When Madeline tried to open the drawer, a painful, stinging zap was sent into her finger. “Another protection spell.” Madeline held the glowing dragon pendant against the drawer and the drawer slid open. Just like in the other drawer there was a small box inside.

Madeline pocketed the pendant before reaching into the drawer to pull out the box. This one was a little more elaborate than the other had been, and resembled a miniature treasure chest.

Madeline flipped the lid open and peered inside to see a glowing, red heart. A wide, triumphant smile curled her lips. “I did it. I’m one step closer to my goal now.” Madeline reached into the box, pulled out the heart, and hid it inside of her inner jacket pocket.

After that, she replaced the box inside of the drawer, and shut it closed. She wanted it to appear as though nothing had been stolen from within the vault for the next time Crim came down here to give his knights orders. “Mission complete. I’d better get out of here before more knights come.”

Madeline hurried up the stairs and used the magic from the pendant to cause the sarcophagus to slide back into place. She exited the vault just in time to see a group of five Red Knights entering the center of the maze. They immediately spotted her, unsheathed their swords, and pointed them at her. Like the other knights these were also dressed in red steel armor decorated with the pattern of black hearts.

“Look! It’s the Mad Hatter!” “Get her!” “Halt! You’re under arrest by order of the Red King!” The knights yelled at her.

“Bloody hell!” Madeline complained before she took off running into the maze with the five knights in hot pursuit. Because she could only use the pendant’s power to find the center of the maze where the heart had been hidden, she had no way to navigate through the maze now, and had no idea where the hell she was going. Crap!

One knight got too close, and Madeline was forced to spin around and engage him in combat. Their swords clashed, and Madeline raised her foot and kicked him right in the gut, sending him flying into the hedge. The leafy bush reacted instantly, came alive, and wrapped its branches around the Red Knight, ensnaring him. The knight cried out in fear as he was pulled into the hedge, and in seconds had disappeared from sight.

Madeline didn’t look back and kept running. She sensed that another knight was closing in on her from behind again and raised her sword before spinning around to face him. Madeline swung her sword at the knight’s neck and decapitated him before he could properly react to her speed. As the knight’s head fell down through the air, Madeline swung her sword like a baseball bat, and using the flat of her blade hit his head and sent it flying into the nearby hedge bush.

The hedge immediately started to wrap its branches around the head in order to drag it back into the bush. “Ah! Please! Help me!” the knight cried out in terror.

One of the knights stopped to help his comrade, and reached out to grab the head with both his hands. Unfortunately, he’d underestimated the strength of the hedge bushes, and ended up being pulled into the bush along with the head.

Two knights left. Madeline mentally made a note to herself before picking up the pace, and running even faster in order to put some distance between herself and the remaining knights. A minute later, Madeline spotted a nice flat expanse of hedge up ahead, and ran towards it purposefully with her sword raised before her. As soon as she’d reached the hedge she swung her sword and started to frantically hack away at the branches in order to create an exit.

She glanced over her shoulder to see that the guards were almost upon her. “Eek! Come on…almost there!” A small, round opening had been formed in the hedge and Madeline was able to slip through it.

“Stop right there, Mad Hatter!” a knight yelled as he tried to pursue her.

Madeline spun around, sword raised before her in a two-handed grip, and watched as the knight tried to slip through the opening she’d created with her sword by jumping through it, head-first.

But, it was too late.

The branches whipped out and ensnared the knight, quickly trapping him inside the hedge so that the upper half of his torso was on one side of the hedge while his legs were dangling pathetically behind him on the other side of the hedge. He glared at Madeline fiercely, and waved his sword at her in a futile manner.

Madeline smirked in amusement at his plight, and sheathed her sword before sauntering over to the trapped knight. “Green is a good look on you, Sir Knight. Maybe Crim should change the color of your armor from red to green.”

The knight growled angrily at her. “Damn you, Madeline Hatter! You won’t get away with this!”

Madeline’s lips curled into a cocky smirk. “I already have.” She stuck two fingers into her mouth and whistled loudly. The sound of a horse neighing in response to her call reached their ears. Then, Madeline’s horse appeared, galloping towards her. Madeline grabbed the horse’s reins and hopped up into the saddle in one smooth motion.

The knight started to chuckle darkly, and Madeline shot him an irritated glance. “What’s so funny, Knight?”

