Warning: This is a sequel. If you haven't read Book One, Search for the Azure Princess, please read that story first. Otherwise, you are going to be completely confused.

Announcement: Originally, I had thought that Regina's story would be fifteen or so chapters long. Then the story lengthened into a trilogy. Now, it's a series. Yep, that's right. You're getting Four Books and a Companion Story for the price of one plot! The plot for Book Three just got too dense and complicated for me to fit into one book, so I split it in half. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm ever going to finish this story…

Author's Note: Welcome to Book Two! I complained a lot while I was writing Book Two, but looking back on it… it's sad to say, but this is actually the simplest book in terms of plot. The whole concept of the book is pretty simple. You ready for a straight-up adventure romp, dear readers?

As I said from the very beginning of posting Book One, I apologize profusely for any character mangling that occurs within these pages that is due to my misunderstandings, failure to research, or ignorance. Character mangling due to the plot, I make no apologies for [though I do promise I will eventually fix everything I break- except the character deaths, I can't do much about those].

Warnings: Angst, danger, Madness [lots of Madness], and eventual character deaths. Yes, deaths. As in plural, multiple occasions of death.

Images: Remove all spaces.

Regina's morning dress [imagine silver and blue instead of green and black]: http: /www. bustledress. com/ aab/ contest/ entries/i. victorian. contest. 55. jpg
Lily's morning dress: http:/ media. vam. ac. uk/ vamembed/ filebrowser/ image/ ? image= thumbnails/ 3D fashion_ silk_ mantua_ gown_ 1760_ thumb. jpg & version= 130 x 130
Lily's Bear, Urso: http:/ mrsthordarson. edublogs. org/ files/ 2010/ 10/ polar- bear- big- ndr 7 fa. jpg
Regina's Panther, Sora [except Sora is white]: http:/ www. bigcat. com/ CZ 2/ panther 5. jpg
Regina's Tea Party dress: http:/ 29. media. tumblr. com/ tumblr_ lbt 1 pltVo 61 qawpp 5 o 1_ 500. Jpg
Alice's Tea Party dress [except in blue]: http:/ 25. media. tumblr. com/ tumblr_ lqvyzv 05 Ah 1 qcddvlo 1_ 500. Jpg
Alice's Tea Party shawl: http:/ www. 1860- 1960. com/ xa 6004t. jpg

Original Character Face Claims: Just to refresh your memory.

Regina Hightopp is portrayed by Evanna Lynch [with ginger curls and green eyes].
Princess Lily Palladia is portrayed by Zooey Deschanel.
Dafydd Nazar is portrayed by Kellan Lutz [a la the Twilight saga, and blue eyes].
Ioan Nazar is portrayed by Rufus Sewell.
King Kalen is portrayed by Patrick Dempsey [with a black beard].
Witzend the Cat looks like this bit of adorable: http:/ safeandsoundlostandfound. org/ s/ cc_ images/ cache_ 2260893004. jpg? t= 1313080049

Overall Disclaimer: This should be obvious, so I'm only going to say it once [any disclaimers in future chapters will cover specific details]. If you recognize it, I don't own it. This refers to material from either of the Disney movies, the SyFy miniseries, any books, or fanfictions. Everything except my own characters is owned by Lewis Carroll, Tim Burton, the Disney Corporation, and SyFy. If you think you've seen it in another fanfiction, I truly do apologize; I don't mean to steal any other author's idea, and if I did it was purely unintentional and coincidental. However, if you do know of other stories with similar ideas, please tell me so I can give credit.

Disclaimer: Passaridae is the scientific family name for sparrow. Not the most imaginative of names, but I thought it was pretty.

Hogmanay and Guid Nychburris are both Scottish holidays; Hogmanay is their New Year's Eve celebration, and Guid Nychburris falls in mid-June. Regina's birthday, Hogmanay, falls on what would be Yule on an Aboveground calendar [ie, about December 21], meaning that this story takes place in what is our December. Though of course the weather follows an Underlandian logic, thank goodness.

