Chapter Text
I stood at the entrance to the throne room. The Queen of Hearts was sitting on her throne, calmly drinking tea. Behind her stood the Knave of Hearts, as stiff and loyal as ever. Crimson rose vines curled up the sides of the throne, and the gold frame caught the sunlight pouring through the tall windows behind it.
A massive round window filled the back wall, clear as polished diamond. It fit the Queen perfectly. What didn’t fit was the sight of her daughter standing beside her. The Princess of Hearts wore too much powder, scarlet lipstick, and a smile that looked like she was forcing herself to keep it there while her mother basked in the attention.
The doors opened.
A tall man entered first. Platinum-white hair, a white-gold crown set with diamonds. Beside him walked a woman dressed completely in white. Her robes covered everything except her face. Instead of a crown, she wore a wreath of white lilies, as if she’d stopped pretending she needed crown long ago.
“His Majesty, the White King, and Her Majesty, the White Queen!” the Knave of Spades called through his ceremonial trumpet.
Barely a heartbeat later, he raised it again.
“His Majesty, the Red King, and Her Majesty, the Red Queen!”
The moment he finished, he hurried out like he wanted nothing to do with what came next. He didn’t even glance beneath the Red Queen’s crimson veil. It wasn’t that her face was hidden. It felt… far away. Like trying to make out someone standing at the bottom of an old well.
The White royals and the Red royals didn’t greet each other. They simply sat down around the marble table in the middle of the room.
“First on today’s agenda,” Princess Red said brightly, reading from a scroll, “the ongoing conflict between the Chess Kingdom and Wonderland. We hope today’s meeting will finally lead to a peaceful resolution.”
“The Red Kingdom has bled us dry since the days of my father, my grandfather, and every king before them!” the White King barked.
“They crossed into my lands,” the Red King fired back. “Lands that belong to me, my children, and everyone who comes after us.”
“I gave no such order.” The White King slammed both hands onto the marble table. For a second I wondered what would happen if one of his fingers snapped off. Maybe then they’d have something more important to argue about than fighting each other.
“We ask for one thing,” the Red Queen said. “A wall between our kingdoms.”
“And why exactly do you need a wall?” the White Queen asked.
The Red Queen stayed silent.
Her daughter tried to explain, mumbling something about two brothers who had founded their kingdoms together.
Nobody cared. A few coughs. A couple of bored grunts. That was all she got.
The rest of the meeting wasn’t worth repeating. They brought up the wall five more times. White knights six. Red soldiers, casualties, old grudges… I lost count. As for the words peace agreement? They came up exactly once.
The Queen of Hearts looked like she was enjoying every second of it.
When Princess Red quietly asked her to end the meeting, the Queen barely nodded.
A few seconds later, the Clubs stepped forward to escort everyone out.
The Red Queen tapped one of their hands aside with her fan.
They backed off immediately.
“My dear Queen of Hearts,” the Red Queen said, “it’s been far too long since we shared a cup of tea.”
“If I’m honest,” the Queen of Hearts replied, “I can’t say I’ve missed it.”
“I was hoping time had taught you the difference between enemies and allies.”
Even behind the veil, I knew she was smiling.
“It has,” the Queen of Hearts said as she stepped down from her throne. “I’ve simply learned the difference between people who bring gifts… and people who bring questions. Choose wisely.”
Before I noticed, the Red Queen was standing beside me.
She brushed her fingers lightly across my cheek.
“This young lady…”
“Too gloomy?” the Queen of Hearts asked.
“She doesn’t look like one of yours.”
“Don’t you recognise her?” She waved a hand toward her Knave. “She is the pale princess.”
The Red Queen gave a slow nod.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty.”
Without another word, she turned and walked out.
The Queen of Hearts left soon after.
Silence settled over the room.
Princess Red broke it first.
“Well… diplomacy didn’t last very long.”
I laughed under my breath.
“I wouldn’t call that diplomacy.”
She caught my hand and leaned close enough for only me to hear.
“Can you cover for me, Angie?”
“What are you planning?”
A grin spread across her face.
“You’ll find out.”