Hello my loves! This is a little beginning chapter to a one-shot series I am going to write. It's probably going to be a three-shot. It's based around Alice In Wonderland, but I'm going to give it my own twist and obstacles and such. I've just taken the general idea of Wonderland. I hope you like it!

Evil, evil on every side.
But watch, and see.
Unhappy times await that happy pair,
And all who fawn on them.
D'you think I'd have crawled to him,
Pleaded with him, touched him,
If I'd not had secret plans?
The fool could have banished me today
And aborted my revenge. Instead,
I have one whole long day. One day
To make all three cold meat:
Father, daughter – and that man I hate.

"Caroline?" her mother called. Caroline did not respond. She kept reading.

My dears, so many roads lead fast
To death. How can I choose?
I could roast them in the bridal suite,
Or steal through sleeping courts to the damask bed
And spike their guts.
But if I were trapped
In the palace, caught in the act?
Slow death, their laughter in my ears.
Best do what I do best, what skill
And reputation prompt. Poison. I touch, they die.

"Caroline!' her mother called again and Caroline groaned and rested her head back against the tree trunk. "Caroline, I hope you are not reading that nonsense again!"

"It's not nonsense! It's a classic!"

"It is nonsense." Her mother said with finality. Caroline turned her head to find her mother storming towards her, her skirts gathered in her hands as she made her way towards her daughter up the hill. "It is nonsense that teaches young girls to disrespect her husband and to slay her own children. Ha! Codswallop, Caroline. Absolute codswallop!" she finally reached her daughter and was staring down at her with her hands on her hips with a disapproving shake of her head.

Caroline sighed deeply. "It is not codswallop. It is simply about a woman standing up for herself, mama."

"Codswallop." Elizabeth said. "Now close that book and come down to meet the County. You have the privilege of getting to know the man before your father and I decide to make a deal with him."

That caught Caroline's interest. She closed the book and looked up at her mother. "What deal?"

"You are well past the suitable age of marriage, child. Women of esteem are typically married much upon your years. You are eighteen and well past the prime age to marry, so you will be meeting the County Niklaus this evening and your father and I will discuss the possibility of marriage with him later."

Caroline's mouth fell open, but she instantly closed it as soon as she saw the disapproving look her mother was giving her. "Oh," Was all Caroline could get out, "Okay."

Appearing relieved, her mother gathered up her skirts again and began down the hill toward the house. "He will be here in no later than an hour, so I suggest you prepare now."

Caroline watched as her mother left, then turned her gaze down to the cover of her book. She didn't want to marry yet, nor did she want anyone to arrange a marriage for her. She opened her book back up again and continued to read about the struggles of Medea.

So.
They're dead.
What city will receive me,
What stranger grant asylum, house-room?
Shh! Less haste.
First find one sure, safe tower,
Then, poison come.
Not another word. They die.
If chance is not so generous,
I'll take a sword to them, then die myself –
But kill I shall, and none shall do me down.

"Caroline, for goodness sake!"

"Anon, Mama!" Caroline hollered down the hill to her mother.

Goddess of midnight, Hekate,
Holy of holies in whose name I live,
Are they to hurt us and skip unscathed?
Bitter and black the wedding I'll contrive,
Cruel and sharp as my rejection here.
Come, now, Medea. Be clever now. Dare now.
What you plan, now do; this is the test.
Your sufferings are known.
Are Jason and his crew laugh to themselves
To bed? Medea, Grand-daughter of the Sun,
Do it. You can.
Aren't women made for this?
Unless, are we? Good for nothing good?
Then evil be our good and I its queen!

"Caroline!"

'BY AND BY, I COME!"

"Do not use that tone with me!"

Caroline groaned and rolled her eyes. She closed her book and stood up. Patting down her dress to remove the creases and grass, she made her way down the hill toward the Forbes manor to prepare to meet the County Niklaus, much to her distaste.

Once she was ready, she and her parents met with the County. He wasn't a bad man, Caroline knew that, but she was still displeased with the thought of being forced to be bound to the man. Once the County started speaking with her father and was no longer paying much attention to her, she immediately excused herself for a moment to go get some fresh air. She made her way outside into the courtyard of the house and stood there leaning against the large pillar. After ten minutes, she could hear her mother calling for her from inside, but she didn't want to speak with anyone at the present time. She did not want to see the County again. She did not want to speak of the issue. Instead, she gathered up her skirts in her hands and made away to the tree where she liked to read.

She leaned against the tree and took steady breaths. She couldn't tell her mother she didn't want to marry the County. It's not like she had a choice, anyway.

Snap!

Caroline whipped her head around to look in the direction of the sudden noise and saw the movement of something small and white. She narrowed her eyes at the figure and took a few quiet steps forward to see what it was. She relaxed when she saw it was just a rabbit.

