.:⋮At The Duchess⋮:.Mariette, Penny and Janet arrived at the Earth Bastion’s conference room through the Reflective Witch’s mirror. It was an impressive location with a single long table at the very center, and chairs lined up from end to end. They numbered in the dozens, and a large display screen covered the back, seemingly built directly into the wall. There, they saw the eclectic assortment of participants: alongside humans like the Pea Princess and various peasants were also all kinds of fantastic creatures who sat on the chairs or standing beside them, whispering among themselves with concerned or even slightly agitated voices. Among the magical folks were dwarves, elves, little flowers with faces, and even the Mermaid Princess, conversing through a glass screen set on a portal like she was video chatting thanks to Taihei’s quickly constructed communicator. She was speaking to the Lilliput Princess, who stood on the table on top of a large book to meet the other vassal at eye-level. There were also other Vassal Princesses, like Snow White, who was speaking with a small bird, or the Forest Princess, who seemed awkward in the crowd, preferring the vast wilds.
The narcoleptic Vassal herself was sitting at the far end of the table, stacks of enchanted scrolls furling and unfurling as she wrote into them with a golden quill, her head swaying like she was literally about to collapse into the paperwork from exhaustion. Nonetheless, she endured through pure willpower, only pausing to look up at Mariette and her entourage. “Oh, Princess Alice! I was still assembling *yawn* the agenda for the meeting.”
The crowd soon turned quiet, as all eyes were on the three of them, anticipation filling the air. Penny crossed her arms, and waited for Mariette to start the meeting. It might have been her ship, but if her rebellion would succeed, the eye-patched girl would need to be the one to take initiative and assert her leadership over the small folk of Wonderland.
Mariette still held her bunny as she arrived. Her visible eye frowned. There were more people here than she was comfortable with, and she didn’t know them well enough. With the other servants of Asengav, she didn’t have to do anything to be in charge, she just was. There were people here she had to actually appeal to. It was simple enough when there was just one of them at a time. All of them together…
Still. It was all to increase their chances as much as possible.
‘Thank you for your efforts, Pea Princess,’ she nodded to the exhausted one. After that, she looked around at the rest of them. She took a deep breath. She had prepared for this.
‘I was surprised when… my mother reached out to me and invited me to her world,’ Mariette said, the italics possibly audible to Penny and Janet.
‘As she was so kind to reconnect, I took it on myself to survey the world over which she ruled. What I found was people living in fear, afraid they may lose their heads at the slightest provocation,’ she said.
‘This coincides with my own experience, as I experienced her attacking the realm in which I’ve lived until now. Which is why I went to such lengths to gather you all. I have little reason to believe I will be able to talk her down with words, as such we must pool our resources should we desire to stand a chance.’ ‘You all know why you are here. We’re here to discuss how we will work together from this point forward. This is Penny, the Queen of Penrose, the realm which I spoke of. This is Janet, an ally.’ For those who perhaps didn’t know already.
‘I only need one thing first. I’ve been hiding it until now, but I have the power to tell if I am being lied to. Therefore, I require each and every one of you to reply to my next statement. Those who cannot will be removed,’ she stated with absolute definiteness.
‘If you are with us on this quest, you’re willing to work towards our goal and you do not intend to betray us, say “aye”,’ she commanded. If anyone here was about to say “aye” in bad faith, they would be found out.
”Thank you,” Penny spoke, and gave a nod of respect for Mariette introducing her to the Wonderlanders, and in turn faced the crowd with a resolute disposition as Mariette began to speak in full. After Mariette concluded her speech, the crowd went quiet, having been left both inspired by her determination, yet somewhat unsettled by the revelation of Mariette’s ability.
“Aye.”
Yet, the silence did not last long, as a voice called out: though slightly dampened, it was melodic and beautiful.
