Rio, aka Torisa, found herself shrunken to normal size and standing awkwardly in the red queen's throne room, facing a crowd of jealous people. They were actually the red queen's court, her only friends other than her oh-so-loyal pirate husband. Rio had her hair down, the way she liked it and was now wearing a red and black dress made of old curtains and the dresses of the executed, which was similar the other dresses worn by the female court members. She was now the red queen's favorite and was permitted to sit next to the red queen like a pet and call her Miss Anna. The red queen felt proud to have such a pretty favorite, but was insecure that Arthur Clarkland wouldn't look away.

"How do you find my palace so far, Torisa?" The red queen asked, beaming at her new friend.

"Uh…" Rio stammered. "I f-find it lovely, Miss Anna. Just lovely."

"A heaven compared to my sister's, don't you think?"

"Uh, yes."

"You stammer a lot, Torisa. Was your tongue scratched by the white queen's creatures?"

"Um…as you guessed, Miss Anna."

"Well, I've always had a brilliant mind. It's just too bad my parents failed to notice it." The red queen said as her eyes blinked boastfully, much to Rio's disgust. "Oh! I forgot to introduce my husband."

"Yes, Anna?" Clarkland said as soon as he heard his wife mention him.

"Torisa, this is my husband, Arthur Clarkland. You may call him Mr Clarkland, or just Clarkland. But I'd prefer it if you avoid calling him Arthur because only I can do that." The red queen said. "Arthur, this is the enormous girl we found at Feliks'. She is Torisa, the white queen's ex-prisoner."

"It is a pleasure, Miss Torisa." He said as he extended his hand to Rio, but she seemed clueless of what to do which amused him. "May I kiss your hand, love?"

"Oh…um, of course." Rio said as she put her hand on Clarkland's. He leaned down and kissed her hand, not keeping his eyes off Rio. Rio felt shivers going down her spine as his lips gently touched her skin. His stare made her feel uncomfortable. She could also feel the red queen's glare.

"I must say, Miss Torisa, you're indeed a beauty."

"Thank you." Rio said as she immediately pulled back her hand.

"Oh, Arthur! You've scared our guest! Forgive her for her cluelessness, she's just a child." The red queen said strictly.

"Of course. My apologies, Miss Torisa." He said. He gave her a wink before he left, but she tried to ignore him. She forgot she was lost and she was supposed to ask the red queen for directions to where the Mad Hatter is.

"Um, Miss Anna…" Rio began as the red queen whipped her head around to face Rio.

"What is it?"

"Do you have any idea where I can find the Mad Hatter?"

The red queen's face suddenly grew very red and her head was vibrating so obviously that her glasses were shaking. "He's dead! Gone! Thrown to the hundredth floor of Hell!" she screamed, her sound waves blowing Rio's hair. "Why do you ask for him, Miss Torisa?"

"He…he has something that belongs to me."

"Bollocks! The Mad Hatter stole an item belonging to a member of my court? OFF WITH HIS HEAD!"

"I…I thought you s-said he was d-dead?" Rio asked timidly.

"Well he isn't!" The red queen turned and faced her soldiers, red poker card bodies. "What are you idiots waiting for? Find that madman and bring him here so I can take his head off!"

"Your Majesty, we cannot leave without Mr Clarkland's orders." One of the soldiers said bravely.

"I'm your queen, you follow my orders! Mr Clarkland is my husband and he will stay here with me! I don't believe you men are stupid enough to let a madman slip out of your sights!" The red queen bellowed and then diverted her attention to the brave soldier. "And Ace…OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!"

Arthur walked towards his wife. "Are you sure you don't need me to lead them?"

"No, Arthur. I'm sure you've had quite enough of these retards!"

XXX

Night fell and Rio was still wandering about the red palace, opening the doors from room to room. She had come across men changing and being mistaken for wanting something, interrupted women's conversations and disturbed sleeping creatures. All she wanted was to find some way to return home or a lead to the Mad Hatter. Wonderland, being so unpredictable, she was bound to find something home. She remembered she fell into a tree in a hole but the red queen didn't grow trees in her home and and there were trees in the gardens. The nearest tree was out of the palace borders, past the blood ponds.

"I just want to go home!" Rio yelled in frustration, her voice echoing in the empty hallways. "Ugh! Stupid flying rabbit!"

"Miss Torisa?" Rio didn't turn or respond to her fake name. She just leaned against a pillar, arms crossed and huffing. When she turned, she almost died of shock when she saw Clarkland's face a centimeter in front of hers. "You didn't respond when I called you."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr Clarkland." She said.

"Why address me so formally?"

"Well, I can't call you Arthur and Clarkland is far too rude." Rio said irritably.

Rio looked away from Clarkland, hoping he would leave but he grabbed her wrists and pinned her against the pillar. His face so close she could feel his warm breath on her skin. She panted, but calmed down. She knew the consequences of screaming for help. The pirate would lie and she would be at a disadvantage. "Well I'd certainly enjoy hearing my name come out of your mouth, especially if it was screaming."

