Hi all, um… gee, I don't know what else to say. This is the first fanfic I've ever published, so please be nice to me, and I really hope you enjoy my first chapter.
Chapter 1
The State of Things
By Aurorawing
"Your Majesty can't be serious!"
Mirana, White Queen and ruler of all Underland, sat high above on her silver throne, her lips pursed and eyes narrowed in uncharacteristic annoyance and severity. Her look alone was enough of a reply.
The White Rabbit flinched and twitched his nose nervously, "But Ma'am, this will bring all of Underland into… into… madness!" he squeaked.
"Worse," snapped Tarrant Hightop, possessed by his deep Scottish brogue, "Et well descend ento chaos!"
"Calm yourself, Hatter!" shot Mirana.
Tarrant silenced himself, but he was far from calm.
Mirana rested her head in her palm and collected herself. After a pause, she sat up straight. She regained some of her fluttery composure and stated, "The only members of Underland who know about this are you two, me, and her." With every word, Mirana grew more confident and thereby more saccharine. "If this matter just stays between the four of us…"
"Too late."
Tarrant recoiled sharply with surprise as Chessur materialized near his head. A small look of sadistic satisfaction crossed the cat's face before greeting the queen, "Your Majesty."
"How long have you been here?" Tarrant demanded after recovering from the shock.
"Long enough to know more than you want me to," the cat grinned.
"Chessur," Mirana addressed, all sweetness gone, "Do you swear not to reveal this information to anyone outside of this throne room?"
Chessur put a paw to his chest, "Of course, Majesty. However, I doubt Thackery can."
The White Queen's pale skin grew a shade paler, "What do you mean?"
Chessur examined his claws in boredom, "I've come to inform you that the March Hare has stumbled upon the Red Queen's chambers and is now running about the entire palace raving about it."
Standing outside of Lord Ascot's home, Alice remained poised, refined, and perfectly silent.
But she didn't really want to be.
It had been a month since Alice had returned from China, and over two years since she had last been at the Ascot estate for anything besides business. So why was she here today?
Afternoon tea with Lady Ascot. She was riveted already.
Her sister Margaret waited beside her (acting as chaperone for the day) staring at the door curiously. "Funny," she commented, "Perhaps they didn't hear the bell?"
That was possible, but Alice was inclined to believe that this was but the first of the many digs at her Lady Ascot would pull this afternoon.
Margaret reached for the doorbell again, but before she could even touch it the door was finally opened by the butler. "Mrs. Manchester, Miss Kingsleigh, Lady Ascot is expecting you in the tea room. This way."
Margaret and Alice followed the butler into an embarrassingly large room, meant to instantly intimidate any who would wander inside. Alice wasn't intimidated though; she had been half way around the world and miles beneath the Earth and had slain a horrific monster from a wonderland.
Four women sat comfortably around a glass coffee table. Of them, Lady Ascot rose from her chair and strutted over to Alice and affectionately coddled each of her hands within her own, uttering, "Miss Kingsleigh, it is so good to see you after all this time."
Now Alice was intimidated.
She repeated her warm sentiments to Margaret before escorting them to the last remaining seats on her settee.
Alice swore it would be the rottenest, lumpiest settee she'd ever sat on, but it was not so. It was quite comfortable even. Alice's apprehension rose. There was something amiss about this situation. It was strange enough being invited to tea considering it was a well known fact that Lady Ascot never forgave any offences toward her (and rejecting her son's hand in marriage was a great offence indeed), but to be treated so well, also? Alice had to correct her posture as she was beginning to hunch over with uneasiness.
Margaret felt nothing amiss as she displayed a glorious smile and began greeting everyone, "Lady Ascot, Mrs. Fratsworth, Mrs. Columbine, Mrs. Ascot…"
Alice's head would have shot up if her posture weren't so perfect. Sitting to the right of Lady Ascot was a wisp of a girl, maybe age nineteen or twenty. She was petite in size, yet had blue eyes large enough to drown in. White gold ringlets framed her face like a cherub's and her pink rosebud lips were puckered together in curiosity over Alice.
"You've never met Mrs. Lily Ascot have you Miss Kingsleigh?" Lady Ascot questioned, "My son married her two months ago. You were still in China then; am I correct?"
