A/N: Hello all! This is my first Malice story; actually it's my first story in general. Yes it's femslash so if you don't like it then hit the back button now. I did change a few minor things in the fairwell scene but nothing major. Flames will be laughed at and used to burn my report cards.
I wish to apologize in advance for any spelling or grammar mistakes and should you find any please tell me!
BoldItalics are flashbacks, thoughts or emphasis are italic
Summary: Alice promised her queen that she would return one day. Now almost seven years later she has a feeling that Queen Mariana is in need of her champion. But will Alice be able to be a proper Champion to The White Queen while trying to hide her feelings for her liege? And how will her sudden return affect Queen Mirana?
The Queen Is In Need Of Her Champion
Chapter one: The Champion Returns
Alice Kingsley stood at the prow of the trade ship on which she had spent almost seven years, looking across the magnificent waves, her mind lost in thought. The past week she had been experiencing a deep aching feeling in the center of her chest. She had seen the ship's physician and he had declared her to be in perfect health. No matter what she did or the remedy she tried the ache refused to go away and was slowly getting worse. I bet Queen Mirana would be able to cure this illness. She the ache turned into a stabbing pain that made Alice grit her teeth and grip the ship's railing in order to remain upright, before returning to the dull pain it was previously. Before Alice had time to contemplate the pain further a very familiar voice boomed behind her.
"Alice my dear, I have the most wonderful news!" said a very Excited Lord Ascot as Alice turned around.
"And what news is that?" Replied the ever curious Alice.
"We are to return to England!"
"What? Why?" Alice asked confusion plain on her face.
"You remember the Nations of Trade idea you proposed?" Alice nodded. "Well the other major countries have accepted the offer and we they are sending their delegates to meet with us at a summit in England to hash out the final details."
"How long will we be staying in England?" Alice hoped the answer would be no more than a few weeks.
"That's the beauty of it! Once The Nations of Trade is established we'll never have to leave England again. We'll be able to handle all business matters from the main office in London. Isn't that the most wonderful news? We're finally going home!" Lord Ascot was beaming at this point while Alice was completely shocked. Apparently Lord Ascot and Alice had very different ideas of what qualified as "wonderful news" because to Alice this was a nightmare.
"This is truly shocking news." She said slowly. "Might I have a moment to think over everything properly?"
"Of course, of course." Said Lord Ascot noticing how Alice was not as excited as he thought she would be. "I shall leave you to your thoughts. Though when we arrive you might want to consider wearing a dress, everyone back home isn't used to the way you've taken to dressing over recent years." He turned and left.
With that Alice was once again alone. She leaned against the ship's railing, a frown on her face. Alice hated dresses, they made living aboard a ship much harder than it should be by constantly making her trip and no one in the business world took her seriously if she showed up to a meeting in one. It was those reasons among others that made Alice change her wardrobe from dresses to finely tailored trousers and shirts. She was currently wearing calf high brown leather boots, black trousers, a black belt and a pale blue button up shirt. She began to ponder over something else Lord Ascot had said.
Home. Alice thought. England is not my home, it hasn't been since my father died. And now I'm going to be stuck there. No doubt my mother will try to marry me off as soon as I return. Well, that isn't the life I wanted seven years ago and it most certainly isn't the one I want now.
Suddenly a though occurred to Alice. If England wasn't her home, then what was? Home was where you felt happy, safe and wanted. Alice thought back to the last time she felt at home...It had been almost seven years ago...when she was in Underland. When she thought of Underland the ache in her chest briefly increased in intensity before calming again. Curiouser and curiouser. Alice decided to try a quick experiment. She thought of England, no change in the ache. She thought of Underland, it flared. She imagined her sister, Margaret, nothing happened. Hatter came to mind and the pain became worse. She thought about the Queen of England, nothing. Then she conjured an image of her queen, the beautiful Mariana. The pain became so intense that Alice fell to her knees, clutching her chest until it subsided. It was at that moment everything fell into place; the pain was a signal.
Alice stood and reached into the breast pocket of her shirt, withdrawing a small metal tin and a folded piece of paper she always carried with her. She thought about the last seven years and how they had prepared her for the future. She had used her travels as a chance to learn how to properly fight with a sword, as well as various other weapons or just her hands if need be. She had also spent a great deal of time study the cultures of the world, finding wonder in how so many people could be so similar yet so different at the same time. She truly had become a student of the world in every sense of the expression. Alice replaced the two small objects in her pocket and nodded as she stood and made her way from the deck to her cabin. It was time, she was ready... she was worthy.
