Beyond the Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel is the fifth installment of The Isle of the Lost book series, written by Melissa de la Cruz. It serves as a prequel to the movie Descendants: The Rise of Red. It was released on May 7, 2024.
Description[]
Fall down the rabbit hole…
For Red, growing up in Wonderland has been no piece of cake (literally—dessert is outlawed). Her mom, the Queen of Hearts, rules the kingdom with an iron scepter, while Red longs for a life of her own. She's heard rumors about an island that once housed all the villains of folklore. A place with no rules? It sounds perfect.
But then the Queen declares that Red will issue a royal decree at the annual Wonderland Tea Ceremony (aka she'll come up with new ridiculous laws). Of course, Red loathes idea of following in her mother's crimson-heeled footsteps. Banding together with new friends, Ace and Chester, Red plans the ultimate rebellion: a party. Little does she know that they'll be setting off a chain of events (or un-events) that could change things forever.
Plot[]
On the morning of an un-party, Red attends due to being Princess of Wonderland and considered as a guest with the highest honor. She attends the event with other Wonderland kids where all they do is stand quietly and not eat or drink any of the food or drink nor converse due to Wonderland's strict rules. Red observes the guests and thinks about how her future is set in stone to rule over Wonderland, only to be pay attention just like the other attendees upon hearing trumpets in the distance as the Queen of Hearts arrives.
Upon her arrival, the Queen of Hearts calls for the attention of everyone and asks her daughter how she is, she notes her daughter's clothing makes her look like a troublemaker which does not bother Red, the former then states that the kingdom is lacking laws and insists more should be in place, then mentioning how tedious birthdays are to the point they were ruled as illegal and notes that the presents are only there to serve as a reminder of things that the people of Wonderland do not need as they would be punished for touching them or the sweets. She then declares laughter before noon would be illegal only to reword her statement by saying laughter should only be every other Saturday if need be. Red watches a boy in the distance steal from the tart table only to be caught the queen of calls for the treats and the boy to be taken away. The queen then turns her attention back to her subjects and mentions the War of the Roses, the first topic to be taught to the children and insists Wonderland did not unite with Auradon and instead wanted its own freedom with the queen raising an army to prove her point, she then mentions the annual Tea Ceremony and declares Red will make her own rules as Red wonders if she is ready though the queen admits she is before leaving.
Red leaves the un-party through the maze thinking about how its complex for intruders but easy for the people of Wonderland to navigate as well as thinking about having friends, but then remembers how her mother discouraged friendship, she gets to an old and gnarled Tumtum tree, which she climbs, she considers it her favorite place and wonders about her future and how her mother outlawed other fun activities as Red grew up. Red then looks on thinking about outside of her home remembering how the queen told her how the other kingdoms have opposing opinions but how Wonderland is calm and well-behaved, as Red leaves the tree, she thinks about burning Wonderland.
Inside Wonderland High, Maddox Hatter, son of the Mad Hatter, teaches his science class, the subject being favored by Red, Maddox questions Red if she is okay and Red admits she was just thinking about the Tea Ceremony and further admits she will be the one to add new laws, Maddox lets slip a bit of critique towards the queen though Red sees it as humorous. The class begins as Maddox and Red notice a new student inside the classroom, the former asks for the boy to stand where he can been and introduces him as Chester, then asks Red to be Chester's lab partner to which she agrees. The two then talk about Chester as he admits he moved from the Caterpillar Bush due to his father being moved to kingdom work, Chester then mentions he never found his role as the two go over their work, Maddox ends the class as Red goes to talk to Chester only to see him gone.
Chester then appears to Red by her locker as Red wonders where he went, Chester hints then admits he cut class claiming that it being his first day got to him, Red questions if he knows the punishment to which Chester jokes he would be beheaded and have his head re-attached on upside down, Red then says that the actual punishment would be writing the Queen of Hearts' mission statement one-hundred times to which Chester continues to show he does not care about the rules and wonders why Red has not brought up anything to her mother to which Red claims that all rules must be followed, the two then start on their work as both agree on how confusing it is, upon finishing the potion, Chester drinks it and his head begins to enlarge, Red's attempt to turn Chester back to normal results in her shrinking as the two find a way to return to their original sizes, the two finished their work and leave.
