Cesar squeezes my shoulders. "It'll be okay Meggy. I bet your training isn't that bad. It's okay. you can talk to me." I looked at him. Me and Cesar had been childhood friends forever, so we tried the whole dating thing. It failed. Everything became so terribly awkward. I met him ten years ago, when I was five. Our parents thought that we should be together since I'm a Draco and he's a Leo, but... I glowered at the ground. We were walking through the palace gardens, our lame attempt at a date. He didn't know why I was really upset. I had been blaming it on my coronation "training", but that wasn't the truth. I love my training, everyday, I surrender to my dragon, destructing anything in my way. Being able to soar above the trees, feel the burning fire in my lungs is the best feeling in the world. The fact that Cesar thinks that I dislike my training, with all that I talk about it, it kind of hurts. The real reason I'm upset is because of him. I don't like him as a boyfriend. He was like my brother growing up. I can't date him, it's wrong. I can't tell him that. It would break his heart. Although he's never told me before, but I can tell he loves me. The way his face lights up every time he sees me, so different from when it falls when I go away. How he always finds little ways to touch me, I hate it. I hate how his world revolves around me. I hate how he always wants to be with me. I hate how he always tries to protect me, how he tries to suppress my dragon. I hate that he loves me. If I ever find somebody I want to spend my time with, I want them to let me be a dragon. I want them to push me forwards, to try and tempt the dragon to show. Not to hide it, to push it back. "Ce, I can't, I can't do this," I lift my head so I can see his face clouded with confusion, "Ce, I love you, I do, but not like this. I love you as a brother, not like this. Not as a boyfriend." He tried to kiss my head, almost succeeding before I pushed him away. "Oh my god, Cesar, stop! I don't love you, I can't, okay? You-, I," I sighed, trying to form the words that would break his heart a put us back at the beginning. An awkward girl and an awkward boy, trying to find their place in the world and in a new friendship. "You always hold me back. Every time. I just want to be free. Do you know how good it feels to feel the wind on your scales? Being able to look down at the world below you and see the tiny trees dotting the tiny hills? Do you know how it feels when your wings beat the air, carrying you higher, higher, higher, then- no. Of course you don't know how that feels. When you roar, when you see your prey for the fist time, don't you feel so powerful? What if someone took that away from you. If some odd killed your lion, no you were stuck as human forever, is that what you want for me?" I stopped there. Seeing him hurt was terrible, but I couldn't stay like this. "Megra, Meggy, you don't mean that. Come back to me. I love you Meg, it'll be okay, okay? We'll figure it out. You don't have to go away, come on Meg, you know I just want you to be safe. You don't want this. Stop lying to yourself. I know you still love me, so why leave me? Come on Meg. Don't do this. I love you." I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. If I did, there would be no way I would ever let him go. I steeled myself, and glared up at him. "No, Cesar. I changed my mind. I don't love you, so please, please, leave me alone. I don't want to see you again. I want you to leave. I hate you, and I hate your control over me, so as you princess soon to be queen, I command you to leave, to never speak to me again. Good bye Cesar. Maybe someday you'll find a girl that needs to be protected. Until you find her, good luck, but don't protect people that don't need protecting." I walked away. Never looking back at the boy that once was, the boy that I loved. That part of my life was over now, and I needed to let it go.
Walking away felt like the hardest and worse decision I had ever made, but if I when's back, my dragon would die, and I would be forced to live under protection that I don't want or need. As soon as I rounded the corner, I took off running. Desperately trying to suppress the tears, I tore through the gardens, what one had been my favourite part of the palace, but now, only contained bitter memories. I was running so hard, so fast, then, nothing. No ground below me, and no world above me. Just blackness and falling. Falling, and falling, and falling, until it felt like I had fallen forever. Then still, falling. Falling, and falling, and falling. Always falling. Then, hard, cold floor. I looked around the small dark room I found myself in. I looked around the room, looking for an exit. I was surrounded by doors. Doors on every wall, on the floor, everywhere. I was about to try one when I saw a note on the smallest door. Bending down, I saw that the note said "Open Me" in swirly black writing. I tried the door. It was locked. The door next to it wasn't, and seeing no note that said "Don't Open Me" I walked through it.
What greeted me on the other side surprised me. What once might had been a wonderful, beautiful world, was now dark, colourless and haunting. The only splash of colour were the red roses seemingly dripping blood dotting the land. Seeing no way out but forwards, I walked down the old worn out path to the heart of this dead land.