Alice stood in her cabin checking herself over in the long mirror. Her waist length golden locks were brushed and hanging loosely down her back, her face was freshly cleaned and she wore her finest suit. Polished black boots that reached just below her knees, white trousers that were held up with a sliver belt, a white dress shirt with a silver tie, her waistcoat was silver with a dark plum almost black colored lining and her jacket was the same pristine white color lined with silver thread, the starched collar reaching just below her jaw. She had this suit specially made just for this day. Yes, the tailor had looked at her strangely when she told him the color scheme and that it was to be made for her and not a man and yes, it was quite expensive considering the secret alterations Alice had put it. But it was well worth the expense in Alice's opinion. After all, she needed to look her best didn't she? After making sure her tie and coat were straight for the third time in two minutes she went over to her bed and once again checked the contents of the rucksack she had packed. After that she took the four small throwing she had taken to carrying after that incident with a group of pirates off the coast of Australia a few years back and knelt down to place them in the hidden sheathes sown into the lining of her boots, two in each boot. She rose to her feet and walked over to her dressing table, from the table she took an oval shaped locket made of white gold that she had purchased six years ago. Alice opened it and read the inscription before snapping it closed and placing it around her neck and tucking it under her shirt where it would be safe. Everything was as it should be as she pulled out the small tin and piece of paper once again, her mind wandering back to the day she had received them.
An overwhelming sense of happiness hung in the air at the chessboard battlefield, the Jabberwocky was dead and the tyranny of the Red Queen had finally come to an end. Queen Mirana gracefully approached her champion, a small vial in hand.
"You have our everlasting gratitude. And for your efforts on our behalf..." The Queen presented Alice with a vial filled with the blood of the Jabberwocky. Alice took the vial and did not respond to her queen's thanks. If the Hatter hadn't intervened the Jabberwocky would have killed her, Underland would have remained under the power of The Red Queen and she would have failed her queen.
"Will this take me home?" Alice asked solemnly.
"IF that is what you chose." Mirana replied while offering a sad smile as she reached out and gently touched her champion's cheek. But before she turned away Alice spoke.
"I will return one day, my queen. I do not know when, but I promise you...I will return." Alice bowed to her queen when she finished speaking. Mirana nodded with a gentle smile and went to stand with the other inhabitants of Underland as Alice raised the vial to her lips.
"You could stay." Hatter offered sadly. Alice turned with a bright smile.
"What an idea...a crazy, mad, wonderful idea." Her smile fell. "But I can't. There are questions I have to answer, things I have to do." Like become better and stronger, so I can be the champion Mariana deserves. Alice thought.She then drank the blood of the Jabberwocky and smiled again.
"Be back again before you know it." She assured Tarrant. His expression remained flat and he stared at a point to Alice's right.
"You won't remember me." He muttered.
"Of course I will, how could I forget?" Her words had no effect on the madman so she tried a different approach. "Hatter...Why is a raven like a writing desk?"
"Haven't the slightest idea." At this Hatter smiled slightly and leaned forward to whisper in Alice's ear. "Fairfarren Alice."
With that Underland faded away and Alice made her way back to the party. Later that night when Alice returned home from discussing her apprenticeship with Lord Ascot she found a small parcel on her bed. It had no marking on it to derive its origin, it was simply white cloth tied together with a dark colored bow. Alice opened it to find a small tin that fit in the palm of her hand and folder piece of parchment. Unfolding the parchment revealed it to be a note written in silver ink, the flowing script read:
My dear brave champion,
You promised you would return to me one day. When that day comes take the tin that was sent with this letter and smear its contents over any door frame, then walk through. This is an easier and much more pleasant method or arrival than falling down a dark hole. Until that day arrives I wish you the best of luck and upmost happiness in the many adventures you are sure to have.
Until we meet again,
Mirana of Marmoreal
Alice refolded the letter and placed in and the tin in her breast pocket, determined to never let it leave her presence.
A knock at her cabin door brought Alice back to the present. "Enter" She called tucking the note and tin back in her pocket over her heart, where she had always kept it.
The door opened to reveal a much less excited Lord Ascot whose eyes widened upon seeing her state of dress. "You do know we won't reach England for at least three weeks, correct?"
Alice let out a slight laugh. "Yes, but I won't be returning to England."
"What do you mean?" Lord Ascot questioned. "We're on a ship in the middle of the ocean, where could you possibly go?"
Alice decided to answer his question with her own. "I have a story to tell you, a true one mind you-but I can't help but wonder, will you think me mad after I finish with it?"
