"Oh shoes indeed, my dear Harriet" Carlotta said. She never stopped grinning, and for the first time I noticed how unusually sharp her teeth were. She tutted.
"Why did you run of like that Harry my sweet?" I grimaced.
"Don't call me Harry. You know perfectly well why we had our outing." Carlotta narrowed her eyes and glared at me.
"Yes, I believe I do. That brother of yours has been putting silly ideas in your head has he? I thought you were better than that, Harriet. But it looks like your head is just as high up in the clouds."
"I prefer it that way. That way I don't have to look at you." Carlotta was shocked momentarily. From the corner of my eye I saw the Red Queen grin.
"You'll regret that. You are a little witch."
"And
you, Carlotta, have the mental capacity of a wet cabbage." The Red Queen let out a short laugh, and then covered her mouth. Carlotta glared at her.
"You think this is funny, Iracebeth? How dare you laugh at me! Your better! The Queen of broken hearts!"
"You're no Queen," I said. "You're just a sad wannabe. Nothing but a Catty Jones."
"Just like your brother," Carlotta murmured. "But even the strongest mind can be broken." She turned to the Red Queen. "I believe that you have something that I need." She held out her hand. The Red Queen stared at her.
"I don't know what you're talking about" The Red Queen said. Carlotta laughed.
"A head so big is no match for the extremely small size of your brain." The Red Queen turned as red as her hair.
"How dare you!" she roared. Carlotta didn't even flinch.
"Give me the locket" Carlotta said sternly. The Red Queen stamped her foot and clenched her fists. She reminded me of my three year old cousin having a temper tantrum.
"No! Its mine!" Carlotta sighed and drew her sword. She pointed it at the Red Queen's throat.
"Listen to me," Carlotta uttered. "Give me the locket and I will let you live." The Red Queen nodded and removed the locket from her neck. She handed it to Carlotta. Two knights on horses came from behind Carlotta and grabbed us. I was lifted clean off the ground and hoisted onto a horse. My hands were bound. The Queen and the Knave were also bound.
"But you said you would let us go!" The Queen squealed in childish fury. "You lied!"
"No. I did not lie Iracebeth. I said I would let you
live. You are alive are you not?"
"
no, no, not lied at all, no i never lied, said she took a poison, never said she died" I sang quietly.
"Shut up!" Carlotta snapped. Suddenly the horse started, and the Tulgey wood grew more into a blur on the horizo than anything else.
I hung my head all the way. The route to the castle had now become quite familliar to me. We entered the castle in silence. We were dismounted from the horses and led into the castle. I found myself now in a great ballroom. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Carlotta took her place on a golden throne nearby.
"Welcome, my honoured guests!" she cried, clapping her hands, acting like nothing had happened. I stood still.
"Now, I like nothing better than to have a ball for my guests."
"I'd rather not" I said.
"But my dear girl! It's tradition!"
"Just because something is traditional is no reason to do it of course. Piracy, for example, is a tradition that has been carried out for hundreds of years, but that doesn't mean we should all attack ships and steal their gold" I said, yet again in quotes.
"Some people talk in riddles," Carlotta sighed. "Others talk in rhyme. But you, my dear come out with strange little tibits that make no sense."
"Just because something makes no sense to you," I retaliated. "Does not necassarily mean it makes no sense whatsoever." Carlotta sighed and clicked her fingers. Organ music that reminded me of a waltz began to play. Hundreds of people appeared from nowhere and began to dance. There were so many people in the room I began to get crushed. I lost all sight of the Red Queen, and Carlotta's throne was poised so high above everything else that she could see everything. I felt dizzy, and tried to concentrate. I scanned the area. The first thing I noticed was that everyone was wearing masks. I also noticed that it was suddenly unbearably hot. The heat was intoxicating. The world was beginning to spin. But I was determined to keep my mind straight. I analysed the face of everyone who passed me, but there were so many people and the room was so blurry I soon forgot them. Suddenly I came across an unusual sight. A man was dancing with a woman, but stopped dead in front of me. He stared at me through his red glittery mask. His hair was tangled, and an outrageous shade of orange. His face was pale and his lips were a dirty pink. He stared at me mournfully. After a few seconds I realised who it was. He said something, but the music drowned out all noise. It looked like 'All Illusions', but that made little sense. His head suddenly darted away, and he began dancing again. I tried to grab his shoulder but my fingers slipped away. I tried to call for him but I was silenced by the music. I swayed and the world was spinning even faster. My head was pounding, and I couldn't breathe in the heat. Then I collapsed, and everything went black...
I awoke in a dark room, resembling a dungeon. But the Queen did't have any dungeons, did she? The Hatter said she did not. I think. Wait... what? My mind was so fuzzy. I rubbed my head and looked around. It was very dark, and I could hardly see a thing. Suddenly I heard laughing from behind me.
"Did you enjoy my little party?" Carlotta snickered from behind me. "I didn't see you dancing much." I stood up and backed away.
"What's wrong?
Scared? You should be, things are going to get pretty creepy."
"I'm used to creepy" I said. "I
am creepy." Carlotta laughed.
"Creepy! My dear, you are the most pathetic thing I've ever seen!"
"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. "Ever tried looking in a mirror?" I saw anger flash in her eyes. Angering her may have been unwise, but it satisfied me to know I was hitting her. She walked over to me. I backed up against the wall. She towered over me. She stroked the hair under my hat.
"Such a shame really," she sighed. "I was really starting to like you."
"
Seems a downright shame," I sang. "
Seems an awful waste." Carlotta chose to ignore this.
"I mean, you're witty, funny, brave" she went on.
"Flattery will get you nowhere."
"Just like your brother" she finished. I was getting tired of getting compared to someone I had only met a few days ago.
"He's not my brother!" I shouted. I covered my mouth in shock. Carlotta grinned.
"Oh? Then who is he?" she leaned in close. "Or maybe a better question, who are
you?" I kept my mouth shut. I didn't want anything else slipping out.
"Where are you from?" Carlotta asked. "You're certainly not from Underland."
"Here's the deal," I said. "A question for a question? Be sure to answer truthfully. I can tell when you're lying."
"Fine" she grunted. "Me first. Who are you?" I sighed.
"My name is Megan. My turn. Where is the white queen?" Carlotta laughed.
"Somewhere no one would think to look. Not even a human. Are you a human?" I hesitated.
"Yes. My turn. What do you want?"
"Oh, I just want to rule Underland, to have everyone bow down to me. Is that so much to ask?"
"Yes. And that was your question by the way. My turn. What does this have to do with Tarrant?"
"Tarrant is a fine man. Resistant, but fine. He is a favorite of mine, and I intend to wrap him around my finger."
"And how exactly are you going to do that?" I asked.
"Ah ah ah!" Carlotta said wagging her finger. "Me first. How did you get here?"
"I fell out of the sky. Now my question?"
"Remember that locket you gave me? It will help me very much. Now me. Your little friends, why are they here?"
"The same reason I am. My turn. Why are you telling me all this?"
"Because," Carlotta said. "You do not have long left to live."
I gasped.
"What?"
"You will undergo five trials, each one different to the next. If you survive all five, which I doubt that you will, I will let you go. Get ready."
