THE PRESENT TIME: BUCKINGHAM PALACE, LONDON
M argaret stood before the Queen, watching her feed peanuts to her dogs. The Queen awarded them one each, only after they slobbered and licked her feet. The Queen liked the feeling while she drank bone broth of the people whose heads she had chopped off last week. Human bone broth gave her power, like drinking an enemy’s blood from their skulls.
“Brilliant plan, Margaret,” the Queen said. “I thought you were dumb. But you turned out to be a little better than that. Rather stupid, which is way better than dumb.”
“Thank you, My Queen.” Margaret wasn’t going to comment. Like always, she sucked in all the humiliation until she got what she wanted. “But that’s not just it.”
“What could you have possibly done better than getting the keys from Alice by sending her to the future?”
“The fact that only I control the aspects of this plan, My Queen.”
The Queen stopped feeding her dogs. She spat out the bone broth at them. The poor pets moaned and lowered their chins to the floor. “What do you mean, Margaret?”
“I mean, the keys will be delivered to me, not you, My Queen.” Margaret tried not to snicker or smile. When doing business, a poker face was her mask.
“I’m not sure I heard you well.”
“No, you did,” Margaret said, hands laced before her. “And I’m not going to repeat myself.”
“Holy Lords of Wonderland.” The Queen sighed. “Are you blackmailing me?”
“Who said I’m blackmailing you, My Majesty?”
“You said the keys will be delivered only to you and not to me.”
“That’s right, but it doesn’t mean I will not deliver them to you.”
“I’m paradoxically, nonsensically, unexplainably confused.”
Because you are dumb little thing. “Why so, My Queen? I will deliver you the keys, under one condition.”
“You are blackmailing me.”
“I wouldn’t call it that. Think of it as a small employee in a large company asking for a raise in exchange for the things they do and never take credit for.”
“It’s still blackmail.” The Queen chewed on a nut. “So, you want a raise?”
I want to be the queen, but it’s too soon to bring that to the table. “No. I don’t want a raise.”
“It’s Mary Go Round all over again. You’re blackmailing me, but you’re not blackmailing me. You want a raise, but you don’t want a raise. A puzzle?”
“Not at all.” Margaret took a single step forward. “I will give you the keys if you give me what I want.”
“Which is?”
“You know what I want.”
The Queen dropped her nut. She finally got it.
“I want what you have taken from me.” Margaret’s eyes moistened, although she’d sworn to hold back her emotions. “I want what made me become your tool for so many years. It’s time you bring it back.”
“You know I don’t want to give that back to you.” The Queen stared at her from top to bottom.
“But it’s mine. Not yours.”
“I believe things are only yours if you have them.” The Queen smiled flatly. “How can they be yours if you don’t?”
“They were mine once.”
“But they aren’t now. See the logic?”
“Then, you get no keys.” Margaret collected herself and took a step back. “And, you know what I can do with them.”
“I don’t think you know what the keys are for, Margaret,” the Queen said. “And you know I can chop your head off right now.” She glanced at her bowl of bone broth on the table. “How I’d love to drink your brain in that bowl.”
“Suit yourself.” Margaret turned and walked to the door.
“Wait.” Margaret didn’t turn and face the Queen, so she’d keep up the tension. “I will give you what you want, but you must know you will be my enemy then.”
“I understand.”
“I hurt my enemies bad, Margaret.”
“I’ve witnessed that.”
“As you wish,” the Queen chirped. “What’s wrong with getting the keys in exchange for this stupid thing you want from me?” she mumbled. “Bring me the keys. You get what you want.”
“Thank you,” Margaret said, and walked out to the hallway, her chin up. She mustered her Duchess face as she dealt with all kinds of businesses.
A few moments later, she took the elevator, waited until she was alone, and began crying her heart out.