I do not own Alice in Wonderland.
Alex walked behind Blood as he was escorted to the execution platform. The platform was a stone dais in the shape of a heart. It had a stone heart that was standing up as the execution block. The block faced the platform for the Queen and her court.
Alex stood beside the execution block with the executioner. He held out his axe to her, but she refused it and drew her red sword.
All was silent as the Red Queen walked out and sat on her throne. Her Court followed after her with cheerful faces. Lester stood behind the Queen's throne as she stood to address everyone.
"My people, this man is found guilty of treason. His punishment is to lose his head. My Crimson Knight, if you will." The Queen nodded at Alex to proceed as she sat back down on her throne.
Alex stood still as the executioner got off of the platform. "Chez, you ready?"
"Of course." Chez purred into Alex's ear. He evaporated into smoke and slipped out of Alex's helmet.
Alex could hear the panic as smoke began to cover her and Blood. She walked over to Blood and pulled him away from the block. "Don't move." Alex noticed the confusion in Blood's eyes as she brought her sword forward. She thought he was going to scream when she slashed through his chains. "Chez! Get him out of here."
"I'm not leaving you here." Blood gripped Alex's arm as he felt Chez grab his shoulder. "She'll kill you."
"No she won't. Once you're safe Chez'll come back." Alex locked eyes with the cat-boy. "You will come back right?"
"Like I could leave such a pretty thing for the Queen. She doesn't deserve you." Chez winked as he pulled Blood away from Alex. He could Evaporate with one other person. "Do try to stay in one piece."
"Alex-" Blood began to speak, but he and Chez were gone.
Alex became aware of multiple sets of feet heading for her. She made use of the smoke that was still around and got off the platform. She stumbled onto a staircase and went up. She didn't know where it went, but hopefully she could find a hiding place.
Alex stopped as she rounded a corner. "Damn it." She heard feet behind her as she tried to find another path to take. But she was trapped. Alex pointed her sword at the man blocking her way. "Move Lester. Or get ready to get your ass handed to you again."
"A lady shouldn't use such crude words, Alexis." Lester smirked as he walked towards the armed girl. "And you caught me off guard that time. This time will be different." Lester drew his sword as he continued to approach his fellow knight. "The Queen has demanded your head. And I will do as my Queen commands."
"Big mistake." Alex drew her long knife and took a ready stance. She didn't have time to fool around.
Alex deflected Lesters overhand attack and jabbed at him with her long knife. Lester stepped out of Alex's knife reach. He slashed at her arm while ducking under her sword swing. Alex pulled her arm back and hissed as Lester's sword caught the tops of her knuckles.
Lester smirked at the hit her got in. "Surrender and I will make it painless for you."
Alex glared at Lester. "Not happening." Alex ran at Lester. She ducked under his swing and slashed at him. She smiled as she continued to run as Lester backed up.
"Coward!" Alex kept running as she heard Lester shout at her.
Alex soon found herself out side on the castle wall. She took deep breaths as she sheathed her swords. She leaned against the wall as she took off pieces of her armor to lessen the weight she was carrying. She threw the pieces away and smirked as she heard them bounce off the cobblestone.
When she was done, she had her chest plate and arm bracers with chain mail on her torso and legs. She looked up to watch the sky and wait for Chez. Her eyes widened as she spotted something staked to the wall before her. The clothes were torn and blood stained, but could still be distinguished as a dress. And the head hanging beside the body was being held up by knots made with the heads own blond hair. It was a gruesome sight.
Alex looked away and took deep breaths. She felt like she was going to be sick. "That was the Alice before you." Alex spun around and found the Red Queen smiling at her. She looked behind the Queen and saw her infinite Card Guards. "She was called the Savior of Underland. She banished me, but I came back and now she is on my wall. Isn't she pretty up there?"
Alex turned to try and run away, but Lester stood at the other door down from the wall. She looked behind her and ground her teeth as she saw how far of a drop it was to the ground. She was trapped.
"And now you can join her, Blood Alice." The Red Queen giggles as she spoke.
Alex leveled a glare at the Queen. "It's not Alice." She hissed the last syllable.
"It's Alex." Alex smiled as Chez wrapped his arms around her. "And we better be going."
