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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tarrant - Mamoreal dungeons~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I felt a blinding gleam fall upon my closed eyes. I tightened them to shut out as much as possible. But the feeling of someone stirring upon me caught my focus. I opened my eyes, a pair of round, curious blue eyes, framed with gold hair and cream skin met my gaze. In one amongst many words, Alice. I smiled, "I must have died and gone to heaven," I whispered. Alice blushed as she smiled. "My Angel!" I proclaimed possessively as I hugged her and kissed her temple.
Her first words were not what I'd expected, "I guess I should have known about Greer. She worked at a shop in England, my sister took me there before my journey to China."
"Yes! The Hightopps' Shop!" I declared proudly. She began to giggle softly, "What?" She quelled her laughter long enough to answer me.
"I should have guessed it to rhyme!" We both began to laugh and it created the most...interesting of sensations. We stopped and looked each other in the eyes. Hesitantly, Alice leaned in closing her eyes. I closed the space between us and shut my eyes, wondering if I'd feel a new sensation when our lips met. And if so, how good would it feel? Just imagining it began to somehow send blood rushing between my legs and I felt myself harden. However, before our lips met,
"You do realize that not only am I right here. But I'm also wide awake?" I growled deep in my throat, rolling my eyes as I pulled away reluctantly. Alice took on a beautiful shade of pink; it stretched from the top of her pretty face down to her chest. I found myself wandering just how far down that blush went. I mentally shook my head, "This is no time to get distracted!" I mentally chided. "Now was the time to get out of here!"
"I do hope you're ready to get out of here you two! It's going to take both of you to open your cell and then mine. Then we have to find Mirana or Absolem," I nodded and gestured for Alice to get up.
"We helped our Uncle build these cells. With the proper leverage, the hinges should undo themselves and the door will fall open. But we must be quick about it!" I walked to a bench in a corner of the cell and placed the two legs between the bars. After positioning Alice and myself we pushed down with all our strength. The pins popped up and the door fell to the ground with a loud clang. We carried the bench to my sister's cell, who promptly stepped back. The cell door fell down with another loud clang, and Johanna stepped out eagerly.
"Let's go! Follow me!" We ran through complicated series of passages finally making our way to a small fork in the tunnels that Johanna stopped at.
"What's wrong?" Alice and I asked, curiously at the same time.
Johanna shook her head, "I don't know where to go from here." I could almost hear Alice's brain working as she tried to figure a way out.
"Won't there be a draft from the tunnel that leads out?" My sister turned to her.
"Yes there should. What do you have in mind Alice?" The woman in question walked over to one of the many unlit torches along the wall.
"If we light this torch on fire," she took it from the wall and began tearing what remained of her 'wedding dress' and wrapped in around the end. "Then we should be able to pick up a draft and find our tunnel out!"
I pulled out my old flint, one I hadn't used for quit a while and hoped I still possessed the skill to do so. I struck it several times before the cotton caught on fire. "It's working!" I exclaimed, I was so proud of these two wonderful women and was very proud to have them in my life. Johanna with her independence and yes even her sharp tongue and athletic abilities. But mostly for Alice and her muchness, her ability to love me, her compassion, her courage, her wit, everything about her! Why couldn't her mother just let us be happy together? Forget 'proper'! I loved Alice for who she is, not for her beauty!
A draft began to pick up, "That's our way out!" Johanna exclaimed as she pointed to the tunnel to our left. "That one leads to Tugley Wood!" I got in front of my sister and fiancé protectively and ran leading the way out. I was grateful for the light Alice had provided me with, we would need it!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Calgary - Salazen Grum~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We were to be executed today. More than half the entire Hightopp clan! And the First to go was my sister-in-law, Beagan. I promise her husband my brother and the Tartan to the clan that I would take care and watch over her and their children: Tarrant and Johanna, Ailistair, and Malise! Due to his death I was put in charge until Tarrant was old enough to take care of our clan, unfortunately the day that he was to take the responsibility we were attacked and scattered.
Ever since my brother died my son, Campbell, - currently missing - has always been very jealous of his cousins. He knows that leadership rightfully belongs to them, but still. I fear he may try something to take possession of that status. And sadly I must say that I hope he fails, our family and our world have seen enough fighting, enough war, enough rivalry, and enough bloodshed.
"Move it you!" One of the guards prodded my sister-in-law to the beheading stone, in response she snapped at him, I trust she could bite of his fingers if she wanted to! This woman was where Johanna got her 'personality'. Stubborn, prideful, independent, sharp tongued, but other traits she has from her father, her wit, her athletic ability, her acceptance of things, and mostly her madness. Tarrant on the other hand could be completely opposite, at times it was hard to believe they were even twins! He was still stubborn, witty, and athletic, but he had a hard time accepting changes, and his athletic ability was strength, not speed and agility. But the boy was fast thinking and could disguise his emotions using his madness.
Beagan was now kneeling over the stone, neck stuck out like a turtle and head over the foul smelling pit in which the decapitated heads fell and rotted. I was shamed; it should be me up there, not her! Only a miracle could save her now. Guards were forced to hold back Malise as she fought them to get to her mother.
My wife next to me began crying, she and Beagan were very close as children. I grabbed her hand in order to comfort her she smiled to me weakly. "Underland!" I prayed, "We need help! We need a champion!"
Upon hearing my silently uttered prayer, my wife continued a prayer old as time himself. "To save us from enslavement! To keep our people free!"
Ailistair picked it up, "Save us from these oppressors, and our slave masters!"
A new voice continued, "And bring our family together again!" Voices rose up taking turns continuing the prayer to Underland.
"Give us hope!"
"Give us freedom!"
"Give us justice!"
"Give us liberty or give us death!"
"Give us the pursuit of happiness!" The voices and cries became louder turning into a chant!
"Hope! Freedom! Justice! Happiness! Liberty or death!" The cries became so loud and so powerful, the whole castle began to shake.
Our oppressors became frightened and began to run, all but the Knave of Hearts. He began screaming, "Stop! Stop it you low life scum!" Our cries to Underland became louder and more pronounced the whole castle began to move as if in an earthquake. Our chanting continued.
"Hope! Freedom! Justice! Happiness! Liberty or death! Downl wyth bloody behg hed! Hope! Freedom! Justice! Happiness! Liberty or death! Downl wyth bloody behg hed!" The Knave – being the coward he is – followed his men as the castle began crumbling. Only when it was left in ruble did we stop, when we realized just what we had done, our cheers rose up once again!
We began making our way out the gates, only to stop and find that the Knave and his army were all standing in front of the drawbridge and all around the castle. We were surrounded by the Red Queen's army!
A/N: Did any one else just notice that I just put some things that one of the American founding Fathers said? Who can guess what those two things were?