My theories and ideas about the way Time works in Underland operate by the rules of Doctor Who, especially in regard to the idea of fixed versus flux points in time. So the purpose of a Cheshire Cat is to safeguard the fixed points, but Witzend is struggling with the flux points, because she considers them to be integral to bringing the fixed points about.

Special Thanks: Many thanks to my lovely beta, Thirteen Thorns, for looking over this chapter and reassuring me that all is- so far at least- well!

Her Royal Highness Regina Miraget Hightopp, the Azure Princess of Witzend, smiled to herself as she walked through the marble halls of the White Castle of Marmoreal. Early afternoon sunshine spilled through the many glass windows set high in the walls, filling the marble hallway with light and warmth as Regina left the library, which housed the historical, political, philosophical, and all other annals of all Underland. Finally free…

"I thought you'd never get out of there," came a low, teasing voice from just behind her.

Regina paused and turned, a faint smile of greeting on her face. Dafydd Nazar and his warriors, the Hassasseen, had once been allied to Ilosovic Stayne, the former Red Knave, who had attempted a takeover of Crims. Six months ago, Regina had defeated Stayne in battle, killing him and claiming his crown for herself. In so doing, those who had made alliances with Stayne now found themselves loyal to Regina. Regina had claimed Dafydd and his men for herself, offering their clan asylum in Crims in exchange for their loyalty and services as her bodyguards.

For the last six months, the Hassasseen- whom Regina had renamed the Fearail, the Outlandish word for courageous- had served her. While at first they had kept their distance from her, they were now extremely loyal to her, devoted and clever soldiers. Where in the beginning they had served her out of duty, in deference to their commander, now they served her out of loyalty.

Dafydd in particular had become her shadow. Regina had charged Dafydd with becoming her Ace of Hearts when she took her crown, a position which would make him the commander of her armies and her Champion. The only time he left her side was when she was safely ensconced in Marmoreal's library, attending to her lessons; during those hours he would be outside, training with his men. At all other times, though, he was always just one step behind her, constantly watching.

They had held each other at a distance, at first; for all their grand titles of Princess and Protector, they had been strangers. But eventually, Dafydd had softened, opening up to her one night during a wild Wonderlandian thunderstorm. Since then, they had become far less Princess and Protector, and much more friends.

"And if I hadn't?" she asked. "You wouldn't even have noticed. You would have just stayed out there training until you passed out."
"Or needed tea," he said, a faint grin on his lips. "I would've noticed you were missing eventually, though. When I realized I wasn't hearing humming wherever I went."
Regina scoffed. "I don't hum all the time." At Dafydd's silently raised eyebrow, she grinned. "Alright, perhaps I do."
"Aye, you do," Dafydd nodded. "When are we leaving?"
"Soon," she replied airily. "After my brain's revived from the torture it just underwent."
"We'll have to hurry if we want to make it before sundown," he commented.
She rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "You worry too much."
"That's my job, remember?" he shot back, with a ghost of a smile.
"And you're very, very good at it," she replied.

She gathered the skirts of her gown in her hands as she walked ahead of Dafydd, her pace only one step away from skipping. Not that it would be easy to skip in this dress; it was heavy, and even though it wasn't corseted, the bodice was still stiff, the bustle and train of the skirt more for beauty than function. But Regina didn't mind; it was a beautiful gown. Ice blue silk with silver lace at the shoulders, the décolletage, the flounces of the skirt and bustle. The dress highlighted Regina's figure, her collarbones and shoulders, her porcelain complexion and her red-gold tresses. Designed by her da, of course, because he lived to spoil her.

