Chapter 1- two curiously odd plans

Alice Kingsley pushed back the large rose curtains and stared out the window at a long line of men stretching all the way down the street. It was her mother's idea. Send out an ad in the papers, looking for eligible man for her youngest daughter. Alice grimaced when she saw several of them staring at her, examining her looks and features. She wanted nothing to do with this.

After arriving back in London and refusing Hamish, her mother had at once tried to set her up with other young bachelors. Thankfully, not long after that, she had set out for Asia and had been making business deals there for three years. But now that she was once again home, she had do deal with her mother's matchmaking.

"This would have never happened if I had stayed…" She muttered to herself, closing the curtain angrily. She them smiled.

"Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, you know…"

The Hatter. It seemed like forever since she had last seen him and all her friends in Underland.

"What would he think if he saw me now?" She wondered, sitting down solemnly on the coach in her sitting room, next to her cat Dina.

"It was your choice. You're the one who left in the first place." Alice thought absentmindedly, while she stroked her cat's fur.

"Alice!! They're here!!" Her mother yelled excitedly, rushing into the room. "Really, to not look you best on today of all days…" Mrs. Kingsley looked down at her daughter, who was wearing a light purple sundress and a bright green sweater. In her hair sat a green and purple poke a dot bow. " What are you thinking wearing such outlandish colors!"

Alice just smiled in response, for she knew that nothing but color was expectable in Underland.

"Sorry mother," Alice said getting up, heading towards her room to change.

"No, no. Stay here. You haven't got time to change." Her mother insisted, taking the cat out of her daughter's arms, then smoothing her dress. "Now sit over there, and I will bring them in three at a time."

After pointing to the chair directly facing the door, Her mother gave Alice a reassuring smile, before welcoming the first three suitors in to their home.

Alice watched her mother, they way she was so excited and happy about the whole plan she had cooked up. It was only for that reason, and that reason only that Alice decided to go along with the plan; Just this once, for her mother.

Alice gave a long sigh as she saw three, pompous, gentlemen walk in. " This is going to be a long day…" Alice talked once again to herself.

"What was that darling?" Her mother asked, leading the gentleman into the sitting room.

"Nothing…" Alice responded, her thoughts slowly drifting off to a certain pair of bright green eyes.

Alice decided to ignore what was happening inside, so much so that her mother and gentlemen's voices sounded like nothing more than a low buss. Alice gazed out an open window, lost in her thoughts. What was happening in Underland? Had everything gone back to how it was before the Red Queen took power? How were her friends? How was the Hatter? Was he still at that dilapidated, old tea table? Or was he now working as the White Queen's hatter again?

Then suddenly, Alice's musings were cut short when she noticed a peculiar, blue butterfly floating outside her window. It's beady, little eyes were directly on her, as if observing her reaction to the whole scene around her.

"Mother, may I open the window?" Alice said, catching her mother off guard. They had, after all just been discussing one of the gentleman's income. It was only now that Alice realized that all the men where completely different. She hadn't even noticed that her mother had brought new ones in.

"What? Oh, yes of course, but why do you wish it open all the sudden?" Mrs. Kingsley gave her daughter a questionable look, then darted her eyes back to the man.

"Umm… Just need a little fresh air is all. I'm feeling a bit tired from all of these interviews." Alice smoothed over flawlessly.

"Alright then. Now let me see… I believe you were about to tell me about your family, Mr. Graves." Her mother turned her attention back to a man with dark, brown hair and a small, manicured moustache.

Alice rolled her eyes at this, and then carefully lifted the window up just far enough so that the butterfly could come inside.

"Absolem…" She whispered quietly, holding out her finger for him to cling to, then walking them both over to the far corner of the room. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking on you of course, you stupid girl." Absolem replied, floating off of her finger to land on the armrest of the greatly upholstered chair Alice sat in.

Alice gave the butterfly a small smile, "It's good to see you. I miss all of my friends from Underland so much. How are they?"

"Why don't you do see for yourself?" He said offhand.

