Cruel as a Queen Read online

  Cruel as a Queen

  Kendra Moreno

  Copyright

  Please do not participate in piracy.

  * * *

  Copyright © 2019 by Kendra Moreno

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  * * *

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  * * *

  Edited by Michelle Hoffman

  Proofed by: Dani Black

  Cover art by Ruxandra Tudorica with Methyss Art

  Formatted by Nicole JeRee at The Swamp Goddess

  This one is for all those who are struggling, whether physically or mentally. There is hope even when it doesn’t feel like it.

  You are loved. You are loved. You are loved.

  Fall down the Rabbit Hole one last time. . .

  Four stories. Four adventures. The past will meet the future in this final companion installment of the Sons of Wonderland.

  Contents

  Kendra Moreno

  Cruel as a Queen

  Cruel As A Queen

  1. Aged Eight

  2. Aged Eight

  3. Aged Eight

  4. Aged Thirteen

  5. Aged Fourteen

  6. Aged Sixteen

  7. Age Eighteen

  8. Aged Nineteen

  9. Aged Twenty-One

  10. Aged Thirty-Three

  11. Aged Thirty-Three

  12. Immortal

  13. Immortal

  14. Immortal

  15. Immortal

  Kendra Moreno

  THE PRINCE & HIS HOPE

  The Prince And His Hope

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Kendra Moreno

  THE FLAMINGO AND THE DODO BIRD

  The Flamingo And The Dodo Bird

  1. Dodo

  2. Flamingo

  3. Dodo

  4. Flam

  5. Dodo

  6. Flam

  7. Flam

  8. Flam

  9. Dodo

  10. Flam

  Kendra Moreno

  A VERY MAD WEDDING

  A Very Mad Wedding

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Kendra Moreno

  Clockwork Butterfly

  Shipwrecked Souls

  Cruel as a Queen

  Kendra Moreno

  Once upon a time, there was a curious little girl …

  … then she grew up and became a monster.

  Cruel As A Queen

  BLURB

  Villains are made, not born. Alice knows that better than anyone, her story starting with an accidental fall down a rabbit hole. She experienced wonderful things, but when she returns home, no one believes the mad imagination of a little girl.

  * * *

  Doctors tried everything to make her admit she’s wrong, to make her forget, but nothing will ever take away her memories of Hatter, White, Cheshire, and Alex. No matter what they do to her, she will not bow.

  * * *

  Alice will make everyone pay for what they did. They thought she was a monster before. They haven’t seen nothing yet.

  Chapter 1

  Aged Eight

  “Come, come, Alice. Would you like a spot of tea?” the Hatter asks, gesturing towards two double doors. I smile at him, excited to be included. It’s been an odd little world I’ve fallen into, completely mad and illogical. I can’t believe a world like this exists, and it’s all my wildest dreams come true. A world with Mad Hatters and Late Rabbits. Why, all it’s missing is a Grinning Cat.

  “Tea sounds lovely, Mr. Hatter.”

  “Dormouse! It’s time for tea!” he shouts into the open doorway.

  “It’s always time for tea,” a voice calls back, whom I suspect is Dormouse. Really, is he a mouse?

  I follow the Hatter inside the room, staring at everything in awe. Mommy and Daddy never let me near the fancy china at home. Here, it’s as if every possible fine china is set on the table, some glistening in pristine condition, others chipped and missing pieces. Some have delicate floral pictures on them, others are black with skulls. I dare not ask what the difference is and suspect I will be drinking from a flower teapot rather than any of the others.

  Though I’m quite intrigued by the skull teapot. What sort of tea pours from its spout?

  “Have a seat next to me, pick a chair and have some tea,” Hatter chimes. There’s a small twitch in the corner of his eye, barely discernible, but I’m very good at watching things. I’m about to ask what’s the matter, but he turns away and moves towards the far end of the massive table.

  Some of the chairs have creatures in them, rather funny ones. There’s a woman who looks at me with goat eyes, delicate ram horns curling from her hair. She beautiful, interesting; she’s some impossible thing I would like to study. How curious she is, just like everything else about this world.

  Another creature has a head full of spines, like that of a hedgehog. His nose is a little bulbous, just like the creature his hair reminds me of. There are tiny ears on his head that twitch at my entrance. He lifts a teacup and salutes me with it, the way daddy’s friends do at parties. I nod hello, but I don’t smile; he’s a little unnerving.

  Sitting at the far end of the table, beside the Hatter, is a man with rat-like ears. I wrinkle my nose. I’m not fond of rodents, but I stride forward and take a seat opposite him, taking in the numerous piercings along his ears and the odd look on his face. He’s sizing me up, no doubt taking in my simple blue dress and the apron mommy had made me wear, which I have yet to part with.

  “What kind of curious creature are you?” he asks, tilting his head.

  “Why, I’m a little girl. What are you?”

