Chapter One
Alyss Heart lost herself in the music, letting it surround her as she danced in the center of a dirty club, high in the city in Wonderland. Her blond hair was mussed, falling in tangles a few inches below her shoulders. Her mascara was caked onto her eyelashes, eyeliner smudged around her bright blue eyes. She wasn't supposed to be at the club, but she'd needed an escape.
Arms locked around her waist as a body started to grind along with hers. She leaned back, wrapping an arm around the back of his neck. She felt her dress hitch up her hips but she didn't mind, gone as she was in the music. She could feel the music beating in her veins, her body hot as she moved against the mystery guy.
The club was dark and grimy but the music and crowd made it seem like so much more than it was. The dance floor around Alyss was crowded, the bodies gyrating to the music. She just closed her eyes however, leaning back further into the mystery guy's chest.
Just for one night she wanted to forget who she was, who her family was, and what horrendous things they were doing to their world. One night with no responsibilities, no tasks. Which reminded her of her task at the moment. Retrieving the Stone of Wonderland from the Looking Glass in the Hall of Mirrors and returning it to her mother in the Happy Hearts Casino.
The reminder of her task caused a groan to escape from her lips. One night, that was all she asked, but she couldn't even have that. Alyss groaned again, yanking herself out of the grasp of the mystery boy.
"Sorry but I've got to go," She didn't care whether he heard her or not as she fled from the club into the dark night of Wonderland. The city looked dismal in the dying light. It was polluted and rundown, there was no one to take care of it. The only part of Wonderland that seemed to have any money or opportunity was the Casino. The rest of the kingdom was left to rot.
Even the tea shops which ran the economy had little renovations or facilities. The city was dying and yet the government did nothing to stop it. Vagrants and criminals ruled the bottom levels, creeping their way up to the top of the skyward city.
Shaking her head Alyss tried to rid her mind of such thoughts. There was nothing she could do about the state of her home now. Not until her brother was crowned. Or her mother grew a heart. Alyss snorted at the thought as she continued down the narrow pathway, careful not to step off the edge.
Alyss wasn't that far from the Hall of Mirrors. She had chosen that shadowy, filthy, old warehouse club for a reason. It was open, it was crowded, and it was close. She only needed to go up a few levels to get to the hall. The night was cold but her body was still hot from the club, she relished the breeze that pulled at the bottom of her dress, her dress that only reached mid-thigh.
The perilous walk from the club to Hall was made even more perilous by the four inch silver stilettos she wore, matching the chunky silver bracelets and long dangly earrings. The twenty minute walk allowed her to cool down and as she approached the Hall she realized just how cold the night was. Her halter dress, with a dipping neckline, was not conducive to the dark night of Wonderland. Alyss thanked her lucky stars when she saw the Hall in front of her, and several suits guarding the entrance. It made her wonder where her guards were. The guards she'd ditched at the beginning of the night.
The Hall of Mirrors was indeed a grand place. High ceilings met her as she walked inside, and light from several windows that lined the walls shown onto the floor. Revolving doors stood across from the large golden mirror. The mirror that she'd come to see.
Workers in white where messing with several dials to the right of the mirror. Dials that Alyss assumed were meant to start the Looking Glass up. Alyss stood in the center of the hall for a few moments just watching as the workers messed with the machines. For perhaps the hundredth time that evening Alyss wondered why her brother Jack couldn't have been given the task of picking up the ring. She supposed it was because her mother didn't trust him, but really, Alyss thought with a smile, their mother shouldn't trust her either.
Alyss brought attention to her presence causing all the workers to jump and nearly fall over themselves to bow before her. Alyss just waved them off, walking up to the Looking Glass.
"Is it ready?" The workers nodded, opening up the little box to take out the ring, "Give it here then," She held out her palm, with a box for the ring to be placed into. With a smile towards the workers she turned on her heel and walked back out of the hall.
A pair of suits were waiting outside for her, ready to escort her back to the casino. They didn't look very happy either. She had ditched them to go to the club so it wasn't that surprising that the boys were not in the best of moods.
Across the water they flew, towards the Heart Casino. Past mountains and forests, away from the skyward city. She'd miss the city, it was so much more exciting than the casino. At least people in the city didn't fall over their own feet to kiss ass in hopes of getting some reward or higher status.
Alyss marched through the halls of the casino, the suits flanking her back. People scurried to get out of her way, pressing themselves against the walls in this quest. When she got to the double doors leading to the throne room she found her elder brother Jack standing there, waiting.
"Jack," Her brother turned towards her, "Here," She offered him the ring, "Take the damned thing. I have no want to be in Mother's presence."
Jack laughed lightly, "Sister, you never want to see Mother."
Alyss shrugged, "Might have something to do with the fact that she's forcing me to marry the Knave," A hand suddenly appeared on her shoulder, "Speak of the Devil and he will appear," She muttered.
The Knave stood to the left of Alyss, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Both Heart siblings winced in disdain for the boy, but he didn't notice.
"Alyss, my dearest. I've been looking all over for you," His snake like voice cut through the silence that had taken over when he'd appeared.
The blond princess looked up at her fiancé, trying to keep the expression of disgust off her face. He stood nearly a foot above her 5' 8" height, the tallest male in the court. His dark hair, long and stringy, was slicked back away from his face in a low ponytail. He would have been decent looking, what with his dark eyes, dark hair, and impeccable dress except for the long, disfiguring scar that cut across half his face.
Alyss turned back to Jack, sparing no words for her future husband, "Brother dearest, may I see that?" She gestured to the ring box he held in his hand. Bewildered her brother handed the box over.
With a swift twist Alyss unlatched the hidden catch and opened the box. In one fluid motion she snatched the ring from the box while simultaneously closing it, making it look as if the ring was still there. In actuality she had slipped the stone onto her left hand ring finger, turning the ring so that the stone was hidden.
No one seemed to notice a thing as Alyss handed the box back to her brother. The Knave still had his hand on her shoulder, but he let it slip off when the throne room doors opened. Jack, the Knave, and the suits made their way into the throne room, leaving young Alyss standing alone, in an unguarded hallway with the Stone of Wonderland.
Alyss watched the doors with trepidation. The doors closed with an audible thud, and then… Alyss ran.