The Red Queen was actually so friendly, it was weird we were opponents. I guess things would've turned out well if we knew each other in another way because you know, this match ends with me or her dead. But somehow, my brain kept telling me I knew her.

She beamed at me, melting my heart. She looked beautiful in her short, white dress. Her long hair swayed left and right as she walked around the room. Kind of weird that the Red Queen wore a white dress and Alice wore the red one. 

"So, Carissa." She said to me, "What would you like to play? Russian roulette?"

I fiddled with my scarf. "I don't know. Didn't see how's it played. Would you mind if I ask for a demonstration?"

She clasped her hands together and smiled again(Man, isn't her cheek bones gonna hurt?).

"Of course! I wouldn't mind." She replied as she gestured to one of her servants. "Come here, dear. Bring me the guns and the bullets too."

The servant looked nervous, sweating and nodding hesitantly. She scrambled away to who knows where. 

I studied the Queen. She looked normal to me. It was as if her lips were permanently etched into a smile. She wouldn't stop smiling. She was even smiling even if her servant is taking a few minutes before taking the blasted guns! The wait was making me edgy. I don't want to be idle. I want the match. I want it now. 

But I am definitely not playing Russian roulette. Too dangerous and too unpredictable. I guess I need squeeze myself out of this choice. I believe that The Red Queen doesn't settle to some mediocre(sorry but I think she's more brutal. Russian roulette is not the best thing she can do.) gamble. I strongly think so. Maybe she's planning something. Who knows?

She tapped her slender fingers on the surface of the table, beating a chaotic and unidentified rhythm. Her other hand served as support to her chin. She was blowing a couple of strands of her blonde hair away from her face. Her lips moved slowly like an inchworm every time she's blowing. 

She looks great.

Oh.

Wait.

Maybe she's trying to distract the enemy and that enemy is?

Me.

Just me.

Finally, the servant arrived. She was sweatier than she was before but she held guns and bullets in her hands. She bowed so lowly to the Queen, I could see her cleavage from my seat. 

"H-Here you go, Your Majesty." She stuttered and shook, probably afraid that she'll get smacked or whatever for taking so long. 

Red Queen took the things from her hands quickly and shooed her away. 

She bowed and proceeded to leave but she was stopped when the Red Queen remembered something.

"Dear, wait." The Red Queen stated. "I forgot I needed a demonstration for our guest."

Wait, is that servant going to be the demonstration? 

I bit my lip and dug my nails on my thighs. The Red Queen is very cruel but I'm not scared. It's actually getting me more hyped up! Someone with such danger, such power! It's finally a dream come true for me!

"Okay."The servant said, "Then I shall go and fetch someone-"

"No." Queen said. "You'll be the demonstration."

"Wha-What?"

"Yes. You heard me." She said in a sing-song voice as she picked up a wine glass from the table. She then tilted the glass, letting the wine spill over the bullets. The servant watched in horror as she saw the sweet drink of crimson spread throughout the bullets. The servant might as well thought that the crimson drowning the bullets was her own blood. The Red Queen picked one bullet and sucked on it. "This wine is sure tasty with bullets!" 

Then, she loaded the revolvers. The clicking of the gun as a bullet is loaded to it was oddly satisfying. She loaded them fully, not even leaving one bullet slot open.  All the chances of the servant is gone, no matter which gun she will pick. Just one pull of the trigger and she'll be gone. Her survival rate in this gamble is zero.

Red Queen tossed a gun to her in which the servant caught it clumsily. "Aw, c'mon! Don't be so scared. Bullets won't work anymore when they're wet." The Red Queen stood up, squishing the cheeks of the servant with her thumb and middle finger. "Do it now, my dear."

"I-I-I-I!" The servant stuttered. "I...I don't think so."

This scene is actually so great, I feel so sick for loving it. 

The servant is now cornered with the walls of Death, there's no way she can escape it, can't she? She'll be devoured before she knows it. She'll be too numb to feel any pain.

