The New Dragon

Chapter Six

P.S: I know that in the Tim Burton film, Alice is helped by the White Queen, but in the books, thatQueen is the one whom she (accidentally) deposes first! I've made something of a compromise here for the sake of story.

The headlines for the next morning were completely glorious.

RIOTERS CAUSE FIGHT AT ROYAL PARADE read the headline of the Seaport Times, and the byline added: Fight Prevented By Intervention of Queen Mal.

"Ooh, read this editorial!" Evie exclaimed, shoving the paper at Jay and Mal to examine. Carlos was reading his own digital copy on a tablet, as it was his preferred daily news source.

"Editorial: The People's King." Jay read the title aloud. "'I was lucky enough to have been at the parade yesterday, and you've probably already heard about the ruckus that was created when a few young naysayers began hurling insults and slander at the royal cavalcade.'"

"I didn't see any reporters there when the fight happened. Did you, Jay?" Mal commented.

"He was probably in plainclothes." Evie noted. Jay continued reading the article.

"'It is, of course, the right of the people to excercise their free speech. But something that is often forgotten, is that the right to free speech comes with consequences. Put bluntly, if you insult someone, expect to invoke violence from the individual you're bullying.'" Jay paused for a second and laughed, handing the paper to Mal. "This is hilarious. I love this guy!"

Mal glanced over the editorial and continued from where the young man left off.

"'King Jay is in many ways, much like the people he rules over in Auradon. He keeps his temper, but when someone insults his friends (as when one particular protestor shouted 'whore' in the direction of the two Queens, and Jay's husband, King Carlos)... He does what any one of us would do to those who are cruel to our loved ones. He gives them a good sock to the nose!'"

Mal had to stop reading, she was laughing so hard. Wanting to get in on the action, Carlos read the next portion off his tablet, raising his voice over the sound of Mal's laughter and Jay's breathless chuckles.

"'Some might call it a bad thing, lack of decorum and whatnot.'" Carlos paused and glanced at Evie, who rolled her eyes and punched his arm. "'But I, dear readers, find it endearing. Could you imagine graceful, mild mannered King Adam, leaping into a roaring crowd of rioters? Gaining bloody knuckles for the sake of his family's honor?'"

Mal stopped laughing long enough to finish the article, and took a deep breath to read aloud.

"'No, King Jay is truly a king of the people, and as soon as the fight was subdued, he stepped back, allowing the Queen to finish the fight with her words, and not laying a single blow on the attackers while they were restrained. For more information about just what the Queen said to render them all silent, please see the main article.'"

"Go on, read the ending!" Evie prompted, and Mal simply passed her the paper, too breathless from laughing and surprise to use her words, and too sleepy to use her magic. Sighing, Evie smirked, and finished the article.

"'For now, dear readers, I leave you with this thought: All of our rulers have been properly trained, thanks to Queen Mal, and many of the new royalty were once peasants themselves. Shall we not give these former commoners a chance? They've given us new hope for a ruling government that understands poverty, and hunger, and fear. For the past four years, these children of the Isle brought nothing but improvements. Isn't it time we stopped judging them by the land of their birth?'" Evie finished reading, and set down the newspaper.