Chapter Four
Croquet
Cora Mills eyed the small, white hoop carefully as she focused upon her target, narrowing her brown eyes on the miniature arch. She adjusted her posture, slightly arching her back more and tightening her gloved grip on the mallet, as she looked back to the colored wooden ball that sat before her and then back at the hoop, which contrasted severely with the dark, velvet-like grass of the field that the game was being played on.
She pulled back her arms gently, and, with grace, hit the ball, carefully though determinately. The Queen of Hearts watched as the wooden object ran across the velvet field, swerving atop the foamy grass, and through the white hoop. It came to a sharp stop on the other side.
Claps from her spectating subjects followed, as well as her heartsmen guards. They always clapped for her majesty, whether she hit the ball through or not. They wouldn't dare do otherwise.
"Wonderful job, as always, your majesty," a servant congratulated from behind her.
"Yes, indeed, my queen. Well done," spoke another.
A thick red lips formed a smile across Cora's face as she looked up from the ball and back at her subjects. She fingered the mallet in her hands. Cora always won at croquet.
"Another round, your majesty?" another servant asked, taking the mallet she handed him and offering her another.
She dusted her hands off and grinned at him. "Why not?"
Her red heels clicked in a patterned-formation along the stone ground as Anastasia made her way through the thick, green hedges of the Queen of Heart's maze. She followed behind one of the queen's guards, who silently, though determinedly, led her through the ever-changing maze towards where the Queen of Hearts played her game of croquet.
The Red Queen followed him quietly, wondering how he managed to navigate through the fortress since the walls were changing constantly.
"How do you find your way through this maze?" she asked him innocently.
He didn't respond, choosing instead to ignore her.
In her hands, the Red Queen clutched a thick, engraved parchment, wrapped elegantly in a dark red bow. It matched perfectly with the satin gown she wore, with a feathered collar and ruffled arms, the tail of which dragged behind her.
Anastasia needed to see Cora. She had something to deliver to her.
After several minutes of walking, it seemed the maze would never end, until finally the guard led her to an opening in the hedge where the queen and her court were dutifully playing croquet. Anastasia could see Cora lined up with her mallet, about to strike the ball through an arch.
The Red Queen could hear the ball tap against the mallet as it swerved against the grass and into the white hoop.
"Excellent job, again, your majesty!" clapped a guard again as the Red Queen entered their game.
The court looked up at Anastasia as she stepped forward, still clutching the parchment in her hands.
"The Red Queen is here for her majesty, The Queen of Hearts," announced the guard, presenting the Red Queen before the crowd as Cora rose up from her game. She handed her mallet to one of the nearby guards, motioned him to step back, and walked towards the girl, a look of curiosity on her face.
"Anastasia, I thought our lesson wasn't scheduled till tomorrow?" The Queen of Hearts asked, looking at the girl intently.
"You're right, your majesty, it isn't," she said, raising up the scroll in her hands, "I just wanted to hand-deliver this to you. It's an invitation to a ball and - "
"A guard could've very well delivered that, my dear," Cora smiled at her, tilting her head slightly, "There's something else?"
Anastasia nodded, though she remained silent, looking around at the other members of Cora's court. She didn't want to speak with them present. Not when it concerned what she wanted to say… She didn't want to risk the Red King hearing about it.
The Queen of Hearts sensed her hesitation and turned her head, looking at her court. "Leave us," she demanded, "I'll finish my game later."
They nodded and hurriedly rushed off of the field and into the maze, disappearing quickly.
The Red Queen waited till they had left to speak.
"Yes," she conceded, "There's something else. I've been practicing that teleportation spell we were working on last lesson, and I wanted to show you my progress before our lesson."
She took a step back, sucked in her breath sharply and closed her eyes. A cloud of dark-colored smoke swirled around her out of nowhere, and vanished instantly. She was gone.
There was a rustle from behind Cora, as Anastasia reappeared a few feet away behind one of the green hedges. She stepped out from behind the green leaves and walked back to Cora.
