Hearts and Chess

The Queen of Hearts

"INEXCUSABLE! OFF WITH HER HEAD!" Catherine, no the Queen of Hearts shouted at the poor maid. She smiled to herself. She enjoyed every single execution ever since she became queen. But she couldn't deny that she enjoyed the first one most. When Sir Peter lost his head. When Catherine lost her heart. When the sisters freed her from eternal sorrow.

Raven fluttered off Cath's shoulder and morphed into the executioner, the hooded figure, the murderer. The card soldiers made the maid kneel with her head down and Raven prepared his sharp ax. The jury gasped. It's not even the first execution. Catherine thought, and rolled her eyes. As soon as the ax was about to swing, the King of Hearts held out a hand. The jury gasped again. Catherine rolled her eyes again. Raven lowered his ax.

"WHAT," Cath said, still facing forward. "Seems to be the problem?"

"But, but- darling, well, well,..." The King of Hearts stammered. The King was still a nervous man, and he could hardly talk to his wife out of fear.

"YES?" Catherine turned her head to meet her husband and shot an icy glare at him. Not even the King of Hearts could control her. She was the queen.

"Maybe, just maybe, well, maybe this one should be s-s-spared?"

"And why might that be?" Catherine glared at the prisoner in front of her, Mary Ann. "This maid forgot that I was the Queen of Hearts and treated me like Catherine Pinkerton. She reminded me of my heartbreak and sorrow. Why should I spare her?"

"Well, first, first, s-she was your maid. M-maybe you could provide a bit, a bit of m-mercy? A-a-and, well, you p-promised to s-s-spare one person per year. You look wonderful, by the way, my dear." The King of Hearts smiled nervously at his wife.

Catherine sighed. "Very well. Let her go." With a wave of her hand, the card soldiers escorted Mary Ann out of the palace. Cath was wearing a red velvet dress with ruby jewelry, a crown, and a ruby scepter. She received a dozen compliments every day of how dark her hair was and how fair her skin was. She had three children, Matilda, Elizabeth, and Larissa. She named them after the three sisters, Tillie, Elisie and Lacie, who apparently had nicknames instead of real names. Matilda was four years old, and Elizabeth and Larissa were twins who were only three. They all had her dark hair and fair skin.

Heartbreak and sorrow. Two impossible things for her to feel. It has been five years since she became Queen of Hearts. Five years since she became heartless. Five years since Raven became a murderer. Five years since Hatta went mad. Five years since the love of her life died.

Mary Ann, that foolish girl tried to tell Catherine to make a deal with Time. She told Catherine to stop being a heartless queen. She told Catherine that she could save... him. It was her fault that he was dead.

The people of Hearts knew that she was heartless. After all, most of the kingdom saw the sisters take her heart. The people tried to not anger her and follow her every need, but they were still afraid of her. Cath examined her blood red fingernails when she heard a voice.

"Hello, your majesty."

"Cheshire." Cath said without even looking up. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" She had tried to get rid of the cat for ages but he insisted that he already didn't have a head when he turned invisible. He didn't even have a body when he was invisible. Cath was annoyed, but Cheshire was an old friend, and the King insisted on sparing him because he was quite a peculiar creature.

"Actually, I arranged a wonderful surprise for you. Ah, here it comes." he said, and disappeared. Three girls appeared in Cheshire's place.