"People aren't either wicked or noble. They're like chef's salads, with good things and bad things chopped and mixed together in a vinaigrette of confusion and conflict."-Lemony Snicket

Well hello all (VON- No one's there, Kylie…) Oh shut up. Anyways, here's chapter 6 from Iracebeth's POV. It starts just before the Horevendush Day...oooooooooh what's gonna happen?

Happy Reading!

Kylie the Kiwi

Iracebeth of Crims, 25 years old

I looked across the long table at my baby sister. The perfect picture of innocence: beauty beyond belief, flawless skin, shining eyes, nimble fingers, intelligence, grace, and love. Everything you could ever ask for rolled into one lovely, petite woman. As a child, we could all see a bright future: her marrying a knight and having lots of tiny babies, all so cute and adorable. In fact, everyone in her court still wished for that.

All that was going to change.

I could see it now. She would be gloomy, expressionless, forlorn, tired, stressed, upset, and jealous. This was the woman I saw in the near future. One who would lose her crown in a moment of clumsiness. One who would only wear a mask of happiness and never truly smiles. One who will finally get a taste of jealousy. One who would have to admit failure.

I was sorry I had to do this.

"Racie, what are you thinking about?" I smiled gently at her and motioned for her to come over and sit closer to me. She did and I took her hand, looking a the nails that matched her lips: the tell-tale sign of her disease.

"You." I watched as she ducked her head and blushed. She never did like being the center of someone's attention. This was another reason I couldn't let her be queen.

To her right sat a hatter, one of high quality I may add. He was wearing a top hat worthy of an award. His hair was bright orange and he was smiling like a fool. I would watch him stare at Mirana whenever she wasn't looking. He would whisper something under his breath and she would smile. I was always jealous of that smile, though I had the same one.

The hatter's name was Tarrant Hightopp. When they were both younger, they would spend every spare moment of the day with each other. By the time they were 16, I could tell they were in love. I just heard that they'd lost all memory of each other though. Terribly sad in my opinion. I had hoped for her to marry him and have a good life together...

I was never lucky enough to have a boy love me. I was considered ugly, I suppose. Big head, blue eyelids, limp walk, and hair that was too red. No one paid me any attention. It was all for Mirana.

I remembered the day she was born, something Mother's midwife had said.

"She's beautiful, Janet." I sat in the corner watching the whole scene. Janet was the midwife and the little bundle of white Mother was holding was my sister. This was all I knew. I was only 5 for crying out loud. And that is exactly what I wanted to do. They wouldn't let me see her yet and it angered me.

"Yes, quite," she said in her boring tone. She glanced at me, a long meaningful look. "An ugly baby is a very nasty object- and the prettiest is frightful." The first part hurt, but the second stayed with me forever. Never forgot it, even to this day.

"Iracebeth? Are you alright?" I snapped back to reality and noticed that my husband was standing behind Mirana.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine."

"Well, Mirana, it seems our Iracebeth is awake now. There are some people here to see you love." I looked at my husband as he placed his hands on Mirana's shoulders. She went rigid under her his touch and her eyes widened noticeably. Her face remained expressionless though. She mouthed to me 'Don't go.' I saw his knuckles whiten as he squeezed her shoulders tightly.

"I'm sorry," I whispered extremely low. "Come give me a good-bye hug?" My voice broke on 'good-bye'. She stood slowly and walked towards me in the slowest pace possible. I enveloped her in my arms and let my face rest on her shoulder. I resisted the urge to cry and let her go. I motioned for Tarrant to come with me.

"Good-bye, Mirana." That was the last time I said anything nice to her. I bit my lip and exited the doorway. I caught a bit of Mirana's sentence as the door closed, signaling what he was going to do to her.

"Wha-what are you doing? Why are you taking off-" and the door shut. Leaving all I loved locked behind it. I heard a tear, a whimper, and then a bloodcurdling scream.

"Loved you once, love you still. Always have...always will. Love you Mirana."

"What was that?" I looked to my left and remembered Tarrant standing there. I'd forgotten he'd come. "Nothing," I whispered, "nothing at all. Come, we must discuss something." We made our way through the winding halls until we made it to my study. "Sit," I commanded. He did so and looked around, noticing all the red.

"What do you need to talk about, your Majesty?"

"Mirana."

"You know, I've been investigating things that begin with the letter 'M'. Marvelous, more, muchness, marriage, malice, murder, magnificent, Mirana-" He stopped short. "Mirana? How is a raven like a writing desk?" I watched as he got up, looking more like a robot, and left the room. That gave me all the information I could possibly need. But poor Mirana wouldn't get her happy ending, now would she?\

Hmmmmm, that Iracebeth isn't as terrible as I thought...

VON- Ooooh, shut up about all this nonsense and what not. No one read your last chapter, what makes you think they'll read this one?

Are you admitting there are people reading this?

VON- Umm, no of course not. Just press save and go post the chapter for heavens sake.

Iracebeth will have your heads if you don't press the nice little review button

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