“In a few years’ time, we would have marched on Hu-Yuhar and enslaved the Yurkei beneath us, something the King of Hearts only dreamed of. You would have been the most powerful ruler that Wonderland had ever known!”
His eyes were wild now as his voice rose through the barracks, hysterical. “Power, Dinah! True power! That’s all that matters, and I’ve done everything to give it to you. If you wouldn’t take it, then I would have.” His eyes lingered on Dinah’s face. “My plan was flawless.”
Dinah reached down and rested her hand against Cheshire’s wildly beating heart. “And yet, it was all ruined by a mad boy, who wanted nothing more than to give a gift to his sister. Love ruined your plans.”
Cheshire stared into his daughter’s face, his words cruel. “Love also ruined Wardley’s life.”
Dinah turned away. “Raise him to his feet.”
Two Spades walked forward and propped him up. Sir Gorrann held his sword tightly against Cheshire’s throat.
“You can’t kill me. I’m your father!”
Dinah stepped forward, so close that he could feel her breath. Her face twisted in anger, her fingers clasped on both sides of his head. “Hear this!” she hissed quietly. “I have no father. Not you, and not the king. Too long have I been defined by the men who claimed that title. I had a loving mother, an innocent brother. And I have men who are truly loyal to me. I need no father.”
Clearing her throat, she leaned back on her heels and regained her composure. She held out her arm over him, as if blessing him. “Cheshire of Verrader, I strip you of all lands and titles in your name.”
Cheshire began to howl and writhe against the Spades that held him. “Dinah, no! I’m your father. I saved you. I helped you win a war. I gave you a crown!”
Dinah continued. “I disavow you from the council, and from the court. You are no longer a representative in our relations with the Yurkei. You have no power in any decision made for the good of Wonderland, now and forever. You are declared an enemy of Wonderland.”
Cheshire’s face distorted as it became racked with wretched sobs. “Please! Dinah, have mercy on me.”
“You will have mercy, though not in the way you desire it. You deserve the Black Towers, to have your body and soul tortured for the rest of your days. You deserve the same fate to which you and the King of Hearts sent Faina Baker—a living hell!”
“You killed her daughter! You are not innocent like you believe.” He let out a shriek of frustration.
Dinah closed her eyes for a moment. He was right. The truth of his words nestled in her heart. “Be thankful that I will not throw you in the Black Towers, for I do not trust the Black Towers to hold your deviousness, and they will not stand much longer. You are a poisonous snake in the grass, and if you are exiled, the day will come when I will find an army at my doorstep. You are the most dangerous creature in Wonderland.”
Cheshire’s legs lifted off the ground as he kicked and struggled. His deceitful words turned quickly into pleas. “Please, Dinah, for your mother. For your kingdom. We are family.”
Dinah turned away from him, tying her cloak around her neck with a firm twist and pulling the hood over her crown. She turned and faced Cheshire again.
“Look now, and have your peace. Your daughter wears a crown, and will to the end of her days. Your grandchildren and those after them will bear the crown as well. Die knowing that your child will never again be manipulated or used, not by you or anyone else. Look upon my face. It is done. You killed my brother, and gods know how many other countless innocents who stood in your way over the years.”
“Hundreds,” hissed Cheshire. “Thousands.”
Dinah bent and picked up Cheshire’s dagger, the hilt inlaid with purple amethysts, the twin to her own. “I will keep this close to me always as a reminder of where I come from, and of the man that I never desire to be.”
His face turned red now, full of anger. “You will never be rid of me. I have hundreds of people loyal to me, and they will not stop with my death. You will never be safe. Never!”
Now it was Dinah’s turn to smile. “You have killed everyone who knew your secrets. There is no one left.”
Cheshire’s head dropped. He was defeated.
When he looked up again, a single tear trailed down his cheek. “Then I will rest in the knowledge that inside of you lies a part of me. A fury combined with a curious and deceptive mind, and every day you will wake with the yearning to release it.”
