by Amy Sumida
“Damn you,” I whispered. “How could you seduce me into being untrue to the others? You fucking bastard.”
Kyran chuckled and said, “Turn around, Alice. I would never betray you or the other Card Kings.”
I finally looked behind me and saw Bevan, sitting back on his heels with a dopey grin on his face.
“Your Majesty,” Bevan purred, “please tell me that we'll be doing that again.”
Chapter Twelve
While Kyran had been recuperating, the armies of the three Card Kingdoms gathered. The Spades may have been the best soldiers, but that didn't mean the other kingdoms couldn't fight. We marched upon the Heart Castle with thousands of men and women backing us.
Now, we waited on the plain just outside of the castle for the Queen of Hearts to make her move. Thunder boomed, and lightning flashed in the ever present storm surrounding Heart Castle, but my unicorn mount wasn't bothered by it. We were at the head of three armies with my Card Kings. They were also astride unicorns, but theirs were black where mine was the purest white. On my hip was the Vorpal sword, and it was vibrating as if it could sense the coming battle.
An army finally came marching out of the Heart gates, a woman at its head. She was riding a beast that I would have called a dragon except that its neck was longer than any representation of dragons I'd ever seen, and its wings were wider. Its snout was more like a crocodile than a horse, and its eyes were round, fully black, and empty of any emotion. Except for maybe fury. The beast looked furious.
“The Jabberwocky.” Jaxon nodded to the animal. “Remember; you must kill it first, then go after Rina. Do not allow her to taunt you into engaging her or the beast will kill you.”
“Got it.” I nodded.
“Fools,” the woman riding the Jabberwocky hissed at us. She had bright red hair pulled back into a braid and skin so pale that I could see her veins through it. “You cannot win against me.” Then she spotted me. “So, it's true, the Heir to Wilds has returned. Alice, is it? What a shame that you've come all this way, only to die.”
Behind her, her heart soldiers set their shields into the ground, forming a barrier. The shields were in the shape of playing cards, enameled white, with red hearts in their centers. The men behind the shields looked apathetic and tired. They stared at their queen as if she were the one they'd rather be fighting. I had no desire to kill those men.
“I challenge you, Queen Rina!” I called out, shocking my kings and making Nick hiss. “A battle between you and I to determine who rules Wonderland.”
“You cannot,” Jaxon growled. “I told you; we must kill the Jabberwocky first.”
I gave him a quelling look, and Jaxon snapped his mouth shut and shook his head.
“I accept!” Rina said gleefully. “You and I, Alice!” She jumped off the Jabberwocky and strode forward into the space between the armies.
I dismounted as well and walked forward as I drew my sword.
“I wondered why the Card Kings would want that thing.” Rina narrowed her eyes on the Vorpal. “I knew that none of them could wield it.”
“Not too bright, are you?” I asked her.
As her eyes widened at my insult, I rushed past her and stabbed the Jabberwocky in its chest. The Vorpal flashed white and cut through the tough hide easily. Blood gushed, and the monster screeched. It drew back as Rina screamed in protest. I angled to the side as the Jabberwocky charged me, its wings whooshing out angrily. The tip of its barbed tail struck the earth beside me, and I scampered up an embankment. Another ear-splitting screech came as the Jabberwocky jumped up the hill, and I scrambled away. Clods of dirt went flying next to my face as a wing tip stabbed the ground. I rolled away just before its jaws could close around my arm, then I stared up at it.
I felt the strangest sense of familiarity, but I shoved it away as I sent out a cut of magic. The magic was deflected of its rubbery hide. Still, it was enough to distract the Jabberwocky, and I was able to crawl out from beneath it and run further up the hill. From my vantage point, I was able to direct the magic better, and I angled my hand down as I folded. The Jabberwocky bent in two and roared, but it only lasted a moment. I dealt out thin cards of magic and only managed to knock its legs out from under it. I shuffled, and it tripped, falling on its flat face. Then I fronted, throwing up an illusion of a wall of fire.
The Jabberwocky drew back in terror, rolling a little down the hill. I chased after it and lifted my sword. Just as I was about to bring it down on the Jabberwocky's neck, Queen Rina shouted for me to stop.
