"Alison, wake up." Cheshire said, shaking her shoulder gently. "We're at the Queen's castle."
Alison sat up and opened her eyes a little, squinting at the blinding sun. She yawned and stretched her arms above her head. Cheshire got out of the carriage and waited for Alison before going inside.
The Queen must have been waiting for them because she stood at the end of the room, smiling as soon as she saw Alison.
"Welcome back Alison." she said. Alison gave a small bow. Cheshire leaned against the wall, not giving the Queen anything more than a small nod.
"I'm glad to see you again, Your Highness." Alison smiled. The Queen shook her head and brushed imaginary dirt off the skirt of her dress, her cheeks turning a soft pink.
"You can call me Ruby, Alison." she said shyly. Alison smiled and nodded.
"Auntie?" said a small voice. Alison looked behind Ruby to see a small girl standing a few feet away.
The little girl was only a bit shorter than Alison, about fourteen years old. The girl had long green hair that was pulled back into two pigtails and she wore a long green dress that was only a few shades brighter than her hair. She wore small green heels with clubs on the top and club shaped hair clips pining her bangs back from her face. Her eyes were big and the same shade of green as her hair.
"Ah, Club, nice of you to join us." Ruby greeted. The girl, Club, stepped forward until she was beside Ruby.
Ruby smiled at Club before returning her gaze to Alison.
"This is my niece, Princess Club, she has come from the Club kingdom to be present at the ball tonight." Ruby explained. Club gave a small curtsey.
"It is nice to finally meet you Miss." Club said. Alison bowed.
"The pleasure is all mine, Princess." Alison said nervously.
Something about Princess Club made Alison uncomfortable. It was the way that she looked at Alison with those green eyes, so calm yet...crazed.
Ruby turned to a guard and whispered something to him, the guard nodded and escorted Princess Club out of the room. Ruby then gestured to Alison to follow her. Alison nodded and followed Ruby to the other room, leaving Cheshire behind.
Ruby led Alison into a large room. Alison figured it was an art studio from how the walls were lined with paintings and there were three easel's lined up in the middle of the room. There were bookshelves that held books on art, texture, shape, and other art stuff. Paintbrushes were everywhere along with paint.
Ruby sat on a stool in front of one of the easel's and looked at the canvas.
"I need your help Alison." she said.
"With what?" Alison asked. Ruby's eyes looked very sad, like the next thing was difficult for her.
"I'm afraid my precious niece, Club, is the next Alice that must be destroyed."
Ruby turned the canvas around and showed me a painting of Princess Club wearing a black dress and a golden crown with emeralds embedded into it.
But Club's eyes are what shocked Alison the most.
The whites had turned into a jet black.