Lord Ascot sat in a chair in the corner of the room. "Alice, knowing you are the daughter of my brilliant late business partner, after getting to know you so well these last few years and so many of your outlandish ventures proving incredibly fruitful you would be hard pressed to make me think you are anything other than mad. But to quote an old friend of mine; all the best people are."
Alice leaned against the wall and folded her arms over her chest. "Very well, do you remember how as a child when my father was alive I would often tell about the strangest dream I would have, of talking animals, a mad hatter who threw extravagant tea parties and a tyrant queen with an abnormally large head?"
Lord Ascot nodded slowly. "Well it wasn't a dream. It was completely real." Over the next hour Alice told Lord Ascot of both her trips to what she called Wonderland but was really Underland. The man listened intently as she described the feud between to sister queen's-one a tyrant and one just-the champion who did not want to fight and the battle of the Chessboard. Though she was careful to never mention that she was the champion, she merely described herself as one of the observers of the battle. When she finished all was silent in the cabin, the gentle rocking of the boat the only proof that time had not frozen. After an immeasurable amount of time Lord Ascot spoke.
"So that's how you acquired those scars on your right arm. I thought you might have passed over an angry tomcat but really it was a-what did you call it? A Dander-rat?"
"Bandersnatch." Alice corrected causing Lord Ascot to nod. "You truly believe me?"
"Why wouldn't I?" He asked standing. "It-oddly enough-makes perfect sense. Your absence from the party, your disheveled appearance when you returned, especially how the determined side of you had finally awoken after being dormant for so long. But my dear girl, must you return to the world of nonsense you spoke of? And frankly how will you return? There are no rabbit holes aboard this ship."
"With this." Alice withdrew the tin from her jacket and opened it revealing the creamy white balm inside. "This was given to me by my queen when I left."
"Your queen?" Lord Ascot asked with a raised eyebrow.
"The White Queen, Mirana of Marmoreal." Alice clarified as she picked up her rucksack from the bed, taking care not to jostle the contents too much.
"What should I do with this magnificent truth you have told me?" Lord Ascot asked. "And for that matter, what shall I tell your mother and sister when I return without you?"
"Do with this tale as you wish. Spread it as the delusions of a mad woman, write in into a book and sell it as a fairytale, keep it to yourself, whatever pleases you. As for my mother and sister; tell them that a queen of a land far, far away requires my immediate assistance."
Alice took the tin in her left and raised it to her nose. She smiled as scent she associated with her queen wafted through her senses. "White roses." She whispered.
She then used the fingers of her right hand to smear the white balm over the doorway to her cabin. She waited a moment and opened the door, but instead of the ship's hallway she was greeted with an image of the glowing white halls of Marmoreal.
"Alice wait!" Lord Ascot said grabbing her arm before she could walk through the door. A look of utter confusion on his face. "What do you mean "a queen in a land far, far away requires your immediate assistance"? Isn't Wonderland peaceful now?"
Alice smiled as she freed herself from Lord Ascot's grip. "This past week I've been experience the most peculiar ache in my chest and it has only gotten worse as time has gone on. When I think of Underland, its inhabitants or the queen the ache turns into a sharp pain. Now I realize it is a signal, drawing me back to Wonderland."
"But why would you need to return to Wonderland? Why not that champion fellow you mentioned?" Alice decided he would not let her leave if she didn't fully explain herself, so she took a breath and spoke.
"The champion is returning, and she had been away from wonderland far too long." Lord Ascot's mouth dropped open.
"You-? You're the...?" Alice nodded and placed a hand over her chest.
"This feeling is telling me one thing; The Queen is in need of her Champion." With that Alice turned and walked through the door. There was a bright flash of light and suddenly Alice found herself standing in one of the Halls of Marmoreal. Alice grinned and adjusted her hold on her rucksack before setting out to fine her queen. Alice didn't know how long she wandered the immaculate halls but the ache in her chest has risen to a sharp pain and she was beginning to feel lost in the vast palace when she heard a familiar thumping sound from around the corridor. She hurried around the corner to find Nivens McTwisp hopping in her direction, muttering to himself.
"Hello McTwisp!" She greeted cheerfully. McTwisp continued toward her, awestruck.
"A-Alice? The Alice?" he asked.
"The very same." She replied with a grin. McTwisp began panting heavily then passes out from shock. At that moment another figure entered the hall.