Alex nearly laughed at the Queen's outrage as they disappeared into smoke. She waved the smoke away from her face as she started to cough on it. "I didn't know *cough* there was so much *cough* smoking here." Alex stumbled out of Chez's arms and leaned against a tree.
"It's just me. I can't seem to break the habit." Chez chuckled as he climbed up a tree and laid down.
"Alex! Alex where are you?" Alex looked around the clearing smoke. She spotted Blood's bright orange hair as he walked towards her. "Are you alright?" Blood reached out and held Alex's face in his hands. She looked a little pale, but most people were after their first Evaporation.
"I'm alright Blood. Just some small scratches and some smoke inhalation." Alex coughed to get the last of the smoke out of her lungs. She covered her mouth as she coughed, but her hand was pulled away by Blood. "As I said just some small scratches."
Blood examined the bloodied knuckles on Alex's hand. The blood was dried and stabbed over. But he could see fresh blood from where the scabs had broken. He reached into his pocket and pulled a handkerchief out. "Even small scratches need to be taken care of."
Alex felt her cheeks heat up as Blood tied the handkerchief around her injured knuckles. "Thank you."
Blood chuckled at Alex's reaction. "I guess you're not used to being helped." Blood held Alex's hand gently in his own. "That's a shame." He gently placed a kiss on her hand.
Alex knew her face was as red as her eyes. "Um..." Alex didn't know what to do. She wasn't used to being treated like a lady. She didn't know how to react.
Blood smiled as he stepped closer to Alex and wrapped his arm around her waist. "You're being too cute."
Alex was about to protest, but she was cut off by Bloods lips. Her eyes fell closed as her free hand gripped his shoulder. Her eye slowly opened as their lips parted. She pulled her hand from Bloods grip and brought it up to his face. She leaned in to give him another kiss.
"Ahem." Alex jumped at the sudden voice that sounded behind her. Alex turned and saw Chez smirking at them. "Not to be rude or anything, but we should probably leave the Red Queen's forest. Don't want to get caught now do you?"
Blood took Alex's hand off of his face and held it. "Come on love. Let's go." He chuckled as Alex's face turned bright red again. "Too cute." He kissed her cheek as he pulled her along with him.
Alex didn't know what was happening to her. She felt like she had no control of her body any more. All she could do was blush and look at everything but Blood. 'Stupid girly emotion problems.'
It took them till sunset to reach the White Queen's Palace. They had decided to come here, despite Alex's protesting, after they had found several abandoned and destroyed villages.
Alex glared up at the pure white palace. Even in the light of the setting sun, it still remained white. "I hate white."
Blood chuckled and pulled Alex closer to the palace. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you. Not this time."
Alex gave Blood's hand a resuming squeeze. "I can take care of myself you know. I have weapons this time."
"And so does the Queen's guards." Chez chuckled as he flew around the humans in his cat form. "And they are much more fierce than the Red Queen's Cards."
"Her Cards are pitiful. Lester on the other hand is a formidable opponent." Alex remembered how often the Cards had knocked each other down. It was at least four times a day. "What are the White Queen's guards?"
"Chess pieces." Blood spoke as he pointed to two guards waiting by the front gate.
Alex nearly laughed as she spotted the two pawns. "I guess that makes sense. Red has Cards and White has Chess. Two games. And I'm pretty good at both games."
Blood gave Alex a worried smile. "Just be careful, please."
"I will." Alex gripped Bloods arm with her other hand.
"Halt! How goes there?" The pawns crossed their pikes in front of the gate, barring their way.
"The White Queens Military General, The Mad Hatter." Blood gave a bow to the guards. "I have brought the Red Queen's Crimson Knight to speak with the Queen."
"She must be unarmed to pass." The pawns held up their free hands.
Alex gave a huff as she glared at the pawns. "And if I refuse?" She saw the pawns change their grip on their pikes. "Alright." Alex loosened her belt and let it fall to the ground. She stepped out of it and hooked her foot into the loop. She lifted her foot and picked it up off of her boot. "There you go."
The pawn closest to Alex took the belt. "You may proceed." The pawns stood their pikes back up and allowed the small group to pass.
Blood let out the breath he had been holding in. "Did you have to ask?" He had been worried the pawns were going to attack. He didn't have a weapon on him. He didn't even have his hat.
