Heartful || Heartless Sequel/Fanfiction ||

Ch.4 || Mad as a Hatter

Catherine could already tell Raven was in a deep sleep by the slow pumping of his feathered chest. His gray claws held him stiff and still atop the throne chair's ear. He seemed to pay no attention to the whimpering of those who came in and out the Queen's courtroom. Raven had beheaded many people, Catherine knew this as more than a fact as she was always the one to give the orders, but even still she always found it hard to make out the features of his human face. He was a murderer long before they had met all those years ago. He was her friend. He was Cath's only friend.

The Queen of Hearts' voice rang throughout the room with power, "Off with his head!" the little amount of wondrous creatures that were lucky enough to survive her rage throughout the years and work as the mindless jury for a broken kingdom trembled in their seats. A pair of clubs wrapped their hands around an unfortunate dodo bird, breaking the staff in his hands.

Cath's gaze shifted to the boy beside her. She furrowed her brows seeing as Crow's expression grew in sickness and pity at the sight of the dodo bird. His hands clenched the arms of his black studded chair, only a few inches shorter than Catherine's. Crow's knuckles grew white and Cath observed as he forced a lump in his throat down. Nine of the other hearts who sat a feet away from Catherine stared at their mother in amusement when she reached down to lecture their brother.

"Crow." her whisper was hard and stern, "Sit straight and pay close attention. I will not deal with your nonsense again. You will be king one day and I will not be here to guide you." Cath retreated to straightening her back.

"Yes mother. But," Crow breathed, "I don't think it is necessary to condemn everyone who has committed the most bazard of crimes to death. It isn't fair. When father is in court he never does such things."

"Well he isn't here now. Is he?"

Crow bit the inside of his cheek. "No." Cath nodded in agreement with herself.

It had taken a while before the day was finally at its end. Cath stood on her heels and was ready to leave this room with a stench of wood. Forest-like really. Similar to those rainy and foggy days you would get out when hunting in the Black Forest. If you could even hunt there that is. Too dark to see a single speck of grass.

Cath jumped back when the entrance doors slammed against the walls. Everyone, including the once deep sleeping raven, turned to see its cause. The clubs from before were roughly dragging a blur figure. Cath's eyes were too tired and strained from all her screaming that her head pounded with too much annoyance to catch careful sight of who they had in their grasp. It had taken a moment for it to become clear of who it was and how Catherine grinned at the sight. You would think she was almost as giddy as the king usually was. Her tongue moved swiftly at the edge of her teeth carving herself a Cheshire smile.

"Well, if it isn't my lucky day." she clapped.

A man was thrown onto the ground in front of her. "My Queen," one of her club guards recited, "this man was found sneaking about the castle. We believe he was attempting to reach the girl from this morning."

"Is that so." Everyone was dead silent when Cath's heels began to thud the steps of a small staircase. "People should stay where they belong. Don't you agree, Hatta?"

Hatta didn't meet her eyes. "I beg to disagree, your Majesty." One club guard raised him to his feet straightening Hatta to be only a few inches above Catherine. "Some of us just don't belong where we are placed." he smiled. When he finally met her gaze he was pleased to see the dumbfounded look that spread across her face. Hatta hadn't changed much since the day he had gone completely mental. If it hadn't been for the loss of time one might suppose he could've even looked better than Catherine. But there was something different about him; he still had those mesmerizing lilac eyes and strands of white hair not to mention a now worn out top hat. But his smile... it was... different. It was no Chesire look that was certain, but almost sinister, almost mad.

"Bright is the day, your Majesty." he swooped his head down as if in a bowing gesture.

Cath's expression was emotionless when she spoke. "Indeed."

The shimmering red heels were loud when she began to retreat back to her throne commanding the guards to take the children away. When Crow pulled the red collar of his shirt up as he left his eyes never left Hatta just like Hatta's never left the Queen's.

"Do you mind telling me, Hatta," Catherine finally began, "why you were found in my castle?"

"Actually yes. I do mind. It's no business of yours what a humble salesman as myself does with his time," he sneered.

Catherine's fingers wrapped into fists but she had not a single clue of how she was maintaining her rage. "Salesman? If I do recall Hatta, the law forbid-"

"Yes, yes, 'to and from the lands of Chess is strictly forbidden', bunch of nonsense that is." he flailed his arms.

"So you confess to such illegal actions?"

"Of course not. I am but a lawful man myself." Hatta straightened his hat. "I simply sale simple hats to simple people. Would you care for one, your Majesty?"

Cath smirked. "You are smart as you are mad, Hatta. Don't play foolish with me." At her response Hatta only simply smiled swaying his head side to side every so often. The action didn't surprise Cath but it did annoy her just a little. Taking her golden staff, everyone was caught off guard when she threw it at his chest. Silencing even the wind.

Instantly the white hairs in Hattas head became still. He looked down then back at her but his mocking smile had vanished. 'Alice' was his only response.

"Alice?" she questioned, her finger to her lip. She smiled, "Yes, curious little thing isn't she. I think I'll keep her around."

"Why?" he said with surprise. "Are you gonna make her your new fool."

Catherine smiled. She knew exactly where he was getting at. "I see no need of that she already seems to be acquainted with the maddest man in the land. She's pathetic enough as she already is." Hatta wanted to glare up at Cath but he knew doing so would only give her satisfaction. Before he could speak in defense Cath snapped her fingers. The noise vibrated through the walls perhaps even beyond the old court room. "Take him away." Cath ordered.

Hatta began to shake his head laughing, cackling at her words. The guards caught him by the arm almost making him trip over the stairs. "And what say you old friend?" Hatta called meeting the old bird's eyes. "Going to spike my head as well?"

"Nevermore." Raven's wings took him away.

Hatta lowered his head. "Very well, your Majesty." He attempted a bow. "May you be as kind as to tell me what my crime is today. You have no proof I attempted to reach your criminal and I am an acquaintance of the King. So what law stands by your actions?" Hatta hissed.

"Hatta, I am the law." Cath smiled. "Haven't you noticed or have you already lost the final screw on your head? Hearts is not what it was before and madness is something I do not tolerate in my kingdom." Cath wasn't surprised by the way his lips curled more and more when they took him away or the way his laughter roared so loudly she could feel the sound even in her seat. He had always been insane and even he couldn't fix that.