She sat and looked out

I wrote a fictional story writing an addition to the Red Queen's character from Into The Looking Glass. I loved this piece because I did a similar story when i was younger and got to rework it. I enjoy writing fictional pieces and writing this one made me really happy to give a backstory to a not so well known villain.

A Little Girl was born, with blood darker than roses. She was always sweet, like her mother. Her father was fair and sympathetic to their kingdom. But he was a man. He was the King. He was allowed to be merciful without people believing he was a weak ruler. When her father died, the people believed her mother was too weak to lead the Red Kingdom. That she would start a war with the White Kingdom because they stole the red chocolate exports. It was an absurd assumption. In fact, afraid of a revolt the girl’s mother turned cold. She never gave herself time to grieve over the loss of her husband. She became a strict military leader, almost a dictator. The little girl was forced to go to classes all day, to learn to be as cruel and smart as her dictator mother. The day the princess lost her dad, she also lost her mom. Yet her mom was right in front of her. Mocking her. The shell of the woman who held her from birth, and comforted her when she scraped her knee, now sentenced prisoners to years of solitary confinement.

So the princess would no longer play with the Jub Jub birds or the Bandersnatch or sing the beautiful songs of the talking flowers. One night, when the princess was hiding her sobs and snivels from her maids, she heard rustling from the bushes outside her room. Expecting a burglar, she found her best friend, Hatta, in the garden. They had not seen each other since her Father’s funeral a month earlier. He saw the sadness in her eyes and took her by the hand. He told her they were going on an adventure.

Hatta had recently lost his hat. It was the last thing that connected him to his pop. She gladly complied, hoping to save whatever was left of her childhood with one more good memory. The way fairytales do. The two head out to the other side of the mountain of division to the world called “Wonderland”. However the princess is a little apprehensive to walk over the mountain because Hatta is the only one out of the two that has gone to Wonderland. They pass the endless time by racing each other up the mountain. Whoever reaches Wonderland first is the Sole winner and is “better than the other at everything”. After a long trek, they come to a fork in the road. The princess asked Hatta which way they should go but Hatta reminds her that he has only been through the mountains 4 times with his pop to deliver hats to the Castle of Hearts and he never got to sit up in the front of their wagon.

They decide rock paper scissors is the way to solve their dilemma. The princess chose the left path and Hatta chose the right. Before they had time to settle their game, a man who kept calling himself the carpenter walked by. He was red in the face with a hammer in his hands. He asked if they had seen a walrus. Both of them shrugged, they then asked which was the way to the March Manor. Hatta’s dad had a friend named March Hare who they’d stay with when in Wonderland. The Carpenter thought for a second, then concluded with a sly smile that it was the left road. The two thanked the carpenter and parted ways with him. There was something off about that man, he talked with malicious intent and the two pondered over what would happen if he ran into the Walrus. They made up outrageous theories while walking.

They passed a sign that said “Tulgey Wood” pointing the direction they were walking. The princess asked her longtime friend where that was and the boy returned a shrug. Neither of them knew what would be up ahead. Soon the lights became dark and the forest surrounded them. Animals of all shapes and sizes came out. Birds with mirror faces started to reflect the princesses face throughout the forest. Hatta stepped on a purple horn goose and her babies, waking up the rest of the animals. A bird with a shovel for a beak tripped the princess into a hole 3 feet deep. Hatta helped her out, but as soon as he grabbed her hand, little hammer birds and pencil chicks flew around him dropping the princess just as she resurfaced from the hole. All the animals run to safety in the darkness as the trees spread apart revealing sunshine.

The princess and Hatta dusted themselves off, chuckling a little, and turn to see a giant Jabberwocky. This thing, of course, wore a vest, with three giant claws on both sides of its large, scaly arms. Its neck resembled a worm with rings that stretched for miles. It’s face, sort of a tired fish with 4 teeth stretching outward. It’s piteous wings struggled to lift the large body off the ground and it’s tale could destroy a human with one “Fpth”. On the other side of the Jabberwocky, sat March Hare, holding Hatta’s dads hat. Stroking the 10/6 price tag in fear, hoping it would transfer comfort from a better time. Hatta started to scream for the Hare’s attention, however, the princess knew better and held her hand out in front of Hatta’s mouth, making sure he wouldn’t talk. The Jabberwocky noticed them anyway. They slowly circled around the horrendous monster, cautious if their every move. When they reached the March Hare, they grabbed his small, furry wrist and took off. The hare dropped the hat in fear and started to bolt. After about 25 meters, Hatta had realized the placement of the hat was in front of the bounding Jabberwocky. With no hesitation he runs back for the hat. When the princess noticed, she shouted after him. Telling him it’s not worth it and they need to go. He reminded her it’s the only reason they are in this situation and it is quite, in fact, worth it. He went back for the hat, and got trampled by the dust as the Jabberwocky walked all over him to get to the princess and the Hare.

The princess screamed in anger, knowing that is the third person she’d lose in a month. She took the Hare and they found their way out of the forest. The princess thanked the Hare for the company but explained that she had to get back to her mother. Condemning herself to the bitterness of the red kingdom. The cold and calm fury of her heart made her become the Red Queen of the Red Kingdom and she loved it.