Did anyone ever notice that the Red Queen ever pronounces her "r's" like "w's?" Like at the beginning of the film: "Dwink!" or at the end: "He twied to kill me!" Just some food for thought. Maybe it has to do with her head. Enjoy the second chapter!

Chapter 2: The Young Iracebeth

"Wake up, your Highness, it is time to start a new, lovely, day in Crims," a maid said to a sleeping six-year-old Iracebeth.

"But I don't want to get up! I want to sleep more!" a muffled voice yelled.

"Now, now, your Highness, your mother and father wouldn't like you to never wake up, now would they?"

"I don't care, I want to sleep more!"

The maid, already used to this, sighed and went to retrieve the King and Queen.

"Now, my dear," the Queen asked, "Why don't you get up?"

"'Cause I don't want to."

The King sat and thought of ways to get Iracebeth up while the Queen tried to coax her out of bed. "Iracey," he finally said, "If you get up now, you can watch me train the knights. No, you can help me train the knights for battle! Would you like that?"

Iracebeth thought for a moment. She did like to see the knights train and practice on dummies. It was exciting to see the swords cut off their heads and dismember their arms. But to help them train! Oh, how lovely!

"Yes, Daddy, I would like very much to help you twain them." Iracebeth cried, sitting up in bed.

"Excellent, Iracey! Meet us in the courtyard after breakfast," the King said, and kissed her wild mane of red hair. The Queen smiled, but said nothing, and left the room. Her smile didn't reach her eyes, however, which were oddly sad and troubled.

Iracebeth's favorite color was red, and you could tell that by her wardrobe. Everything, from hats to shoes, looked like it had been splashed with blood. Iracebeth picked out her favorite dress, a red one with black hearts scattered around it, and scampered down to the dining hall for breakfast.

"Morning, young Princess," several courtiers greeted her on the way to the dining hall. Iracebeth ignored them. Plopping down at a hand-carved chair made just for her, Iracebeth waited impatiently for her meal. "Where is my bweakfast?!" she screamed.

"Right here, your Highness, made with all of your favorite foods," a servant said, setting out a huge meal just for her. Iracebeth reached for her favorite food first, cherry and apple tarts.

After a hearty breakfast, Iracebeth went to the courtyard to help her father train the knights. The King's idea of her helping out was retrieving light equipment and water for the knights. Iracebeth's idea, however, was shouting at them what to do as part of their training.

"Hack his awms off! Come on, now; use the sword to do it! Stab his heart out now! Now, take off his head! OFF WIF HIS HEAD!!!"

"IRACEBETH OF CRIMS!"

Iracebeth turned to see her father staring at her, shocked and angry. "Perhaps you should take a walk with your mother," he said angrily. "I shan't have you distracting my knights."

Iracebeth stomped off; head high in the air and angry. Running to the hedge maze in the back of the castle, she sad and pouted to herself. She would rather cut off a finger than take a walk with her mother. When they when on walks together, all the Queen wanted to do was distribute baskets of food and clothes to the needy and poor. Iracebeth hated that. Why couldn't they just fend for themselves instead of having to rely on her? she often wondered.

And worst of all, Iracebeth hated having to speak with the animals of the kingdom. She thought they were so stupid and inferior to humans. She had to admit they did speak English, but they had… fur, and those awful animal instincts. Iracebeth made up her mind that when she was Queen of Crims, she would make all animals work for her.

Iracebeth spotted a ladybug crawling on her arm. She grabbed it and smashed the poor insect between her thumb and pointer finger.

"Off wif your head," she giggled to herself.

To be continued…