One of the nicest things about being in Underland instead of Overland, at least for Alice, was that one typically didn't have a set time to rise. Time seemed to wake you when you needed to be woken, be it in the middle of the night or halfway through the day. Since Alice didn't have a declared purpose, Time had been particularly generous and she had enjoyed many days of late starts. And since by late-morning Mirana was already in court, Alice had a bit of time to indulge her curiosities freely instead of being taught about curious things. This had aided her exploration of maps which gave way to her current plans. The idea was a year in the making, now she had only to plan it out in detail.
Rested and ready, Alice began this day with a stack of maps, a small pile of books, and a smile. Dressed down in silk pants and her favorite bright blue ghillie shirt, she sat before the fireplace of her chambers, tugging at the lacing of the shirt while her eyes browsed the paths, a nearby pen occasionally lifted to scribble down a note or a path idea, places she wanted to see and places to avoid if possible. Her lips quirked as she released the lacing, lifting two handfuls of the loose shirt and pressing the material to her nose, breathing deeply. She'd stolen the shirt from Tarrant's chambers a month ago in a fit of romanticism and kept it hidden away. The scents and embroidery on the material helped to keep her calm when she needed to think and helped her sleep when her mind was running rings. Otherwise it simply made her smile and she felt that was justice enough.
The Tulgey Wood, as far as she could tell, would be the absolute least of her worries. Despite its many odd inhabitants and ability to turn you around in the blink of an eye, she had traveled the wood with the Bandersnatch and accepted Cheshire's offers of guidance. The wily cat happily led her hither and yon and sometimes advised (always only when he wished to) about the creatures and secrets of the wood. Only once had he had led her truly astray and then she'd delivered such a tongue-lashing that he never attempted it again. She planned to not travel straight through the woods however it could be a possibility, just one she was hoping wouldn't come to pass. Should it come to that and with the Hatter in attendance, she doubted Chess would attempt anything incredibly foolhardy but one could never tell with those two. One day they were friends and the next hour they were bitter enemies. Frustrating was a polite term for it.
The region of Snud was unexplored for Alice, at least all but the northern most tip of it, where the land was caught between Crims, Queast, and Marmoreal. Since her drive was North rather than South, she figured things couldn't be too incredibly different in the area she would cover from what she knew currently. The terrain maps and texts didn't show anything that might shock her or provide overt difficulties but one never knew. The Grampus Bluffs, however, were something new for her. Once, she had been told that they were the gateway to the Outlands and if one had the right footing and a strong will, the trip could be made to and from. This time, she didn't intend to find out but perhaps she could talk to Bayard one evening. The loyal bloodhound was from the Outlands originally and could give her facts over fiction. What she did know was that a stone arch opened the bluffs and would give her access to Witzend without risking the Tugley Woods or having to cross Iplam and Crims. Flipping through one of the texts, she found the picture she was looking for; one showing an artist's exceptionally detailed image of this stone archway…by all reports it was the only clear way into Witzend if one didn't want to cross Crims. The arch looked desolate with scraggly trees that looked strangely alive though there seemed to be little else of vegetation.
Past that, reports of Witzend were wanting after the Red Queen's takeover. According to the histories, the land was strangely warm and welcoming when considering the Outland Crags loomed over its fertile lands. The people were a farming and artistic breed, connoisseurs of food and drink and creators of the finest art in all Underland. She was told that the Hatter and Hare were born in Witzend though where no one seemed to know specifically. Perhaps, if she asked, Tarrant might elaborate somewhere along the trip. She pulled the shirt tighter around her body, worrying if asking might be worse than not knowing. After all, Iplam had been created when the Bloody Red Queen had won the challenge over her sister…the damn Jabberwocky's personal celebration had been to torch a fertile and highly populated strip of land close to the Tugley Wood. One of those homes may have been Tarrants…she could only pray that somewhere, some how, she was wrong.