The Red Queen laced her fingers to the servant as she pushed the weaker woman to the wall. "You can do it. You can't afford having our guest upset, right?"

I could feel the tension in the ceilings. There were also a few servants and people in the room and one of those people is Eren. Eren has a very strong sense of justice and now I wonder why he isn't stopping his master. 

The servant's eyes were wide in fear and her lips kept shaking. The Red Queen was staring her down with those lovely, devilish eyes, urging her to demonstrate Russian roulette for me. Urging her to kill herself. The servant gulped and said, "I understand."

The Red Queen let her go. "Good doggie." 

The servant swallowed and pointed the muzzle on her head and closed her eyes as her finger rested on the trigger. Then, she pulled the trigger.

BANG!

The servant fell to the floor a thud, bloodied and dead. Her blood spread through the floor from the hole that the bullet created. Some people watched in horror(and I could hear someone retch in the background) but I and The Red Queen watched in awe. 

The Red Queen walked over to the dead body and nudged it with her toe. "Ah, she's dead." She smirked and burst out laughing. "Hahahahahaha! She's so, so stupid! She didn't know that bullets still work fine even if they're wet. Heck, they even work underwater! Ahahahaha!" She then stomped on the servant's head repeatedly, splashing blood on the walls and on her white dress. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

She turned to me and smiled. She smiled so naturally even if there was a small patch of blood on her cheek. Guess some people are just really born to be psychopaths. 

"Sorry for the wait, Carissa." She said, taking her seat and fixing her hair although her hair looks fine. "So, I guess you don't want to play Russian roulette now, huh?"

I nodded. "Yup, it's pretty boring. The thrill will just end when someone's dead. It rhymes so it's true."

She giggled. "Yeah, Russian roulette is just too boring."

"I also figured that you wouldn't want such a match. I know you love bigger, heavier, and more painful risks." I added. 

She sighed. "For a person that I've met recently, you sure do know me well." She turned and called for someone. "Eren, go get me my chessboard. Also, tell the staff to get this match filmed by the cameras so that the people in this establishment can see this gamble live via television."

Eren nodded and left promptly.

So Eren became the Red Queen's dog? Or worse, sex slave? 

No. No. Nope. Nuh-uh. I thought. I always believed Eren's the dominant one not the submissive one so there's no way Eren would bow down to such a small lady. 

I remembered that the Red Queen stated that she wants our match to be seen live by the customers in this casino. So that means...

Levi.

Levi will see me. 

I don't understand. Why am I worrying so much when I have a disguise? Is this a sign that my disguise will be stripped away sooner or later? I breathed in, and exhaled heavily in attempt to calm myself. 

"What's wrong?" The Red Queen asked and her face was showing sympathy. "Are you nervous?"

"Yeah. I'm nervous and excited at the same time."

She patted my shoulder. "It's okay. This will just be a mere game of chess." And with that, she smiled but this one wasn't like the others. It was a cruel smile, waiting for me to get crushed.

"Your Majesty." Eren said, "Your chessboard is here." He placed the chessboard on the table. The chessboard was simple to look at, but it was kind of glassy. White and green tiles lie alternately which seemed normal but the more I stared at it, the tiles seemed to glitter under the light. I realized the white tiles were made from diamonds and emeralds, the diamonds being the white tiles and the emeralds being the green ones. Just stealing this chessboard is enough to supply you all the needs of your lifetime. 

"Thank you, Eren." The Red Queen stated and opened the board, revealing the expensive chess pieces. The white pieces were made from ivory and the black pieces were made from black marble. Damn, this woman sure is very rich. 

"Okay, Carissa!" She beamed, "I shall tell you the rules of this gamble. It's pretty simple you know. Just a classic game of chess but here's the catch. If you lose a certain piece, you lose a certain body part! Isn't that amazing?" She smiled at me with her cold, blue eyes foreseeing my demise. Her lashes looked absolutely beautiful and I resisted the urge to lean closer and pluck it one by one. 

