Page 25 of Tweedles Reflection (The Crimes of Alice #4)

“I hate you so much right now,” Kat grumbled, tugging at her long shimmery green dress for the hundredth time. We were getting ready for a double coronation in the Seelie Palace. Her as the new Seelie Queen and me as the High Queen.

It was an event neither of us wanted to be preparing for.

“No, you don’t,” I argued with a smile, adjusting the crown in her hair. “You love me.”

She huffed and rolled her eyes in the vanity mirror. “Well, yes, but I also hate you for making me do this. You couldn’t just beat the shit out of my mom? You had to kill her?”

I wasn’t surprised by the lack of emotion in Kat’s voice in reference to her mother’s demise. Everyone knew there was no love lost between them, though Tatiana had tried to bridge the gap with Kat’s impending pregnancy.

Laughing, I yanked on a strand of her pale blonde hair. “The next time one of your family members tries to kill me, I’ll try to maim instead of kill.”

Kat sighed dramatically. “That’s all I’m asking.” She shifted in her seat and pouted. “Chess won’t stop calling me Your Majesty. I’m this close from cutting him off from his favorite toys.”

“I don’t want to know.” I shook my head and stepped around her to smooth my hands down my pale blue gown. “At least you only have to worry about the Seelie. I have to deal with all you idiots.”

“Hey, I resent that.” She paused and then added on, “Nope. You’re right. Idiots. The lot of them.” Standing, she offered me her arm. “Ready?”

I let my magic sweep over the room and out into the throne room. Fae from every inch of the Underground had come to see me crowned.

Many of them begrudgingly accepted my rise to royalty, while the others just happy to be able to come home again. I didn’t anticipate any trouble today, but it never hurt to be ready.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I looped my arm through hers, and we exited the room together, heading toward our less than adoring fans. Well, on my part.

Everyone loved Kat, even more so now that she was taking her mother’s place.

The crowd screamed and clapped at our appearance, fae high and low filling the Seelie throne room. Chess took Kat from me the moment that she stepped into the room, while I turned to the four fae males that owned every inch of my heart.

When I had run away from my wedding day, I had never expected I would find not one love but four to replace Lewis. I especially never expected to go from mad Alice, the Great Pretender, to High Queen of the fae world.

For a brief moment, I wished my human family could see me now. Except I didn’t need them or their approval. I had a new family now, one that saw me for who I was and loved me anyways.

“Pet,” Cheshire purred, drawing me toward them. “You look radiant.”

I flushed. “Coby and Carban made it, I’m just wearing it.”

The twins spun me into their arms, hands pawing at my hips, thighs, bare back, wherever they could touch me. “We might have made it,” Coby began and Carban finished, “But you make it worth wearing.” Each of them kissed the side of my neck before releasing me to Hatter.

Hatter took me by the hands and lifted them to his mouth for a kiss. “What shall we do now? You have once more become my better, and I cannot abide by it.”

I giggled and flicked the tip of his hat. “We’ll just have to make sure that we sin a bit more to balance the scales.”

“Oh, I like the sound of that,” Cheshire growled, wrapping his arm around my waist. “I have a few ideas.”

“We have forever to dirty our queen up, but first...” Hatter gestured toward the crowd. “Your citizens await.”

The coronation for Kat was tradition. Mine was simply for the citizens. I was High Queen. Nothing could take that away from me. The fae could scream and rebel but it wouldn’t matter. In the end, the Underground choose who they wanted to rule and, unfortunately, that person was me.

While I addressed the fae, saying the rehearsed words, I made a promise to myself.

A promise to always be cool headed. To be just, not petty. To listen first before passing judgment.

And, most of all, to always, always trust the four fae males who had made the Underground a truly wonderful place.

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