To Love A Nutcracker

Chapter 23

"I gotta get out of here!" Anthony shouted, trying and failing to break down the bars of the cell he was in. "You can't lock us up like this! Let me go!"

"Will you shut up already?!" One the mouse guards snapped. "You've been screaming for over two hours and nothing has changed! So stop your squalling or I'll tear off that fabric mouth of yours!"

Anthony gave the mouse a sneer. He, Vagatha, Niffty, and every resident of the land who was outside the Sheltered City was locked up in the mouse king's dudgeon of cold cells and lit torches, sentenced to have their consciousness taken away and then left to the mercy of the greedy mice. Of course they refused to give up and had hope that some how they would get out of this situation. The prisoners were torn between trying to escape themselves and waiting for the nutcracker prince to come rescue them.

"How's that tunnel going Baxter?" Anthony asked the time solider who was attempting to dig an escape route.

"The floor is solid concrete and this tea spoon isn't a very good shovel, but I'm still determined."

"You're actually trying to dig with a tea spoon?" Vagatha asked skeptically.

"Give me a break, it's the only the tool I have that they didn't take away."

"Maybe we should try calling for help." Niffty suggested.

"Nobody who can help us, would hear us." Vagatha said.

"Then I guess we just have to wait for Charlotte and Alastor to come."

"Ha! I wouldn't put all your hopes on him!" Came the wicked cackle of the mouse king as he enter the dudgeon. "That wooden nuisance has gone right back to being a thoughtless, motionless doll and soon all of you will be joining him in that state."

"You monster! What did you do to him?!" Niffty demanded to know.

"Why I did nothing but wait. That nutcracker's time as a living toy was only temporary. In the end he just reverted back. Would have happened with or without my appearance."

"So where is he now?" Anthony asked.

"Probably still in the arms of my future queen. Makes me sick to think of her holding him."

"Your future what?"

"Oh that's right, I forgot to tell you all the good news. I'm taking a bride."

"Bull! What poor, desperate, mentally ill female would marry you?" Vagatha said.

"For your information, my queen to be is the beautiful maiden that the nutcracker was given to."

"Charlotte?!" Vagatha cried in disbelief. "I don't believe it! She'd never marry you!"

"She would if it was the only way to save all of you. I told her that if she agreed to marry me and gave me the nutcracker, I would set you all free. By sunrise I will have destroyed Alastor, I'll have a queen at my side, and finally I will be a true king!"

"You won't get away with this!" Vagatha spoke up.

"I was wondering when someone was going to say that. And now I'll shall respond with, oh but I will. I most certainly will."

"We're not afraid of you Vox!"

"Is that right? Well maybe I should remind you all of what happens if you don't respect and fear your king. Guards, bring one of them out!"

Vox left the dudgeon and went to grab his scepter. The guards opened the cell door and tightly held back the prisoners.

"You know you're a really cute doll." Said the guard who was holding Vagatha. "What do you say, we get to know each other better and maybe I'll get the boss to let you stay conscious, huh?"