Hello Alice x Tarrant fans! Thanks for checking out Wedding Madness. Whether or not you've read my original story, Loving Madness, I'd like to welcome you all here to read and hopefully enjoy. If you haven't read the original story, you may want to just purely so that you can understand a few small things. Either way, thank you so much for the support!
"Deep breaths luv." Maliumpkin said in a manner that Alice imagined was supposed to be calming. "Just breathe deep and everything will be fine." She was sitting atop the vanity at which Alice was currently sitting.
They were in Alice's room, in the cottage home, in the castle of trees that she had come to know in the past few months of being the Black Queen of Underland. Alice and her curious nature had already found most of the secrets of the castle, the nooks and crannies in the walls, the passageways, the trap doors, the slide from the fourth floor to the first created by a rather old and mischievous tree… she knew it all, and as odd as it was, it was hers. At first the palace made of trees had seemed odd, but the trees made sturdy walls with surprisingly no gaps. From the outside the castle seemed to be made from shining black stone, however the closer one got to it, the better they could see that it was actually made of living growing trees. Sometimes new rooms and new floors would grow out of nowhere to house new guests or courtiers. It was truly magical and amazing, and with a little bit of decoration in the form of tapestries, rugs, furniture, drawings, paintings, and various other items made it as good as home to any and all that chose to take up residence there.
Alice, as queen had let all of her subjects know that they didn't need to take up residence in the castle or its grounds, but they were welcome to if they so wished. Many of her people didn't visit the palace for anything more than highly important or official matters, others visited often. Some decided to live there full time, others part time, and some not at all. Alice didn't mind, because her home was literally part of the castle, with the strange magic of Underland picking up her and Tarrant's windmill cottage home and twisting it in with the trees to become part of their ever changing palace. However their home had never changed. It was the same way it was when Alice arrived… give or take a few more broken tea cups, stains, and other various small changes that effect almost every "well loved" home.
Even in her home and with trying her hardest to take Mali's advice, Alice found herself nervous. She was sitting at the vanity in her bedroom as a lady's maid worked her hair into a style befitting a queen. She couldn't help but feel uneasy. What was she doing? She couldn't help but ask herself questions. She had turned down one proposal, why not this one as well? Did she really mind life on the shelf? With the exception of her Aunt Imogene's insane delusions, she had never truly seen it harm a woman. Did she really want to get married? After all she was one of the two joint "sister" queens of her Wonderland, did she really need a King?
She knew the answer before she even finished asking herself the question. She knew that she didn't need a king, but that as independent as she was, she still needed Tarrant. More than that she wanted him and wanted him to be her king.
Finally taking Mali's advice Alice took a deep breath, but it did little to calm her nervousness. It did however, in a rib cracking way, remind her that she was wearing a corset. She decided that the enormity of the occasion warranted it regardless of her personal feelings on the matter and had donned it beneath the beautiful wedding gown she now wore. It was, as all her clothing was, made with love by Tarrant. He had made her veil also even though the whole thing screamed bad luck. However, Underland wasn't bound to the same silly superstitions and traditions surrounding marriage in England. In fact in Underland there were not the weddings like she had seen in the Upperland. While some things were the same, the ceremony itself was to be very different. On the day of their wedding they would not be joined in the holy matrimony under god that was indicative of English society, but instead they would participate in their own handfasting ceremony. They would be joined together by blood and the magic of Underland.
Though still, some things never change no matter where you are. For example, Alice's gown was white. Actually it was not only white, but was made of silk of a purer white than snow. By a miracle of Tarrant's design and hard work the dress was the loveliest that she had ever worn, even outdoing her ball gown and coronation gown. It was an A-line gown made of pure white silk. It had a Victorian style bustle style skirt with pickups in the material, and sewn into the whole gown were thousands and thousands of tiny white crystals that shone like the sea. It also featured split bell sleeves made of such fine white lace that Alice feared any sudden move would tear it free of its stitching and leave it a delicate rag on the ground. Even in the time between her coronation and her wedding, she had yet to become used to the finer points of being a lady, including the clothing. However Alice trusted in the Hatter more than she had ever trusted anyone before, and with that trust came the knowledge that his craftsmanship was far from substandard. In fact, she had never known another person who could make hats and clothing in quite the same way as he did with a steady hand and a passion that raged on as a fire in his heart.