“She is your mother!”
I froze, looking up from the beast to my kings. They shook their heads, as confused as I.
“I swear to you,” Rina declared, “that the Jabberwocky is Queen Julia.”
“No,” I whispered.
The Jabberwocky started to move, and I laid my blade at its throat. It stilled, staring up at me with an intelligence that was beyond any beast, even one of Wonderland.
“You lie!” Draven shouted at Rina. “Queen Julia went to kill the Jabberwocky, but it killed her.”
“Do I lie?” Rina chortled. “You idiots! The Jabberwocky wasn't the threat against that village; it was I, my magic that was shrieking in the night, scaring the villagers. I knew that Julia would come to conquer the monster hunting her people, and I laid a spell in the very earth, just for her. Julia fell right into my trap. She cast her illusions and sprung the spell I aligned with her magic. It altered her own Fronting magic, using it to turn an illusion into reality. Instead of killing a monster, she became one. It made her the Jabberwocky and bound her to me. A wild queen to power my magic.”
“Mother?” I stared deep into the Jabberwocky's dark eyes, and something flickered within them.
“You must kill it, Alice!” Jaxon shouted. “Your mother is gone. Even if that is her, it is not Julia anymore. Kill the beast!”
“I'm Alice Wild,” I said to the Jabberwocky. “Do you remember me? I'm your daughter.”
The Jabberwocky closed its eyes, and a tear trickled out. I stood up, removing my blade from its neck. That was enough of a confirmation for me.
“Alice, no!” Kyran shouted. “It's a trick!”
The Jabberwocky drew up, wings spreading behind it, and opened its massive jaws. A roar rent the air as it lifted its head to the sky, but to me, it didn't seem like a challenge, it sounded like despair.
“Kill her!” Rina screeched at the Jabberwocky. “Kill Alice!”
The massive wings lowered, and its head undulated down to mine. Reptilian lips drew back as it snarled and started edging forward.
“Mother, it's me,” I said urgently as I backed up. “It's Alice. I know you're in there. Please, fight the magic.”
My boot went out over empty air, and I threw myself forward just before I fell over the cliff behind me. I hurried to my feet and glanced back at the ravine full of jagged rocks below. It must have been thousands of feet high.
The Jabberwocky roared.
The Card Kings rushed forward on their mounts; shouting in fury and fear. But they were too far away, they'd never reach me in time.
“Alice!” Kyran screamed in denial.
“Strike now!” Queen Rina had stalked up the opposite side of the hill, confident in her victory. She was just a few feet away from us now, pointing arrogantly at me. “Kill Alice!”
I stared up at the Jabberwocky, and it focused on me intensely. Then I, very deliberately, sheathed my sword.
“I won't hurt you, Mother.”
“Kill her!” Rina shrieked again. “Do it now!”
The Jabberwocky's face seemed to soften, and it lowered its cheek to mine. I felt the wet trail of its tears as it nudged me gently. Then it reared back and struck with the speed of a shark. Wind rushed by me as Rina shouted for death, and the Jabberwocky took hold of its enemy within its strong talons. Our enemy: Queen Rina.
The Queen of Hearts lifted her hand to fight back, and I slashed out blindly with my magic. All of it.
&n
bsp; “Alice, we are here for you!” Jaxon shouted.
A golden energy pulsed out from my Card Kings and encased me. It flowed into me and then out of me. A full deck of energy shot from my hands in the form of playing cards. They whistled through the air and embedded themselves in Rina. The Queen of Hearts bent over on a huff of air, and the Jabberwocky folded itself around her. A greasy green glow filled Rina's hands as she struck out at the Jabberwocky blindly, but the beast–my mother–only held Rina tighter as she rolled them to the edge of the cliff... and over it.
“No!” I screamed as they fell.
I ran to the edge and watched the Jabberwocky draw its wings in against its back so that it would hurtle faster downward, and then it turned its body so that Rina would take the brunt of the impact. The earth trembled with the force of their fall.
