Only the Heart of A Queen (discontinued )

Chapter 9

Cath woke up by someone vigorously shaking her on the ground, She sat up sharply and rubbed her head.

"Hatta! I told you specifically not to shake her like that. I said Gentle, that wasn't gentle was it?" Jest flicked Hatta on the shoulder, and he flinched. "Hey! Well at least it worked, a gentle touch wouldn't have done anything."
" I think a bucket of water would have worked." Raven remarked.   "Ok, is it just me, or is Raven disappearing and appearing out of no where?" Hatta said. "You may not always see me, but I'm always here, I guarantee." Raven flew in a circle and landed on Jest's three pointed hat. "you both are infuriating.." Jest he said under his breath as he rolled his eyes and helped Cathrine up.

"Are you ok...Cat?" Cath look at Jest and tilted her head in confusion. "Did you just call me Cat?"

"Wait, it's you..?" He embraced her, "oh thank goodness your sane again." Cath embraced him back, but she was still confused. She put a hand in his hair and noticed that it had strands of tangled hair, and felt tiny braids. "Uh, why is your hair braided?" Jest laughed, "You braided my hair while you were...a little crazy."

"No, more like childish and delirious." Hatta pointed out. "Says the guy going Mad." Cath whispered as she patted Hatta's hat, He growled.

They were in a small, circular room filled with many doors, all different sizes. There was a peculiar looking round glass table sitting in the middle of the room. There was a small box and a bottle on the table. The box was labeled "Eat Me" and the bottle "Drink Me".
"So how do we know which door to go through?" Cathrine commented, looking at each individual door. "Don't worry, love. I've been here many times. The doors are always switch up, but I have a strategy. Just remember not to go through any other doors," he coughed and eyed Cathrine. "Unless we want another," Hatta sighed, "unfortunate tragedy to happen.."

"Hey, it's not my fault. I needed to save Mary Ann from Sir Peter, and I know that ended with me being beheaded,"  Cath saw from the corner of her eye that Jest flinched a little, surprised a what she said without hesitation. Cathrine went on. "I promise I won't go into any doors, no matter how tempted I may be."
"I'll believe it when I see it, dear." Hatta turned to face the first door; As soon as he looked away Cathrine crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out at him, making a face. Jest pressed his lips thin, and it was obvious he was trying to hold in a laugh. He nudged her a little to make her stop before Hatta would notice.

Hatta pressed his ear against every door, trying to listen from the other side of the door. Cathrine heard a faint screams coming from a normal sized door. She walked up to it and pressed her ear against it.

She flinched at the sound. It was her parents screaming, along with others. There also was a high yet low pitched scream. It didn't sound natural. It wasn't human.

She looked back to see if Hatta or Jest were paying attention, but the were both against different doors, and so was Raven. Cathrine slowly opened the door, which made a —Creak— sound when she slightly opened it. She stopped and looked back to see if either of them heard it. Nothing. She continued to creak open the door slowly, until she could poke her head through.

She almost choked in air as she gasped in shock, in fear.
She saw the castle ballroom, everyone was dressed in black. There she saw the King kneeling behind his tipped over throne; he was sobbing into his knees. She saw her parents fleeing, along with everyone else. The decorations torn and on the floor, people occasionally slipping and falling over them as the ran.

And she saw the Jabberwock. No.
They never killed it. It must have left before Jest could have killed him, after she was killed. She saw Jack the Knave screaming like a girl. Pathetic. She also saw the Duke and Margaret Mearle running up the stairs and out the entrance. The Jabberwock extended its reptile-like wings and shrieked; it was on the roof above the ballroom, it broke a massive hole with its claws and half its body was inside. Most people were already outside and already in hiding, but the king was still sobbing hopelessly behind his throne. He was also Pathetic, but she held more sympathy for him. The creature managed to fit its whole body inside; as soon as it was inside it launched itself toward the King, as he peered behind his throne. The Jabberwock clawed at the King in a second, grasping him in its claws.

"P-P-PLEASE! SOMEONE HELP ME!" The King kicked his small feet and screamed. The Jabberwock turned around, still holding the King. The beast crawled out the hole it created, extended its wings once more, and flew away into the cold night, along with the King.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Cathrine slammed the door with all her force and slid down the door, cupping her face with her hands. Jest and Hatta snapped there heads towards Cathrine. Hatta rubbed his temples. "And she opened a door—of course she did. Well, I guess that's an improvement then actually going through the door." Jest ran up to Cathrine and kneeled down next to her. "What— What happened? What did you see?" Jest cupped her wet face. "The..the ballroom and... running.. my—my parents..the king—" she swallowed back a sob, heat rushed up her face. Her eyes widened. "The king... the Jabberwock.. it took the king." Even though her vision still cloudy, she still managed to see the hurt look on Jest's face. Sure, the king was the very reason they couldn't be together in the first place, but the king still gave Jest somewhere to stay, and gave him employment.
Hatta cut threw the silence. "At least you don't have to marry the king now, right?" Cathrine glared at him. She ripped her boot off and threw it at him. Luckily, it hit him right in the face. He yelled and jumped back. "How dare you! Yes, I didn't want to marry the king, but it wasn't because I didn't like him..even though he isn't my type.... but it was because I didn't want to be Queen! I want to and still want to own a bakery." Hatta looked away, he took her boot from the ground and handed it back to her. She snatched it out of his hands and put it back on.

Jest offered her his hand and she took it. Hatta sighed. "This is the door. It's the last one." There was nothing in front of Hatta.
"Uh.. which door?" Cathrine said as she walked forward. Hatta stepped to the side, revealing a door the size of a small wax candle. Cathrine look at Hatta, then the door, and back at Hatta. "Your kidding right?"

"Unfortunately not, love" Hatta walked to the glass table and took the small bottle. "Ok each of us take one sip. Got it?" Jest and Cath nodded. Hatta drank first, then Jest, and finally Cathrine. She felt nothing. "Um, what is it supposed to—" she felt a sharp twist in her stomach. They slowly shrank down to the size of the door. The once normal sized doors were ginormous compared to them. Hatta opened the door.

"My lady, I present you, Chess"