“You may have bested us, but the Red King will have the last laugh. If you’re here then that means you’ve left Alister Kingsley alone and defenseless, and my sister the Knave has been sent to kill him during his journey into Underland! He’s as good as dead.”

“The Knave!” Madeline exclaimed, her voice laced with worry. Although female the Knave of Hearts was rumored to be a Master Swordswoman, and had the best swordsmanship out of all the knights in Crim’s army. Even though Madeline had never faced off against her, she had the feeling the Knave’s skill probably rivaled her own.

The knight smiled at the concern swirling in Madeline’s eyes. “The next time you see Alister he won’t have a head, and I’m afraid my sister doesn’t use enchanted blades. Just normal ones.”

Alister. Madeline thought to herself with a pang inside of her chest, but then a determined expression settled over her face.

The knight noticed her look, and scowled at her. “You can’t go to him. The rules of the tournament are that you cannot interfere, or else you forfeit.”

A reckless grin curled Madeline’s lips. “You’re absolutely right. But, that’s why I, Madeline Hatter, won’t be interfering. Ta-Ta! Hyah!” Madeline snapped her horse’s reins and took off at a gallop, heading towards Salome’s mushroom grove, and the entrance to Underland.

***

Alister stood listlessly staring at the place where just moments before Chesher, Katrina and the King of Hearts had been standing.

Clover walked over to Alister and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Are you alright, Alister?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, but…Katrina…she was hurt because of me.” Alister’s shoulders slumped dejectedly. “Because I’m a coward.”

Clover’s expression grew solemn. “Katrina sacrificed herself for the man she loves. That was her choice.”

“I still find it hard to wrap my head around the fact that she loves an asshole like Crim,” Alister sighed.

A guilty look flashed across Clover’s face before it was replaced by a wistful expression. “Crim wasn’t always that way. He used to be a sweet, kind boy.”

Alister shot Clover an incredulous look. “That’s what Katrina said.” A frown formed on his face. “What happened?”

Clover shook his head. “Sadly, I’m not sure. I had already left the Red Kingdom in order to form my own Kingdom when the news reached me that Crim had killed our brothers: Diamond and Spade, and had seized control of the throne from our mother, Queen Cordelia.”

“So, he turned evil?” Alister questioned.

“I believe that evil is made, not born. I left the Red Kingdom because Diamond and Spade’s hearts were filled with darkness and cruelty, and I didn’t want to end up like them. Queen Cordelia is not a good person, and she molded my brothers to be just like her. Diamond and Spade probably did something horrible and most likely deserved to die, but the action of taking their lives darkened Crim’s heart.” Clover hung his head in shame. “I should have been there for my brother Crim. If I had then maybe I could have done something to stop Crim from turning dark.”

Alister immediately felt the urge to comfort Clover. “Whatever happened wasn’t your fault though. Crim made his own decisions. And he chose darkness.”

“Because he had no choice,” Clover argued with a haggard look on his face.

“There’s always a choice,” Alister countered.

Clover’s pale green eyes glittered. “Spoken like a true hero.”

“I’m no hero.” Alister let out a heavy, self-deprecating sigh. “I should have helped you guys back there. Then, maybe Katrina wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”

Crim put his hands out before him in a helpless gesture. “What’s done is done. Sadly, the past cannot be undone. The only thing we really have control over is how we decide to react in the present. Our choices will determine our futures. If you regret having been a coward then try to be a little braver next time so that you won’t have regrets again.”

A crooked smile formed on Alister’s face. “I’ll sure as hell try.” The duo made their way over to the bean field and each picked a magic bean before pocketing it.

“Let’s get the hell out of here before the Dark Fairies come after us,” Clover declared.

Alister nodded readily in agreement. “Sounds like a plan.”

The duo entered the exit tunnel that would take them back to Salome’s Tavern. Alister painted another lantern to help light their way, and he and Clover started off into the tunnel. They traveled for several minutes until they arrived at the halfway point - the chamber filled with stone monoliths and shadow monsters.

As he gazed into that creepy-ass chamber Alister gulped nervously. “I really hate this place.”

“Not to worry, as long as we have my sword of light we’ll be able to cross this room easily!” Clover exclaimed in an optimistic and cheerful manner.

