Chapter Five

 

 

George the Hatter's cottage wasn't connected to the rest of Underland. It was a precaution in case his eccentricity drew too much attention instead of dissuading it. So, we had to trek back into Tulgey Wood to find an entrance to Underland. At least this time, I didn't have to drink anything.

The entrance was under a rock, and all sorts of jokes popped into my mind when I first saw it. But the timing was inappropriate, everyone looking over their shoulder's anxiously, so I kept my humor to myself. Beneath the rock was a spiraling set of stairs which we took down to a tunnel. After about an hour of navigating the maze of tunnels below Wonderland, we finally came to a settlement.

An empty room was located for me, and I was escorted into it by all three kings. They bid me goodnight at the door, and then I shut it on their handsome faces. I just couldn't take anymore strange. I bolted the door for good measure. Then I went straight to the bed and fell into it, fully clothed.

I woke up hours later, though it seemed like mere minutes. My mouth tasted like something had died in it, and my hair was as wild as my elusive magic. I stumbled across the room to the bathroom to remedy both matters. A hot shower and some aggressive gargling later, and I came out into the bedroom refreshed and ready to take on the world... a world I had never even known existed.

I was about to get into my dirty dress when a knock interrupted me.

“Your Majesty, I have a change of clothes for you,” a female voice came through the door.

“It's safe, Queen Alice,” Nick called out.

I opened the door wrapped in a towel, and Nick quickly turned his back. There was a woman holding a stack of clothing, and she just smiled, bobbed a curtsy, and came into the room. I shut the door behind her.

“I'm Beth, Your Majesty,” the girl said. “The King of Diamonds has sent these to you with his highest regard.”

“Oh, well, if it's his highest regard.” I rolled my eyes, and Beth giggled.

“His Majesty hasn't given any woman his attention since the Queen of Diamonds was killed.” Beth cast me a sideways glance as she laid the clothing on the bed.

“Oh, damn,” I huffed. “Thank you for reminding me. I completely forgot that his wife was killed. I probably would have said something insensitive and then felt like a horrible ass.”

Beth's eyes went wide.

“Yeah, that was probably the wrong thing to say too,” I muttered.

“Not at all, Queen Alice,” Beth hastened to reassure me. “I was just surprised at how much you sound like your mother.”

“You think so too, huh?” I frowned, wondering about that whole Nature versus Nurture thing.

“Oh, yes. You look a lot like her as well.” Beth smiled. “It's no wonder that you have the kings in such a state.”

“The kings?” I lifted my brows. “You think they like me? Like, really like me? Oh, God, what am I saying? Don't answer that, Beth. I've just lost my uncle and have tumbled down a rabbit hole into a weird world where I'm evidently queen. The last thing I need is a romantic entanglement.”

“Or three,” she added helpfully.

“Yes, quite right; or three.” I blinked. “As if I could have a relationship with three men at the same time.”

“Oh, but don't you know?” Beth asked. “The original wild queens were always married to four men; her Card Kings. That's how Wonderland is meant to be ruled. Queen Julia, your mother, broke tradition and married your father, who wasn't a king at all. It put Wonderland into a tizzy and had all sorts of repercussions.”

“Like what?”

“Oh, like the kings choosing their own wives,” Beth said. “I hope that you don't think that I'm speaking ill of your mother, Your Majesty. Queen Julia was a wonderful queen, but if she had only stuck to tradition, the Queen of Hearts would never have risen to power.”

“Go on,” I urged. “Tell me it all.”

“Well, once the Queen of the Wilds announced that she'd only be marrying one man, and he, a Cheshire Wolf, no less–”

“Hold on,” I interrupted her. “I'm half wolf?”

“Oh no, Your Majesty.”

“So, my father wasn't a werewolf?”

“Yes, he was,” Beth said, “but wild queens are born wild, that's all. Wild trumps all other races.”

“Of course.” I grimaced. “Go on; I'm sorry for interrupting.”

“It's quite all right, Your Majesty.” Beth shook her head. “I'm happy to explain anything you'd like. But back to your parent's marriage; the Card Kings were divided in their reactions. Two of them married women of their own choosing, and two remained bachelors. The King of Diamonds chose well, and his queen was kind to their people, but the King of Hearts chose one of his duchesses, and she wasn't so kind.”

“That's Queen Rina?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Beth confirmed. “Just a year after he was married, the King of Hearts grew ill.”

“But I thought that people who live in Wonderland don't age,” I said.

“We don't.” Beth nodded. “Sickness does occur but fatal disease is rare, and the King's illness shocked all of Wonderland. Many of us believe that it was Queen Rina's doing, that she was already twisting the Heart magic into something dark, even back then. We think that Queen Rina found a way to steal King Henry's magic, and she kept taking it until he died.”

“That's fucking evil,” I whispered as I slid into the clothing that Beth had brought me; some soft leather pants, boots, and a cotton tunic.

“Yes,” she agreed. “And disruptive to Wonderland. For the first time in all of Wonderland history, a queen sat on the Heart throne alone. The Card Kingdoms are masculine in nature, and they require a king to rule them. The Kingdom of Hearts became unstable under Queen Rina's rule, but no one could do anything about it. Upon King Henry's death, the crown should have passed to his brother, Duke Kyran, but the Duke of Hearts went missing shortly after his brother's death, and so, Queen Rina remained on the throne.”

“Suspicious,” I growled.

“Yes, it was.” Beth grimaced.

“You said that the Card Kingdoms are masculine?” I asked.

“Yes, as I mentioned, Wonderland is meant to be united by a sacred marriage between the Card Kings and the Wild Queen. The Card Kingdoms are masculine, but they come together under the feminine Wild Wonderland. It is a delicate balance.”

“That my mother fucked up,” I noted as I pulled on the boots.

“Yes, well, we all do crazy things for love. Do you know the rest of the story?” Beth asked.

“About Rina trying to sleep with my dad?” I asked, and Beth blushed. “Yeah, I know the rest.”

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you,” Beth said. “I only meant to explain to you that not only could you be romanced by all three of the Card Kings, but they're also most likely hoping that you'll follow the traditions of Wonderland and encourage them to pursue you.”

“And then what; marry them all?” I sat back on the bed heavily.

“Yes, of course.” Beth frowned at me. “You don't like the thought of marrying the Kings? I would give my left toe for one night with them. With any of them.”

I barked out a laugh and then covered my mouth with my hand. “Sorry, I'm just a little overwhelmed.”

“It's perfectly reasonable, Your Majesty.”

“It's nice to finally find some reason in this world,” I mumbled.

“Your Majesties, the Queen of Wilds is still dressing,” Nick's voice filtered through the door. “Please allow her a few moments, and then I will announce you.”

“And the madness returns,” I whispered.