"What do you want from me?" Rio said softly, her voice hoarse.

"What do I want from you?" He laughed, much to Rio's annoyance. "Doesn't it seem obvious?" Rio felt his hand reach the hem of her dress, all the lace gathering his hand as he was about to rip her entire clothing off in one go. His other hand went to the back of her thigh as he rubbed it seductively. "I…want you."

"Get away from me." Rio said. She wished she could push him off, but if she did, the force would rip the dress off her and nobody wouldn't question why she was naked in front of the red queen's husband with the dress in his hand.

"Why? I'm not letting go of this chance. I barely get time away from that bitch. Shouldn't we-"

He was cut off when Rio's hand made its way across his face, leaving a rash on his cheek. She grabbed a red vase sitting on the glass table near her and hit it on his head. The sound of the breaking ceramic probably alerted the others. Rio's pulse increased when she heard someone stop her, but it wasn't the red queen. It was her lady governess.

"What were you doing? What happened here?" The woman said as she helped Clarkland up. He rubbed his head and felt blood at the back of his neck. "Are you alright, Mr Clarkland?"

"That girl is a lunatic." He growled as he stared at Rio. "She told me she was in love with me and wanted me to be with her instead of Anna. I resisted, and out of anger, she took the vase and hit me."

"What? You took advantage of me!" Rio protested, her eyes snapping at Clarkland.

"Whore! How dare you! Wait till the red queen knows about this!" The governess walked towards Rio. She snapped out of her rage and realized she would be dead if she didn't escape. She ran towards the other corridor, but it was blocked by two soldiers. They each grabbed one of Rio's arms to keep her from moving. "Take her to the throne room!"

XXX

Rio was taken to the throne room as ordered by the governess and the red queen was there. She was bored, her cheek resting on her hand and her elbow resting on the arm of her throne. Her eyes widened in disbelief when she saw her soldiers holding her favorite court member, but her eyes were soon full of indignity and anger when her governess whispered into her ear. But surprisingly, Rio did not get a head-slicing sentence. The red in the red queen's face disappeared and she looked normal and relaxed, much to the governess's and Clarkland's disbelief.

"Oh, you two are as childish as ever!" The red queen's stare was diverted to Clarkland. "Arthur, I thought I told you not to make our guest feel uncomfortable."

"She…I…"

"Never mind then." The red queen turned and gave Rio her brightest and fakest beam. "Torisa, I'm so sorry. It's getting late now, so I will ask my soldiers to escort you to your bedroom."

The soldiers grabbed her arms.

"In a polite manner."

The soldiers let go of her and led her to her bedroom.

"I'm afraid Miss Torisa won't be able to taste my delicious breakfast pastries." The red queen mumbled and she signaled for Clarkland to come over. "Arthur, release my beloved pet. You know where to put him."

Clarkland smirked. "Of course, dear."

XXX

"Miss Torisa, your bedroom." A soldier said politely, but they both grabbed her arms and threw her into the dark room. It was unlit and pitch dark. She yelled at them for disobeying their queen's orders, but they slammed the door in her face and absolutely no light entered the room. She was a bit frightened, but she tried to feel for the light switch. Then again, her bedroom could not possibly be ready for her in darkness.

She heard a growl. "Um…hello?"

She heard another growl. It sounded like the growl of a bear. An angry bear. "Hello?"

Out of the blue, a light appeared in the darkness. It was like a ball of light hanging from somewhere, but she could only see a spotlight in the room. She saw that the floor was wooden, nothing else. She tried to feel for the light switch, but she felt something hairy instead. Then, she heard another growl.

"Hello?"

Everything seemed so sudden.

A white half-bear, half-piranha appeared. It had the body of the mammal and the head of the deadly man-eating fish. There was a ball of light attached to an antennae sticking out of its head and it roared at Rio, showing its mouth of swords. There was still remains of its victims stuck between its teeth, festering flesh, human insides. She even saw a brain at the back of its teeth which almost made her throw up. Rio's brain could end up there as well, but she thought nothing of it. She thought of nothing but fear. She couldn't even hear her pitched screaming that could even be heard from the throne room.

Then her screaming stopped.

"She's dead." The red queen smiled and kissed Clarkland, who was also smiling but was also disappointed that she died before he could even try her out.

But she wasn't dead.

Rio found herself in another's arms, and no longer in that death room. But she was so tired and traumatized from what she had just saw and thought, she fell asleep. She didn't even care who had rescued her from the teeth of that horrid creature.

"You're welcome, Rio." Kirkland said sarcastically, upset that Rio didn't even say thank you. "You're still as mannerless as ever. Naughty."

XXX

Okay! You're probably very confused now.

Clarkland is the bastard pirate and husband of the red queen.

Kirkland is MAD HATTER. There is no third person.

They're both Arthurs and they both look like England and they're actually DOPPELGANGERS.

Doppelganger is a mythical person who looks exactly like you, but has the opposite personality. And since this is WONDERLAND, everything magical or mythical or doesn't exist is part of it.