Upon returning home, Red thinks about why her mother and Wonderland is all about perfection just as the queen herself enters her daughter's bedroom mentioning that their food will be going cold, Red assures her mother that she is fine as she prepares for dinner, the queen believes Red to be nervous and insists her daughter will be fine once she will be queen herself. After school, Red returns home to her mother wanting to teach her manners and etiquette and gets her daughter to show a face of someone who does not care, becoming pleased when Red does so despite being forced.
That night, Red continues to work on some sheets only to discover noises coming outside of her room, she stepped back as a shoe landed in her room and quickly discovered that the people were Chester and another boy, Red questions what the two are doing as Chester admits that the two are there to break Red out as he then tells her that the boy's name is Ace. Red worries that people will see them as Chester claims that they should hurry as Red attempts to escape though becomes nervous as Ace and Chester tell her that she will be fine as Red drops down to safety, Ace introduces himself to the princess, but Red wonders how the two knew which room was hers as Chester admits it was a guess. Ace mentions that there is no plan as he just wants to relax with the two, Red offers to help the two out of the maze as the three talk about how none of them are rule follows like the other children, as they go through the maze, Ace talks about how his uncle works in the ranks of the Card Soldiers but how he and his family do not have much contact with him. As they talk, Ace suggests they throw a party in hopes to encourage the other children to rebel, Red and Chester agree as they think about where it can be held.
The day after, Red sits in her fifth period class, History of Tea Parties where it is then visited by a courier who hands a letter to the princess where upon opening it, she discovers that her mother wishes for her to return home and that she will be excused from fifth class and onward due to the oncoming Tea Ceremony which makes Red think for a moment before remembering the party with Ace and Chester, she then returns home to find two recent graduates of Wonderland High waiting for her inside the Ball Room where the Queen of Hearts appears and introduces the two as Twee, daughter of Tweedledee and Dora, daughter of Dormouse, and who will be helping with manners and etiquette, the two bow to the princess as Red insists just her name is fine as the queen mentions that she will not be in the room due to being busy with duties but states that Twee and Dora will help instead, the queen the leaves as the lesson begins, Twee and Dora criticize the princess upon every mistake made and continue to do so when Red states she may not want to be leader as Dora remarks that because the Queen of Hearts decreed Red would follow in her footsteps, the word is law, she then mentions that the royals are always watched as she then declares they can move onto the soup course.
Next day, Red and Chester meet up with each other again as Red admits why she did not meet up with him or Ace the day before, Chester tells her to skip though Red becomes unsure at the idea believing the situation to be too complicated but changes her mind and agrees to continue rebelling as they head to school. After classes, the two meet up with Ace as the latter mentions he found a perfect spot for the party, the three then go over the food and invitations, they agree on pizza, pickleball for a game and a few decorations to make it appear lively. As the three eventually leave, Red overhears the voices of Twee and Dora as the two talk about how they feel stood up due to Red not attending her lessons, the Queen of Hearts then appears to her daughter and demands to know where she was as Red claims she had been working on and assignment given to her by Maddox to which the queen believes, the latter walks away in frustration due to issues as Red retreats to her room for the night.
At school, Red and Chester start handing out the invitations to the students under the name of the "Wonderland Party Commission" as named by Ace. At lunch, the two talk about how the students have taken notice to the invitations as Red notices The Duchess coming closer as well as one of the invitations, Chester sits in hope that it will not be spotted as The Duchess then picks it up to inspect it where upon seeing this, Red gets the Headmistress' attention as the latter tells the princess that the students will only speak when spoken to as Red states that the rules applied to the common students do not apply to that of royalty such as herself, she demands that The Duchess answer her mother's invitation to the Tea Ceremony as The Duchess states she will do so as Red keeps up her act until The Duchess apologizes for not answering as Red walks away, Chester commends Red for her actions as the latter only thinks about how her outburst further made the students feel more intimidated by her but chooses to ignore the feeling.
Inside the Ball Room, the queen stands with Twee and Dora as she insists Red's training is not as perfect as it seems, the queen then leaves to find her frog butlers as Twee and Dora call Red rude for standing them up and not attending, an action which Red apologizes for as Twee then admits she knows of Red being around Chester stating that the Cheshire family have been known to manipulate people as the two then remark how Red is nothing like her mother as the Queen returned to the room as the four begin the session. One butler then places down an oyster in front of the princess as Red states she does not like them, the queen questions her daughter why never said anything but Red insists the frog boys were unaware she does not like oysters but the queen remarks that they should know whether or not if it is on the menu, Red then demands a soufflé as the butler admits none are prepared as the former grabs her plate and throws it to the wall as it smashes which causes the butler to leave to get the chef to prepare the soufflé, which pleases her mother yet shocks Twee and Dora, the queen then tells Red to make her decree at the Tea Ceremony heartless much to Red's dismay.
