[The writing starts slowly and carefully.]

The Tale of the Queen of Hearts

[But it picks up speed as the writer goes on.]

Once, in a far-off land, there was a princess who was not allowed to be a princess. Her father, the King, had wanted a son to be King just like him, and so he refused to let his daughter know that there was such a thing as a princess. She was only allowed to be a prince.

He went even further than that! Her mother died when she was young, so...

[The writing falters briefly before continuing.]

She never knew about other women at all. The King forbade any from coming near her, for fear that she might discover she was really a princess and not a prince. He taught her that she would grow up to be a man someday, so she didn't need to meet the people called "women."

Out in the kingdom, word spread of the prince who wasn't allowed to see women. A rumor sprang up that he was cursed and could not bear a woman's touch. So one day, a...a brilliant mage decided that she had heard enough of the silly rumor and was going to prove it wrong. She cut her hair and dressed up as a man and went to the King, claiming she was a traveling magical tutor who could teach the prince the manly arts of spells. The King fell for her trick and ordered her to begin teaching the prince, who was in fact the princess. So they became friends.

But one day a spell went wrong, and she and the princess found out each other's secrets. The mage told the princess who she really was, and the princess was glad, because something had always felt strange about being called a prince. But the King caught them like that, and he was furious that his plans to raise another King had failed. So he banished the mage and threw her out of the kingdom, far away. He didn't realize that by then, the mage had taught the princess many things, and she had magic of her own. She used it to escape to her own realm, where she became Queen.

Still, the Queen missed the mage. So she began to summon women to her realm, looking for her. None of them were the mage, so she asked them to help her build her queendom instead. And she kept looking. That is why the Queen of Hearts has made this land and why we're here. Someday, she'll find the mage, and then we can decide whether we want to go home or not.

[Mahalia looks at the mirror curiously for a moment or two as it appears, peering at it this way and that, clearly trying to understand how the whole thing works. She remembers quickly enough why she'd activated it in the first place, settling to look at it properly. Her mouth thins, a rather prissy, annoyed expression on her young face.]

I'm still not entirely sure why I've been brought here. Or how, actually. The scroll could have explained a lot more, really, it was very short. But either way, I don't think why matters much, especially seeing as no one bothered asking me first.

[She pauses for a moment, taking a breath, reminding herself of her manners even if whoever kidnapped her – this Queen - clearly didn't have any. She looks more composed and relaxed when she begins talking again.]

I'm sorry. I don't mean to be ungrateful, this place is truly beautiful. But I really can't stay. Could you send me back, please?