"Oh honestly McTwisp!" Came the voice of The Mad Hatter, Tarrant Hightopp as he focused on the prone rabbit. "Can you not go an hour without fainting? I do apologize, dear stranger that you had to witness this but our court herald has a bit of a nervous disposition."
"Stranger?" Alice asked, crossing her arms over her chest with a smug grin. "And I thought you were worried about me not remembering you, Hatter."
Tarrant stopped in his tracks, his eyes as wide as tea cups. "Oh my goodness gracious! Alice!" With that he ran at her and swept her into his arms. "It's you! You've finally returned! I knew you would! After all, you did promise and you've never broken a promise! At least no that I know of but I do know you well. Oh, this year's Frabjous day celebration will be even more spectacular! The people will rejoice and The Queen will be ecstatic and-oh my we must inform The Queen!"
With that Tarrant scooped up the unconscious McTwips and began to tow Alice down the hall, blabbering all the while. "So many have tried to step up as champion since you left but Mirana would have none of them. After all they didn't have the stomach to harm even a shrub-
"Hatter." Alice called but he didn't seem to hear her.
"-let alone slay a Jabberwocky, unlike you of course! The way you stood against that magnificent beast without even flinching! It was so brave! I remember that day so well-"
"Hatter." Alice called a little louder but it had no effect.
"-everyone in the kingdom knosw of your triumph at the chessboard but since you left fewer and fewer believe you even exist! oh won't this supprise them! And now maybe-!
"TARRENT!" Alice finally managed to break through to Hatter and pulled them both to a stop. Though she was happy to see her old friend she didn't have time to be dragged all over the palace as the pain in her chest was becoming unbearable. "Calm down Hatter, I'm not going anywhere. Now I really do need to see the Queen, so will you tell me where she is?"
"Ah yes, of course!" Hatter let go of her hand and set McTwips on the ground. He then opened a small door that opened to reveal a small alley of white brick no more than five feet long that opened up to the left to show a large room filled with people and directly in front of Alice was the sight she had missed most in her time away from Underland. Queen Mirana of Marmoreal sat as beautiful, graceful and regal as ever upon her throne as she addressed the members of her court. As Alice gazed upon her queen the pain in her chest vanished. A slight shuffling behind her brought Alice's attention to McTwisp who had just regained consciousness.
"I just had the most shocking dream. I dreamt that Alice had..." He trailed of as he sat up and his eyes landed on Alice. "Oh my..."
He went to pass out again but Tarrant hoisted him back onto his feet. "Now there's no time for that Nivens, you must go and announce Alice's return to the Queen."
McTwips nodded and went to walk by Alice who stopped him.
"There will be no need for that McTwips." She whispered. "It looks as if they're almost done and I don't want to interrupt."
"Are you sure?" McTwisp asked just as quietly.
"Positive. I can wait." And with that Alice placed her bag on the floor and adopted a pose she had unconsciously picked up a few years before. She crossed her arms over her chest, leaned against the wall to her left, placed the heel of her right boot against the toe of her left and observed the goings on of the court before her with a slight smile.
"We shall leave you to your audience with the Queen then. I will see you soon I hope" Hatter said happily. Alice nodded in response but Hatter didn't see it as he had already ushered McTwips back through the small door and into the hall, closing it quietly behind himself.
As Alice observed Alice's gaze kept returning to the queen. Every gesture and shift in body language was taken in by the watching champion. Alice drew her eyes in the direction of the court, looking over each of the loyal nobles when she noticed a discrepancy. Two figures in white cloaks stood on either side of the hall and though they were dressed in the brilliant whites of Mirana's court their body language was tense as they shifted with unease, their eyes darting around the room. The queen was drawing the meeting to a close when the mysterious figures each began to draw an odd metal object from under their cloak. The pain in Alice's chest returned with vengeance as she realized what was going on. In an instance Alice had drawn two daggers from her boot and sprinted into the throne room toward the queen and shouted:
"Your Majesty, look out!" The words had barley left her lips when she flung the first dagger at one figure, the second weapon leaving her had a moment later in the direction of the second assassin and in the same instant two twang sound rang out. Alice then collided with a stunned Mirana and sent them both to the floor as a scream of pain sounded from across the room and a biting pain exploded in Alice's right side causing her to groan. This is not good. Alice thought.