That Friday morning, Red goes to school where she eventually met up with Ace after a class, during their talk, the two admit how excited they are for the party that night but admit that they are both just as equally as nervous, Ace then praises her and the two walk away after talking a little more. In science, Maddox announces that there will be no homework for that day which raises Red's suspicions. During Red's royal training later on, Red sat with her mother and when the queen asked her daughter what her decree would be about, Red claimed it would be to uproot unsanctioned plants without mercy though the Queen of Hearts told Red to think of a better idea, after training, Red ordered the pizzas and had them picked up by Ace which gave the young princess time to choose what she would wear to the party, she then chooses her outfit and heads to where she and the boys chose to hold the party, as Red walking through the woods, she bumps into Ace whose carries all the pizzas. Ace compliments Red on her outfit, Red thanks him and blushes at him. The two then walk to the hidden spot and meet up with Chester, they place the pizza down and go silent upon hearing noise.
Chester then jokingly wonders if those approaching are friend or foe as the three discover the people are the students from Wonderland High, upon noticing Red, the students attempt to disperse but stop as Red tries to convince them that she is not there to get them in trouble but that they are welcome to stay for the party despite the attendees still feeling unsure. Red attempts to get the guests to relax as one of the girls agrees to only have a slice of pizza, as more guests start to enter, one kid returns to the party declaring that the Card Soldiers are on the way, Red then yells for them all to run and disperse.
Despite the incoming danger, Chester attempts to grab Red's book bag as Red tells him to leave it, Chester argues that it would give away who was behind the event but Ace insists they would already know. Red tells them to run once more only for them to be captured by the Soldier-cards and taken away, the three were then split up and placed in a separate waiting room before Red was eventually taken into the throne room to speak with her mother where upon asking where her friends are, the Queen of Hearts admitted she sent Ace and Chester home, the queen then continues talking with her daughter as she insists that a royal should have no friends as Red admits she threw the party which the queen laughs at, she then complains that she still has a lot to do before the ceremony but Red tells her mother that she is going to bed, restless, Red thinks about Bramble Bay.
That morning, Red left the castle in order to find Chester and Ace to avoid being dragged into her Tea Ceremony planning, down by the village of tree houses where the houses were built into the trunks of the trees, Ace then appears as the two reunite as Ace admitted all the queen did was have the two boys sent home. Ace then leads Red to Chester's home as the three talk, Red then asks Bramble Bay as Red suggests that the people of Bramble Bay could help them with their party as Chester admits the people at the bay do not really adhere to the queen's rules, Red wonders if the threw can go as Ace says it would be risky due to the borders being patrolled, Red remarks that she can get them through due to her status, but Chester states it would be dangerous since the queen would know where Red went as the latter continues to assure the two that they can still pull of the second party.
The following Monday, Red becomes more determined after finding out small information and facts about Bramble Bay, inside the castle's library, she searches through the shelves in order to find a map to help her get through Tulgey Wood, after going through five variations, she discovers a good enough route as she makes her way to Maddox's class with Chester and asks if he has a car to get them to the bay to which Chester answers that he does not but that he can ask his cousin, the class then begins as Maddox continues teaching quantum physics and asks Chester for his location as the boy states where exactly he is though Maddox tells him that his answer was perfect but could have been answered in greater detail as he moves to the chalkboard, continuing on, he then suggests that while a person can be invited to an un-party, they would not be able to attend unless they had the full information, such as having the time, Red then gives a perfect answer as Maddox praises her for it, Red then thinks about the maps of Tulgey Wood again.
