Author's Note: I am not one for long chapters. Long chapters and me just do not mix. As long as get what I want across in the chapter, then I stop. To much information could burst your little hearts:

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The White Queen

It is a brisk day. Perfect for strolling the garden. My mind begins to race as I think. It has been 4 days since Alice and Mallymkun have left my palace. I do hope they have found Tarrant by now.

"Your Majesty" says a small, nervous voice behind me. I twirl around to meet the whiskered face of McTwisp, wearing his usual waistcoat and carrying his ticking pocket watch.

"Ah! Hello my dear friend. What news have you brought for me?" I ask in my most polite voice. Dear thing, he always is so nervous.

The white rabbit balled up his hands and stuttered softly, "T-Tarrant and Mally-Mallymkun have returned and wish to enter the palace walls your hi-highness." I give him a reassuring smile, hoping to ease his anxiety of whatever was going on in his head.

"Yes, open the gates to them." I reply back, "Also, please make sure that dear Tarrant comes to speak with me."

McTwisp nods suavely and hopped off. I stare at him leaving. He had only spoke of Tarrant and Mallymkun, not of my champion, Alice. Surely he had forgotten to mention her name. Yes. Alice would not simply disappear without saying goodbye.

I turn my attention to the lovely white roses in my garden. They seemed slightly down and I wished to cheer them up.

"You are the most beautiful roses ther-" I am cut off by the sound of a trumpet.

An attack? I rush to the ledge of my garden. I spot Tarrant, Bayard, and a number of my people fighting off several decks of black diamonds. Diamonds? This can not be the making of my sister. Diamonds are a girls best friend, however, they do not work well for Iracebeth. No, this is someone else.

As if on cue, a man in black and white attire comes busting through the fighting couples. Straddling a huge, black horse and waving a sword in the air.

Ilosovic.

I should have foreseen this. "Knights! Prepare for battle!" I yell as I rush into the castle. A set of pawns run off to inform the troops of my orders. We have not prepared for this. I hurried into the throne room and grabbed the Oraculum from its pedestal beside my royal seat.

I opened it to the precis day of today, Xltronic day. It is blank. But how can it be blank? The Oraculum has never been blank before. Surely there is a mistake.

A pair of black diamonds bursts through the white double doors. I spin around in earnest, dropping the Oraculum in the process. It falls to the floor with a loud thud and unravels towards the coming captors. I watch it roll. Holding my breath the whole while. It soon comes to a stop. Running into a black boot. I inch up the body ever so slowly and stop at the face of Ilosovic. He is grinning as if he has won.

Hardly.

"Mirana. How great to see you." Ilosovic says to me in a mocking voice. He knew he had the power right now. The key word was right now.

"Ilosovic. Never thought I would see you here again." I replied back, smugly. How had he escaped from Aria Island? More importantly, how had he escaped my sister?

"You probably didn't think I would come back with the upper hand as well" he said in a smart alack tone as he crept nearer to me.

"What are you doing here and who let you in?" I asked it my 'angry' voice, if you can even call it angry.

"Why...you did mon amie." he said with an odd accent I have never heard before.

My eyes squinted at him, I had not allowed him into the castle.

"Oh, you did not know about me being accompanied by the mad hatter? I thought with having the Oraculum..." he looked down to the undone bit of parchment, "you would know everything about my little plan. But, what is this?" His eyes were focused on today's date, "It seems that Xltronic day is blank...how very peculiar..." he said, teasing my lack of knowledge. I did not like surprises and he knew that.

I held my ground as best as I could. The look of war shown through my eyes, I knew it. "Tarrant did not help you willingly. What have you done with him and my people?" I demanded.

He was testing me. When this was all over with, I would surely make an exception to my vow. He would be my first and only kill. "Your people are where they should be. In the dungeons. My cards are whipping them into shape as we speak." Ilosovic replied, growing even closer to me.

This was rather uncomfortable. I like my space.

"What is it you want Ilosovic? You can have anything you would like as long as you let my people go." I do not want to see my people hurt or punished for nothing. They are all good people that deserve to live peacefully.

"Well, I didn't think you would give in so easily Mirana. Since I have already conquered one mountain, I wish to overpower another." he replied, still far too close to me.

What 'mountain' has he already conquered?

"Come in my beauty." Ilosovic said out of no where. The double doors were opened once more to reveal the once champion of Underland. Alice. She glided gracefully into the room, only looking forward, as if she were in some sort of trance. Her eyes reflected the colour of pink.

"You poisoned her, you coward!" I yelled as Alice and Ilosovic joined hands. The gutless and heartless man in front of me only smiled.

"You can not deny love. I merely helped her acknowledge her love for me." he lied, I think to not only me, but to himself as well.

Before I could reply, a set of Diamonds took me by the arms and began to drag me to the stairs. "Make sure she is comfortable. Farewell for now my dear." he waved and smiled. Why is it that I spared his life? Why had I taken that oath in the first place?

Everyone cheats at least once, right?

The cards threw me into an extra bedroom that had not been used for some time. I hit the ground rather hard. By the time I jumped to my feet, they had slammed the doors and locked them. Trapped.

I ran to the window and threw it open. Peaking over the edge, I noticed I was rather high up. There was no way for me to escape. I sighed. My people were being mistreated at this very moment and I could do nothing. I felt helpless.

I occupied myself the best I could. Went over various escape plans in my head, none being plausible. One even consisted of me being able to fly. If only I could.

I had moved onto plan seventeen by the time a knock came at my door. It broke my train of thought. I stared at the entrance way, waiting to see who had knocked from behind it. I had high hopes for a rescue party, but that thought was shot down when the doors were opened and revealed Ilosovic.

I fought back the urge to vomit.

He stepped into the room. The doors closed behind him and I felt my stomach turn. I was officially alone with this lengthy man and I didn't like the situation one bit. "Now that we are alone. We can talk more business." Ilosovic said, rubbing his gloved hands together.

"Business? What business?" I questioned. Was this a game to him? Holding hundreds of people prisoner and threatening their lives. Oh what a fun game. He lurked closer and closer to me. I backed up as far as I could. My back hit a wall and he continued coming.

Moments later his face was but inches away from mine. If I thought earlier was uncomfortable, then this was unbearable to me. I closed my eyes, hoping for him to go away.

"You can't deny your attraction to me Mirana. It has been there for years." he whispered into my ear. My eyes widened and I looked into his scared face. All he did was smirk. "I see the looks you give me. You're obsessed with me and I know it." he said smugly.

How revolting. As his face lingered closer and closer to mine, I did the only thing I could think of doing.

I puckered my lips tightly, reeled back slightly, and then spit right into Ilosovic's face. Oh dear, how unladylike of me.

I couldn't help but smirk.

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A/N: I just made the White Queen my new hero haha! I hope you liked the chapter. A smidgen longer then usual. Like I said before, long chapters and I just don't get along for some reason. We have a love-hate relationship. Its okay, we're getting counseling. This is the time that I say thank you for all the comments/reviews and encouragements. There is a lot more plot where this comes from.