The thought ate at her and the book in hand was clapped shut and tossed back with the others, the Champion running her hands through her hair in worry. A long sigh escaped her and she rubbed her eyes as she stood, walking towards one of the windows and observing the snow that had been falling all morning. She leaned on the sill and smiled. In the courtyard she had view of, Nivens was dashing about in an attempt to cross without being smacked by Bayard's rambunctious pups, who kicked snowballs around the yard and took turns playing as their father in a game Alice had learned to take in stride. The young had coined "Frabjous Day" as an acting game and the pups especially delighted in it, Mallymkun bouncing between each of them as they growled, bayed, and "fought" against the JubJub, three-headed cats, and a giant angry panther with blood-red fur. Sometimes Alice would play with them and pretend to be one of the legendary enemies, other times she was forced to tell the tale of her own battle after they begged and pleaded for it.
Grey skies aside, it was truly a beautiful day and the snow only seemed to enhance the whiteness of Marmoreal rather than overstate it. Beautiful. She sighed deliberately, creating a fogged patch on the window and drawing a little heart with her fingertip. It made her smile wryly. As it faded away her expression grew blank and her thoughts turned inwards. By the time her plans were complete, the Underland winter would be done and spring ready…unless summer was over-eager again. Last year summer came straight after winter as though impatient to begin and it had burned strongly until fall nudged its way in. Her trip, ideally, would have her back in Marmoreal shortly before winter descended if she left right at the beginning of spring. A mental note was scribbled to pack lightly for winter conditions, just in case the thaw was slow or their return late.
A squawk of chatter drew her out of her thoughts and she looked down only to laugh. Bayard's children had their ears and heads down but their tails wagged defiantly as Nivens scolded them, having finally been smacked with a snowball. She unlocked the window, intent on calling down to them but was interrupted by a knock at her door. Curious since she hadn't called for any service, she padded to the door and opened it a few inches, and then fully as she saw her caller. "Oh, Tarrant! Good day."
"To you as well, Alice." he smiled, looking quite himself in striped pants, a maroon jacket, and a wildly spotted ascot. "Dear, I haven't disturbed you, have I?" He glanced to her rather casual attire, doing a double-take when he noticed the shirt.
She had the grace to blush faintly, not at her casual state but that he'd noticed the shirt. Normally she tucked it away whenever her came calling but it had slipped her mind entirely. "Oh um…no, no, I was just going over some maps, trying to finalize some ideas you know…"
"I do?" he cocked a brow. Perhaps he did and didn't realize it? Forgotten a conversation? Maybe she'd mentioned it over a fresh pot of tea...he never could focus as well when there was fresh tea to be served. "Well…I thought if you were available, you might like some refreshments. A break from...well, whatever you're doing?"
It was then that Alice noticed he'd held an arm out of sight and only then brought it forward to reveal a platter laden with tea and small foods; finger-sandwiches (oh how she'd had to rectify that the first time she'd asked after them here!!), cookies, cakes, and tiny cuts of meat and cheese. Quite frankly, she was delighted and it showed as her smile spread. "You are simply a god-send! Please, come in!"
Tarrant's smile couldn't have been wider and he nearly spilled the tray upon entering. He managed to balance out though and instead of the table where tea would normally be taken, his eye was caught by the spread of papers, maps, and books by the fire. Curious, he headed for the fireplace and set the tray down beside the spread of documents, his hat sitting to rest nearby. "This is the path you wish to take?" he twisted his head so the map was more right…then turned his head back with a scowl as he sought her out in the room. "This is headed for Salazen Grum!"
Alice descended gracefully to the floor, taking the tray and setting it on two pillows, creating a table where there was none. She'd been using pillows to sit upon while working and now felt the incredible irony of the moment. Traveler's tales spread rumor that the Chinese ate while sitting on the floor, scandalizing the English elite and tickling Alice's mind with the idea of spreading her father's ideas to China…just to see if it were true! There was only a moment of regret in her, the feeling soothed by the knowledge that in Underland, there was infinitely more potential…more so than Overland could ever dream to offer. "Yes, Salazen Grum."
