THE PRESENT: BUCKINGHAM PALACE
“Y ou have what I want?” Margaret asked the Queen of Hearts.
“I do,” the Queen said. “But you didn’t really have to blackmail me, Duchess. You could just have asked.”
“You never listen.”
“Then, you could just have shut up.”
Margaret shrugged. “I need you to fulfill your part of the deal. Give me back what belongs to me.”
“I will.” The Queen called her guards and told them to let the woman with the red fur in.
Margaret stared at the woman for a long time. It was good to see her, but this wasn’t the deal. “Where is he?”
“Patience,” the woman in the red fur said, and then clapped her hands.
A chubby young boy entered the room. He licked an ice cream and looked confused.
Margaret’s eyes moistened. She opened up her arms, waiting for him to come to her. But the boy stood there licking on his ice cream.
“Don’t you remember me?” Margaret said.
The boy shook his head.
“I’m your mother.”
“My mother is the woman in the red fur.”
“No.” Margaret got on her knees. “I am your mother. They lied to you.”
“If you’re my mother, then you must be deliciously evil. Do you like to hurt people?”
Margaret was shocked.
“Yes, dear Duchess,” the Queen of Hearts interrupted. “Your son grew to be one of us. He is a nasty Black Chess member now. I’m proud of him.”
“You filthy b—”
“No need for swearing. I took your son from you back then, so you’d always do as I say. Now I brought him back. You should be thankful.”
“But he is — ”
“He is not going to remember you’re his mother or return to his old self unless I cure him,” the Queen said. “And I won’t do that until we win the war.”
“So you’ve planned this from the beginning. You knew you wouldn’t give him back to me.”
“I may be short, but I’m smarter than you. How many times do I need to spell it out for you?”
“So, what do you want from me?”
“To keep working for me, Duchess. Once we win the war, you can have your innocent version of your son back. Until then…”
“The show must go on, I know,” Margaret said. “Please don’t hurt him until then.”
“As long as you obey me.”
Margaret hesitated then nodded. “At your service, My Queen.”
“Brilliant. We have a new monster coming. A special one. This one has the key to the Pillar and Fabiola’s weaknesses.”
“Why those two?”
“Because once we find the keys, all we need to win the war is to get rid of those two.”
“I see.”
“One last thing.”
“Yes, My Queen.”
“The coming monster never lost a war, so we’re expecting someone to die, from us or the Inklings — but it’ll be worth it.”
“Why?”
“He is one of few who knows how to use the keys.”