Page 157 of Happily Ever Witch
“Iamyour lawyer.” The Knave retorted.
“Well, who is the prosecution then?”
“I’m that, too.”
“Are you the judge, as well?”
“No. Their majestic majesties are the judges.”
“They already think I’m guilty.”
The Knave shrugged. “Because you are.”
Marrok nodded like that made sound judicial sense.
The Mad Hatter rolled his swirling eyes. “Since I’m finding him guilty anyway, can I just go? I’m missing tea.”
“Don’t be silly, Hatty. We haven’t heard all the evidence, yet.” The Queen of Clubs was relishing this. “We have to learnwhyhe’s guilty.”
Grimhilde cackled, enjoying Trevelyan’s hopeless legal position. Clearly, she was a cruel and malicious person. Too bad that Trevelyan planned to kill her. Under other circumstances, he and Grimhilde might have gotten along famously.
“First witness!” A Three of Clubs came marching into the room carrying a hunk of wood on a velvet pillow.
Trevelyan blinked as the familiar looking log was paraded past him and carefully set on the witness stand.
Marrok squinted in confusion. “What the fuck is that?”
“Obscenity!” The Knave shouted. “Under Rule Forty-Two, that’s another mandatory year added to the dragon’s life sentence.”
The jury wrote that down.
“Thanks a lot.” Trevelyan told Marrok.
Marrok made a face. “You’re getting life anyway.”
The Queen of Clubs made a sound of smug amusement. “Swear in Queen Alice.” She told the Knave. “We’re ready to begin questioning.”
The Mad Hatter frowned at the log. “Didn’t Alice used to be blonde?”
“I don’t even remember what my first wedding dress looked like.” Snow White pouted. “Marrok, sweetie, what did my wedding dress look like?”
“It was hideous.” He told her sadly.
Trevelyan glanced between them, wondering whatthiswas about, now. Whatever it was, Marrok was using it to feed the madness. If Esmeralda was right (and she usually was) Wonderland thrived on chaos and it was testing Trevelyan. Anything that added to the escalating disorder could only help him win.
Snow White’s eyes went wide. “My wedding dress was hideous?”
“Idreamedof you wearing a beautiful gown, my precious pearl.” Marrok lamented. He might not know the nuts-and-bolts of Wonderland’s thirst for anarchy, but it didn’t matter. Mayhem came naturally to him. “You wanted it, too. You would have looked like an angel of sunlight, and cartoon fawns, and those adorable parasols in sugary drinks. …Butyour motherinsisted you wear the ugliest gown in the kingdom.”
“What?” The Queen of Clubs’ head snapped around, only half-hearing that lie over the Knave’s questioning. “What about me?”
The Knave just talked louder. “Isn’t it true Alice --if thatisyour real name-- that Trevelyan transformed you into a log, thereby seizing control of the Heart Kingdom and directly threatening the rule of her imperial greatness, the Queen of Clubs!?”
The jury looked at the log.
The log sat there.
“She doesn’t even deny it.” The Mad Hatter complained with atsk.
