La Belle Dame sans Merci

Author's Note: I meant to come back to the Alice fandom with a couple of one shots, but this story came to me in bits and pieces one night, and after a few conversations with Lady Irish Rose…this story was born. Consider this an AU venture of sorts. I'm planning to make this quite dark in situations and language, hence the M rating, but I think it will be an interesting journey. I wanted to thank everybody who has followed me through my Alice stories, and I appreciate the reviews and support.

Prologue

Wonderland: One day after the fall of the Queen of Hearts

Caterpillar tapped his finger against the edge of the thick, yellowing book. He cleared his throat, and called out, "Did you manage to get him?"

Dodo slowly inched into the room. "Carpenter has been successfully revived. He's being kept on machines in the hospital."

"Is he Carpenter? Or is he Robert? Do we know yet?"

"No." Dodo pulled up the chair next to Caterpillar. "He can't speak at the moment." Dodo paused before plunging ahead. "Why did you want him revived? I don't quite understand…he's an Oyster."

Caterpillar looked over at Dodo. "What about the Queen? The King? I mean, Jack's parents?"

"Um, she's in the prison tower. He's still in the hospital. He was in worse condition than Carpenter, but…they think they can get his brain rewired and working again." Dodo glanced at him. "Jack hasn't made up his mind if his father is going to be imprisoned with his mother."

"The King certainly did his share of encouraging the Oyster and Tea market," Caterpillar pointed out.

Dodo remained silent. He glimpsed outside the window at the storm that was beginning. "Did Alice leave?" Caterpillar asked.

"Yes. That carpetbagger, the Hatter followed after her."

"Oh." Caterpillar looked back at the book. "Part of me wonders if we are doing the right thing by putting all our faith for Wonderland in Jack. He is young. He has no real experience as a ruler."

Dodo leaned forward, and crossed his arms. "I don't understand. You were the one who brought Jack into the Resistance in the first place. Why…why are you saying this?" Dodo shook his head. "We have no other options. You know as well as I do how Wonderland works. If we don't have the next ruler from the Red house of Cards…the White Queen is long gone."

"We have two other options," Caterpillar said softly.

"I don't…two options?"

"How old were you twenty five years ago?"

Dodo chuckled uncomfortably. "I was twenty. I was studying politics at the university in the south."

Caterpillar bit his lip. "What…what I'm about to tell you…it can't leave this room. You, of course, I assume you remember the Princess Evredee?"

Dodo smacked his lips as he blew out a deep breath. "Who could forget? That year…she may have been worse than the Queen."

"She's still alive." Caterpillar pushed the book towards Dodo. "I didn't…I didn't realize. Not until I saw the picture, and put everything together."

"What? I…no, no she was killed. After it was revealed…" Dodo sighed. "What am I looking for here? It's just a picture."

"Look closely. Doesn't she look a lot like a young Oyster?"

Dodo took a sharp intake of air. He gently moved his finger over the girl's hair. "That's impossible," he finally murmured. He glanced at Caterpillar. "But, what does this mean? That you were wrong? That Carpenter isn't her father?"

Caterpillar glared at him. "Oh, no. I wasn't wrong. Carpenter is her father." He rubbed his temples. "Except…Carpenter was an invention of the Queen. Do you understand? There never was a Carpenter until ten years ago. There was…" Caterpillar got up, and grabbed another book, flinging it open. "See?" He pointed to a young man in a group photo. "Read the name."

"I…" Dodo swallowed. "His name was Robert Hamilton, and…but, why-"

"I don't know. He must've done something to her once they crossed the mirror. She wasn't killed." Caterpillar started pacing around the room. "I wasn't thinking about the whole picture. Once I figured out that Carpenter was used only to make him forget…"

Dodo slammed both books shut. "It doesn't matter. We have Jack."

"And if Jack fails?"

"You can't possibly-"

"As a backup," Caterpillar jumped in. "If Jack fails-"

Dodo started to laugh, the echo resonating through the room. "You're mad, old man! I've heard stories about you and your shroom addiction, but this, this is taking it too far!"

"No!" Caterpillar spat out. "I'm the head of the Resistance! Not you! Understand?" He shook, his finger trembling as he pointed it at Dodo. "Jack has always deferred to me, and now…" He exhaled; the color slowly returning to his cheeks. "I'm not saying that we go and bring her back now, but, we can make her better so that what happened last time doesn't. We can use Carpenter for that. He changed her personality once before."

"What are you saying? That if Jack fails as King, we take her, and basically control her as the Queen? That's your plan?" Dodo asked slowly.

Caterpillar's face broke out in a toothy grin. "Exactly. She'll be our little puppet. Jack is quite insistent on doing things on his own, without the Resistance, after everything we did for him…he's bound to disappoint."

Dodo nodded. "So, how long do we give Jack?"

"We have to make it seem reasonable, don't we? What about a year? That shouldn't cause any suspicion." Caterpillar pursed his lips. "I think you should keep an eye on Carpenter. I want you to be at his bed when he wakes up."

"And, then what?"

"And then…you bring him down to the dungeon. You do not talk to Jack of Carpenter being revived, and Carpenter is to be guarded at all times while he's here." He glared at Dodo. "Do we have an agreement?"

"You said we had two options. Who's the second?"

Caterpillar opened the first book, and stared at the photograph. The young woman with the long auburn hair smiled sweetly at him; her lips upturned in a familiar smile. "Alice."


Dodo closed the door, and started to head out towards the main exit of the library. A tall, thin man with graying hair fell in line behind him. "Well?" he asked.

Dodo grinned. "Dear Lorry, you don't waste a single moment, do you?"

"Don't fuck around, Dodo. Is everything in place?"

"It's been one day, and with me whispering in Jack's ear…Caterpillar is already feeling the effects." Dodo pulled the front door open. "We have a year."

"A year? But, a year for what?"

"To ensure that Jack is not successful as King."

Lorry smiled. "So, Caterpillar agrees then? The Resistance should rule Wonderland?"

"No. He has another plan, a crazy, maddening plan, and it's up to you and I to make sure it doesn't come to fruition." Their heels smartly clicked on the cement steps as they headed towards the hospital.


A/N: I promise that Alice and Hatter will be making their appearance soon, I just had to lay out the background of what is occurring in Wonderland. Hope this piques your interest, we're going to go on a wild ride.