A / N : Okay, here we go again ~ Hello there!
For those that don't know - or haven't realised just yet - this story is a direct sequel to my other Alice in Wonderland fic, which is titled 'At The Beginning With You'. Now, you don't have to read that first - but, it might help. Especially since I'm most likely to be linking to things and events from that very story. It's only 11 chapters long, so why not check it out and leave a review before proceeding with this?
Now, onto those that very much are familiar with the prequel, and who wanted a sequel ... here you go. This sequel, will have a lot more in them it's predecessor. There is very much a reason as to why the two stories are split, and you'll see why as this one develops. Hopefully, your questions from before will be answered - and alot more that you might ask yourselfs when reading this! Oh, and if you didn't realise, the genre for this is romantic drama, ;)
I will now leave you to join our two lovebirds on thier journey, where wedding plans and various other problems arise that cause trouble for the two of them.
The Sweet Escape
To say Alice was hiding would not be a lie.
After an eventful week which consisted of her friend Mirana stealing her from any plans she had previously made, just to discuss with her about various ideas that she just might like to consider for her wedding, Alice felt that it was time she had a day to herself. Why, she had been with the woman so much that she hardly had any time to even see the very person who she was engaged to, Tarrant Hightopp – or as he was known to their friends, the Hatter. In fact, if Alice was correct, every time the two of them did manage to see each other - be it as simple as a meeting in the hallway, or the two of them exchanging a small 'hello', it wasn't long until Mirana found them and dragged Alice away for more ideas, or even the opposite: drag him away for a discussion. Alice knew from his expression when such a thing happened that he was just as exhausted with all the planning, and there short meetings with one another always ended with a sad, regretful smile shared between them, which then followed by one of them being led away.
Alice; knowing all too well that the Queen most likely had something else planned for the two of them, couldn't help but wish slightly that she'd just leave them some time to themselves. Of course, she appreciated her friend's attitude and how excited she was over whatever ideas that were floating around within in her mind, but Alice felt that she had hardly any time for herself because of such actions. And that was what had led her to where she was now, lying on her bed in her room; book open as she continued to enjoy a quiet moment to herself for a change.
It had been almost a year to the day that Alice had found herself falling down the rabbit hole on yet another journey – and in that year so much had changed. For one, she had gained the title of 'Underlands champion', something she wasn't sure she deserved, but at the same time didn't have the heart to question anyone about it, knowing that her carrying such a title was important for them. She had watched as Underland slowly was rebuilt to its former glory, to the land that she remembered in the dreams she had as a young child. She watched as the inhabitants only grew happier and evermore eccentric through the process, feeling her own happiness grow as she did. And of course, she had fallen in love with her oldest and most loyal friend, only to find he felt exactly the same way for her; and eventually the two of them were engaged to be married.
Only a few months had passed since Tarrant had proposed to her, and since they had also received the Queen's blessing. It had only been recently in fact, that the two of them agreed that they didn't wish to wait as long as a year to be wed, and that instead they both wanted to marry within a few months time. Of course, when they told the Queen their plan, she had fallen straight into planning mode – and thus, we are back to the current situation of Alice trying to avoid yet another session of decision making with Mirana.
Alice turned another page in her book, noticing that she wasn't really taking in the words that were splattered upon the page, but instead was just staring at the magnificent images that stared back at her. She had managed to find a book – or rather Tarrant found it for her – of various Underlandian stories, and Alice found that they were simply amazing and fascinating to her. As she read more and more of them, her mind was brought back to the time she had tried to tell Tarrant of the fairy stories she knew, and as she continued to read the stories in the book before her, realized just how different yet entirely similar their two cultures were. For example, the stories she was used to were that of magical, make believe words; and beautiful princesses achieving their own happy endings, whereas in the Underlandian culture, it was much different. Instead, their stories were told from all sorts of places and perspectives, from poetry about animals to magnificent stories of singing flowers and other wondrous things. Reading them reminded Alice much of her father's own unique imagination and awe for the entirely magical, and a small smile crept on her lips as she thought of how utterly fascinating he would have found such stories.
Suddenly, Alice heard a light knock on her door, followed by the sound of it opening and closing. The sounds broke her from her current train of thought, and she pondered for a split moment on who it could possibly be. Deciding to find out, she got up from where she was lying on the bed to walk into the small sitting room that was located in the adjacent room. As she did so, what she saw before her made a huge smile break out across her face, and she found herself running to embrace the person who had walked into her room.
