WtSLB: Sapphire in Wonderland (Hiatus)

Chapter 20: Invitation

Shiza stared over the castle's walls from her tree branch, watching the marching troops. The caterpillar nestled deeper within the leaves when a patrol marched past her hiding place, dragging a cart filled with prisoners from Ludwig, dragging the cart past the army of guards.

The number of daily executions had been increased since Victoria had been angered, and Shiza couldn't recall a time the castle soldiers had been so uptight.

One soldier stumbled over a stone, his plastic face falling to horror. "W-wait, it was an accide-"

"OFF WITH HIS HEAD!" Victoria screamed from where she stood on the balcony overlooking her courtyard, her cracked face writhing with fury. In an instant Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum moved forward in perfect sync, the rattling of the guard's armor alerting them to his location.

CRACK!

Shiza flinched as the spears crossed over his neck, and like a pair of scissors they broke through the plastic skin, beheading the man. His corpse fell to the ground, his friends hurling a slew of insults and curses, spitting on his body and kicking at it. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum snapped to attention and turned around in militaristic fashion, marching back to their positions in perfect step before pivoting on their feet, mirroring each other without falter. Victoria smirked, clapping her hands.

"Splendid! Marvelous, even!" She praised.

Shiza waited for a reaction from Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. She didn't really know them, but she had heard about them on occasion at the Hatter's tea parties. They were supposed to be the friendly type. And while Shiza didn't go to Ludwig, she had heard that the twins were on good terms with many of the townsfolk.

But there wasn't even a twitch of their faces as they beat the ends of their spears against the ground.

The soldiers marched in their twisted parade, stopping together before turning to salute their Queen, as rigid as statues. Victoria leaned on the railing, glaring down at them like they were lesser.

"I will no longer tolerate failure!" She barked. "That miserable pile of filth, I want his family in Ludwig executed for his offense! STRID! I entrust that with you! Bring me their heads on a pike!"

Strid snapped to attention and grunted, lumbering out the gates with his blunt axe resting on his fat shoulder, the nutcracker gatekeepers opening the steel gates that had since been repaired after Vao's escape.

Victoria hissed, running her fingers along the deep crack that blemished her otherwise perfect face. The tyrannical Queen curled her fist, sweeping it through the air as she gave another order.

"JEANNE!"

The blonde knightess snapped to attention, fear in her blue eyes. "Y-yes, Your Highness!"

Victoria glared down at her in disgust. "You fat, disgusting pig. You continuously fail me time and time again. I grow tired of it; to hell with what that raving lunatic says! Perhaps I will send you to be punished by the Hatter. Perhaps then you'll be useful, like those two retards!"

Jeanne shivered, Victoria leaning against the railing of her balcony, squeezing it so hard the stone began to crumble to gravel under her grip.

"You have one last chance to prove you are fit to be a commander - no, a knight! I'll leave the task of tearing that harlot doll to pieces! Bring me that rotten dullahan alive!"

Jeanne gulped, tightening her salute. "Y-yes, Your Highness!"

Victoria pulled away from the railing, her doll maids quickly swooping in to begin repairs. With a cruel smirk Victoria lifted her heel, and kicked one of the women over the edge.