Right behind her stood the queen, who gave a very direct command. Rest, he said. How could she do that when he was there intimidating her?
She wanted to scream out, but withheld it in order to protect her throat. She didn't want to be stitched together by the mad people from earlier.
Sighing he shook his head and took a seat at a small table with a board. "You haven't had any rest yet, have you?" He smiled cockily.
He picked up a piece which looked very similar to her rabbit guide. Tossing it, he stomped on it with a foot that she internally cringed.
Soon the servants dispersed but she still hadn't moved. She could tell he was watching her every move so she forced her legs to the couch. "Thank you, mister…" she mumbled out trying to quickly correct herself.
With a flick of his hand he got up and his jacket flew a little as he walked towards her, gripping onto her chin tightly. "Are you incompetent," he whispered, "or perhaps defiant?" He finished while dragging her over to his bed.
It was quite the luxurious thing, the largest bed she'd ever seen. Her one at home was twice the size of a queen's but his was maybe four or five times a king's mattress. "Uhm.." she stuttered.
He soon walked off and took a seat again, playing wit the board. "Go to sleep, idiot." He sighed as he walked over to some shelves and begun pulling things around.
She was too scared to speak back, but he was oddly nice. Too nice, note to self not to speak until he starts yelling. She thought the world may of been ending.
She couldn't sleep despite her tiredness with him watching every few seconds while making some concoction. "Thing one, go fetch me her tool." He called out.
All of a sudden, Dee appeared with his blindfold still on with all of her items in tow. Hey! Picking up the staff, the queen begun examining it.
She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but she knew it was bad. "She really mustn't of put thought into this." He heard her mumble as he started walking up to her and looking between said item and her.
He snorted ever so slightly seeing her peak out. "Can you even pick this up? You're stuck with this for the rest of your life, Magician." He said before tossing it over somewhere for Dee to catch and polish on his own.
Hey, that took her at least an hour! It wasn't even her choice but rather the book's. "Well…" she tried but he shushed her and forced her eyes shut with two gloved fingers.
For a second she thought he'd gorge her eyes. "After you sleep you will show me your core crystal." He said with his arms crossed and his high and mighty tone was back.
Core crystal? What on earth was that she thought. However, she had no chance to ask as her eyes grew weary with a wave of his own staff, and she drifted.
While asleep, she dreamed about the future. It was so realistic, but she knew it wasn't real as the dreams she had normally weren't distorted, as it was at the moment.
The world around her was a blur as faces flashed up and disappeared after moments. In the final sequence of a face appearing the ring on her finger glowed to her magic staff, and exploded a brilliant light.
As she opened her eyes she gasped out, sitting up in a cold sweat. As she looked side to side, her vision was now quite correct and there stood the monsters.
The queen was currently prying her second kidnapper within a day off of himself, while he professed his love. "You truly are amazing, your majesty."
His tone was different and his blindfold was now off. "Get off of me you insolent barbarian!" The queen retorted trying to shove him off before successfully going to her.
"You're finally awake, ignore the bastard who used magic and show me the crystal." He huffed while crossing his arms.
She tilted her head in pure confusion at the moment. "Oh come on girlie, don't keep his majesty," he tried to say while the queen yelled out, "Shut up Dee! You sound like your brother."
His brother? The second twin then. Just thinking of the type of character he was made her want to never encounter that stranger again. "Crystal?" She asked.
Both of them looked at her with their mouths agape. She didn't think she said anything wrong. "You saw them leave the restaurant didn't you?" The queen asked glaring at Dee.
He nodded knowing full well he chased them from the restaurant to when the rabbit lost her. There was no way she didn't have a crystal.
"Hey, did the rabbit tell you about the employees?" He asked with his eyes narrowing. She didn't think it possible for the queen to be more intimidating.
Shaking her head hastily, she retold what had happened. Rubbing his temples, the queen sighed "You spent an hour getting the wrong staff, never had your crystal told to you, and you wasted my time for sleeping for the past three hours?" He growled.
That wasn't her fault! She didn't even want to go to sleep, she thought. "Uhm well I did receive something from an employee." She muttered showing her ring.
As the two leaned in she could feel her nerves rise once more. "So this is her core crystal, huh?" Dee muttered while lifting her fingers for the queen to see.
As he examined, he touched a stem and it turned red for a mere moment. "Do not let anyone else touch your core crystal unless you're willing to have it stolen." The queen announced as he took a seat.
What was the big deal about it? "Your core crystal will help you uphold your role, and if it were taken by a role holder you would be replaced." He sighed as he read her.
"By the way, if your role is stolen, you are dead," he dropped a bombshell. She never recalled the novel having this! "Ah it doesn't come off that easily."
Bringing Dee down by his shirt, he forced his face to her direction. "If you gorged his eye you'd take his role and be able to either pass it on or crush it. However, as long as he's steal strong his eye will be invincible and never removed." He explained.
In order to take her core crystal she must be weakened? "You can assume the white queen will get close to you in order to rip it out. There has only been one Great Magician, and she will make it last, so heed my warning and train yourself."
It was a lot of information, but she understood. Only other role holders can defeat one another. Her job was to annihilate, or she'd be at stake.
Why was this book so dangerous? No, why is it only dangerous where she is! Is she the newfound queen of misfortune?
She still wasn't even convinced the white queen would do anything, after all, this is the main character, Elizabeth!
"The… Mister Rabbit shower me his and said if I were in danger it would protect me." She said, in hopes of finding out a little bit more about this ring forced on her.
"Hah, you know where his is? Is he genuinely stupid?" Dee exclaimed while staring wide eyed. She understood it was important to keep secret but isn't it an overreaction?
Pursing his lips into a thin line, the red queen picked up a chess piece and smashed it. "It will protect you all right, your role is Great Magician. That ring is the source of your protection magic." He explained.
"If you ever needed to conjure a spell which puts your life in danger, or of a high level where you'd injure yourself, call upon the power of the ring." Was all he explained as he got up to leave.
As he left, Dee chased after before quickly running to give her a piece of paper, and yelling out to the queen he now loved.
She was thoroughly confused but read the contents. "Alice Kletzerfierre this is an order. For your second assignment you will need to reveal the cores of the Mad Hatter faction to you. Whatever you do, you are not to approach the Joker nor his territory."
This queen really does whatever? First off, who are those people and aren't they her enemy, second how does she get there, and third just where on earth was the forbidden territory and the man everyone wants to avoid?
With a sigh, she fell backwards onto the bed and closed her eyes. Maybe she'll finally wake up, she hoped. Maybe her rabbit hole dream adventure would end after she did this? Only time would tell, if she made it that far she thought.