It was the voice of the Mermaid Princess, who truthfully swore her allegiance, a hand pressed against the glass separating them. “I once respected the Queen. However, the denizens of the sea have languished under the rule of the surface above, and she has ignored our plight. Princess Alice, we wish to be part of your new world, and will do what we must to reach it.” The Lilliput Princess immediately followed with a high-pitched answer, and soon enough voices repeated “Aye,” one after another. Their servants followed suit, repeating after their royal lieges. Even Pea Princess managed a yawn-filled “Aye”, though she struggled.
Mariette gave the Mermaid Princess a look of content, and as more spoke, she nodded with content. It seemed her worst fears were unfounded, so far.
But as it seemed that every Vassal had spoken, Mariette realized there were two left. When the crowd turned towards them, the two puffed out their cheeks and crossed their arms: Forest Princess' and Snow White.
“I cannot agree unless I am promised my home be spared,” spoke the wild Vassal, her small antlers glinting from her locks of green hair. “The Wild Woods are not to be touched: the fauna and flora there are my brothers and sisters.”
Snow White, however, furrowed her brows.
“But the dwarven people need lumber for their forges, and food for their tables. How do you expect them to live? I cannot agree to this either.”
“Well you can’t just come in with swinging axes and roaring fires! You only know how to destroy and devour in your greed,” The emerald Vassal retorted. “What, so you expect us to eat gemstones, huh? And at least the dwarves make something of worth to Wonderland, unlike a bunch of twigs!” The black-haired beauty shot back with a squint.
The argument started to heat up between the two, and that was when Penny stepped in.
”Alright, break it up,” she stated calmly as she placed a hand on each of their shoulders.
“I’m sure we can come to some kind of compromise. Isn’t that right, Mariette?” She asked.
Janet would speak up. In all likelihood none of them had any idea of who she was. Stepping forward she would give a courteous bow to the Vassals. Mariette had already vetted them magically, so she didn’t have to worry too much about the attendees leaking details.
”Allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Janet Howell, The Guardian of the Nexus. If I may, you could perhaps solve both issues if you work together. In our world we have developed industries where land is set aside explicitly for the purpose of producing food and lumber. These plots are rotated so there is a reliable supply and to minimize destruction of nature. I’m sure you use some of this already, but with Forest Princess nurture and the dwarves' industriousness, I am sure you can strike a balance. It will take time to set these up, but perhaps our world could help supplement some of what you need in the meantime. Myself and another close to me possess the necessary magic to jumpstart production.” Mariette had been a moment away from proclaiming that these two were incompatible and that one of them had to move. Seeing how it was probably impossible to move a forest, that would have to be Snow White and her dwarves. Mariette had no doubt she’d be able to find them some mountain and non-sentient forest to exploit. They wouldn’t necessarily be happy about it, but it’d have worked. That said, perhaps that Janet spoke up first was a good thing. Mariette peered at Janet silently as she spoke, and then nodded.
‘Cooperation is definitely preferable,’ she added her own voice to Janet’s argument instead.
‘Forest Princess, if there’s any materials you’d be willing to part with, like already fallen branches or otherwise, you can perhaps assist in making harming the woods unnecessary. Snow White, perhaps there is something the dwarves could also give in return? Like if the Forest Princess needs tools, manpower or protection, perhaps the dwarves can help. That, and what Janet suggested,’ she said, honestly still kind of baffled at the situation but keeping herself steady.
Despite their animosity, the two Vassals shared a curious look as Janet approached them, followed by shock as she revealed her true nature. “The Guardian…” The Forest Princess whispered softly. “I thought it was but a fairy-tale,” Snow White followed up with her own melodic words. The two listened as she suggested an alliance between the two, further encouraged by Mariette as she gave examples of how such an arrangement could be made.
The two shared a glance at one another, until the Forest Princess, biting her lip, spoke up…Or at least, attempted to.
“Uuuu…I suppose the Woods could donate their fallen for a good purpose,” she relented. “And also give some land for the purpose of growing and giving to your people, Princess Snow White. I will make sure the trees such sacrificed will not inhabit spirits. But in return, we would want tools and items that dwarves can produce, as well as planting seeds and protection from those who would raze and despoil.”
