Queen of Hearts Ch. 01: The New Guest

I'd been dreaming of this weird forest for a while. Every night I'd find myself walking along a path through the woods, right where I left off the last time. Sometimes there were road signs, but like most dreams the text on them was garbled or impossible to remember. The only thing I could figure out was that the place I was headed toward had a little heart symbol next to it.

Now that I think of it, maybe there were other symbols too. Other playing card suits. It's hard to say. Everything I'm about to tell you happened in dreams, and some of the details are hard to keep in memory. There are a few things I will never forget, though... Like the first bunny girl.

In one dream, I saw a girl in a white rabbit costume watching me through the trees. She was actually hopping like a real bunny, but it was definitely a costume on a human girl. Come to think of it, the costume wasn't so much a costume as it was a white outfit with bunny ears on her head. When she noticed I saw her, she frantically hopped away from the path, out of sight. The dream went on as usual after that until I woke up.

When I saw her again in another dream, her gaze lingered for a moment when I caught it. This particular dream was very vivid, and I think I was fully lucid at the time. Meaning, I was very aware of my surroundings and my thoughts and actions. I was in control of myself, at least. I never got the hang of manipulating my dreams like some people can.

Anyway, the bunny girl stared at me, and then hopped away. Lucid as I was, I thought to actually follow her. When I got closer, I noticed she was speaking as she hopped.

"Boing! Boing! Boing! Whee!" She suddenly disappeared. I caught up to where she was and found a hole in the ground, just big enough for a human to fit through. I got on my knees and peered into the hole, but it was dark. I got the strangest feeling then... Like whatever was in the hole was beckoning me to jump in. I guess you could call it alluring.

So I hopped in feet first. I knew it was a dream, after all. At first, there was just darkness. I couldn't feel anything, not even wind rushing past as I fell. Then, I found myself settling into an armchair. Other random pieces of furniture slowly floated past. It reminded me of an old Disney movie, but to this day I can't remember which one had a scene like that.

A mirror floated past, and I saw my reflection. Even in my dream I looked bored and indifferent. My brown hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail. I'd long since lost interest in styling my hair. Green eyes framed by a minimal amount of eye shadow - just enough to prove I'd actually looked at myself before leaving the apartment.

Somewhat bony face (I've always been pretty skinny), oversized pajama t-shirt hiding what little curves I have to show off, and whatever pair of shorts I could find before I crawled into bed.

There I was, plain old Jessie, floating by. I was suddenly stricken with how real it all felt just then. I looked at my hands. Five fingers on two of them, like they should be. Feet and toes the same.

When I was done checking myself I noticed that there were now walls around me with oddly shaped and sized windows here and there. I peered over the edge of the armchair and saw a checkered tile floor slowly approaching. The dull thud of the chair's feet landing made me jump in spite of the gentleness of it.

Stepping off the chair, I saw nothing else in the room but a glass table and a door just beyond that. A scraping sound behind me made me whip around, expecting some horrible nightmare creature. Instead, I saw my armchair floating back up into the darkness. There went my ride.

------

When I turned back to the table, I was suddenly face to face with the bunny girl. I gasped, and she giggled.

"Hi!" She said in a cutesy voice.

"Uh, hi," I replied, a little confused.

"I'm sooo glad you could make it! But -" She pulled out an old-fashioned pocket watch from somewhere behind her and squinted at it.

"AH! WE'RE LATE!" She screamed and tossed the pocket watch away, suddenly grabbing my hand. Before I could protest, she was pulling me towards the door which was now open. She didn't try to hop while holding my hand, thankfully, but she did rush me through the door and down another wooded pathway.

"Where are we going?" I managed to call out as we hurried along the path, hand in hand.

"To see the Queen, of course! We're late for the Tuesday Tickling! No one wants to miss that, and the Queen hates it when she has to send tardy ones to the Naughty Room."

Most of what the girl said sounded like gibberish as we ran, but I could figure out that she'd mentioned some queen.

"The Queen?" That was all I could manage as I was suddenly distracted by the sight of a huge castle looming in the distance. We'd reached the edge of the woods, it seemed, and we were headed for what looked to be a castle straight out of the story books.