"Absolem, you know I can't. I don't belong in your world… And besides I'm needed here…" Alice glanced over to her mother. This was the happiest she had ever seen her, since her father had died. It would surely break her mother's heart if she was to disappear again, and never come back.

"Ah…I see…" Absolem said knowingly. "Your mother seems to have quite a plan for you, as of late. Tell me Alice, how do you feel about marrying a rich man?"

Alice gasped he really did know everything. "I want nothing to do with her plan. But she is set on seeing me married in the next year, and there's not much I can do to change her mind. Either I choose someone, or, I'm afraid, she will choose someone for me." Alice sighed, glancing over at her mother talking animatedly to the gentleman.

"And that would be so bad then? To live richly, to be taken care of, to have a house of your own…"

"To be married to someone I do not love!!! It would be awful!" Alice said a little to loudly.

"Shh…. Stupid girl, do you want them to hear you?" Absolem shushed her.

"I'm sorry, I just don't know want to do. My situation is hopeless…" Alice leaned her head on her arm in defeat.

"Really, Alice. I would think that you are not Alice after all…" Absolem said flying up from the armrest.

"Well what am I suppose to do? It's not like I have many options?" Alice said a little upset at his remark. You've lost your muchiness Alice.

"Absolem…" She called in a strained whisper, seeing that her was now flying towards the window.

"I would have expected more from you. Maybe as the Hatter says, you have lost your muchiness after all…" Absolem drawled before he slipped through the slightly open window and flew away.

"I have not!!!!" She shouted at the window, hoping that the butterfly would have heard her, only to notice that the others had heard her instead.

They all gave her an absurd look. Her mother only blushed, embarrassed.

"Perhaps we ought to be going…" One of the men, with a large, handlebar mustache said.

The two others made signs of agreement, and quickly were out the door.

"There you go again Alice, scaring them all off. Really, how are you ever going to get a husband if you keep acting so strangely? Where is your head lately?" Her mother lectured.

Alice looked down at the floor. She felt like she was disappointing everyone, first Absolem, now her mother. How was she ever going to be both the person her mother wanted her to be and the Alice everyone knew and loved? How could she be two different people?

"I'm sorry mother… I'm not feeling well; I think I will go to bed. " Alice said glumly, thinking over what had just happened.

"But what about all the others?" Her mother insisted, pointing out at the lawn.

"Tell them that I will not be able to see anymore today. I need time to think…" Alice muttered the last part to herself as she walked up the stairs, and into her bedroom.

Alice then felt a cat rub against her leg, "Oh, Dina… What am I going to do…" Alice sighed desperately, lifting the cat into her arms before closing the door behind her.

The White Queen stood on in her gardens, over looking her kingdom. Since the Frabjous day, her kingdom had slowly gone back to normal. She had her sister and her horrible henchman exiled, and everyone had gone back to his or her lives before the reign of the white queen.

All except for one at least…

Mirana sighed as she looked out onto the lawn. There, on a bench in the gardens, sat the Mad Hatter. Now that his fight with time had been finally reconciled, he no longer had to have the tea party constantly. He was free to do what ever he wished. The problem was that there wasn't much he wished to do. He would of course, occasionally get all of his friends together for a tea party, but as the time went on, a party seemed less and less appealing.

The queen had offered him his old post back as royal hatter, but he had declined. He hadn't been able to do his best work lately. Every time he tried to make a new hat, it always ended up drab, and boring. Mirana did however offer him a place at the castle to live, which he had accepted, anything to get away from himself. He was exceedingly lonely, and with no one but himself he was starting to go mad, or madder that usual.

And then there was Alice. The pesky, young girl he couldn't get out of his thoughts. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her, staring back at him. He missed her so much. This of course led to excessive sleeping, wanting to be with her as long as possible. But then when he finally did wake up each morning, she was gone, and he had to deal with the same kind of pain he had experience on Frabjous Day.

Why do I even care? He asked himself

The hatter's eyebrows came together in confusion. Why do I care? She's just a girl! I've only seen her in passing, from maybe a total of 4 days? Why should I can?

A gnawing feeling began in his stomach that confused him even more.

