Page 106 of Knot My Wonderland: Part Two
"The words don't need to be perfect," Vee said, his thumb gently stroking my cheek. "Let them see your pattern, your bonds. The truth will speak through you."
Dee nodded, his silver eyes reflecting the same certainty. "The probability matrices show language is secondary. Your presence—the visible manifestation of balanced pattern magic—will communicate more than any speech."
I leaned into their touch, drawing strength from their unwavering confidence. Through our bond, I felt their analytical minds calculating every variable, every potential outcome—and still finding reasons for optimism.
Vee leaned down his eyes on me before his lips were on mine. Vee's kiss was unlike anything I'd experienced with my other bonded ones—precise, calculated, yet strangely tender. Through our silver connection, I felt his mathematical mind mapping every response, every subtle reaction, creating a perfect equation of pleasure that made the bond between us hum. When he pulled back, Dee stepped forward without hesitation, his lips replacing his twin's with seamless synchronization.
"Remember," Dee murmured as he withdrew, "we're connected through the network. If you falter, draw on our certainty. Heart and Chi have the best bond to use, but if you need us we can help and so can Seth."
"We'll be right beside you," Vee added, his silver eyes holding mine with unwavering confidence. "The Queen cannot counter what she doesn't understand, and she has never understood the power of genuine connection."
I nodded, feeling the last of my anxiety settle into focused determination. Through our bond network, I sensed Heart andChi approaching, their golden and silver energies pulsing with protective readiness. Seth's shadows danced at the edges of my awareness, darkness coiled with deadly patience.
"It's time," Heart said as he reached us, his ruby eyes taking in the growing crowds at the market's central fountain. "The resistance fighters are in position, and my mother's spies have already been spotted in the crowd."
Chi's tail flicked with nervous energy as he studied the bustling square. "Word is spreading quickly. People are gathering faster than we anticipated." I could see it too—the subtle shift in the market's energy as rumors spread from stall to stall, shopkeepers pausing mid-transaction to glance toward the entrance where we stood partially concealed. Some were pointing, whispering behind their hands as they recognized Heart's distinctive golden patterns or Chi's feline silhouette.
"They're already watching," I murmured, feeling the weight of countless eyes searching for a glimpse of the girl the Queen had declared kidnapped and corrupted.
Seth materialized beside us, his shadows rippling with controlled anticipation. "The stage is set," he said, his voice carrying harmonics of darkness that made the void bond between us pulse with responsive energy. "My network reports the Queen has been alerted. She's preparing to make her move so we better move now."
I squared my shoulders, drawing strength from the completed bonds flowing through me in harmonious cycles. "Then let's not keep her waiting."
Heart offered his arm with formal grace, his golden patterns pulsing beneath his skin with protective determination. Chi moved to my other side, his silver energy rippling as his tail curled possessively around my wrist. The Tweedles positioned themselves slightly behind us, their synchronized movementscreating a perfect flanking formation. Seth remained just out of sight, his shadows ready to strike from unexpected angles.
Together, we stepped into the bustling Central Market.
The reaction was immediate. Conversations halted mid-sentence as people turned to stare. A wave of silence spread outward from our position like ripples in a pond, shoppers and merchants alike freezing in place as they took in our appearance. I felt their eyes drawn to the silver-blue dress with its pulsing embroidery, to the visible marks on my neck, to the pattern that now blazed beneath my skin with unprecedented brightness.
"It's her," someone whispered, the words carrying clearly through the sudden hush. "The one the Queen has been searching for."
Heart's arm tightened protectively around mine as we made our way toward the central fountain. With each step, the silence deepened, broken only by urgent whispers and the occasional gasp. I could feel the weight of their attention—some curious, some hopeful, others suspicious or fearful.
"The Red Queen's daughter," another voice muttered, louder this time. "They say she was kidnapped..."
"Look at her neck," came a woman's sharp reply. "Those are mating marks. Freely given, by the look of them."
The crowd parted before us, creating a path to the raised stone platform beside the central fountain. Heart guided me forward with steady confidence, his golden patterns blazing beneath his skin like captured sunlight. Chi prowled beside us, his silver energy rippling with protective alertness as he scanned the growing crowd for potential threats.
I climbed the stone steps to the platform, my silver-blue dress flowing around me like liquid starlight. The moment I reached the top, the pattern beneath my skin flared with brilliant intensity that made several people in the crowd gasp audibly.
"Citizens of Wonderland," I began, my voice carrying clearly across the now-silent market. The protective bracer on my wrist pulsed with warm energy, steadying my nerves. "I am Alice, and I stand before you of my own free will."
A murmur rippled through the crowd at my words. I could see the confusion on many faces—this was clearly not the terrified, corrupted victim the Queen had described.
“You have been told I was kidnapped, that my mind was poisoned against the Red Queen," I continued, my voice growing stronger as the pattern beneath my skin pulsed with silver-gold light. "You have been told that I am her daughter, stolen away by criminals and corrupted by dark magic."
I stepped forward on the platform, letting the crowd see me clearly—the dress that rippled with pure pattern magic, the mating marks that proclaimed my bonds freely chosen, the way light seemed to emanate from my very skin.
"These are lies," I declared, my voice ringing across the silent market. "I am not the Red Queen's daughter. I am not her victim.”
I gestured to Heart and Chi, who stepped forward to flank me on the platform. Their patterns blazed beneath their skin—Heart's golden warmth and Chi's silver coolness creating a visual harmony that made the crowd murmur with recognition. Off to the side the Tweedles stood tall next to Seth who was eyeing everyone with a cold look.
"These bonds were chosen freely," I declared, touching the mating marks on my neck. "Given in love, not taken by force. The Red Queen would have you believe I am her victim, but the truth is far different."
A woman near the front of the crowd called out, "Then why does she search for you with such desperation?"
I felt Seth's shadows stir at the edges of the crowd, ready to strike if anyone moved against me, but I held up a hand to show I welcomed the question.
