The Adventures of Alice and Max
Chapter 32: Alice and Max Are Quiet Before the Storm
The King went forth with Winston, Alice, and Max who clung closely, following his trail up the rocky staircase and into his quarters.
Aunt Cherry pointed a rifle in their direction and spat, “Don’t move! I’ll shoot ya!”
“Aunt Cherry,” Edward said tiredly, “I is I. Do not fear. It’s Edward and the children.”
She dropped it, horrified at her cruel words. “Oh, darlings.” Kissing the kid’s heads and caressing her nephew’s hand, she asked, “What happened?”
Edward shook his head and slumped down to a chair, tired, hanging his droopy head. “Many things,” he said. “I don’t know where to start.”
“Well, how ‘bout some tea? And some blueberry buckle perhaps,” she said, bending over the oven door and presenting two large blue crumbles.
She made hot water, put in loose-leaf tea, and handed the kids their mugs as they all sipped in silence. Winston hung his head and took a short nap.
Breathing to catch their breath, the youthful King finally said, “The Transfigurans were tough, but you two have shown yourselves to be brave and strong in adversity. Especially you, Alice.”
Alice nodded and forced a grin as she drank her tea. “How much longer until we storm the Queen’s domain?”
He chuckled and said, “Alice, I don’t think that would be wise. We will fight around the surrounding Citadel where her castle lays but I don’t think we should enter her castle. She is too intelligent for us to infiltrate it without her own devious planning happening and stirring up inside her twisted mind without our knowledge.”
“Why not?”
“Well-” But he was cut off as the door abruptly swung open. Aunt Cherry jumped and raised her rifle but it happened to only be Ferdinand, standing in the doorway, aghast. Trembling, Cherry lowered it, sat down on a barrel, and sighed.
Ferdinand reported, “Sire, we’ve heard from our informants that the Queen sent the Transfigurans to lure you and defy you. She knew from Captain Rapture that the children had entered our domain. Now, she’s forcing you out. This is what she wants! Do not lead our people towards the City!”
“She wants Alice and Max,” he asked horrified. “But why? What have they done?”
“I do not fully know. She knew the children were with us and that we protected them from her dark magic. This was the last straw for her. Her rage is undeniable now. She is forcing your hand, my liege.”
Alice spoke up, “We entered the City illegally.”
Max hit her on her side. “What’re you doing?”
King Edward raised his eyebrows. “How did you manage that? You didn’t mention this before.”
“Mr. R, our friend, helped us and smuggled us through. That’s why Rapture has been after us ever since.”
“Ah, but there are hundreds of children transported through legally,” he said gravely. “Or secretly. Either way, she knows of the evil that goes on.” His rage boiled up inside of him. The kids could sense it.
“What?!” the two shouted together.
“Aye, it’s true. That’s why she wants to punish me because we didn’t play by her rules. But I’m done playing by her rules. We are the Free People! We do not stand by and let tyranny reign. I will not do it any longer.”
“My informants say she makes the kidnapped children her servants in the castle,” Ferdinand said, gritting his teeth.
“This is horrible,” Alice shouted. “We must do something! We have to storm the castle! We must!”
“I’m with Alice,” Max said.
Winston awoke and groggily said, “As am I.”
“How can you know that, King,” Alice asked. “And let the Queen get away with it? She must be stopped!”
Edward nodded in silence and then said, “Aye, you’re right, Alice.” The King’s anger raged inside of him because of the injustice of the Queen, but he had it at bay. “Truly, she is the most wicked and most vile thing I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.”
“She must be stopped! And if she wants us then we’ll go to her!” Alice growled, raising her golden sword. Fearful, Max nodded, raising his sword along with his best friend.
The King asked, “What do you mean? Storm the castle? Break down the walls?”
“Yes,” Alice said beaming. “Bring the fight to her.”
Max nodded and said, “That’s not a bad idea,” becoming more confident.
“Yes, yes,” Edward said, smiling more broadly. “That is the greatest idea I’ve heard yet! Let’s do it!
“Alice and Max, we shall go to her. Together. Now you have heard it yourselves. Bear in mind, she desires to horde you for… Things I don’t fully know yet. Evil things, I believe, but be strong. We shall fight her together. But I fear, she will use her dark powers to separate us. Be vigilant for she is cunning, as I’ve told you.”
The army of the Old King’s People gathered and assembled together. They all began to journey through the Forgotten Forest and into the dark woods where the evil magic had spread and destroyed all life. They journeyed through and kept going until they came to the sides of the Queen’s City. Entering the sewers underneath the city, everyone remained quiet as the boys and young men huddled close together with pointed swords. Small daggers swung by their sides as they echoed through softly in the blackness of the tunnels.
Infiltrating the dark and desolate city below, the army spread like vines, growing further and deeper into the heart of the Queen’s Capitol.
Meanwhile, Alice and Max were among the soldiers stationed in front alongside King Edward and Winston. They waited with anticipation until the men were stationed properly and until Edward gave the order.
Silently, Alice stood there with her armor on with a breastplate across her chest, armor for her knees and legs. A silver helmet decked on her head as she breathed in and out slowly, waiting for the army to attack.
Max stood shivering slightly from the cold wind that had traveled below. He wore his large helmet too big for his head as he rattled in the cold and dark day. He had his small sword in its sheathe and a blue acorn was etched on his breastplate.
It felt as if the Queen’s fingers searched for the children. The children were told she had beckoned to them, she wanted them for some special reason. Alice considered this and wondered but Max knew for certain it was for wicked purposes. He could sense it, felt it in his bones.
“How much longer, sire,” Winston said gently.
He hushed him, “Easy… easy… You can almost feel it, huh?”
“Feel what?”
“The rush, the movements, the uneasiness,” Edward said, quietly. “We have stirred something, Winston. Something dark and sinister. We must face it with courage and faith.”
The City fell silent. The rushes of noise and fierceness ceased. The sirens and alarms died down. The lights flicked eerily down the deserted streets.
“What’s happening?” Winston whispered. Then he turned to a small chap and said, “Go see what’s going on down in the systems. Now!” Faster than lightning, he ran off.
“Where is everyone?” Max whispered to King Edward.
“The Queen lured the Transfigurans here to scare everyone out of the streets and into hiding, I believe.”
“For what?”
“To evade unnecessary manslaughter in the attack.”
“Well, at least she’s not totally corrupt.”
“Well, she has her reasons,” Edward said gravely. “I think she’s doing it to appease the people. To show them she tried to save them and we are the infiltrators to her peaceful reign and Kingdom.”
Alice thought about the treachery of this mysterious Queen. They still hadn’t met her yet and she wondered about her mysterious presence.
What was she like? Was she so terrible as everyone made her out to be? Maybe she was misunderstood? But she tossed these thoughts out of her mind and thought about the wickedness of Rapture, her most trusted servant. But she knew, she just knew, they had to leave now. Right this moment.
“King,” Alice said, “We have to go. We have to make the first move.”
Edward drew his hand at her and gently said, “Wait. Not yet. Just a little more…”
Stirrings began across towards the Queen’s Gardens and toward her wicked castle. A dark and hideous tower of dreadful demise, towered over the City, mocking everyone with its oppressive optics, waiting for the King and his Free people to become the King’s Imprisoned Folk.
To Be Continued…
