The Wonderland Rift

Lord Lordshire (Knave of Hearts)

He was... alive. How? Wasn't it just a second ago he was lying there, dead?
I tried to get rid of the scowl on my face, but just couldn't.
I found my voice, and spoke a bit louder and harsher than I intended, "What's going on here? You said you found him dead!"

I had the thought of leaving the room and going back to the rebels HQ and bashing in every rebel soldier's head with my stick nagging at me.

That is until I saw the blade in Jasper's hand, and the symbol on it. It was Miranda's. She really had tried to kill him. That means... I don't know. For once in my life, I had no idea what was going on.

But I knew what I had to do.
I walked up to Jasper, making sure to avoid eye contact with Haigha, and asked in my most innocent voice, "Mind if I see that knife?"

Jasper, Jabberwocky

I was as surprised when Haigha’s eyes shot open and he started gasping for air. He sat up and I laid my hand on his back, helping him stay balanced. He started pulled the remains of his sweater off and started examining his wounds, except there were none, “Are you okay?” I asked him, confused. How could they just disappear? He nods, but then starts shaking, what was wrong with him?

“What’s going on here, I thought you said you found him dead!” Lordshire yells. Did he have to be so loud?. He then walks up to me, “Mind if I see that knife?” Something about his tone of voice raised my suspicions.

I get up off my knees, running my fingers along the blade, “Hmm, I don’t know, I kind of like this knife, It would make a great edition to my collection.” I narrow my eyes, “Besides, I doubt a man of your stature would want a blade like this.”

Lord Lordshire (Knave of Hearts)

"Hmm, I don’t know, I kind of like this knife, It would make a great edition to my collection.”
Of course. I wouldn't want to ruin you priceless collection of rebel weaponry.

"Besides, I doubt a man of your stature would want a blade like this.”
I could tell he was going to be difficult.

I finally worked up the nerve to look at Haigha, but found him still shaking. He almost looked helpless this way. I loved it.

"If you give me that knife, I can get us both an explaination as to what's happened here." I told him. He didn't look too convinced, so I added, "And I'm sure the Queen will want one."

Haigha March, The March Hare
I finally stopped shaking. This wasn't natural, not the slightest, and my body knew it. Slowly I stood up. The room seemed to spin and I almost fell back on the floor, but at the last second I managed to grab onto something.. Someone. I held on until the room had stopped moving. When I finally stood up straight I realized that I had hung onto Lordshire. I seemed quite amused, which would've annoyed at any other time, but I I had been dead a couple of minutes ago, so I really didn't care.

I held out my hand to Jasper. At first he just looked suspiciously at me, but then he handed the knife to me. He could have it back if he wanted, but for now I needed to try something.

They both stared at me like I had lost my mind when I used the already bloodstained knife to make a thin cut in the palm of my hand. Maybe I was insane. It bled, which made me relax, but then it stopped. The bleeding stopped and it healed. When the cut was completely healed my hand started trembling, just like my whole body had done before. Although this time it didn't just tremble, it hurt. I dropped the knife and pressed my hand against my chest, folding over in pain.

Jasper, Jabberwocky

"If you give me that knife, I can get us both an explaination as to what's happened here." Lordshire says, seeing my unconvinced expression, he then adds "And I'm sure the Queen will want one."

I’m sure she will. Lordshire had a way with words so I was sure he could explain to the queen what had happened without making her too angry. I didn’t want to be here when he did. I was almost about to hand Lordshire the knife when Haigha stood up. He seemed unbalanced and almost fell multiple times before he clung to Lordshire for support.

He held out his hand to me, probably wanting the knife. What was so special about this one knife? I was hesitant to hand it to him, but there wasn’t much he could do with it in his current state.

Once he had possession of the knife he made a thin cut along the palm of his hand. I had no idea what he was doing, but decided not to ask. Blood oozed out of the cut, but just like his other wounds, it disappeared not leaving a mark. He then dropped the knife and folded over in pain.

I saw Lordshire’s eyes moved towards the knife, I made a grab for it, but he got to it first.

