Disclaimer- Not mine, they belong to Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton.
Stayne couldn't believe what he had just heard.
"What?" he asked, a shocked tone in his voice.
"You heard me. Either you agree to my terms, or you die before sunset tomorrow. It is as simple as that," replied Iracebeth. She leaned forward and peered hungrily at him. "And it would be a great shame to have to chop off such a lovely head. Especially from that rather tall body."
Stayne sighed. He had always known about the Queen's predilection for abnormally sized people, and at seven feet tall, Stayne stood out in a crowd. It was no surprise then that Iracebeth had noticed. Noticed, and lusted. Now she stood before the man she had become infatuated with. She failed to notice the glares of hatred she was receiving. She smiled, and gestured for Stayne to stand up. He did, and her eyes roved hungrily over him. She gave a small sigh of pleasure as she took in his tall, muscular form. As she gazed upon his face, she wondered what had caused him to lose his eye. The injury had healed, but it had left a long jagged scar in its' wake.
She spoke to him in a soft, seductive tone. "You and I could be quite the pair, my Knave of Hearts".
Stayne nodded dully. "Whatever you say, Majesty. I am your loyal subject". Iracebeth smiled.
"So have you made your decision?" Stayne's eye widened in surprise. "Umm…give me one night to consider. I'll tell you my decision in the morning."
Iracebeth nodded, and turned to walk back up the stairs. Halfway there, she turned and gazed at him. "Remember-it's a choice between life or death. Choose wisely." Having delivered her ultimatum, she swept out of the dungeons.
Stayne stared at the wall, his mind racing. He abhorred the Queen, and everything she stood for .The idea of being near her filled him with anger and revulsion. But the alternative didn't offer any help either. 'No matter what I decide, I lose out. If I decide to work for her, I effectively lose my freedom. If I refuse, I lose my life,' he thought bitterly. 'I'm stuck'.
Stayne laughed hollowly as he remembered that night. He had agonized over his decision for what seemed like hours, and finally had come to realize that as much as he hated the Queen, he valued his life more. The next day, Iracebeth had come down to the dungeons..
"Have you decided yet?" Stayne had nodded. "Yes, Majesty. I will work for you." He tried not to show how much this decision pained him.
The Queen had smiled triumphantly. "I knew you would make the right decision. Now, I do have to warn you of one thing. Should you ever decide to betray me or should I suspect you of betrayal, your execution will be carried out without hesitation. Understand?" Stayne gulped. "Yes. I understand."