Alex shrugged in reply. "I'm a rebellious person. I try to get away with as much as I can. It always annoys my mother to no end." Alex smiled as she remembered all of the stunts she pulled on her mother. She felt sadness remembering her mother's voice and face. "I miss her."
Blood placed an arm around Alex's shoulders. "I'm sure you'll see her again some day."
"You think so?" Alex didn't know how to get back, but maybe someone here did.
"I know you can do whatever you put your heart into." Blood placed a kiss on Alex's cheek. "Come along, we have a Queen to talk to."
"Do we have to? The bitch doesn't like me. And don't care for her either." Alex noticed Bloods shock at her words. "I know, I know. A lady shouldn't speak like that. But I'm not a lady, I'm a knight."
Blood shook his head as they entered the Queens throne room. "That you are. Now, why don't you let me do the talking?"
"No promises." Alex smiled as she replied.
The hall was in silence as they walked up to the White Queen. Alex could feel all eyes fall to her. But her eyes were trained on one person, the Queen.
"What is this?! I thought I forbid this creature from ever entering my court!" The White Queen tried to speak calmly, but she had failed. Her face began to turn red. "What is the meaning of this Hatter?"
Blood looked from Alex to the Queen. "Well...you see your majesty-"
"Don't bother!" The White Queen stood and glared at the girl dressed in red. "Throw her in the dungeon! Maybe I can use her against my sister to bargain for my people."
Alex glanced around at the various Knights around the room leveling their weapons at her. She ground her teeth together. 'Wish I had my sword.' She clenched her hand instinctively, knowing she would feel nothing but her own hand. She looked down at her hand in surprise when her hand gripped something, but there was nothing to be seen other than a cloud of smoke forming.
The room gasped as a silver and white smoke billowed around the red armored girl's hand. The crowed grew silent as the smoke cleared. Hen burst into gasping and cries of astonishment when it cleared enough to see what the smoke had been hiding.
Alex lifted her hand to examine what she now held. She looked at the sword in her hand with surprise and awe. It was beautiful. Off white opals along its length and shining polished steel.
Alex looked from the sword to the White Queen, who was anything but white. Alex smirked at the Queens obvious fury.
"How dare you!" The Queen broke the silence with a near shrieking voice. "Not only did you kill Alice, but you took the Vorpal sword for your own gain. You are a vile and deceitful creature. Take her away! TAKE HER AWAY!"
Alex raised her sword in a defensive position. She looked over her shoulder at Blood. He had his hands up in surrender. She understood why he would do that, he had no weapon. But she wasn't going down without a fight.
'Please stop.' Alex looked around in surprise. She couldn't see who had spoken. 'Please stop. I don't want to hurt good people.' Alex looked down at the sword in her hands. It hummed while it spoke to her. 'I am not a weapon for personal use. I am a servant of the people. So please, lay me down.'
Alex shook her head as she stood from her defensive crouch. Knights came forward and took the sword from Alex's hands. Alex looked up at the Queen with a venomous glare. "Be grateful the sword stopped me. otherwise your throne wouldn't be so white anymore."
Alex didn't pay any attention to what was being yelled at her while the knights escorted her out of the throne room. She was too busy with the voice in her head. 'Thank you. I do not love violence, but I am not opposed to defending. Well...that is...defending others. I don't have much self preservation.'
'Well you're a sword. even if you break you can be fixed.' Alex shock her head to clear her thoughts. 'What am I doing? there is a voice inside my head that is not my own. This is not sane.'
"Get in." Alex nearly tripped as one of the knights threw her into a cell. Alex spun around and watched the knights leave the dungeon, or what she assumed was the dungeon.
'Well everyone is a little mad here.' The voice giggled.
Alex rolled her eyes as she leaned against the stone wall behind her. "Now your sounding like the cat. And I am now talking to myself. Great."
The voice giggled once more. 'Don't worry. You can hear my voice. That means you won't be here long.'
"What does it mean to hear your voice?" Alex slid down the wall to the floor. She might as well get comfortable, she was probably going to be here a while.
'It means you are meant to do great things.' The voice spoke and then went silent as the dungeon. not even the echo of Alex's own breathing could be heard. And now, they waited.
Finally finished this freaking chapter. My gosh I had such writers block. I got about two paragraphs done every time I worked on it. It was getting annoying.
Let me know what you think of the chapter.