Dammit

I pulled out the two scimitars that were strapped to my back, ready to defend myself if necessary.

Lord Lordshire (Knave of Hearts)

He pulled out his two scimitars and got ready to fight me as I held the knife in my hand.

"Relax, Mr. Jabberwocky. No need to get violent." I said trying to calm him down.

Though I've never seen him fight, I'd heard lots of his skills and power. I really doubted I could defend myself against him if he attacked.

"I have no intention of doing harm with this weapon, not to you nor anyone else. I've already told you what I plan to do. If you're still here when I return, I'll be sure to give you a full report of what happened." I explained.

He seemed a bit more relaxed. Just a bit. "And how exactly are you going to do that?"

I smirked and told him, "I'm going to pay the White Queen a visit."

His expression remained the same, but I could tell that a lot was going through his might.
I looked at Haigha once more, and then left the room before anyone could see that my smirk had turned into a fierce scowl.

Jubiah

"Run!" Lordshire said, and I ran.

I ran as fast as I could. I was hungry, true, and dehydrated, and had a meriad of cuts on me from the gaurds' abuses, but I didn't care. I as tired and exhausted, but adrenaline was pumping through my body, making me strong. I ran through the walkway, past the cell, the whole time crouched low, avidly loking for any gaurds. I ran aimlessly, and by sheer luck found my way to a supply room. It was filled with gaurds' armour. I checked to make sure that there were no gaurds, and hastily put on the gaurd uniform. I also find a gaurd's weapon, a long thin blade. I hastily but carefully use it to chop of the manacles that are still on my wrists, letting them fall to the floor, clanking as they do. I let out a barely audiable sigh of relief as the stale air touches my skin. Heaven.

"That's better." I whisper, waltzing though the castle like just a regular guy. "Now let's hope no one recognizes me."

After a bit of aimless wandering, I accidentily ran into a few gaurds. Well, time to put my disguise to the test, Ithik ruefully. "Hey, 'ho 're you?" The first gaurd asked, squinting in the semi-darkness of the dungeon.

"Montague." I say, unable to keep the nervousness out of my voice, although I try to mask it. "Gaia Montegue."

Squinting, the other gaurd says, studying me, like I'm a ug under a microscope, "Why 're ya so bloody twichy?"

"Oh, um," I say, rubbing the back of my neck, "Frst day on the job. Place 's rel spooky. 'Aven't 'otten used to it yet."

"Well, it's 'ne bloody awful job. Buncha creeps down 'ere. Rebel scum." The first gaurd says empathetically towards me.

"Yeah. I 'ate the lot of 'em." I say, the words like acid in my mouth. "Well, best e on my way, on my wife's gonna bloody kill me." I say, and start to walk away. It daws o me then that I have no idea where the stairs are to get out of here. "Hey! Could you guys tell me whichway the stairs are? Still 'aven't got a hang o' the place yet."

They turn, snickering. "It's 'round the corner. 'Ight there." The first gaurd says. "Bloody idiot." He says to the other gaurd, when he thinks I'm out of earshot.

I don't care. I turn the corner, and see a narrow stone staircase, cleverly cmflaged with the wall. I would never have seen it if I idn't know where to look.

I walk up the staircase, hurried but not panicking. As I walk out into the open air, I am blinded by the sun. I soon recover though, and take in a deep breath of fresh air, something I thought I would never be able to do again. I remind myself of where I am and briskly walk away from the castle, withut even a glace behind me as I walk through the courtyard and out of the castle grounds enitirely, by memory from my childhood. Other gaurds passed me as I walked, but I pretended to not pay attention to them, and they ignored me.

I walk out of the castle, a free man. Well, not free, I remind myself, When the Queen finds out you've escaped, there will be a bounty big enough to have even rebels hunting for me. That's when I realize that the Queen now will not just have my head, but also the gaurds' as well. I try to feel sympathy towards the two gaurds that I saw earlier, but I can't bring myself to it. I even am glad, almost, when I tink of it.