Looming towers adorned with red flags of some sort, a drawbridge over a moat, and guards armed with red-tipped spears. Two of them saw us coming and waved to the drawbridge operators to lower the bridge.

They wore white armor trimmed in red, and as we got closer it became apparent that they were both female. They nodded to the bunny girl as she whisked us past them and into the castle proper.

The courtyard was full of rose bushes, both white and red. Gardeners were dotted throughout, tending to the bushes. They were all women too, wearing white dresses and red hair bows. I only got a few seconds' glance as we were quickly through another door and into a grand hallway.

It was here that I finally realized what all the red spots in the mostly white designs on everything were - hearts. The windows were literally designed as playing cards. I saw the ace of hearts, two of hearts, and so on down the massive hall. There was a long line of people that reached all the way back to the area we came in. I couldn't see all the way to the front area where the line was slowly moving to yet.

The bunny girl stood on her toes and looked over the crowd. "Oh, goodie. The Bunnies haven't reached the Queen yet. Come on!" She tugged me along, pushing past the line toward the other end of the long hallway.

------

Eventually we reached about the midway point of the line, where there were several other bunny girls, in varying white outfits but all with bunny ears on. A couple of them turned to address us as we fell in line.

"Oh, Lily, you made it! We thought you had gotten lost! Ooh, you brought your first Guest, did you?"

Lily, the first bunny girl I'd met, beamed with pride. "Mhm! Bunnies, meet... Um... I'm so sorry, I didn't get to ask for your name!"

"I'm Jessie." I don't know whether it was my calm nature or the fact that I knew I was dreaming, but at that point I was just taking it all in without worry. No sense turning what was a rather interesting dream into a nightmare by freaking out.

"Jessie! Welcome!" Lily suddenly threw her arms around me in a hug. The others were smiling and waving at me. I was too surprised to do anything but stand there and wait. It didn't take long for Lily to break the hug and grab my hand again, pulling me along as the line was moving rather quickly.

"What exactly is this line for?" I asked, expecting not to have it answered as dream characters often have little more than superficial answers.

Lily's face brightened as she responded. "Oh, this is the line for the Tuesday Tickling, like I said before. Officially, it is supposed to be an event of selfless tribute to the Queen, but to be honest we all love it so much that it's like a treat every week!"

Another Bunny chimed in. "Uh-huh! It's the best!"

"Everyone gets their brief moment with the Queen, but it doesn't last long because there are sooo many subjects, as you can see! I'm sorry, Jessie, but because you're new you won't get a taste until next week. I mean, if you're good and all..." Lily tapped her chin. "But I think you'll be good! You're very nice."

I took a moment to think then. Not only were they responding and using my name, but they were actually making sense in their dialogue. I'd never had a dream like this before.

Well, it made sense in that it wasn't gibberish, but I still had no idea what she was talking about.

"If I'm... Good?"

A rather loud feminine cry sounded from somewhere ahead of us in the line, distracting me from the current topic. I turned to see, but with the throne facing the other way and still quite a distance away, I couldn't quite see the source.

"Ooh, someone's been practicing..." Lily giggled and exchanged glances with the other Bunnies. The closest to her spoke next.

"I know I have! Janie and I took turns yesterday. It was so much fun!"

Thoroughly confused, I figured the best way to find out what they meant would be to just wait.

I was startled when Lily suddenly planted her hand on my breast, in the process sticking a green heart to my shirt. "Sorry, I forgot earlier! You need to wear this so the Queen's Guard will know you're a Guest and not a Citizen like those behind you." I thought she gave it a little squeeze, but maybe I was imagining it.

I turned and looked at the people behind me for the first time. I saw a sea of smiling faces. As far as I could tell, they were all women. I turned back to the Bunnies without a word, curious to see just what all these people were so happy about.

------

Some time later, I heard that same voice from before, coming from the other side of the throne.

"Oh, Victoria! You..." The rest was unintelligible. It sounded a little... Sensual, I guess? I got a little fidgety then, wishing I would wake up before I saw what was going on.

As I got closer, I could tell that people were walking up to the throne one by one, presumably speaking with the Queen, and then walking away out a side door. Occasionally the Queen would say something loud enough to hear, but usually I heard nothing.

Finally I was close enough to hear the proceedings in full, though I still couldn't see it.