Dinah turned away from him now, hiding her face from those around her as her mouth trembled. The room waited in silence. After a few moments, she inhaled and released a deep breath, letting her shoulders drop.
“Good-bye, Cheshire.”
He began to scream as she walked toward the door, carefully avoiding the black roots that were twisting slightly nearer to her feet with each step. She paused at the opening and looked back. All she could see in the darkness now were his pointed white teeth, twisted up in a grin.
Sir Gorrann’s voice rose over the clamor. “Orders, Your Majesty?”
Dinah paused, but only for a moment.
“Off with his head.”
Eighteen
Weeks passed before Dinah felt Cheshire’s haunting presence leave her. His body had been buried in the tunnels underneath the palace, his head taken to the Western Slope to be thrown into the sea. If there was anyone who could figure out how to come back from the dead, it would be Cheshire, and Dinah wasn’t taking any chances.
The council had been reconfigured. There was no adviser to the queen, no head of the council. She would be influenced by no single person, rather by a multitude of wise men and, for the first time in history, wise women. This was for the best. Unlike the king before her, Dinah’s decisions would be her own.
Dinah’s mind wandered as she made her way to the new Spade barracks, Ki-ershan ever at her back. Things were moving quickly in Wonderland, and though Dinah dreamed of a time where she could hide in her room and cry over Cheshire’s betrayal and the betrayal of her own heart, she couldn’t. Not now. Not ever. She had taken Cheshire’s head, and yet she was curiously free of guilt. She would miss his sharp mind, but every child in Wonderland was safer without his convincing tongue twisting lies in her ear. Of this she was certain.
The new Spade barracks were being built on the western side of the palace, though they would be much smaller than the first ones. Now that the Spades could marry, they would need less housing, as most would take wives and houses in Wonderland proper. Sir Gorrann happily oversaw the construction, and under his rule, the Spades were beginning to show a bit of pride and decorum. They were still a disgusting and vile group, but the changes were evident—no Spade had killed another in weeks. This was a very encouraging sign. Dinah found Sir Gorrann perched on a stump among towering piles of white logs. One hand held a hammer, the other a cherry tart. He stood and bowed awkwardly.
“My queen.”
She sat down beside him. “How are things progressing?”
He turned to survey the construction. The new barracks were to be white, inlaid with black stones carved into the Spade symbol. They would be very similar to the barracks for the Heart Cards.
“Slowly, as always, but it looks to be quite a good place for a man to spend the rest of his days.”
Dinah rested her hand against his shoulder. “Tell me, Sir Gorrann, have you reconsidered marrying again? I hear that the girls in Wonderland proper can barely keep up with proposals from the Spades.”
He smiled grimly. “No. As yeh know, there is only Amabel. She will be the keeper of my heart until my last breath.”
“Which I hope won’t be soon. We have much to do.”
He let out a groan. “So yeh keep reminding me. I will barely finish these barracks before yeh have me starting on the new prison. Yer a slave driver, yeh are! Emptying the Black Towers is going to be a massive task. It’s going to take us years, yeh know.”
“So I’ve heard. Nonetheless, we must start soon.
” The Black Towers. Dinah rubbed her forehead. She had quickly passed a new law that forbade strapping prisoners against the walls of the towers, but there was still so much legislating to be done. The Clubs had aggressively pressed back against building a new prison system, but relented when Dinah involved them in the planning and construction of the building.
The Spades would aid in the plans and building as well. She hoped that the activity would bond the two groups. We’ll see, she thought. Dinah had learned quickly that each faction of the Cards had a distinct voice, and the best way to acknowledge those voices was to listen honestly. Ruling had a learning curve, and she hoped that in ten years it would be easier.
Dinah bowed her head in Sir Gorrann’s direction. “Please thank the Spades for all their work. I will send some refreshments their way this evening from the kitchens. And thank you.”