Alice smiled slightly and said a soft thank you as the maiden who had been working on her hair departed from the room giving Alice leave to stand alone in the room with Maliumpkin. She had become quite good friends with the fierce mouse woman since the events following the original slaying of the Jabberwocky, and now more than ever, she was glad to have her at her side. There were very few female friends that Alice had been able to obtain in her time in Underland, especially considering her intense hatred for all things that are generally considered womanly. However Maliumpkin who wholeheartedly agreed with her distain had been a valuable ally, friend, and advisor during her time here. Alice needed Mali, especially now that Alice found herself with the weight of Underland on her shoulders, and more importantly in this moment when Alice could see her whole future changing in a matter of moments.
"It's okay to be nervous." Mali said kindly from her post upon Alice's vanity table, where she herself was dressed to impress. Alice had never seen Mali in a dress before, however she was wearing one of Tarrant's original pieces as well as a small tri-corner hat also of his creation. However the dress did nothing to hide her fierceness. As head of Alice's royal guard she wore a sword belt even to this occasion and even in this time of peace. Her dress itself did more to lend to her fierceness than anything. It was jet black with a single white star sewn on the chest in the area that one would associate with the heart. It was short sleeved and while being floor length, it was split on the side to allow for movement. It looked like a Greek goddess's gown dyed black, and though Alice had never expected to see Mali dressed in such a way, it befitted her personality almost perfectly. She was like a Greek goddess at times, a Greek mouse goddess of war and justice, and more importantly than that, she was one of Alice's closest friends.
Alice didn't pretend to be stronger than she was, she did not feign bravery in the face of something that truly scared her. She simply spoke the absolute honest truth to one of her closest friends. "I'm not just nervous Mali, I'm afraid." She admitted in total candor while looking towards the vanity and into the eyes of her small companion. "I want this to go perfectly, but I feel like I'm not ready, like I'm not prepared for this at all."
Maliumpkin smiled at Alice understandingly, "You'll never think you're ready Alice. It's not something that you can take time and prepare for. You'll always feel like it's a strange new thing, a commitment that is too strong to keep, but that's why you just need to jump in." She looked wistful as if she was searching for something long past in her mind. "I remember feeling the same way when I married Thackery."
Alice nearly collapsed at the words, and she wouldn't have believed the way her own face looked if she hadn't seen it herself in the mirror. Her mouth was wide open in an "o" of shock and her eyes seemed to be bulging out of her head in surprise. "You and Thackery are married?" She nearly shouted in amazement. How was it possible that she had known and been around them both for so long without knowing?
"Yes, we were wed a long time ago… before he was driven mad by the harsh rule of the Red Queen." She looked pained at the mentioning of it and then added as an afterthought, "She once tried to cut his tail off you know, hatefully nasty woman that she was." She then addressed Alice's look of shock, misreading her reaction as confusion on their relationship's form. Smiling warmly she explained, " I understand your apprehension on an interspecies relationship, however, not all relationships are physical, ours is simply an emotional bond, and we love each other very much. Even though his mind is gone, I believe he's slowly returning to himself… returning to me."
In that moment Alice no longer saw the fierce warrior, but instead saw a woman old beyond her years who was in love with a mad man. Alice could see now why Mali had chosen to keep her love for Thackery a secret, she had enough pain dealing with his insanity, and she couldn't deal with any more pain, especially the pain of someone else rejecting their love when she had already lost so much.
"Do you love Tarrant?" She asked suddenly.
Alice was caught off guard by the sudden question, but her response came quickly, "Yes, of course!"
Mali smiled and hopped down from the vanity. "Then you're ready."
Alice smiled at her friend and no longer felt as nervous as she had been moments before. Instead she felt more sure and stronger than ever before after the trust that Mali had just placed in her. She walked across the room and slid her feet into the awaiting slipper like flats that she would wear through the ceremony. They were simple and comfortable and while they were lovely, they would not be seen under her dress. Feeling the need to reassure Maliumpkin as much as she had just reassured her, Alice spoke. "Tarrant and I will be sure to move your chamber next to Thackery's… if of course this is what you so desire." Alice said trying her hardest to sound like the Queen she now was, especially now just moments before her royal wedding.
Maliumpkin, seeing Alice's change in demeanor shifted hers too towards something a little more befitting the court, rather than a chat over the nerves of a close friend. Mali bowed and in a voice that was respectfully appreciative she spoke to her friend and Queen. "Thank you your majesty. I value your kindness and thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Alice gestured for Mali to rise and smiled softly, "No Mali, Thank you!" She was more than just grateful for her friend's advice and kindness, she was indebted to her because of it, and if moving her room to be closer to the one she loved would start to repay her kindness, well it was the very least she could do. As she watched Mali open her mouth to speak again, the door to Alice's room swung open and a young looking girl bowed, "Your wedding awaits milady."