"I just do…" The Hatter said out loud.

He smiled slightly, remembering the last time Alice had visited.

"Talking to yourself is the first sigh of madness, you know."

"…All the best people are…"

The Hatter shook his head furiously, trying to get his thoughts of her out of his head.

She left. You will never see her again. Get over it…

His eyes turned a sad blue gray color, as he looked around the garden in a somewhat pensive mood.

That's when he noticed the Queen talking to Absolem.

Curiosity getting to him, the hatter stood up from the bench and walked over to see what they were talking about.

"I saw it personally, your majesty. If the prophecy is true, if she is to truly come back to Underland, I am afraid Alice will need our help. " Absolem said, fluttering near Mirana's ear.

"Alice?" The Hatter questioned as he walked up the steps to when the White Queen stood.

"Yes, Tarrant. It would seem she needs our help." Mirana said with a light smile.

"What's happened?" Tarrant said, fearing the worst.

"Oh, nothing to terrible. Her mother just wants her married off to some lord or other…" Absolem drawled, puffing out some smoke from his pipe.

The hatter's face wrinkled. Alice married? No, it just isn't right! Especially to one of the men from up there. She belonged in Underland… She belonged with him…

Hatter's face turned to shock when he realized where his thoughts had just gone. Him and Alice….Married…to each other… That's impossible!

Hatter tried to shake his thoughts away once more….

Only if you believe it is…

"That is where we need your help, Tarrant." The queen addressed him, finally tearing him away from his thoughts.

"What?" He asked confused

Absolem then took over the conversation. "All is up in the other world, you must convince her to come back, to fulfill the prophecy."

"How on earth am I to do that?" Tarrant asked incredulously "You said her mother has her about married to a lord, I doubt she will just be able to leave unnoticed."

"Exactly. See, this is where I have a plan." Mirana said, giving the Hatter a sweet smile. She then pulled out a potion from her dress pocket. "You, Tarrant, will go up to the other world and pose as one of their lords. You will be on of Alice's suitors and in time, you will be able to have some time alone with her, I'm sure. Convince her to come back, and then disappear with this potion before midnight on the 27th, that's in two weeks."

The Hatter was in shock. He was going to travel to the other world? And pretend to be suiting Alice?

"I would ask someone else, seeing as I know it might be hard for you to see Alice, but you really are the only male human of Underland I trust enough to do the job. Will you please do it Hatter? Will you go bring back out Alice?" Mirana pleaded.

"Of course, Mirana. As you wish…" The hatter responded, still in somewhat a state of shock. He was pleased though that he would soon see Alice again, and the prospect of her coming back to Underland…forever…

"If you need, to reach me, or talk just use this." The queen said, handing over to him a small, handheld mirror.

"Alright. And if I do need help you'll send it?" He asked taking the mirror in his other hand.

"Of course. I can send Chess if need be…" Mirana said with a smile.

"Hey! Don't I get a say in all of this?" Chessur appeared out of nowhere, his body wrapped around the Queen's neck.

Mirana just giggled and motioned for Hatter to take a sip of the orange potion she had handed him.

"Remember that's your way there and back. Don't lose it!" She said as she slowly disappeared into the mist.

"Do you think we should have told him the rest of the prophecy?" Mirana asked Absolem.

"No. He will find it out soon enough."

Looking around at he new surroundings, the Hatter noticed at lot of differences from his home. Everything was a lot smaller and had a duller color. It depressed him quite a bit, to see everything with a loss of life. He then glanced down at himself to notice that his bright colored suit had lost some color as well. It was still green, but now was a deep moss green, and his ascot was no longer splotched with color, but just a light rose.

He then took the mirror from his pocket and examined his face. Instead of the bright orange his hair usually was, it was not just a fiery ginger. His face had somewhat tanned a bit, and he no longer looked so pale. His hat however, hadn't changed one bit, and still sat on top of his unruly curls. Oh, and his eyes, well. They stayed as excitingly green as ever.

"Curiouser and Curiouser…" He muttered, walking down the path towards a large mansion, with an unusually long line of men outside it.