A/N: New chapter, hurray! I update this a lot, hmm... ponders... Eh. I'm impatient.
Disclaimer: I don't own Alice in Wonderland (2010) rub it in why don't cha!
Warning: contains; femmeslash, suggestive themes and situations, violence, partial nudity, and very disgruntled rabbit.
Rain Under the Gardens
"Tarrant, do you love her majesty?" Alice asked, looking distressed, "As more then a friend of many years?"
"Yes, in fact..." Tarrant began, watching the edgy Alice wandering toward him, "I think of her as a sister of sorts."
"But-but," Alice let out as she came to stop beside him, taking a seat, her eyes looking even more more then before.
"Thinking is a dangerous game-would you like some tea?" Hatter asked brightly, pulling out a teapot from inside of a hat he'd been working on, normally that would garner at least a smile from Alice-it had the day before-today it was barely acknowledged.
"Is it possible for a woman to love another woman-as more then friends?" Alice asked, looking up from fiddling with her fingers to find Tarrant pouring tea into a cup, he held it out toward her, "No thank you."
"It's possible," Tarrant replied dully as he poured himself a cup of tea, "Are you sure you don't want any?"
"Yes, I'm sure I don't want any tea," Alice replied shakily as she felt a weight settle on her shoulders.
"A woman... Tell me Alice, does your heart flutter when they're near you?" Chessur asked, purring into her ear all the while as she nodded yes, "Do you shiver when they happen to touch your hand or skin?" Another nod yes from Alice, "Do they wrench you from your thoughts with their mere presence?" Yet another nod came from Alice as she remembered the morning before when Mirana had woken her from thought so easily.
"Is every moment spent with them like a thousand spent making hats?" Tarrant asked, a slightly worried look in his mad eyes as he sipped his tea.
"Yes," Alice replied, understanding what Tarrant meant but not quiet grasping where the conversation was heading.
"Oh dear," Tarrant replied, setting his tea down, looking at Chessur, "It's worse then we thought."
"Your in love Alice," Chessur began with a light laugh to his voice, his tail brushing up against Alice's cheek.
"You really are insane," Alice mummered after a few seconds, "I am not in love!"
"With the white queen no less," Chessur continued absently from where he was floating above them, "It's rather obvious actually-you'd have to be half mad not to notice!"
"I am not in love!" Alice replied, more firmly then before though she knew what she said was untrue, "It's impossible."
"Impossible," Tarrant hissed at the word, he quickly jumped up to stand upon his work table, "You once thought it was impossible to slay the Jabberwocky-but you did!"
"We're talking about Mirana! Even if I did love her, which I'm not saying I do, then who's to say she would love me back? Why would she?" Alice asked, anger tinting her voice before despair, "I'm just-just Alice! And she's a queen! How could she-why would she-ever love me?"
"Love is a complicated thing Alice," Chessur mused, his grin growing ever wider, "Just like her majesty. You won't know until you ask."
"It would be fine if I love her, right Hatter?" Alice asked, her brow knit, hope fluttering in her eyes needing reassurance from her dear friend.
"This is Underland at peace! Everything is fez and bonnet!" Hatter replied wildly as he sat back down and went back to sipping his tea.
Alice simply stared at him, then she looked up at Chess-who was disappearing-thinking her troublesome thoughts. Her mouth felt dry but her hands were shaking too much to even have a hope of grasping the tea cup before her for long enough to sip. She thought it over for a minute or two. If it was possible for a woman to love another woman, and nothing was impossible in Underland, then she needed to tell Mirana how she felt-even if her affections were unreturned. Her heart soared for a moment before it fluttered to a stop at the thought, what if Mirana didn't feel the same way about her? Would it be worth it? It would. The simple answer rang clear as a bell, throughout her mind.
"Thank you for the tea and chat," Alice said to Hatter as she stood, "Regrettably, I have to leave."
"Don't be late for supper," Hatter replied as Alice hurried to the door and left.
Felix stared out the library window, watching the queen as storm clouds crossed the distant horizon. He was not supposed to be in the library, any of the other two in the castle yes, but not this one. It was Mirana's private library and none were allowed in it without her permission. Yet Felix had found it a simple task to enter the small room, all he had to do was take care of the guards and that was a task any could accomplish with the proper training.
