Page 70 of Madness Becomes Her

She nods as she turns to pluck at a yellow flower on the massive hedge wall beside her. Vines with bright yellow flowers wind up the wall.

Somewhere, a fountain’s waters give the gardens a sense of calm serenity.

“What happened between the two of you?” I ask, hoping her answer isn’t bewildering and hard to decipher.

“She wanted more than this world could give. She wished to be in the spotlight I was standing in.”

Thankful that she’d spoken plainly, I bite the inside of my cheek.

“She wanted to rule what was rightfully yours,” I realize.

“She did.”

“So you can speak normally,” I say with a grin.

She turns, looking over her shoulder. Guards follow us but have dropped back some to give us privacy.

“I can. I like to keep them chasing their tails. It’s quite entertaining.”

A laugh erupts from me. “Quite.”

“You’re worried about wielding the Vorpal Blade,” she says, sitting on a bench beside a beautiful fountain.

The depiction of dragons swirling through the raging waters makes me take in the grandeur of every curve of stone and glistening diamond encrusted in their eyes before sitting beside the queen.

“I’m worried more about using a blade to kill something. This isn’t my world; I don’t belong here any more than I should kill its creatures.”

“I understand. Well, I don’t, but I’ll try.”

I quirk a brow. “Why don’t you understand?”

“Because this is your home.”

Remembering what Hatter told me about how he marked me to allow me to get into Wonderland, I turn and eye the fountain, watching water cascade over stone dragon scales and feeling a deep sense of calm cover me.

“I only belong here because Hatter decided I did. Not because it’s truly my home.” The realization has tears welling in my eyes.

I can’t shed them.

I won’t.

I’m no longer a scared little girl. I ignore the fact that I’m not a scared girl anymore because of Hatter, because part of me is angry that he marked me without my knowledge.

The other part of me knows I wouldn’t be who I am today without him.

“What Hatter did for you goes against the laws of Wonderland. Against the laws of the universe, dear girl.”

I swallow thickly. “Well, he did them without asking me.”

“You mean he did it without hesitation? One does that for the ones they love. He’d have done it for any of his friends. You should count yourself lucky.”

I do.

I just have to process everything in my own time. Being here is enough on its own, and that’s before you factor in everything else about before that I’m slowly remembering and my overwhelming attraction to Hatter that’s quickly turning to more.

That fucking word…

“What’ll happen if I’m unsuccessful?” I ask the queen, turning on the bench to look her directly in the eye.