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Description
Alexi awoke at the sound of a loud thunderclap outside. He walked over to the window, pulling back the crimson velvet curtains. He looked out the window into the stormy night and still a part of him wished to return home, though he was very comfortable here in the palace. The boy felt arms wrap around his waist and he gasped in surprise.

Kallisto leaned his head down to the boy's ear, whispering, "go back to sleep..."

Alexi turned around into the King's embrace and clung to him, seeking more comfort in his arms. The King kissed the boy's forehead and rubbed his back. Alexi nuzzled in closer, nodded a silent 'okay', and walked back to the elegant bed in the center of the room.

It had been about two weeks since the boy agreed to 'be his queen', and Alexi had for the most part enjoyed being treated as royal next to the King. Kallisto was treating Alexi with extreme kindness and hospitality, but it still irked the boy how the King's attitude changed so easily toward his subjects. Severe mood swings. Bipolar, even. Who knows? That didn't matter though. Alexi knew he was safe.

Kallisto sat on the bed next to Alexi and asked him if he was comfortable, his answer again being a silent nod of 'yes'. The King smiled at Alexi and helped him get back underneath the covers. Alexi closed his eyes contentedly and sighed, the both of them drifting quietly back to sleep.

* * * * * * * * * * *

The next morning Alexi was awoken by his cat, Dinah, jumping on him and licking his nose, as usual. The boy sat up saying "hey!" to her while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He picked her up and pulled the cat into his lap, scratching behind her ear. Alexi looked over to where the King had been sleeping and saw that he had already gotten up. Alexi moved Dinah out of his lap and got up to get dressed. 'I wonder where the King is,' he thought. 'He isn't usually up before me...Maybe it's later than I think.'

After he was dressed and fully awake, he went down to the kitchen to greet the cooks and find out the time. He ran into the White Rabbit in the corridor just outside of the dining hall.

“Hello,” she said to Alexi, much calmer than usual.

Alexi smiled and said “good morning,” as the rabbit was turning to leave. “Wait! Do you know what time it is?”

She huffed up and looked angry. “No! I do not know what time it is thanks to the Hatter and the March Hare!” Her voice was shrill and suddenly squeaky.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to upset y-“ Before Alexi could finish apologizing, the White Rabbit had stormed off into the throne room. Alexi sighed, shaking his head, and went on after her, deciding to see Kallisto instead.

He saw the King just outside the throne room and smiled, running over to him. Kallisto turned and saw Alexi coming toward him and grinned as the boy hugged him. “Good morning, Alexi,” he said brightly, “did you sleep well?” Alexi let him go and nodded in response. “Excellent,” he said, kissing Alexi on the forehead - surprisingly not leaving a print from his lips as he was wearing a dark shade of red gloss. Alexi noticed that Kallisto was a bit more dressed up than usual.

Alexi looked at the king curiously. "Ka- er...Your Majesty, why are you dressed up like that? Is there something going on today?"

Kallisto grinned, showing his lovely perfect teeth, and placed a bejeweled hand on Alexi's shoulder. "As a matter of fact, there is. The King of Spades is going to come and stay here for a few weeks. His sister agreed to look over his land while he is away."

Alexi looked rather confused. There were other kings besides Kallisto? That seems superfluous if they all rule over the same Wonderland... "There is a King of Spades? I thought you were Wonderland's King?"

Kallisto let out an amused, yet elegant sort of chuckle and explained, "of course there is a King of Spades. I am not the only King in Wonderland, dear boy. There are four kings, one for each card suit. We all reign over a different region of Wonderland. North, East, South, and West. This is the Southern part of Wonderland, the King of Spades rules over the East."

"So there are two other kings as well? Clubs and diamonds?"

"Yes. The King of Clubs rules over the West, and the King of Diamonds resides in the North."

Alexi stared at the floor, idly shuffling his feet. "Do...do they all have queens?"

"The King of Diamonds is the only one of us that has chosen a Queen. The King of Clubs is too picky to choose one, and the King of Spades' sister acts as the Queen, even though she is only a princess." Kallisto smiled at the bewilderment etched on the young boy's face. "Are you all right, Alexi?"

Alexi blushed and looked up at Kallisto. "Yes. Just... Well, I feel silly for assuming that you were the only ruler here."

"Don't feel that way then." Kallisto turned toward a corridor leading out to the entrance hall. "Alexi, come with me. The King shall be here soon. It would be rude to keep him waiting for us."

Alexi obeyed and followed the King of Hearts into the main hall where they stood awaiting the King of Spades' arrival.

They had been standing there for no longer than five minutes when Alexi heard the White Rabbit's bugle sounding and her shrill cry introducing the King of Spades. Alexi looked up at Kallisto, who had an unnaturally nervous look on his face. "We haven't seen eachother in a few years," said Kallisto.

"You mean you and the King of Spades?"

Kallisto nodded "yes" while staring at the grand doors to the palace. Seconds later they opened, and the White Rabbit came running in and away down a corridor.

The King of Spades was walking toward Kallisto, seemingly taking no notice of Alexi. He smiled warmly at the other king and kissed the back of his hand. Kallisto looked as if he were about to faint.

"Your Majesty," said The King of Spades. "It has indeed been a long time, hasn't it?"