Later that morning, Chester suggests a Wonderland Party Commission meeting to Red who wonders if it can be the commission without Ace only to spot him just moments later near the paths, Chester then admits his cousin is fixing a car and that it would be fixed rather quickly due to her expertise as Ace wonders if they have permission to drive it as Chester then admits he and his cousin had history between them of driving the cars of the nobility and offers to take the blame should it come to it, Ace then eases Red by stating the guards will not care if the crime is only a low one as he asks who the car belongs to as Chester admits it belongs to The Duchess and that they will only have a limited amount of time to have access to it. Red then makes a plan and states that she could tell her mother she will be having special training elsewhere as she asks the boys to meet her at 5pm by the path with the car as she eyes the administrative floor, Red then makes her way to The Duchess' office as she knocks on the door and waits for the headmistress to answer, the doors are then opened as the latter asks if there is something wrong, Red informs her that her mother is still waiting on an answer to which The Duchess claims her response was sent in the mail on the just passed Friday, Red then demands the headmistress write her answer and have it delivered to the Queen of Hearts by Red herself, upon hearing a loud noise, The Duchess leaves to investigate giving Red time to steal clothes from the wardrobe and escaping, at home, Red hands over a letter to her mother and states The Duchess wishes to train her herself for sending in a late reply to which the queen believes as she tell Red to put her in her place, Red then leaves to return to Ace and Chester.
As the three head down to Tulgey Wood, the layout twists and turns to confuse them as each of them realize that they may have passed the same areas many times, continuing to drive, they come across a yellow and then purple paths as they drive on and come across the guard-patrolled border in their disguises, the guards question Chester and Ace as former says that they are on an errand with The Duchess though the guard mentions that the boys look young to which Red claims that they are interns who are being taught how to drive for the nobles, the guards then perform a routine check as Red states that if she is not allowed to pass, she will report the guards to the queen and will blame them for being improperly dress claiming that she is going to a seamstress in Mushroom Grove, the Four of Clubs card recoils insisting that they mean no harm and do not wish to be blamed upon hearing the visit is for the Tea Ceremony, the Four of Clubs and Three of Hearts open the guards and wish the three safe travels as the car passes through.
In Bramble Bay, Red takes in how different it looks as Chester mentions he wishes he could have told his parents he would be visiting as Ace questions why, Chester admits his parents would have forbade him from coming as he admits they might have also argued with the other members of his family before they moved to the capitol, the three then begin to move to Turtle Inn, a local hotel in the area of the town square and the only place they could go. Inside the inn, the keeper asks if he can help as Red asks for two rooms before correcting herself and asking politely as he then asks if they are out of town, Chester admits that they are and are visiting family as he says they are there to visit his Aunt Charlotte and his uncle, the keeper allows them to stay as Ace commends in for his luck though Chester tells the two that he has an aunt Charlotte and an uncle in Bramble Bay, the three then walk outside and visit a cafe wanting something to eat where inside, the waitress questions what they want and mentions root beer which startles Chester though Red insists that they are from out of town as the three agree on having root beer and sandwiches, the waitress wanders over with her own mug and realizes that Red is the princess though the latter declares she is only there to spend time with her friends, Ace jumps in to defend Red but the waitress backs away into the crowd and Chester tells the two to ignore it.
The following morning, Red awakens and looks out of the window to face the sea as she looks on in awe, she then meets up with Ace and Chester who ask about what the next part of their plan includes as Ace wonders if there is a school nearby wondering that the students could help them, as they go to drive away, the car collides with a cart and the three exit in order to inspect the collision as Red offers to help clean the mess. When the waitress from the cafe walks over to help, she questions Red who then apologizes for lying as the girl introduces herself as Dee: the twin sister of Twee, to which Red realizes why Dee looked strikingly familiar to someone she had previously met, Dee then gives her own apology stating that she knew something had to be different about the princess since the queen would never resort to manual labour, Red then brings up the previous party incident as Dee admits that even in Bramble Bay, no such things are done but instead rewords herself and says that there are shindigs and that one will be happening that night and offers the three to join in to which they agree to as she then tells them to go down a certain road after noticing the damage to the car. The four leave and come across the "Bramble Bay Auto and Repair" where they meet Jace and Harry, who were cousins and the sons of Jasper and Horace, where they then mention how the Queen of Hearts has nothing on Cruella De Vil which piques Red's interest as she realizes the two originated from the Isle of the Lost, the two then admit they were trapped when the queen sealed off the Rabbit Hole to which Red apologizes for. Jace then declares that once he and Harry can, they will leave Wonderland and asks Dee with them to Auradon now that the Villain Kids are allowed on the grounds, Red then wonders why Dee moved to Bramble Bay as Jace admits it was due to becoming tired with the dull life of the capitol but that she struggled with leaving Twee as the latter refused to leave which Red profusely apologizes for once more, Ace questions the two if they are also attending the party as both Harry and Jace admit that they are as Chester states he is excited to attend even if the function will only include a small crowd.