"Tarrant!" She exclaimed. They both embraced each other tightly, something the both of them had wanted to do for the past week most terribly. "Why, what brings you here? I was sure you would be busy."
She felt his hold on her only tighten, and as it did so Alice was introduced once again to familiar feeling's of safety and perfection that she always felt when he held her. The two of them stayed like that for a short moment, just enjoying the silence and presence of the other with them, until they then pulled away to look at each other.
"I managed to sneak away from Mirana without her catching me." He paused, smiling as he did so. "I thought it was quite a feat actually, considering how she's been with catching us this past week."
She put her arms around him again, indicating her want for another embrace to which he obliged, and the two of them stood in the middle of the room like that while Alice replied to him.
"You don't even have to remind me about that. Why, it seems like no matter what I have planned or what I'd prefer to have been doing, she would just appear and – there goes the rest of my day."
Alice heard him chuckle, and her own smile grew slightly at that. Oh, how she had missed that laugh
"She's only doing it because she wants the best for us."
"Yes well, where that may be true and how I do appreciate her efforts, it doesn't mean she can pull us away from the small times we actually get to spend with each other as of late! You know, I honestly believe she's planning something more than what she's revealing to us, yet I can't quite get my mind around whatever it could be..."
Tarrant laughed once again and Alice's brow furrowed slightly. She really wanted to know what was running through the Queens mind, yet no matter how hard she thought, nothing came to mind and she was instead met with blank thoughts. Sometimes, that woman was just expert at keeping her secrets till she intended for them to be revealed.
"I often wonder how she even finds the time to be so caught up in such things. Surely there are a great number of other things she should and could be doing instead."
"Oh Alice dear, for someone so smart you can be awfully ... oblivious at times. Of course Mirana is a busy woman, but you're her favourite person in the castle, silly. I think everyone knows that rather well. Because of such, it is only obvious that she would concern herself deeply in something such as our wedding, you're simply her best friend and she only wants the best for you."
Alice thought on the man's words for a moment, knowing all too well he was very much right. She sighed in defeat, but didn't give up on the idea of figuring out what it was that Mirana was planning.
"Yes, yes, I know that all well, and I appreciate her for it, I really do. It still doesn't change my thoughts on the matter though. And anyway, you seem to be forgetting that it's not just me she holds such a high opinion for. Why, Tarrant, she thinks ever so much of you as well."
"True. So we both agree that she's planning whatever it is that she's planning because she cares just as much about us as we do about her. But – as much as I do love having such discussions with you my dear – to discuss the Queen's intentions is not why I came here at all."
Alice pulled away then, just far enough so that they were looking at each other again. She watched as Tarrants smile remained on his face, whereas on hers her brow was furrowed yet again, this time in confusion at his words.
"You came here for a reason? Why didn't you say sooner, instead of leaving me to go about my rant?"
"Simple; because hearing you rant was rather entertaining to listen to. After all, I haven't had that much time to see you for long, yet alone speak to you. Of which I greatly regretted and missed –"
"Tarrant."
"Right. Yes, sorry." He paused for a second, thinking about what it was he wanted to say, and Alice had to stifle a laugh at the look of thought on his face then. After a moment, he shook his head and turned to look at her, smile returning as he continued talking. "Anyway, back to the reason why I'm here. Other than the fact that I missed you quite terribly of course. The reason is that ... I'm sneaking you out of the castle now."
Alice blinked, just staring back at him, confused yet again.
"I'm sorry?" She asked innocently, not understanding what he had meant by that at all.
"Well, not for long of course! We wouldn't want Mirana sending for a search party after all. No, just for the day. I want to take you somewhere, but you'll have to hurry before Mirana finds either – or both of us – and decides to ruin my most skillful, master plan."
Alice just stared back at him, still not understanding completely. She looked down at what she was dressed in at that moment in time, and decided that it was most definitely not suitable for a daily adventure out.
"I'll have to change into something more suitable for our adventure then," She replied, looking up at Tarrant then as she did so. "Somehow, I don't think this dress is suitable."
She watched as he looked down at what she was wearing then, as if only noticing now that the dress even existed.
"Ah, yes. That could be a problem. Alice, why did you dress in that when there is surely no ball to attend to today?"
"I'm – not sure really. I suppose I just assumed that sooner or later, I'd be cornered by Mirana again, so I thought it would make sense that as I wasn't leaving the castle, I'd dress as I would when I remain within it."
