Oh dear.
I realize too late that what I've done is the equivalent of long-pressing on a button to "enter" the image.
Plop!
Teleporting does its job in a second, and when I open my eyes, I'm once again dizzy, queasy, and watching snow fall from dusky pink skies. Winter, I think dazedly. This means I'm still in Winter—-
"So you're back."
The words, even though gently spoken, have me shooting up to a sitting position in alarm, and I turn warily towards the sound—
Oh!
There's a man leaning against the waist-high stone walls of the balcony, and I feel my foolish heart race at the sight of him. He's tall and splendidly elegant, his lean, muscular form made more impressive by his black military uniform with its bejeweled epaulets, golden buttons, and fancy trimmings.
His hair is an arresting shade of red and gold, and his eyes the color of obsidian. His features are classically handsome, and he wears his power and authority like he's born to it.
Although I'm certain I've never met him before, there's just something about him...something about the way his obsidian gaze is now studying my every move like I'm his enemy...
The thought unnerves me, and I quickly shove it out of my mind, not wanting to give it even a second to linger and create trouble. This man is a stranger, and I need to at least keep an open mind about him. After all, the card's supposed to...
Oh!
I point to the playing card he's idly twirling around his fingers. "That's, uh..."
"Yes?"
His voice is still exquisitely gentle, but something about it makes my heart squeeze for some reason, and it takes me an extra moment before I can compose myself enough to answer him. "That card..." I gesture awkwardly to the card he's still twirling around his fingers. "It's mine—-"
"I know."
"Then..." I'm about to ask him to hand it over, but the man beats me to speaking.
"Every Alice who chooses to play the game gets one, yes?"
"How do you know—-"
"Because I'm the prize."
My body jerks at his words.
The...prize?
"I don't understand."
"Clearly." His lips curve as he speaks, and my still-foolish heart skips a beat at this. "I've never played the game. Obviously. But from what I can remember, this card is supposed to be..."
"The key to what an Alice most desires," I hear myself say, and something inside of me stupidly quivers when the man actually nods to this like...
"Are you saying that's you?"
His lips twitch. "Is it that hard to believe?"
I feel myself blushing of all things, and I blush even harder when I see the soft, teasing gleam in his obsidian eyes.
"It's alright," he says softly.
Is it?
Because right now, all I can hear is my heart pounding as I watch him slowly walk towards me, and the closer he is, the faster and harder my heart beats.
I feel weak in the knees just watching him, and when he finally joins me in the couch, it's as if there's this invisible, irresistible pull between our bodies, and while it steals my breath away, it's when I see something flash on his fingers—-
No.
That's when I almost stop breathing completely.
"Alice?" His voice, no longer gentle, is made sharp by concern. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?"
Nothing.
Everything.
Because his signet ring?
The symbol carved on it is that of a sabre...toothed...felid.
Which only means I've finally met the third co-ruler of Winter.
His Majesty...?? The King of Hearts ??THE REALIZATION SENDS my mind spiraling, and I'm stunned frozen, able only to watch as the King of Hearts straightens—-
Blink.
That's all I did. A blink, and suddenly he's standing right in front of me, and I can only tremble under his obsidian gaze.
He offers his hand, and butterflies inside my stomach instantly go a-flutter. I want to take it, but...
"Don't be shy," he whispers.
If it were the Cheshire Cat saying that, I would've bristled. If it were the Hatter, that would've been a command.
But the King of Hearts...
There's just something about him that haunts and torments me.
Something about him that makes me vulnerable—-
That when he bends down to take my hand, I can only let him. I'm infatuated and enthralled. Swept off my bloody feet like I don't know any better. And as I watch our fingers twine, and I feel the sweet, possessive heat of his touch seep into mine, I feel the whole world melting away until nothing else matters...
But him.
My King of Hearts.
The thought comes out of nowhere, but I welcome it, even find myself smiling a little, and when the King sees this, his lips slowly curve as well—-
Oh dear.
My knees turn to jelly at the sight, and it's only when I hear him chuckle softly that I realize I've unthinkingly squeezed his hand.
Oops.
I automatically stammer out an apology, but when I try tugging my fingers out of his hold, the King only looks at me—-
"No."
He says it ever so gently, and I actually find myself...pouting. It's stupid, childish, embarrassing. It's not like me at all, but I can't seem to help it.