Love Checks Fear
Disclaimer: I do not own any dialogue, characters, settings, etc. from Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass," nor from Disney's animated "Alice in Wonderland," nor Disney's most recent 2010 film of "Alice in Wonderland." What very little creativity that remains is – surprisingly – mine.
Chapter 2
"That didn't take very long at all," a cheerful, hum-drum voice came about as a gray tabby cat with blue stripes appeared.
"Chessur," Mirana smirked with amusement. "Should've known the king was seeing you floating about me once again." She then turned to her knights. "That'll be all gentlemen. Thank you."
"Meeeee?" the cat grinned from ear to ear.
"Yes, you!" the queen chimed happily.
As soon as the knights left the room, the orange-haired hatter took a seat at the queen's right. "Be careful, Ches," the Hatter warned with a crooked smile. "You keep teasing the Red Queen and it'll be your head some day."
The Cheshire Cat merely rolled about lazily in the air. "Mmmmm," he sounded as his body gradually became headless. "If she can catch my head." Then, as swiftly as he had appeared, the cat vanished altogether.
"What an odd one, that one," Mirana commented with a laugh.
"Gallymoggers, I'd say," the Hatter joined in laughing.
"Much like you, Tarrant?" the White Queen giggled before reaching a fair hand out to brush along the man's white cheek.
The Hatter laughed all the harder as he shook his head. "No. I'm of a much differenter sort of crazy… I'm mad."
Mirana sighed with a final laugh before dropping her hand and leaning back in her white chair. "I'm so glad you were here with me. I do wish Iracebeth would stop coming by to pester me about giving the kingdom to her."
Tarrant stopped laughing. "Especially since she ruins our tea time."
"I agree. Although," she beamed optimistically and gave a wink to the Hatter, "we still have tomorrow."
"Yes," Tarrant replied dreamily. "But how I do love our tea time!"
"Oh!" Mirana suddenly sat up with excitement shining in her eyes. "Perhaps a game of badminton?"
Tarrant turned his eyes toward one of the tall windows. "It's getting too dark outside."
"We'll play by the light of the lightning bugs!"
Tarrant gave an equally excited, toothy smile before quickly fading into a frown with brows knitted together. "But what if others of the court see us?"
"What does it matter at this point with the announcement so near? And as if no one of the court even has the slightest idea of what is going on between us!" she giggled. "I play badminton with each of them – why not you? You are part of my court, after all."
"True," the Hatter replied with a playful smirk before leaning closer to the queen and whispering, "But not for long, eh?"
Mirana gave a quick kiss to Tarrant's lips; replying just as quietly, "No, not for long at all."