Regina grinned as she passed a mirror, one hand reaching up to resettle her Hat atop her ginger curls. Of all the dresses, hats, and jewelry her da had created, her favorite was her Hat. She wore it with practically everything; incongruous to the rest of her wardrobe perhaps, but an essential reminder of who she was. She had spent eighteen years of her life believing herself to be Jane Ascot, the foundling ward of Lord and Lady Ascot. But she wasn't orphaned, misfit Jane Ascot; she was Regina, the Azure Princess of Witzend and a Hightopp to boot. The Hat was whimsical, like herself. Her athair Tarrant Hightopp, a true master of his craft, had made this Hat for her, before she was even born, and it was still as perfectly a Regina Hat as it had been the day he made it. Someday, she'd have to ask him how he Knew what a Hat should look like…

"Gigi!"

Regina turned, a smile on her face as her cousin came barreling down the hallway, a blur of airy white fabric with heavy gold embroidery. Really, given who her mother was, the White Princess should have been more graceful and delicate. Though truth be told, she was perfectly capable of being just as willowy as the White Queen when she wanted to be. But usually, Lily Palladia Adamas preferred to stride, charge, or run. The vivacious Princess had become Regina's closest friend in the last year; they had bonded over shared high spirits and love for adventure and the perks and pressures of being Crown Princesses, each destined to sit upon a throne as Sovereign someday.

Lily grinned as she caught up to Regina, batting her wide skirts out of the way as she threaded her arm through her cousin's. They made a strange picture- Lily in the white, Versailles-esque style preferred by the women of the White Court; Regina in the blue, 1870s-ish fashion championed by her mother the Blue Queen. Regina laughed, helping Lily resettle her frothy skirts before they continued down the hallway at a more sedate pace, Dafydd keeping a watchful eye over them.

"Why have I not seen you outside today? It's absolutely beautiful; it's criminal to be inside on a day like this. Have you been in lessons all morning?" Lily asked, sounding scandalized.
Regina nodded, rolling her green eyes. "Protocol and etiquette with Duchess Blanche," she grimaced. "At the same time as history with Passaridae."
"Oh, you poor thing," Lily said sympathetically. "Books atop your head and all?"
"Three," Regina confirmed. "And while I was trying to keep them on my head, Passaridae expected me to remember the name of every member of the Adamas family since their founding."
Lily made an outraged noise. "I can't even remember all of that, and they're my family!" she exclaimed. "Wouldn't it make more sense for you to study the Royal Family of Witzend?"
Regina raised an eyebrow. "What, you mean the whole 27 or so years since your mother created the throne for mine?"
"Exactly," Lily grinned. "And don't forget the history of the Hightopps. That'll take you all the way back to Underland's founding."

In the year since Regina's return to Wonderland, she had been immersed in lessons, trying to learn in a few months everything that Lily had been studying her entire life. The history of Underland, the protocols of the White and Blue Courts, the arts of a ruling queen, general etiquette and deportment. It had been grueling, but Regina had been determined to prove herself a true princess of Underland.

In order to facilitate Regina's education, Mirana had proposed a plan whereby Regina spent half of each ten-day week in Marmoreal, learning the history of Underland, the etiquette, and of course her Study of Tea under the tutelage of Passaridae, a bookish and rather demanding Sparrow. The other half of the week, Regina was in Witzend, learning statesmanship and being with her parents [well, her da at least].

"What have you been up to, while I was being tortured by a sadistic Sparrow?" Regina asked.
Lily grimaced. "Oh believe me, I've been suffering just as much as you have."
"Ah," Regina giggled, nodding. "Your sisters' dancing lesson."
"Exactly," Lily nodded.
"I don't see what's so horrible about it, all you have to do is look pretty and demonstrate the steps for them," Regina said.
"Obviously you've never tried to dance with a Pig," Lily said.
Regina laughed. "Better than a Fish."
"I suppose so," Lily groused.
"Come now, Lily, don't be cross," Regina said. "You know you love showing off for your sisters."
"I would rather be riding," Lily replied. "When do you leave for Witzend?"
"Soon," Regina said. "Da's hosting a Tea Party, I promised him I'd be there."
"Cutting it close, aren't you?" Lily asked, looking at the position of the sun. "It's already luncheon."
Regina shrugged. "Unlike my da, I'm on good terms with Time. I should be fine."
"Especially if you have a cousin or two to race with," Lily nodded.
"Are you volunteering?" Regina asked.
"Well, if you're accepting…" Lily grinned.