At the fountain, Red, Chester and Ace stand waiting for Dee under the impression that they were tricked and lied to just seconds before Dee appears feigning and pretending that she is unaware of the three are waiting, she then takes them to where the function is held where Dee conducted the signal to be allowed in and was granted access as she lead the three inside, the three bring up several questions to Dee who admits that the people have the get-togethers in secret to avoid any suspicions, the three then watch on in awe as they watch the guests dance and thank Harry and Jace for their work earlier on the car, Dee then gives Red a small bag of tapes and claims they wash up on the shore and that they are a Tea Ceremony present , the princess thanks her new friend and then tells Dee that Twee is still doing fine despite her circumstances to which Dee claims that her sister only went for a job in the court to avoid being a member of the Card Soldiers. As Chester and Ace pass out root beer to Jace and Harry, Dee presses Red on making her plans for a party into a reality by using her authority though the function stops as someones rushes into declaring that the Card Soldiers are on their way.
Dee then claims that if the queen and her men are incoming, the clock tower bell is to be rung to alert the residents, Red apologizes and states that she had no idea about the incoming threat as Dee becomes quick to believe her, Chester notes that The Duchess' car could be reported if seen as the three go to leave as Chester quickly stops to go do something before returning as the three depart in the car. Red then drives the car back through the route as the three return to Wonderland, Red then questions Chester why he went back for something as Chester admits he wrote a letter for his aunt and wanted to give it to her himself but had to give it to the innkeeper before leaving, Red then exits the car after stopping it to return home as Ace and Chester then leave to go to their respective homes.
Inside the castle, Red returned without any issues and found her mother reading Wonderland Times, a newspaper that reported nothing but good news, when Red mentioned how her trip to see The Duchess for training went well, the Queen of Hearts questioned what her daughter meant as Red further states that is why she had been gone for two days but becomes calm at the thought of not being further pressed for answers as the queen demands her Frog butlers to appear as one then enters the room, the queen demands to know why his uniform does not appear as immaculate as it should as the frog claims that all of his clothes were gone as the queen tells him to have new clothing prepared for the Tea Ceremony as she states it will be on Looking Glass Mountain which surprises Red but the queen further shows her annoyance by claiming none of the tea sets provided to her looked good enough as Red wonders why they cannot use their own tea pots to which the queen becomes enraged and demands it should be a special set due to the occasion and then tells her daughter she will be gone for a while due to business, she then orders her daughter to have her hair up claiming that it is custom to do only for Red to wonder if she can break custom with further angers her mother who states she is not in the mood to deal with the attitude. Once alone, Red then returns to Chester's home to declare an emergency Wonderland Party Commission meeting as Chester calls for Ace, Red then starts to get ideas for the party due to getting inspiration from her time in Bramble Bay as Red then claims the party will be held in the castle to which Chester declares the idea to be crazy as Red assures him that they will be fine since she can swear all the guests to secrecy, Ace then agrees to the idea and so does Chester.
During school, Red's attention became more focused on the party planning rather than classes and during her princess training, she sat on the floor which shocked and horrified Twee and Dora who question the princess' actions to which Red says she is sitting on the floor and insist it is comfortable as Twee insists that the floors are dirty only for Red to disprove her stating that the fish servants sweep up every morning, Red then offers the two to sit down with her only for the two to remain standing as Red claims she just wants to talk as friends as she orders them to sit with her and upon being given an order, the two sit down as commanded as Red then asks the two about themselves wondering if they have any other secretive habits to then asking why they joined, Dora admits that both her mother and grandmother joined the court and that it was only right for her to do so too as Twee claims it is the only job suitable for her, Red then rewords her questions and asks if the two would do something outside of Wonderland only for Twee and Dora to swear loyalty to their homeland as Red then admits that she will no longer attend her training as Dora states that it is not her decision to make as Red rebuttals the claim and state that it is her choice due to being heir, she then stands and tells the two to keep an eye out for something interesting before leaving.
Next morning, Chester and Red spend their time handing out the new invitations to the new party which now states all guests should remain quiet on the event as Chester admits Ace would be finding ways to get food and music, the two then leave as Red returned to the throne room to re-decorate it so that it would appear more friendlier and less threatening, upon finishing her task, Chester appears through the service door which scares the princess, Chester gives Red a sandwich as Ace eventually walks over to the two claiming Katy, granddaughter to the Caterpillar found a boom box which excites the other two. Red then states she has to go change and allows the two to go on break as she leaves to go to her bedroom.