“Mother!” I cried as my kings rushed up the hill to me. “Mother.”
“There was no returning for her,” Bevan said gently. “She made the best choice available to her; she decided to save you.”
“I am so sorry, Alice,” Kyran added as he stroked my hair gently.
“Queen Julia has righted her wrongs,” Jaxon murmured. “She has taken a hero's stand and died with honor.”
“Come here, sweetheart,” Draven pulled me into a hug. “Just breathe. I've got you. We've got you and will never let go.”
The other men closed in around us, and they held me as I mourned the mother I had lost, and found, and lost again.
Chapter Thirteen
Wonderland was restored, the imbalance corrected, and her monarchs were united in marriage.
Our wedding took place in the Wilds, and all of Wonderland attended, even George the Hatter, the Dormouse, and the March Hare. Time had been so impressed with the way I'd handled the Queen of Hearts that he had granted me a favor and released his hold on the Hatter's tea party.
Underland was emptied, and the people returned to their homes above ground. So, my Wild Wonderland was full of life and beautifully vibrant when I strode out onto the main steps of our castle to introduce my people to their ruling deck. The Card Kings and I were joined, at last, uniting Wonderland and all of her magic in the way that had been intended.
I danced in the Wilds ballroom, across a checkered floor, with each of my husbands individually, and then all of them together, in a joyous dance where I was swirled back and forth between them. I drank tea with Barnabus, who I'd sent a special carriage for, and found a spot for the sleepy Dormouse to take a nap. I ate lots of wedding cake and kissed my kings whenever the clocks chimed the hour (a Wonderland tradition) ... which happened more often than hourly thanks to Time himself, who turned out to be a bit of a prankster.
A new retinue of Cheshires stood guard at the palace, commanded by my cousin, Nick. They looked very smart in their uniforms and very proud to have been chosen to serve. Warren White was my new chatelaine, and he bustled about the Wilds, tapping his pocket watch at people, and telling them where they needed to be. In short, the celebration was a success, and in the center of it all stood a massive statue of the Jabberwocky.
I intended for Wonderland to remember my mother's mistake and her sacrifice to correct it. Hopefully, it would save us from repeating the past.
“Are you ready for the mating of the Deck?” Kyran purred in my ear.
“I've been looking forward to it all night.” I headed for the stairs, and my Card Kings fell into step behind me.
Once we were ensconced in our new suites, and the doors barred behind us, they set upon me. Clothes were gone in moments, and I was lifted off my feet; mouths and hands roaming my body as the men carried me to the massive bed in the center of the room. It was circular and draped with gold curtains. Pillows were piled on one curve, and the men eased me down upon them.
Bevan laid beside me and kissed me, his hand threading through my hair as Jaxon lavished attention on my breasts. Draven began massaging my thighs apart while Kyran slid between them. I felt Draven lean across my belly, his tongue darting out to tease my most sensitive place. Kyran worked me lower with his fingers, easing my response from me until I was wet with desire. Then, as Draven continued to lick at me, Kyran slid into me.
My legs were lifted, and the men resettled around me, tongues licking and fingers grasping. I was lost to the luxury of four men loving me at once, my head rolling on the pillows. Jaxon slipped beneath me, holding my legs apart with his own as Kyran continued to slam into me, taking us quickly into rapture. Flesh filled my hands as Kyran came with a shout. I rubbed my palms over Jaxon and Bevan's rods briskly as Draven took Kyran's place.
We climbed higher toward pleasure as Kyran rubbed himself back to eagerness beside us. He was already beginning to glow, so he was more than prepared when the rest of us crested again, and the golden aura burst around our bodies, uniting us all, at last. Our pleasure revved up even further with the glow of our completed deck, and we came screaming together, Kyran joining us as we shook through ecstasy until it left us panting and staring at each other in wonder.
And that was only the beginning. We shuffled our Deck over and over, folding into new positions and dealing out pleasure as if we had an unlimited supply; which it seemed that we had. The myths were true; there was nothing like the mating of the full Deck of Wonderland.
