The Wrong Alice (Edited Version)

Chapter 10

"Are you crazy?" I hissed. "You can't go down there alone."

Chesh shrugged, still watching the twins pensively. "This was supposed to be training for you, but there are too many guards," he said.

I crossed my arms, determined if not wary. "I'm not letting you go risk your life on your own. It's too dangerous," I said. "I want to help. What's the point of me coming if I'm just going to stay and hide?"

This time Cheshire shot me a glare, annoyed. "I'm not going to argue with you. Stay put and wait for me. Do not come down," he ordered. I shrunk back at his tone of voice and he noticed my unease. Chesh gave me a small smile. "Sorry," he apologized. "I don't mean to be harsh, I just can't let you get hurt. You're too important, Alice."

He was right, but I still didn't feel right about this. "Yeah..." I mumbled.

I knew Cheshire would see I wasn't entirely settled on this grand plan of his, but he ruffled my hair encouragingly and slipped over the balcony railing. Curiously, I peeked over and watched him glide through the bushes towards the twins standing in the center of the courtyard. At least he seemed to know what he was doing.

"Do you have anything to say for yourselves?" a tall man with a sword at his waist asked the twins, his hand holding the sword's handle.

The two boys sneered at the man. "Yeah, we have somethin'," one of them said while the other nodded courageously. He pointed to the queen. "Off with her head!" he shouted.

The second boy, sounding identical the first began to chant. "Off with her head! Kill the Queen! Off with her head! Kill the Queen!"

At this, everyone in the courtyard gasped and started whispering amongst themselves. The pampered lady's face twisted with anger and she held out her hand. "Give me my ax," the queen demanded. The trial was over and everyone knew it. A small child ran forward, barely able to carry such a large weapon, and hoisted an ax into her hand. She stood up, and with halting steps, walked towards the twins who had stopped chanting to glare at her. She raised the ax, eyes narrowed. "I'll show you 'Off with a head', " she growled.

The twin's eyes grew wide with fear, and I couldn't watch. I ducked behind the wall, prepared to hear the slaughter even from where I was. However, before the sound of blood spraying across cobble stones could be heard, there was a sudden sound of nails on a chalk board and cringed at the noise, covering their ears. When I looked over again, I was overjoyed to see Cheshire standing in the center of the courtyard, his nails dragging down the side of the metal ax as yawned lazily. "Too loud," he complained. "Shut your mouths already, would ya?"

Everyone stood in shock, and the Queen looked ready to burst at the very sight of the rude cat. "Excuse me?" she demanded.

He glanced at her with one eye open. "You heard me," he said. "A cat's gotta sleep, ya know?"

A whizzing sound came from the bow of one of the nearby guards and an arrow flew right past Cheshire's cheek. He barely flinched, simply tilted his head. The Queen lowered her ax. "Don't mess with me, kitty. You'll regret it," she warned.

A few more arrows were shot, each in quick succession of the last, but Cheshire avoided them as he stepped in front of the twins. "Try me," he said tauntingly, daring her to do her worst.

Another arrow was fired, but this time Cheshire grabbed it right out of the air with one hand. He smirked and snapped it in two, letting the fragile pieces of wood fall uselessly to the courtyard grass. The twins eagerly stepped up next to him and he quickly freed them from their shackles. They stuck their tongues out at the queen. "Meany," one said.