The centipede closed its pincers around the blade of Crim’s sword, and the blade shattered. The King of Heart’s eyes flared in alarm. “Impossible.” Crim landed on his feet, but the weapon in his hand was now useless. A grim smile curled Crim’s lips as he tossed the now useless sword aside and got into a fighting stance. “Come and get me, you beastie!” If he was going to die - he was going to die with a smile on his face.

“No!” Katrina shouted. Abruptly, the cat-girl materialized in front of Crim, arms stretched out at her sides. The centipede swooped down and its pincers wrapped around Katrina’s waist instead of around Crim. Katrina cried out in pain as the pincers began to constrict around her waist.

Crim’s dark eyes flared in panic and he grew angry. “KATRINA! Let go of her, you monster!” The King of Hearts rushed forward and placed his hand on the centipede’s exoskeleton.

Using his powerful dark magic, Crim’s hand passed right through the exoskeleton and when he yanked his hand back Alister saw that he was clutching a glowing, red heart. “Die,” Crim growled as he crushed the heart in his hand to dust.

The centipede’s eyes rolled into the back of its head and its enormous body swayed and then collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud that made the ground beneath their feet tremble.

Alister shuddered at the unsettling way the centipede’s tail continued to twitch long after it’d been killed.

Crim rushed over to Katrina, and with his gloved hands he pried the pincers away from her limp body. “Katrina.”

“Get away from her, you heartless bastard!” a scratchy male voice shouted angrily.

Alister looked around to see where the voice had come from, but only saw a pair of lips hovering in midair. Slowly, a man began to materialize. He was tall, had tanned skin, short dark blue hair, and gold eyes with slit pupils. Two furry, blue and purple striped ears could be seen on the top of his head, and a matching tail was swishing behind him. Alister immediately knew who this must be - Katrina’s twin brother. “Chesher,” Alister murmured to himself.

Crim flinched guiltily and stepped back, away from Katrina.

Chesher approached Katrina with purposeful steps. He easily scooped her up into his arms, and turned to glare at Crim. “Don’t you dare touch her. Look at the state she’s in because of you. Because she loves you, because she would do anything for you, because she would die for you - she’s like this! But, you don’t care. Do you? Katrina is just a meat shield to you. You think she’s expendable!”

Crim was staring at the unconscious Katrina in Chesher’s arms and his gaze lingered upon her wounds. He shook his head, looking lost. “No. You’re wrong. I never meant for this to happen. Let me heal her…” He took a step towards Chesher and gave the cat-man an urgent look.

Chesher laughed coolly and skipped backwards a few steps to keep his distance from Crim. “You expect me to believe you want to help her? Ha! You don’t care about anyone but yourself, Crim. That’s why you don’t deserve to have a happy ending.”

Crim winced at the cat-man’s words.

Chesher tossed something up into the air and caught it. “I got my hands on this magic bean, so after I find a way to save Katrina I’ll go to Overland and steal a mermaid’s tear from the giants before you do. I will win this tournament as long as it means that you won’t. I will stand in the way of your chance for happiness. You will pay for stealing my sister’s heart!”

“I never stole your sister’s heart, Chesher,” Crim scoffed.

“My sister’s heart may still beat inside of her chest, but…it still belongs to you,” Chesher said through gritted teeth.

“I never asked for her love!” Crim slashed a hand angrily through the air. “I don’t want it. Nor do I need it. The fact that she’s in love with me is her problem - not mine.”

“You’re a fool, Crim,” Chesher said with a pitying shake of his head. “Not to see what is right in front of you.”

“I love Madeline!” The King of Hearts reminded harshly.

“And why is that?” Chesher demanded.

A lost look flitted across Crim’s face, but it was gone in a second to be replaced with an overly smug one. “I…just do!”

“I pity you,” Chesher continued. “You have a chance to be truly happy, but you turn your back on it.”

“I would never give my heart to an animal,” Crim declared. “If that nonsense is what you’re implying. She is beneath me.”

Chesher gave Crim a disgusted look. “You didn’t always used to think that way. I seem to remember a certain nursemaid who-”

“Silence! Do not dare to speak her name or I will end you!” The King of Hearts warned, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword in a threatening manner.

“Goodbye, Crim.” Chesher and Katrina disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

 ***

Crim stood clenching his fists in anger. He started to grind his back molars out of irritation. How dare Chesher just leave him like that?

