(I am soooooooooooooooooo touched at your reviews and Is, I have just came home from my nations capital and I am EXHAUSTED, when writing this chapter I was adding MUCH more stuff to the fact that it will be separated into 2 chapters, so I now have this chapter PLUS half another chapter finished. but now we will be introduced to a different trait in Annabella and PLEASE don't think her a Mary Sue after this, it will be explained in the story here's a hint to it, the Cheshire Cat is the one that explains it. Plus we finally will understand why Alice is so upset. sort of)
Chapter 3: Need Of An Explanation
There it was again, that awkward silence that covered the tea-table, and Annabella hated it. She looked to her right at the empty seat of where her father was a mere moments ago, then turned to Lily. Anna could almost feel the specks of light orange that was showing in her eyes because she couldn't help but feel upset towards Lily. She remembered the look of sadness in her mother's eyes as her own went from orange specks to light indigo specks of confusion mixing into the green. When she looked at Lily, Lily did not meet her eyes but to the ground in shame, that was what extinguished the little flicker of anger that turned into concerned confusion. "Lily didn't mean to do it" Anna thought, "but then again what did she do anyway".
Though only 12, Annabella Hightopp was very smart for her age and knew that asking anyone here, whether they knew or not, would only result in Miroana saying simply that it was none of their business and Anna knew that asking to be excused for whatever reason would end up causing suspicion and an escort to go with her to make sure she didn't poke her nose where it didn't belong. Remember, Underland was ruled by a beautiful, kind, but certainly NOT stupid queen. Anna would need a well thought out plan and she may have found it.
"Well" said the March Hare, "That happened".
After another few moments, Annabella started by saying, "please pass the teapot". Chess took the teapot, evaporated, then reappeared towards Anna while pouring the brown, steamy liquid into her clean cup. The cat went back to his seat as Anna thanked him and begin to set her plan in motion, as she reached for the cup she only needed to move her arm a little more forcefully to the left and…..
"HOT, HOT, HOT, HOT TEA, HOT TEA" screeched Lily about the tea stain covering most of her once white bodice.
"OH MY TOP HAT LILY I'M SO SORRY", said her friend, "Let me take you to my room to help get you cleaned up", Anna started to take the princess's hand.
Mirwana began to speak, "Oh dear, I will call for a maid and then…"
"OH NO god-mother, this was my fault, I should get the stain out on my own and plus I think I have just the solution to fix this in my bathroom"
"But", the queen began.
But before she could say another word Annabella grabbed Lily's hand a ran down the hall, saying "quick, before it sets in".
Lily's POV
Lily was many things, a princess, a god sister, gullible, naive, but also very forgiving, it wasn't Anna's fault the tea spilled and by this time the stinging was starting to ease, and even if her friend did it on purpose, she still wouldn't blame her, she made her friend's mother almost cry and run away.
But as Lily was thinking this she began to notice that she and Annabella were walking much more slowly and softly and that they did not seem to be heading towards Annabella's room.
"Uh Anna, where are we going"
Annabella's POV
"Curse these shoes", Anna thought, "if I had my flats, I could go a lot faster". Annabella wanted to run so badly, but these heeled shoes across the pale marble floor would surely be heard across the castle. With Lily shrugging behind her, the red-headed girl had finally reached the hall where her parents room was. "Uh Anna, where are we going"? "Shh, I'm listening.
"But why are we here" Annabella was starting to get frustrated with her friend as her eyes began to turn orange "So I can hear what my mother is upset about after you made her cry" Anna hissed. "I didn't mean to" whispered a small Lily choking back a sob. This made Annabella come back to her senses because although she knew she couldn't blame Lily, just the look in her mother's eyes said something was wrong and it felt like fate was doing everything in it's power to keep Annabella from reaching her goal. It was really frustrating, Anna began to wish she lived in a time in Underland where eavesdropping wasn't so difficult.
"I'm sorry Lily, I know it's not your fault but either way something has mummy upset and I need to find out what it is".
Lily nodded, though only 10, Lily was told and remembered that a Hightopps' emotions could be altered drastically so she was to show more patience with Annabella but emotion breaks were rare and spiteful words were usually the worst Anna could get.
Lily gave a sweet smile "Oh Anna I understand, this is something you need to worry about and I…."
