The Queen of Hearts has ruled the Heartland since time immemorial. She is one of the oldest living beings in Wonderland, easily outstripping creatures such as the Bandersnatch and the Jabberwocky by several thousand years. She was there long before the first Alice ever fell down the rabbit hole, and she will be there long after all other Alices have come to pass; for she ages as the land does.
Margery is a woman accustomed to wealth and power, and by no means afraid to show it. She appears as a woman in her late-thirties, with all the practised air and poise of someone born into nobility. Her complexion is rosy, though it is said that she can turn every different shade of red when agitated or flustered. She is a short, plump woman, standing at just barely 5'3'' with an apple-shaped figure that she forces into a bell shape with the help of corsets and undergarments. Her wild, curly hair is cherry red and elaborately styled into two large buns that sit atop her head. Her makeup, which consists of ample amounts of rouge on her cheeks, and lipstick drawn to be heart-shaped, are as red as her hair and requires a great deal of careful maintenance. Her clothing is just as elaborate; large, Elizabethan skirts in red and black with gold embroidery, tight bodices, puffed-out sleeves, and long skirt trains that mark her presence in a room long after she has gone.
Margery is an eclectic woman who loves nothing more than having a good time with others. She has a cheerful disposition that is not easily swayed by those with more doom and gloom in their hearts. Her default expression is a smile and her laughter is common throughout the Heartland. She has a good sense of humour, but also a good sense of etiquette, taste, and tact. Margery is very strict about proper etiquette, manners in particular. She will not tolerate rudeness or backtalk of any kind. She can be a little obsessive compulsive, paying far too much attention to the details while losing the big picture is a bad habit of hers. She can also be a bit overbearing towards those she cares for, acting like a doting mother or grandmother and generally being a nuisance. When she is seriously offering help, however, you couldn't wish for a more supportive and attentive person.
In spite of her good qualities and sunny temperament, Margery has her darker sides. She can be conniving and cruel when she wants and can hold a grudge forever and a day. She never forgets and she rarely forgives. In the early days of Wonderland, many a person who crossed the Queen found themselves facing the headsman's axe. Though she has mellowed out with age, back in Margery's youth it was a common practice for her to mount the heads of those who wronged her on pikes that lined the castle walls. Since she has calmed down, most of these heads have been removed, but a few still remain as a reminder of what might happen to anyone who gets on the Queen's bad side.
Royal Influence
As the Queen of Hearts, Margery is gifted with the power to influence and/or control a person's heart and mind. While her abilities do require that she overpower her victims (which is never a guarantee) there is no denying that she is still a powerful enemy. Her ability can manifest itself in a few different ways, such as the following:
Voice -- Margery's voice is incredibly compelling and persuasive. She can twist a conversation around to suit herself, while leaving the other person convinced they made every decision of their own free will. At its strongest, not even manipulation is needed. Margery can simply give a direct order and her victims will follow it without fail. Though if she concentrates hard enough Margery can exercise this power on almost anyone, she is mainly restricted to those with impressionable personalities. The more confident in themselves a person is, the harder it is for Margery to convince them of anything, powers or no powers.
Touch -- Emotional transfer through touch is a personal favourite of the Queen's. Margery can calm someone down or incite them to riot with something as simple as a handshake. This ability is fairly restrictive, as direct physical contact is necessary. The results are never immediate, all Margery can do is plant the seeds in someone's mind, and their strength of character will determine whether those seeds will flourish or wither.
Possession -- By far Margery's most potent and dangerous manifestation of her power. It quite literally means a complete and total takeover of another person, trapping them within their own body and leaving them forced to watch, helplessly, while another controls their every movement. This ability requires an intense amount of concentration and effort to use and maintain. Even if Margery is able to defeat her victim's mind and overpower them (which already creates quite a lot of strain) she must leave her own body and inhabit the other until such time as she chooses to release her vessel. Her body enters a kind of stasis during these moments, where neither food, nor water, nor sleep is needed for survival. However, she is left utterly defenceless and is a sitting duck until she returns to her own body. Upon returning, Margery usually needs to sleep for a few days to recover her strength. Be aware: though it is beyond easy to attack the Queen while she's possessing someone, the shock of her death will also kill whoever she is in control of.
Strengths
Queen Piece -- Though publicly Margery is second to the king, the truth of the matter is that she wields equal power, and much of the Heartland's political, military, and economic movements can be attributed to her. She uses her "place" in the king's shadow to move as she pleases, making plans and marshalling her assets towards her objectives. Anyone wishing to cripple the Heartland would do well to remember one, simple thing: take out the Queen, and it won't be long before the King falls as well.
Weaknesses
Off With Your Head! -- Margery's more sadistic frame of mind tends to blind her to long-term thinking. She is of a mind to execute first and ask questions later when in this state. This has led to a few ridiculous and unnecessary deaths, such as that of the Knave of Hearts, who was executed by Margery in her youth, for the sole crime of stealing the tarts she'd baked that morning.
LikesThe exotic and the unusual -- Margery is an avid collector of the strange and wonderful; her castle is filled with interesting and unique items from all over Wonderland--some may be brand new, others may be centuries old, all are kept in pristine condition. However, the collection she is most proud of, by far, is her menagerie of the one-of-a-kind creatures that inhabit Wonderland. In her younger days, Margery made great sport of tracking down and taming these beasts to come and live with her as her pets. These days she cares more for maintaining her menagerie rather than adding to it. Her most prized pets are the Jubjub Bird and the Mock Turtle, who are almost as old as the Queen herself. Margery loves showing off her collections and her menagerie and offers a tour to everyone, regardless of whether they've asked or not.
Parties -- The Queen of Hearts is famous for the parties she throws, and for good reason. Anyone who is anyone is invited, and the parties can last for days at a time. Music, live entertainment, and plenty of food are all staples, and even in wartime Margery is still capable of giving everyone a night to remember.
Dislikes
Buzzkills -- "It's very rude of them," she said, "to come and spoil the fun."
Themes
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