"I'm listening. Please continue."

"A pawn is worth a fingernail but if you lose all your pawns, all the nails you have in your body shall pulled out by pliers. A rook is worth your eye. Two rooks lost will be paid by blindness. Your knight is worth your tongue but two knights lost is worth your tongue and your teeth. All of it. A bishop is worth your head. The queen is worth your heart. Shinzou wo sasageyo, Carissa. If you loose your queen, you'll be forced to give up your heart!

"And the king is worth your whole life! You'll be doing whatever I want you to do your whole life if you lose your king! You'll be my slave! Forever!

"Wouldn't that be great, Carissa?"

"Great?" I asked her. "It's not great..."

Her smile faltered. "What're you saying?"

Somehow, this game doesn't feel great to me. I thought. It's not great.

"It's not great for it's..." I stood up, my palms on the table. "VERY GREAT! BRILLIANT! EXCELLENT! ASTOUNDING! ASTONISHING! IT'S PERFECTION ITSELF! I never played such a gamble with such heavy and painful risks! This is the most perfect gamble I've been to!" I turned to her, fixing my eyes on her shocked, blue ones. "YOU'RE A GENIUS FOR THINKING SUCH A THING! Red. Queen."

She blinked and laughed nervously. "Of course, I am Carissa." She arranged the chess pieces to their rightful places, making the board go clack every time she placed a piece. "You take the black side, my dear opponent."

I nodded and began arranging my black marble pieces on the expensive board. I am never really good at chess but I never felt so excited about having a chess match. The risks are just so great that I'll need to sharpen my chess skills while I'm on this game. 

I studied the small hairline fractures on my black marble chess pieces. I had my head cleared and everything is clear. That includes Eren and Levi being able to see this match and that alone can bring me such misfortune. I inhaled as I swallowed back my doubts. My doubts about not being able to win this match. 

"Are you ready, my dear?"

Am I even ready?  "I am. Let's start."

"Ooh." She mused. "Such a brave opponent I am having for tonight. I'll ask you again. Are you ready?"

"Yeah." I replied, taming my impatience. 

"Really?"

"Really." I bit back a curse. "I'm armed to my teeth."

"Oho. Sounds threatening."

I am threatening. I am strong. No one can defy me. 

My breathing became faster and it sounded like I was hyperventilating and needed medical help but I don't care. I don't need medical help. I just need to win this match.

I will win no matter what.

I moved a pawn, letting it take two green tiles from its original position. Red Queen moved a pawn too. The sound of the pawn thudding on the bejeweled board's surface was satisfying and sure. Everyone around us was silent, anticipating our next move. And ooh, they're probably betting about this. Also, Levi would see this...not good.

I scratched the wooden table in anticipation and waiting. I watched the Red Queen's side of the board, visualizing what would her next move be but the more I thought, the more my stomach churned, telling me that maybe her next move isn't something I can predict. 

I moved another pawn thoughtlessly. 

And another and another one and another one and another one...

I didn't bother what The Red Queen moved. I just wanted thrill. I wanted to feel the exhilarating feeling aching my muscles, echoing in my mind, pounding in my ears. I wanted to feel everything and anything and I can only feel that when I gamble carelessly.

I must gamble both carelessly and carefully.

After her first move, The Red Queen only moved her officials except the Queen and King. Her plans? I do not know and every move she made seemed to shock me. It's like sending electric currents from her fingertips, to the chess piece, to the board and finally, to my body. 

But you know what?

I'll always win!

I'll win! I'll win!!! I'LL WIN!!! I'LL WIN!!!

and  hey guys ya boi is back with this long-ish chapter. is there anyone there who didn't guess who the Red Queen is? 

lolololol if there's anyone who doesn't guess who she is yet, keep on guessing and for those who knows who she is now, SHUT UP. 

jk. just pls avoid on commenting who she is lololol. it kills the thrill olololol.

*oof and an update week after i wrote this one*

*hysterical crying*