Page 19 of Off with Her Head

The carriage waits in the courtyard, a magnificent conveyance of red lacquer and gold filigree, pulled by six white horses with roses braided into their manes. It's ostentatious, impractical, and exactly what I'd expect of the Queen of Hearts. Except I rarely use it, preferring to avoid leaving my castle at all when possible.

The card-soldiers bow as we approach, their paper forms rustling in the morning breeze. They'll escort us to the border of Darkmore, then turn back—their magic is too intertwined with Underland to function properly in the kingdom of eternal twilight.

Ravenna pauses before entering the carriage, her gaze sweeping over the castle and its surroundings. "Your kingdom is beautiful," she says unexpectedly. "Chaotic, excessive, utterly impractical—but beautiful nonetheless."

"I’m sure yours is as well," I reply. "In its own dark, mysterious way."

She smiles faintly. "We shall see if you still think so when we arrive. Constant night takes some adjustment for those unaccustomed."

I help her into the carriage, noticing how she winces slightly despite her attempts to hide it. The wound at her side may be contained, but it's far from healed. Another reason to reach Darkmore quickly—her own kingdom's magic might aid her recovery in ways Underland's chaotic energy cannot.

As I join her inside, closing the carriage door on the staring eyes of my court, an unexpected feeling washes over me. Not anxiety about leaving my kingdom, not trepidation about entering hers, but something lighter. Something almost like... excitement.

I'm leaving the borders of Underland for the first time in years. Going to Darkmore, a kingdom I know only through reputation and rumor. And I’m going there withher.

The carriage begins to move, wheels crunching over the rose-petal-strewn path that leads from my castle. Through the window, I watch Underland slide past—the card-soldiers standing at attention, the magical creatures going about their bizarre daily routines, the roses blooming. My kingdom.

Will it look different when I return? WillI?

Ravenna's hand finds mine in the dimness of the carriage, our magics instinctively connecting with that now-familiar surge of power. "Having second thoughts?" she asks.

"No." And it's true. Whatever lies ahead, facing it with Ravenna feels right. "You?"

"None." She squeezes my hand gently. "Though I should warn you—Darkmore may be... disconcerting at first. Dreams become more vivid, emotions more intense."

"You say that as if Underland is the pinnacle of logical reality," I reply with a small smile.

She laughs softly. "Fair point. But Underland's chaos is bright,visible. Darkmore's influence is subtler, more insidious. You might find yourself thinking things, feeling things, that you normally wouldn't."

The warning carries an undercurrent that makes me feel uneasy. Is she concerned about how I'll react to her kingdom? Or about how she'll react to having me there? About what might happen between us in a place where emotions intensify and boundaries blur?

"I'll keep that in mind," I say.

For a moment, neither of us speaks. The only sounds are the carriage wheels on the road and our slightly quickened breathing. The air between us feels charged, heavy in such a private and enclosed space.

"What do you want, Queen of Hearts?" Ravenna asks finally, her voice barely above a whisper.

It's a dangerous question. One that demands a level of honesty I've rarely allowed myself, even in the privacy of my own thoughts. But as we leave Underland behind, crossing into the borderlands between our kingdoms, I find I want to answer it.

"I want to protect my kingdom," I begin, choosing my words carefully. "I want to understand this magic that defies everything I thought I knew about power. I want..."

I hesitate, the final truth hovering unspoken between us. Ravenna waits, patient, her eyes never leaving mine. The carriage passes into shadow as we enter the forest that marks the boundary between our kingdoms, and twilight begins to fall around us—our first taste of Darkmore's eternal dusk.

In the dimness, with reality already beginning to shift in the way she warned it might, I find my courage.

"I want to know if your lips taste as sweet as they look," I confess softly. "I want to explore whether the connection between our magics extends to our bodies as well. I want to find out what happens when the Queen of Hearts allows herself to feel something besides fear and anger."

Ravenna's breath catches, her pupils dilating in the growing darkness. For a moment, I think I've gone too far,revealedtoo much. And then she's leaning forward, closing the distance between us with deliberate slowness.

"As it happens," she murmurs, her breath warm against my lips, "I want much the same."

The first brush of her mouth against mine is tentative, questioning and cautious. A request rather than a demand. But when I respond, sliding my free hand into her hair to pull her closer, hesitation vanishes like morning mist into sunlight.

Where our lips crash, energy surges between us, intertwining in a helix of power that makes the very air in the carriage shimmer. Her hand cups my face, gentle despite the strength I know she possesses, and I find myself melting into the contact, hungry for more.

My fingers tighten in her hair, and she makes a soft sound against my mouth that sends heat spiraling through me. Her tongue traces my lower lip, requesting entry that I eagerly grant. The hand not holding mine slides to my waist, drawing me impossibly close.

Time loses meaning, reality narrowing to the points where our bodies connect—lips, hands, the press of her body against mine as I pull her nearer still. The magic between us builds, wild and beautiful, red and black energies swirling together.

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