Disclaimer: I don't own Alice in Wonderland, or the song "Trial of Lancelot" by Heather Dale, which I borrowed from shamelessly. It was the inspiration for this story, especially Alice's lines when facing the charges.
Warnings: Fem-slash
Edit: Sincerest apologies. I have no idea how this ended up being all in bold when I originally posted it. Fixed now, and again, I am really sorry!
A/N: Now beta'd by the wonderful BladeMaster357!
In a dark room, several figures sat in a semi-circle. Faces could not be seen, and their voices were unfamiliar. They faced the only light in the room, which shone upon a lovely young blonde woman. Though she was bound by her hands and feet, she stood tall, her expression set. There was no shame or fear on her face, as her persecutors felt there should be. Only calm determination and defiance.
"Alice Kingsleigh," came a voice from the darkness before her, "you are hereby charged with treason against Underland, for betraying your oaths as Champion. Should you be found guilty," by the tone it left no doubt that her fate had already been decided, "the sentence is death. For you and your conspirator. Do you understand?"
Alice, her head held high, said, "I'm tried for love of Mirana, White Queen of Marmoreal and ruler of Underland. My crime was love."
There was the truth of it. Her only crime was being in love with the queen, and being loved in return. For that reason alone was she on trial for treason, the penalty of death hanging over her. Even worse, hanging over Mirana.
Then it started. A different voice rang out in the darkness, its tongue sharp with the words spoken. "She is only a girl, plain and simple. All our laws mean nothing to her; she isn't from our world. She is rash and willful, following her desires above all else. For all her strength and muchness, her spirit is obviously weak to give in to such things. There are no excuses for her crimes! She must have no leniency. Our laws are not for her to bend and break to suit her whims."
Alice, her head held high, said, "I stand for love of Mirana. For pride in love."
She was proud to love the queen and have that love returned. No faceless beings would make her feel ashamed. Nothing in either of their worlds would ever make her regret her feelings or be ashamed of her actions.
Another voice came. This one wasn't as harsh, but it still made its point for consideration as well. "She is well-known for her deeds. Since coming to Underland she has continually protected us all. Wielding the Vorpal Sword, she freed us from the Red Queen's tyranny and upheld our beliefs. She has proven chivalrous, defending not only the honor of our land and people, but that of our queen. What she did was improper—without question—but should she really be put to death for her indiscretions? Grant her mercy for all she has done in service to Underland."
Alice, her head held high, said, "I fought for love of Mirana. I'll fight for love."
Improper? Who were they to say what was proper and what was not? Alice left no question in their minds, though. She had not fought for Underland and its people. Against the Jabberwocky, against any who would slight Mirana with word or deed, she had met all with steel and stood fast to repel each and every one. She had fought solely for the sake of her queen. She would always fight for her, and her alone, damned be everything else!
The next voice was more sympathetic. "I too love someone whom I should not. I gladly suffer for them, they are the greatest joy in my heart. They tempt me always, though we can never be together. The only thing I am truly sure of is that I love them more than any other and shall never love another. I understand the contradictions the girl has gone through."
Alice, her head held high, said, "I cry my love for Mirana. I've cried for love."
Her voice was raised with that. Long had she wanted to shout her love from the towers of Marmoreal. Now, she shouted it to the nay-sayers before her. She had shed blood and tears aplenty to love and earn love in return. She would not let her feelings be diminished or demeaned just to save her own skin.
The voice now was the calmest of them all. So much so that its tone was almost mocking, words bordering on being snide. "She may be our champion, but she has shamed us all from the moment she entered her sinful union with the queen, tainting them both forever. For all the claims of her virtues, they are obviously misplaced illusions if she can so easily fall into another's bed without being in wedlock—and with a woman, no less! The laws of God proclaim these actions to be damnation, for which she shall burn for all eternity."
Alice, her head held high, said, "I lie in love with Mirana. I've lied for love."
