[Message to the Reader: Leilani & Tarrant's twins took it upon themselves to help the young Elizabeth rule Marmoreal. Trouble sparks when Iracebeth and Stayne's daughter tries overthrowing her kingdom. Julian is faced with the question: "Help your aunt...or the girl you love."

-Please understand that this is the sequel to my story, "The Only Exception".]

-Four months before Leilani appeared at Underland-

The night was cold and dreary in the land of Crims. The sky was foggy and the land around the Queen's large castle was desolate. No one dared to make any more noise than there had been already. The Queen was greatly disturbed by the heavy footsteps of the guards marching downstairs, preparing for battle. Her little sister, her darling sister, Mirana, wanted war for the crown once again. Iracebeth wouldn't dare share what had "rightfully" been hers. Truth holds it that she was a coward. A coward for stealing the crown after their champion, Alice, had left and decided to never return. Rumors were bound that the champions daughter, Leilani Ascot, should embrace the White Queen and help defeat the Red. This was the reason why they were training. If Alice was capable of chopping off the tongue, and slaying the Jabberwocky, who knows what this girl could do? She was expected any moment now. But that didn't matter to the Red Queen. She wouldn't have to set foot on that battlefield, nor did she have to lift a dainty finger on anyone. She'd sit back, watch, and let Stayne handle all the work. Aha!

Stayne…

The Queen threw her overly large head back and let out a loud call.

"Stayne!" She demanded.

There was a sound of clacking armor and soon the tall man with a scarred face appeared in her bedroom.

"Yes, my Queen?"

She lowered her head at him slowly as a crooked smile approached her lips.

"Must you make so much noise?"

"I'm training the soldiers, just as you asked me to earlier."

"It's too much noise. I honestly cannot sleep tonight." She said, rubbing the empty side of her heart-shaped bed slowly.

"Shall I postpone the training to tomorrow morning after you arise from your slumber?"

She shook her head slowly. "That's not what I want."

He gulped and looked around the room, brushing his black locks from his face.

"Then what is it that you desire?"

She thought about it. "You."

He backed up towards the door. "I honestly don't understand quite what you mean."

"I want you, Stayne. Don't you find me attractive?" She asked, getting off of her bed and walking towards the tall man. He looked down at her in utter detest, unsure how to answer that question. If he said no, she'd kill him. If he said yes, she'd make him do whatever she pleased, even if that meant bedding him tonight.

"But I thought what you desired was for the noise to decease."

"What's another way to drown out said ruckus?"

He thought about it. "I'm not too sure about that."

"You drown it out with a noise that you make with your own. Besides, I also cannot sleep. What I want to do will drown out the noise as well as make me tired." She said, walking towards him, her chest on his as she ran a single finger down his chest and stopping at his belly button. He grabbed her finger.

"Yes, of course, we shall make music until the sun comes up!" He said, grabbing the Queen's violin as he began playing awful and offbeat tunes.

"Stayne stop!"

"Can you hear them training?"

"No but-"

"Exactly, so let us make music together." He said as he kicked another violin to her. She walked over, grabbed the violin he was torturing and tossed it out her window. She grabbed Stayne, pulling him into a kiss that he ended quickly with a cough.

"If you don't succumb to my needs, I'll have your head."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh but I would. Need I remind you of my husbands?"

He gulped and shuddered just a little bit as he sat on the bed next to her.

"What do you want me to do?"

She grinned, cuddling close to him.

"You already have a hunch, don't you?" She asked. He shook his head, as if not ever wanting to hear the words escape her mouth. She raised up close to his ear, whispering her wants and needs into his ear. His face grew pale at the thought of them doing that together. He stood up and nodded.

"As you wish." He spoke. The knight went to the bathroom located in the Queen's chambers, putting on a series of colognes and combing his hair a little as he then removed his armor, walking out in all black under garments. A small laugh came from the queen's mouth as he sat on the bed, glaring at her.

"Don't be shy. Come on over, I don't bite." She taunted. He climbed on the bed with her, sitting straight up, staring at the designs on the bed. He didn't care about those, he just couldn't imagine the traumatic experience that would occur at this very moment.

After the Battle: Estimated 4 months later

Stayne dragged Leilani and Adam to the dungeons, tremendously disappointed at how she would betray them like this.

"You brat!" he yelled through the gates as he walked off. He saw one of Iracebeth's lady-in-waiting and grabbed her by the collar of her dress.

"Where is she?" He demanded.

"Who do you request?" Asked the already shaken woman.

"Where is Iracebeth?" he demanded loudly.

"They took her to the infirmary. She's unconscious." She explained.

Stayne felt his world come crashing down upon him slowly. He ran through the halls, up numerous stairs and took a series of twists and turns, trying to find the queen.

"Iracebeth," he yelled loudly. "IRACEBETH!"