  “‘What are you?’” He snorts, insulted. “Who am I? I’m the Dormouse.”

  “You don’t look like a mouse. You look like a rat.”

  Dormouse gasps in outrage before turning to look at the Hatter. “What sort of game are you playing, Hatter, bringing this heathen into our home?”

  “She’s just a child.” Hatter smiles at me gently. “Behave, Dormouse. I found her wandering in the forest. She must have slipped inside the rabbit hole.”

  “What’s a rabbit hole?”

  “Oughtn’t you know?” Dormouse sneers. “You’re the one who used it.”

  I sniff at him. I don’t like the Dormouse. He’s rather rude.

  Hatter pours a teapot on end, and I watch as a sweet-smelling yellow liquid fills a teacup. He hands it to me, and when I take a sip, the taste of lemons dances on my tongue. I wish tea tasted this good at home. Mommy always makes me drink Earl Grey, and I’m not fond of it. The Hatter’s tea is far tastier.

  “The Rabbit Hole is how you got to Wonderland, Alice,” Hatter answers, ignoring Dormouse’s rude remarks and pouring himself tea from a black teapot. Curiosity eats away at me, and the urge to try that one fills my body. What is in the black tea pot? “You must have followed White through when he came back.”

  “You mean the rabbit? The rabbit is from Wonderland?” I’m astonished. It looked just like an ordinary rabbit, even if I kept hearing a ticking every time I drew near.

  “That was indeed White, or the White Rabbit. He’s the Ti
me Keeper. You’ll meet many interesting creatures here. That’s why you’re meeting me. I’m the most interesting of all.”

  Dormouse snorts, and I shoot him a quelling look. I could listen to Hatter talk all day, and I wish he would tell me more about his world. Dormouse, I want to wring his neck. I shake my head the slightest amount. No, that’s not a polite thought to have. I’m a guest in this home. I should act like one.

  “Hatter is a dense caboose, letting all his madness loose. He’ll dance a jig and pour some tea, but he’s no better than you or me,” Dormouse chants. Hatter grins.

  “A raven flew inside a writing desk and asked me for some bread. When I fetched a snack and then came back, it was to find the raven dead.”

  “He suffocated!” Dormouse shouts so loud that it makes me jump. “You suffocated the raven!”

  “I would never! He died of unnatural causes!” Hatter presses his hand to his chest, as if he’s completely insulted.

  “Lies!”

  Hatter looks at me then, a wide grin on his face. When he sees my furrowed brows and the confusion in my eyes, the grin drops. He pushes his hair out of his eyes.

  “My apologies, young Alice. I’m afraid the madness takes over sometimes.”

  “What kind of madness?” I ask. At the same time, I reach for the black teapot, but the Hatter stops my hand.

  “You mustn’t drink that tea, Alice. It’s not made for creatures not of Wonderland.”

  “Why?” I glare at him, a bit of anger flowing through my blood. Who is he to tell me what I can and can’t do? If I want to drink the tea, I will.

  “It isn’t safe.”

  I jerk my hand away from the Hatter and grab the teapot anyways, before pouring the tea into an empty chipped teacup. It splashes out of the sides, my hand too quick. Momma would have scolded me for that, for staining her white linens, but the Hatter only watches in fascination as the blood-colored tea fills the cup. Daddy would have beaten me for the slight, but I don’t dwell on that too long.

  “Is the tea what makes you mad?” I ask, setting the skull teapot back down and lifting the cup. “Will it drive me insane?”

  Curiosity drives me, urging me to take a drink. I take a whiff of the liquid, inhaling the perfume. Roses. It smells like Roses and Chocolate.

  “It might. It might kill you, or it might make you powerful.”

  Powerful. That word catches my attention. What is worth gaining power? Am I willing to risk dying for it? Am I curious enough to drink tea the Hatter says is not safe? Do I even care what he says? A powerful lady wouldn’t care. A powerful lady would drink it all and smile afterwards.

  Hatter watches as I take a sip, the flavor coating my tongue. I hum in appreciation before tipping the cup all the way up, draining it. Dormouse sports a frown on his face, his eyes squinting at me. He’s not pleased. The urge to hurt him claims me again, and I stand up before I know what I’m doing. I pull back my arm and throw the empty tea cup right at his face. It narrowly misses his ear, my aim askew.

  “What the fuck?” he snarls, picking up his own teacup and hurling it at me.

  I laugh as I dance out of the way, the china shattering across the tiled floor. Red tea splatters, and for a moment, it looks like blood. I pick up a plate and throw it like a Frisbee, wildness flitting through my veins. I want to play like this every day, live without rules and only worry about madness and Hatters. Hatter snatches the plate from the air before it can hit my target and frowns. I pout, pressing out my lip. I was certain that one would strike the Dormouse right in his ugly mug.

  “That’s enough, Alice.”

  “Oh, it was just a bit of fun.”