A guard called out, "Next!"

A young woman in a plaid skirt approached the throne and stated, "Amanda B., my Queen, librarian." She curtsied, looking up at the Queen for approval, then smiled. She walked up to the Queen and out of my sight.

"Mmm, thank you, Amanda," said the Queen a moment later, and I saw Amanda walk out.

After that I found myself staring at those playing card windows as the line moved on. The various sounds of the "Tickling" process fell to the wayside as my mind wandered.

Suddenly a soft-spoken woman in chainmail was in front of me. "This way, please, dear Guest." She pulled me out of the line and into a row of other women with green hearts stuck to their chest. They stared at each other, the Queen, and me, most of them wide-eyed. I turned to finally see what this Queen was all about and I nearly had a heart attack when I first saw her.

The woman sitting on the throne wore a massive gem-studded crown and an extravagant red and white dress. What caught my eye more than her outfit was the position she was sitting in. The throne had perfectly blocked my view before, but now I found myself staring at a neatly shaved vagina on display. Two female servants held up the Queen's skirt and two more held her feet wide apart. The Queen had one hand clutched on her own breast, gently massaging it through her dress, and the other in a bowl of fruit.

Lily was up next. She looked at me, winked, and presented herself.

"Lily Z., my Queen, Royal Bunny." Instead of curtsying, Lily crouched down and held her hands up, mimicking a bunny. The Queen smiled before popping a grape in her mouth and nodding. Lily hopped her way up to the Queen's widespread legs and hovered her face in front of her glistening slit. Yes, glistening, it was clearly wet from what I found see. Lily seemed to sniff it, like a bunny, before giving it a long drag of the tongue from top to bottom. The Queen moaned, looking down at Lily's bunny ears and clutching her breast.

Now, I don't know how I managed to actually watch until then without reaction, but at that moment my stomach turned. It didn't feel like a dream then, it felt absolutely real. I whirled around and covered my mouth, trying hard not to vomit everywhere. One of the other Guests patted my back, which helped a bit, but I was too flustered to even look at her.

My mind raced, in no way clouded by the typical dreamy haze. What on earth am I witnessing? How am I not waking up in a cold sweat right now? What the f-

Lily interrupted my thoughts by suddenly popping in front of me. "Jessie! Uh oh, are you okay?"

I shook my head, partly to answer and partly in a desperate attempt to wake up. Instead, the opposite happened and I blacked out.

------

The next thing I remember is waking up in a fluffy bed. I immediately knew I wasn't in my own bed. This one was far too comfy and soft. My second sign was the other person I discovered in the bed next to me. There was Lily with her blonde hair flowing away from her head as she laid facing the other way.

I panicked, thrashing the blankets and sheets in a desperate attempt to free myself and escape. This unfortunately ended with me on the floor with the wind knocked out of me. I turned over and saw Lily's groggy face peering over the edge of the bed.

"Jessie, what are you doing?" She smiled, eyes half-open.

I struggled my way out of the sheets I'd pulled off the bed and jumped to my feet.

"No! What are- Where am I?" I backed away from the bed. Thankfully I was still in my pajamas, but Lily was very clearly topless as she watched me with a curious look.

"You're funny, Jessie. Relax... Everything is okay!" She rolled over onto her back, still watching me, and stretched her arms out. Her perky nipples reached for the sky, too. I hadn't noticed how cool the room was outside those covers.

I stood frozen, unable to think of how to react, what to do next.

"Oh... Duh, I already forgot! This is your first time here... Of course you're scared. I was too."

"You... Were?" I emphasized were, since she clearly wasn't scared now.

"Mhm. Then I realized how wonderful it is here. Everything's perfect, Jessie. You'll love it here." She was idly toying with her hard nipple as she spoke, head still hanging off the bed with her hair reaching the floor.

I managed to regain some composure and speak normally. "You're talking to me like I'm trying to escape. This is my dream, however crazy. I can leave any time..." I wasn't as sure of that last fact as I wanted to be.

"Well... It's not THAT simple... But really, once you see what it's like you won't want to leave!" Her other hand was reaching into the blanket for a place I'm sure you could guess, but I'd had enough.

"Stop! Stop that! Answer me! What's going on here?" I was on the verge of tears. Nothing was making sense.