Alice sucked in a deep breath. This was what she wanted and she knew it, no matter how nervous she was, this was in fact what she wanted. She wanted more than anything in the world, upper or under, to be Tarrant's bride. He wanted to be Mrs. Tarrant Hightopp; she wanted to be Alice Hightopp and to have little Hightopps of her own someday. It was what she wanted and today it was what she would have.
She exited the room with poise and grace trying to pretend that she wasn't still nervous even though she was. Maliumpkin, her maid of honor was just behind her with a tiny bouquet of flowers in her hand to match the larger copy held in Alice's hand. They were the black rose looking licorice smelling flowers called Arcadium that had been part of her coronation mixed in with a few white roses. As she walked Alice sniffed them discreetly feeling comforted by the scent. They had been in Alice's home since the moment after her coronation and they made her smile.
As she walked through the hallway and down through the door of her cottage home, she opened the doorway into her living tree castle, and as she did this one of the trees bent out of the wall in the hallway closest to her. It was bending to her will, and her will was to be outside with Tarrant. More trees followed suit and as they did, they created a spiral staircase before her, now to the lower levels of the castle, but instead to the courtyard below where she and Tarrant would be wed. That's when she saw him standing in the court yard below her. He was dressed simply enough, in a black tux with an orange tie of the same shade as his hair. It made her smile and it was all she could do to not sprint to him with no further pomp and circumstance. But instead she walked slowly and gingerly down the stairs with Maliumpkin and the rest of her bridal party behind her. Alice smiled broadly and felt her heart beat a million miles per hour when he looked up and met her eye.
Tarrant held his breath at the sight of her. He had been nervous all day, but now he knew he was doing the right thing. He had always known he was doing the right thing. He had known from the moment that he met her that she was the one he wanted to be with for the rest of his life. However in the moment he was surer about marrying Alice than he had been sure about anything else in his life. He was going to marry the love of his life, and he knew that their future would be bright. He let his gaze linger on her as she descended the steps gracefully like the monarch she was. Her eyes were shining; he could see that as plain as day even though she was quite a ways away from him. He could also see the smile playing on her lips, the soft blush on her cheeks, and the way her hair moved in the light breeze despite how it was put up. He felt warm inside, he knew that he was smiling wildly, but didn't stop himself. He was happy, there was no harm in that, and there was no harm in letting it show.
As Alice completely descended the stairs and walked down the aisle between the rows of chairs where many of their friends sat, a guitarist began to play a soft rhythm. Alice recognized it as the bridal march but changed. It was played a little bit faster and more complicated, but the basic rhythm was there, just like it had always been at weddings in the Upperland. Like the way it was at Margaret's wedding and like the way that Aunt Imogene used to hum it during any silent moment or when her delusions were at a fever pitch. Its ties to her previous life made her even happier to begin her new one. She walked small measured steps toward Tarrant knowing that this was her last walk alone. This was the last moment in which she would be a single woman. She wasn't savoring the steps, however, and in actuality she unwittingly increased speed as she got closer and closer to Tarrant. She wanted to run and leap into his arms, ceremonies be damned, run back into their home to be with each other legally or no, but she knew how much this meant to him. She knew that he wanted to have her as a wife, in a way no other man ever would. She knew that he wanted for them to be a proper family, like the one that he had lost so many years ago. So, because of her love for him, and the part of her that wanted more than anything to marry him, she walked down that aisle and to his side knowing that it was exactly where she wanted to be.
"Alice…" Tarrant said nearly speechless, "You look beautiful." Under normal conditions he would have said so much more. He would have called her lovely, gorgeous, elegant, striking, attractive, divine, exquisite, graceful, pretty, outstanding, eye-catching, dazzling, stunning, arresting, and so much more. However, today he was struggling for words. Today he was unable to go on his usual long tangent sentences, but he didn't mind. Nothing mattered today except marrying Alice… his Alice.
She blushed and looked down, under his gaze, she really did feel beautiful. She mouthed thank you, then whispered, "You look handsome." Adding in after that she thought he looked amazing. She finally understood why all brides blushed. It wasn't because they were embarrassed, but instead because they felt lovely and perfect in the eyes of their soon to be husbands, and were so overwhelmed by what was happening that all they could do was blush.