Inside her room, Red comes across a dress and puts it on worrying that it would not look good on her due to her mother's opinion on how certain clothing could clash only for Red to see that her pale-pink dress looked good on her. Exiting her room, Red returns to the throne room where she reunited with Ace, who compliments the princess' dress and then mentions that Chester is helping Katy and Bill with supplies, but that he has a surprise to show Red, Ace then activates a homemade disco ball which impresses Red as she believed them to have been destroyed during the time Wonderland was sealed away. Just as Red found herself close to Ace and as he leans in closer, Chester then enters the room with Katy and Bill as he tells Red and Ace to turn the lights on, he introduces them as Katy plays one of the tapes, Red then believes the people were too scared to attend but Chester proves her to be wrong when declaring that the guests are coming.
As the people rush into the room, Red notices how packed it is and how vibrant everyone appears in their new clothing as she takes notice of a girl who she believes to be Chester's cousin as Twee and Dora then enter the room which surprises Red. The latter then calls for everyone's attention as she recites how all were brought up to never question authority and to always be perfect and states that they have all done a great job of listening and declares that the night is for everyone to enjoy themselves without having to feel fear.
Red, noticing how everyone appears dysfunctional and still quiet, goes over to Chester and Ace and remarks that in order to make the party more enjoyable, they will have to dance which Chester says that none of the kids have danced before as Red remarks they have no other choice as Ace then offers to dance with Red.
Katy places another tape into the boom box as Prince Ben's "Be Our Guest" plays during Red and Ace's dance, the guests watch on in curiosity at the ordeal due to never dancing themselves. Ace and Red dance on as Katy changes the song, Red slips, but Ace catches her, Ace and Red look at each other and lean in to kiss, but the party is ruined when the Queen of Hearts appears demanding to know what is happening.
The queen then yells and demands everyone to leave as all the guests run out as Red watches on as they all depart from the castle in a hurry, Red then tells Ace and Chester that they should also go as the queen yells for her guards, the three then leave as Red leads them to a secret passage only to tell them that her mother knows of it and tells them to hurry as the three go through the tunnels, Red apologizes for the incoming bad odor as they continue on. The three then continue their escape as they go through the moat and escape into the woods.
Still escaping, Red, Chester and Ace end up in the woods as Red almost succumbs to feeling sick due to running so much but is held up by Chester as they make their way to Ace who mentions that the area is not too steep as Red insists that they should at least rest, Chester creates a campfire as Ace offers to take first watch, Red then offers to go second and asks to be woken up in twenty minutes.
Red awakens from her nightmares only to see Chester taking watch and states it should have been her turn as she sits up only for a jacket to fall from her shoulders as Chester admits it was Ace's idea, she then places the jacket over Ace as her awakens, Red then insists they need to go before sunrise. As the three look on, Ace and Chester notice the Pool of Tears in the distance as Red mentions to start moving and suggests they hide during the day and move around during the night. During the walk, the three become tired and exhausted from the heat but eventually made their way to a cave where they once again create a campfire, Red comes across a shell with a mussel in it as she gives a look of disapproval but still mentions they should all eat, she then wonders what to do as Ace assures her that they can still make it to actual safety as he then questions if the Pool of Tears is a bridge or a dead end to which Red answers she will not know until they arrive there, the three eat and stay warm as Red notes that the pool would take a riddle to solve as Chester wonders if they cannot solve it as Ace comments that they will have to wait and see, Chester then presses on and asks what the next step will be if they do solve the riddle as Red states that they will use it to escape Wonderland and Ace and Chester attempt to fall asleep as Red thinks about facing her mother's wrath.
That evening, Red quickly ordered Ace and Chester to wake up upon noticing the Armored Guard, a group of soldiers that were considered the most elite soldiers of the Queen of Hearts, Red then apologizes for not waking the two soon as Chester wonders if they should run, Ace suggest they split only for Red to claim it would be risky as Ace mentions that despite it being a risky take, it would be for the best as the guards would have to chase them down one at a time and that if only one was to be caught, the other two had a chance of being free, the three then split up and Red starts to ascend up the mountain only to overhear voices which scares her, upon reaching the top, she discovers Ace being captured as he yells for Red to run, Red then goes to leave only to see Chester being apprehended which once again frightens her as she watches as her only two friends are taken away by the legion.