The princesses walked outside, into the spacious and beautiful gardens, which were warm and colorful even in winter. Instead of killing off living things, like it did Above, the snow simply lay over everything, like a layer of powdered sugar. It wasn't even cold, and it was delicious to the taste. Following the sounds of laughter and music, they found Queen Mirana and King Kalen seated upon a blanket on the ground under the shade of one of Mirana's beloved cherry trees, laughing and watching the frolicking of their younger children. Their youngest sons, twins Draven and Gareth, were playing a game of Tag with Aurora, while Nerissa sat chattering with one of the Pawns on guard duty and Nerissa sang with the flowers.

"There are my lovelies!" Mirana said upon spotting Lily and Regina, smiling.
"Hello, Aunt Mirana," Regina smiled, bending down to kiss Mirana's cheek while Lily dropped down next to her father.
"You've finished your lessons?" Mirana asked.
"Finally," Regina nodded. "I've been at it since seven o'clock this morning!"
"And you must hurry back to Witzend before Brillig," Mirana finished. "You are not overtired?"
"No, I'll be fine," Regina said.
"Mother, may I go with Gigi?" Lily asked. "I haven't been to a Tea Party with Uncle Tarrant in weeks!"
"Yes, sweetling," Mirana smiled. "You can come back with Regina in a few days."
"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you," Regina said. "I won't be here next week. Da is taking me to Hightopp Hill for my birthday. The Clubs have finally finished the High House."

After months of wheedling on Regina's part, following years of pleading on Alice's and Mirana's, Tarrant had finally consented to return to Hightopp Hill, to restore the damage done by the Jabberwocky so many years ago.

When Regina had first fallen into Underland via Looking Glass, she had been told by Absolem that it was her task to find the Azure Princess; rather an ironic statement, given what Regina now knew about herself. In an effort to complete this quest, Regina had gone to Hightopp Hill; she had been allowed to look at the Oraculum, and the scroll had showed the princess there. The Princess had failed to appear at the Hill [or rather, she had been there, but Regina hadn't yet realized it], but it hadn't been a complete loss; Regina had been introduced to the Music of the Hightopps, the magic that had bound the Hightopp clan to Iplam and to each other.

After hearing the Music of the Hightopps, Regina hadn't been able to forget it. Now that she knew who she was, she wanted to hear the fields of Iplam resound with the beautiful Music of her ancestors. And Tarrant had been forced to admit, he did want to restore his family's holdings, even if he, Alice and Regina were the only ones who would be able to enjoy it. So Alice had sent her army of Clubs to work, tearing down the last of the ruined buildings and clearing the field, while Tarrant drew up plans to restore the ancestral home of the Hightopp lairds, the High House.

"I cannot wait to see it," Mirana smiled. "Will everything be ready for the Hogmanay?"
"Knowing my da? Unlikely," Regina laughed. "We will have a Guid Nychburris, though. I don't care what I have to do to bribe him."
Mirana laughed. "You are just as stubborn as your mother. I have no doubt you'll host a spectacular Guid Nychburris. Are you going to stop through Crims on your way back here?"
"Yes," Regina nodded. "Leferidae wants me to come see how they're progressing with the castle. I can't believe it's half-built already!"

The leonine Leferidae, Duke of Tenniel, was acting as Regina's chatelain in Crims. While Regina was being prepared for her role as Queen of Hearts, Leferidae was directing her future subjects in their labors to rebuild the capital city. Under his direction, the laborers had torn down the ruins of the former Red Queen's castle, Salazen Grum, and begun rebuilding. Once the castle was ready for her, Regina would be officially crowned, and begin her reign as the Queen of Crims.