Sir Gorrann’s gold eyes met hers. Lately, there was a renewed energy in them. “Thank yeh, my queen. Will I see yeh for sparring this week?”
“Yes. Four o’clock, tomorrow. Don’t be late again. Harris swings his pocket watch so violently when schedules are ignored, it’s likely to cut off our heads one of these times.”
Dinah gave a shallow laugh, suddenly reminded of Cheshire . . . and Alice. She grew silent. Sir Gorrann saw her withdraw and rested his hand gently against Dinah’s head. “When I look at yeh, I don’t see Cheshire. Yeh are yer own person, Dinah. And, with work, yeh will be a great queen.”
Dinah blushed.
“Are you finally headed there tonight? To see him?”
She nodded. “I think it’s time.”
His eyes met hers, and Dinah saw a sympathetic look pass through them.
“Very good, Dinah. Though it will be torture for yeh, it is the right decision for yer kingdom.”
“Good day, Sir Gorrann.”
“Good day, Yer Majesty,” he said before returning to his tart.
She sighed and headed back to the palace. There were councils, meetings, and a banquet to attend later. A visit to the Hearts, to the Clubs, to the court. Dinah’s life was not her own, and yet she couldn’t be more thankful, for those things meant a kingdom. But first, there was one last terrible thing.
The time had come to ask. It was late afternoon, the prettiest part of the day. The blazing jewel of a sun cast a pink shadow over all of Wonderland just as it began to set.
Dinah pulled a simple black-and-white dress over her head and settled the lighter ruby crown upon her brow. Two bejeweled heart pins swept her hair up in a small bun. While she loved Charles’s crown, it was terribly heavy, and she only wore it when she had official business to attend to or when she would be seen by large crowds. Tonight featured neither of those activities.
Ki-ershan’s scowling blue eyes glimmered in the mirror’s reflection. He was upset with her. She turned.
“I must go alone. Please understand. It’s just a quick jaunt through the palace. I’ll be safe.”
Ki-ershan turned away from her, his muscular arms folded in protest. A pouting Yurkei, she thought, is something I never thought I would see in my lifetime.
“I’m sorry. I’ll be back. You understand why you can’t come.”
“I’ll follow you from a respectable distance and stand outside the room.”
“If you must.”
“I must, Queen of Hearts.”
Dinah slipped out of the door and made her way quickly through the palace to the Royal Apartments. She couldn’t hear him behind her, even if she knew he was there.
She dreaded visiting this side of the palace. Charles’s and Alice’s rooms were located here, and both haunted Dinah’s mind with dark memories. Alice’s room was now occupied by Wardley, who had become a recluse in every way. When she reached the door, Dinah took a deep breath, steeling her heart against the words she knew would rip her soul to shreds. Of all the things she had done—joining the Yurkei and the Spades together, marching on the palace, choosing to free herself from Cheshire’s influence—she knew that the future of her kingdom depended most on what happened in the next few minutes.
Dinah exhaled, knocked once, and entered. Alice’s once whimsical bedchambers, breezy and lovely, had been destroyed. Dresses and linens were shredded and hung from the rafters. Paintings had been slashed, furniture overturned, and food and refuse left to rot. A stench hit her nostrils: human sweat, waste, and agony. Gryphon, the white peacock who had tried to protect his mistress, strolled proudly over the mess, seemingly oblivious to the hole in which he lived. He pecked at crumbs on the floor.
Light from the setting sun flickered over Dinah’s face as she looked toward Wardley, who stood precariously on the windowsill. Dinah’s heart clutched—a fall would lead to certain death in the hedge gardens below. Still, she didn’t flinch. She was told that he did this often, sometimes even letting his foot dangle off the edge. But he never jumped. Hopefully, her presence didn’t inspire the leap. She walked toward him with small, careful steps.
“Do you think I could fly?” he asked. “To where she is?”
Dinah made no sound. He didn’t turn around to look at her face.
