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Almost complete, the portal that would lead them back to their home is going to be fixed soon and based on all reports Victor received, the creatures they chased after were already being eradicated successfully one-by-one.

"Christie is not in her room" came Alfons with a deep grim sculpted on his face, those usually playful dark blue-indigo eyes gleamed seriously. "She can't leave without us knowing"

Something in the files caught Victor's attention, making him only half listening to his fellow Crown member. Strange pattern... why did I only see this now? On the reports sent by the others, all creatures who broke into their headquarters and original home had this same insignia branded on their skins. The queen instructed us to go here and kill these creatures, this doesn't feel right–

"Victor?" Alfons didn't look pleased about not being listened to, he exhaled and crossed his arms while narrowing his gaze. "This is important, it's a specific order from Her Majesty that Christie is not left alone whenever she's outside"

The long-haired man finally turned to him, mirroring the seriousness he had on. "We never questioned why"

"No...we normally don't" This was starting to sound odd, Alfons frowned. "Are we about the same topic here?"

A loud banging sound echoed in the private office after it was kicked open from the other side. William showed himself with a sinister smile that meant business and kicking ass–it was evident that he was pissed off. He walked inside uncaring about the looks thrown his way. "I want an audience with the old hag" His hand picked up the half-filled wine bottle on the coffee table, opening it and chugging its content without hesitation. "Wanna join me, mate? Seems like you also have many unspoken, lingering questions floating in your head" He chuckled dryly, looking at Victor.

–

Ellis carried a tray of tea and bread with him that morning, the entire walk in the corridor was basking in silence but more of an annoyed type because of this looming tall figure following behind. He halted in mid-steps.

His eyes twitched, irritated. "Seriously? What the heck are you doing, Elbert? You've been following me from the kitchen!"

"If you are going to check on Mary then so do I" Elbert saw their colleague William return with the redhead in his arms and sleeping soundly, it ignited jealousy within him to see them together. He already lost many hours he wanted to spend with their special guest, he was not oblivious that William garnered some kind of different attention for her.

Ellis rolled his eyes and said nothing more, they went to the room where their guest was–Mary lay in bed next to her stuffed animals. He keenly took notice of the details making this room appear more feminine and elegant–all her belongings were too expensive-looking to be owned by an ordinary maiden. Who is she?

"Mary..." Elbert breathed her name as if she was the oxygen in his lungs–coming closer, he plopped down on the bedside without stirring her wake and held the redhead's hand with his.

His companion placed the tray on the drawer beside her bed, "I can't fathom why those two are so into her..."

The blonde man caressed Mary's hand, "You mean our captives? Grim and Riddle?"

A nod of head from Ellis as he took a chair and sat down on it, "How could they care about someone else's well-being before themselves? Are they not afraid of dying for her?" It was truly infuriating, the last time he visited them to do another round of experiments, Riddle even threatened him about becoming a vengeful spirit to haunt them forever.

"Maybe you are jealous because of the close attachment they have with her," Elbert inputted with nonchalance which only irked Ellis more.

The red-haired woman in bed began to stir, her face making soft expressions as if she were in a rather intense dream. Then she spoke a bit, "Moors..."

Huh? "What?" Ellis asked.

An exhale, she was still dreaming or deep in a particular thought. "I wish I could build Moors back to its former glory and make my parents proud."

This only made Ellis puzzled, he didn't like the stir of familiarity inside him at the mention of Moors–he knew about it–read it from the books that it was Sleeping Beauty's mystical homeland, where she reigned and united two kinds. Sleeping Beauty was both a myth and elusive existence to many, no one knew where it took place or who wrote the story. All they knew was the book version that Moors went to sleep indefinitely after closing itself from humans and to never be known again.

"Will you get out of the room, Ellis?" Elbert asked, reaching out to push some crimson strands from Mary's face.

Ellis raised a brow, "Why?"

"So I can be alone with her"

"I rather not"

–

My little masterpiece...awake.

Christie's ebony eyes opened quickly, she became alert and spun around the spare room Rio lent for her to use the night before–her friend was in a separate room and probably slumbering peacefully.

Do you believe you can leave your responsibilities behind? You are tied to me, moreso than the inferior men in the organization.

"No, please let me live the life I want. I don't want this anymore" She sniffled, tearing up and the return of her twisted voice drove her anxiety to the roof again. The decorations and frames hanging against the walls shifted, becoming fearsome in her vision as if they were laughing at her in mockery.

Christie hurried out of bed, pulling the frames and throwing it on the floor. "Stop! I don't want to be in the organization anymore!" She cried.

An unseen force pushed the brunette to the wall, making her struggle to breathe and hands trying to pry off invisible hands tightening around her neck. The sinister laughter echoed, bouncing inside the room that it filled her hearing. You do know that you're the most special marionette among the rest of this organization, right?

A marionette with strings, that was what she was to their majesty. She always told Christie how different she was and her fate would not be like William and the rest. A fragment of flashback in her mind–years ago after she was taken in and for a certain test, Her Majesty made Christie kill some Crown members in real-time using the method she was taught.

You exterminate and dispose of marionettes that are no longer useful and proven defective to me, little masterpiece. As I am sure you will be able to do this job properly.

No, not again! Christie's eyes lowered to her hands–she always paint, paint and paint but no matter how many times she did it, the colors would never remove the stain of her sins in the past.

Dare to disobey me then look forward to what I will do to Rhodolite and Obsidian.

Did the other Crown members know this side of their majesty? Were they aware of how she sounded cruel and merciless? She was so different than the first time. Or was she just hiding her true motives?

–

"I have this inkling Riddle-chan is going to have our heads after this operation!" With a playful yet sheepish grin on Cater's face as he stretched his arms, the clones he produced knocked the roaming guards unconscious.

Ace sighed grumpily, "He can't take this against us! Sure we are an agency but I did not exactly sign up to become a mystery detective!"

"Let's go and beat someone to pieces!" Deuce crunched his knuckles.

Trey stood between them, he fixed his glasses but his amber eyes also glinted with a desire for revenge. "Yes, let us go get our leader, our march hare, and Alice back"

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[Trivial Notes]

- Mary's canon love interests--Riddle, Lancelot, and William--have something in common, they are all related to the Queen of Hearts. I only noticed this recently and it's amusing to see this pattern. Gilbert would likely be the only one different. Riddle and Mary are defo canon in my head for good. 

- Ellis' curse is about becoming the 'thorns' in Sleeping Beauty, I am not sure yet how this is going to work but I will make my different interpretation on this--this is also why he felt connected with Mary for reasons he can't tell. 

- Riddle versus William soon.