"Off with her head!"
Red doesn't remember the first beheading she went to. Too young to remember anything she was present at every execution since she could walk. The earliest she can remember was when she was five or six. She remembers the tears in the man's eyes when he was forced to kneel, resting his head on the block. He trembled as the Queen signaled the executioner. An ax swung down and stuck in the man's neck. Blood spilled onto the stained ground and coated the ax as it came in for a second swing. The sickening crunch of bone and flesh squealing under its blade still rings in her ears. A stench of feces and bile filled her nose. The head rolled and quietly thudded to the ground. Her mother smiled and applauded in delight.
"Wasn't that simply delicious dear?"
Red frowned, silent tears streaming down her face. Shaking her head she clung to her mother's dress. A flash of pain lit her cheek as she cried.
"Such a disappointment Red." The Queen frowned at her daughter. Picking her up and wiping away her tears. "You'll understand when you're older."
Much to the disappointment of the Queen of Hearts. The crown princess never understood. Or at least not in the way she wanted her to. For her tenth birthday, the Queen said Red could have anything she wanted, but when the princess requested no more beheadings, her eyes filled with rage.
"You wretched vazey girl!" She grabbed Red's arm with bruising pressure and dragged her to the execution block. In a blaze of fury, the Queen ordered all those awaiting execution to be brought forth at once. Prisoners lined up and the Queen forced the princess to choose ten of them.
Looking at the group of men, women, andchildren, Red felt her stomach twist. She may be ten, but she wasn't stupid, she knew who she chose would die. They all would, but the ten she had to point out would surely suffer because of her. Why had she been foolish enough to think her mother had meant it when she saidanything? Clocks, she couldn't do it. Pleading she looked to her mother and begged not to. A familiar sting welled up on her face.
"Pigeon-livered girl, pick ten now or you will understand their pain." The Queen's eyes were cold and Red shivered knowing better than to call her bluff. Tears stinging at her eyes she chose the oldest and sickest people she could. Her lips bled from her attempts to keep tears from falling.
One by one she watched as the executioner brought down the ax on their necks. The metallic smell of blood filled her senses right away. There was so much of it, that red seemed to flood the room. The perverse darkened shade dripped from the block. Heads rolling off without a care. When all ten heads had been severed, she was forced to stay and clean up "her mess". For the rest of the day, she attempted to clean the permanently stained floors. Rags on rags were drenched in the crimson liquid and Red had to push down the bile that shot up her throat knowing her mother's anger had not gone away yet.
By the time the mess was cleaned up, it was dark outside, and her body ached from scrubbing. Her nose was blind to the stench after the hours spent mopping it up. The princess's hands were caked in the vile liquid. Dark and dried up she chipped away at it. Desperate to get it off of her she sprinted to the washroom and ran her hands under the water. When she was finished her hands were so raw that for a moment she thought more blood might surface, but thankfully it didn't.
Smiling, the Queen entered her room and told her it was time to eat her celebratory dinner. Red's stomach churned at the mere thought of food, but she knew better than to deny the meal. Following the Queen down the hall, she just hoped she could keep the food down long enough to escape her mother's watchful eyes.
Two years later the Queen declared it illegal for children to eat any kind of sweets. Punishable by death depending on the severity. Red had never had sweets in the first place, but she knew other kids found them irresistible. Her face betrayed no emotion as her chest squeezed and her stomach did somersaults. Mere days after the proclamation the first culprit had been apprehended. It was a boy her age. He had short brown hair and fear-filled hazel eyes. His parents had been brought along to witness their son's execution. She didn't know any of their names, but this was too much. She couldn't watch the boy die like this. Hearing the inevitable cries of his parents as his head rolled to their feet. Turning to her mother she requested to be excused as she felt ill. Not an uncommon request, but always an unwelcome one.
She flinched as the collar of her shirt was pulled upwards. Feet barely touching the ground her mother shook with frustration. "You nasty slurvish creature." Stumbling as she was dragged towards the block her face paled. Veins rushed with fear she grabbed at her collar and planted her feet. The stinging blow was expected, but she didn't let up. "Don't disrespect your Queen! Ungrateful, mimsy rath!" Finally giving in to the pressure she fell to the ground when her mother's hold was released. Shoving the ax into the princess's hands she summoned the boy to be restrained to the block. "You know what to do." Red shivered at her Queen's command.
"Off with his head."
Trembling, the princess stood still. The ax which looked comically large in her small hands was tight in her grip but didn't move. The Queen of Hearts growled. "Do it! You are my daughter!Do it!" The rest of the world had gone silent, all red could hear were the whimpers of the boy and the angry remarks of her mother. Sweat dripped from her brow onto her hands. Her heart thundered in her chest so hard she thought she might be dying. She wished she could drop dead this instant. Hot acid came up before she could stop it. She fell to her knees, metal clattering against stone, and spewed the bile onto the ground. She heard her mother back away in disgust and it only sent more vomit rushing out. Tears streamed down her face and she couldn't stop them no matter how hard she tried.