After walking for about ten minutes, I heard a faint noise. I wasn't positive what it was, because it was far away, so I walked a few more paces and heard it again. Straining my ears, I heard what sounded like maniacal laughter. It was high pitched and constant, and it looked like it was coming from a dead tree several feet in front of me. Cautiously, I padded over, preparing my fire incase there was a threat behind it. "Hello!" I jumped, realising a small amount of steam from my mouth. Looking behind me, I saw a petit red head with an outrageously tall hat, that added at least a foot to her height. "Hello again strange hatless girl! I'm Loreli, and this is Cleah. We were about to have tea! Care to join us hatless child? Did you know Cleah is a cat? Also, what makes a raven like a writing desk? I've been pondering this for quite some time, and I can't think of anything! Now please, tea? Join us! Be our guest! My, I've been talking for quite some time haven't I? Twinkle twinkle little bat, how I wonder where you're at-" I cut her off before she could continue her strange song. "If I join you for tea, will you stop singing Loreli? Also, I have a name you know. Its Megra." I looked at her pointedly, as if to tell her to use my name or she would regret it. "Right you are. Ms. Megra. So... tea? We don't have a wide variety of choices. Actually, the only tea we have is the drinking tea! So please, sit down! Please try not to sit on Cheshy, she like being invisible. Smiling and whatnot. Flying across the universe, to the mystical land of hats and twinkle twinkle twinkle little bat! That's the kings song did you know? Beware the king! He will chop off your head and feel no regret! Oh, the king, the king!" I stopped paying attention once she stated talking about how caterpillar sat on the mushroom, and how the heart would stop beating in the palace of the heart. I didn't have time for this unintelligible babbling. The. Cat girl popped back into existence as I pounded the table. "Ok, Loreli and Cat, listen to me. I have some questions that you will answer. Got it?" Loreli and Cat girl nodded, their hand visibly shaking. "Number one, Cat, what is your name? Is it Cleah, Cheshy, or something else? Please tell me, because I'm confused, and I hate being confused." Cat took a deep breath before responding. I didn't really understand why she seemed so nervous, saying as she was just telling me her name. Am I really that scary? "Hi Meggy, Megra, I'm Cleah, but you can also call me Cheshy. Lots of people do." I sighed. Her answer was good enough. "Thank you. It's nice to meet you Cleah. Now second, who is this king you keep talking about? Could he help me get back home?" I was calmer now, seeing no threat to protect myself from. "Oh," Loreli spoke quietly, as if scared someone would over hear her, "the king. His name is Jack, he's the king of spades. He rules over Terrorland, the kingdom you currently find yourself in. He's also the brave commander of the Black Card army in the war against Wonderland. I used to live in Wonderland you know... I sold hats. I still do, but in Wonderland, everyone stopped buying them after Irina came to Wonderland. She sold shoes, and suddenly, they were the knew thing. Everyone had to have a pair of Mad Cobbler Shoes, and soon, they all forgot about Loreli Hats. I when out of business, so me and Cheshy moved here. We had a hard time getting across the mirror though. The queen has a whole league of cards guarding the border." Snapping out of her moment of sanity, Loreli went back to asking me about tea. "I'm sorry Loreli, but I'm afraid I have to find the king. Could you give me directions to the palace?" Her face fell for a moment, "you won't be staying for tea? We were just about to celebrate Cheshy's unbirthday! Ah well. To get to the palace just follow the roses! Roses, roses, roses! Roses they are! Follow the roses! Farewell hatless Ms. Megra! Until next time!" She laughed while pouring a generous cup of tea, making it spill over the brim with every shake of her shoulders. It was strange, despite me having just met them, I felt a strange sense of sadness, having to leave them behind. Turning to say goodbye, I thought I saw a tiny frown on both girls faces. "Goodbye Loreli! Goodbye Cle- Cheshy! Until next time! If I'm still here, I would love to buy one of your hats and have tea with you after I meet the king" I waved one last time at them before setting off to the palace, this time conscious of the dripping roses next to the path. While I walked, I thought of the two girls I had met. Loreli, sweet under her insane exterior, and Cleah, a shy nervous cat that had been hit one time to many. What had made her come to Terrorland? Or had she just not wanted her friend to go alone? Feeling lost and confused, I wished more than ever they were here keeping me company on this long trek to the palace.
