Heartful || Heartless Sequel/Fanfiction ||

Ch.1 || Liar

Golden kohl rimmed eyes stared down at Catherine. Jest's warm arms wrapped around her as she felt the beating of his heart against her ear. His three-pointed fool's hat rested atop his curly hair; the bells jingling every time he kissed her. The air was warm and the fresh scent of spring danced in the wind. The garden was as it first had been. Before the slaughter of the white roses. Before the color red was all in sight.

Cath held onto him tighter, not wanting to leave his grasp. A strong smell of sunflowers and butterscotch and lemons hung to his black shirt like a fragrance enveloping her.

"Why Catherine?" his voice suddenly echoed in pain.

Cath gazed up at the coal haired boy. "Jest?" she cocked her head in confusion.

"You promised." Jest's eyes began to swell with tears. Cath raised a finger to wipe away his sadness but his hands caught at her wrists. "You promised me, Catherine. You said you wouldn't!" he cried.

Words seized in her throat. She didn't know what he meant. She hadn't done anything wrong. Had she?

Cath's emerald eyes glistened with fear. "I-I..." she stuttered, not able to find the right words. She swallowed down hard. "Jest, I don't understand."

Jest threw her hard onto the grass, her gaze falling to Raven perched onto a branch up high. "How could you? I thought you loved me." his words made an ache in her chest. He pressed his weight down on her, the distance between them falling short. "You are a liar."

Liar, the word repeated endlessly in her head. Liar. And then the slit in his throat became more apparent. First came the drops of blood, and then, everything. Her face frozen in shock as the blood came down spilling on her. Jest's head tumbled next to her, the life in him disappearing as he only blankly stared at her.

"Jest...Jest..." she trembled not able to comprehend what had just happened.

"Nevermore," said Raven, "nevermore." he repeated.

The black bird swooped down closer. He cawed once, then again and again, almost at rhythm. Cath's head pounded as the noise grew louder and louder. "No! No!" she screamed. "Not Jest!" Dark hair curled between her fingers as she tried covering her ears, sure the thought of him gone wouldn't reach her. The world in front of her began to crumble, turning to nothing but ash in the wind.Her vision smeared in black.

She heard a familiar voice in the distance. "Lady Catherine?"

Cath's wet lashes popped open.

"Lady Catherine?" the voice called again, this time closer.

Cath rose to her feet, searching for that most-hated sound. She twisted and turned but couldn't seem to find it, to find her. It had been a longtime since she had heard Mary Ann's voice. Mary Ann, that servant girl who she had once thought of as a friend. Her greatest, most admired, bestest friend. A traitor. The girl who had made a fool out of her. The girl who she had sacrificed her entire happiness for.

Sacrifices. Life is made of sacrifices.

Catherine looked behind her to find that disdainful black dress and white apron a few feet away from her but most revolting of all was the girl in it. Mary Ann had always been pretty. Much prettier than Margaret Mearle but never as pretty as Catherine. No matter how much Catherine liked to tell herself that. This time though she appeared rather... well... not in place if one might think. Her straw-colored blonde hair stuck out at certain ends and she seemed to have grown deep circles under her eyes. Maybe from the long, lasting days working for the White Rabbit. Her appearance flattered Catherine, she enjoyed seeing the mess Mary Ann had become.

"It should have been you," Cath whispered.

A grin grew on Mary Ann's lips. Her smile growing as an inevitable laughter escaped her lungs. The sound tripled once Cath had peered behind her. The Sisters of the well pointed at her in amusement, they mocked her with grins plastered on their childish faces. Beside them, a purple top hat floated in the air until a large, sharp smile grew only a few inches below it. Cheshire and his wild eyes taunted the Queen. That vile hat. That dangerous, vile hat. Hatta suddenly shaped out of smoke next to Cheshire, placing what was rightfully his on long strands of white hair. His lilac eyes seemed darker than they really were, almost a deep purple. One by one people began to appear. Each and every citizen of Hearts laughing at her. Taunting their queen.

"No." she shook her head. "Shut up!" Cath yelled. "I'll have your heads! All of you! I'll have your heads!" Cath fell back, the faces of those horrible fools coming nearer. She wrapped her arms around her knees, weeping, until a flash of light snapped her awake.