Interlude One:
A knock on the door made THE QUEEN look up. "Madam? It had been nearly a week and the Master has grown concerned," it was one of her maids. THE QUEEN knew who it was immediately.
Henrietta had golden yellow locks that curled around her heart shaped face. Her cheeks and round nose seemed to go always be dipped in a rosy red blush. Her eyes were a goregous blue that seemed to shine whenever it caught the light. She was so perfect. So beautiful. So unlike THE QUEEN and what THE QUEEN was supposed to be.
And for that, THE QUEEN hated her.
"Leave," THE QUEEN croaked, her throat choked with unshed tears.
"Madam, may I enter your chambers?" She said.
"I said leave!" THE QUEEN roared, more tears spilling over.
Footsteps hurried away, and THE QUEEN was left in silence once more. THE QUEEN sniffed and looked down. THE QUEEN's stomach, THE QUEEN's once full, round stomach, had been ripped from her. The child THE QUEEN worked so very hard on yanked out of her grasp.
THE QUEEN let out a short sob, wrapping her arms around her belly. THE QUEEN let the tears run down her face freely
The door opened, and THE QUEEN's head shot up, THE QUEEN didn't bother to wipe the tears from her eyes, but THE QUEEN eyed door. A tea cart was being wheeled into THE QUEEN's room, and behind it, was Henrietta. She gave THE QUEEN a hesistant smile, and THE QUEEN hadn't spoken a word.
"It is tea. Your favourite, Indian Chai," Henrietta sat on the bed, not even looking at THE QUEEN as she prepared the milky brown substance.
"I told you to leave me be," THE QUEEN muttered bitterly.
"Yes, but the Master sent me back. He sends his condolences for your loss," Henrietta replied.
THE QUEEN laughed, "Do not lie to me, maid. My husband has done no such thing." It was true. There was no love in their marriage, since it had been arranged by both of their parents. He was furious when he kept trying to have children with THE QUEEN and failed. He drunk himself in to abyss and busied himself with his work and his company. Neither had truly spent time with the other, as if they had been as far as the earth orbiting the sun, never to touch.
However, this relationship did not gain any pity from THE QUEEN's friends, or family. They were also as angry with THE QUEEN, shunning THE QUEEN, and calling THE QUEEN selfish for not having his children, no matter how hard THE QUEEN had tried. They all took pity on THE QUEEN's husband, since he would not have an heir. Or at least it seemed that way until finally, THE QUEEN was victorious.
THE QUEEN had been impregnated with the child for almost five months before the accident. And those five months, it was the greatest of all of her life. THE QUEEN's husband was actually around her. THE QUEEN's friends and family stopped shunning her. Even the house servants, who usually never smiled or looked upon the formerly infertile female gazed upon THE QUEEN round belly and a smile stretching their lips.
Then, the accident happen. THE QUEEN hardly remembered it. The carriage turning over, everything around THE QUEEN a buzz. THE QUEEN was rushed to the nearest hospital and treated. When THE QUEEN woke up, they told THE QUEEN that if they hadn't taken the baby out of her womb THE QUEEN would have died. Since THE QUEEN was four months early there would be no possible way the baby could, or would, survive.
They saved THE QUEEN's life at the cost of her child's.
"Madam... Madam?" Henrietta said, on her knees before THE QUEEN. "You have a fever. We have to get you to bed."
"It is not fair," THE QUEEN whispered angrily.
"I know, but-"
"It isn't fair!" THE QUEEN's temples throbbed, and then pain struck as hard as a smack to the face. THE QUEEN doubled over, crying out.
"Madam!" Henrietta cried, "We have to get you to bed!" She tried to take THE QUEEN's shoulders, but THE QUEEN yanked her away.
"It isn't fair!" THE QUEEN screeched, a strange stirring in THE QUEEN that THE QUEEN hadn't known she was even capable of before. "I worked hard for just one child, but get nothing while people like you, women like you, waste it!"
THE QUEEN remembered overhearing Henrietta speak of a abortion for an unwanted child with a man that was not her husband. She already had two little ones and couldn't afford another, especially a bastard child of an affair one drunken night.
THE QUEEN felt rage seize her along with her new hatred. THE QUEEN's nails, which were chipped from misue grew to a dangerously sharp length. "How dare you!? You waste children like they are booze! You shall punish for you misdeeds, for your murder! Off with your head!" THE QUEEN sharpened nails raked across her throat and immediately blood spilt down her detached neck.
Then, THE QUEEN dug at her stomach, slicing through flesh as easily as butter. Her organs were pinkish and bloody, but THE QUEEN didn't care. With an easy slice and yank, THE QUEEN detached her uterus and held it delicately. This was the only thing holding THE QUEEN back from a better life. This small thing, kept THE QUEEN from her child. This organ so easily misused by wayward women.
Well, not anymore. THE QUEEN would rid this world of women who took love and life so frivolously.
This was merely the beginning of a new era. Of THE QUEEN's era.
• ️•
The woman was walking down the side of the street. Despite the brisk autumn air, and the moon hanging high in the night, she was very underdressed, baring enough skin to practically be naked.
Her dark eyes scanned the street like a hungry predator searching for prey, and in this instance, it was just that.
She finally spotted him. A young man with his head downcast, hiding his face easily. His clothing looked quite neat, so definitely a man baring a few coins if she gave him a good enough time. And she would. She definitely would.
She strutted over, her hips swaying and her eyelids fluttering. "What's a fine man like yourself doing here by your lonesome?" She asked, her voice sweet and seductive, but the man hardly glanced at her. "I think I would be much better company that these awfully chilly breezes."
The man smirked, and turned, his arm looped in her own. Not a word was said, but there didn't have to be. They made their to a private alley and immeditely the woman turned on him, her lips on his neck. Her hot breathing heavy as she shimmied out of her tight clothing. Soon, her undergarments were all that remained, but the man was still fully dressed.
"Come along, handsome, I don't want to be the odd one out," she purred, placing a finger on his waistband, tugging gently. The man hadn't bothered. Instead, his hand settled on her bare stomach, slowly rubbing circles around the skin. The woman fluttered, her eyes drooping closed as she waited for the man to do sonething.
What she didn't expect was for his fingernails to claw into her skin. She screamed, but it had been too late. In seconds, her lower torso was a bloody mess, and in the THE QUEEN's hand was useless dead organs.
• ️•
The supposed 'Jack the Ripper' had four more victims to his spree before THE QUEEN was finally caught, not by the authorities.
A man had appeared by the end of the alley, leaning against a brick wall, his eyes downcast. "So much blood," he hummed to himself, and THE QUEEN yanked her head up, not having even heard his approach. THE QUEEN turned around to see him. He was looking at a pocketwatch, but strangely, THE QUEEN could not hear it tick. "Surely your thirst must be quenched by now."
"Who are you?" THE QUEEN demanded, rising to her feet.
"Who am I?" The mysterious man smiled, and turned towards THE QUEEN. "Simply a mad man. You may call me Hatter. And you, are my queen."
[End of Interlude 1]
