Author's Note:
So this is the last one and I truly do not know what to say. Thank you all for sharing in on this with me and thank you for supporting this story and its amateur author. You make every letter worth being written.
WARNINGS:This chapter contains scenes of torture, the mentioning and featuring of murder, character death and a mentally and emotionally scarred sorceress with what can be described as a disturbing sense of justice. If any of these are triggers to readers, I advise you to stop reading – also, I apologise and take responsibility for not properly warning readers of similar scenes in previous chapters.
Chapter 22:
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"Stay safe." Her father retorted, then smiled wryly as he added, "Heavens know your mother will unleash all her wrath should anything happen to you." "Of course," They embraced tightly each silently fearing it might be the last. "We'll bring her back." Alice whispered and a moment later they broke apart.
She smiled one last time at her father before mounting the Bandersnatch in front of Iracebeth, gathering her courage.
"All right everyone, let's bring the White Queen home!"
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As it would happen getting in turned out to be the easy part, but getting caught without being torn limb from limb or completely obliterated by conjured bloodthirsty shadow animals, well that proved to be more difficult than Alice had expected. It also gave her a new respect for her mother, though that train of thought left her slightly morose.
Nonetheless, Alice summarises she could have done without the manhandling that followed their capture. It was unnecessary. They were dragged to the ruins of a castle that Alice vaguely recalled was the one she'd visited via Chronoshpere in the past when trying to save the Hightopps.
It was far from as beautiful as it once had been and nothing but distant memories remained in the fractured stone and ivy covered walls. She also realized with a start when spotting the sombre eyes of the Red Queen looking over the ruins that this had been her mother's childhood home.
A place where her grandparents had raised their daughters and where two sisters once closer than any other pair were viciously separated by a single lie. It is here the sisters' feud began and here where Elena was discovered to be the witch she is. Here the story of two princesses ended and the tale of two rival queens began.
These ruins symbolize more than just a divided kingdom.
They symbolize a torn family and the broken bond of two sisters.
Alice and Iracebeth were ruthlessly marched into the crumbling castle, hands chained behind their backs and stripped of their noticeable weapons. The entrance hall was mostly empty, the blonde noted, looking at the cracked ceiling and open walls. The next room had a circular dais, but her eyes were drawn to a shine in the corner.
The Vorpal Sword was pierced into the slabs of a ruined wall, guarded by two snarling shadow beasts. Upon closer inspection, there were also tendrils of darkness curling around the blade, attacking and piercing at the shimmering stones – searching for weaknesses – and being deflected by an invisible barrier that made the blade glow.
But then her attention was returned to the dais when she heard a soft gasp fall from the Red Queen's lips and then a bone-deep chill ran down her spine at the sight that assaulted her suddenly frozen gaze. Her heart sank into a roiling pit in her stomach and frost crawled up her neck.
The White Queen was dripping wet and on her hands and knees, wrists torn open, blood gushing out beneath split cuffs spearing into her delicate porcelain skin and there was a chain wrapped around her neck being pulled and held in place by Elena as though the queen were a wild animal being forcibly tamed into submission.
Her clothes were nearly in tatters, her eyes red from either tears or exposure to an irritant, ashen hair tangled in wet locks and dried blood. There was a cut above her left eyebrow and a trail of blood caressing her bruised cheek where a stinging handprint had tattooed itself into her skin in bold reds and purples.
Where she was knelt was a thickening sheet of ice that seemed to be ever so slowly crawling up her arms and legs, locking her in place against her will. She was sitting more than standing and strain visibly echoed in her posture as her head was forced back by the chain cutting into her throat.
The position forced her to straighten her back and her shoulders were almost bear from the way the remainder of her clothing was sagging against her shivering and shaking frame, revealing more bruises. Some were made from weapons, some from the use of bare hands.
There were gashes and cuts obviously made from claws and a dry rust covered indents made from razor-like teeth. No doubt those were obtained while fighting off against the monsters the sorceress had conjured into existence and then commanded to find the pale beauty.
The anger and agony that boiled up in Alice's blood from seeing her mother in such a situation – and in such a position – was overwhelming in a way that would have forced her to her knees had the shadow covered beasts born of hatred not been holding her upright.
In that moment she wanted very much to fling herself forward with the force of a high tide during a storm and tackle Elena so hard that when the sorceress' head finally hits the ground it would split open with a resounding crack that would not only knock away her breath and leave her with a hairline fracture, but hopefully end her.
That was the extensiveness of her rage and realizing the bloodlust it brought up in her Alice internally recoiled, suddenly very aware of the burning eyes of the creatures around her and the taste of the infectious hatred hanging thick in the air like a large poisonous cloud.