Snow White, for her part, petted the head of the dour dwarf next to her, and sighed. “Thank you, Forest Princess. While the dwarves are more familiar with mountains than forests, we will work hard to give where we take and uphold a balance as much as we can, though we might need assistance in getting started.”
The Forest Princess nodded. “That is understandable, for we have never worked so much with outsiders before.” Snow White extended a hesitant hand. “Then it is an oath?” She asked. The green-haired Vassal lifted a hand up to her chest, looking nervous. But when she looked at Janet and Mariette, as well as Penny who nodded with an approving smile, she slowly reached to take the pale Princess's hand. “An oath it is, then.” The two shook hands, and in unison they turned to Mariette.
“As for your question, Princess Alice…”
Forest Princess began.
“...We say aye!” Snow White followed up with a cheer.
“Aye!” Forest Princess also said, with less enthusiasm but no less sincerity.
Mariette nodded to them, content.
‘And for that, you have my gratitude. You all do,’ she said, turning around to face the rest of the room as she said the final three words.
‘As we speak, the forces of Penrose are coordinating to eliminate the Conjuration Eggs, powerful weapons that the queen would use should they manage to hatch. We’re going to need to support their efforts, and also protect your lands as we keep the queen’s forces divided. Penny? Janet?’ Mariette said, turning to look at the other queen present and the Nexus Guardian.
‘Would you brief them on what they might not know?’ She then turned to look at the rest here.
‘And you all may also inform the rest of the meeting of what you are able to contribute with, so we’re all on the same page,’“Good idea. I will start then, if that’s fine“, Penny spoke, and took a seat at the table, clasping her fingers together.
“First of all, I am able to provide some support in various areas, for example providing metals, medicine, and of course, loyal subjects willing to provide magical aid.” She went on to more detail, though Mariette already knew most of the specifics thanks to her previous experience with the cybernetic yet now surprisingly lively girl.
The Pea Princess meticulously wrote down the information to her scrolls as afterwards the various Vassals spoke in turn of what they can offer for the rebellion effort, seemingly assisted by her magical quill guiding her hand. The Vassals had scarce to offer in terms of soldiers: Lilliput Princess for example had 300 soldiers, 30 knights, and 3 champions, though she did mention their people’s skill at ensnaring much bigger opponents like humans with ropes and traps.
The Mermaid Princess, by contrast, had a much larger army of 3000 mermen warriors wielding tridents, with even their champion able to launch bolts of destructive thunder. She also had a vast assortment of fearsome and brave sea life, including sharks, whales, and even a kraken ready to fight to the last. Though a formidable host, they obviously were limited in their movements to coastal targets, unable to march over land.
Snow White had 100 dwarven soldiers from 7 clans, for a total of 700. As per her explanation, some clans wield axes, others hammers and pickaxes, and some even use enchanted guns, cannons and other artillery. The Forest Princess's natural host was also strong, including 50 mighty treants as well as hundreds of lesser spirits and animals like dryads, bears and stags, but they were slow to move and ill-disciplined.
As the lesser Vassals finished up sharing their meager offerings, the Pea Princess concluded the round by sharing her share of the effort. She had 2400 Green Helms to give: a sizable army, but of regular soldiers with regular weapons like spears and bows. However, her most notable mention was that she had control of most of Wonderland’s agricultural produce, and in turn the majority of food distribution in the land. “I could divert supplies away from the Queen’s forces in an effort to weaken and demoralize them,” she explained. “Of course, this will have grave consequences, as countless innocents would starve…” she then spoke, a grim silence pervading the table.
“The Queen would most certainly realize the high treason swiftly, and act accordingly,” she further added: though not a surprise by any measure, she nonetheless showed apprehension at such a prospect.
“Princess Alice, what are your thoughts on the matter?”
Penny was silent as if holding her breath, having steeped her fingers in a stoic expression as she silently waited. It was an opportunity to see whether the dark magical girl remained brutally pragmatic after everything they’ve gone through.
Mariette was silent for an uncomfortably long time, as she closed her eyes, as if considering the ramifications…
‘You know we cannot do that,’ she said simply.
