Chapter 1

The gray landscape surrounding her was something to be unexpected from this place she called home. Something a little girl once called Wonderland. The typical colorfulness and beauty of the land was non-existent in the Outlands. It was all barren, so desolate in fact that one could spot the small woman sitting on a rock from miles away. Her hair, a fiery red color, was piled rather awkwardly atop her very large head. Her chiseled features were made very pronounced by her incredibly pale skin. She had small dark beady eyes, and a mouth to match with a red heart drawn in the center.

"Your majesty," a snide voice remarked from beside her. She rolled her eyes and turned to face the source. The red patch over his eye socket was the only source of color on his badly scarred face. His malicious dark eyes glared up at her, his mouth curled into a cruel sneer, seemingly mocking her.

"What is it, Stayne?" she asked impatiently, glaring back at him as though he were nothing but a lump of lard. His sneer vanished and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"It seems, your majesty, that we have company," he told her through gritted teeth, motioning behind her.

The red queen jumped up and whirled around, Stayne following suit. He would have nearly been towering over her if it hadn't been for her hair making her height come up to his shoulder. She squinted at the small figure coming toward her as the sun glared at her through the overcast, making it difficult for her to see clearly. She grimaced at Stayne, who sneered at her.

"Who is it?" She hissed.

"You expect me to know?" he growled at her. She took a step back, eyes wide in shock of his defiance. She opened her mouth to say something, but the look on his face told her it wasn't a wise choice. He turned back to looking at the figure approaching. She hesitated, still looking up at him, but turned back too. Whoever it was, they were closer now, and she could see them clearer. It was a hooded someone, their face shadowed. It made the red queen nervous, not knowing who was approaching her. It meant a lack of control, and that wasn't acceptable. The hooded figure was standing in front of them now. The silence following was enough to kill. She looked up at Stayne. He was standing with his mouth partially open, a confused, stunned, and overall stupid look on his face. She scowled and elbowed him in the gut. He grunted, and scowled back at her. She glared at him expectantly. He let out an exasperated sigh.

"Presenting her majesty, the red queen." He said anemically, motioning toward her. She rolled her eyes, but curtsied anyway at their guest. The hooded figure laughed.

"You think I know not who you are?" a deep voice leaked out of the darkness of the hood shadowing his face. "Why do you think I came?"

The queen stepped back, not anticipating this reaction. Her mouth hung open a little in shock and confusion. Stayne looked down at her and chuckled. She narrowed her eyes at him and he fell silent. Looking back at her unknown guest, she shifted uncomfortably and cleared her throat.

"What can I do for you sir?" she asked cautiously.

"Oh, being polite are we? That s a change," he said smugly. Seeing the menacing look on her face, he quickly added, "But, if you really want to know. I have an offer for you. Should you choose to accept, Underland will be yours again, your sister left out here, powerless."

He motioned around the dull landscaping, and Stayne's face lit up. He d been dreaming for something like this to happen. And now the opportunity had come. He could take Underland once and for all. He focused his attention back on the queen's reaction. She looked at the stranger questioningly.

"How do you propose this?" She asked slowly.

He smiled darkly under his hood, forgetting they couldn't see him.

"What would you say," he started. "If I told you Alice is back?"