Lily shrugged. "That's Time in Underland for you."
Mirana smiled. "Everyone is eager for you to take up your throne. But that is a worry for another Day. When do you leave for Witzend?"
"Almost immediately," Regina replied. "I really only came out here to say fairfarren. I'll have to hurry to change if I want to be home by Brillig, as Lily and Dafydd keep reminding me." Leaning forward, she kissed both Mirana and Kalen on the cheek. "I'll see you soon, Aunt Mirana, Uncle Kalen," she grinned before standing and brushing off her skirts. "Fairfarren, all!" she called to her cousins, before heading back inside to change.

It took a few hours to make the journey between Marmoreal and Witzend. Had they been walking, it would have been a full day's journey. Fortunately, Lily's Bear Urso and Regina's Panther Sora loved running long-distance. They raced most of the way, laughing as the wind whipped their hair about. The Fearail rode ahead and behind, hurling jokes and teasing insults back and forth as they raced through the countryside.

Finally, they passed through the palace gates. The Animals walked themselves to the stables to be untacked and rubbed down while the cousins hurried into the blue marble of the Cerulean Castle. Without needing any direction, they each took off for their chambers- Lily having a permanent apartment of her own, since she visited Regina so often.

With a happy sigh, Regina walked into her luxurious chambers, stripping out of her riding clothes while she moved. Dafydd stayed outside to respect her privacy, standing guard at her doorway. She wished she had time for a bath, but one look at the clock on her mantelpiece revealed it was nearly Brillig. Lateness for tea was one trait Regina did not share with Alice; she was much more like her da when it came to tea. Thankfully, her maid Clover had laid out a dress for her. Like the gown she'd worn to lessons this morning, it was ice blue. However, in deference to the slight chill in the air [as winters in Witzend were a bit more harsh than they were in Marmoreal], this dress had sleeves to the elbow. As an added bonus, it wasn't quite as stiff or heavy with embroidery as the morning dress was. Regina hummed to herself as she slid her feet into dainty slippers and caught her hair back in a bandeau, grabbing a sun hat and pinning it onto her head while walking into the hall.

"There you are!" Lily exclaimed, sliding her arm through Regina's. "I thought you were never coming out!"
Regina laughed. "I've only been gone a few minutes!"
"Yes, well, a few minutes is an eternity when you're hungry," Lily retorted, leading the way outside.

The gardens of Marmoreal were white in theme, and perfectly ordered. The gardens of the Blue Royals, by contrast, were a riot of color, and only one step away from being untamed. Nestled in the center of the garden was an elegantly appointed tea table, with spotless white linens and mismatched [but whole] china. Regina grinned to herself; she loved her da's Tea Parties. He threw them at least once a week, to welcome and entertain any dignitaries or guests. No business was discussed, of course; it was purely pleasure.

Tarrant sat at the head of the table, enthroned in a wingback armchair Alice had ordered specially made for him upon their return to Berserka. Alice herself was seated to Tarrant's right, in a similarly elegant armchair. Unlike Tarrant, however, Alice was warmly bundled in a thick shawl over her long-sleeved gown, her cane resting against the table.

Regina observed her parents as Lily raced ahead to sit at her place and dig into the finger sandwiches. For eighteen years, she had wished more than anything to find her parents, to put her family back together. When she'd come to Wonderland, she'd found her family, but it was nothing like she'd been expecting. They had lived together now for six months, but they weren't a family yet. Oh, Regina had an athair, all right; she was utterly and completely devoted to her da. It was Alice that Regina didn't get along with.

