Page 11 of Knot My Wonderland, Part Two (Fairytale Omegaverse #2)
Chapter
Seven
ALICE
T he hours crawled by in a haze of crystalline light and growing disconnection.
I lay on the crimson silk sheets, staring at the moving constellations above as the Red Queen's tonic worked through my system like slow poison.
Each pulse of the collar sent waves of numbness deeper into my consciousness, making it increasingly difficult to hold onto the memories Aldric had told me to protect.
But I tried. I closed my eyes and forced myself to remember Heart's laugh, the way Chi's tail would wrap around my wrist when he sensed my anxiety, a gesture of comfort that needed no words.
The moment the pattern had first responded to my will, silver and gold light flowing beneath my skin like liquid starlight.
Each memory felt precious now, fragile as spun glass against the crimson fog trying to consume them.
The chamber door opened suddenly, making me flitch, revealing one of the mirror-eyed attendants.
She moved with that same eerie synchronization, carrying yet another silver dress—this one deeper in color, with crimson threading that seemed to pulse like veins beneath the fabric.
"Her Majesty requests your presence for dinner," the attendant said, her voice carrying that strange harmonic quality that made my collar hum in response. "You are to be prepared accordingly."
I stood on unsteady legs, the crimson fog making it difficult to gauge distance and direction.
The attendant's hands were gentle but firm as she helped me out of the white dress, the fabric pooling around my feet like discarded innocence.
The silver dress felt heavier as it settled over my skin, the crimson threading warm against my flesh as if it carried its own circulation.
"Beautiful," the attendant murmured, though her mirror-eyes reflected nothing. "The Queen will be pleased with your progress."
Progress. The word sent ice through my veins despite the unnatural warmth still pulsing through my system.
I caught my reflection in the obsidian walls—pale skin made luminous by whatever oils they'd used, the carved bone collar gleaming against my throat, the dress transforming me into something that belonged in the Red Queen's twisted court.
"What kind of progress?" I managed to ask, though my voice sounded distant even to my own ears.
The attendant's mirror-eyes reflected nothing as she adjusted the fall of the silver dress around my ankles. "Your transition, of course. The tonic is working beautifully. Her Majesty says you're adapting faster than expected."
A chill ran through me despite the warmth of the crimson threading against my skin. The collar pulsed gently, matching my increasingly sluggish heartbeat as I struggled to focus through the fog.
"I'm not transitioning to anything," I said, though the words felt thick on my tongue. "I'm still me."
Was I, though? I pressed my hand against my chest, searching for the golden thread that connected me to Heart.
It was there, but fainter than before—a dying ember rather than the warm flame it had once been.
The silver connection to Chi flickered in and out of existence, there one moment, gone the next.
The magic that I had started to learn felt harder to reach and makes me feel like I am almost a puppet.
The attendant either didn't hear my defiance or chose to ignore it, turning instead to arrange my hair with practiced precision. Her fingers worked through the strands, weaving in delicate crimson flowers that seemed to pulse with their own heartbeat against my scalp.
"The Queen says resistance is natural," she murmured, her voice melodic but hollow. "A necessary part of the cleansing process. The body fights before it surrenders."
I tried to pull away, but my limbs responded sluggishly, as though moving through honey. "I won't surrender," I managed, though the words slurred slightly at the edges.
The attendant's mirror-eyes caught mine in the reflection, showing nothing but my own pale face staring back. "They all say that at first."
A knock at the door interrupted whatever else she might have said.
Captain Aldric entered, his frozen-blood eyes sweeping over me with that same clinical detachment.
Today his uniform was deeper crimson, the insignia over his heart more elaborate—a sign that tonight's dinner held special significance.
"The Queen awaits," he announced, extending his arm in a formal gesture. "She is eager to continue your conversations."
I forced myself to stand straighter despite the fog clouding my thoughts.
Through the weakening golden bond, I felt Heart's presence surge—stronger than before, as if he was drawing closer.
The realization sent a flutter of hope through my chest, though I carefully kept my expression neutral.
If the Queen sensed any change in our connection, she might accelerate whatever she had planned.
