"You are a fool if you think you can take Hearts."
The other girl crossed her arms, which were protected by leather armbands. The various pieces of armor covering her contrasted greatly with the dainty blue dress and white pinafore she also wore. On top of her mixed style of lady and warrior the girl wore one of those ridiculous hats, which made the Queen snort when she noticed it. Headgear like that had long been contraband. This particular piece seemed to complete its wearer by giving her courage.
"A fool I might be," She conceded, "But I am, at least, not insane."
"Dear, we are all mad here." The Queen allowed a smirk to grace her ruby red lips.
"I think it's about time that comes to an end, don't you?" The girl sent a sorrowful look in the direction of a white haired individual, sporting another fine chapeau, "All of the madness I've seen stems from one person in Wonderland - you. To stop the insanity, it is clear what I must do."
"Alice…" The white haired man warned, "You can't."
"She is no friend to this world. In fact, from what I've learned I've determined that she is the cause of most of your problems. Were it not for her you would not be mad, the king would not be afraid, and many heads would never have been severed. She is a curse upon Wonderland and I think it is time she get a taste of her own medicine."
"You have only seen one corner of Wonderland, you silly thing. Stop speaking as if the problems of Hearts are the problems of the entire world. Our little kingdom effects no one." Cath spat, her wrists aching from being tied behind her back for so long. She knew she must look a mess, having spent the night in the dungeon while her citizens told this newcomer of her faults.
"Silence, you," Alice commanded, drawing the Vorpal Blade from it's scabbard by her side and touching its tip to Cath's throat, "I will hear no pleas. What you have done has been told to me by the whole of your people. I am decided as to your fate."
Cath felt the color drain from her face. Until this moment the gravity of the situation had averted her. This slip of a girl intended to kill her. The Queen of Hearts felled by a girl who fell down a rabbit hole and decided to make the kingdom her own.
"You want to kill me?" Cath asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking. Surely there was still some way out of this. Some escape. This could not be checkmate.
"I never wanted to kill anyone, but you've forced my hand."
"I suppose you will swing the blade yourself?" Cath's eyes darted from person to person in the audience, none seemed eager to help her. The King - her husband - was covering his eyes with his hands, Jack the Knave was picking at his fingernails as if bored by the whole ordeal, the White Rabbit was hiding just behind Alice's skirt, and even her parents refused to make eye contact. Then there was Mary Ann.
Mary Ann whom she'd loved as a sister. Mary Ann whom had caused her to kill the Jabberwock those years ago. Mary Ann whom she'd dreamt with as a girl. The same Mary Ann who was glaring at Cath as if she deserved everything she had coming to her. And maybe that was true. After all, it had been Cath who'd been too spineless to refuse the King's courtship. Cath who'd ordered all those executions. And it wasn't Mary Ann who'd stolen the fateful pumpkin from Sir Peter's patch - she'd tried to convince Cath not to.
"Any last words, Catherine Pinkerton, Queen of Hearts?" Alice sneered.
"Don't do this," Cath whispered, finally meeting her captor's eyes with tears in her own, "Please don't kill me."
"Are you afraid of death, Queen?" Alice cocked her head to the side with curiosity, "I promise it will be swift - though it is not what you deserve."
"I do not fear the pain," She felt the dread building in her as she took in the girl's expression. There would be no last minute changing of the mind or heroes to Cath's rescue - rescue was another thing she did not deserve. There was a glint in Alice's crystal blue eyes that spoke of determination and a type of madness not entirely different from the rest of Hearts.
"Then you simply do not wish to have your reign ended."
"It is not that either, Alice. I never wanted to be Queen in the first place," She trembled but did not break her gaze with the girl, "At least not Queen of Hearts. I am not afraid of dying or losing."
Alice spun the blade so it's tip was in the dirt and leaned on the hilt. She regarded her prey skeptically. "Not afraid of dying, but perhaps fearful of death?"
