Queen of Hearts

Eight

"You swordfought him with your wrists tied together?!" Lizzie was yelling at Alyson.

"Shhhh!" She hissed. "Can't we just keep this quiet? Attacus probably shouldn't know how we resolved our differences."

Lizzie's hands raked through her hair as she paced. "Do you realize how extremely dangerous that was?"

"You sound like my brother." Alyson rolled her eyes. She did this a lot when she and Lizzie discussed James. "I'm okay. I'm a really good fighter. Besides, it got that rope off."

Lizzie didn't leave Alyson alone long. She had just been doing some drafting outside of the base, hoping being surrounded by Wonderland's natural wonder would stimulate new, exciting designs. That's all she told her friend, choosing to keep her exchange with Attacus their little secret. She didn't doubt Attacus would report to Jack just how odd and eccentric their new recruit was, backing it up with evidence from their moment in the woods. She had no control over this, but something was making her keep it from Alyson.

"What lead you to fight him anyway?" Lizzie asked. The pair were preparing to leave for breakfast. As usual, Alyson was dressed in all black, and Lizzie had no choice but to do the same. Lizzie had never recognized just how great her appreciation for dresses or a nice pair of heels had been until joining the resistance.

Alyson had been leaning against the doorframe, ready to leave, when she moved to the table and picked Lizzie's cards up, tossing them to her. "I didn't choose to fight him. He called me pathetic, and I was defending myself."

Lizzie caught the deck of cards in one gloved hand above her head. "He called you pathetic? Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not surprised." She took a last glimpse in the looking glass on the wall, tracing her fingers over the smooth skin around her eye in a heart shape. She missed having the heart there. She missed being Lizzie Hearts.

"It was different this time," was all Alyson chose to respond with. Her voice softened toward the end of the phrase as if the mere memory still affected her.

Lizzie noticed Alyson's face reflected in the glass. Instantly, she knew. "This is Silver-related," she said.

Alyson nodded. She glanced at the bunk Dottie and April shared, and her face fell. "It's April Hare related."

If Lizzie knew one thing about relationships, it's that it sucks when people date within their circle of friends. Exhibit A, Bunny and Alistair. The level of awkward just skyrockets.

"I hate to be jealous," Alyson said, "I really do, but I am and I can't help it."

Lizzie met Alyson by the door where they acknowledged that they were both ready, then headed down the corridor to breakfast.

Lizzie knew all too well that jealousy was, in some severe forms, life-changing. Courtly Jester may as well have been green. She didn't want that for Alyson.

After retrieving trays of biscuits and cups of tea from the kitchen, Lizzie and Alyson claimed an isolated space to eat by themselves. The tea was warm and flavorful and was exactly what they needed to reawaken their weary souls before today's exhausting training session.

The pair were making innocent conversation about the favorite tea flavors of all of their friends to keep their minds off of the rough day they would have. It wasn't long before an unusual visitor sat across from the two of them in their secluded area.

"Hey," James Knave said, angrily glaring in the direction he'd come from.

Alyson was visibly offended for some reason Lizzie didn't completely understand. She wasn't going to refrain from protesting. "What are you do-"