"Pathetic child!" Forced to turn she was shoved back onto the stone. "You will watch." Red's hazy gaze fell upon the ax in the Queen's hands. She screamed in protest as the blade fell, blood spurting from the severed head. One strike and the boy's head rolled along the stone, the Queen kicked the head out of her way and towards the grieving parents. "Come with me." Red stood on shaky legs and followed. Blood had splattered on her face from her proximity and she could tell her mother had not been spared.
Upon entering the room Red whimpered. She knew this room. She hated this room. Hard wooden floors were stained beyond recognition, and various painful objects adorned the walls. With rough movements, she was reacquainted with the harsh stone walls. A groan fell from her lips. "What haveyouto complain about, dear? I've given you everything and yet you chose to disgrace me." The Queen's voice held an edge that Red knew she shouldn't answer to. Sitting in silence she listened to her mother rant about how she was an ungrateful disappointment. "I clearly need to be more thorough in our lessons."
Red bit her lip as she was yanked from the floor, another stinging sensation spread across her cheek. Before she could recover a gash covered the other side. Mother hadn't taken off her rings. Her arms were pinched into cuffs on either side of a post. Eyes widening she pleaded for forgiveness. "I can only hope you remember this next time you decide to disobey me, darling." Harsh cracking filled the room as Red's shirts were torn with the whip. Her lip was bloody and torn before she cried out from the ripping sensation along her back. She heard a tsking and shook as her arms were released from their hold. She felt her Mother's arms wrap around her and soon she was taken to her room.
Tears stung her eyes as her mother cleaned her wounds. "I'm sorry dear, you know I don't enjoy it when I have to discipline you." The princess nodded as her back was wrapped with bandages. "Please do your best to listen in the future." A kiss was pressed to her forehead before she was left alone. Sobs wracked her body as the adrenaline rush left her body. Her back split with each sry, but she couldn't stop. The burning pain left her gasping and pleading. Eventually, her vision darkened and she welcomed it as her weary body collapsed from under her.
Years later Red begged for mercy. "Please I didn't mean it!" The Queen scoffed and chained her daughter to the wall. The restraints dug into the princess's skin. The Queen's gaze was cold and hard. She had never been tolerant of any treasonous words, much less from her daughter. The foolish child had interrupted her court to protest her new curfew for citizens. "Clocks, who would ever want a Queen like you!" The people of the court held their breath, anticipating an execution order. Instead, the Queen silently rose and stood before her heir. Whispering something to her the crowd saw as the Princess began to tremble and follow after her mother. No one saw her for weeks after that.
"You will learn to give your Queen the respect she deserves." Red choked on sobs. A harsh slap stung against her cheeks. "Pathetic child." The princess sputtered as cold water drenched her frame. The Queen's face held a malicious expression. "I should have you executed for your words." A whimper echoed in the room. Hands came and held Red's face. "But everything I do is for you, so I will show grace justonce." A sickening thud sounded as the princess's head slammed into stone.
The Princess gasped as a whip lashed across her stomach. Over and over until her skin was torn. A growl left her mother's mouth and soon she was dragged across the room and forced onto a table. Lying on her new wounds she yelped in anguish. A sharp sting across the cheek silenced her. Biting her lips she held in her cries as the lashings continued on her legs. "You are mine, and don't you forget it." Agony filled her screams as an excruciating pain pressed onto her bare shoulder blade. She gagged at the smell of burning flesh. Shrieking, she attempted to push herself off of the table just to be met with a burning blow. Her blurry vision fell on her mother who was holding a branding iron. Dropping her gaze she gasped for air, desperate to escape.
She wailed as she was drenched once again and pain flared angrily throughout her body. Red felt her bones crack when her mother attempted to silence her with the bucket. It worked…mostly. Quiet whimpers were all she could muster and soon she found herself fading. Welcoming the darkness that she hoped would never leave her she allowed her body to give way.
She woke in her room and immediately sobbed. Her entire body screamed with agony. Her mother quickly entered the room and gave her some sort of medicine. Part of Red wanted to refuse to take it, but the larger part was desperate to rid herself of this pain. She quickly fell back into the darkness. The next couple of times she woke up following the same pattern. One day her mother was already at her bedside and looked up at the girl. "Oh Red, you really must listen." Her gaze was the softest Red had ever seen, not that it was a high bar, but yet she couldn't help but hope that somehow her mom loved her. "I hate it when I must discipline you." The princess nodded as she felt the pain medication lull her into another fitful sleep.
As time passed Red felt herself growing numb to the sight of blood. Heads rolling didn't bother as much as it did when she was young. If anything it felt more like a chore she didn't want to do than an ever-flowing loss of life. Deep down she knew she was a despicable slithy person for being so detached from it, but how could she not be? She was raised watching people being used as log-splitting practice since she could walk. She didn't even spare the grieving families a glance anymore. She knew if she did it would be bad for everyone. As long as she didn't have to do anything, she would sit and watch as her mother desired. She had learned her lesson and now rebelled only when the Queen couldn't see her. One day she would be rid of this evil queen.
Wonderland Terms:
Vazey: Stupid
Slurvish: Selfish; self-centered
Rath: Green Pig
Mimsy: A portmanteau of 'flimsy' and 'miserable'
Slithy: A portmanteau of 'lithe' and 'slimy'
Please let me know if I missed any!