‘What kind of leaders would our people see us as, if we reclaim power with such tactics? No. We will do this with a caring hand, one that we are on the side of good.’ … She felt uncomfortable calling herself “good”. Truth was, she said this because she didn’t like the odds of losing her allies had she gone the other way. That, and… guess leaving people to die didn’t feel that good, either.
‘Besides that… we aren’t even the main characters of this story. When it comes to those with the strength to truly fight toe to toe with the mightiest of foes, the small band in back in Penrose have us all beat. These two included,’ she said, gesturing back to Penny and Janet.
‘But ultimately, this is YOUR land we’re fighting for, and we’re not going to sacrifice a single soldier if we can help it,’ she said. Now to talk tactics.
‘Our most menacing forces are aquatic and woodland. In their right elements, no force will be able to contend with them. Therefore, we should draw our foes near or into the ocean or into woodlands so we can ambush them,’ she said, using a portal to bring a map of Wonderland that she’d procured for this occasion.
‘I figure, if any of you,’ she gestured for the more human of the vassals, Snow White or Pea Princess or similar,
‘Were to reveal your “treason” with a spectacular enough display, then you’d have a sizable force sent after you. If you are confident in your speed, you could then fall back to someplace near the water or the forests, and the rest can stand ready there. And if the Queen sends something more formidable than we can handle…’ Mariette took a breath as she demonstrated opening a portal on her right, leading to nowhere right now but making her point.
‘... I’ll get someone who can. With my portals, I can move select individuals across the battlefield. I will be watching, always,’ she insisted, and hoped they’d be convinced by this. Sure, there were more details to sort out, but that was a start.
The Vassal's looked at one another and murmured among themselves after Mariette gave out her initial directions.
“I’m afraid my dwarves are quite ill-suited for hit and run methods,” Snow White admitted with a heavy heart.
“They have the stamina to run long distances, but their stubby legs do not carry them swift enough, bless them. They also would rather stand and fight than flee in a cowardly manner, even if it means eternal sleep.” The table grew grim in atmosphere, but the Pea Princess spoke up next. “My Green Helms…can take this mission,” she spoke as she leaned with her palms against the table, visibly struggling to stay awake.
“I will have groups of archers…draw the Queen’s attention, with a contingent of, uh, spear-men to accompany them, and have them…lead the forces further into the, uh, woods for the ambush, where the rest will, uh…wait.”
“The Wild Hunt will then commence, and strike terror into their hearts,” the Forest Princess spoke, her eerie smile hinting at a cruel, fey-like capriciousness. “Yes, they will be punished.”
“And we will be ready to strike wherever our tridents can reach,” the Mermaid Princess joined in approval, seemingly excited to be part of the battle plan.
“Sounds like a plan then,” Penny added.
“Green Helms will be a diversionary force drawing them further into forests and near bodies of water, and then divide and conquer the larger force with surgical strikes.” She gave a smirk.
“For someone with no experience in tactical warfare, you came up with a solid plan, Mariette. Let’s just pray it works against someone as ridiculously overpowered as your supposed mother,” she added with a roll of her eyes, something Mariette had never seen the cybernetic girl do previously.
“Umm, excuse me,” the Lilliput Princess hopped up and down on the book set on the table while waving her arm. “Is there something we can do? I know our kind is tiny, but we can’t just sit idly while some of our traitorous brothers and sisters still serve the tyrant,” she said, looking bitter. “We need to fight too, and do our part to liberate our home from her wretched influence.”
Mariette nodded to their respective words, it sounded like they had a plan.
‘Join forces with the Forest Princess, then,’ she said.
‘They can cover your artillery, and your dwarves will be able to cover them in turn at range,’ she suggested.
Penny’s approaching her and praising her made her feel a bit odd, and she wasn’t sure how to reply. She was interrupted from attempting by the Lilliput Princess waving at them. Mariette frowned a bit, but had a reply.
‘I have a hard time thinking of things you can do that does not put you in mortal danger,’ she said, sounding concerned.