Regina had been horrified to learn that eighteen years ago, after Regina's disappearance from Underland, Alice had banished Tarrant from Berserka, blaming him for the loss of their child. For eighteen years, instead of supporting each other in their grief, Tarrant had languished in the Tulgey Wood at the March Hare's tea table, while Alice had retreated to the shadows of Marmoreal, to be cared for by Mirana. For eighteen years, Witzend had fallen into ruin while the Blue Queen remained lost in her Madness.

Six months ago, Regina had been restored to her parents after the battle against Stayne. Tarrant had come alive after the battle; Mirana had confided to Regina that she hadn't seen him look so young and happy in years. Alice, however, had Aged. She had attempted to take her place as Champion for the battle, and Underland had rejected her claim. Underland had caused an earthquake on the battlefield, in which Alice fell and hit her head. When she'd awoken in her chamber in Marmoreal, she had spent several days in solitude. When she finally allowed Mirana and Tarrant into the room, they had discovered that almost overnight, Alice had Aged. There were wrinkles around her eyes now, silver streaking through the pale gold of her hair. She looked older than Tarrant now, and she needed a cane to walk.

Tarrant, of course, was worried about His Alice; his tension showed in every line of his figure, his anxiety revealed in the way he so carefully provided Alice with her tea cup, solicitously leaning toward her to readjust her shawl when it slipped off her shoulder. The charming domestic scene was marred by the faint undertone of tension and grief, and Regina sighed in resignation. This was the home she had returned to, after eighteen years of dreaming; hardly the happily ever after she had planned on.

Mirana, after making a thorough examination of Alice, had announced that Alice's Aging was primarily psychosomatic. Alice was unsettled in her mind; once she had sorted herself out, she would recuperate and recover, becoming youthful once again. Regina wished Alice would get on with it; she hated seeing her da worry so.

She shook her head clear; now was not the Time to be having these Thoughts. Her gaze turned down the table, to the rest of the guests. Mallymkun and Thackery were there, juggling and throwing things as always, to the consternation of the portly man seated two chairs down from Alice [judging by his brown wool clothes, he was from Snud]. Sir Uilleam was there, dignified as always as he engaged the Snudian diplomat's wife in conversation. Lily was already on her second cup of tea, chattering with Alice's lady of honor, Marchioness Gwen. Smiling, Regina floated forwards, taking her seat to Tarrant's left, while Dafydd quietly took up a vantage point beneath a magnolia tree.

"Welcome home, ye wee li'l boy!" Tarrant grinned, leaning over and lifting up Regina's hat to kiss her forehead.
"Thank you, Da," Regina smiled.

Smiling, Tarrant motioned to one of the fish butlers, who stepped forward bearing a silver tray. The Fish set the tray down before Regina, who grinned upon seeing the packets of loose tea ingredients, the pot, and two teacups.

"Come then, my Sugar Cube, and show me what you've learned this week," Tarrant said, patting Alice's hand before angling himself to face his daughter.
Regina nodded, leaning forward to examine the packets. "It was the differences between fresh and roasted ingredients this week," she explained, deftly adding a pinch of roasted firefly to a generous sprinkling of cinnamon, cumin and cardamom in the tea ball.
"That's quite a fiery brew you're making," Tarrant observed.
"I thought it might warm Mathair up," Regina replied, not looking up at her mother as she added a tiny drop of honey and poured hot water over the tea ball.

Tarrant couldn't keep his heart from lifting in hope as Regina said that. It pained him to know that mathair and bairn were at sixes and sevens; he had hoped that returning home would help them reconcile. But clearly not; Alice was still distant, and Regina was still resentful. They were always civil to each other, but it was the chill civility with which one treated a stranger. Alice and Regina were flesh and blood; for them to be so utterly indifferent to each other hurt Tarrant.