Alister approached Crim and spoke in a tentative manner, “Crim, are you alright?”

Crim whirled around to face Alister and glared at the artist fiercely. “Why wouldn’t I be? You think I actually care what happens to that cat-girl? Well, think again! It’s just like Chesher said…she was just a means to an end.” Crim walked over to the bean field, and removed a magic bean from a plant before holding it up. “Now, that I have this - there’s no reason for me to stay among you peasants. Farewell.” With a wave of his hand Crim disappeared dramatically in a cloud of red smoke.

“Hey, wait-” Alister called after him, but it was too late Crim had already used his magic to teleport away back to his Kingdom.

Crim materialized inside of his bedchamber that was located inside of his castle. Once he was safely inside of his room he let his cool mask of indifference fall from his face. His face turned bright red out of anger. “Argh!” Crim let out a frustrated yell. He threw the magic bean he’d gone through so much trouble to get across the room. It hit the far wall and then clattered to the floor.

Things weren’t supposed to be this way! Katrina wasn’t supposed to get mortally injured like that. Katrina still had her heart beating inside of her chest, and yet she cared for him sincerely. But…

The real issue here was that he shouldn’t care for her in return.

Why am I feeling…this? Crim rubbed at his chest, and his eyes started to burn. For some reason he felt like someone had their hand wrapped around his heart and was clenching their hand into a fist. I shouldn’t be able to feel like this…

Out of the corner of his eye, Crim noticed a stainless-steel dish cover sitting on the small round dining table that was inside of his bedchamber. Interest piqued, he walked over to the table and lifted the cover to reveal a freshly baked raspberry tart that was shaped like a heart. Crim’s angry expression softened and warmed. Katrina had made him this tart. She knew that raspberry tarts were his favorite. “Argh!” With a frustrated wave of his hand he sent all of the dishes on the table flying. They shattered loudly as they hit the floor.

He shouldn’t care.

“I don’t care…I don’t,” Crim told himself firmly. “I feel nothing for her! Nothing!” His face had gone red again and he was panting for breath.

Crim picked up an antique armchair and threw it at the full-length mirror that stood inside of his room. It shattered. That’s nine years bad luck. Cats have nine lives. Katrina. The King of Hearts staggered over to his mahogany, four-poster bed that was covered by a red comforter with the pattern of black hearts on it, and collapsed onto it face-first. Crim fell into an uneasy sleep, and dreamt of his past.

FLASHBACK

Several years ago in Wonderland…

A beautiful, powerful and evil sorceress known as Cordeila, the Queen of Hearts ruled the Red Kingdom. She had the power to rip people’s hearts right out of their chests using magic, put them into a box, and use their hearts to command their loyalty, and even their love if she so desired. The people Cordeila stole hearts from became her puppets, and were forced to obey her every whim.

But all magic comes with a price, and as the Red Queen grew older her magic began to weaken. Since she had made a lot of enemies during her bloody reign of terror she decided to forge an alliance through marriage with a dark sorcerer in order to protect herself.

Her plan was to give birth to powerful, magical sons that would love and protect her when no one else would. She would raise her sons herself, in order to ensure their absolute loyalty, and train them to become sorcerers that had no equal.

However, despite all of Cordelia’s careful planning her first-born son was born without magic. She could hardly believe her failure. How could the spawn of the two most powerful sorcerers in their respective realms produce a baby with zero magical talent? It was inconceivable.

Cordelia was so consumed by her anger and disappointment in the child’s lack of magic that she went a little insane. A black thought filled her mind - that she had to get rid of the child before anyone, especially her husband, found out about her failure.

That very night, she snuck her newborn baby out of the castle, and headed to the river that ran through the nearby forest. Cordelia planned to drown the child in the river, and pretend it - along with her failure and shame - had never existed. However-

Cordelia didn’t realize it, but her handmaiden, a Cheshire Cat slave named Catara, was following her through the forest. Catara had helped the queen to give birth to the baby earlier that same evening, and had noticed the distraught look on her queen’s face when she realized the baby boy possessed no magical talent.

Catara had decided to keep a close watch on the queen and her newborn son. As it turned out her worries were not unfounded when she caught the queen sneaking into the nursery, and sneaking her son out of the castle. Worried for both the queen and her son’s safety, Catara had followed after them unnoticed by using her ability to turn herself invisible, as all Cheshire Cat People were able to do.