He waited while she poured tea but when she didn't offer anything further he growled. "Into the belly o'that bloody place yet again?! Did yu no' have enough last time?!"
Laughter. Alice was warmed from head to toe that he was so concerned for her to be upset enough that his brogue would come out. "Oh my dear Hatter, please relax. Have some tea, it is a fine brew you've made." Her eyes sparkled as she sipped. He did as instructed but was still watching her as though thinking that she had finally slipped to his level of madness. "It is very good, Tarrant."
His lips twisted for a moment before he sighed curtly. "Thank you, m'lady."
One of the cookies disappeared between her lips and a moment passed before she spoke. "My friend, please do not look so worried. The Red Queen is gone and has been in banishment for years now. Scouts have reported back that the Red Fortress is little more than a crumbling ruin."
"Why go back then?" another sip…perhaps it should have steeped for just another moment but he'd been in a hurry. Alice hadn't been seen all morning.
"What it may be now is a crumbling ruin but at one time, Salazen Grum was a thriving port city, which means that it lived on trade and received items from across the Crimson Sea." He regarded her with a frown still, toying with a finger sandwich and no doubt contemplating the odd name for the food. Alice smiled tolerantly and pulled one of the maps over. "Look, being a port town means that they had to have some knowledge of their trading partners, the Captains would have had maps drawn up so that it was not just the sun and stars they sailed by, romantic as the notion might be."
"Sailing is romantic?" he sat up straight and with a strange expression. Perhaps he'd misjudged Alice's ideas of romance. He had been a few years out of the game after all.
She breezed right by that, not willing to go into another "finger sandwich" discussion while she was on a roll. "And while the Captains would map the sea and coasts, surely they would have had someone go into the town and make a map of the city, perhaps even trade to receive a map of the entire foreign realm!" Grinning brilliantly, she turned back towards him. "Don't you see, Tarrant?"
He held the mini-sandwich up before his eyes and then put it down again, giving her an even stranger look. "Alice, of course I can see but I don't understand what that has to do with romantic oceans and a captain's sun and stars or a ship's port map."
Alice smiled but her sigh was one of exasperation. Her fingers threaded though her hair for a moment and she took a long, slow sip of tea, knowing that even as she watched him, Tarrant was trying to figure out her words and getting them muddled inside his head. Some days her thoughts struck perfectly with him and their communication was flawless…and others were like now; more struggle than simpatico. She'd have to point out the connections. "Alright, let me explain then."
"I wish you would…I think even the tea is confused." A vivid eyebrow quirked at the cup of tea, though it was prudently silent.
She arranged the map so it would be clear to them both though it wasn't exactly needed. "Salazem Grum was and still is a port city, there are docks still in good working order there, according to the scouts." He nodded and she continued. "So, if we can rebuild the city back into good working order as well, we can send ships out to begin trading once again." Another pause and nod. She avoided pandering on about the benefits of trade and the potential scenarios should Mirana not absorb Crims into her current kingdom. "The city could also have maps already made of lands across the sea." She paused, filled with excitement about the mere potential of new places. "That means new people, new things to see and do…" she capped it with a sudden thought. "…new fabrics to use, teas to sample, and cakes to taste."
It worked with absurdly positive results. Tarrant grinned broadly and his entire persona brightened, the finger sandwich debacle forgotten. "New teas! Oh this is an excellent idea, Alice! Trade across the sea, growing the kingdom, this is why you are an advisor to the Queen!"
Alice refused to be miffed that he seemed to not understand the implications until tea was brought up. Heaven forbid she ever try to explain something where tea couldn't be factored in! She nibbled on the sandwich he'd released, smiling with the simple happiness that they were on the same page at last. "We only need to hope that Iracebeth didn't make any un-mendable enemies across the waters during her reign."
The thought didn't dim Tarrant's spirits in the slightest. He refilled his tea and nibbled a bit of cheese. "Don't be silly. If they're disagreeable we'll all sit down and exchange teas and cakes and settle the matter before dinner."