Before Alice could answer, Mrs. Columbine, or as Alice liked to refer to her: Lady Ascot's boot-licker number one cut in, "I do believe you are, Lady Ascot."
"Nasty place I've heard," added boot-licker number two, Mrs. Fratsworth, "I've heard the people there are just barbaric. Not at all civilized like London."
Alice had caught up to Lady Ascot's game by now. She saw what this was, a ploy to show off Lady Ascot's beautiful pure-hearted new daughter-in-law and compare how stunningly wonderful her life was compared to Alice's. Alice wouldn't have that. She found that through her journeys in the Far East, she had grown quite cutthroat. It was necessary in business, and with her wits Alice discovered she was very good at it.
The trick to all of it was to remain polite and genteel throughout. Alice didn't mind ruining her own reputation, but it was just bad taste to act so poorly on her sister's watch.
"Actually, I must contradict, Mrs. Columbine, exactly one month ago I was sailing up Africa's western coast on my way back to London," Alice stated calmly, taking a sip of tea, "And I'm afraid I must also contradict you, Mrs. Fratsworth. China was delightful. I was never treated poorly and there wasn't an ounce of snobbery about the people I met there. But you're right, it was unlike London."
Short of Alice, everyone's smiles faltered. Alice took another sip of tea. Perhaps that wasn't subtle enough?
It was apparently subtle enough for Lily, for she was the first to speak, "How wonderful. I've always dreamt of seeing far-off places. Life must be one adventure after another for you Miss Kingsleigh." Alice blinked. Even Lily's voice was angelic. Such perfection would normally bother Alice, but this girl was so sweet Alice didn't have the heart to dislike her.
Alice deigned to grant her an embarrassed smile before Lady Ascot spoke up again, "Mrs. Ascot is exceptionally well read. She also draws, plays, sews, and has the voice of an angel." Lily blushed in humble embarrassment.
"Hamish is very, very, very lucky to have her," Alice interjected within the second.
Lady Ascot's face turned red as Mrs. Fratsworth and Mrs. Columbine's jaws dropped slightly. Alice placed a scone upon her pastry plate. Oh dear, still not subtle enough? It was probably that third 'very.' Perhaps Alice was worse at this than she thought.
Lady Ascot composed herself, "Indeed." A sly, wicked smile curled up upon her face, "Marriage is such a wonderful institution…"
Alice restrained herself from rolling her eyes. She could see where this was going. Lady Ascot would begin to rub Alice's eligibility in her face and successively attempt to make her feel poorly about travelling to China since achieving a man wasn't an outcome.
"…How's your marriage going Margaret, dear?" Lady Ascot grinned.
Alice nearly choked on the scone she was eating as Margaret went white. While Alice was in China, Margaret happened to stumble in on one of her husband's trysts. It broke her heart, yet there was nothing she could do about it. Divorces were dreadfully expensive, not to mention the scar on Margaret's reputation it would leave if she were to have one. Even though such a private matter ought to have been kept just that- private, the tart that Lowell was spending his nights with had gone and blabbed the news so all of London knew.
Now it was Alice's face that had grown red. The nerve! How dare Lady Ascot bring up something like that!
Margaret slowly put down her teacup on its saucer and treaded around the question carefully, "Well, we're very happy, naturally," she outright lied, "Mr. Manchester is up for promotion, and just last week he bought me the most beautiful ruby bracelet."
"How sweet," cooed Mrs. Fratsworth.
Margaret put the saucer down on the coffee table and anxiously changed the subject, "The furnishings are very tasteful, Lady Ascot. Are they new?"
Convinced that she won a round, Lady Ascot leaned backward into her chair and nodded haughtily, "Indeed they are. Lord Ascot purchased them for me just before Hamish's wedding."
"They're lovely," Margaret murmured.
"Thank you. I should hope so," Lady Ascot continued, "I know I shouldn't mention it, but they were quite dear."
Alice raised an eyebrow.
"Lord Ascot is doing well then?" Mrs. Columbine queried.
"Very well lately. It's no promotion," Lady Ascot shot Margaret a superior look, "but we are perhaps more financially stable than ever before."