Description
Alexi awoke at the sound of a loud thunderclap outside. He walked over to the window, pulling back the crimson velvet curtains. He looked out the window into the stormy night and still a part of him wished to return home, though he was very comfortable here in the palace. The boy felt arms wrap around his waist and he gasped in surprise.

Kallisto leaned his head down to the boy's ear, whispering, "go back to sleep..."

Alexi turned around into the King's embrace and clung to him, seeking more comfort in his arms. The King kissed the boy's forehead and rubbed his back. Alexi nuzzled in closer, nodded a silent 'okay', and walked back to the elegant bed in the center of the room.

It had been about two weeks since the boy agreed to 'be his queen', and Alexi had for the most part enjoyed being treated as royal next to the King. Kallisto was treating Alexi with extreme kindness and hospitality, but it still irked the boy how the King's attitude changed so easily toward his subjects. Severe mood swings. Bipolar, even. Who knows? That didn't matter though. Alexi knew he was safe.

Kallisto sat on the bed next to Alexi and asked him if he was comfortable, his answer again being a silent nod of 'yes'. The King smiled at Alexi and helped him get back underneath the covers. Alexi closed his eyes contentedly and sighed, the both of them drifting quietly back to sleep.

* * * * * * * * * * *

The next morning Alexi was awoken by his cat, Dinah, jumping on him and licking his nose, as usual. The boy sat up saying "hey!" to her while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He picked her up and pulled the cat into his lap, scratching behind her ear. Alexi looked over to where the King had been sleeping and saw that he had already gotten up. Alexi moved Dinah out of his lap and got up to get dressed. 'I wonder where the King is,' he thought. 'He isn't usually up before me...Maybe it's later than I think.'

After he was dressed and fully awake, he went down to the kitchen to greet the cooks and find out the time. He ran into the White Rabbit in the corridor just outside of the dining hall.

“Hello,” she said to Alexi, much calmer than usual.

Alexi smiled and said “good morning,” as the rabbit was turning to leave. “Wait! Do you know what time it is?”

She huffed up and looked angry. “No! I do not know what time it is thanks to the Hatter and the March Hare!” Her voice was shrill and suddenly squeaky.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to upset y-“ Before Alexi could finish apologizing, the White Rabbit had stormed off into the throne room. Alexi sighed, shaking his head, and went on after her, deciding to see Kallisto instead.

He saw the King just outside the throne room and smiled, running over to him. Kallisto turned and saw Alexi coming toward him and grinned as the boy hugged him. “Good morning, Alexi,” he said brightly, “did you sleep well?” Alexi let him go and nodded in response. “Excellent,” he said, kissing Alexi on the forehead - surprisingly not leaving a print from his lips as he was wearing a dark shade of red gloss. Alexi noticed that Kallisto was a bit more dressed up than usual.

Alexi looked at the king curiously. "Ka- er...Your Majesty, why are you dressed up like that? Is there something going on today?"

Kallisto grinned, showing his lovely perfect teeth, and placed a bejeweled hand on Alexi's shoulder. "As a matter of fact, there is. The King of Spades is going to come and stay here for a few weeks. His sister agreed to look over his land while he is away."

Alexi looked rather confused. There were other kings besides Kallisto? That seems superfluous if they all rule over the same Wonderland... "There is a King of Spades? I thought you were Wonderland's King?"

Kallisto let out an amused, yet elegant sort of chuckle and explained, "of course there is a King of Spades. I am not the only King in Wonderland, dear boy. There are four kings, one for each card suit. We all reign over a different region of Wonderland. North, East, South, and West. This is the Southern part of Wonderland, the King of Spades rules over the East."

"So there are two other kings as well? Clubs and diamonds?"

"Yes. The King of Clubs rules over the West, and the King of Diamonds resides in the North."

Alexi stared at the floor, idly shuffling his feet. "Do...do they all have queens?"

"The King of Diamonds is the only one of us that has chosen a Queen. The King of Clubs is too picky to choose one, and the King of Spades' sister acts as the Queen, even though she is only a princess." Kallisto smiled at the bewilderment etched on the young boy's face. "Are you all right, Alexi?"

Alexi blushed and looked up at Kallisto. "Yes. Just... Well, I feel silly for assuming that you were the only ruler here."

"Don't feel that way then." Kallisto turned toward a corridor leading out to the entrance hall. "Alexi, come with me. The King shall be here soon. It would be rude to keep him waiting for us."

Alexi obeyed and followed the King of Hearts into the main hall where they stood awaiting the King of Spades' arrival.

They had been standing there for no longer than five minutes when Alexi heard the White Rabbit's bugle sounding and her shrill cry introducing the King of Spades. Alexi looked up at Kallisto, who had an unnaturally nervous look on his face. "We haven't seen eachother in a few years," said Kallisto.

"You mean you and the King of Spades?"

Kallisto nodded "yes" while staring at the grand doors to the palace. Seconds later they opened, and the White Rabbit came running in and away down a corridor.

The King of Spades was walking toward Kallisto, seemingly taking no notice of Alexi. He smiled warmly at the other king and kissed the back of his hand. Kallisto looked as if he were about to faint.

"Your Majesty," said The King of Spades. "It has indeed been a long time, hasn't it?"