Wonderland

The Indecisive King

                    [Warning: Contents within this chapter have themes of abuse and violence]

The boys stood their ground, Endex put himself before the others, standing between them and the cat.

"If you are going to tell me your name, then what is it?" Endex asked.

"Hm.. Allow me to rid of other peering eyes." She said, snapping her fingers and the others disappeared.

Endex turned both ways to see the absence of his friends.

"What did you do to them!?" Endex exclaimed.

"Calm down.. I did nothing to harm your friends.. I just simply blinked dem away." She smiled.

"Where?" He demanded.

"Just down de path, dey are completely fine." She said.

"How am I supposed to trust you? You just teleported my friends to only god knows where." Endex exclaims.

The cat sighs, grabbing the knight's hand and lead him down the path. She moved some bushes downward and showed him his friends, who were trying to figure out what had happened. 

"You... were telling the truth." Endex said, stepping back as the cat let the bushes move to its natural form.

"Not all mysterious cats are deceivers." She said, with a genuine understanding tone.

"I'm.. sorry I didn't believe you." He sighed.

"I vouldn't believe me either.." She said, floating back into the forest.

"Hey wait!" Endex hollered.

The cat looked back at the knight as he rushed toward her with worry that she was going to disappear.

"Wait.." He said, pausing for a moment. "You said.. you wanted to tell me your name."

"Hm.. you are still interested?" She smiled, floating over to him.

"So what is-" The knight was cut off by a sudden alert on the pocket watch the cat had on her.

"Okh der'mo... I apologize, I have to go. Ve vill meet again." The cat frowned, floating backward.

The cat floated through the leaves, rushing as fast as she could to quickly get away. She then realized, she forgot one thing. She looked back at the knight who stood defeated and confused. Floating back she gazed at the lonely knight.

"Blake.." She said to him, hovering in front of him.

"What?" He asked, looking up from his helmet.

"My name is Blake." She smiled, floating backward again as she faded into thin air. 

He smiled in surprise then looked at his helmet. He turned around to head down the path and meet up with his friends, who were pacing around while waiting outside the White Kingdom's gates.

"There you are! What the hell happened? Who was that girl?" Akira asked.

"Yeah.. and... how did we get here?" Fuwa added.

"That I don't know and she was a... friend.. of mine." Endex said hesitantly. 

"Hm.. well.. let's be on our way then, we'll discuss this at the castle." Akira says. 

Off in a far away kingdom, The Red Castle stands with their dictator of a ruler who calls himself The Checkered King. He claims to know what is best for Wonderland and seeks to end the tyranny of his dear aunt The White Queen, and her old friend Alice Kingsleigh. Although, the Checkered King knows of Alice's grand daughter, but he has no recollection of her appearance or name. Hesitantly, Blake entered the castle. Her ears flattened as she walked past the guards and stepped into the throne room. She stopped in the middle of the room to kneel down as she kept her gaze down to the floor. 

"Report.." The king said.

"I... didn't find her.." Blake muttered.

"Speak. Up." The king leaned forward.

Blake swallowed her breath, feeling a rising shiver down her spine.

"I um... I couldn't find her, sir." Blake said, rising the volume of her voice.

"The girl is yet to be found.. yet here you are, bowing at the foot of my throne." He spoke in a furious tone.

He stood up, stepping down the stairs of his throne, and with every thud from his boot, fear built up inside the cat. 

"I'm sorry, sir. I'll be off to look for her-" With her last word, his strength filled grip caught her throat and his Ravager glove plating nearly cut her skin.

"Don't you remember.." He said firmly through his helmet.

He held Blake off the ground by her neck and held her firmly enough so she struggled to breath. 

"I. Own. You. You bow to me, and me alone." He muttered to her, pulling her closer to his helmet.

Stepping back, he dropped Blake onto the ground. She coughed and inhaled deeply to regain oxygen in her lungs. 

"Now.. I know you did more than investigating the Hatters' gathering.. so.. who is this... Knight. You spoke with." He asked.

Blake froze, "Please.. Sir.. He is not threat-"

"Look at me." He said.

Blake's arms started to shake as she looked up at the indecisive king. He kneeled down and grabbed her chin.

"You will refer to me as your master and nothing more. Do you understand?" He said.

Blake's ears folded backward in fear while she felt the hesitance to speak.

"Y-yes.. master.." She muttered.

He pushed her back when he let go of her chin. She refused to make eye contact with him as he gazed down at her.

"You know what I can do, as long as that collar is around your neck." He said, "You are nothing but a servant. You have no freedom." 

He stood up and walked up to his throne, "Take her away." He said.

"Can I see him.." Blake muttered.

The king looked down at her while sitting proudly upon his royal throne.

"Can I see him.. Please." Blake asked, making her words clearer for him to hear.

He glared at the cat, finding her urge to see her father annoying, but he allowed it anyway. The guards took her to the dungeon bellow the castle and roughly tossed her in a cell, closing the cell door behind her. She sighed with sadness as she laid on her side.

"Blake?" A familiar voice caught her attention.

"Baba!" Blake exclaimed, crawling over to the weak and frail Cheshire, laying on a pile of hay.

"Baba, vhat did dey do to you?" Blake muttered.

"I'm fine, Don't vorry about me." Cheshire replied.

"Don't vorry about you? Ba, look at vhat dey did to you. Dey put collar on you, dey restrained your magic... tis killing you." Blake muttered to him.

He coughs, saving his strength by resting his head upon the hay. "I am fine. But you.. you need to leave."

"Ba.. I can't leave you." Blake said, holding his paw.

"Go, warn de kingdom, live your life.. and forget me." The weak Cheshire said to her.

"No.. am not leaving you in dis place. I vill stick with you.. No matter how much pain I endure." Blake said, pressing her forehead upon the frail cat.

He coughs once more, "I'm afraid I am too weak to argue with you otherwise."

"Save your strength baba.. I'll get us out of dis place." Blake said to him softly.