I had been walking for at least two hours when the path got neater. The whole while I was thinking about King Skylar. What would he be like? Would he be kind and sweet, or a mean tyrant that so many kings were? These thoughts clouded my brain like the smoke in the sky above me. Another person? I walked towards the smoke, not bothering with the fire this time. "Hello?" I called, "is anyone there? How close am I to the Palace of the Spade?" "Who are you insolent child?" A deep voice came from the giant dead mushroom ahead of me. "Why hello there sir, I was just wondering if you could tell me were the palace is? I've been walking for quite some time, and would like to know if I'm close, or going the right way." I was getting a bit nervous, having to talk to a faceless stranger. I circled the mushroom and still saw nothing. "Look above you stupid girl. I'm up here." I looked up and saw a big red caterpillar smoking rings with a pipe. "Don't look at me like I'm some sort of insect insufferable girl. I am a person like you, I just prefer to be in my other form. I find it more... liberating. Another thing, naïve little girl, if you want to get to the palace follow the roses. You couldn't have been foolish enough to come here on your own and with out directions. How stupidly dull of you. Remove yourself from my presence dumb girl. Yes. Go away." With one final smoke ring in my face, I turned my back to him and left. How rude of him to treat me that way! Had his mother never taught him manners? With a huff, I continued along my way. There were more dripping roses along this path, and more red puddles on the ground. I took this as a good sign, so I kept walking in the direction the palace hopefully was.
My body felt like it was on fire by the time I saw the tallest spire of the palace through the tips of the trees. I had been walking for about five hours, and I didn't think I could handle walking for a second longer. Judging by how far away the trees were, i had about a mile left to walk, so I would have to pull myself together if I were to succeed. By then, there was nothing but dripping rose bushes on the side of the now paved road. Each bush, beautifully scary, dripping their red liquid onto the wet, crimson grass. Not being able to contain my curiosity a bit longer, a strayed from my path over to the nearest bush, and put my finger under one of the drops from the roses. The substance was warm and thick, staining my finger red every time it dropped onto my skin. Pulling myself away from the mysterious flower, I continued my journey to the palace, every step getting me a half a meter closer. I didn't know where I was, and you can't change when you're scared or tired. I wish I could have flown, but for the first time, I was scared. It's just how it works. I don't really know why, but it would really come in handy right now. I wouldn't mind being able to go ten times faster, with my black and purple wings beating the air. No, I really wouldn't mind it.
Finally, I saw it. I saw the whole palace, and it took my breath away. It was shaped exactly like a spade, a giant floating heart with a stem grounding it. It was entirely back and white, and easily twice the size of the kings palace back home. I walked up to the grand double doors in the front of the palace, and found myself in front of a crowd of black cards. "State your name and business Ma'am" One of the guards stepped out of the perfect line blocking the door. "I came here to see the king, Skylar?" He looked at me, expecting the second part of my answer, "oh, and my name is Megra Draco Kace." The guard looked me over, eying my once lovely black dress, now tattered and ripped where the delicate lace one was. He looked at my lace up black heels, my dark purple leather jacket, my violet eyes, and my messy black hair. He was about to let me through before he spotted my necklace, sitting right above my tattoo on my collarbone. The tattoo was black, a spade. It was a spade with an intricate black dragon. If he had never seen the tattoo, he might have let me pass, but no. Not with the mark of the Jabberwocky staining my skin. "Out!" His voice was loud. So, so loud. Of everything he could have said, he had to say the one word that would keep me in this mad house forever. "Please sir! I just need to ask his royal highness a question! Please, this tattoo means nothing!" I was crying, "please... I need to get home... my family, my- Cesar, oh my god, I told him I didn't love him, oh my god, oh my god, oh my go-" "let the poor girl in. Can't you see she's crying?" The voice was loud, commanding. As if it was used to being in charge. The king. "Of course your royal highness, I never should have refused her entrance. That was unacceptable. I'm so sorry Miss Kace. Please, come in." I looked up at the king. He couldn't have been much older that I was. At oldest, nineteen. Only two years older than me. He had shaggy black hair, a tan muscular frame, teal eyes so light they looked like they had no colour at all, and at least three inches on me. I might have been tall, but he was huge. For someone who had to carry so much responsibility, he looked good. I curtsied as low as I could and addressed him as anyone should address a king. Your royal majesty King Skylar, it is an honour to stand in your presence. I hope you will give me the time to ask you a simple question." He laughed, surprising me with how light his tone was, carrying only a hint of madness, quite contrasting Loreli's full out mad cackle. "No need for that Megra Draco Bram Kace I've been expecting you. I was wondering when you would come. Now we finally have a chance of winning this war against Wonderland. Please, come in." I gawked at him, wondering for the life of me how he knew my other middle name. I never told anyone about it. In fact, only me and my parents knew it existed. Apparently Skylar knew about it too. But, how?