A Door that Opens Part 12

Her head was bowed as her neck was locked in a metal collar with four chains connected to it. Each card knight carried one end of it on all four sides of her. They chained her wrists together, and took her sword. As much as she desired to lash out at the one who held her sword, she was far too tired. Her entire body ached, and all of her joints felt like they would fall off if she moved them too quickly. They led her away from the tiny isle where her battle with Sakura took place. On it, the bodies of well over two hundred card knights laid, all of them with Usagi's spelled out in kanji on their thin, card torsos. Even after all of those, fifteen remained that disarmed her, and put her into submission.

Miles away, they led her to the Kingdom of Hearts. She did not say a word, nor did she make a move to escape, she conserved her energy for the very long journey. All of their lances were fixed on her. It was clear that they were ordered to take her alive, or else they would have killed her long ago. Both of their attacks that landed were in nonlethal spots of her body, and only meant to incapacitate her. They carried her in a small cage once they reached the Kingdom of Hearts. There, she was led to the castle. Through the streets, eight card knights carried her. It was midnight, she knew from the clock tower that they passed along the way.

All of the towns people watched as they carried her. All of the puppet men, all of what looked to be humans watched, and even the chesspieces watched as she was carried through the streets. None of them said anything, except she heard a little girl whisper to her mom that she had such pretty hair. This drew a smile from her, but that soon faded once the drawbridge was lowered for their arrival.

The castle was gloomier than the night, it seemed. All of the walls were black and red striped, and the decorations of hearts and spades were far more depressing than a graveyard on midhallow's eve.

Guard: Halt, where are you taking the prisoner?

Cardknight: To chamber B.

Guard: No, she is to be transported to the Z chambers.

All of the card knights glanced at each other, mumbling something to themselves.

Cardknight: This is the Queen's command?

Guard: Of course, she passed the order down herself. Bare her hence.

Cardknight: To Chamber Z!

They led her down a different hallway to the right. She did not like the sound of chamber z. She could only imagine how many spiders she needed to pick from whatever slop they would feed her. How many bones would be lying on the ground, and how many stinking, maggoty corpses would....

That was when they opened the door to the most pink and white room she had ever seen. The carpet was such a bright color of pink she had to sligthly divert her eyes. The bed was gigantic, but there was plenty of room in the room to keep it. It was tall enough that she would have to climb in by hoisting herself up. On top of the bed, there was lined so many stuffed animals, she couldn't even begin to count them. Most of them were rabbits, but there were frogs, bears, and cats among them as well.

They opened her cage after setting it on the ground. One card knight unlocked her chains and dropped them to the floor of the cage and hastily pulled her out of it.

Cardknight: Get out of there, prisoner! Remember, all of your rights are now up to the Queen herself! You will do nothing by means of trying to escape, or you will be killed outright! Dinner starts with a salad, and you will eat the whole salad before you have your choice of clam chowder or three-bean soup! Do not try to spit any of it out or you will NOT get dessert! Your shower will be in the bathroom beside your dungeon cell, DO NOT CLOG THE TOILET! Doing so will be very disorderly and be a hassle to fix. Bedtime stories will be read before your pillow is fluffed and you are tucked in! Are there any questions?!

Her eyes could not stop from gazing at her so-called "dungeon cell." What was their game, exactly?

Usagi: Do you have any tea?

Cardknight: Guard!!

Guard: [Walked into the room] Sir!

Cardknight: Get our green tea in here immediately. [Turned to Usagi] Carrot cake?

Usagi: Please

Cardknight: And carrot cake! Go!

Guard: Sir! [Walked out with haste]

Cardknight: Knock on your chamber door if you need anything else. Remember to not escape! [He closed the door with a loud thud. Then opened it again.] My apologies. [Then closed it softly]

Usagi looked around her chambers, and had no idea how to handle such treatment after being captured. There was something wrong with all of this, and she thought it over as she sipped her wonderful, hot green tea and wrote in her book.

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