When she smiled it was warm and loving. Sometimes the Hatter's logic was utterly charming…if a little naïve. She'd learned enough of politics in Overland to know that such a peaceful resolution was not always possible but this was Underland…anything was possible here with a little belief. "That sounds marvelous."
Her tone made Tarrant look at her, but she was already picking at another mini-sandwich (really, he wouldn't call them finger sandwiches until they had fingers on them otherwise it was just silly!) and not watching him. She looked happy and that made him immeasurably happy as well. "Why not simply go there straightaway? Why travel the long way?"
Soulful eyes blinked and she looked to him in surprise. "Why not? At some point I should like to see this land in full without running for my life and in my proper size." She grinned.
"A good, proper, Alice size!" he laughed.
A sip of tea and she shyly, quietly presented more motive. "I also would enjoy seeing Witzend, I think. I am told it is where you were born."
His joviality dimmed almost immediately but not into anger or depression as she'd feared. It was simply…less. A short-lived and weak smile was presented before he refilled her tea. "I believe I am missing a shirt…not that I am counting each night, mind you, but I have sought to wear it recently and noticed it missing. Where do you suppose a shirt would have run off to?"
A blush stained her cheeks becomingly but she fenced his words. "How do you know it ran? I know shirts sway, they pull, shrink, embrace and drape but I have never seen a shirt run."
His eyes narrowed as he smiled, glad of the distraction. "Oh but of course they do m'lady! You just have to be awfully fast to see them for they move quite quickly for otherwise lame objects. However I happen to know that you possess quite the keen vision and I must default to you for assistance as this particular shirt was in its proper place before the snows began falling."
"Hm…" she hummed and sipped at her tea, regarding him over the rim of the cup, noticing it made his eye color change interestingly…darker, definitely darker. "I don't recall seeing a shirt running unfortunately. Though perhaps it had an accomplice to help sneak it out of your chambers? What might help a shirt escape captivity?"
Another bit of cheese met its end between his teeth while he thought, eyes locked on his sparring partner's. "What indeed…perhaps it was a "who" instead of a "what". I seem to recall that there was an Um walking around a while back."
Alice laughed. A few weeks prior she'd mistaken a slice of upelkuchen for cake and taken a bite before realizing it. Embarrassing didn't quite cut it and she'd locked herself in a pantry until a chef politely, and quickly, retrieved a sip of pishsalver to aid her. "Ah but only briefly and she didn't get very far. Perhaps Mally?"
He blinked, his mind actually considering the possibility despite the fact that he knew exactly who had his shirt. After all, he didn't actually see the shirt leave so Alice might have been innocent of the theft itself…though her blushes hinted otherwise. "But Mally hardly has the space for such a thing in her apartment. Ah…well perhaps it shall return in due time." A quiet sip of tea before he leaned forward conspiratorially, stage-whispering. "Or perhaps it is highly comfortable where it is."
She blushed becomingly, tugging at the shirt lacing. "Perhaps it is."
A broad smile. "You, m'lady, are trouble."
"It is a comfortable shirt!"
Tarrant sat back and considered her with a slight tilt to his head. "Hm…it is a rather fetching color on you, my dear. The fit leaves something to be desired, however." He scooted around the makeshift table and began pulling and tucking at the shirt, grinning roguishly as his proximity made Alice blush. "Something a bit tighter perhaps?"
"Don't you dare, Tarrant Hightopp!" she batted his hands away so the material draped once more. "I happen to enjoy your fit." Her hands clapped over her mouth and she turned a vivid red as her brain processed the words fully a half-second after they left her mouth.
Tarrant howled with laughter, a sheer, mad, giddy sort of laughter that released some of the noise in his mind, made it easier to think clearly. He flopped onto his back beside her, knocking the stack of books over, and grasped his middle as it began to ache.
