We're All Mad Here

A Bloody Encounter

"Eh!? Is that Alexis we see?" I froze, whirling my head around in alarm to see Vivaldi. She was the last person I expected to see in town. I always thought she hibernated in the Castle except for the council meetings. "We have not seen you since the Assembly! When were you going to visit us?"

"Um, I-I was on my way there, actually." At least until I bumped into Ace. And with you here, I really have no reason to go at all! And-no Peter? Indeed, there was no Peter White...So, no shootings. Yes! "H-Hi, your majesty."

"Please, call us Vivaldi. We call you Alexis."

"R-Right...Hey, nice outfit!" Vivaldi looked especially pretty today in her casual clothes. Her curly hair was down and she was wearing lighter make-up than usual, though her lips were still painted ruby red. "You look really nice today." She looked surprised at my heartfelt compliment, and her red lips spread out into a smile.

"Thank you, Alexis. We return the compliment. Though, perhaps..." I tilted my head in confusion, looking up at her with furrowed eyebrows. Her eyes glinted and a blush spread across her cheeks as she clapped her hands together, "We think you are so cute! Simply adorable!"

"H-Hah!?" I was alarmed when she exclaimed that and suddenly tackled me. My face flared red and I grew increasingly uncomfortable when I realized she was pressing my head against her rather large chest. "V-Vivaldi!?" This was awkward.

"We must go shopping together! You must tell us how you get such frivolous men to bow to your will! Men are such foolish creatures; We admire your strong will!"

"Oh, uh...thanks? I-uh, admire your beauty?"

"Oh, but you are such an adorable thing as well! We simply must see you dressed up!"

...Shit. What is up with all these people wanting to stick me in dresses? I looked up at the woman stunned, and asked, "Wh-What do you mean?"

"We must go shopping!"

She's joking, right? I already have more than enough clothes to last me a lifetime! I had, like, ten dresses and twenty shirts and pants each. These "Wonderlanders" are going to be the death of me. Wait; I already used up the money Nightmare gave me, so therefore... "I don't have any money, so-so I can't buy anything...I can help you pick out stuff though." Vivaldi looked appalled and I flinched, realizing I said something bad. "I-I'm sorry!"

Please don't kill me...

"Has that foolish Incubus given you nothing!? A girl's ultimate desire is to look the best, and yet he gives you no money to dress up? Why, we shall have his head!"

"No! I-I mean, please-please don't kill Nightmare?" I flinched again. Damn. I had never realized just how difficult it was around her. "He-He's my friend and-and, well, I'll cry if he dies..."

Vivaldi stared down at me for a moment with her lips in a thin line. Her violet eyes were probably gazing into my soul at that moment before she smiled. "Very well. We shall not kill the Incubus. We, too, know the feeling of caring for another and thinking them irreplaceable. Now come, let us go enjoy ourselves. We shall pay for anything you wish. We are the Queen, after all. Anyone who goes against us shall lose their heads." She grabbed my hand and I was left to follow the adult.

For a moment, I questioned where the guards were, before sighing and figuring that Vivaldi sneaked out of the castle. "Uh, so... what are we doing, exactly?"

"We must get you some proper clothing! A girl should not wear such dull rags!" I frowned, and as we walked, looked down at my outfit. I didn't see what was wrong with it. Yeah, I was covered in cat hair, but... I was wearing my gray jacket overtop a black shirt, and was wearing a pair of black jeans with my red sneakers. I didn't see what was wrong with it. It wasn't cute or anything, but it was clothes and that was all I really cared about. "We shall help you!"