"Shhhhh, were here"
It was true the pair of girls were just outside the royal hatter's and the champions door at the end of the hall beside a large window with thick, white, velvet curtains opened to bring in the morning sunlight.
"Wait here" whispered Anna as she began to tiptoe to the crack in the door and listened, she heard a voice, a soft, gentle, feminine voice, the voice of her mother.
"Don't worry about it, i'm sure it will go away, I just a little home sick"
"Home sick ?" Anna thought, "I think our home is quite nice, what's there to be sick about, sure it's a little plain with one color, but Underland is full of colors, maybe tea would have been better at Thackery's, windmill."
The red-head listened more closely and thought she heard a sigh then the voice of her father.
"If your alright Alice, are you ready to go back, I mean if you want?"
"Sure, and by the way I believe Annabella has a gift in riddle's"
The hatter chuckled, "Well she learned from the best"
"Oh really, who, someone we've met"
Anna tried to hold back the laugh as she could practically picture the smirk on her mummy's face and the annoyed frown on her father's. But held back giggles and giant smiles were soon replaced with wide eyes full of fear as she started to hear footsteps coming towards the door. The 9-year-old dashed to behind the curtain as the footsteps got louder and louder so did her heart so much that Annabella feared she would be caught but her heart slowed down as the footsteps became fainter. After another few moments Annabella peered from behind the curtain seeing that the close was clear she went towards the other curtain towards Lily.
"Hey Lily it's safe to come out now"
Lily cautiously came out from behind her curtain. "Oh good, did you find your answer"
Annabella looked down to her feet, "I don't know, I might have". She then realised something and grabbed Lily's hand. "Come on, they'll be expecting us soon".
Halfway down the hall Lily remembered something herself and with as much strength she could muster, stopped Annabella.
"Come on Lily, we have to hurry"
Lily sighed and put Anna's hand to her bodice, "are we not forgetting something".
Her friends eyes widened, "oh no, how are we going to get THAT out"
"Well we could always, you know…." Lily began.
Anna's eyes filled once again with fear, "oh no, there's got to be another way, we could…., no, or we could…., no" Though she so did not want to, Annabella knew what needed to be done, she sighed, "alright, just hold still".
Chess's POV
It had only been a few moments ago that the youngest Hightopp left with a distressed princess to "supposidley" get out a stain that Annabella "accidently" caused. Chess knew the White Queen was no fool and supposed she was trying to deny herself that her god-daughter would soon find out the truth, the truth about her mother, the truth about her family, and the truth about her powers.
Poor Mirwana was trying to smooth out the silence with small talk, luckily McTwisp was hopping by, earning him a seat with everyone else giving a new topic for the Queen to discuss with everyone till the Hightopp family and her daughter returned. Chess decided to stay within his thoughts till they returned most directly on Annabella. Chess couldn't help but give a small and give an almost silent chuckle when thinking about the stunt she pulled, she definitely had her mother's quick wit and nose for trouble, it was only a matter of time before the truth came out. The grinning cat remembered a day he was taking a stroll through the gardens till he heard little 5-year-old Annabella talking with her mother, being the mischievous cat that he is, he made himself invisible and listened, after all, it might be something important right.
There on the bench was the small child that looked straight up towards her mother's eyes and spoke.
"Mummy, why am I like this?"
Alice smiled, "because your special sweetheart".
Chess remembered that day, because it was one of the few days he frowned, for Alice to make such a cheap excuse was shameful, they all knew the child deserved the truth and they all knew that it was wrong to lie to her, but it hurt Chess most of all because he didn't just know about her talent, he understood it.
Compared to the world above, Underland could very well be deemed magical and you weren't half wrong. In Underland magic does exist but it can only be obtained, only the rarest few were ever born with their abilities, Chess was one of them. As a kitten, Chess remembered wanting to hear the story plenty of times, when his parents met, for they were the key to his powers.
(So much to explain and so little time, after this chapter I could guess the number one question is WHAT, I know this needs to be explained, but that's the great thing about a cliff hanger, keeping the reader guessing, now if you will excuse me, I need to help Thack paint the toast red, and just in case of copyright blah blah I DO NOT OWN ALICE IN WONDERLAND ALL CREDIT GOES TO LEWIS CARROL AND TIM BURTON I ONLY OWN ANNABELLA.)
