I have prolonged Alice's stay in the Red Queen's castle. Apart from the Mad Hatter and the rest of their heroic crew, everyone is oblivious to Alice's true identity and calls her Um. From Umbridge. Oh, and also, Alice is her regular size.
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Darkness fell so much earlier in Wonderland. Beams of light that poked through the clouds during the day were weak to begin with, but when night arrived, it arrived early and with serious intentions. Looking out the window behind her, Alice decided no one from the world above could ever know the true definition of 'pitch black'. In Wonderland, there were no stars. The sky was like a spilt ink, dripping down onto the land below to leave permanent smears behind.
At that moment, Alice was sitting in the place of the Red Queen. The bubble-headed tomato of a queen sat in her throne, her sharp eyes staring down the room. She had a fetish for cutting off people's heads, and Alice would never fully understand how lucky she was for still being alive after getting caught sneaking around the Queen's garden. The Red Queen had dubbed Alice as her new favorite, and while Alice had no idea what this label meant, she knew it was what kept her alive.
"Do you enjoy poetry, Um?" the Red Queen suddenly barked at Alice. Um was what Alice had called herself to hide who she really was; Um from Umbridge.
Unsure of what the right answer was – that is, the answer that would be most favored by the Queen herself – Alice asked weakly, "Excuse me?"
Luck continued to pat Alice on the shoulder, for the Queen continued right away without getting an answer. "I hate poetry," the Red Queen declared. "The whole idea is idiotic. It always sounds silly and it's bloody confusing to understand. If I ever hear anyone recite another poem it's OFF WITH THEIR HEAD!"
The Queen's shrieking voice caused Alice to flinch. Surprisingly, Alice found herself beginning to tremble, and for a second she was terrified that she was about to burst into tears. Just as the feeling of bleak loneliness was about to take her over, two large doors entering the room burst open. Alice gasped; not because of the guards that marched in, but because of whom they brought in with them.
It was Hatter. His bright green eyes were even wider than usual, but any glimmer of fear quickly vanished at the sight of Alice. The corners of his mouth curled up as he mouthed her name, and Alice's face tightened and she shook her head to one side.
"Who's this?" demanded the Red Queen. She stared him up and down before adding, "He's an imposter. His eyes are not nearly large enough, and although he tries I do not find myself impressed. Off with his –"
"You're majesty," a voice suddenly cut in. A tall and long man in black armor stepped forwards with a red heart eye patch over one eye. "This man is the Mad Hatter. He has been seen with Alice and could be the key to telling us her whereabouts."
At this, the Red Queen's face softened with such joy it almost seemed to melt. "Oh Stayne, you have proven to be more magnificent than roses," she cooed. Her voice was so sugary that Hatter suddenly coughed as if he could taste its sick and gooey sweetness. The Red Queen turned stern again, glaring at the orange haired man.
"I have become bored here!" she announced. "Rid of the Hatter for now. I would much rather tend to my new favorite. Stayne, meet Um, from Umbridge. Isn't she just precious? I view her as a new pet of mine."
Alice met Stayne's one uncovered eye. She had planned to bow her head to him in acknowledgement, but meeting his gaze caused her to freeze. Stayne cocked his head at her, his mouth open as if drinking her in. He stood a little taller as his face seemed to stretch back. It was as if he was suddenly smiling at her with his eye – Stayne's one dark and ravenous eye.
A suddenly kerfuffle caused everyone to turn back to Hatter, who squirmed in the grasp of the card-like guards. As if on cue, Stayne began to walk back to the door to lead them all out, smacking Hatter in the head as he walked by. Hatter hardly noticed, meeting Alice's light blue eyes once again. His lips lightly formed her true name for a second time. She suddenly rose to her feet, heart pounding. Where were they taking him? Where was he going to end up?
Alice turned to the Red Queen, desperately wanting to ask these questions. She stayed quiet though, afraid of the Queen becoming suspicious of her sudden interest. The Red Queen caught Alice staring at her, so she smiled back with half-closed eyes. "Oh Um," she sighed, "What a perfect little pet you will make for Stayne and me. I could just pat you on your head right now if my arm was long enough."
To stop a grimace from forming, Alice quickly turned to look straight ahead again. She tried to look at Hatter again to feel brief reassurance, but the ca-chunk of slamming doors suddenly cut off his wide green-eyed stare. Silence suddenly fell. Everything was so still that Alice could practically hear the memory of Hatter mouthing her name, the sound of his lips wafting up her neck and into her ear.
Would that be her last memory of him? It couldn't be…
"Sit," the Red Queen suddenly ordered. Alice did as she was told, and the Red Queen smiled. "Good pet."
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Here starts my AiW fanfic! I will try to update as frequently as I can, although I don't think this fanfic will be as long as others in the past. Enjoy and let me know what you think.
x0
Vinage88