Alice didn't have time to bite her tongue, "Yes, I know. I was privy to your Lord husband's financial accounts and earnings when I was in China acting as his apprentice. One trade in particular I worked on about a year ago brought your husband and your family inconsiderable wealth. So in a sense, it is thanks to me that you have these lovely couches. You're welcome."
Lady Ascot stood up abruptly, fist clenched and trembling, "I think it's time you go Miss Kingsleigh!"
"Yes, I think its time to go, too," Margaret added sharply, tugging on Alice's arm. Alice was forced upward and dragged to the door, half eaten scone and pastry plate still in hand.
Margaret paused at the doorway, giving Alice the opportunity to place the plate down upon a nearby hutch. Margaret swooped around and gave a brisk curtsy to Lady Ascot and her company, "Good day ladies," before ripping Alice out of the room.
Margaret didn't wait for the butler to escort them as she stormed straight outside. Once out of Lord Ascot's manor, she released Alice and gave her a firm pinch on the arm.
"Ow!"
"What were you thinking mouthing off like that?!" hissed Margaret.
"What were you thinking, allowing Lady Ascot to walk all over you like that?!" retorted Alice, "Just because she married well doesn't give her the right to belittle those around her."
"Just because you went on some grand trip to China doesn't give you the right to embarrass people within their own home!"
"She embarrassed both of us! How can you stand up for her when she teased you so cruelly about your marriage?!"
"Grow up, Alice!"
Alice recoiled as if she were slapped. Her sister's face was red from humiliation and anger, her eyes moist from the urge to cry, yet she didn't allow a single tear to run down her face. She stood tall and proud. She and Alice stood silent for a minute.
"Ma'am, would you like me fetch your carriage?" asked a passing maid.
Margaret put on an insincere smile and nodded, "Please."
Alice couldn't take it anymore. She ran.
"Alice? Where are going? Stop! Alice?!"
Her sister called after her, but Alice could hear she wasn't being followed. As she ran she passed the gazebo where Hamish had proposed to her. She ran further and brushed up against the blood red roses Lady Ascot had planted after her dissatisfaction of the white ones two and a half years ago.
Grow up, indeed. Alice was grown up. She was a successful business woman, praised by all of London for her wits and beauty. What more did her sister want from her?
She ran further. She ran straight out of the garden and into the outlying forests. She ducked under branches and swung past vines, navigating through the hazards with the map in her mind.
Alice admitted, somewhat sourly, that dashing away wasn't the most grown up thing she had ever done. In fact it was probably the most childish she had ever been within the past twelve years. But what was a grown up anyway? Alice saw adulthood in someone who would stand up for themselves and accomplish their dreams through hard work and determination… why was this bothering her so much?
Then Alice saw it. A gnarled dead tree standing all alone in the cramped forest. It was a twisted tree; its bark travelled round and round across its girth like the ribbons on a maypole. At its base, a rabbit hole.
Alice stopped running and appreciated the sight for a moment. The portal to Underland. It had been so long ago.
Alice approached carefully. It was certainly good to see it again, but she couldn't possibly hop down there now. When she fell previously she had to slay the Jabberwocky before she was allowed to return, what if she had to do something of that magnitude to come back again? No, no, no. She just didn't have the time to go on an adventure in Underland.
Alice could feel her smile growing as she neared the hole. She wouldn't go down, but what a joy it would be just to look down, and know that just below all her friends were there, remembering her fondly.
Alice reached the rabbit hole, and the smile on her face evaporated. She looked down from where she was standing and didn't see an endless abyss, but a shallow level of dirt.
The rabbit hole had been filled in.
Alice took a step backward. She couldn't believe her eyes. She raised her hand to her head and tried to collect herself, but it that didn't work.
She looked down again, hoping to see something different, but all there was to see was Earth.
Alice's eyes had remained dry all day, but now they moistened. Big globby tears ran down her cheeks as she stared at what was once the rabbit hole.
She told herself over and over that she didn't want to go down, but now that she knew she couldn't, it was all that she wanted to do. Crying and weak, Alice stepped awkwardly into the rabbit hole, hoping that by just some miracle the dirt would disappear and she'd fall down, down, down.
But it wasn't so. Alice stood firmly in a pile of loose ground.
The way to her Wonderland was gone.
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