Disclaimer-All characters belong to Lewis Carroll. I am just borrowing.
Stayne sighed in exasperation as Tarrant and Thackery began to sing again. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and spoke in a deadly calm voice.
"For the last time, you pieces of shukm,tell me where the girl is.
Tarrant looked oddly at him. "Girl? What girl?"
"The girl that came here with Chessur. My soldiers saw her. So stop lying to me!!"
Tarrant and Thackery looked at each other, than began singing even louder. Stayne growled in frustration, and sweeping pots aside, grabbed Tarrant by his collar.
"Where. is. The. Girl?" he whispered.
Tarrant stared angrily into his eyes. "I would sooner die than tell you, traitor!"
Stayne smiled wickedly. "You may just get your wish." He gestured to the guards with him, and they grabbed Tarrant. "Off to the dungeons you go, Hatter. Any witty remarks to make?" Stayne asked nastily.
Tarrant smiled grimly. "Downal with bluddy behg hid." Stayne dealt him a violent blow, and Tarrant slumped in the guards' grip. "Get him back to the dungeons! I want to question him."
Stayne sighed. Tarrant was right. He was a traitor, and he knew it. But Stayne also knew that he had no choice. He had to work for Iracebeth, or he would die. It was as simple as that. Stayne thought back to when he was forced to make the worst decision of his cursed life.
It all began at the Trial. That was the day that Stayne's life changed forever. There was never any doubt of the outcome. In Underland you were sentenced before you were convicted. That Stayne was innocent of the charges was of no consequence. The fabricated evidence against him was overwhelming. Alice had tried to help him by challenging the White Rabbit's evidence, but even that was no good. Stayne had been hauled off to the dungeons, and Alice had been forced to return home. But before she left, she requested to see Stayne.
Alice was accompanied by a Guard as she walked down the long winding stairs to the Dungeon, shivering as she came into contact with the damp cold walls. She had to see the Knave, to apologize for the horrible injustice that had been committed against him. When she reached the end of the steps, she strained to see into the inky blackness of the dungeon.
"Knave? Are you there? It's Alice." Stayne had been sitting cross legged on the floor of his cell, cursing Fate, Time, and every other entity he could think of. At the sound of Alice's voice he looked up.
"I'm here." Alice walked to his cell. "Knave, I just came to say how sorry I am for what has happened to you." Stayne chuckled grimly.
"Thanks. And my name isn't Knave. It's Ilosivic. Ilosivic Stayne."
"I'm sorry, Ilosivic." Stayne smiled. "Thank you, Alice."
Alice smiled at him. "You're welcome." Then the Guard had steered her away, and Stayne sighed.
'At least somebody gives a damn about me'. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He looked up, hoping to see Alice. A shiver of revulsion passed through him at the sight of Iracebeth.
"Your Majesty. What a surprise to see you here." He spoke as evenly as he could, hoping his voice did not betray his hatred of the tyrannical monarch.
Iracebeth smiled hungrily at him. "Hello Ilosivic. I have a proposition for you. How would you like to be free of the dungeons? All you have to do is agree to be my Right Hand man."
Stayne looked at her. "And what would that entail, exactly?"
"Whatever I decide. You have 24 hours to give me your decision. After that, you will be executed. I hope you make the right one, Stayne."