"Well, you're not. Hopefully. As long as we don't get caught. So, go hurry up and get changed so we can escape before we're missed too much."
Tarrant let go of her then and Alice walked back to her room, off to find a suitable day dress for whatever was waiting for the two of them. She spread out her choices that she had pulled out from the wardrobe across the bed – pushing the book she had been reading before to one side as she did so – and stared at them for a moment whilst debating with herself on what to wear. She looked back and forth at her selection, and then back and forth yet again. After a moment, she realised that in actual fact, she really didn't want to wear any of them that day, and so she looked back at the others that lived in her wardrobe. It was then that she saw it, the most perfect dress that she wanted to wear. It was yellow in colour, with a floral pattern all over it. It was one of her favorite day dresses, and a smile grew on her face as she remembered why. She pulled it out and laid it on the bed, putting the rest of the dresses back as she did so. She looked back at the dress, just to make sure she was happy with it. Deciding she was, she picked it up and went to change into it.
When she was ready, she walked back into the sitting room. As she walked in she saw Tarrant looking around the room. It was then that she remembered that he hadn't seen where she lived in the castle that much, and usually when he visited her the two of them never stayed for long, instead leaving to go out somewhere else, be it to admire a new and wondrous place that Alice had never seen nor heard of before, or just to visit the rest of their friends.
She walked over to him, and as soon as he heard her approach he turned around, smiling as he glanced down and noticed what it was she had decided to wear.
"Why Alice! Would I be correct in noting that you're wearing one of the dresses I made for you there?"
Alice felt a smile break on her face then as she nodded in response. It was true, after all. Why, it was purposely why she wore it in fact. He had designed and made her a great number of dresses over the past months they had been together, and Alice loved every single one of them, often amazed at the amount of detail he would put into them. Of course, no less was expected from the talent he held, and it made Alice both very happy and proud to find that half of her wardrobe was home to his designs.
"But of course, you do know how much I love them after all." She replied, earning a warm smile from him as he did so.
"Well, I must say – I do have the best inspiration. It's not the dresses that are beautiful; it's the very person I'm looking at right now who wears them."
At that she felt a blush fall upon her cheeks at the compliment. Whenever he made her a dress, or when she was found wearing one of them, Tarrant would often remind her of how his designs were brought to life when she wore them, and that she was without a doubt his muse for his creativity. No matter how many times she heard him pay such a compliment to her, Alice would be just as touched as she had been the moment she heard it the first time. After all, not every girl in the world would receive such words from another person, and with how much she loved the things he created, well, she considered it an honour to be called the main source of inspiration for his work.
"Anyway, I do believe that now that you are very much ready my dear, we should probably get to work on sneaking out of the castle, before my plan is very much foiled."
Tarrant extended his hand to her, and she took it, looking up at him as she did so. She was smiling again, as she usually found herself doing whenever in his presence.
"Why Tarrant, are you not going to tell me where it is that we are running off too?" She asked, her sense of curiosity taking over her yet again.
Tarrant however, only turned to her and smirked – and it was then that Alice knew she would not be receiving an answer out of him.
"Oh but my dear Alice, you know how I feel about surprises! Which this very much is, so you shall just have to find out, won't you? And this time, I am not giving you any clues or hints, so you shouldn't even ask."
Alice pouted playfully then as she was pulled out the door. Well, it was not that a clue he would give her would be very much help after all, considering how tthey often don't relate to where they were going at all and instead managed to leave poor Alice even more confused than she ever was before she had asked. Still, she decided to keep quiet, and allow herself to be guided to wherever it was he was taking her, knowing all too well that it would be wonderful regardless of weather she knew the surprise or not.
I wonder where the Hatter will be dragging our dear Alice too now? :D
Oh yes, a small piece of info: in this story, I will be using the Hatters name from now on. I know in the prequel I referred to him as 'the Hatter', and decided to keep to describing him as such even when Alice began to use his real name more and more, but for the benefit of this story - his actual name will be used. That is to say, some of the characters that do not know nor use his name will still call him 'Hatter', but in descriptions it will be Tarrant :)
Chapter 2 shall be up soon, once I look over my plan and make sure everything is running as smoothly as I want in this story. Until then, feel free to review if you wish. I do love reading them, and I try to answer them to the best of my abilities. Plus, I love knowing what you guys think as I continue to write ~