The simple answer as to why Mirana's library was guarded was for this library contained the books of dominion, powerful things-those books-as well as several other books of lesser importance including one entailing all of her many vows. Felix had come in search of the four books of dominion, needing only the darker volumes. After entering the library he found that a simple task. The books were in plain sight, each contained in their own case, each case blackened and sealed with strong magic-not strong enough to keep him out however. It seemed Mirana was too afraid to place a stronger seal on the cases, pitiful.
Finding what he desired in the books was a tougher challenge, but easily done and when he had what he wanted he wrote it down and stuck it in his pocket for safe keeping. Then he replaced the books to their previous locations, not even bothering to close the cases-it wouldn't matter, his plan would come to fruit before any were any the wiser to his true nature. Finished watching the white queen, and gathering what he needed, Felix left the library satisfied that soon to pass events would simplify his take over. Unknown to him, Mallymkun had seen him exit the library and fetched Hatter to help her wake the guards and examine the situation.
Mirana heard thunder rolling in the distance and watched as several small storm clouds forwarded the noise. She excused herself from her conversation with one of the trees and began to head toward the castle and shelter. There hadn't been any rain bearing clouds in the sky earlier, but she supposed that strong winds had brought them in quickly. Her hands pulled up the hem of her dress. Her feet pattered gently against the rain anticipating ground beneath her, as she ran. Mirana watched when drops of rain began to hit the ground upon her entering the castle gardens. The expanse of the gardens was far reaching and she knew that the rain would only pick up speed, and so she sought shelter under the boughs of a weepy looking tree. The tree, thankfully, was very happy to help her and kindly sheltered her from the rain with it's branches and leaves. As it was Mirana was still dampened and chilled, but grateful. She stiffened as she heard someone calling her name, she looked and saw her champion running through the rain sieged gardens in search of her.
"Alice!" Mirana called out from under a tree, she beckoned to the woman as the branches of the tree parted, "Step quickly-you'll catch cold!"
"Mirana! The entire castle has been looking for you!" Alice stated rather quickly as she stood before the white queen, rubbing her wet arms in hopes of keeping the shivers at bay, "What're you doing out here?"
"You're shivering dear!" Mirana exclaimed, finding herself unable to resist the urge to pull her champion into a tight embrace, not caring if she got wet, "I was out speaking to the trees, what you're doing out here is what I'd like to know."
"Looking for you," Alice replied breathily, finding herself returning the queens embrace, her arms wrapping around the other woman's waist, her mind turning to mush, "I-I..."
"What is it Alice?" Mirana asked, breathing in the girl's scent and memorizing the way Alice's blue, blue dress fell over her form, her heart fluttering with anticipation as she bottled her urges and hope.
"The rain's stopping," Alice replied in a choke, unable to say what she'd wanted.
"Oh," Mirana replied, mildly disappointed, pulling away and looking out from under the branches, "You're right. Come, let's get you out of those clothes-before you do catch a cold."
Alice nodded, a fierce crimson blush coming to her face, causing Mirana to smile lightly as she contained a laugh. The two stepped out from under the tree, walking side by side as they had earlier on in the day, both soaked to varying degrees and chilled by the rough winds which had seemed so gentle earlier. Their argument of earlier completely forgotten for the moment. Little snippets of chat passed between them on the lengthy walk to the nearest entrance, mainly the two talked of the bizarre weather turn of weather. With the rain clouds retreating into the distance, the setting sun was soon to show in all it's glory. Bring light, color and heat to the chilled gardens and it's wanderers. None suspected the storm following the setting sun's last rays.
Fake Author: This is boring! Can't they just kiss already?
Author: Can it you! You wanted me beheaded! This is more supposed to be fluff then a hardcore make-out session between Mirana and Alice, filled with sweet nothings and, er, other stuff! Also, thanks to everyone who's reviewed! Your encouragement is kind, and it's nice to know that people actually want to read more of this. Unfortunately I don't know when the next update will be, but it will probably be sometime early next week.