Alice scowled at him, the blush faded slightly but still quite vivid. "It's not that funny!" He continued to laugh and the beginnings of a smile twitched on her lips, spreading insidiously until it was a full blow grin followed by soft laughter at his breathless amusement. "Come now, Hatter…" she tisked with a smile, twisting and boldly leaning to rest on his chest, holding his face in her hands. The skin was warm and flushed with happiness, his eyes the color of spring grass. Her weight and touch worked to sooth his mad laughter down to chuckles and then just a grin. "What am I going to do with you Mr. Hightopp?"
He raised a brow. "As always, I am ever at your disposal for anything, m'lady Alice."
Another pretty blush warmed her face but her smile was undimmed and her thumbs gently stroked his face. The firelight warmed his skin tones even further and tossed strange highlights into his hair, she took him in with her eyes and sighed softly. "Will you tell me about Witzend some day, Tarrant?" she asked quietly.
Again, the joviality faded and he looked away for a minute, only risking looking back when he'd made up his mind away from her subtly pleading gaze. "Perhaps. It's not a happy story, you know. At least not towards the end."
"I know." Alice leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to his forehead, stroking his cheeks one last time, and touching the cat pin on his lapel with a smile. "Come now, tell me what ideas you have for this journey. I should like to go as prepared as possible."
Tarrant's forehead burned invisibly where her lips had pressed and he felt the loss when her weight left him however he recovered and sat up, taking his position on the other side of the "table" again and refreshing their respective teas while pondering the map. A hundred things ran through his mind while looking at Witzend but he worked at grabbing the bits about the land and not his family…difficult but Alice needed him to do so and, perhaps more importantly, wanted his opinion. He pointed to a spot on the map. "There may be a place we can stop here and refresh if need be though my memory isn't quite what it was you know…"
xxx
Despite her excitement about her plans and a good relationship with the Court, it was taking all her nerve to present them to Mirana. Of course, she'd already spelled out the general gist of it but the Queen, as kind as she was, was no fool and required the full details of Alice's plans. Since Mirana was sponsoring this trip, all that Alice did would be under the banner of Marmoreal and so the Queen needed to ensure that her realm was well-represented and not headed for another war. For just over a year now, Alice had put off the discussion yet the time was here at last. If she wanted to leave on time, she needed the approval within the next few days so that the preparation was done in full.
Since her round with Tarrant, she'd been practicing with the Hatter a couple of evenings a week, their sessions light with jibes and riddles while learning off one another. She was no longer fearing the claymore's reach and was getting very bold in her assaults, which he approved of if his grins were anything to go by. Over the clash of steel, he offered encouragement, saying that her fears of the Queen's disapproval were absurd. The Lady was incredibly welcoming and if she had doubts, she would be willing to listen.
She only prayed he was right.
"For heaven's sake come in already Alice!"
Alice nearly leapt out of her skin, not having noticed that Mirana had pulled open the doors of her office and watched her pace. "Oh! Y-Yes, sorry about that. My mind was elsewhere."
"Surely. The doorknobs say you didn't even hear them offer approval to enter!"
A blush. "No, I didn't."
She followed in, relaxing only slightly since Mirana was smiling. A servant quickly poured tea for them and vacated the room, closing the doors as he left. The Queen took a seat at the small table set out for the visit and indicated the opposite chair, where Alice quickly sat. "Now, you were pacing out there for quite some time without a word…I can only assume that you've finalized all your plans?"
"Indeed I have." she shuffled anxiously, sipping tea to buy time.
Mirana smiled at her company. "No need to be nervous, Alice! Come, tell me what marvelous idea you have come up with now!"
No time like the present. Alice sighed softly and spoke in a rush. "I want to travel to Salazem Grum and rebuild it back into a brilliant port town to trade across the Crimson Sea!" With her pause, she immediately sipped more tea.
"My sister's fortress?" Mirana clarified, receiving a nod in return. "Well…" A nerve-wracking pause. "That certainly was not entirely expected. I remember you wished to travel north but…you wish to rebuild the fortress?"
