Down The Rabbithole

Ch8

(Disclaimer: The song the queen and her dancing partner sings is I'm In Heaven When You Kiss me by A Touch Of Class and in no way mine. And the art above and characters belongs to Vivziepop. The red Lady is Queen of Hearts.)




The flowers whisper.

At least that was the guards job was to do. To sit by the flower garden and listen for the whispers of the upmost importance of her majesties flowers and report back whatever they said. Usually they weren't very important and the talking plants would only deliver gossip like: "A royal prince is approaching from the north woods!" "Blondie Locks has broken her leg climbing a tree." "The Chesire Cat has been seen singing in the meadow." "The Giants found out rocks are a good source of house building material" And his personal favorite. "The Heart Queen accidentally fell into the mud puddle." But he wouldn't say it out loud for fear of loosing his comfy job. His job was very easy, he just had to sit down in the royal garden and wait for the flowers to speak whatever nonsense they spouted and then he'd go report it to her majesty. He didn't know why she even had this job but he wasn't complaining...Until now. The clanking of steel and heavy breathing rattled throughout the halls as the guard ran through the perfectly polished halls of the massive castle towards the theatre. The place where the Queen would most likely be this time of day. The man passed other servants and guards who looked on in confusion as he ran. Paintings and expensive table and suits of armor decorated the halls along with plenty of hearts of the dark red and pink colors. The checkered floors looked like he was running across a black and white chess board as he still ran. He turned a sharp corner and made a few wobbling steps, the weight of his armor almost making him fall but thankfully he didn't and just kept running towards the royal theater room. He only hoped his queen was there

~meanwhile~

The lights were out, darkness taking over the giant room as soft music played a beautiful melody for the few servants gathered within the darkness. One servant cranking the music machine as it played while another manned the spotlight up above in this darkness onto the two dancing within the middle of this darkened melody place. The shiny floors and outfits they wore glowing in the light as the two still danced and sung along to the music gracefully. The woman of such poise and grace and her hair of the most feiry red, one might've mistaken her for a dancing goddess. Her partner a handsome but plain young man who was helping her dance along and sing to said music as he went to spin his beautiful queen of the red hair around.

"I'm in Heaven when you kiss me~," she sang with a heavenly voice as her partner spun her around and when she faced him she put a hand under his chin. Fake loveingly of course. This was acting. "Show me how you miss me.~ Take me back with you to Wonderland.~" He spun her again and once her back was facing him he grabbed her hands and lead her into a sideways waltz as the music's beats bounced just a bit faster. "I'm in Heaven when you kiss me. Show me how you miss me.~ Take me back with you to Wonderland.~" He suddenly spun her again and dipped her expertly. "You capture me with a stare.~ I follow you anywhere.~ You leave me in temptation.~"

He smiled and pulled her majesty up and they spun a few times around the shiny wooden floors before she spun away from him and made a pose with her hand on her hip and holding an arm out towards him and he did the same pose back to her.

"I guess you need to enjoy.~ I'm like a kid with a toy.~ I'm loosing my concentration.~" She put a hand to her forehead and feined swooned towards him and he easily caught her in his arms, swirling her around in mid air in his hold. "One kiss from you I'm on fire.~ You're all I desire.~ One look at you take me higher.~" At 'higher' he suddenly stopped and did a ballet pose where he grabbed her by the hips and lifted her up as she posed before bringing her back down and setting her back onto her feet. "You know I couldn't resist.~ Yeah! I miss-" She swirled back to face him and they locked hands. "Everytime I'm with you.~ Everytime that we kiss.~" He gracefully brought her into a ballroom waltz with one hand on her hip and another holding her hand. The spotlight remaining on them. "I'm in Heaven when you kiss me.~ Heaven when you kiss me.~ You were sent to me from Wonderland.~ I'm in Heaven when you kiss me.~ Heaven when you miss me.~ You were sent to me from Wonderland.~" Her hand then again then fakely cupped the man's cheek lovingly again as she still waltzed with him greatly across the dancefloor and danced with him. "I go crazy when you kiss me.~ Show me how you miss me.~ Take me back with you to Wonderland.~ You know I couldn't resist.~ Yeah, I miss.~ Everytime I'm with you.~ Everytime that we kiss.~"

A small pause of singing followed along with piano music coming out from the giant music box like machine in the corner and during that time her partner lead the beautiful Queen into a slightly faster pace. Dipping her and adding swirls to the mix and smiling with fake love for their act as they did and the few servants watched in awe as he still guilded her around. He pushed her away from him still connected by one hand before bringing her back in and spinning her until she was pushed away from him again and still held his other hand.

