A Princess was someone who was wealthy, lived in a castle, and had an endless supply of ball gowns to help gain the Prince's attention. They were known to have grace, poise, and a certain manner that set them apart from the townspeople.
As much as Alice Liddell liked to read the stories at the rivers' bank with her cat, Dinah, she could never identify with the Princess character. For her, they were too confined by their life style, too structured, and unable to do anything relatively interesting.
"Come now Alice," her sister would say, noticing Alice daydreaming during another lesson. "We don't have time for daydreams; you're not a child anymore. Mother and Father have your best interests in mind."
Alice would sigh, tearing her attention away from her books and Dinah – she was only twelve years-old, why did she care about poise and grace? She wasn't interested in catching Lord Hamish's eye at the upcoming ball in two weeks.
However, all that changed the day she fell down the rabbit hole.
Instead of the strict society of England in 1862, she was falling through a kaleidoscope of colours and conversing with white rabbits and disappearing cats.
If there was one thing that she learned in Wonderland, it was that her sister's lessons on high society would do her no good here.
She met the Queen of Hearts . . . who absolutely hated her and ordered her deck of playing cards to relentlessly chase her across Wonderland, claiming that it was "off with her head!"
If royalty hated her moments after meeting her . . . she was never going to be welcome in the high society of England.
"Why would she say that?" Alice mumbled to herself, leaning against a mushroom stem as she ran a hand across her neck. She shuddered, hearing the deck of playing cards run by her hiding spot, disappearing into the rustling bushes moments later. "Hopefully those talking flowers . . ."
She never got to finish that sentence, as darkness encased her.
She tried to remember, but the memories were slipping between her fingers like sand.
There was a darkness creeping out of the forest . . .
Wasn't there was something moving, something familiar emerging from the darkness?
"I'm never going to get home again," she mumbled, unable to outrun the darkness creeping out from between the mushrooms, snuffing out her surroundings, her memories.
. . .
. . . . .
. . . . . . .
. . . . .
. . .
Alice let out a yawn as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, it felt like she had been sleeping for quite a while. It was quite a peculiar dream too; there had been a deck of playing cards chasing her, a Queen that wanted to behead her, and there was a boy – had he been trying to save her?
Alice shook her head; surely her sister would be upset she had dozed off once again during her lessons. She pushed her blonde hair back, somehow it had fallen out of her headband, she paused, raising an eyebrow at the scene before her.
This wasn't Wonderland, nor was it 1862 England.
A large basin was situated to her left, similar basin's lining the lavish carpet, flickering with blue flames, ornate pillars stretching up to the ceiling, the grand staircase leading up to a small platform, but the occupants on the platform were barely visible from where she stood.
However, a shiver ran down her spine as she glanced up at them – did they look stressed out? She wasn't sure, but something was wrong. She gazed past the platform, vaguely noticing that the walls had been torn away, leaving only the interwoven, rusted pipes visible, darkness pouring out of the crevices.
"Haven't I . . .?" Didn't she see that darkness in Wonderland?
"You've got to run, Kairi." Came a voice, breaking Alice out of her thoughts.
She blinked; watching as two figures appeared, quickly descending the stairs, a third trailing behind them. "But, we can't leave him . . ."
"Gawsh, it looks like the other Princesses have woken up too." Alice raised an eyebrow, other princesses? "You's better getting running, ladies," the voice continued, the three figures closer now.
Alice shook her head, was that a dog and a duck? Maybe . . . this was just another part of Wonderland?
"Come on, you've all got to move," a red-haired girl yelled, reaching the bottom of the staircase, glancing worriedly over her shoulder. "You can't . . . stay here . . ." She said forcefully; following her two companions as they threw open the heavy, ornate doors.
Alice followed the red-haired girls' gaze as she glanced over her shoulder to the platform; the darkness oozing out around the pipes and pressing in closer on them . . . and was there someone still on that platform?
"Come on!" the red-haired girl shouted, now at the ornate doors. "We're out of time – you can't stay here!"
Alice nodded, tearing her eyes away from the darkness as she turned on her heel, following after the escaping trio. She'd spent the past two days trying to avoid the Queen of Hearts, she wasn't getting caught now.
The trio knew the paths well, leading them to the large Castle Chapel, the duck – Donald, was it? He so hated being called Mr. Duck – hastily cast a spell, shielding the room from the sweeping darkness. "Wait till help arrives," he quacked, barely glancing at them as he followed after his departed companions, the red-haired girl and her upright, talking dog having already left.
And just like that – Alice found herself surrounded by Princesses.
She quickly learned their names; there wasn't much else to do as they waited, trapped within the small Chapel. Alice frowned at the idea of waiting for help, unable to do anything, so she tried to make conversations with the other girls with little avail.
She gave up trying to converse with Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora, the three obviously stereotypical to the girls in her novels back home; waiting for their prince to arrive. Jasmine was easier to talk to, the Arabian Princess having fallen in love with a man living in the lowest quarters of her city. However, she found herself most drawn to Belle, the brunette having been a commoner as well and had bargained her freedom away to save her family. Despite all that, she'd found herself dreaming of daring sword-fights and princes in disguise – all of which came true for her.
Alice grinned at Belle's comments, glancing at the stain-glass ceiling overhead. Belle's daydreams had come true, maybe someday, hers would to? Who knows, maybe falling down the rabbit hole and becoming branded a traitor and wanted by the Queen of Hearts, was the start of her journey.
"Just wait," Alice mumbled to herself, walking the perimeter of the Chapel, investigating every corner. "I can only imagine what Mary will think of this peculiar dream . . ."
Somehow, despite everything, Alice Liddell had become a Princess . . .
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A/N: I've always been a fan of Alice in Wonderland, and after playing through the games again, this came into being.