“Good to know,” a deep, husky female voice remarked. Abruptly, Clover was disarmed by a sword that appeared to come out of nowhere, and the Sword of Light went flying up into the air where it was caught by someone seconds later.

Alister and Clover turned to gawk at the newcomer in their midst. They both had to crane their necks up slightly since the person before them was taller than either of them, and almost seven-feet-tall. Well, in reality she was probably only twelve-inches-tall at their current shrunken height, but if they were their normal sizes Alister was sure she’d be at least a foot taller than him.

At first, they both thought they were looking at a man…but then they noticed the armored skirt, and realized their mistake. The knight standing before them was definitely a woman, although a very butch one with broad shoulders and muscular arms. She had short, wavy black hair, hard, dark-brown eyes, and wasn’t wearing any make-up. The red steel armor she was wearing consisted of a breastplate, armored skirt, gauntlets, and armored boots. The armor was decorated with the pattern of black hearts.

Alister watched as the woman replaced her enormous sword in a leather sheath that was strapped to her back.

“You should really be more careful with something so important,” the Knave chided Clover as she showed him his sword.

Having quickly recovered from his initial surprise that the knight before them was indeed a woman, Clover turned on the charm, and flashed her a smile that showed off his dazzling, white teeth. “Greetings, Fair Maiden. I would greatly appreciate it if you’d give me my sword back. We need it in order to get past this infernal room, you see. But, if you want to punish me for trespassing into the Dark Fairy Kingdom by spanking me with the flat of my sword blade first, I completely understand, and I submit to your punishment.” Clover bent over and slapped his own behind for effect.

Alister’s jaw dropped at Clover’s depraved behavior, and he scrubbed a hand down his face before groaning. “Ugh.”

A vein at the Knave of Heart’s temple throbbed in irritation at Clover’s antics. She didn’t take teasing or flirting very well, and she pointed Clover’s own sword at his throat so that the tip brushed against his Adam’s apple. “Silence, you perverted fool.”

“Who are you?” Alister asked curiously.

Cold brown eyes focused on Alister next. “I’m known as the Knave of Hearts, and I have been sent here to kill you, Alister Kingsley, by order of the Red King!”

“Boy, do I feel special,” Alister remarked dryly. “Just how many times has Crim tried to kill me since I got to Wonderland, Clover? I’ve already lost track.”

Clover tapped his chin as he thought about it. “Tweedledum and Tweedledee were sent first. Then, Crim sent the Jabberwocky after you. So, this would be the third time, wouldn’t it?”

The Knave smiled sharply. “No one I’ve ever been sent to kill has survived. Your devil’s luck has run out. It’s time to die, Alister.” She pointed the Sword of Light at Alister.

“No, don’t-ack!” Clover started to object when a Dark Fairy shadow abruptly peeled up off the ground, and taking advantage of Clover’s distraction, grabbed him by his waist, and pulled him flush against the stone monolith. Clover struggled against the shadow’s grip. “Unhand me at once, you foul creature!” However-

As the shadow began to wrap around Clover’s neck and constrict, a moan of pleasure slipped past Clover’s lips. After that, the shadow wrapped around Clover’s wrists and ankles, and started to pull, stretching his limbs. Clover’s body was assaulted by conflicting feelings of pain and pleasure, and he bit down on his lower lip as he tried to stifle another erotic moan. This torture felt just like being stretched on a rack.

The Knave arched an eyebrow at Clover’s odd behavior. “Fool.”

Alister shot Clover a look of sheer disbelief. “Clover! Snap out of it! This is no time for games. That shadow is trying to kill you!”

“And what a way to go,” Clover murmured with a blissful look on his face.

The Knave grew darkly amused. “He may be feeling pleasure now, but wait until that shadow tears him limb from limb! Won’t that be a pretty sight?”

“You mean awful sight,” Alister snapped angrily.

The Knave placed her other hand on the hilt of Clover’s stolen sword and smiled viciously. “Now, you don’t have a brave hero to hide behind, Alister. Your head is mine!” She started to slowly stalk towards Alister. Alister set down the lantern and ran for it. The Knave gawked after Alister’s retreating form. “Get back here, you coward!” she growled before running after him.

“Ack!” Alister whipped out his paintbrush, spun around, and waved his paintbrush at the Knave in a haphazard manner. A rope appeared around the Knave’s ankles out of thin air, and effectively tripped her up.