Alice sat up, reinvigorated and feeling much like her father when he had to present an "impossible" idea. "Perhaps not back into a fortress per say, but certainly I would think the city should be restored. A mere declaration is all it would take, send scouts out with the news that Salasem Grum is being rebuilt as a trade city. The news, especially coming from the scouts of Marmoreal, would bring hope to those who have not yet learned that your sister is no longer in power; they will flock with their own dreams and skills and the city could thrive once more!"
Mirana felt a twinge at the mere passing mention of her sister but set it aside. Iracebeth fully deserved the appointed punishment, as much as it had ached to banish her own blood. "Trading with Crims again would be wonderful. But I sense that is not your sole purpose there."
"Truly, that is the main reason…though my studies have proven that Salazen Grum was once a port trade city…they engaged in trade with places beyond the Crimson Sea! Can you imagine meeting new people and exploring yet another new place not to mention the various wealth it could bring to your realms!" When Mirana's dark eyes flashed at her, Alice quickly amended her statement. "That is, of course, should you decide to take Crims as your own."
The debate over that matter was bitter and ongoing, Mirana severely torn between her advisors and the cold ache of guilt. She had already taken all fame, prestige, wealth, and freedom from her sister, did she dare to take the lands that had been given to her by their parents? She was no closer to an answer now than she had been on Frabjous Day.
Silence settled for a few minutes, broken only by the polite white noise of two women having tea. With a small sigh, touched with regret, Mirana smiled at her friend. "It sounds like quite the venture, Alice. Aerial scouts say the fortress crumbles yet the interior of Salazen Grum is still unknown, are you certain you will not take additional guards?" She cocked her head as another thought struck. "And how long do you plan to be away on this journey? Rebuilding will take some time…"
Elated that her idea hadn't been declined, Alice beamed. "Oh I don't plan on staying, not at first at least! This trip is just to get the lay of the land, get an idea of the work needed, and see the west side of Underland."
"Witzend, yes." Mirana smiled, lips spreading into a wicked grin when Alice blushed. "Did you think I would miss that the majority of your trip has you exploring there?"
Feeling like she might be closing in on a scarlet color, Alice closed her eyes and sighed through a rueful smile. "I had hoped that little detail wouldn't draw suspicion in light of the main goal, yes."
Mirana laughed, such a light and carefree sound that any who heard it felt their spirits lift. Alice's blush eased and she tucked some stubborn strands of blonde hair behind an ear, embarrassed but glad Mirana didn't seem upset by the ulterior motive. "I cannot help my curiosity, m'lady…and I am grateful you do not seem to be rejecting it either."
Her friend grinned and took one of Alice's hands within her own. "I certainly would not deny you your answers, Alice. You chose to stay with us, to learn and live and for that and the hope your staying has brought the people, I am eternally grateful! Have you drawn up lists of provisions yet?"
The pair dawdled until a little past lunch, worrying over the details.
xxx
Winter, he recalled, was his favorite season to hat people. Partially because there was so much business during the season but also because people wished to look festive and that meant he had infinitely more freedom in his designs. That day, however, he was not hatting. He had locked up his workshop and left it to a rather flustered page to handle any incoming orders or new requests. It wasn't for a lack of temperament or creativity or desire...it was more that somehow Mallymkun had been wrangled into babysitting the entire heard of Bayard's pups as well as the Tweedles. How his darling friend ever imagined that she was large enough for these tasks, he wasn't certain but he knew she had much more...well, muchness really. More than people credited her for.
She hopped back and forth from his left and right sides, perching on his knees to monitor the play in the snow or dashing up to his hat to shout ferociously at them when they were getting out of line. Mally did have quite the voice...for a great while it had been one of the few to drag him out of insanity and for her dedication, he would be eternally grateful.
"...be gone long on this trip?"
He startled and blinked, looking at the tail tip twitching at the brim of his hat. "Oh, I am sorry Mally...I seem to have drifted off for a moment there. What did you say?"
The tail disappeared and Mally's head popped over the brim, black eyes regarding him with exasperation. "I asked how long you plan to be gone on this little trip everyone's talking about. Alice's tour."
