The Red Queen's Daughter: Book One

Chapter 22: She Is Real

After taking Erin to her room and telling her every single bit of information that happened while she was out of it, I'm tired. I'm so tired. I lay down and take a nap.

I can tell that right now I'm in my dream. But everything looks so real. I walk around for a bit. I don't get it, everything is bigger than me, even the grass. The grass is actually as tall as me. I hear something nearby and hide behind a tree, although it really doesn't matter, I could just stay in the grass. Someone comes into my vision and he's my size. I let my vision adjust. It's Nate. "Whoa, Nicole you're here?" he asks.

'This is all a dream, he isn't really here,' I think.

"You aren't really here," I say.

"Yes, I am. Are we sharing the same dream or something?" he asks. That sounds crazy, but I'll go with it.

"Okay, then. What was that noise over there's." I ask.

"I don't know, let's go check it out. It could be anything."

I nod my head and run in the direction in which I heard the noise. I hear someone crying and stop in my tracks.

"I can't believe I can't find a way back up! I never will!" a young girl cries.

I hear foot steps coming in my direction. "You'll find your way back up, you will," I surprisingly hear my mother say.

"No I won't, I never will!" their, cries again.

"Yes you will, and if not, you can stay n my castle. I'm sure my daughter wouldn't mind. Right Nicole?" mother says, looking in my direction. I'm speechless.

"Nicole, Nicole. Wake up, wake up!" mother's voice morphs into Nate's as I wake up.

"What, Nate? Do you always have to creep into my room? I don't like it." I say, rubbing my eyes.

"Well, sorry, but your mother wants to see you and Nick. Throne room." he says.

"Tell her I'll be there in like, 30 minutes, I have to take a shower."

"Fine," he says, walking out the door.

I groan as I get up. I'm so tired. He just had to wake me up out of nowhere. After taking a shower, washing my face, dressing in a dark green dress and putting on my shoes, I walk down to the Throne room. There's a crowd of people waiting for me. Nick's already here. I walk vastly down the aisle to my mother and sit in the two small velvety chairs next to her.

"Mother, what's going on?" I whisper.

"The messenger told me we would have a visitor. I wanted you and Nick to be with me," she replies.

I nod my head in approval.

Soon someone is walking through the doors but I can't see who. When he comes into sight, I'm shocked by his appearance. Red frizzed hair, a torn hat, a brown suit, a tie with colorful polka-dots, and black shoes that have been overly polished. His face is painted white and his eyes are each a different color.

Mother clears her throat,"Welcome to the White Castle. What can I do for you?" she asks with a smile.

"HA HA HA HA HA!" is all the man says. Every question my mother asks him, his answer is laughter. He's mad.

The guards start to carry him out when I stand. Everyone stops what they're doing. I walk over to the strange mad-man.

"Who are you?" I ask.

"Ha-!" he starts, but I cut him off.

"No, no more laughing. I want a name, not laughter."

"I don't have a name! But I came here to tell you something."

"What?"

"She is real. Your friend wasn't crazy!"

"Who, Erin? How would you even know about her?"

"She visits me everyday! That's why you don't see her! She told me that you told her she kept talking about a girl by the name of Alice. She's real!"

I take a minute to absorb this all in. "Okay, then, why is she here?" I ask.

"To slay that evil Red King! That's the reason the White Rabbit lead her here of course!" he answers.

White Rabbit? To slay the Red King? He's dead! Everyone in Underland knows that! Unless... "Are you from here, Underland? Or are you an Uplander?" I ask.

"I'm from here!" he says with and ear-to-ear smile. This guy is creeping me out.

"Then how come you don't know about the death of the Red King? Everyone knows that he's dead." I say.

Well, I guess if he knows who the Red King is, he's from here. But he said Erin comes and visits him everyday. She could've told him in the Upland.

His smile drops. "But it was her destiny to slay him." he says slowly, narrowing his eyes.

"Well I killed him first. Does it really matter who killed him?" I ask.

"Yes! It does!"

"Why? Why does it matter? Either way he's dead!"

"Because! That's the reason the White Rabbit lead her here! It was her destiny, not yours!"

I narrow my eyes at him, no one has ever angered me (besides my mother) more than him. It doesn't matter who killed him. Why did one little girl need to?

"Why was it her destiny?" I yell.

"Because!" he screams.

"Because why?"

"Because!"

"Tell me or I swear I'll-"

"You swear you'll do what? You can't kill an innocent man, can you? What does it matter to kill me?"

"There isn't! I wasn't going to kill you! Please!"

"Fine, I'll just leave here right now, to leave you be, Nicole!"

How does he know my name? I yell this at him.

"I know everything! Erin tells me!" he yells.

"How did you meet her in the first place?"

"I met her when she was in the apple orchard! She was perfectly mad, she started to follow me around because it was obvious she thought I was mad, too!"

"You are!"

"No, I'm not!" he yells, breaking free of the guards and running through the doors. The guards follow.

One question sticks in my head: 'What just happened?'

***

I turn around and look at my mother. She's speechless, too. I walk out of the room, I'm not dealing with this. I catch sight of the man. I run over to him and ask one last question. "Why did you tell us about Alice, anyways? It's not like she would've changed our lives!"

"But mark my words she will!" he yells, not looking back.

I run up to my room, noticing that some tea has been set up for me. It's not peppermint, it's chamomile. Not my favorite, but it'll do. I stand out on the balcony and drink my tea.

So much has happened since I got here. I've faced a mad-man, The Red King, my horrid aunt, and so much more. I think right know I'm actually having a calm, peaceful, moment.

This is great. No knocks on my door, no danger.

The stars start to come out. I smile, seeing the gorgeous shining stars. Some even make out shapes. When I decide to go to bed, I set my tea on the table, lay down, and drift off to sleep.

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Author's Note:

Sorry for the short chapter guys! I'll try to make the next one longer!

Maddie.