Well, Alice wasn't indifferent to Regina, Tarrant amended. It was clear as day to him that Alice's health problems were tied in to her regret and yearning for her daughter. It was Regina who was indifferent; if Alice hadn't made any efforts to forge a relationship, neither had Regina. Tarrant was so sure that if they were to resolve their differences, Alice would begin to get well again. But he had no idea how to force them to confront each other. And so Alice remained sickly, and Regina remained motherless. Such a sad, silly situation, so easily solved…

"How were your lessons this week?" he asked, more to distract himself than anything.
"Same as always," Regina replied, setting the tea before Alice before making another cup for herself and Tarrant. "Passaridae is a slave driver and Duchess Blanche is tyrannical, my neck aches, but my posture is now perfect and I almost remember the Adamas family tree."
Tarrant blinked, confused. "A tree? The Adamasi don't have a family tree. Well, they have Mirana's cherry trees, but I don't think those could properly be considered family trees, since Mirana planted those after she was banished and they have nothing to do with her family but rather her love of beauty and order and I'm quite sure she doesn't consider the trees family, per se-"
"Tarrant!" Alice broke in, at the same time as Regina laughed, "Da!"
"Thank you," Tarrant croaked. "I'm fine, Teacup," he said, squeezing Alice's fingers.

Regina smiled fondly at her da. Oh, he was Mad, but wonderfully so; not like the Badness. When Regina had been reunited with her parents at the Chessboard, Tarrant had been sunk in the depths of his very worst and blackest Madness. Lost as he was, he had attacked her, believing her to be an illusion of his mind. Thank the Fates, his Madness had broken, and they had been reunited. In the past months, that frightening Madness had not returned; even in Tarrant's worst fits of temper, he kept the Madness at bay. Regina was quite thankful for that; while she knew that Madness was in the Hightopps' blood, if she never saw the Badness again, it would be too soon.

"I only meant I've had to memorize every family member of the Adamasi since the founding of Underland," she informed her father, pulling Herself from her own Musings.
"Oh dear, that would be confusing," Tarrant frowned. "I don't think that tea you have is nearly strong enough to recover from that."
"Then it is a good thing we're at a Tea Party," Regina said. "You can ply me with tea until you're satisfied I'm better."
"Och aye, th' wee besom needs 'er tea!" Thackery exclaimed, throwing a teapot down the length of the table.

Tarrant deftly caught it without spilling a drop, and leaned over to refill both Alice's and Regina's cups. Regina glanced to the left, catching Dafydd's eye. She grinned, barely containing a giggle; he shook his head at Thackery's antics, a faint smile playing about his lips before his eyes darted away again. She had to smile as she watched him; always on guard, always looking for danger. It was a side effect of having lived in the Outlands all his life, she surmised. From what she had learned about the Outlands, and from the stories some of her guard had told her, there had never been a moment when her warriors hadn't been in danger of attack or ambush.

Her gaze unfocused, her smile fading as she sank further into Thought. One month ago, Mirana had sent some of her soldiers into the Outlands to find the Fearails' families and safely conduct them to Crims, where they would be made Regina's citizens. Dafydd and his men had given the Pawns a rough idea of where to look for the nomadic tribe known as the Nazari, warning that the tribe might have already moved on. The Pawns had sent weekly updates… until one Day, all communication ceased. The Fearail had attempted to remain optimistic, to say that perhaps their clan was just being difficult to track, but as the Days passed and the silence continued, they had grown increasingly uneasy. Had something happened to their tribe, Regina wondered? Did Dafydd have a family? Parents, siblings… a wife, children? Should she allow her guard to return over the mountains to search for their tribe?

A hand on her arm pulled her from her Thoughts. Regina blinked, shaking her head slightly to refocus. She found the hand belonged to her da, who was watching her with a knowing, sympathetic look on his face. Of all people, Tarrant knew best what it meant to be trapped within your mind. Smiling her thanks for his pulling her back to Reality, Regina glanced over at Dafydd again. Sure enough, his eyes were on hers, his face painted in concern. She shot him a smile, assuring him that she was alright, before being distracted by Thackery breaking into a rousing rendition of The Walrus and the Carpenter. Complete with dancing atop his chair. She smiled to herself; ah, it was wonderful to be Home again.

