Post by Lexxi on Feb 26, 2009 7:14:51 GMT -5
Yay, another one!
You know, I love croquet. I should play it again soon.
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.: The Queen of Hearts :.
Croquet
"Y[/b][/font][/size]ou win again my dear.” The King gave a smirk and watched as she picked up her croquet ball from the grass. The little red orb uncurled to reveal it was, in fact, a hedgehog that gazed up at the dark haired woman and gave a squeak. The Queen always won croquet. It was somewhat of a rule for the kingdom that, if you were ever challenged to play her, you would lose and lose in a believable fashion. It was one of the little secrets that the King had and how he kept her happy. After all, any triumph was a real achievement for a woman in his opinion. Of course, now no one played against her. He King himself had volunteered this time because everyone else had already been beaten. The Ali Hatter, Limoni, and even Mr. Crazy had lost to her and did not intend on playing again.
Of course, he had even let her win. There was no need to ruin the one thing aside from her roses that she had in this kingdom. Besides, she seemed happy with him there. She had even laughed and smiled as they played. Setting the little hedgehog back into the pen beside the flamingos they used as mallets, she dusted her hands off on the front of her skirts and smiled at him sweetly. “You played very well My King. I’m sure you’ll win next time.” He gave a nonchalant shrug and turned away as if it meant nothing to him. She would always win or else someone would have hell to pay. Maybe not from the Queen herself, but he would see to it that they saw things his way. “It is a shame though. It’s been ages since I’ve played as no one seems willing. Perhaps I have upset them somehow?” The King shook his hand and gently took her hands in his. “My Queen, if it is an opponent you desire, I shall find one willing to play. You need only to ask.”
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H[/size]enry had never been more scared in his life. How had he gotten there? What were they going to do with him? He had arrived in the King’s throne room only a few moments before and had been told one thing and one thing only. He would be spending some time entertaining the Queen of Hearts. He swallowed hard and looked around the corridor as the creatures, no doubt sentries for the King, lead him off and toward a large arch leading out into the sunlight. He looked about in terrified silence as he entered a gorgeous and sprawling garden of crimson roses and tall fruit trees. The scent was intoxicating and he found himself inhaling deeply to savor it as long as he could. Then he saw her. She stood a few feet away looking at a bush of particularly red roses; a true beauty even in the midst of all the flowers. As they drew closer, she looked up and smiled. “Well now, who is this?” she asked sweetly as she lightly lifted the hem of her long gown and closed the gap.
“The king has sent him,” one of the Heartbreakers hissed. “For a game of croquet,” the other finished. Henry watched as the Queen’s smile broadened and she clasped her hands in pure delight. Croquet? Was that truly all he was there for? He found himself breathing a small sigh of belief as she turned and retrieved a tiny hedgehog from a pen. “How delightful,” he heard her say as she gathered the items and set them out upon the lush, green lawn. “I haven’t had someone to play croquet with in so very long. Aside from the King but I do hate to bother him.” She handed him a flamingo with feathers of pearly pink and then place a lime green hedgehog before him which he eyed with a terrible amount of confusion. “What am I supposed to do with these?” he snapped in frustration.
“Have you never played croquet before? You hit the ball with it.”
Henry looked at her like she was insane. She wanted him to play croquet with a curled up hedgehog and an upside down flamingo? He almost tossed the items to the ground and stormed away until he felt the heavy fall of a hand upon his shoulder. The King stood behind him; a dark smirk upon his face. “Not up for a game, my boy?” Just the sound of his voice made Henry tremble slightly and he shook his head. Suddenly, he was willing to do anything to get the King away from him and took the croquet mallet in hand with great uncertainty. The Queen smiled in a manner that lit up her face, but Henry frowned. People, strangers to him, seemed to have gathered only moments after he’d arrived to watch; people from all over Wonderland ready for a match and a reason to praise their Queen in hopes of pleasing the King who had called them. He felt like a fool under their stares, but at least she was happy.
Hopefully, that was a good sign. Looking positively chipper, the Queen strolled to one side of the wickets set around lush green lawn and set down a small vermillion hedgehog the curled up and seemed to be waiting for her as she motioned for Henry to come over so they could begin. Reluctantly, he moved over to her and prepared himself for the game of his life. “Just hit the ball through the wickets,” she stated before giving a careful swing that sent the hedgehog at a nimble roll through a series of hoops before coming to a stop a few feet away. “Simple, you see? Give it go.” Henry hoped it was as simple as she said it was and nervously set the little hedgehog down before taking aim. The hit was rather lopsided and ended up only knocking the poor creature into the post of the first wicket and the Queen gave a laugh to go along with the King’s mocking chuckle. He felt his cheeks grow warm with embarrassment and looked away. “My, you really haven’t played this before, have you?” The Queen of Hearts moved past him and hit the hedgehog so that it passed through another wicket with perfect precision.
He sighed and trudged forward, practically dragging his mallet behind him, and took aim just as the King began to talk idly to a very happy looking Queen. “One day, My Queen, I will find an opponent worthy of you instead of these backwoods nobodies,” he cooed in her ear as they waited for a now very unhappy Henry to take his turn. He glared and, in his rage, hit the hedgehog in a somewhat haphazard manner. That was when things went south. As the hedgehog rolled through the rings at a swift pace, all eyes followed it with their breaths held in suspense. Henry was biting his lip with each ring his shot cleared and the Queen was leaning back a bit in shock. Then, as it cleared the final ring, the hedgehog hit the post and all went silent.
The entire audience looked shocked at the unexpected turn of events. The Queen stared at the disoriented hedgehog that was shaking its little head to be rid of the fog of the impact and then to her opponent. The first opponent to ever beat her in croquet. She struggled to speak for a moment, unsure how to handle the loss, and then cleared her throat slightly before speaking in a sweet yet disappointed tone. “Well i-it appears I have….lost.” The King looked absolutely enraged. He had fetched this boy to play croquet with the Queen so he would lose, not the other way around. He seized Henry by his shirt and glared down at him with his teeth tightly clenched in anger. The Queen looked shocked as she darted forward and put herself between the king and the boy looking terrified. “No Sire, it was just a game! Please!” But there was no reasoning with him as he looked past the woman and at the boy who had dared win against her.
“Off with his head!” A murmur fell over the crowd as two Heartbreakers appeared and took the boy by the arms to drag him off; kicking and screaming. The Queen watched helplessly and then turned back to the King almost in tears. “Y-You monster! You had no right!” He caught her wrist and gave a snarl at her sudden outburst, but she didn’t care. Instead, she raised her free hand and slapped him across the face before wrenching free and darting off toward the castle. He looked stunned and lightly touched the cheek where her hand had landed. Capillarity watched as the Queen disappeared past the garden gate and scowled. “Such a disrespectful woman….” he spat. “Sire, you could do well to put her in her place. She is stepping far across the boundaries and if she is not stopped now, soon she will have power over even you.” The King said nothing; staring at where she had stood only moments ago. She had struck him, called him a monster, yet he was not angry. If anything, he was sad. Turning away, he looked at the ground and began the long walk through the garden to clear his head.
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