Chapter 10.
Having Alexander to confide in and spend time with made Avery's time at the Red Queen's palace more tolerable, she still missed her family, but she wasn't quite so alone anymore. They would spend their days walking arm in arm around the garden or the castle halls. Alex would tell her about his mother and sister and she would speak of missing Faylen and her parents. The days passed like this and though the Red Queen saw this as just an act to keep Alexander's family alive Avery knew she was beginning to fall for the knight she had once hated, and she believed he was falling for her too.
"I don't see things ending well for me on the day of the battle, even if the White Queen wins." he told her as they walked along the roses. "Word has it that Sebastian has said he shall bring me down upon seeing me, and I don't blame him."
"I shall not let that happen." she stopped and turned to face him. "They only wish to harm you because of what they think you have done. If they knew you had no choice they would change their minds." He took her hand in hers and met her eyes.
"Avery we have no way to tell them that, and come time for the battle it'll be too late." he spoke softly. "Even if we had some way to try to tell them, I doubt they would believe it."
"So we just wait for them to kill." she said, "I can not do that. I plan to release your mother and sister the second we win the battle and I don't wish to tell them of your demise. We will make it through this, the both of us." Alex couldn't help but smile at her optimism, he wanted nothing more than to believe her.
"Well then, let's speak no more of this right now, and just enjoy our walk." he pulled her against his chest and they walked along the flowers neither saying a word.
"Lady Avery, Sir Alexander the Queen request your presence in the consul room." A maid said appearing at the castle entrance.
"Thank you, tell her we'll be up shortly." Alex said sending the maid on her way.
"This is it isn't it?" Avery asked. "She's planning her attack."
"Yes it is," he told her, "I'll be there with you, if you don't wanna listen just block them out and focus on me. The planning will be left up to the higher ranking guards, we'll just be there for show." she nodded and clutched his hand tightly as they made their way to the consul room. The Red Queen and the guard leaders awaited them and they took their seats side by side, Avery never let go of Alex's hand.
"In a weeks time we shall engage in battle with my sister's army. and this time they will fall." The Red Queen spoke, "Today we gather to plan the battle, and with it our victory." The guards went to planning each attack while Avery focused on keeping her breaths even and the feel of her hand in Alex's.
"What of the Hatter and his brat should the be captured?" a guard asked as the meeting drew to a close. Avery's head shot up and Alex's grip on her hand tightened.
"Kill the Hatter on the spot, the girl is to be brought to me, I will handle her." The Red Queen met Avery's gaze. "No prisoner shall be taken on this day, kill them all." With that she stood and left. Alexander quickly led Avery to her room where she broke down, her knees buckled and she began to cry. He held her as sobs shook her body and wished there was more he could do to comfort her, but he knew there was nothing.
"She wants to kill everyone I have here, so she control me." she said between sobs. "She wants to keep the both of us under her thumb so we will do as she says."
"It won't happen, your mother will defeat Katelyn and all will be well." Alex ran and hand through her red curls.
"My mother is not the girl she once was, what if we put too much faith in her and we fail?"
"Then it will be up to you and your sister to bring down Katelyn and restore the peace." He kissed the top of her head as something crashed through the window.
"Something must be done!" Faylen yelled. "For her to invite that basted to her room willingly should be sign enough something in extremely wrong." She met her father's eyes.
"What would you have us do Faylen?" The White Queen asked. "The battle is just a week away." Since Chess had come with the news that her sister was indeed courting Alexander, Faylen had become insatiable with any plan that didn't involve bringing her twin home right at that moment.
"Faylen the only ones who can gt in there undetected are Mally and Chess and neither of them can help her escape." Sebastian said. "And any of us going would only lead us t our dooms." He spoke try Chess could get Mally to the castle no problem due to her small size she could climb in though an open window once there. If only there was a way that Faylen could get inside as easily.
"Of course!" she yelled causing all the eyes in the room to turn to her. "Pishsalver!"
"What are you talking about girl?" The Hatter asked.
"If I drink the pishsalver I shall be no bigger than Mally." Faylen said. "Chess can fly the two of us to Avery's room. There I can speak with her, try to make sense of this madness."
"Faylen, you can not wish that I would send you into the Red Queen's grasp." Her father said.
"No one would even know I was there." she spoke quickly. "Please you must let me go, I need to speak to Avery, I must know what's going on." Hatter thought for a moment, before turning back to his daughter.
"Call for Chess and Mallyumkin, they will accompany Faylen to her sister." The young princess hugged her father tightly. "This is not a rescue mission, do you understand me. You will speak to Avery for no more than half an hour, then come straight back. We are to close to the battle to risk another capture."
"Yes father thank you." She ran from the room to ready herself to visit her sister and Sebastian came to the Hatter's side.
"Are you sure this is wise sending her with no more than a cowardly cat and doormouse, into the land of the Red Queen?" he asked.
"I know you worry for her, but I do not foresee Faylen being captured." Hatter said, "Even so, she has been trained well enough, my daughter can protect herself."
That night Faylen drank the pishsalver and shrank to the size of a doormouse and climbed onto Chess' back with Mallyumkin at her side. Everyone had gathered to see her off and while all the face held worry, none held more than Sebastian's.
"Keep her safe Mally." he said to the doormouse sitting beside her.
"I'll shall protect her with my life." Mally replied before they took off. The ride to the castle was quick as they flew through the air and Chess took them straight to Avery's window on arrival. Faylen looked in and saw her sister in the arms of the traitor as she wept he stroked her hair. She didn't think as she leapt from Chess' back and through the window crashing onto the table under the window seal.
If Avery was not seeing it with her own eyes should would not believe it. Sure enough though on her table stood her sister, shrunk down to the size of Mallyumkin, brushing the dust off her pants. Another small crash and then Mally herself stood at Faylen's side.
"Malady that was reckless indeed, what if some guard had been in here." Mally said.
"Faylen, Mallyumkin, what are you doing here?" Avery asked looming over the two.
"I've come to sort through this madness we've heard from Chess and McTwisp." Faylen said. "All this talk of you and that bloody traitor." Faylen glared at Alex.
"Faylen you don't understand, everything isn't as black and white as it seems." Avery began to speak.
"I shall wait out in the hall to make sure no one enters, call for me when your done." Alexander said before leaving the room.
"I suppose he's off the raise the alarm, afraid you'll try to escape." Faylen grumbled, "This talk of things not being as absolute, are they forcing you to invite him to your room and cry in his arms?"
"He is as much a prisoner her as I am Faylen." Avery said, kneeling at the table so she could meet her sisters eyes. "She has his mother and little sister, and has kept them here for years, I've seen them Faylen. The Red Queen has already killed his father and if he does not do as she says, she will kill them."
"Your sure of this?" Faylen asked.
"She said as much to me when she announced our courtship."
"And what of this courtship, how much of that is for show?" Faylen asked
"At the moment dear sister I'm not sure I could tell you." Avery gave her a small smile. "I think at the start it was more just for show, but now..."
"I see, I'll let father know everything said tonight." Faylen spoke softly.
"Sister, I know Sebastian feels betrayed by Alex, but I beg of you convince him to spare his life." Avery said.
"It will be up to Seb and father Alexander's fate, but I shall try." Faylen turned to Mally, "Let us be gone, father waits on us."
"Send he and mother my love, I miss you all."
"As we miss you sister." With that they left through the window. Avery summoned Alexander back to her side and she went to bed knowing in a weeks time all of this could be over.