Odd to suddenly hear talk of God and religion in Underland. Yes, she had lied... lied to her friends and everyone else to protect the secret of her union to the queen. No, that wasn't true... she had lied to protect the queen. Nothing else mattered; she would lie a thousand times to prevent any harm befalling the one she loved. Yet now she had openly and boldly stated that she had indeed lain with the queen, admitting guilt to the accusations brought against her.
The faint sound of weeping permeated the silence of the mostly dark chamber. Alice knew it to be Mirana, and as much as the thought of her lover sobbing broke her heart, she continued to stand tall and proud. Her sentence was about to be passed down.
It was the first voice again. So confident and full of conviction, as though it represented the wrath of the heavens and was bringing it down upon her. "You have betrayed Underland. We called you Champion; we placed our trust in you, thinking you worthy. Yet you have proven just how wrong we were. You, who have even led our queen to deceive us all... for these transgressions, let justice be done upon you! Members of the court, the charges against the accused have been found true. There is only one penalty for this crime." All knew the price to be paid. The absence of the word didn't make it any less profound.
Death.
Alice, her head held high, said, "I'll die in love with Mirana. I'd die for love."
She would accept her fate, just as she had on the Frabjous Day so long ago. For better or worse, Alice was willing to die for the woman she loved. Whether that meant dying on the battlefield, or dying a martyr as a result of misguided beliefs of treason, she would do so for her sake. And in spite of their previous claims, they would never harm their queen, no matter how much they threatened to. Alice took small comfort from that. Though she would perish, taking with her all the blame for the events that led up to this, Mirana would live. Alice would never renounce her love for the White Queen, preferring death to that. How many others could say they would do the same? She would gladly lay down her life for Mirana; for if she didn't, she knew her beloved would die.
And so, Alice accepted the punishment she was dealt without hesitation. All for love.
~~
Alice awoke from the dream, jerking so violently that she startled the sleeping woman beside her into a state of wakefulness as well, both in a sitting position as pure white satin sheets pooled around them. Letting her brown eyes adjust to the dark of night, she fought to calm her frantic heart and control her ragged breathing. A slim hand rested upon her own, drawing the attention of her reeling mind. She latched onto the sensation while she let the after-effects of the dream fade.
Slowly, her mind returned to the present and she turned slightly to gaze into Mirana's beautiful face, now so marred with worry. Before Mirana could ask, Alice closed the distance and kissed her, putting all her love into the simple act.
The dream had been so real, though she knew such a thing would never happen. The people had accepted the White Queen's choice and was happy for their ruler when she had announced her involvement with Underland's Champion. Even so, the dream had to have come from somewhere. Disturbing though it was, it did confirm the profound feelings she already knew she had for this woman.
The Champion would do anything for her Majesty, that much was certain. No matter the cost, Alice would defend her and their love—forfeit her own life, or even defy death. She would find a way.
When they pulled apart Mirana drew breath back into her desperate lungs and returned Alice's smile, though her dark eyes still shone with worry. An unasked question hung in in the air.
"I will tell you." Alice reassured her, stroking a pale cheek with her fingertips. "When I can find the words, I will tell you. I promise."
Mirana studied her closely a few moments more before accepting that answer. Alice wrapped her arms around the snowy-haired woman, their naked bodies melding together as Mirana's head nestled into the crook of Alice's neck. Drawing comfort from the scent and feel of her lover, the Champion gently laid back down with her Queen curled into her protective embrace.
There, in the darkness of their bed chamber, Alice stared up at the ceiling above their bed. Underland was peculiar sometimes in the way things happened. The land itself was alive with magic; it wouldn't be such a far-fetched thought for the dream to have been an actual trial of sorts, forcing complete honesty in a horrible situation to satisfy something.
She lay there for a long while, contemplating this. Tightening her grip ever so slightly on the already sleeping Mirana, Alice drifted off to join her, content with the knowledge that whatever the dream intended to test, she had passed.
She would live for Mirana. She would live for love.