Queen Mirana sat on her throne listening to the reports of her advisors. Everything was running smoothly in Underland, the people were happy, the land beautiful once again and should any resident of Underland have a problem the queen would listen to each and every complaint of her subjects once a week and then do her best to resolve the problem. Frabjous day was approaching once again and the annual celebration was the main topic of discussion at this particular meeting. Mirana looked around her throne room only for her eyes landed upon the suit of armor and sword to her left, they both still boor the dents, scratches and purple blood they had acquired almost three years ago as a testament to the bravery of the champion who had stood against the mighty Jabberwocky and slain it. The Queen's mind drifted back to that fateful day, the day the Jabberwocky was slain, the day her sister Iracebeth had been dethroned, the day balance had one again been restored to Underland...the day her champion had left her. It had taken all of Mirana's will power to not ask Alice to stay with her, but the queen realized that would be selfish as Alice had to blaze her own trail. So with a heavy heart The White Queen had watched Alice leave Underland once again, but it was Alice's last statement that kept her heart from completely breaking. I will return one day, my queen. I do not know when, but I promise you...I will return. The young woman had spoken with such determination Mirana had no other option than to believe her champion's words...well, and make sure she had the means to return when the time came of course. So Mirana had made sure Alice's room were always prepared, that way when she did return everything would be ready for her. Breaking out of her daze the queen stood to end the meeting when several things happened in such quick succession that she wasn't able to fully process everything until later.
Someone shouted "Your Majesty, look out!" there was were multiple twang sounds, someone threw her to the floor, she heard a thunk from behind her, someone across the room screamed in pain and someone else hovered over her, shielding her with their body. She couldn't properly tell who it was-though they seemed familiar-but she could tell they were panting for breath.
"Are you...injured...my Queen?" The figure gasped and it was at that moment Mirana recognized the golden hair figure hovering over her.
"Alice?" The Queen whispered looking into warm brown eyes.
"A-are you...injured?" Alice persisted, her arms beginning to shake. The Queen shook her head and Alice pushed herself to her feet before helping the queen up, her left hand pressed to her right side the entire time. Sounds of a struggle drifted from across the throne room. Mirana was slightly shocked when she was pushed behind her champion who now had drawn a third dagger from her boot with her right hand, her left leaving her side to reach back and rest protectively on the Queen's waist. Mirana then realized where the shouts of pain and struggle were coming from as she saw some of her guards apprehend a man with a dagger sticking out of his left shoulder while the struggling was coming from a woman on the other side of the hall who was trying to remove the dagger that went through her tunic and into the wall, pinning her in place while fending off several other guards. The guards quickly overwhelmed her and the assassins were escorted from the throne room, to the dungeon where they would await trial. The members of the court had all frozen in place not sure what was going on or who was standing so protectively in front of their queen.
"You may take your leave." Mirana said to those assembled before her. They all quickly dispersed talking quietly to one another about what they had just witnessed. As soon as she finished speaking she turned her attention to her champion who remained in front of her, unmoving. Mirana observed how Alice's breathing had turned into ragged gasps, that her entire body was shaking horribly and she seemed barely able to keep her grip on the dagger. Mirana placed her hand over Alice's resting on her waist. But when their hands touch the queen noticed a wet substance coated her champion's hand. She had to withhold a gasp when she looked down to see the blood staining Alice's hand. She then remembered how her warrior had clutched at her side moments before.
"Alice?" she called gently while trying to turn her champion around. "Where are you injured?"
"I'm f-f-fine...my Queen." Alice said keeping her right side out of Mariana's view. The queen took in how Alice's face was deathly pale and her brow was covered in sweat as her shaking became so bad that she dropped her dagger. Mirana forced Alice to turn completely revealing the large bloodstain on the right side of her jacket and the end of a crossbow bolt that poked out through the material.
"Alice..." Mirana gasped as she began to formulate a plan. She did not get far however as Alice muttered;
"My...Queen..." Before her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed. The queen quickly caught her champion and shouted for the guards who ran over and took the injured woman from their queen. Mirana noticed Alice's chest still rose and fell but it was incredibly labored.
"Quickly, take her to my chambers; I will be there shortly." And with that she lifted the front of her dress and ran for the kitchen. Yes she had a small alchemy table in her chambers but the one in the kitchen was much larger and had the supplies she needed. After bursting into the kitchen and gathering everything she would need she ran as fast as she could without tripping over her dress back to her chambers. Once there she ordered the guards out and set her supplies on the alchemy that one of the guards had wisely moved closer to the bed, where the bleeding Alice lay. Mirana walked over to Alice and as she set about tending to her champion she whispered;
"My brave champion, I have waited too long for your return just to have you leave me once again."
A/N: So what do you all think? Is it worth continuing? As I said it's my first story so let me know what you think in a review please! It would truly make my day!
Best regards,
Doc.