Standing before both of them was a simple alter with the instruments of their ceremony. There was no official priest or officiator for the ceremony, however as Alice looked over at the alter under the tree she saw the apparition of a very familiar grin. She smiled again remembering that Cheshire would be assisting in the ceremony and reading the traditional verse that was read at all Underland weddings. She couldn't think of anyone better to read it than Chess. He was a friend that was always there for her whether she knew that he was there or not. He had always been around when she needed him, and having him at her wedding was just ironically the icing on the cake.
A quick look into the chairs that had been set up to flank the aisle told Alice that not only Chess was here for her and Tarrant. Mali, Thackery, McTwisp, Mirana, and Lily who were part of their wedding party were standing near them. And others like the white king, the dodo, and the Bandersnatch were seated in the crowd around them. Well the Bandersnatch wasn't truly in the seats, he was more off to the side sitting with his Bandersnatch-ess and their twin pups. Bayard, his wife, and now almost full grown pups were seated next to them also. One of the Bandersnatch pups was playing with some of the white rose petals that Lily had sprinkled down the aisle before Alice walked out. Alice turned away from them with a smile as the ceremony began.
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the joining of Alice Kingsley and Tarrant Hightopp in holy matrimony. Dearest friends, family, and those that simply came for the free food following the ceremony, your presence is appreciated and cherished at this important event." He suddenly shot a look at some of the old red Queen's supporters sitting together in the crowd, "Well at least most of you anyway."
Half the crowd laughed and smiled while certain others were not so amused. Alice and Tarrant both smiled at Chess's comment and Alice knew that they had chosen the right man… feline… for the job.
"If anyone should object to this union… speak now or forever hold your peace." He continued with his usual drawl. Once a moment had passed with no speech he added, "Good… you don't want the Hatter on your tail." He even flicked his own for emphasis to which he was rewarded with resounding laughs from the audience, the couple itself included.
"Now that we've got that out of the way we can move on to the ceremony." After he said this, he cleared his throat and smiled, rising up above them all. "On this day we celebrate two becoming one."
The crowd replied to this "One in two and two in one."
"Today we join heart and soul, life and love, magic and hope."
"Heart and soul, heart and soul." They replied, the entire group speaking melodically in the traditional, arcane, ceremonial words.
"We watch a life knit together, we watch these two become whole, we hope for their future, and look forward to what will be. We will watch them with care through their triumphs, failures, beginnings, endings, new starts, new lives, new hopes, and everything in-between." As he completed the verse, a single silver dagger floated off the podium and came to rest in the air between them.
Tarrant reached out and took it by the handle, shooting a look to Alice that let her know that they could stop if she wanted. However the look she gave him in return let him know that she would not and could not second guess what they were about to do. She was his and he was hers. There was no way she was stopping now. She reached out and gripped the blade of the dagger lightly. She could feel how sharp it was, and as he took his other hand and wrapped it around the blade, lacing their fingers together as they squeezed and broke skin. She felt the blood trickled before she saw it, and despite a slight sting, there was no real pain.
Once their blood flowed the knife vanished allowing their hands to clasp and their blood to run together. Their blood was mixing in small amounts as their identical cuts allowed blood from each of their hands to flow and mix. It was the beginning of their hand fasting ceremony, and although it wasn't quite the ceremony she was used to, she loved it. She had been told that the cut on her hand would scar, and remain scarred for years. As much as it was odd to think about, having an identical scar between both her and her husband, felt strangely intimate. It made her smile to think about it.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to do the honors." Cheshire said as he pulled a blue strip of cloth out of the mist and tied it around their hands. He then floated up again and told the crowd to come up and tie their cloths around the couple's hands also. It was the second to final act of the ceremony which would bind them together.
After the majority of the crowd had come up and tied ribbons and bits of fabric around their hands, making a big ball of fabric that not only staunched the flow of blood, but also served as a symbol of the layers of their life together and the way they would now be bound together for eternity. "You may now kiss the bride!" Cheshire said with a smile.
Alice and Tarrant did so and wrapped their arms around each other as they kissed. Shortly after they walked down the aisle and into their new life together as their friends threw rice into the air around them.
Hey, thanks so much for reading. I hope you'll review and tell me your thoughts. Also I'm curious if anyone would like to read a story about their wedding night if I decided to write it? It would probably be a lemon, but I'd like to hear your thoughts... I may cut out lemonyness and just imply it if thats whaat you would all prefer. Either way, I'd love to hear from you!