A rabbit in a vest holding a pocket watch.

"What on Earth…?"

The rabbit snapped its head up to look at her before bouncing away. Caroline, intrigued as she was, started after the rabbit in a hurry.

"Hey! Wait! Where are you going?"

Goodness, Caroline. Now you're talking to a rabbit.

She ran after the rabbit as fast as she could in her dress and watched as it crawled into a burrow nearby a tree. She made her way over to the burrow and got down on her hands and knees to look into the hole. It was dark. She could barely see anything. She leaned forward a bit more, curious as to how deep it was and to see the rabbit up close, but she lost her grip and slipped, tumbling down the hole with a surprised yelp.

She landed with a thud on the leaf-covered floor and rubbed her bottom with a pain-filled expression as she stood up. What a way to mess up the coccyx bone. She looked around her surroundings and was confused when she saw the floor was tiled. There was furniture set about the burrow and pictures hanging from the walls. It looked like an ordinary room.

It was ordinary until she saw the miniature door.

"What on Earth is going on here?" she said as she looked around confused before her eyes settled on something on the table. She made her way over to the coffee table and picked up the little vile. Attached to the neck of the vile was a note that had two simple words inked onto it in cursive.

Drink me.

She knew she shouldn't, but curiosity got the better of her. She removed the cork from the vile and smelled the liquid inside. It smelt sweet like a berry syrup. She knew about the phrase 'curiosity killed the cat' but she couldn't help it. She downed the liquid in one go.

Everything immediately began to grow larger. No, Caroline was shrinking. Her eyes widened and she held back the terrified scream that was threatening to escape her throat. How was she supposed to get back now? She looked around the ginormous room frantically and her eyes landed on the door that was tiny earlier but now a normal size for her shrunken self. She made her way over to the door and opened it up.

She stepped through the door and found herself in a forest with unusual plants that she had never seen before. Surely these kinds of plants don't exist. Some plants were odd colours, others glowed. It was strange, that was certain, but it was also an understatement for how odd it truly was. She looked down the grey pebbled path between the trees and, just like earlier, she listened to her curiosity and followed the path.

As strange as it was, it was a beautiful scenery. She looked around in awe at her surroundings until she found herself at a crossroads. She didn't know which path to take. They all looked the same. She hugged her arms around herself as she contemplated which path to take, until she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Choose wisely, sweetheart."

She spun around to face the man. It was her betrothed, County Niklaus, standing a few metres away from her down the path that she had just walked down. He wasn't dressed like he was when she last saw him, though. He was dressed in black slacks with black shoes and a white dress shirt. His tie was loose around his neck and the top button of his shirt was undone. His suit jacket was nowhere to be found. His hair was a blonde mess and the scruff along his jaw showed that he hadn't shaved for at least a week. The intense blue of his eyes made her feel as if they were piercing right through her and she couldn't help but feel the dangerous vibe that rolled off of him.

"What are you doing here, Niklaus?" she said then pressed her lips into a thin line. "You're supposed to be speaking with my mother and father."

"Please sweetheart. I told you that you may call me Klaus." He said with a smirk, completely dismissing her question. He put his hands in his pockets. "Now which road are you going to take?"

"It's none of your business which one I take." She said defensively and folded her arms.

His smirk grew into a grin like a Cheshire cat. He found her defensiveness rather attractive. Clearly she was a strong woman. "Now you don't know that."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes before turning on her heels and starting toward the middle path, only to be stopped by Klaus' hand on her arm. She froze at the feeling of his touch, her skin crawling with goose bumps. She tried to resist shivering but her body wouldn't allow her to hide it.

"Well I'm going to go down whatever path I want. You have no part in my decision, Klaus." She said, emphasizing his name.

He pressed his lips into a thin line and furrowed his brows. "You don't want to take that path, sweetheart."

"And why not?" she replied irritably. She took in his grave expression. Clearly he didn't think anything good was down that path.

"Because it's dangerous and I don't want any harm to come to you."

She scoffed. "And how do you know if it's dangerous or not?"

"Gut instinct." He replied with a playful smile which was quickly replaced by complete seriousness again. "I just know. So for what it's worth, please don't go down that path."

She pursed her lips as she studied him. He seemed genuinely concerned for her safety. She released a deep sigh.

"Alright. I won't go down the middle path." She said then pointed down the left one. "What about that one?"

She turned back to him to see what he thought and he shook his head after a long moment. "I'd go right if I were you."

She looked down the right path and furrowed her brows. "Why? How can you tell if it's safe or not?" she spun around to face him, but he was gone.

Let me know what you thought! I just wanted to get this one out already because I've had the idea for a few weeks now and I found some time during my break today to write it. I barely have any time between my theatre production and uni studies. Please review! They make my day and motivate me so much.

Adieu, adieu!

Celeste xoxo