  Both stare at me as if I’ve grown another head. Spoil sports, the both of them. I sigh and look towards the door.

  “Perhaps, we should take her to see the King and Queen,” Dormouse says, glancing at the Hatter. “She’s a curious girl.”

  “Curious, very curious.” Hatter pulls out a knife and I tense, watching it. “What are you doing here, Alice?”

  “What do you mean?” I ask, confused. “I followed a white rabbit, of course.”

  “But, why are you here?” he snarls. I whimper and look at the door again. Maybe if I run fast enough, I can escape. “Why are you here?” he shouts, the plate he held in his hand smashing onto the table top and the anger in his eyes forcing me to take a step back. The anger is so sudden, so unexpected, it sends panic through me, and I worry I did something wrong.

  “I don’t know!” I cry, turning towards the open doorway. “I don’t know!”

  I run. I run away from the angry man in a top hat. I run away from the Rat who watches my every move with skepticism.

  “Alice! Wait! I didn’t mean that! We can help you!” the Hatter shouts behind me. But I don’t stop.

  I run. I run. I run.

  Daddy never likes it when I run. But the Hatter, the Hatter follows, and he makes me feel better because he tries to understand. Daddy never tries. When the Hatter kneels before me and wipes my tears away, I throw my arms around him, hugging him, needing his mad warmth.

  “It’s time we took you to see the King and Queen, Alice. Perhaps, they can find a way to send you home,” Hatter whispers, standing up and offering me his hand.

  I don’t speak.

  I don’t tell him I want to hit the Dormouse as he watches with knowing eyes.

  I don’t tell him I don’t really want to go home, that I don’t want to see my mommy and daddy ever again.

  I don’t tell him I can hear the violent sound of his heartbeat beneath his ribcage, or that it’s so loud all I want to do is silence it.

  No, that wouldn’t be polite, at all.

  Chapter 2

  Aged Eight

  “Where in Wonder did you find her?” I hear the White Queen ask for the thousandth time. For a Queen, she really seems quite dense. I’m certain Hatter has mentioned he found me in the woods at least three times prior.

  “In the woods, Your Majesty,” Hatter dutifully answers again while I sit prim and proper on the stairs. “She was just wandering around alone.”

  “Do you think she’s a threat?” The sweet Red Queen asks, glancing over at me. She doesn’t even whisper, the cow. Oughtn’t that be something discussed behind closed doors and not where I can hear?

  “She’s a child.” Hatter smiles when I catch his eyes and then returns his attention to the royalty before him.

  I don’t understand what good they can do. None of them seem too privy on talking to me. They only want to discuss me. I’d heard one of them mention finding White and opening up the portal again. I’m not ready, hoping to stay here for as long as possible. If I have it my way, I’d never leave.

  The bushes rustle in front of me, and I furrow my brow. What on earth is making that noise? I lean to the side, trying to catch a glimpse of what it is, only to see a shoe that’s there, and then it isn’t.

  “Hello?” I call, bringing the attention of the monarchy and the Hatter. “Is someone there?”

  “That’s probably Alexander, dear. You are welcome to go play with him.” The sweet Queen smiles at me when I look towards her.

  “Is that wise?” the White Queen asks. “We know nothing about her.”

  The sweet Queen scoffs. “Sister, she’s a child. What harm can she do?” When she looks back at me, her eyes are kind, even if they’re condescending. I might be a child, but I’m not daft. “Run along, dear.”

  I stand only because I’m tired of listening to their voices discussing ways to get rid of me. The rustling comes again, and I move towards it, peeking around a topiary of a giant horse. No one is there, but a boyish giggle finds my ears from another direction. For the first time since we came to the castle, a tiny smile curls my lips, and I move as silent as a mouse–far quieter than the Dormouse Oaf—towards another topiary. This one is shaped like a swan. I catch the briefest sight of him before he’s gone. Blond hair. He has blond hair like I do, although mine is much paler.

 
“Hello?” I call again, because he’s obviously a skilled hider. I bet he plays the best game of tag. There’s no one here to tell me not to get my dress dirty. It’s refreshing.

  “Who are you?” the voice asks, echoing from a short distance.

  I turn towards the voice, those of the Hatter and monarchs already too far away to hear. He’s led me away from them.

  “I’m Alice,” I answer, looking around for him. “Who are you?”

  He jumps out from behind a bush so suddenly, I would have jumped had I not known where he was. He puts his fists on his hips and stands there like a king, although not as regal.

  “I’m Prince Alexander.” He puffs up his chest. “I will be the Red King one day.”

  I raise my brows. “You don’t seem very princely.”

  He’s wearing dark trousers and a shirt, both covered in dirt and smears of green. He has smudges on his face where he’s wiped his filthy hands across it. His hair has bits of sticks and leaves in it. But his eyes, his eyes are so blue that it draws me towards him. Even with dirt covering him, those eyes give far more away.