‘There are enemy tanks. You could potentially infiltrate them and destroy them from within… but I cannot guarantee that I’ll be able to withhold the attacks of my allies that might also be seeking to take out said tanks while you’re in them. It would be helpful if you could infiltrate the enemy lines to survey their movements, possibly dismantle key magic items and perhaps neutralize possibly vulnerable back-rank mages, or if you could even convince a few of those fellow princesses we haven’t gotten to yet to switch sides… but all of those plans put you beyond our ability to help you should things go wrong,’ she said.
‘I can keep you close, and when I see an opportunity to I could open a portal for you to attempt infiltration, if you’re that determined to help. Your traps can also come in handy when luring the enemy into our ambush,’ she said, but at their size they were clearly much more handy for infiltration.
“Princess Alice,” Lilliput Princess spoke, sounding surprisingly serious despite her high-pitched voice. “We have lived since time forgotten among giants who can crush us underfoot without even noticing us. Mortal danger is nothing to us. But I also believe we would be of greatest aid when it comes to spying and collecting information. We will prepare to be deployed as per your command, Princess. Unlike the others, who can only give so many soldiers,” she pointed to others, “I will give you every one of us capable Lilliputs, myself included, into your service. We know that if we lose this war, the Queen will put every one of us to the sword, and eradicate our people. So we will fight, all 300 of us, down to the last Lilliput.”
Penny couldn’t help but shake her head.
“I appreciate the notion, but surely you yourself need not apply. If you were to die-”“I am willing to die to protect my home and my people!” The Lilliput retorted with the tiniest stomp. “What leader am I if I don’t sow the seeds of courage by example?”
‘Very well,’ Mariette nodded to the tiny princess, acknowledging her bravery.
‘Then I ask you to stay by my side, and I will find the opportunities to let you strike.’ Having left most of the negotiations to Mariette, Janet spoke up again.
”There are three locations where the Queen of Heart’s additional forces are potentially located, right?” She looked over to the one she was addressing.
”Are you able to open portals in space?”Mariette turned to Janet, looking a little confused by the last question.
‘… I can, nothing in space is preventing portals from being opened. That said, the longer the distance between my portals, the more magic they use. I can transport myself across a city easily enough… but opening a portal to space would take great effort and spend a lot of my magic. Crossing dimensions is easier than going that vast a distance. Typically, if I am to cross a vast distance, I do so one portal at a time, which can cross the same distance but for less magic. … Why do you ask?’”Just trying to understand what we have. Mostly I was wondering if there was a way to reduce drag to maximize accelerating and maintaining the speed of an object. We could in theory make a small meteor. Would probably only be able to be done once, but something like that could mean we only have to deal with two locations. Space is a big ask, but some place that lacks atmosphere.”‘I…’ Mariette had to take a moment trying to comprehend what Janet just said. Still, the last statement did make her consider.
‘… I’m able to create an airtight space with my portals. I’ve used it to stand underwater in the past. I’ve also used the strategy of using gravity to accelerate objects before I use my portals to throw them at someone. Could that be used somehow?’ After a moment of thought, Janet nodded.
”Yes, I believe I can provide the rest for that to work.”The rest of the meeting was present discussing more minor matters such as mobilizing the various troops and other less-important details. Finally, the meeting was adjourned, with the various rebel Vassals wishing good luck for Princess Alice and her compatriots before disappearing through Mariette’s portals. Now, it was just the three of them left: Mariette, Janet, and Penny. The cyborg queen stood up from her seat.
“I suppose we should get back to Wonderland and-” she managed to speak before she was interrupted by a sound both familiar and not to Mariette. As she turned, she saw a mirror slowly rise up from the floor; its framing resembled a white marble-textured tangle of thorns, with ruby roses occasionally sprouting from them. The mirror itself was shaped rectangular, in the proportions of a human-sized playing card, inside reflecting a black-red murky void. But most alarmingly, the top of the mirror carried a symbol Mariette knew all too well:
It was the Queen of Heart’s symbol.
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