Mad Hatter in Wonderland

Chapter Five

Off With Their Heads

"One two! One two! And through and through

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head

He went galumphing back."

"We need to go over the plan again," the Queen hissed. "We need to make sure it goes as perfectly. There cannot be another mistake like the last time. We're just lucky that mistake never came back, or else we would've had a messier solution. And, darling, you know how much I hate getting stains on my gowns."

    The King growled with annoyance. "Honey, this is the tenth time we went over it, and I know what the plan is. Don't make me seem like a fool who can't remember a single thing – don't forget, I was still a king before I met you."

    She snarled. "Don't you ever talk to me like that. You know all and well that without me, we wouldn't have found this place – this place to rule. I can easily take it away from you, but you know I can't and won't."

    He sighed, reaching across their twin thrones to entwine their slim, pale hands. It had been so long since they had been out in the sun, but it was the royal life, something he wasn't sure he was ever ready to give up. Not while he was still alive.

    "All right, now," the Queen ordered, "tell me the plan, play-by-play, and don't forget to add in all the details."

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Jace and Madeline walked to the castle side by side. They hadn't said a word since they left Mad Hats but there was a comfortable silence between them. They were both imagining how the afternoon will turn out.

    Jace had found it odd that he was invited and not Madeline. He had just stumbled into Wonderland, and not a day later, he gets a White-Rabbit invitation to a royal tea party. How had they known he was there?

    He watched Madeline out of the corner of his eye. She had a radiant smile on her face, and he wondered why. Earlier yesterday, she was nervous and tried to get out of going, but now, she was so willing that it made him suspicious. He knew about her father and the last tea party she went to ended in a disaster, but he figured she would dread going.

    They had reached the castle in minutes time and Jace wondered how long it took for them to get there. It seemed mere minutes, but it would've thought it had taken longer if he wasn't so lost in his thoughts.

    Jace ran up the steps and knocked loud and hard three times on the wooden door. It had taken milliseconds for the White Rabbit to open the door and start fretting. "You were almost late! One more second, and it would've been six o'clock! Come on, now, hurry, hurry! The Majesties are waiting!"

    Jace allowed Madeline to enter first like the gentleman he was. If his mother had found out that he wasn't using the manners she forced upon him then – well, there wasn't a word violent enough to describe what she would do.

    They walked down the hall to a large set of mahogany doors. The White Rabbit pushed them without a second's hesitation and pushed them in from of him before closing them.

    Jace grabbed Madeline's hand, squeezing it in reassurance. She squeezed back. They walked down to the foot of the twin thrones, and bowed.

    "Thank you so much for inviting me on this lovely evening. I hope you don't mind that I brought along a guest," Jace said, his voice ricochetting off the walls.