it would only go into effect if there were two, as is stated. She thinks this marriage uniting the realms will be proof to the world that she is invincible, prophecies be damned.”
“Do you think she’s dead? Your twin?”
Alice looked off into the distance. “No, I don’t. I think she is alive and well.”
“If you believe that to be true, aren’t you concerned about reaching your eighteenth birthday?”
A slow smile spread across Alice’s face. “Not at all.”
Twirling around Alice sang the words she’d learned when she was locked in the dungeon.
“When two moons meet, twins will be born
How many lives will we mourn?
The loss of one?
The loss of two?
If they reach the age of eighteen it will be quite a few
Red Queen
Black Queen
Will be no more
Time will tell and days will pass
You never know if it will be your last.”
Her mood was suddenly lifted like the fog. “I will not shed a tear if the Queens of the realms die because of my life. If there’s collateral damage, that is out of my control.”
Landon shook his head in disgust. “You really are self-centered aren’t you?”
Alice’s temper flared to life. “You have no idea what I’ve been through! Don’t you dare judge me. Why should I feel responsible for others’ lives? It’s not like I asked to be born into this godforsaken realm. Tell me, Landon, do you believe I should die, in case the prophecy is true?” Alice conjured up a blade, holding her hand out toward him. “Why don’t you have the honor? Or should I do it myself?” Alice flipped the blade around, holding it with both hands. A wild look in her eyes, she drove the blade toward her torso.
Landon knocked her hand aside before the blade could make contact. He grabbed a hold of her wrist. “Gods, you really are crazy!”
Once Upon A Curse: 17 Dark Faerie Tales Page 28