The Queen of Hearts laughed. "Well done, Anastasia. Soon, you'll have that spell completely mastered."
"Thank you, I-"
They were interrupted by the clatter of feet as four burly guards in red leather walked out of another opening in the maze, their helmets on and their arms at their sides. They stopped directly before Cora, bowed, and then stepped aside, revealing a fifth guard behind them. He was dressed much more formally than the others, with black leather stripes and pants, and a gilded crest stitched onto his vest. At his side was a golden sword.
"Your majesty," the man said, also bowing before Cora. Though he wore a helmet, the voice sounded familiar to Anastasia. She recognized it…
Her eyes widened as the guard removed his helmet and put it under his arms. It was Will Scarlett.
"What is it Knave?" Cora asked, annoyed.
"Will?" Anastasia stuttered, interrupting Cora, seemingly shocked. She took a step closer to him, though he didn't seem to notice her. His eyes never left The Queen of Hearts.
Cora smiled as she turned and looked at the Red Queen. "Oh, yes, you don't know. Well, Will here is my Knave of Hearts. You see, my old one… passed… recently and I found myself in need of a new one. Mr. Scarlett came to me and kindly offered his services and I accepted."
Anastasia looked at The Queen of Hearts and then back at Will, still in surprise. "Will?" she asked again, this time more forcefully.
Still no response. He acted like she wasn't even there.
"It's Alice, your majesty," the Knave spoke to his queen, "We have a lead on where she might be."
"And where is that?"
"Somewhere in the Tulgey Woods"
Cora grinned. "Good. Now go and bring her to me."
The Knave of Hearts bowed again and departed the maze quickly, commanding the other guards behind him.
He hadn't even looked at Anastasia once.
"What happened to him, your majesty?" The blonde asked Cora, watching them leave and then turning back to the Queen of Hearts. She was stunned that he had acted as if she wasn't even there, after all they had been through. Something had to be wrong.
"Oh nothing happened, dear. Why would something have? He's just very dedicated, that's all."
"Didn't even act like I was here..."
"That's because he's moved on, my dear, and so should you."
Cora turned away from her and walked over to the side of the field.
"Who is Alice, your majesty?" Anastasia asked as the queen reached a white vase off to the side. Bending down slightly, Cora wrapped her hands around two, bright colored mallet and pulled them out.
"The thief and murderess who tried to steal from me. She's very dangerous, you see. I would suggest that you have your men watch out for her, as well, my dear."
Anastasia nodded, receiving Cora's words.
Silence reigned once more as Cora walked back to her. She offered her one of the mallets.
"Shall we play?"
Cora slowly walked down the long stretch of the courtyard that stood before her palace, her arms behind her back and plush smile adorning her smooth face as she glided along the stone ground.
She was very, very pleased with herself.
Two hours ago, Anastasia had learned that Will Scarlett was Cora's new Knave, and not only that, but when they had met he had completely ignored her. His eyes never left Cora's, and it was as if he didn't even notice that the Red Queen was there.
The young girl, obviously hurt, had finally believed that Will had moved on from her. She told Cora as much during their croquet game, and also that now, she too would really be moving on.
Cora's plan had worked.
Earlier that morning, a spy she had at the Wonderland Palace had told her the Red Queen was planning on delivering an invitation to the Queen of Hearts. Cora saw an opportunity to do something she had been planning since she hired Will Scarlett as her Knave of Hearts: to finally break any lingering affections Anastasia had for him. She wasn't a fool. She knew full well that Anastasia still had feelings for the man, and it was hindering her potential and her ambition. It was Cora's duty to help free her from that.
Cora had hired Will with the intention of eventually having him break Anastasia's heart again, once and for all, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so.
So, she had placed a spell on the Knave to where he only saw what she wanted him to see, and also arranged for there to be reports of sighting of Alice in Tulgey Woods and for the Knave to come and report it to her during the exact time Anastasia would be there.
By acting as if she didn't exist, Anastasia's already fragile soul would be shattered. Cora knew that it would be painful for the girl, but she also knew that pain makes you stronger.
And it had worked.
