AJ had been spending the better part of the past few minutes nervously pacing back and forth in an underground room that was beneath the courtroom she had been in. Looking down at the red armor she now found herself clad in, AJ sighed and thought 'And to think, I'm in this shit because I finally stick up for myself.'
Tapping John on the shoulder to get his attention, AJ waited until he turned around and looked at her. Once John's attention was on her, AJ said "I'd like to say something, John."
Looking down at the younger woman, John said "Are you sure? I wouldn't want you to do anything you don't want to do."
Nodding her head, AJ said "I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I can do this. Just let me speak."
Hearing the determination in AJ's voice, John stepped aside and whispered in AJ's ear "We're right behind you if you need help."
Taking John's words into consideration, AJ looked up at the Queen as the Queen sneered down at her.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the troublemaker," Vickie said. "Come to accept your punishment like you should've before sending your crowd of fools up in your place in a foolish attempt at trying to save yourself?"
"It wasn't a 'foolish attempt'," AJ said, quoting what the Queen just said. "What my friends all said was true. Even though I haven't been in this world for long, I can tell just from being around my friends and from seeing you almost execute their friend that you're nothing but a bully."
Blinking as her sneer vanished and a cold look soon passed across her face, Vickie asked "What did you just call me?"
Shrinking back a bit before regaining her composure, AJ said "You heard me. I said that you are nothing but a bully" putting emphasis on the word 'bully'.
"A bully?" Vickie asked, disbelief coloring her voice. "A BULLY?! Would a bully allow insolent whelks like you to still be alive in her kingdom?"
"Well, to be perfectly honest, I'm only hear by accident," AJ said. "I'd much rather be back in my own world right now than having to deal with being on trial for saving someone from being unfairly executed. And even if I was a resident of this world, I probably would've been dead by now because I would've called you out on your tyranny long before now!"
Hearing the words of some strange person in her kingdom had only added onto the blaze of rage that was burning inside of the Queen; that last remark from AJ was what drove her over the edge. Not saying a word, the Queen snapped her fingers as the guards in the courtroom surrounded the podium area where AJ and her friends were standing, their swords at the ready. Rising from her seat and walking down the steps of her seat, the Queen walked over until she was face-to-face with AJ. Grabbing hold of AJ's face, the Queen spat "Since you sound so confident and sure of yourself in the fact that I shouldn't be ruler of Wonderland anymore, I'll let you prove it." Releasing her hold on AJ's face, the Queen stepped back and, an evil smile crossing her face, loudly said "My dear subjects! Today is a grand day! Why is it a grand day, you might be asking? It is because we're going to have our new friend here fight my pet! A creature that those that have dared fight it have all fallen to!"
Not liking the sound of this, AJ looked around and saw looks of horror and disbelief on the faces of her Wonderland friends, even on Alex and Kaitlyn's faces. Looking up to John, AJ asked "Why does this thing sound so vicious? And why does it sound like I should be scared?"
Before John could explain to AJ the danger she was faced with, Alicia slammed her hand down on the podium and yelled "Your Majesty! Surely, you don't mean this?!"
"Oh, but I do," Vickie said, walking over to where the group was gathered, making her way through the circle of guards. "You see, your friend here has reason to believe that I'm an unjust and unfair ruler. So, instead of giving her the execution she deserves, I'm going to allow her to fight for her life."
"But against your pet?!" John asked in an angry tone that was one the others had never heard him take before. "Can't she fight for herself in some other way?"
Banging her scepter on the ground, Vickie said "Some other way?! In case you have forgotten, all ways here are my ways! Therefore, she has to fight my pet, whether she wants to or not!"
After hearing that, the rest of AJ's 'trial' pretty much consisted of the guards removing her and her friends from the court room and taking AJ to a room where she was then given a red suit of armor to put on. Once she had the armor on, she had spent the time pacing until two guards and the execution official came for her.
"It's time," the official said.
Swallowing around the lump that was starting to grow in the back of her throat, AJ followed the official out of the room as the guards followed behind her. Walking down the corridor, AJ couldn't help but get worried about what she was walking into. Not only did she not know what this creature was that she was going to have to face, AJ was also faced with not knowing how to fight the creature. 'I seriously doubt that I can take this thing down with a Shining Wizard,' AJ thought. 'And John and the others certainly weren't any help with what they told me about this thing.' The four kept walking until they got to the end of the corridor, which was sealed off by two large doors. Walking around from behind AJ, the two guards each pushed a door open to reveal an open area closed in by a wall and a barred door and what appeared to be a giant checkerboard in the center of the space. Stepping forward behind the official, AJ looked around and saw the Queen off to one side of the checkerboard and her Wonderland friends off to the side closest to the doors. AJ kept walking forward until she was told to stop a few feet away from the side of the checkerboard she was coming up on.
Smirking from her side of the checkerboard, Vickie said "What a marvelous day today has been! I may have been thwarted in my goal of offing my poor excuse for entertainment, but I think I may have found something that will pass for entertainment!"
From where he was standing with the others, John yelled "Your Majesty, I insist that you not let our friend go through with this!"
"Silence!" Vickie yelled in John's direction. Turning her attention back to AJ, Vickie said "I give you one last chance, little girl. Apologize for your insults towards me and I will be merciful and let you leave here with your life."
"Oh, I apologize," AJ said, causing the Queen's smirk to grow a bit wider. "I apologize for you being a cruel, arrogant, bad-tempered tyrant that has no regard for those that she rules over!"
Her smirk dropping, Vickie banged her scepter and yelled "Enough of this! Guards! Let's introduce our young guest to my precious pet."
Nodding their heads, the hooded guards walked over to the barred door and raised it as another guard came forward, pulling a chain behind him.
Looking at what was getting pulled behind the guard, AJ looked up at the creature and said "Oh, shit."
Looks like AJ was finally able to stick up for herself and defend herself at her own trial. Too bad she had to deal with more stubbornness from the Queen of Wonderland. And, as if being on trial wasn't enough, now AJ has to fight for her life against the Queen's 'pet'. Want to know what it is? You'll have to wait until Chapter 12 to find out. ;)