But as I lay in bed later that night, surrounded by an amazing amount of love, I hoped that my Card Kings and I would live forever. Because I was certain that if we ever had a daughter, she would choose love over loyalty to her land, every time... and those damn Cheshires were seriously cute.
“Remind me to change the Cheshires's uniforms,” I murmured to Jaxon, whose head was just above mine on our pillow.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” he murmured, then scowled and opened his eyes. “Why?”
“Because they're too handsome for their own good.”
“Barely married a day, and already she's already checking out the Cheshires,” Draven growled as he pulled me over his chest. “Are we not enough for you, Alice?”
“More than enough. More than I could have ever hoped for. I love you, my Card Kings,” I said to them, and they declared their love for me.
As crazy as my adventures had been, I was finally playing with a full deck, and my Wild Wonderland was at peace.
The Four Clever Brothers
Chapter One
My name is Princess Adelysia. My kingdom has long been forgotten, and my story has been altered so many times over the years that it's no longer mine. It has become a fairy tale; a story told to children to distract them into sleep. And it isn't even a popular tale. You've probably never heard it. Which I suppose is even better. You won't be biased. The original fairy tale, told by the Brothers Grimm, was about another set of brothers. Four brothers to be exact. I was barely mentioned in it, except as a goal for them to achieve. But it was my story, and now I will rectify matters. Though to recount the events accurately, I must first tell you about them. The brothers. Clever, was what the Grimms called them. But they were so much more than that.
They were magic.
The fairy tale did get a lot of things right, but ironically, it left out the most wondrous parts of my story. The most evil, the most gruesome, and the most romantic. You'd think those would be the truths which survived. But no, it was just the bones of my life that made it into the pages of the Grimm book. It was a time when magic still ran rampant over the world, and I suppose there were a lot of stories like mine. A lot of tales collected by the story tellers. Yet I cannot forgive the injustice, the sheer heartbreak of not accurately sharing the truth.
So I will start with the brothers. No, wait. I will start even further back than that, with their father. His name was Bayard, and he was a fisherman by trade.
One day, Bayard was out in his little boat, fishing contentedly, when he saw a great splashing in the water. He steered his boat closer and saw it was a woman being attacked by strange sea creatures. He lifted his fishing spear and cast it at the nearest creature, mortal
ly wounding it. The others shrieked and swam away.
The woman was not, in fact, a woman. She was a mermaid, and she felt indebted to the young fisherman. The mermaid offered him a gift, anything he desired. She swore she had the magic to fulfill his wish, whatever it may be. But Bayard was a simple man, and he wanted little for himself. The only thing he could think to ask for was a happy family. He was newly married and, like every man of his time, desired sons. He asked the mermaid for strong sons that would live long, happy lives.
The mermaid thought his request so sweet, so humble, that she improved upon it. She granted his wish for sturdy sons, promising him four of them. Then she added that not only would they live long, but they would also live forever. The man was shocked by this and tried to refuse. Living forever didn't sound, in his opinion, like a gift. But the mermaid continued. What is forever without love? Without companionship? So the mermaid wove another thread into her spell. Whomever Bayard's sons fell in love with would share in the immortality. This eased Bayard's mind a little, but still, he was uncertain, and the mermaid saw this. So, in her generosity, she added even more. Upon adulthood, Bayard's sons would each be presented with a magical tutor, who would teach them talents they could use to improve their long lives. His sons would never know lack.
Satisfied that his sons would not only live long and happily, but would also thrive, the fisherman thanked the mermaid sincerely. She disappeared beneath the sea, and Bayard went back to his fishing. As I said, he was a simple man, and saving a mermaid was hardly a reason for heading home without his haul of fish.
At first, Bayard's wife, Orella, didn't believe his tall tale of a wish-granting mermaid. But eventually, she bore four healthy sons. After the last birth, she finally accepted that her husband was telling the truth. Unfortunately, I never got to meet Orella. She died when her eldest boy was sixteen. Life was much shorter back then, despite all the wild magic in the world. Bayard was heartbroken, and his work suffered for a few years. By the time his sons were of age, Bayard knew he could no longer care for them. He told them they would have to go out into the world and find work for themselves.