Deep in the bowels of the earth was nestled a cave. Within the cave was contained a crack; a break in the Veil of Reality. Were one to peek through this Veil, one would see the Reality behind all realities; the patterns of Time and Destiny revealed. It would be a beautiful vision… for the moment before one was driven insane by the complexity and constant changing of the pattern.

With the softest breath of sound and a small puff of blue mist, the Cheshire Cat, the Guardian of Underland and Keeper of the Cave of Certitude, translocated into the cavern. He licked his chops, yawning, as he glanced around the cave. His gaze fixed upon the Crack by instinct, checking to be sure all was well, when an abnormality caught his eye.

A young Cat sat on the stalagmite that supported the crack in the Veil. She didn't move a muscle or even so much as twitch her tail; all of her focus was on the Veil, and the Realities that lay behind it. Then, she leaned forward, not even blinking, so transfixed was she by whatever it was she was seeing. A quick translocation brought him directly behind his grandkitten, ready to support her as she swayed, nearly toppling backwards.

"Easy, Pup," he cautioned her, wrapping himself around her and translocating them to the ground.
"I'm fine," she replied, her voice faraway and faint.

The Cheshire Cat shook his head with a small sigh. For the last six months, he had been teaching and training his grandkitten Witzend, preparing her for the day when she would take over his duties as the Cheshire Cat. Underland Herself had long since predicted that a time of great change was coming; a new age would begin, when the old would be swept away and the new ushered in. Witzend would be part of that change; would in fact be the one to usher in many of the new things. So he had been diligently training her in the ways of the patterns of Destiny, teaching her how to determine when to interfere and when to let the humans muddle through on their own.

"You've been looking through the Veil quite a lot lately," he commented.
Witzend lay on her stomach, resting her head on her paws as she closed her blue-green eyes. "Something is coming," she replied. "Some great danger."
"Is it so great a danger?" Cheshire asked, raising one eyebrow. "I've told you before, Pup, you care too much. What is coming is necessary. These things must happen in order for the future to proceed."
"You told me once, that the birth of the little prince would happen, no matter what else," Witzend said, looking up at her grandsire. "But how can he be born if my mistress should die?"
"Then Time will be rewritten," Cheshire said bluntly. "As long as Regina lives, the prince will be born. If she dies, he will never Be. Simple as that. You should take care, Pup. Do not become so focused on one insignificant piece of the future that you ignore the larger pattern. Far more important than the little prince is the growth they will all experience on this journey. In fact, this journey is integral to the child's existence. So the journey must be your focus, not the child."

That said, the Cheshire Cat disappeared with a swish of his tail. Left alone in the Cave, Witzend sighed, closing her eyes against the vision she had seen through the Veil. Her grandsire was forever telling her not to care so much. The Cheshire Cat wasn't supposed to care; he or she was only supposed to move and manipulate, to push the chess pieces into the appropriate places on the board.

Witzend understood her grandsire's point, she did. But she didn't agree with his policy of laissez-faire. He believed that the Cat should only interfere to ensure that fixed points in Time were safeguarded. Events like the Frabjous Day, the Retiuni Day, the future War of the Colors… those were the events that the Cheshire Cat concerned himself with. But what about all the other Days, all the other, smaller events that played into the big ones? What about the threads that had to tie the players together, the bonds that must be forged? If Witzend didn't ensure that Regina lived, how could she ensure that the child was born? What was the point in safeguarding the fixed points, if they weren't for the greatest possible good of all involved?

Someday, she was going to be the Cheshire Cat. And when she was, there would be no more laissez-faire, no more letting things sort themselves out. When she was the Cat, Witzend vowed, she would be sure that the futures she brought about were the best of all possible futures. Because what was the point of anything, if it didn't make Underland a better and a brighter place?