"I dream of you every night.~ It's like I'm loosing my mind.~," the man gracefully sung out as he brought her back to him and again began gliding her across the dancefloor in a graceful waltz. "This feeling is just getting stronger.~ My head is spinning around.~ You play with me but I'm bound.~ I can't resist any longer.~" He gave her a quick spin or two before making her stop to face him again smiling. And she cupped his cheek acting the part again.

"One kiss from you I'm on fire.~ Your touch is all I desire.~ One look and you take me higher.~" He then spun her out and again they posed as he held out his hand to her other hand on his chest as she continued to sing. "You know I couldn't resist.~ Yeah, I miss.~ Everytime I'm with you.~ Everytime that we kiss.~" She held her hand out to him as if expecting him to take it and he did, bringing her back to his own being smiling and bringing her into a slow and gently waltz. "I'm in Heaven when you kiss me.~ Heaven when you kiss me.~" She sang softer as they held each other and fakely gazed at each other lovingly. " You were sent to me from Wonderland.~" Her voice went to her normal pitch when he suddenly half dipped her deeply before bringing her back up and increasing the pace of their waltzing as he glided her around. "I'M in heaven when you kiss me.~ Heaven when you kiss me.~ You were sent to me from Wonderland.~ I go crazy when you kiss me.~ Show me how you miss me.~ Take me back with you to Wonderland." They suddenly stopped but she continued singing. "You know I couldn't resist.~ Yeah I miss.~ Everytime I'm with you.~ Everytime that we kiss.~"

She fake swooned and put a hand to her forehead and 'dropping' as limp as a ragdoll to the floor in a fake swoon, he expertly grabbed her and kneeled down with her in his arms as she still leaned back with her eyes closed and smiling as he sang his other verse of the whole performance they were practicing again and again.

"You know that I'm hypnotized.~ Every time I look in your eyes~." His hand went to her head lifting it and making her face him as she reopened her eyes 'lovingly' up at him. It looked like a picture perfect scene out of a fairytale book when the prince lovingly saves the fair princess or maiden and before they have their happily ever after. "You know I could disguise, and I couldn't resist.~" His hand cupped her face 'lovingly' as he sang. "Every time that we kiss.~"

"I'm in heaven when you kiss me. Heaven when you kiss me.~ You were sent to me from Wonderland.~" She sang softly as they remained embraced in that pose for a long moment. Before the music suddenly sped up and in one fluent motion his hands went to her hips and she was snatched from her swooning pose off the floor, turned around and in that same ballerina pose and swung her around facing the servants, spotlight following them. "I'm in heaven when you kiss me.~ Heaven when you kiss me.~ You were sent to me from Wonderland.~" She was placed back down and he wrapped an arm around her waist from behind as his other hand grabbed her as he lead her right across the floor and they looked at each other 'lovingly' again. "Ooh, it's heaven when you kiss me.~ Heaven when you kiss me.~ You were sent to me from Wonderland.~ I go crazy when you kiss me.~ Baby, don't resist me.~ Take me back with you to Wonderland.~" She was then released from around her waist and she was allowed to turn around in a half spin back into his hold as they went back into a ballroom dance. "You know that I'm hypnotized by your eyes.~ And I just can't resist ever time that we kiss.~ Soft piano music played for another short moment as they danced along and they smiled at each other as he spun her and continued to waltz her around the room. "You know that I'm hypnotized by your eyes.~ And I couldn't resist every time that we kiss.~" She sang out softly one more time.


A few soft piano notes continued to play out and in those few seconds, she jumped into his arms and he caught her and lifted her up. Spinning her around as sparkles glimmered in the light from her perfect dress showing off her natural beauty and then lowering her back down in a half dip 'I'm about to kiss you' pose as the last few notes played out-

SLAM!!