Grudging friends as they were, Mally and Alice had never fully walked an even line when it came to Tarrant...it was more that they faced off to either side of a line. He sighed at her tone and lifted a brow at her. "Really, Mally. No need to be snippy about it." His expression changed. "Snip...need to get those scissors resharpened, leather has done awful things for them this season..."
Mally smiled and reached down, tapping Tarrant's nose to get him back on track. "Should I go with you?"
"Don't be silly." he chuckled. "Already one of me and two of the knights...goodness Mally, we'll leave the castle defenseless if you came along!"
She took his words as the compliment they were meant to be...anyone else and she'd have started clawing. "If you're sure. You said it yourself, it's a dangerous place still!" Her ears twitched at the sound of a yelp and she flipped upright. "Bennard stop burying your sister!!"
Hatter watched in mild amazement as the sibling pups immediately broke off their fight and resumed normal play, bouncing off the Tweedles and helping to build a large snow-Tweedle. The boys were residents of the palace during winter, at Mirana's insistence. She had taken to them almost as though they were her own and they to her, though they still lived in their treehouse within the woods when the weather was not treacherous. "Come now, you know there is nothing out there more dangerous than me, Mally. I'm sure even the knights will take precautions." He laughed.
Her dark eyes narrowed at him and she flipped over to hang off the hat brim so she might look at him properly. One of her feet snapped out and kicked the tip of his nose. "Hatter! You stop that right now, you hear?!"
Green eyes blinked and Tarrant's expression looked thoroughly chastised and a touch sad. He held up a hand so Mally could stand instead of hang. "You have no hat today. Shall I make you one?"
"No." She glared at him. "We'll be inside after they've run themselves out so it's no concern. And then I'll need to find Alice."
"Oh?" he glanced out at the field, seeing one Tweedle standing atop the other (Dum over Dee he believed) to add the snowball head to the snow-Tweedle. "Do you want to spar with her as well? She may be agreeable if some pishsalver can be found as I'm afraid right now the odds are horribly in your favor, my friend."
It made her smile at last, such a blatant falsehood. "I'm going to stuff one of her ears shut to make sure nothing escapes and then give her specific instructions about how to rebuke you when you get like this!"
Tarrant blinked, then scowled, then giggled, then frowned...his mind unsure of what to make of that information; affectionate yet malignant all the same. His mouth open and closed a few times but the words wouldn't arrange themselves to let him speak and he found he didn't know how to respond in the first place. "Mally...?"
She smiled and shook her head at him, hugging his bandaged thumb. "As long as you always come back, Hatter."
His brow remained a study in confusion and he remained locked in his pose, sitting on the steps, even after Mally left his hand to go bark instructions at her charges. In fact, it was the same pose that Alice found him in when she came looking for him fifteen minutes later and her head cocked to the side as she tried to figure it out. "Life imitating Art?"
"Hm? Oh, Alice!" he jolted back to reality, scrambling to his feet.
Brown eyes regarded him with only mild worry. "Mally said you were out here thinking but that was a while back. I just didn't want you to catch cold."
Tarrant noticed the scarf in her hands and smiled sheepishly. "Ah, a valid concern I suppose. Though I haven't been sick in years. Well..." he frowned thoughtfully. "...not that I can recall anyway."
Cold was certainly the last thing he could have felt when Alice merely smiled and leaned up to wrap the scarf around his neck. His body unconsciously leaned towards her own though her task was completed too soon and she drew back before the motion was fulfilled. Alice's smile remained constant and warm, seemingly unmindful that he was staring. He realized it just a moment too late when Alice blushed and looked away, though she was speaking before he could offer an apology. "Let's head inside, yes? It's only been a week since the Queen's approval and already I think I will tear my hair out from having to get all these provisions set up!"
He fell into setup and offered his own smile, raising a hand to indicate his untamed mane. "You could always tear mine out, it would be a shame to lose yours."
Another blush but his boldness earned him a shy, sweet smile and a squeeze of his hand in her own.