Lily frowned, bringing her hand out of the blanket and rolling back over. "Aw, Jessie..." She sighed and propped herself up on her elbows. "You are now a Guest of the Queen of Hearts," she began, as if reciting something from a business presentation. "You are not permitted to exit the Queen's lands until such a time as your suitability to serve as a Subject of the Queen is deemed substandard, or a term of one year is served without incident."

"What? One year?" I interrupted her.

Lily held up a finger and continued. "You were chosen by Royal Bunnies based on the Queen's criteria of attractiveness and relative compatibility. It is an honor and privilege to serve the Queen of Hearts."

The tears were flowing now. Little details aside, it sounded like a jail sentence and a nightmare I wished desperately to wake up from. Lily continued her speech in spite of my tears.

"I am now your Guide until such a time that you are capable of becoming a Guide yourself. Thank you for your continued cooperation. Ah, there! Finally done with the boring part. Aw, Jessie... Don't cry! It's going to be fun, I promise!"

No explanation as to how I got here, why I couldn't wake up, why people were... Licking... Ugh. I slumped to the floor and buried my face in my knees.

I heard movement on the bed, but I didn't care. Then, a finger moved through my hair. I lifted my head and found Lily's lips planted on mine. I yelped and pushed her naked body away, scrambling into the corner like a wild animal.

"Darn, I hoped that would work... It's how my Guide convinced me..." She tilted her head. "Then again, maybe you don't like girls like I did."

I shook my head frantically. "N-no! I don't!"

Lily giggled. "Well, you'll learn!"

------

Eventually I calmed down enough to actually think before acting. Lily explained some things once I was able to form complete sentences. I was essentially trapped in an endless dream until I served my time or caused too much trouble. She said she didn't know of anyone who'd gone the trouble route. She had picked me and I had taken the bait by following her. It didn't strike me as a fair deal, but my opinion didn't seem to matter to this Queen of Hearts.

Speaking of the Queen, Lily could only say nice things about her. Kind, beautiful, charming... It was like she was describing a high school crush. She was definitely old enough to be done with high school, though, at least in appearance.

We didn't go out for breakfast. In fact, I quickly realized that it was indeed still a dream and I had control over some aspects of it. I could change my clothing at will, and my physical attributes to an extent. Things like my hairstyle, make-up, and so on.

Apparently food and drink only existed in the dream world for the fun of it. Sleeping, she said, was also optional but helped keep your mind sharp. It's all in the mind, she kept saying. I felt like I was losing mine.

"It's a perfect society, Jessie. Everyone loves everyone, the Queen loves us all, and everyone is happy."

"But... It's not real... It's all a dream!"

Lily stopped walking and faced me. She wore a cute orange summer dress instead of her Bunny outfit, hair pulled into two long tails.

"What is real, Jessie? What you can see and feel? Because right now, you can see me, and you can feel this." She reached out and pinched my arm.

"Ow!" It hurt, pretty badly. And unfortunately, I didn't wake up.

"Real is in your mind." She put her hands on her hips. "Your mind makes real."

"That doesn't make any sense. Another thing... Why are there only women here?"

"I... I don't have an answer to that question. It's just the way it is. It's not like... Well, it's not like we NEED males for anything. I think we're better off without them."

I could tell she didn't like guys much outside of this dream life. If she even existed outside of my mind. "Well I like them. So for that reason alone your dream life isn't a perfect society."

Lily began a little sexy dance, running her hands up and down her thighs. "Come on, Jessie... You know this excites you..."

As I watched her do it, I tried to recall if I'd ever been attracted to another girl. I couldn't think of specifics, but I remembered that there were certain features I thought looked nice on girls. Lily seemed to have them all. A perfect face, long blonde hair, the nice full tits I wish I had... Speaking of, Lily had just raised her hands up to her chest and closed her eyes.

"It's your dream world, Jessie... You can dream up your wildest fantasies..." She squeezed her own breasts, pushing them together through the dress and hissing lightly as she excited herself. I couldn't deny how sexy it was to watch her do that. When she opened her hazel eyes and gave me that seductive stare, I felt a wall breaking down. Could I...? It's just a dream... It doesn't mean anything... Those thoughts crossed my mind as I stepped toward her, mesmerized.