Marco sat on the floor of the dusty room, the yellow tulip resting in his palm. The weight on his chest was gone. The chains of his imagination had dissolved, leaving only the quiet hum of the morning air. He took a deep breath, the air tasting sweet and new. He was finally free.
Miles away, in the cold stone basement of the Alice Dome, a similar shift was happening.
Elaine stretched her arms above her head, the joints in her shoulders popping loudly. She looked at the iron bars of their cell with a bored expression. She dusted off her skirt and sighed.
"Why are we still here, then?" Elaine asked casually, as if they were waiting for a carriage that was running late.
Carmine, who was sitting on the floor nursing her headache, looked up in confusion. "Well, we can't get out, Elle. The door is locked. The guards are upstairs. We are trapped."
Elaine turned to her, a smirk playing on her lips. She leaned down, offering Carmine a hand. "Honey, nobody has ever really caught Elaine."
Before Carmine could ask what she meant, Elaine reached through the bars. Her fingers, slender and precise, found the latch mechanism on the outside. With a simple twist and a firm yank, the rusty lock clicked open. The door swung wide.
Carmine blinked, her jaw dropping slightly. "How did you...?"
"I spent my childhood learning how to lockpick from the kitchen staff," Elaine shrugged. "Let's go."
They stepped out into the dim corridor. But they didn't make it far.
Standing in the hallway, blocking their path, was Meredith. She looked disheveled, clutching her journal to her chest, her eyes wide with desperate hope.
"Elaine!" Meredith gasped, stepping forward. "I came to save you! I... I love you. I always have. Please, let me help you."
Elaine stopped. She looked at Meredith, then at Carmine, then back at Meredith.
"Meredith," Elaine said, her voice flat. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I love you!" Meredith repeated, tears welling in her eyes. "I know we had a past, and I know I made mistakes, but—"
"It was just one night, Meredith," Elaine cut her off, her tone sharp and dismissive. "And I don't love you. I never did. Not like that."
Meredith froze, the color draining from her face.
Elaine didn't wait for a reaction. She turned to Carmine, who was standing there looking awkward. Elaine grabbed Carmine by the collar of her shirt and pulled her in, planting a firm, possessive kiss right on her lips in the middle of the hallway.
Carmine's eyes went wide, her face flushing a deep crimson.
Meredith stood there, completely blank, staring at the couple. The journal slipped from her fingers and hit the floor with a thud.
Elaine pulled back, wiping her lip. She winked at Carmine. "That's who I love. Now, get out of my way, Meredith."
Carmine, still in a daze, followed Elaine as they brushed past the statue-still maid. They walked up the stairs, leaving the ghost of the past behind in the dark.
They pushed open the heavy oak doors and stepped into the main hall. The daylight had entered the halls, beams of sunlight cutting through the gloom, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air.
Standing in the center of the hall, looking frazzled and panicked, was Gladis.
She turned at the sound of the doors. Her eyes widened in shock. "You! You're out? How?"
Gladis's face crumpled. She ran towards them, screaming. "MOTHER! MOTHER! They escaped! Help!"
Elaine rolled her eyes. As Gladis got close, Elaine reached out and grabbed a fistful of the girl's hair, yanking her head back.
"You fathomless bitch," Elaine said, her voice dripping with disdain. She looked down at Gladis's tear-streaked face. "And what the fuck did you say before? That you and your mother were first here? That you were the true heirs?"
Gladis whimpered, struggling. "Let me go!"
"Listen, Gladis," Elaine hissed, leaning in close. "You and your mother are sadly and pathetically whores. That's the history. Deal with it."
Carmine, standing behind Elaine, let out a loud, shocked chuckle. She couldn't help it.
Gladis turned her head, glaring at Carmine with watery eyes. "What? What is so funny?"
Carmine covered her mouth, shrugging. "Sorry. It was just... really accurate."
Gladis began wailing again, a high-pitched, annoying sound.
Suddenly, the doors to the side chamber burst open. Lady Tisdale marched in, flanked by a dozen soldiers in full armor.
"Arrest her!" Tisdale shrieked, pointing a shaking finger at Elaine. "Kill her for goodness' sake! Do it now!"
The soldiers drew their swords and charged.
Elaine sighed. "Oh, give me a break."
She shoved Gladis to the floor and stepped forward. As the first soldier swung his sword, Elaine ducked. She wasn't a trained assassin like Carmine, but she was a Wood. She was wild. She tackled the soldier, grabbing his helmet and headbutting him. She moved like a whirlwind, kicking shins, biting arms, and throwing flower vases with reckless abandon.
Amidst the chaos, Gladis saw her opportunity. She scrambled to her feet, smirking. Elaine was busy fighting three guards.
"Sorry, sister," Gladis whispered.
She pulled a sharp, jeweled hairpin from her bun. It was long and pointed, perfect for a kill. She lunged at Elaine's exposed back.
Suddenly, a hand shot out, catching Gladis's wrist in a vice-like grip.
Gladis gasped. She looked up.
It was Carmine. Her face was serious, her eyes cold.
"She is not the only wild one here, you know," Carmine said softly.
Carmine twisted Gladis's wrist. She didn't let go. instead, she molded her hand around the hairpin, forcing the girl's fingers open, and plucked the weapon from her grip.
With a flick of her wrist, Carmine threw the hairpin. It whistled through the air and embedded itself in the wall, just an inch from Lady Tisdale's ear.
Tisdale screamed, ducking and covering her head.
Carmine then shoved Gladis backward. The girl stumbled and fell onto her rear, sliding across the polished floor until she crashed into a suit of armor, which collapsed on top of her with a loud crash.
The fighting stopped. The soldiers, seeing their leader cowering and the "whore" daughter buried under scrap metal, hesitated.
Lady Tisdale stood up, trembling, her hair a mess. She looked at her defeated daughter, the wild King's sister, and the terrifying maid.
She looked at the ceiling, her face twisted in pure, unadulterated frustration.
"All the planning!" Tisdale screamed at the ceiling. "The poisons! The schemes! Why?! What the actual fuck! Why couldn't all the things stay gloomy this season?!"
Elaine dusted off her hands. She walked over to Carmine, who was trying to suppress a grin.
They looked at the furious, defeated Tisdale.
Elaine and Carmine looked at each other and burst out laughing. It was a bright, happy sound that echoed through the halls of the Dome.
Elaine looped her arm through Carmine's. She winked at the seething Lady.
"Never mess with lovers, dear."
To be continued.