Love and Blood in Wonderland

♥️➰Prologue➰♥️

"Presenting to the citizens of Wonderland, the first born children to Queen Amora of Hearts, Princess Roslyn Scarlett of Hearts and Prince Tris Harper II of Hearts!" The White Rabbit proudly proclaimed to the crowds and to the cameras as the nurses held the babies up to the cameras for the world to see. They were pink and chubby and absolutely beautiful, and the queen didn't look away from them for a moment, tears brimming at her eyes. Oh how her husband would have loved this day.

If Queen Amora had looked up, even for a moment, she might have seen the Mad Hatter standing at the near front of the crowd with his friend the March Hare. In his arms he cradled a little baby boy, not much older than the newborn prince and princess, who had a shock of blonde hair (even though Hatter's used to be dark brown) and his father's big violet eyes. She would have seen that he to had tears in his eyes.

Or she might have seen Mary Ann, the maid and lover-by-night of the White Rabbit, who was nearly through with her pregnancy. It would be their first set of twins, but definitely not their last time getting pregnant.

Or maybe she would have seen the wise old Cheshire Cat, who now sported scars along his face and back and no longer enjoyed his pranks and games as he once did now that the king, his favorite victim to his pranks, was gone, dead and buried behind the castle under a red rose tree. He was currently sipping milk and eating rose macaroons and watching the proceedings with his one blind and one working eye.

But the queen did not look up. Her eyes remained on her children, the only joy in her life, the only trace of her husband left. He had been dead before they were born, killed when a devilish knight drove a sword into his heart during a battle two days before their birth. The queen had nearly died then, overcome with grief and pain. But she hadn't; She was determined to stay strong for her babies, to protect and rise them to rule Wonderland like she had. And, she would have that knight's head. One day, she would have his head.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Queen Amora."  The Cheshire purred. It was hours later, and the queen was sitting in a chair next to the cradles of her children. At least the chair has the common sense to not move and to stay quite.

"Cheshire. What do you need?" She spoke in a whisper and turned to him. Her long black hair fell down her back and her big black eyes shown in the pale fairy lights that illuminated the room. Some fairies mumbled to themselves about not getting proper sleep but knew why the queen wanted to sit with her children. She didn't want to loose them to.

"You need to go to bed, my queen. The children will be here in the morning." The purple cat curled up on a pillow by a toy box overflowing with the best toys.

"How do you know that? How do you know they won't come back for them, to take them like they took Tris?" She hissed. She still had nightmares of black and white and shards of glass raining down on her.

"My queen, you have five guards guarding them. A guard is not a guard if he doesn't guard, then they are simply playing cards." Cheshire licked his paws and hummed a soft lullaby. "Twinkle twinkle little shrew..."

"Cheshire. Five guards will not be enough to protect them. Nothing will ever be enough to protect them." Queen Amora was growing angry, hot tears burning her eyes at the painful memory. Her heart was still broken.

"My queen. The war is over. We won. The loss of King Tris was a loss for the entire kingdom, and everybody mourns with you. But you need to rest, and you need to trust in your guards. They would all die for Roslyn and Tris. So please, I implore you to get some rest." The queen looked up at the cat and sighed.

"You're right. I have to be strong. For them." She stood. The simple nightgown she wore hardly kept her warm but she didn't feel the cold. She hesitated before stepping out of the room. The guards closed in around the door immediately. Cheshire laid down on the pillow and fell into a restless sleep. He would never tell how much he to feared for the safety of the children.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hatter, you need to let go. She isn't coming back." The March Hare whispered, placing his paws on his friend's shoulders. Hatter shrugged him off.

"I can't let go! I loved her and she left this- this baby with me and left! I loved her!" Hatter yelled. The baby started crying and he immediately began to soothe it. He hated seeing it cry.

"Have you even named it yet? She didn't. She's not coming back." Hare was getting frustrated. His friend had been driven even more mad by his love and his broken heart.

"Of course I named him."

"Then what is it?"

"What is what?"

"The name."

"The name of what?"

"The baby."

"What baby?"

"Your baby!"

"What about him?"

"What's his name?!"

"Calm down, you just had to ask. His name is Ellis Madigan."

"Ellis Madigan Hatter. I like it." The door mouse mumbled from the Hare's pocket. She had been asleep until their whole yelling ordeal. She yawned. "He has his mother's hair."

"I know." Hatter sighed and sat down, holding the baby close. "I loved her..."

"We know. But you need to move on, Hatter." Hare smiled at him sadly.

"I know. But I don't want to." Hatter wiped at his eyes.

"I know." Hare sat beside him and they all looked down at the baby.

"Oh Hare. I just miss her. I miss Alice."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mary Ann! Oh Mary Ann!" The maid smiled and looked down. The White Rabbit was holding a big bowl of cakes and cookies and milk, the perfect snack for his lovely lover. And just in time for tea time to.

"Oh, Rabbit. Thank you." She smiled and graciously excepted the bowl.

"Only the best for you, my dear!" The White Rabbit hopped up onto the bed and sat beside her. "I have a gift for you."

"A gift? But it isn't my birthday, and we aren't having an unbirthday celebration." Mary Ann gushed, smiling happily.

"Just a gift just because." The rabbit grinned from ear to ear and pulled out a box. The maid smiled and took the box and tried to open it.

"Hey! One should ask permission before one opens someone who might not wish to be opened!" The box huffed.

"Pardon me. Could I please open you? My present is inside." Mary Ann smiled.

"Hm. I suppose." The box went silent after this, and Mary Ann was able to open her gift. Inside sat a small pocket watch on a chain, a necklace made made of gold and small diamonds. It was beautiful.

"Oh Rabbit! I love it!" She smiled and hugged him.

"Only for you, my dear." He smiled and put it around her neck. "Will you tell me the names you picked out now?"

"Oh, alright." The rabbit grinned happily.

"The eldest one will be named Bianca. And the younger, her name will be Elizabeth Ann."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~