In all honesty, this was the one time he's cared for the Red Queen in a while, for she was to bear his child in a few months. One blow to the head and a good fall on the floor, that should have done some damage to both the mother and his child. As he came down a hallway that he's never been to before, he saw what he figured was a small child walking past. She was pale yet transparent. She stopped along the halls and looked at him. A ghost…

"She's in there." She spoke in a spine tingling echoing voice before disappearing into the atmosphere. Before she disappeared, she pointed to a door, an old wooden door. Stayne carefully walked towards it and hesitated to open the door, for the fear of what he might see.

"No, this can't be," he said, dropping to his knees. He didn't want the news that his daughter had died. He wasn't sure, but he just worried. He saw the ghost of a small child, what else could that possibly mean? He turned the knob and looked inside, seeing a bunch of surgeons. He could see the large head of the Queen as she lay there. A nurse turned around to him. "Where is my daughter?" he bellowed.

"You're not allowed in here!" She yelled as she lifted her dress to walk over towards Stayne.

"I want my daughter!" he yelled. Everyone turned around and looked at him.

"Well then you'll just have to wait. For now, Knave, you shall NOT be in here." She said, shoving him out of the door, causing him to fall on his backside. He had been shown a secret entry way to the hospital inside of the castle, thanks to the girl.

Cooperating, he moved to the outside of the infirmary, taking a seat and doing nothing but waiting. He felt sick to his stomach with the thought of never getting a chance to see his daughter, never holding her in his arms. He stood up quickly, clutching his sword as the doctor stepped out towards him.

"Where is she?" He asked lowly, narrowing his eyes at the short, stout man.

"The queen is unconscious right now."

"NOT HER. My daughter, where is my little Joslyn?"

He sighed heavily and held onto his wrist.

"She's okay, for now, no harm done. But it will be a miracle if she does survive."

"So she's okay?" Stayne felt the corners of his mouth twitching.

"She-" The doctor started before being interrupted by the nurse.

"Doctor, come quick," she ordered. She glanced up at Stayne and back to the doctor. "It's the baby." She tried whispering. The doctor hurried inside while Stayne sat down hard on the bench.

It was hours until the nurse came out, holding something wrapped in pink cloth, walking to the next room. Stayne stood up quickly, shock on his face.

"Is that my Joslyn?"

"I cannot speak of those terms, sir." She said, hurrying off inside. Stayne took two steps towards the door.

"Knave!"

Stayne turned to the doctor and bowed.

"Yes, sir?"

"Your daughter, she's okay." He smiled, patting the tall man on the hip. Stayne felt chills run up and down his back. He had never worn a real smile upon his face since a few months ago when the announcement had came to him. Yet, his happiness ended when blood curdling screams were heard throughout the castle. An injured soldier came up the stairs and fell to Stayne's feet.

"Sir!"

"Get up, you scoundrel. Tell me, what is wrong? What could possibly pull all of my attention away from my darling daughter?" He asked, walking to the window of the door and peering outside.

"We're under attack by the White Queen and some kind of smiling cat."

Stayne turned around slowly. "What?"

"Some men are down. We need your help."

"How? What? We defeated some of them earlier. How is this possible?"

"We need you!"

"You are dismissed." He spoke, sending him on his way as he peered inside, studying his daughter. She was crying, even as the nurse tried rocking her to her calmness. But that wasn't working. Stayne pushed the doors open and walked inside.

"You cannot be in here."

"I know that Joslyn is okay. But you are doing it wrong."

"You mean to tell me you've handled a baby before?"

"I have not said such a thing, but I wish to try."

"What am I doing wrong?" She asked, looking up at the man. He sighed and took his daughter gently from the woman's hands.

"You must rock her, slowly, and full of meaning and care." He spoke, sitting in the chair and rocking her slowly. When she opened her eyes, his heart melt. She had hazel eyes and brown hair with the oddest thing: Some red strands in it. He bit his lower lip in annoyance but he found that he couldn't help it. She was both his and Iracebeth's daughter as well. There wasn't a doubt that she'd get one of her traits, if not all. She instantly stopped crying and looked up at her father.

"My daughter, my sweet Joslyn…Princess Joslyn. I will take care of her, even if the Queen is incapable. I will make sure she heirs her mother's throne when older."

The soldier came inside and spotted the child, looking at him confusingly.

"Knave, we need you."

"I shall come down, now." He spoke. He knew that if he were to go down there, unprepared to battle, he could lose his life. He stood up, walking to the nurse and handing her back his daughter. His heart shattered as he left her in her arms, hearing her begin crying once more.

"Good luck." Said the nurse breathlessly.

"I'll be back for my daughter." He assured her.

"What if you aren't capable of handling a child?"

He felt like shouting out at why she had to be so sinister and pessimistic. But he kept calm, for the sake of his daughter.

"Just…keep her safe." He said before walking out of the infirmary. He stomped hard against the floor, unable to understand how he'd have to leave such a precious creature in the arms of that stubborn woman. He felt like betraying them all and staying, running away and keeping her safe. But he couldn't, he just couldn't. For the sake of Crims he couldn't do that.