Haigha March, The March Hare
When Lordshire had left I managed to straighten up. Jasper turned to look at me, one eyebrow raised, but I just shook my head. I had no intention of going after Lordshire, and Jasper shouldn't be doing so either. I couldn't care less about the knife. All I wanted was to get to my room and rest. Rest, and then try to figure out a way to undo whatever I had done by speaking.

I walked slowly out of the throne room, the floor seemed to be rocking as if I was on a boat, which made me wobble from side to side. If it hadn't been for the fact that I was covered in blood, people would have thought that I was drunk.

When I finally reached the door to my room the world was spinning and I could see small stars dancing in front of my eyes. I tried opening the door, but it was locked. Of course it was locked. My keys were in my jacket, and I had no idea when I had lost it. I remembered wearing it in the rebels hq, but when I woke up it was gone. One of the rebels must've taken it.

With a sigh I leaned towards the door. Next thing I knew I hit the floor and everything went black.

Minerva

Perhaps I should have been a little more hurried then I was.

When I got down to the dungeon, I ignored the men, giving them one disdainful glance, and peered through the cells... All of them.

I went through the dungeons again, growing more harried as I went.

Where was he?

I went through a third time, banging on cell doors to see if I could hear him.

Finally, the guards decided to be worried, the idiotic buffoons. "Er... Wha's the problem?"

"The Jubjub? Where is he?" I demanded, hoping against hope that my fiece expression kept them from questioning my high voice.

"Ah..." They glanced at each other and jerked their heads toward a cell in the very back, a cell I swore I had checked.

I ran toward it, cursing, as I peered inside... to an empty cell.

"You slackjawed, fleabitten, misbegotten bastards who could have been raised better by wolves," I snarled, approaching them. I shed my costume, glaring at them as I stood before them, and added a few inches to my height so I could be more imposing. "You let him go," I spat.

They stared, starting for their weapons.

"I wouldn't," I warned coldly. "I am the heir after all." I suppose if Yamani wouldn't name one...

They blinked, mouths opening and closing like a fish's.

I waved toward an open cell in front of me, behind them. "Go."

They looked back. "W-w-what?"

"This is where Y- the Red Queen will put you anyway, don't you know?" I sneered, simmering with rage.

One seemed to finally gain some wits about himself. "You're a rebel!"

I laughed, trying not be sound as nervous as I felt. "No one really knows anymore," I sighed flippantly, taking a slow, threatening step forward. Not even me.

And they took a step back.

"Now go, or I'll just call for your execution right now."

They ran, slamming the door behind them.

I stormed up the stairs again, shifting once more.

I could only hope Jubiah would run right into the hands of Miranda like she wanted. I felt the gash on my forehead with a grimace. Otherwise, I might be fighting off Miranda and Yamani rather than helping the rebels.

Lord Lordshire (Knave of Hearts)

I felt like I've been in and out of both the castle and the rebel HQ too many times for someone, anyone, not to notice anything.
And here I was again, standing in front of the building home to a large collection of rebel soldiers. Sighing from both discontent and tiredness, I made my way inside.
I really need a good nights rest soon. I've been active for much to long.

The place was much busier this time around. There were people everywhere, although many of them looked drunk. None of them seemed to notice me as I walked past.
Quite the lookout they've got here. I didn't even think they'd pay any mind to me if I'd had a giant red heart hovering above my head.
I found the first guy that looked sober enough and walked up to him.

"Hey you, tell the White Queen that Lordshire's here to see her." I said to him.

"Um, a'right. I'll go find 'er." he told me.

Like telling a child to get candy. I twirled the knife in my hand and added, "And tell her I have both some good, and some bad news."

Miranda Marble, The White Queen
I was laying in my bed when it knocked on the door. I didn't want to open. Couldn't remember the last time I felt this sick. I was shivering from cold, but still couldn't stop sweating. Fever, nausea, pain. It made my head spin.

I had sent a rebel to look for the old man, since he had told me that he would be my physician. Hopefully they had found him now. "Yes?" I had tried to shout, but I was too exhausted.