"My-my-my, look who has come to visit us." Elena said in a cheerfully surprised manner, green eyes cold and hard despite her welcoming smile. "I would offer tea and cakes, but as you can see I'm a bit occupied in catching up with an old friend." Her smile was all teeth and not in the slightest bit comforting.
There was no sweetness in that smile, despite the sorceress' attempts at making it seem so. Her expression was entirely too predatory. "There is so much we haven't been able to do in the passing years since she became queen." She continued in an almost musical tone, pulling back on the chains and causing the woman to choke.
"Perhaps you would like to join us? Why, just moments ago we shared in a delightful game we used to enjoy as children. I will admit I was pleased to learn Mirana could still hold her breath as she used to as it had been I whom had helped perfect that little skill and I would have been terribly disappointed had my efforts gone to waste."
She switched the chains to one hand and brought the other down to the queen's face, running her nails over the gradually purpling skin of her jaw. "It would be ever so lovely for us all to spend time together as I'm afraid our dear queen has been feeling ever so lonely since we took our separate ways in the Outlands."
"Why are you doing this? She's done nothing to you!" Alice found herself shouting whilst struggling against her handlers, pulling and squirming and wiggling and jiggling and doing everything in her might that would make restraining her very difficult for their rather ill-balanced figures. "Nothing, you say?
Oh well that's only because you don't know the full story, dear. But please if we're going to get into that, I'd prefer everyone having proper placements." Elena smiled a truly frightening smile and brought up her hand from Mirana's face, swiping her fingers in a swaying motion that caused ice to curl around Alice and Iracebeth's legs.
The entrapping cold chilled them to the bone and Alice couldn't help but be reminded of being caught in the middle of a gale, but with the exception of rain and cutting wind there really wasn't much distraction provided from the cold creeping up her body.
The shadow beings released them carelessly with a forward shove that ended in an awkward half-fall as their legs had been stuck in place. "Now that we're all nice and comfortable, I can finally begin." The brunette continued, still playing her hand at the ever generous host.
"Long ago in a kingdom divided by war, two princes – black and red – rose up in defence of their separate territories. When locked in combat they discovered they were brothers and called for a cease fire on grounds of a newly found brotherhood and kinship.
However it wasn't long before their councils demanded for one of the king's sons to ascend and take the throne. The eldest was a seasoned warrior and a powerful magic user while the younger was a soldier with little training and more wit than either skill or magic.
It was agreed the best protector of the kingdom would be the brother whom was first in line, but the father of the younger prince's betrothed went behind the council's back and struck a deal with the priest who was to choose and crown the next king. In exchange for ensuring his daughter's future as queen, the wife of the eldest brother would have to die."
Her smile turned wry and scornful. "What they did not know was that the eldest prince had a daughter who witnessed the assassination of her mother and reported to her father. The brothers confronted one another and the eldest was deemed unfit to rule," she sent a cruel smile at Iracebeth whose lips thinned and eyes narrowed.
"So the youngest took the throne, married his betrothed and she became queen as promised while her brother became Champion of the Realm. When the treachery of the priest and the queen's father was uncovered, the elder brother was invited back to the kingdom and his daughter promised a fair chance at the throne."
She laughed then, long, cold and cruel. "Then the Red King and White Queen were blessed with two daughters. The first carried on the bloodline of king while the second carried the bloodline of the queen, forcing them to take pause for now there were not two but three possible heirs to the throne.
Puzzled, the disgraced prince and Red King consulted the Keeper of the Compendium whom told them that one with magic will become the next ruler-" Iracebeth frowned slightly at that bit of information, but Elena ploughed onward. "-and presented them with a crystal imbued with the powers of an Underlandian Guardian.
It was well known that neither of the Red King's daughters possessed magic and so the Black Prince and White Champion forged a blade together, placing the crystal in the hilt before they bestowed it upon the Red King and his family as a show of good will."
Elena's green eyes darkened drastically and she pulled tightly on the chain causing Mirana to cry out in muffled pain as her head was jerked back and her throat assaulted by the metal. "Stop it!" Alice shouted, fighting against the ice and the magic holding her in place, but her plea went ignored.
"And then the unexplainable happened when the blade was presented; King Oleron's youngest daughter touched the Vorpal Sword and its stones turned white." The Sorceress scowled, lunging forward with a hand aflame and pressing it against the White Queen's exposed shoulder.
"Miwana!" Mirana did not make a sound – not even to react to her sister's cry – no, she bit her tongue and closed her eyes against the burning pain. "Somehow, the Princess Mirana had come into magic and used it to turn an offering of good will into yet another thing claimed by the White bloodline.
Not wishing to cause another war, the Red King named Mirana the next Champion of Underland and told the Black Prince to forget about the Keeper's words, stating that they shall have a choosing between their eldest children. In exchange for this the Black Price demanded the return of the Vorpal Sword, but the Red King refused."