Finally, after several moments of silence, Wardley sighed. “What do you want, Dinah?”
His voice broke her heart. It was bare, stripped of every passion that had once lilted and raised its cadence. The anger had departed from him, and there was only grief left. Wardley was a hollow shell of the man he once was. She had cut out his heart, just as Iu-Hora had warned.
“I’ll ask once more. What do you want?”
“I think you know,” she replied softly.
“I heard you had Cheshire killed. One more body to add to your growing count. Two dead fathers. It must feel wonderful to have so much power.”
“There will be no more,” she replied plainly. “There can’t be. The rage of the Queen of Hearts must end.”
“Why does that concern me?”
He looked over his shoulder at her. His hair was longer, his eyes hollow and sunken. It pained Dinah to see him like this. She had never dreamed that seeing this devastation on his face would hurt more than seeing him entwined with Alice. This was part of her penance, forcing herself to look upon his face every day. This alone would humble and break her. It was something she wanted, something she needed. The all-consuming and hungry fury lived inside her, and it would need drowning daily. Wardley now stared at her, clenching his jaw as he struggled to control his emotions.
“Please go, Dinah. I can’t bear to look at you.” He blinked slowly, as if keeping his eyes open took what little strength he had left. Dinah walked slowly toward him, her hand outstretched. He did not reach for her in return, but rather watched with curious eyes. Once Dinah reached the window, she knelt before him.
“What are you doing?” Wardley stared down, unnerved by her behavior. “This is ridiculous. You’re the queen. Get up.”
“Be my king,” she said plainly. “Be my king, Wardley Ghane.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Be my king,” she replied, her knees pressed against a clod of dirt. “My kingdom deserves a righteous ruler. I cannot be that ruler alone. I fear my own nature, and I need someone to temper it. A fair king. A good king. Someone patient, wise, and kind, someone who is good at his very core. Someone who will make the right decisions for the kingdom again and again, someone who can steady his anger, and stay his hand. I can be the face and strength of Wonderland, but I need someone to be its heart. And it can only be you.”
She raised her head to look at his face. “You are the heart that this kingdom deserves.”
A tear dripped down Wardley’s cheek. It landed near Dinah’s outstretched hand.
“You killed her. You killed Alice!” He shook his head. “I cannot forgive you.”
Dinah closed her eyes against the hot flood of tears that threatened to spill out over the floor. “I don’t need you to forgive me. I need you to be my king. I need your steady hands on this kingdom, along with mine.” Dinah craw
led up to his feet, her head still bowed. “Together, we can change everything, for the better. Don’t say yes for me. Say yes for every man, woman, and child out there. Say yes for Faina Baker, and for Bah-kan, for Emily, for Swete Thorndike, for every person who will die if I turn out like either of my fathers. Say yes for Alice, and know that she will forever haunt my dreams and waking hours.”
She raised her head up so that her black eyes met Wardley’s red-rimmed ones. “I’m so sorry, Wardley. For everything. You must believe me.”
He blinked twice and clenched his fists. “I believe that you are sorry, right this moment. But I also believe that once your rage rises inside of you, you would lose control again. You have a darkness that you can’t control. But you also have the potential to be a great queen. How infuriating it is that somehow I still believe that, even with all you have done. I almost died a thousand times for your right to be queen, because I believed in you. I have seen your heart in all its radiant goodness. It is there, buried beneath the layers left by your fathers. But I can’t love you. How can I be your king when being near you makes me long to wrap my hands around your neck? How can I be your husband?”
“Not without difficulty,” responded Dinah, her eyes cast to the ground. “But it would be what is best for Wonderland. It is your fate to become the next King of Hearts.”
Wardley let out a long exhale as he turned back to the window. “I will think on it. That is all I can promise. Know that things will never change between us. I will not grow to love you as you desire, nor do I believe that I could ever be your friend again.” His voice choked. “Not for Alice. My love, my dead love.”
War of the Cards Page 18