"Um.. There's a man looking for you. Said he had news." Well, that was a nice and very detailed description.

I sighed, got up, walked over to the door and opened it. "You didn't ask for his name, I suppose?" The rebel shook his head. "No, of course you didn't," I muttered. I didn't bother punishing him, and he seemed surprised that he got away. I'd deal with him when I was better.

At the end of a hallway I found Lordshire waiting. "Whatever it is, make it short," I said and leaned towards the wall. I tried to make myself look relaxed, but the look on his face told me that he had already figured out that I was too weak to stand on own.

Was that my knife he was holding? Apparently Haigha's corpse had been delivered as it should've. I couldn't help but imagine her face when she saw what I had etched in his skin.

Lord Lordshire (Knave of Hearts)

I jammed the knife into the wall next to me. "Care to explain?"

She looked a bit confused, "Wasn't it you who told me to kill hi-"

"He's not dead." I said.

Her eyes widened. I guess it really wasn't her fault. I'd really been hoping she had done something, that way this would all make sense.

"The Queen never even saw him. He was bloody, yes, but as soon as your knife was removed from his chest, his wounds were healed. Your... message disappeared. He stood up and held on to me, and what's worse, the Jabberwocky was there."

She looked like she was completely caught off guard, which wasn't hiding how sickly she looked very well. Now I was sure she'd really tried to kill him. No one is that good of an actor.

"Now I'll ask one more time. Care to explain?"

Miranda Marble, The White Queen
"Now I'll ask one more time. Care to explain?"

He couldn't be alive. It wasn't possible. I had seen the life fade from his eyes. His wounds had healed, he had stood up.. It wasn't possible. It was a lie. Had to be.

"That's not possible. I stabbed him in the heart. The heart! People don't just get up and walk away from that. He was deader than a stone when I was done with him." I needed to sit down, but I didn't want him to see me as weak. "I even got him to beg for his life before I killed him. Can you imagine that? Haigha, saying that he wants to li.."

A sudden coughing fit forced me to stop i mid sentence. I covered my mouth with my hand and tried desperately to stop. It felt as if I was coughing my lungs up, and when it was finally over my hand was covered in blood.

"I killed him," I repeated, staring at my own blood. This couldn't be happening. Not to me. "Killed him with my own hands."

Lord Lordshire (Knave of Hearts)

He... spoke?
Didn't Miranda know what he could do? The reason behind his silence?
I was a second away from explaining it to her, where she began a fit of coughing. By the time she was finished, there was blood all over her hands.

For once, I felt genuinely sorry for her, and although it was against my normal behavior, I said, "I think you need to rest. You look terrible."

She raised an eyebrow. Yeah, maybe I did have feelings. Or this lack of sleep was really getting to me.

"I'll keep watch around here for a while. Make sure no one... disturbs you." I said, trying to act casual about it.

"I thought you were on Yamini's good side. What if she find out you're here?" She said, a bit too suspicious for my liking.

I shrugged, "I'll think of something. Besides, you did say I owed you, right?"
After a small moment of silence, I added, "... and I guess trying counts."

Miranda Marble, The White Queen
He was looking at me like.. Like I was sick puppy that he had just found abandoned in the streets, and I didn't like it. Maybe he had a heart after all, but that scheming and cunning brain of his made it hard to see. Or maybe he was just trying to fool me.

"Trying does not count," I grumbled. I really wanted to find out what he knew about Haigha's miraculous recovery, but I was too tired. I should go back to bed, but if I let go of the wall I would fall, and I really didn't want to do that in front of him. Guess I'd just had to keep standing here until he left. And then what? I guess I'd have to ask one of the rebels to carry me back to my room.. Then I'd have to kill that rebel cause there was no way that I would be able to stand that shame.

"I'm starting to think that he cursed me," I mumbled. "I got sick after I killed him." Maybe Haigha actually had cursed me. If he could do that then coming back from the dead didn't seem like such a great achievement. "Why don't you seem more surprised that he came back from the dead? Last time I checked that doesn't happen very often."