The rain stopped, and after the tent was packed up nice and securely, they were off.
"So... how long do you think this shortcut will take us?" Emma asked, fearing the answer entirely. their feet pounded against the dirt path that had been created by people walking down it so often. She knew after a while, she'd get the hang of the directions, if she didn't, she'd just ask someone besides Ace to guide her down the right path! It was as simple as that... That is, if she ever made her way out to see a living person besides the knight ever again.
"Ahh..." Ace stopped walking for a minute, pausing to take some thought into his answer. "Well, I could'a sworn we should've been there already..." He said looking around at all of the trees. "But All we need to do is follow this path right down this way and we'll get there in no time." He said with a nod, "Unless you wanna try another one of my sho-"
"NO!" Emma Almost shouted, Looking terrified and not wanting to have to take another one of his said 'short cuts' through the trees. She had already sworn she'd de-leafed about 3 bushes as they trudged both on and off paths. "Ah, I mean, this one looks fine... It does look like its coming to an end soon," She said squinting to take a better look down the path... She could swear there was something in the distance...
"Well, alright then," The knight said, after jumping as the girl had cut him off so loudly... "But you can trust me and my paths, I spend so much time on them they've almost become a part of me," He smiled, looking happily down the path as they continued... Emma just gave a Yea and an Uh huh, and continued on her way with him.
They eventually got out of the thickly forested area, and straight up ahead, the two could see the gate to the palace, in front of which were a number of guards, who saluted to ace, and Emma as they saw the knight approach with the foreigner. "Sir Ace! Welcome home, and you too M'lady," They said as they walked up.
"Wow, I could'a sworn that path led to the amusement park..." Ace said gazing back like a small puppy in wonder at the path they had just left. "I swear they keep switching up on me..." He sighed, "Well, if you want, we could go back and I could-"
"Sir! Please listen, The Queen is in need of assistance... There is a strange male who is pestering her and will not leave her be, she said to send for cards right away!" One of the castle maids said as she approached... Emma looked at the faceless servants, and had to wonder... to them, did it look like they had faces? Or were they, even on their own, and to other faceless people, Faceless as well?
"A Strange male?" Emma asked, thinking... Someone who would be pestering the queen... Well, it could be Boris, but they just would've said something on the regards of the park cat, or the stay. Not just a strange male. Obviously it was not a role holder.
And what was keeping the queen from just ordering his decapitation? Really, she did this for almost everyone else in existence... Unless... Emma got a thought, and dashed through the gate, and into the palace, taking quick directions from people here and there about how to get to the throne room...
She took little time to admire what a beautiful palace this was, it's main colors consisted of Red and white, with blue and black accents here and there. But no, she needed to get to the throne room and fast... She'd hate to have one of her best friends at risk here...
"But Vivaldi, It's a human life you're talking about here!" A Voice called, and Emma knew off the bat she was right. She ran up to the throne room, where servants all gathered, watching as one brave soul stood before the queen, lecturing and debating about the lives she was just throwing away. "So what if say, they added a little too much milk to your tea, You shouldn't Drink Milk anyways!" Mitchell went on, pacing across the floor as he did. "You should give your Servants second Chances, your society will like you more as the monarch and head of state if you do, and chances are they will want to impress you more and do a better job if you give them something to work for!"
"We have told you once and we will tell you again, speak no more Foreigner, we have heard enough from you for today." The queen's voice echoed through the room, as the teenage boy quite obviously ignored her. "If You do not respect our wishes, then this card here shall lose his head for allowing you into my throne room, along with any other who in the future makes the same mistake." not even this seemed to silence the boy, as Emma made her way through the crowd at the door, bumping into Gina who peered in wide eyed at the teen's bravery.
"You've gotta do something Man!" She said as she turned and saw Emma behind her. "He's driving the whole palace insane!" She grabbed hold of her hair, before taking a look over at Emma, who was still covered in leaves and mud. "and what happened to you?" She asked in a voice of disbelief.
"The knight of hearts. That is what happened..." Emma Said, pushing her way through the rest of the crowd and up to the door, attempting to build her strength to get her friend out of there...
"Your highness, Can I just shoot the boy? I'll show no kindness for we are not his toys..." The prime minister of hearts sighed, pulling out his clock which then turned into a gun in front of all of their eyes. Peter was standing on a crutch with a bandaged leg, which only proved Gina and Emma's theory that it was him they rescued out in her yard only the day before... But his remark made it only ten times more obvious that they needed to get out there and save him...
"If he does not shut this infernal racket off within the next two minutes, then I give you permission peter..." The queen rubbed her temples, as she was getting a headache from the constant blithering of the foreigner.
