Chapter 17

Ragnarok's Wish Granted, Alice!

Alice was sitting outside watching the skies for the return of Sebastian and Absolem. The weather was changing from winter to spring as Aaron was busy practicing spells that he knew best. Sebastian was gone for almost five hours and not one person was more worried than she was. Mary Beth sat next to Alice reading a book on mythical creatures in Wonderland when her head lifted up and noticed too the change of the weather.

"You know the changing weather won't affect them, Aaron." Mary Beth said sharply.

"If I can change the temperature then the horse will be affected by it. Rising temperatures affect the digestion of fear that his body is going through. It'll speed up the process and he'll be hungry and weak enough for us to take him down." Aaron replied. Mary Beth rolled her eyes and went back to reading her book, her mind clearly not paying any attention to Alice. Alice got up and stretched before walking off into the garden where the White Queen was sitting on the ground cutting white roses from one of the bushes.

"Oh Alice! Here come help me with these stubborn things." The Queen said handing her cutters.

"Did Absolem tell you when they would be back?" Alice asked her while she started cutting roses off the bush.

"He only said they would return with the book before the battle and Nicolas' wife in tow. Don't worry about Sebastian sweetie I'm sure he's safe and sound."

"It's too hard to even think he's safe while he's over at the Red Palace. What if Ragnarok finds them or worse…? What if his mother sees him?"

"You can't worry so much about him, sweetie. Worrying brings stress circles under the eyes." The Queen said taking the roses and placing them in one of the vases she brought out. "Ragnarok wants us all dead and he knows how strong those two boys are. Don't worry about them, Alice. You're a strong, brave girl who should only worry about what color her wedding dress should be when you marry Sebastian. I wish I could be brave like you, ever since my husband died I did nothing but hide in fear and grief all my life; I closed every relationship I had with others and I just wanted to die. Now here I am with a girl who defeated my sister and her dragon years ago and now faces one of the most dangerous trials yet. Your mother would be so proud of you if she was here right now." Alice sat there looking at the white roses in the vase. White… the color of purity, the color of innocence, the color of… hope. The Queen got up and dusted the dirt off her gown.

"Wonderland has much hope for you, Alice. To us, you'll always be a symbol of hope." The Queen smiled at her and handed a white rose to Alice before walking back into the palace leaving Alice alone. Alice sat there staring at the white rose.

I remember how hundreds of white roses sat around my dad's casket as a sign of peace. The idea of white roses would bring only a painful sickness to my stomach that could last from hours to months. I hated white roses; I hated how to me they were all painted red like the ones at Red Palace and how we only painted them to please the Queen. The idea of white was just foolish in every way. What kind of color was white anyway? It was dull and absent of any way of bringing a warm feeling to your heart. White was boring and lifeless, a way of showing the world that nothing was innocent or pure. Our world was painted black and yet we still lived, thirsty for hope, for white. I remember the night Sebastian and I stood in the garden, surrounded by white flowers. How he kissed me and said everything will be alright, how I hoped he was right and this wasn't a dream, but a reality. How-

"You seem pretty caught up in your thoughts, Missy." Someone said. Alice's thoughts shattered before her, a man dressed in all black was sitting on the bench in front of her tossing a red apple up and down. His hair silver and his eyes a beautiful green. Ragnarok… "I'm finally meeting you outside of your dreams, dearie. You're much prettier than I expected, I'm impressed with Sebastian's pick of women because you're much different from all the others who fall for him."

"What do you want?"

"A peace treaty! I understand you want to kill me… so I'm here to offer you a deal that saves both of our skins and your little boyfriend's too."

Alice didn't trust him one bit, not even the slightest bit of pity for this evil beast. He was only trying to save his own skin and his beloved pet from death and she was going to play along with his little game.

"What sort of deal?"

"If you hold fire and call off war then I'll let my little pet back into the darkness where he belongs and give back Nicolas' book to him. You guys on the other hand will let me live in Wonderland with Sebastian's mother and I'll rule her side of the kingdom without bothering her sister."

"How do I know this isn't a trick?"

"That my dearie is why I have more to offer." Ragnarok said his lip curling into a smile. "I'll break the curse on Aaron and Sebastian for you so both you and that little peasant guard can live happily ever after with them." Alice was smart enough to know that was a lie indeed. Not even Ragnarok could break the curse, the only way to break the curse was to kill Ragnarok and toss his little pet back into Hell. Ragnarok pulled out a gold string from his jacket. It glowed and sparkled in the sunlight as he moved it.

"This here holds the curse together, if I cut this thread both of them will live to see a lifetime away. All I want is to rule part of Wonderland." Warning bells rang off in Alice's head but Ragnarok seemed so serious about the spell being tied to a gold string. Was it really bound to a simple gold string? She stared at him darkly sensing a drop of fear inside her. Ragnarok was beyond dangerous and keen to getting whatever he wanted for whatever price he had to pay.

"I think Wonderland would be better off if you died just like the curse, Ragnarok." Alice said sharply. Ragnarok's smile dropped quickly, anger bubbling inside him.

"You little wrench!" He grabbed Alice's hand and pulled her closer to him. "I will not let any of you have control over me!" The world was spinning around them and before Alice knew it she was tossed in a cell, the metal bars slamming shut behind her. "God, you're such a bother to me. Until I kill everyone you love you're staying here. You'll be alone for the rest of your life for what you did to me. I WILL HAVE WONDERLAND!" He left her and trudged up the stairs, slamming the door behind him as Alice wept on the cold hard ground. She was back at the Red Palace alone and broken once again. She blew her nose on her dress and noticed she was still holding the white rose, the thrones making tiny wounds on her hand. It was wilting like her hope. Her hope was slowly dying and she was alone once more. She wasn't brave at all but just a dead hopelessness girl. The door upstairs slowly creaked opened and something started thumping down the steps. He appeared before the bars in front of Alice and gasped.

"Alice?" She looked up and brushed away her tears.

"White Rabbit?"