Hello my friends who read the little note after Three Hearts and an Alice! Thanks to the help of one of my loyal and creative fans, (Thank you Sailor FoxFire) I have named this story, Behind the Heart. I hope you enjoy! Now chapter 1!
Alice blinked, shaking her blonde head that still lay against the pillow as it had for three days. Three days of her staying in her room, claiming to be sick as cause for all the shocks and sudden turns from finding the new Hightopp.
For nearly seventy two hours Alice heard what happened behind her locked door, hearing the hesitant steps as a servant walked by, anxious to prevent her champions awakening. Other footsteps would also go along the other side of her door, louder ones that stopped and would knock on her door, asking if Alice was alright, then softer lighter steps and claiming that she would bring back some medicine for their champion if it might have helped, but Alice had a hunch that thee queen knew what was really bothering her.
And that was probably why she never actually left any potions or medicine for Alice after the sound of her footsteps disappeared. And for all that time, the one person that actually caused her to stay in bed, hadn't visited her once.
He's probably with Irisa. Alice assured herself. She is her- She couldn't even say it, that the Hatter was married. And happily married Art that. When Alice wasn't in bed, shed been watching people below her, scurrying around through the court yard and talking amongst themselves, whispers never floating up for Alice to hear.
While Alice was watching, she'd learn much about the servant's private lives while she spied. She realized that one girl, with short white hair cropped close to her shoulders was in love with a stable boy that was with one of the maids, who was also her friend. She'd learned that one of the gardeners was cheating on his wife with an aide to the queen, and who might have been with child, and all this strangely put a smile on Alice's hurt face.
The scurrying lives of the servants, reminded her of home, the pesky Gardner being Lowell and Market his patient oblivious wife. But besides the servants, she also saw Hatter and Irisa. They were walking along the garden, heads bent together with her arm linked with his and when they rounded the oak tree she leaned in for a passionate kiss that he didn't refuse. That was when Alice turned away and decided she should stop watching.
Alice sat up, shaking out her blonde curls and pulling off her covers quickly, and landing on the floor of her bedroom gracefully. She wasn't going to sit around as the Hatter grew happy with his new wife and she pinned over him from a distance. She was going to live her life, and she was gong to be happy.
She walked over to her closet and pulled out a white dress with blue trim along the neck line and skirt. It was beautiful, but some how made Alice want to cry. Hastily she tossed the dress down onto the bed and wiped the tears away. Being happy was going to be harder then she'd thought.
. . .
Ten minutes later Alice was walking out of her room, damp curls falling along her back softly from where she'd run her brush through them, the white dress trailing around her like a sail and her black flats slipped onto her feet.
She looked along the barren hallway, expecting for someone to hop out at her, a silly thought she knew but had expected none the less, and after a few seconds she knew no one knew that she'd emerged from her tomb.
She smiled and shut the door behind her, taking a step forward and then grabbing her stomach as it growled menacingly. She hadn't been eating anything but interesting Underlandian soups that been left for her by servants for the past three days, and now her stomach was craving food. With one last glance back at the door, the unspoken decision of returning back to her room, Alice turned and walked down the hallway, to the kitchen where food and possibly one of her friends were waiting.
. . .
With a grunt Stayne pushed out of the half way house he'd been staying at and scanned the road for anything that could lead him towards his goal.
Here, with his dark hair slicked back and his new green eyes, he'd be able to pass for any other gentleman on the street. Or, to Underland's champion, the Hatter.
He chuckled softly to himself, what a ludicrous idea it was that he could be such a man excuse for a man. He was one of the best knaves that Underland had ever known, he was clever, intelligent, and he knew every trick and every dirty shot needed in battle. Yet, he had fallen along with the red queen and was forced to stay with her until they'd broken the chain, or had it broken for them as the case may have been. He looked up at the sky, as if a new plan would fall out of the sky and land in the palm of his hand, but instead he would have to figure one out on his own.
Someone pushed passed him, and he whipped around, a hatful glare onto who ever had bumped into him as a wide eyed strawberry blonde woman gasped and apologized for not watching where she was going.
The knave wanted to strike her, but the action would cause unwanted attention that he might not have been able to free himself from, so instead he plastered on a warm fake grin and accepted her apology.
"I really don't know where my head is these days." She confessed, switching the bag in her right hand to her left, and glancing up at the Stanger nervously. "I'm just so worried about my sister, you must have heard, haven't you?"
The knave shook his head, staring at the young lady more intently; something about her was familiar, her complexion and the angle of her cheek bones reminded him of someone. "No, I haven't."
"She's missing." The girl admitted, a single tear sparkling down her cheek. "It's been nearly two days since she's been seen and her friend hasn't been seen either and…"
"Margret," A man called, and both Margret and Stayne looked, up to see a gentleman about her age jogging towards them, his brown hair slightly muffled from running. "I've been looking for you."
Margret nodded sleepily. "Sorry Lowell, you see I just bumped into this man and I was apologizing." She looked at her husband sadly. "He hasn't heard about, Alice."
Alice. That's who this girl reminded him of, she must be her sister. He grinned mischievously and turned to Lowell. "I'm quite sorry to hear about your wife's sister. Do you think that you might give me her description? If I see anyone like that, I'll be sure to tell you."
The couple described the way Alice looked to the stranger and where they lived if he found anything, and finally they parted ways. But as they did, Lowell turned back and called to the once knave. "Excuse me sir but I don't believe I caught your name!"
Stayne smiled and turned around, calling back to Lowell. "It's Tarrant!" His wicked grin widened. "Tarrant Hightopp."
Dun, dun, DUN! Cliff hangers are so much fun and I'm not giving up now! I'm officially back and I hope you are at the edge of your seats with anticipation! I am! Review, please!