"Wait!" Emma Yelled, Pushing Mitchell off to the side. "What if we make a compromise?" everyone could tell she was improvising there on the spot, even the cards and the teen she had pushed out of the way...
"Another Foreigner? Well I do say, you're the third today..." Peter said, trying to pretend he had no idea what was going on with the sudden overflow of foreigners into their world of wonderland.
"Shut it White. Now Young lady. What is your name?" She demanded, not looking peter in the eye, but looking down at the floor where the two foreigners stood.
"Lady Emma Iris Moriah Silver of Sealand, Your highness," She curtsied in her mud covered dress as she took into account one of the presents she had received for her 16th birthday, a noble title from the only legit place she knew to get them... Normally amongst her friends she just used it as a gag, since the school refused to add it to her paperwork much to her disappointment.
"Lady? You are of noble title in your own world?" the queen asked taking some interest, and well... It was true... for the next year anyways before she had to renew the documents... She nodded quickly, looking up rather frightened at the Queen. "And this... Friend of yours... He is the friend of a lady of this Sealand you speak of?" The Queen, not knowing their land's geography, had no idea that Sealand was but a tiny micro nation off the coast of Brittan which played no role in almost anything... it wasn't even recognized as a complete nation by those in the UN.
"Yes, Yes he is." Emma Said with a nod, standing as tall as she could, yet still feeling small whilst being looked on from the queen's watchful eye.
"Then we shall hear him speak, Lady Emma Iris of Sealand." The queen said with a sigh, motioning for Mitchell to join her up where she sat. "Peter, take Our new friend to a room where she can clean herself up. She has obviously had a rough journey here and we wish to show our new friends but the most gracious hospitality." With another snap, peter was heading down the stairs and to Emma's side.
"Right away your Majesty, to help the Lady who holds true Bravery," The rabbit, who seemed to be talking only in rhyme then lead her out of the room as a card was called to get a spare chair for her friend as he and the queen took a more relaxed tone in their previous conversation.
"Her Ladyship has Bravery matched by none, for nobody stands up to the Queen for fun," Peter laughed, once out of hearing of anyone in the throne room. "Except of course if you speak of me, I trick her Day and night for free," He continued down the hall as Emma followed, Gina had stayed at the throne room, Peering in with the servants in awe of the event that had just passed before their eyes...
"But do you think I might have given Mitch a little ... Too much power?" She asked, looking back... What this would do for wonderland, she had no clue, but it could work either way. All she knew, was that there might soon be an over population of servants here at the palace.
"The one with power would be thee, not your friend just yet I see..." Did the Rabbit always talk in rhyme? If he did, Emma was sure she would either find him either greatly amusing or horribly annoying. That too, could work either way for her.
"Really? Is a title that much of a big deal? People back home didn't pay much attention to it..." She laughed, of course, anyone back home with 60 bucks could get one, it wasn't that great. She was just one of the people who decided to have a little fun with her sweet 16 money, instead of putting it towards something like driving lessons or college.
"But here it is considered quite large, almost as big as a barge... If the queen's reaction did not suffice, then maybe you would take my advice." Peter paused coming upon a room for the girl. "Get cleaned up and join us for tea, the servants will be back with a wardrobe for thee," He opened the room for Emma, before hopping off in the direction of the throne room... She guessed he would be going off to get Alice... or possibly to get his fill of shooting servants before Mitchell succeeded in making it illegal like he wished.
Either way, she was alone yet again, so she entered the room, finding it was connected to its own private washroom with a large luxurious tub, shower, and a wide variety of different shampoos, conditioners and other things which most girls would find appealing... She picked the ones smelling of cherry, and got washed up... taking her time to relax after such a... a long journey with the knight... She took her time to wash her hair, and that of her wig both, for since she had introduced herself to the queen with her purple hair; it would be awfully strange of her to go back as anything else... would it not? After a long while in the tub, she got out and dried off, pausing to take a look at herself with her hair down in the mirror ... She looked at the curls that fell, knowing that if she didn't tie them back now, they'd go into ringlets again, and be horribly hard to get into wig again. She didn't want to confuse anyone by showing herself with a completely different appearance than before...
She took her elastic from her wrist, wrapping the hair first in a tight ponytail, and then tuning that into a bun with a few bobby pins and another elastic. She looked around for the rest of her costume, finding that it had been replaced with what looked to be a pajama set of sorts a few shades lighter than her purple hair. She slipped into these, walking into the big room and spying the large, rather soft looking bed that looked all too inviting for what looked to be about mid afternoon outside... it had been a while since she slept... at least two time changes, and it had been in the rain (for the most part) and in a tent on the hard ground...
A Little nap wouldn't hurt, now would it?
She decided it wouldn't, and soon found herself asleep once more upon the soft, cloud like mattress before her...