The first thing I saw was cards. A semicircle of cards. They had already been alerted. I heard Amory curse. "I was hoping we'd have more time." He clenched his teeth. He turned to me. "We have to get you out of here." I bit my lip. "I can't leave you guys!"

"It's for the good of the kingdom." Theo said sadly. "We have an obligation to protect you at any cost."

"Not just an obligation!" Etta said. "Amory, Vincent, Dee, Dum and Max. Take Alice into the maze. Get her to the secret passage. Quinn, Theo and I will take care of these shits."

Amory, Max and the twins nodded and began to pull me along. Vincent began to protest but when a card slashed at him with a long sword, Etta had to shove him violently out of the way and deflect the blow. "You're ill, Vincent. You won't be any help if you're dead." He did look a bit sickly.

Vincent followed after Amory into the labyrinth of hedges and roses. I couldn't help but look back at my other companions as they readied for battle. I heard a horn being blown loudly and saw a mass of cards rush forward at them. But, before I saw any more, we turned a corner and they were lost to my eyes.

We hadn't gotten far when Vincent right out collapsed. He just crumpled to the ground like a marionette whose strings had been cut. I gasped and ran back to him. Dee and Dum stood on either side of me. Amory crouched in front of Vincent. He pressed a hand to the hookah smoker's forehead. "He has a fever…"

I frowned and turned around to see where Max was. He was just standing off to the side. I gasped when suddenly a hedge wall that had been on my right slid right between me and Amory. "Th-the maze moves?" I gasped.

I could hear Amory pace behind the leafy barrier. "Alice, listen. Follow the trail of white roses." I looked around. There were many roses but all were red. Every last one. "What do you mean, the white ones? They're all red!"

"Some aren't," I looked around, checking if I missed any. When I found none I called back lamely, "Where?"

"Some are only stained red! The gardeners made a mistake and so the queen beheaded them on the spot and they're blood splattered the roses. They make a path because the ones with white roses don't move."

I nodded and started walking. Max followed. "Be careful!" Amory called. "There are worse things than cards in here!"

I bit my lip but walked on all the same. As I went, I grabbed hold of rose after rose, rubbing blood off a single petal. Max and I took a right turn and saw something strange. It was a huge granite alter of sorts and on it lay a long glittering sword. There was silver spun into the handle and a sapphire embedded in the blade. The blade itself was so shiny that it looked like liquid glass.

That's when I noticed something else. A figure dressed all in black was suddenly standing right in front of me. His black cloak swished in the sudden gust of wind. He looked at me intently from under the fringe of black, straight-as-a-pin hair that fell into his face and was tied back in a red ribbon (which probably wasn't necessary, seeing as his hair would have only just reached his shoulders.). He stood about 6' tall and was lean and carried three (visible) weapons. But, the most striking, and the most frightening feature about him were his cold empty eyes. They were sharp and calculating and seemed to glow in the shadow. They were a deep purple color with orange bursts and slit pupils.

He drew a dagger from his hip and pointed the jagged edge at me. "Enemies of the queen shall be annihilated." He said calmly and sinisterly. I bit my lip but stood my ground. He lunged at me and I only just escaped being stabbed in the face. The knife had nicked the side of my face and I felt the blood drip and roll down my face like thick, crimson tears. He turned on his heel and slashed at me, rapidly and repeatedly without rest. It was the most I could do to keep avoiding them, which I didn't manage to do very well.

I raised my arms over my face to protect myself as best I could. I did not panic. I did not scream. All I could think about was my definite and absolute need to survive. To protect my new family. And to save Wonderland.

Suddenly the blows stopped.

"THE SWORD ALICE!"

I removed my arms from my face in time to see the man, in a momentary state of surprise, being held back by Max. I came to my senses but unfortunately so did the man in black. He grabbed Max by the throat and slammed him to the ground. I gasped and ran to the altar. I grabbed the sword with both hands but found it extremely light. I felt my wounds heal themselves and a sudden burning determination fill my heart. I turned to face the man dressed all in black and raised the sword to his throat. "Release my friend."

"The vorpal blade…" He murmured. "impossible. Not even the Queen can wield that sword… But you are…So you must be…" He let go of Max immediately and stuck the dagger into the ground. He kneeled at my feet and bowed his head.

"…Alice…"

I looked down at him shocked. He looked back up at me, venom and hatred mixed with the cold apathy I had seen up until now. I could tell he didn't like bowing to me. "Please…make my death quick." He said quietly.

"Death?" I gasped.

"The prophesy foretells that the one who can wield the Vorpal sword will be the one to end my life…So make it quick. Or I will revoke the offer and kill you where you stand."

I bit my lip and put the sword to his neck. My whole body shook. Then I smiled and lowered the sword. "How about this. I won't kill you if you help me. And, when this is all over, if you still see fit, you can kill me. Deal?" I held out a hand for him to shake.

I could see him eyeing it suspiciously. He finally grasped my hand. Hard. Like he wanted very much to break my fingers. His left eye twitched a little. Then h replied through sharp gritted teeth;

"Deal."

not a very good chapter...i apologize, my readers. *crys in corner*