Prologue
"Join me Tarrant Hightopp and get the loyalty you do deserve. The madness you suffer from, I shall ease you and help you with it. I understand you are in pain though it won't go UN-noticed." Cooed Iracebeth, The Red Queen sitting aside her throne. She smiled sweetly and looked at the Hatter before her. His eyes were crazed and hungry for sanity with had evaded him since his dearest left Underland. In this out of mind frame he answered with a "Yes, my Queen" and bowed at her feet. Iracebeth smiled, nothing could ruin her plan.
Chapter One: Jesse Wayton
Alice Kingsleigh smiled to herself as she spotted the familiar rabbit hole in the meadow as she raced towards it as fast as she could. She knew that Iracebeth was ruling her Underland again and she, as Champion for the White Queen needed to make everything right again. She'd missed it loads she thought as she threw her bag down before following it down. She'd missed her friends and hadn't forgotten anyone or anything.
She had grown up well and in the twelve years since she was last there, Alice had changed for the best. Her attitude was bolder and more confident. She was still the same Alice but she had grown up – managing her late father's trading company for several years and setting her plans in action when the time arrived for her to return. She was an amazing young woman as she'd grown up and her family had been proud of her for her achievements. Her mother after several failed attempts had tried to make Alice be married off but the expression 'married to the job' sprung to thought when Alice would give her mother a glare that her father would give her.
Alice had changed, times had changed quite magnificently and she had thought of a plan. She was going back to her world, the one she belonged in but with a twist, she was going in undercover. She would pose as a newcomer into the village Whitened and blend into the place as if she was born an Underlandian. Then she would phrase her plan out and rescue her hatter from the evil Red Queen that he didn't deserve to be.
Oh thing that would certainly not let anybody understand who she really was Alice had changed nearly everything about her. She changed her name, her age (she didn't really need to) and her hair. Her hair was now a dark red/purple colour and it was shorter and layered. She wore make-up and she smeared foundation over her Bandersnatch scratches on her right arm, even if she was wearing a top which covered it (just in case).
When she crashed as usual at the bottom of the rabbit hole the hall of doors greeted her again. She smiled again at both memories at this room. Twenty five years ago, when she only six years old and twelve years ago as a frantic young maiden running away from Hamish.
She put her bag on her back and took a crumb of cake as well just in case. Grabbing the pissolver and the key, she walked towards the door, downing the drink in one. She shrank as she walked and only just made it to the door. She opened the door and beamed when she saw the same familiar scene again. She walked through the doorway, down the steps and went behind them. She ate a bit of cake and she shot up to her normal height. She got changed quickly into her jeans and white jumper top with her sandals before carrying on with her journey. She hated the stupid frilly dresses she was forced to wear and adored trousers. They were handier than dresses.
She followed what she thought was the way to Whitened and it wasn't far along the path that she started spotting familiar faces on the flowers and the people around her. She decided to play caution to the winds and ask someone.
She walked hesitantly overt to a kind looking woman who had one blue eye and one green one. Alice shuffled her feet and looked down as she walked. She was a good actress when she put her mind to it. She approached the blonde hair woman and coughed nervously. "Excuse me?"
The woman whirled around and smiled when she saw the woman behind her. "Hello dear. What can I do for you?" she asked kindly. Alice was pleasantly surprised that this woman was so kind to a newcomer. "Um, I'm new and I was wondering if you knew if there were any… accommodation around?" she asked timidly.
The woman nodded and pulled Alice softly with her and guided her down a lane. "Yes my dear. Me name's Glade and I look after everyone here. There is a charming little cottage that I've set aside for someone. The right someone and I think that might be you my dear. Just down this lane and across the path, surrounded by some small trees, there is a nice little home that you can have free of charge."
Alice smiled. "I thank you for being so welcoming. My being doesn't deserve it." She said. Glades shock her head. "Nonsense child. You are to be fine. May I ask you some details, you know just in case Lord Hightopp were to come round and check newcomers to Underland."
"Why would he do that?" Alice asked confused. Ok the Hatter was under the Queen's spell but why would he need to check newcomers?
Glade carried on. "Aye, well word was about from Absolem who carries and holds the Oraculum, says it predicts that Champion Alice shall return sneakily back into her Underland and they want to execute her as soon as possible. To rid the threat. I feel sorry for that girl, she slain the Jabberwocky and now that Bloody Big Head has gone and taken our Queen!"
She was about to thank Glade for being so kind but realised that it would blow her cover if she did so. She was going to stick to it for best as she could. They carried on walking and talking, making good friends in the process until Glade cleared her throat and pointed out the cottage that was at the end of a small lane which sat on it's own and (like she said) surrounded by small trees.
"It's wonderful!" she exclaimed as she took in it's appearance. Glade smiled at her. "Those details, me job to catch an eye out for people coming and going…me head be on a platter if I don't do it." She said. Alice nodded.
"My name's Jesse Wayton. Thirty-one years old…" she said. Glade looked up, shocked. "Yer not 31 are yer? Yer look a lot younger than that my dear!" she said. Then she composed herself. "I am sorry!" she tusked herself and Alice chuckled. "Don't worry about it." She said. Things seemed to be going down well so far.
