Decision of the Hearts

SET DURING/ SLIGHTLY AFTER SEEING REDD. Alyss Heart has been feeling tired and heavy lately, and she's had strange cravings for certain kinds of tarty tarts. Dodge Anders has been avoiding her while acting more and more formal, refusing to acknowledge their recently revived love. What is going on? Will Alice figure it out in time to save the Queendom?

I don't own the looking glass wars. Why? Well two reasons. First because Frank Beddor owns it, and second because it wasn't in my stocking. YEAH, THAT RIGHT!!! SANTA didn't come through!

'Person speaking' (their POV)

"Person speaking" (for the 'special' people out there, this is for the people whose POV it isn't.)

Thoughts

Narrator

Much thanx to JaneVolturi96 for reviewing!!!

Here is the link to the picture I made to go with the story- (take out the spaces)

http://asuname.

/art/Heart-

against-Heart-

106931856

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ALYSS POV (for JaneVolturi96- it's underlined)

When I woke up I was lying in my bed, in the sovereign suite of the palace. Wondering what had happened, I rolled out of bed looking for answers, only to rush to the bathroom and throw-up everything in my stomach. When the sickness had turned into dry-heaves and I had washed my mouth, I left the bathroom to find the palace surgeon sitting in the parlor. (?)

"Queen Alyss," he said with a deep bow. "How are you feeling?"

The fact that I had just thrown up what appeared to be the entire contents of the palace's kitchen had not left me in a pretty mood.

'Like Redd herself has just punched me in the gut. Care to explain?'

"Well you see, when Mr. Anders brought you to me I immediately thought some kind of poison had entered your system and did a scan for that. Finding nothing, I moved on to mental attacks from Redd- making you see horrific things that made you pass out."

'My parents we're murdered in front of me, need I say more?'

"Yes, yes. So, as I was saying, I checked for attacks on your imagination, viruses, diseases, even the common cold! Eventually I found the cause for your sickness."

'Okay, what is it?'

I leaned forward in my chair wondering why he was drawing this out so much. Was it something incurable and he didn't want to break the news to The Queen that she was dying?

"My dear, you will need to take in extra nutrition, and get extra rest for the next nine months."

I had no idea WHAT he was talking about. I had some vague recollection about nine months being important for something but I couldn't remember what.

'I don't understand.'

The surgeon sighed in exasperation

"Queen Alyss, it is with the utmost happiness and respect that I inform you of your pregnancy."

Pregnancy, wait a second that means, that means…

'I'M HAVING A BABY!?!'

DODGE POV

Alyss' last comment had shocked me. She knew I was avoiding her on purpose; I had tried so hard to make it seem as if I was just extremely busy. What an idiot, of course she knew; I had never been able to lie to her. Not even when we were kids, running around the palace playing Guards and Maidens. Not to mention we had made time for each other lately, the subtle brushing of hands in the hallway, a slight kiss or two when no one was around. And then there was that night, it was a full moon and there had been no deaths on the side of White Imagination that day. She had come into my rooms that night dressed in only a simple night shift and asked the question, (FLASHBACK)

"Do you remember my seventh birthday, before everything went wrong and we were dancing in the Issa Room?"

'Of course, my lady,' She smacked me then, saying that if I didn't stop calling her that she'd have me thrown in the dungeons.

'I wasn't aware The Heart Palace had dungeons, my lady.' She threatened to leave and I immediately apologized, only giving some thought to what my guardsmen would think if they heard this display of groveling from their superior.

"Apology accepted; now back to the Issa room. I never heard your answer to my question, as we were so rudely interrupted by him of the oversized rump.

I started laughing then and the pout on her face when she thought I was laughing at her made me laugh all the harder.

'You're so cute when you pout,' I managed to choke out between bouts of laughter.'

"What's your answer Dodge? Or should I say King Dodge? That is, if your answer is yes."

'If you wish it my la-, I mean Alyss.'

"Then let's dance."

And we were off, spinning and flying around the room. Alyss was laughing like the little girl in the Issa room when she was seven years old, and I was 10 years and 3 months old. A sunflower in my window started to sing.

"Just like then," Alyss murmured.

'Except now I never have to leave you.'

We danced for hours, finally collapsing in my bed. At first the kisses were innocent, like puppy love. Then they grew into something more. I woke up in the morning stark naked, with Alyss beside me in the same condition. A layer of dried sweat covered me from head to toe and I realized what had happened. It all came back to me, Alyss' reluctance, my insistence, her timid agreement. I bolted out of bed to head straight to the shower, only stopping when I thought of how Alyss would feel waking up in a guardsmen's room, in her birthday suit, with the guardsman in question no where to be found.

I was ashamed of myself and went back to bed promising to right this when Alyss woke up. (END FLASHBACK)

ALYSS POV

(FLASHBACK)

I woke up the morning after the night of dancing Dodge and I shared to find that neither dodge, nor I had any clothes on, and I was sore in the oddest of places. Dodge was still sleeping and I didn't want to wake him, knowing that I had a day full of responsibilities ahead of me; I left the room as quietly as possible, a smile on my face and a spring in my step.

(END FLASHBACK)

DODGE POV

I guess I had fallen asleep.

Strenuous activity will do that to you

When I woke up Alyss was gone and it was then that I realized that I had truly lost Alyss, and made my vow to be the best guardsman she ever had. Not the best lover.

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I am very proud of this chapter! Please review and tell me if my writing is getting worse- THANX!!

-asuname