With her green eyes nearly black, Elena finally ceased the spell, but did not remove her hand. Instead she harshly uncoiled the chain from the queen's neck before magically sliding it across her body until it was holding her upper arms against her sides and forcing the air from her lungs.
With her hands frozen in front of her knees, Mirana was forced to bend forward to accommodate her new bindings that Elena only tightened the more she struggled against them. "I would have been queen of Underland had the sword not woken your dormant power and then shielded itself from my father's line.
I was the chosen and it and the throne would have been my birthright had your grandfather not made his little deal." The Sorceress pressed down hard on the queen's burnt shoulder, calling forth a startled and pained cry. "They could pretend all they desired, but the truth remained.
Iracebeth's fall had been a happy accident that allowed my father the chance to mould a pawn, but if there's one thing you two have in common it's your damn refusal to do and be as you were told!" The ice cracked around the White Queen as she was shoved as close to the ground as could be managed.
And with the explosion of the Sorceress' temper, the ice shattered and split into glassy shards that burst outward, cutting through pale flesh, drawing fresh flowing blood and a smothered scream from a bruised and strangled throat grated raw by the liquid fire Elena had forced her to consume.
And then the queen's singular scream was blocked out by the almost screech-like wails of her estranged cousin's shadow pets as flash powder was cast around the destroyed chamber in a blinding amount. A moment later the Sorceress' own yells could be heard somewhere within the thickening mist before her voice too became muffled and her magic came undone.
Iracebeth and Alice were freed from their frosty prisons, falling rather unceremoniously to the ground while Mirana was fully introduced to the tiles as the ice shards around her melted and evaporated, the chains previously used to throttle her having turned to dust and the cuffs opened with a resounding metallic crack.
As the smoke from the flash powder cleared, Mallymkun, Bayard and the Tweedles came into view along with the remains of the dark creatures summoned by Elena that had been turned into little more than black pools of goop staining the worn floor without her magic to sustain them. And behind Mirana, Chessur was grinning coldly.
His paws were curled around a set of cuffs similar to those previously adoring the White Queen's wrists, but instead of being worn by the ivory haired woman, they were locked around the tanned flesh of the Sorceress with the burning bloodlust in her emerald eyes and a sword to her throat courtesy of the Mad Hatter.
Alice was quick to scramble back to her feet and raced to her birth mother's side, concern clear along with its accompanying fear. "Mother," she whispered in a voice almost inaudible as she brought the woman up into a sitting position, the queen's lashes fluttering as fought against unconsciousness.
"Alice..." She answered back as best she could before her body sagged and her eyes fell fully closed. "We need to get her back to Marmoreal!" "She'll be dead before you managed to get there, especially if you plan on your dog keeping me hostage." Elena bit out with a half-laugh.
"A problem easily remedied," Tarrant threatened with the pressure of cold steel against the woman's throat. "Fow once I agree with the Hatter." Iracebeth announced with an expression colder than Alice had ever seen displayed on the woman's face.
She was slow in her approach, but the Vorpal Sword glinted dangerously in her hands. Apparently she'd freed it from its stony tomb while the others scrambled in their own directions. "Our father denied my sister her future to give us both a chance, yet in the end the Compendium will always be correct in its choice."
The Red Queen's voice was low and for the first time since Alice met her, not once did the woman have that child-like tone that many have come to distinguish her by. "Neither of us have the right to Underland's crown. And we have both done terrible things that will forever scar the land.
I may have turned out big headed because of Mirana's lie, but you turned out black hearted because you convinced yourself she was the bane to your existence." She was close enough to level the blade at the woman, and level she did. Tarrant and Chessur backed off, sensing the anger in the former queen of Underland.
"I am no innocent, but my sister suffered through many years because of you and I don't appreciate anyone outside myself touching so much as a single white hair on her puny head." "What are you going to do Iracebeth? You've tortured her as well. Ilosovic told me how you had him whip her.
So do share oh, blood-red Queen – why should I fear you?" Elena challenged, leaning forward with piercing eyes and a mocking smile. The Red Queen leaned in as well returning the challenge with an answer, but Iracebeth was grim, eyes narrowed and lips thinned, "Because only I get to hurt my baby sister."
And then there was the swift rise of an arm and the sound of air being cut and a flash of silver before white stones were stained red and Elena's body dropped to the floor, her shocked expression immortalized on her severed head that came to a stop by the Red Queen's feet, green eyes dimming in a similar fashion to those of the slain Jabberwocky.
"Off with your head." The red head whispered, lowering the famous sword so intimately entwined with her family's history.
"How are you feeling?" Alice questioned two days later while poking her head around the door to the queen's chambers, tea tray in hand. "Better than yesterday, though I'm still fairly tired." The platinum blonde answered with a small, fatigued smile. "I brought some tea – Tarrant said it might help."