Cath could scarce see through the tears. She nodded and imagined a floppy hat with bells on her head rather than a tiara of rubies. The imaginary bells tinkled joyfully despite the grim atmosphere and Cath could almost hear them she imagined it so forcefully.
"I suppose you must have many victims waiting for you on the other side, hmm? Not to keen on meeting them again?"
Cath didn't answer, finally looking down. She hadn't even considered that. There was someone else she was more frightened of encountering again. Someone who would be ashamed of her and her actions. Her broken promise, the Sisters' prophecy fulfilled, and the lives she'd taken weighed on her like an upside down rightside up cake eaten too quickly.
"Please don't kill me. I will do anything you say, just don't kill me."
Alice stared at her for the longest moment of Cath's life. The blonde girl saw the terror in the Queen's eyes and the trembling bottom lip. Her eyes then flitted to the crown on her head and the dried blood on her hands.
Leaning in so close that Cath could make out the flecks of green in the other girl's eyes, Alice gave a small smirk, before letting it vanish.
"I don't make bargains with villains," She whispered. Cath felt her shoulders slump as Alice straightened and raised her voice, "Off with her head!"
A great cheer spread over the gathered crowd and the only one who looked in the least sorry was Hatta. He briefly met her gaze as she was dragged by the guards over to the stump of the rose tree that used to stand in the garden. The hatter had a deep sorrow in his eyes as he approached with a hood to cover her head.
"Hatta, please…"
"Sorry, love. Can't be helped."
He gently pulled the hood over her head and she felt a guard roughly shove her neck against the stump. She tried not to make a sound, but a sob escaped her lips and then another. She was shaking with the great outbursts, but no one heard her over Alice's rallying of the crowd. Then everyone was silent and Cath took a deep breath. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited. Just to herself inside the hood, she imagined a familiar pair of yellow eyes and felt at peace for the briefest moment.
"I am sorry, Jest."
A gentle breeze blew the hood from her head and she was startled by sunlight, fading though it might be. A floral scent clung to the air and birds chirped happily nearby. A light and friendly tune greeted her ears as she looked around.
"The garden?" She asked, taking in the roses of the Royal Garden. Not much had changed, though there were no people to be seen. No jeering crowds or taunting blonde girls with Vorpal Blades. Besides that the only difference was the color of the roses.
Rather than a blood red, the blooms were an innocent white.
"They say that Time brings roses," A man's voice said, cracking slightly with emotion. Cath spun to face the speaker, "I am certainly glad he has brought my rose back to me."
"I fear I am more thorn than rose now." She said, eyes brimming as she took in the golden eyes and wild black hair. He wore all white and his hands hand no gloves to cover them. There was no kohl around his eyes now and she could easily make out every beautiful feature of his face.
"Then I will be especially careful when I hold you."
"Oh, Jest, you don't know what I've done." She wrapped her arms around herself and felt the tears escape down her face.
He was quick to close the distance between them and wipe away the salty water with the pad of his thumb. He was smiling kindly at her as he held her face in his hands. Mischievous as ever, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"I do know, but I don't care."
"But-"
"Cath, have I ever told you that you smell like a warm tart fresh from the oven?"
"I don't think you've mentioned it, no."
"Well you do. And you look just as lovely as any of these roses."
"Well you smell like the outdoors and you look like a Joker," She grabbed the back of his head and pressed a kiss to his lips, "My very own Joker, Jest."
"My lady, I am honored."
"Shall we take a turn about the gardens?" She asked, holding his hand tightly like she might never let go. Perhaps she wouldn't. The prospect sounded appealing to her.
"No."
"No?"
"I was thinking you might like to see your bakery, actually."
"I don't care where we go," She beamed at him, "As long as we are together."
"And we shall be," He winked, "But I think it's about tea time and I've been waiting for quite some time to get another taste of your baking."
She giggled as they strolled, hand in hand, through the garden.
"Then, by all means, let's bake!"