[Mirror Gardens]

The small man twitched nervously. He could feel the blood rushing to his face as he waited. Cold droplets of sweat ran from his receding hairline, down the sides of his sun-baked complexion. His strong hands, roughed by years of hard labor, wrung his cap like a frightened child as he stared up at the throne. A throne he had known his entire life. Forged from the finest gold and embellished with the rarest jewels of all of Wonderland, it was a symbol of strength and power. Decades of appearing before it to seek audience with royal family in regards to his yearly crops. But never in all his fifty-seven years of life, did he feel the cold dread he did now as he kneeled before that beautiful throne and its inhabitant. Upon the thrown sat the most captivating, yet terrifying creature he had ever laid eyes on. A woman, not even half his age yet, with long black hair that could be compared to only the finest silks. Her skin shone like alabaster in the dim light that filtered in threw the large tracery windows that lined the throne room, illuminating the deceitfully delicate features of her face. She did not wear anything extravagant, as she would when appearing in the public outside the castle, but instead wore a simple white dress that very well could have been a sleeping gown. Still her mere presence sent shivers of terror down his spine.
Her stillness as she read the report he had brought seemed to cause time to slow dramatically. What could only have been mere minutes, seemed like hours before the Queen finally moved. It was a small movement, but he nearly jumped out of his skin as she shifted her eyes from the parchment to his face. The fields had suffered from the heat and he knew his numbers we below what they should have been for the year. His hands stilled their wringing of the hat and gulped as he waited for her to say something. It seemed like another hour before she finally spoke. A mouth curved slightly in a way that should have made his nerves fade away as he stared at that breath-taking smile. But he knew better.
“This is highly disappointing Robinson. Given the extra water supplied to your fields from the kingdom reserves, we had expected something more than this.” She let the report fall from her hand and flutter to the floor. The kind smile still graced her mouth, but there was no kindness in her cold black eyes. “One might think you were stealing water—“
“No! Your Majesty I beg of you! It was the heat! I would ne--“ Robinson did not finish before a hard boot kicked him between his shoulder blades, sending him crashing to the ground. He could hear the distinct metallic sound of a sword being pulled from its sheath.
“That is enough. Let him up.” He was pulled roughly to his feet, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth and tears blurring his vision. “Now Jude, we understand that times have been rough on you. First loosing your wife and youngest in that horrible fire. And then your eldest, who was a strong and loyal soldier, dieing suddenly from illness. But we are afraid that even those troubling times cannot excuse your abuse of the kingdom’s resources.” Jude trembled at the memories of his beloved family. “You will be fined for the water you have wasted, and your taxes doubled until they are paid off in full.” The tears finally broke free and dripped in an undignified manner down his face.
Morgan watched concealed amusement as the old man broke down in front of her. But soon enough his tears grew boring and made a small motion of her hand, signaling for the guards to take him from her sight. Once he was gone, her eyes drifted to windows and rested her chin on the palm of her hand as she waited in boredom for her next appointment.