"Thank you, dear." Silence fell whilst Alice poured the tea distracting herself from speech by completing the simple task; two cups, two sugar cubes, three sugar cubes, stir clockwise then counter clockwise, two cups, one each. "Is everything alright, Alice?"
"Hmm? Oh! Yes, yes, I'm just thinking." "About?" The queen prodded taking the proffered cup. "It's just... I neither can be, nor desire to be angry with my mother anymore." She revealed with a sigh and Mirana's brow furrowed slightly. "I wasn't aware you and Helen were arguing.
In fact I thought your relationship had improved since coming to Underland together." "No, I meant-" Alice chuckled despite herself and shook her head, "I was referring to you." "Oh," surprise flashed across her features and she gently put the teacup aside.
"You consider me your mother?" Followed a moment after and Alice smiled wryly. "You've always been my mother, I've just been too stubborn to allow it." Mirana's smile was brighter this time as they enveloped one another, pulling away only when they heard the small knock from the doorway.
"I hope I'm not interrupting," Charles apologized sheepishly causing his daughter to laugh and shake her head, however the queen's smile did falter slightly. "I realized we haven't had the chance to talk." He began, taking a seat next to Alice. "What is it you wish to discuss?" Mirana questioned in a somewhat faux chipper tone.
"Helen and I have already conversed and I was wondering," he paused, taking a deep breath before properly dividing his attention between Alice and her mother. "Whether it may be possible for the three of us to be a family..." Alice was smiling, but Mirana was shaking her head, drawing back.
"Charles-" "Helen gave me her blessing." He interrupted gently, eyes searching those of his soul bound, urging her to consider. "Please, Mirana. You know I would never be asking if I felt as though I was doing wrong by any of you." She studied him for a moment, her brown eyes betraying her inner conflict.
Then she turned to her daughter, the question clear in her gaze. "Alice?" "It's alright, Mother. I'll support any choice you decide upon." She answered in response, gently squeezing the queen's hand in reassurance. Mirana looked between her daughter and her bonded, uncertainty evident in her expression. "What about Helen?"
"She does not oppose, in fact I believe you will find that she's rather enamoured with a certain keeper of knowledge." Charles admitted with an amused smile that promised a lot of playful teasing and telling of tales between himself and his former wife in the days to come.
"And what of Margaret? She is your daughter as well." The queen pressed and the man's smile faltered. "She is a grown woman with a family of her own to see to and as much as I love her, I must allow her to live her life. It is what she has always desired and it would be cruel to take that away from her.
To reveal to her my livelihood would upset her, drag up questions of Underland and draw the attention of enemies yet defeated. Alice is more than capable of defending herself, but Margaret knows only what our world has taught her and she is happy with the way things are. Thus I believe it is time for us too, to move on."
"There will be questions..." Her resolve was failing and the others could see it. "Then we will face it together." Alice proclaimed, drawing a small smile from her mother. "What do think, my queen? Would you fancy one more adventure?" Charles questioned, holding out his hand.
Mirana looked between them, noting the hopeful expressions on both their faces and the hope in her own heart. She looked to her and her daughter's intertwined hands and to the comforting and protective hold Charles had around Alice's shoulder and then finally to the hand reaching for her.
Iracebeth will always be her sister no matter whether they are separated by feud or curse or realm or even Time. They have always been together and though their relationship is still strained, they will repair it. But Mirana had missed so many years with her daughter and even more so with her bonded.
They had separated because they did not feel right in living a life built on lies and the pain of others, but now fate was giving them a second chance with their daughter and providing Helen and Margaret with the chance at happiness as well. And the White Queen knows she'd be lying if she said she'd never longed for this.
She has longed for her family for many years, wondering after their health and imagining their daughter growing, always finding herself trapped on the other side of the looking glass. But it seems that that sheet of glass might have vanished at last. One more adventure...
She took a deep breath and took his hand, "Only with you both by my side." "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." Charles laughed and Alice smirked at her mother, eyes sparkling. "I came here to find you, do you honestly think I'll be leaving now that I have?"
Mirana smiled, chuckling as she took in her family, "Together then." "Together," father and daughter agreed before the family embraced; all three of them together for the very first time. And none of them could be any happier because they could finally say they were home.
The End.
Okay, that... Honestly I don't know what to say. Again, thank you to everyone that took the time and effort to read this story and support it, I really wouldn't have been able to get this far if it weren't for all of you. I hope this last chapter wrapped everything up properly and I hope you all enjoyed it.
Our adventure together may be ending here, but that doesn't mean there won't be more waiting for us. So thank you, to each and every one of you for sticking it out as long as you have. I know it isn't always easy.
Until our next adventure.
– Lyrical-Light