A few of the female servants screamed and the Queen jumped and was almost dropped by her dancing partner as they looked over towards the double doors that were slammed open in a haste, but luckily she was caught by her dancing partner who also looked over startled with everyone else. Light flooded the darkened room, lighting up the fancy floors and the small wardrobe in the corner. Standing in the doorway was a sweating, heaving heavily man who was blinking and wearing heavy armor and looking all around the now lit room until his eyes landed on her highness in the man's hands. The man wheezed and with shaking legs making his armor even more noisy he stumbled his way towards her. Finally the red haired queen blinked and scowled. Making herself stand up and wriggling out of her old dancing partner's hold and glaring at the guard approaching.

"Flower Keeper! What's the meaning of this!?," She demanded separating herself from everyone and marching over to the man who kneeled and fell to his knees faster than a rock in water in respect to his Queen as she approached in that glittery pretty dancing costume. Her shadow loomed over the knight who was wheezing and slightly shaking due to not being used to running that hard and fast. "You know I do not WANT to be disturbed when I'm practicing my performances and everyone knows this." She leaned down further with an annoyed tone. "You better have a good explaination for this."

"Y-Y-Your majesty. I-I-....*wheeze* I b-bring news from the flowers. I-It's very important I swear it!"

She stared down at the knight still kneeling before her before looking back to the servants around her and raising a hand up to snap her fingers, immediately the windows were opened by the servants letting more light flood in and light the room back to it's normal status and the man handling the spotlight above blew out the giant candle used to light up said spot light before descending the latter. Most of the servants scrambled about or out of the room including her dancing partner and she gave a quick look to him.

"We'll continue the dance routine later, Pierre. Say hi to your husband for me." The man nodded before bowing gracefully and leaving through the doors as well. She watched as the doors closed and she was left with the still kneeling guard and two maids who just stood by silently waiting as their Queen paused and looked at the man waiting to be addressed. He heard footsteps retreating from him but didn't dare look up when the queen walked back over to the corner of the room where a giant divider and wardrobe was accompanied by the servants as the two ladies quickly went to help their lady dress as she disappeared behind the curtain. A second later the fancy costume was thrown over the top of the divider and the silohouettes of the maids could be seen helping the lady into a different outfit. A moment later she returned back out dressed in her own clothing as she frowned back at the guard still kneeling...And approached him. "Tell me. What news was so important that you would barge in and disturb my weekly practice when I give specific orders not to? What could be so important about flowers gossip that you would defy your queen's orders?"

The shuddering guard before her gulped and still dare not look up as the shadown of the Queen of Hearts fell over him and he paused before answering with a stutter in his tone. "M-M-My apologies, Y-Your Majesty. P-P-Please forgive me. B-But I have news from the flowers. T-T-They speak o-of an intruder t-to your kingdom."

Her brow rose. "An intruder? Nonsense. Any royals and their subjects are welcome as long as they bare no harm. What intruder do you mean?"

He gave a shaking breath. "Your highness. A-A-A....A Human has f-f-fallen into Wonderland."

A silence followed as everyone let those words sink in-

"WHAT?!", The queen yelled making everyone around her wince away from the now scary look her beautiful face presented as she demanded answers of the shivering man, "HOW?! WHERE ARE THEY NOW!?"

He frantically shook his head. "I know not. T-They-..The flowers haven't t-t-told me anything beyond what was said-"

"Then wait DID they say to you?!"

"T-T-They said a human woman fell into our world on t-t-the edge of the Giant's forest and was last seen heading north. S-She was a fair skinned maiden with eyes of red and hair of molten gold. S-She wore red of rose and was seen following the ways of the north woods path your majesty. B-But that's all I know I swear to you!"

The Queen with an unreadable emotion in her eyes sighed through her nose and stared down at him....Before walking around him and walking towards the opened doors. "SEND FOR MY CAPTAIN OF THE GUARDS IMMEDIATELY!! SEND FOR MR. LANCER A. LOT!! NO HUMAN SHALL WONDER FREELY WITHOUT PAYING THE TOLL ALL HUMAN PAY WHEN THEY ENTER MY KINGDOM!!"