After returning to the upper world Alice could find no rest, her father's old partner took her on as a apprentice. She learned of trade and diplomacy she was courted by boys and men alike. they found her utterly charming but unattainable more than one said that in her heart she must be made of ice and she looked at them and countered with
"no sir it is not, it is a pale queen far away. You can't hope to capture it."
She spoke the words and knew it was still true, her heart was the queens and would remain so for all her life. As her families demands on her to marry became stronger she knew with certainty that she could not. Some girls caught her eye but as she could not act upon it she felt doomed to a life alone waiting for her queen to call her. She decided to leave so she went on board one of the ships to the far east. Alice entered the cabin of the ship and Alec exited. gone were the long hair and dresses now she looked like a young gentleman and presented herself as her brother Alec Kingsley. She sat up a trade post in china and filled her life with work and pretended to be happy.
"Mr. Kingsley may I present my daughter lady Worthington!" one of Alecs business partners had said one day and as Alice turned to face the young lady her eyes grew large. Lady Worthington was a tall, pale woman with pronounced makeup so like Mirana that Alice lost her breath.
"Hello Mr. Kingsley! I have so been looking forward to meeting you. Tell me why are your eyes so sad? a whole legion of girls are wondering you know.." as she spoke Alice realized that she might look like Mirana but she was nothing like her. The mask named Alec slipped into place and
"I am happy to meet you as well my lady although your father has kept you a secret so I know nothing of you!" She flirted with the woman who so resembled her queen.
"as for sad eyes I don't know I am utterly happy to have met you!" a trilling laughter came from the lady as she grabbed Alecs arm.
"let go for a walk and you can tell me more about how much you like to get to know me better!" The lady said with a bright smile.
Alice found that she enjoyed the company of Lady Sara Worthington and as time passed they grew close and most of the colony in Hong Kong thought that there was but a question of time until the union between Lady Worthington and Lord Kingsley would be announced.