The King of Hearts

Chapter 10

"Your grace please slow down!" Mikasa begged running after the raging queen. She swung the shears recklessly, slicing stems leaves and guards if they were in the way of her raging trail. Her subjects silenced themselves as she drew close. Petra was muttering so fast no one that spoke any language could understand what she was saying.

Mikasa came to halt beside her queen, trying her hardest to keep her hard breathing in control.

"Mikasa darling?" She spoke in a sweet yet venomous tone.
"Your grace?" 

"I need you to do me a favor..."

Lady Hatter's P.O.V

"Uncle Hatter I don't know what to do! I think the queen is after me." I whispered loudly into the teacup.

"Oh...you should've never listened to that damned Cheshire cat! This is my fault as well. All you wanted was a stable home and my roommates managed to chase you out-"

"Uncle Hatter, it wasn't your fault at all. I wanted to see what it would be like to be on my own. To have something that I owned at least. I... I wanted to work for their majesties."

Uncle Hatter released a loud sigh that echoed from the other side of the teacup.

"Oh my sweet niece..... I should call the White Queen of Spades and well... you know tell her that your life is endanger."

"Uncle no! She and the Red Queen are good friends. I don't want to create any discourse between them. I know you and grandmother Alice helped defeat the Red Queen's grandmother but I would like to keep my head on my shoulders for as long as possible." I whispered looking around my room. The position that I'm in right now would make any normal person question my sanity. Here I am, hunched over in the corner of my room, whispering in a teacup to communicate with my Uncle. He groaned in despair.

"Oh dear, please don't even signal anything remotely close to beheading. I've feared that Queen Petra took after her grandmother as well as her mother."

"What do you mean Uncle Hatter?"

"...Oh my salted sweet, she not only has it out for you for gaining the attention of the Red King, she has it out for you because it was your grandmother Alice that vanquished hers and beheaded the dreaded Jabberwocky. And her mother....her mother was a terrible person. Multiple children by multiple Kings...but Petra was the only one that took the throne...."

"Uncle are you....are you implying that the Red Queen killed her siblings for the throne?"

"My dear...there are no implications when it comes to the truth. Petra was to rule the twelve kingdoms. But the Royal Inquisition feared her upbringing granted that she was the bloodied offspring of Lady Kristienne of The Red Cards. Her grandmother."

I placed the teacup down in shock. The queen could have a personal vendetta for me because of my grandmother and my uncle told me everything I need to know. I need to get to Lev- no. If I tell him...he might confront her and we both will be in danger. What the hell have I gotten myself into?

"[Name]...get out of that palace. The longer you're in her presence, the angrier she gets, the more blood will spill. It will be just like the Day of the Golden Comet. You need to hurry, before the Festival of Lights commences soon. I'll alert that darn bottle witch. This is for your own safety, I promised your mother that I would take care of you and it would kill me if something happened to you.... And I wish we had more time but it appears that the tea ran cold. Until then, be very careful my dear. That bloody redhead may appear to be dense but she is no stupid woman. She'll smile in your face while snatching out your heart."

"Uncle Hatter?"

"She's the Red Queen of Hearts for a reason child...stay safe salted sweet. We will meet again."  And as quickly as the tea went cold, his image vanished.

I tossed the teacup over the balcony as quick as possible, watching it make contact with the ground and turn into a fine dust. My back made contact with the wall as I slid down with a sigh of despair. I'm going to die all because I listened to that damned Cheshire Cat. A new job opening at the Red Palace he says. Why did I listen? Oh yeah, I don't think I could've taken another hot tea cake to the face again. I groaned loudly, feeling tears well up and obscure my vision. I can't just run away and leave Levi alone to deal with his problematic wife. He'd lose it. Who else would listen to him and talk to him when he needed company? That stubborn idiot doesn't talk to anyone else in this kingdom unless it's Queen Hanji or Duke Mike and sometimes Prince Erwin of the Black Knights. But either way, he'd still be in danger. If I do tell him he could possibly be executed, if I don't tell him, he could possibly be executed. There is no alternative for him.

There was a knock on the door, a surprisingly soft knock. Deep down, I prayed that it wasn't the queen. Uncle Hatter is right, the woman isn't stupid, but neither am I.

"It's me you imbecile."

Good lord, it's Levi. I rushed over to the door and swung it open as fast as I could. He rushed into my room.

"I need to get you the hell out of here. Petra is in the Rose Garden snipping the buds off the roses. She's going to be in there for a while [Name]. I could smuggle you out of here tonight." He said pacing back and forth. He's already planning on getting me out of here. He must've heard the conversation between my uncle and I. He looks more annoyed than usual.

"Levi- "

"If I don't get you out of here quickly she'll have your head. I'll give you refuge in the Imperial Gardens."

"What?... Where is that?"

"I can't tell you where it is idiot. Hell, even Petra doesn't know where it is or what purpose it serves. It's a little resort that my friends and I put together when we were teenagers...to get away from our overbearing parents or to just get away from our responsibilities. Petra nor Hanji knows about it simply because Zoe can't keep her mouth shut and Petra would've had it destroyed." He spoke sharply in a whisper. He walked up to me and placed a rough yet comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Do you trust me Lady Hatter?" I haven't heard this much seriousness in his voice in a long while. The concern in his eyes and movements.

"...Yes."

"I want you to go to the servants kitchen in the lower level of the castle. You'll exit the palace from there. Once you reach your destination, Mikasa will be waiting for you to sail you across the Rigormortis moat. After that, Bayard the Bloodhound will take you down the Forbidden Forest path where the carriage will be awaiting you. Don't freak out when they blindfold you, its to keep the secrecy of the Imperial Gardens hidden."

"But...what about you?"

"Don't worry about me stupid. I'll meet you there. I sent Gryphon to the Black Knights not too long ago to alert Prince Erwin of your arrival. He'll keep you company. I have business to attend to concerning Petra. Pack some of your things. I don't want Petra to get too suspicious. She might search for you. After you get your things together head down to the servants kitchen. I want you gone as soon as possible. "