Aldric's eyes met mine briefly as I took his arm, a flicker of warning passing between us. Don't give her any reason to suspect. The message was clear even without words.
"You look radiant," he said as he guided me through the doorway, his voice carrying just enough warmth to maintain the illusion of a devoted servant. "The Queen will be pleased with your appearance."
The corridors seemed to shift and flow around us as we walked, reality itself bending to the Red Queen's will. I focused on placing one foot in front of the other, using the physical movement to anchor myself against the crimson fog threatening to consume my thoughts.
"The second dose will be stronger," Aldric murmured, his voice pitched so low only I could hear it. "Fight it internally, but show compliance externally. The Queen watches for signs of resistance."
I gave a slight nod, not trusting my voice. The silver dress whispered around my ankles, the crimson threading pulsing against my skin like it was sampling my heartbeat. Through our weakened bond, I felt Heart's determination growing stronger and I did wonder what they were planning.
Aldric guided me down the ever-shifting halls, the click of his boots echoing like a metronome, grounding me in a world that no longer felt solid.
The crimson fog was relentless now, curling at the edges of my thoughts, making even the memory of my name feel like something held underwater.
We finally made it down the long hall, big doors of dark wood that almost seemed to be stained in red…
blood, if I had to guess. The wood was detailed with carvings that I didn’t have time to examine as the doors to the dining hall parted, a rush of heat and the scent of crushed roses swept over me.
My senses—dulled and blurred—still reeled at the intensity of it.
The cavernous room was lit not by torches or candles, but by chandeliers fashioned of living flame.
The fire light dancing along crimson vines that hung from the ceiling like veins in an open wound.
Everything glowed in hues of red, black, and silver, so rich and oppressive it made my bones ache.
A thousand reflections of myself stared back from mirrored columns and lacquered walls—each version of me cloaked in silver and crimson, each one looking just as lost and ghostly as I felt.
At the far end of the hall sat the Red Queen, draped across a throne that seemed carved from the ribs of a great beast. Her gown billowed around her like molten silk, pooling in deep shadows.
Jewels glittered at her throat and wrists like captured stars, but it was her eyes that held me—brilliant, bleeding garnet, narrowed in cold satisfaction the moment she saw me.
I tried not to shudder.
“Hello sweetheart.” She purred from her spot on the throne.
I tried not to show the disgust on my face at her pet name she gave me, “You are looking more and more like a princess.” I didn’t move at her words, but the feeling of disgust was burning in my stomach and I must have let it show on my face by her laugh.
“My princess and daughter. You are fitting in and soon, once the pattern is transferred you can stand by me. I am sure you will take to learning blood magic after you have a rest period.” The Queen told me, though it felt like she was talking to herself more than actually talking to me.
"I have no interest in blood magic," I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them. My voice sounded thin, distant even to my own ears. The collar pulsed a warning against my throat.
The Queen's smile never faltered. She rose from her throne with liquid grace, her gown flowing around her like living shadow as she descended the three obsidian steps to the main floor.
"Interest is irrelevant, my dear. Necessity shapes us all." She gestured to a long table I hadn't noticed before—crystalline and set for two, adorned with silver goblets and plates that seemed to glow from within. "Come. Sit with me."
Aldric's hand pressed lightly against my back, urging me forward.
Each step felt like walking through deep water, my limbs responding with frustrating delay.
The crimson threading in my dress pulsed against my skin as I approached the table, warming in response to the Queen's presence.
I could feel it drawing heat from my body, a parasitic relationship that left me chilled despite the room's oppressive warmth.
"Your resistance is admirable," the Queen said as I took my seat across from her. "But ultimately futile. Can you feel it? The thinning of those precious bonds you cling to so desperately?"
I remained silent, focusing on the golden thread that connected me to Heart. It flickered like a candle in a storm, but it was still there—and somehow stronger than it had been hours before. The realization gave me hope, though I carefully kept my expression neutral.
"The first dose creates... disorientation," she continued, gesturing to a servant who materialized from the shadows. "The second brings clarity of a different sort."