Alone, Red sits on the edge of the cliff and looks around taking in all the locations as she thinks about using a boat from Bramble Bay to escape only to think about how much she cares for Chester and Ace which starts her resolve to go save them, as she descends down the cliff, she comes across a few men and demands a horse so that she can return home, one of the men argues that the horses are already sleeping and that the princess can be returned home that morning as Red insists she can return herself home just fine as she then grabs one of the mugs and throws it into the fire which breaks it instantly, she once again demands a horse and takes one despite not being a good horse-rider. Upon returning to the castle, Red orders the horse to return to its owner as she makes her way through the maze and thinks about several ways to sneak inside without being caught, she then tackles one soldier and discovers that the helmet appears different than most soldiers and after unlocking the heart-shaped key with one of her pins, she finds the soldier to be the boy from the un-party she had attended two weeks prior, the boy becomes confused as Red admits what he has become but still tells him to run, the boy does so, Red then slips into the uniform and helmet as a disguise.
Inside the castle, Red thinks why Dee left and why Twee had joined the court believing both options to be far better than suffering as a Card Soldier, Red then turns the corner and almost collides with the queen herself who yells at the soldier to watch where they are going, the queen questions if Red has been found to which Red admits no as the queen then mentions how annoyed she has become with having to listen to Ace and Chester with the two not telling her where Red is. Red remains quiet as the queen declares that she will still be attending the Tea Ceremony and leaves, Red then makes her way to the dungeons where she reunites with her friends only for them to become defensive until Red shows that it is her. Chester overhears a noise and wonders what it could be as Red suggests it could be a changing of the guards only for the Card Soldiers to appear in the room and block off the exit as the Queen of Hearts enters the room.
The Queen of Hearts then orders Red to remove the helmet, her daughter remains still as one soldier is ordered to do it anyways, the queen states her daughter is weak for becoming attached to the two boys as she admits she knew about Red's actions as Red becomes upset at the thought of having fallen into a trap, the queen the orders her guards to place the three into the dungeons as Red begs her mother to not go through with it as they then leave the three, Red talks with Ace and Chester as they worry about what is to happen to them.
Upon being awoken by a guard, Red demands to know what is happening as the guards replies that they are to be taken upstairs, the guards march the prisoners upstairs only to eventually take Ace and Chester away as Red pleads to be taken to the same place too only to be taken to a group of noblewomen and given a forced makeover as Red comes face to face once again with her mother at the Tea Ceremony.
Red watches on in horror and disgust as she thinks about her friends and demands to know where her friends are as the queen claims that the two will join them in due time as Red insists that the idea was all her and that she alone should be punished as the queen mentions the ceremony alone is classed as punishment noting how she had noticed how Red was annoyed at the thought of being there, Red's attention is then drawn to the terrace as she sees Chester and Ace being wheeled into view on a platform.
The queen then calls for attention as the guests look over to her and as Red looks over at Chester, the queen then talks about how those with power will always come out on top and that she had never trusted anyone before other than her own daughter, she then insists that all make mistakes before rewording herself claiming that no-one in Wonderland makes a mistake as she laughs which causes the noble guests, including The Duchess, to join in with the laughter too. Red then watches as her mother chants a spell which in turn then transforms Ace into a soldier for the queen's army, Ace's transformation then ends as the crowd watches in joy though Red runs over to her friend in an attempt to wake him up only for Ace to ignore the princess and stand by his queen, he kneels down before her and arises once the Queen of Hearts gives him permission to stand. Red then looks over and notices a cat which she eventually recognizes as Chester, Red, angered, accuses her mother of lying which the queen suggests she did not hurt them as promised claiming that they were not beheaded.
Furious, Red considers leaving only to be forced into staying as a Frog butler comes over with a scroll as the queen declares that Red will make her decree as she passes the scroll to her daughter, Red then reads on stating that a gathering of two or more Wonderlandians must have a pre-approved purpose as Red reads on what her mother wrote for her, now more angered then before, Red thinks of getting revenge and burning her homeland.
Characters[]
- Red
- Queen of Hearts
- Maddox Hatter
- Chester
- Ace
- Dora
- Twee
- Dee
- Mal
- Ben
- Evie
- Jay
- Doug
- King Arthur
- Artie
- King Charming
- Queen Cinderella
- Chloe Charming
Trivia[]