Just as Cordelia started to lower the bundled-up child into the river Catara willed herself to turn visible and called out to stop her, “No! Please, wait, Your Majesty!”

With the child in her arms, Cordelia spun around to face her handmaiden with a frantic, haggard look on her face. “Why? Why should I spare this child’s life? He’s ruined all my carefully laid plans! Don’t you see? This baby has no magic! He’s completely useless! I promised my husband that I would give birth to powerful children! If he finds out I gave birth to a child with no magic…he’ll leave me! Then, I won’t have a man to father more sons for me. I must produce powerful sons that will grow up to protect their beloved mother - me! This child is proof of my failure and shame. He needs to die!”

“If the child must die in order to protect your secret…” Catara began. “Then, so be it.”

Cordelia narrowed her dark eyes suspiciously at the cat-woman. “What? I thought you wanted me to spare this child’s life?”

A mischievous smile spread across Catara’s face. “The child’s death can be a lie. We can set fire to the nursery, make sure the cradle burns completely, and tell everyone in the castle that your poor child died in the fire.”

“What good will that do?” Cordelia sneered. “Who will take care of this worthless child?”

“I will,” Catara said simply, raising her chin. “I will be his mother.”

A flash of surprise crossed Cordelia’s face before her expression turned irritated. “And why should I allow you to? The time you’ll spend caring for that useless child would be better spent brushing my hair.”

“Don’t be so shortsighted, Your Majesty,” Catara chided gently. “That boy might not have magic now, but there’s no telling what may happen in the future.”

Cordelia’s irritation shifted to bewilderment. “You’re saying there’s a possibility he might gain magic in the future somehow?”

Catara nodded. “I have heard of it happening before in our land…in Wonderland where the impossible can become possible if one wills it strongly enough in their hearts. Everything will depend on the strength of his own will, of course. But, perhaps, his power is merely lying dormant, and waiting for the right time to manifest itself.”

A sly smile curled Cordelia’s red lips and she looked pleased. “An intriguing possibility…and one that deserves to be considered.” The Queen of Hearts tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Alright, Catara, I’ll take your gambit. You shall raise this child as your own.”

Catara let out a sigh of relief and tried to hide her pleased expression by curtsying. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” She looked up at the queen and a toothy smile formed on her face. “Oh, have you decided on the child’s name?”

“His name?” Cordelia glanced over at the flowing river that she’d almost drowned her child in. The water appeared red because of the blood-red moon that was shinning in the night sky overhead. “A crimson moon. A rare occurrence, even in Wonderland. I think I’ll name him ‘Crimson’.”

The smile on Catara’s face widened at the name, and she nodded. “An excellent choice, Your Majesty. It is a good, strong name, and-”

Cordelia raised her hand to silence Catara in an imperious gesture. “Enough! You’ve already convinced me to let the boy live. He’s your responsibility now. Here. Take him.” The Queen of Hearts walked over and shoved the baby into Catara’s waiting arms.

Catara carefully adjusted her hold on the baby boy and began to make cooing noises at him.

“Make sure you keep him out of my sight,” Cordelia said coldly.

Catara looked up at the queen in surprise. “But, Your Majesty…you can’t mean that you want to raise him among the slaves? We could tell everyone that he’s a noble’s son that you’ve decided to take in and let him have one of the guest rooms. Even if he possesses no magic, he’s still a prince, and-”

Cordelia waved her hand dismissively. “No. Giving him any kind of special treatment would only be suspicious. He shall be raised as a servant. Though that won’t be much better than a slave. And he will live with you in the servant’s quarters. Perhaps, some adversity in his life will help to build character, or even help his dormant powers to awaken.” There was a cruel glint in the Queen of Heart’s eyes. “As the saying goes, Catara, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

Catara opened her mouth to object but thought the better of it. It was already a miracle that she’d managed to convince the Queen of Hearts not to drown her own son. “Perhaps.”

Cordelia waved her hand at Catara in an impatient manner. “Why are you still here? You are dismissed. Hurry up and get that useless baby out of my sight. His presence offends me.”

“Yes, Queen Cordelia.” Catara lowered her head to hide her disappointed expression, curtsied, and turned around to leave.