The first day back in Underland had exhausted her. Between the trip to get here, the worry she held, and the Hatter's seizure, it seemed all of young woman's reserves were spent. Warm sunlight drifting in through the windows to fall in a golden wash across them didn't stir her. When Mirana came to check on them, she didn't even frown at the sound of her heels clicking on the marble floor. The racket of a silver setting or the alluring smell of food and tea from it, didn't cause a twitch of her small button nose. No it seemed nothing could touch Alice in the recuperative trance she was in.
Nothing that is except for the man she had her head laying on moving. It wasn't a jerk, or even a startle. All he did was stretch slightly, when he did so his spine torqued and jostled her just the slightest bit. Her blue eyes flew open and she lifted up to watch him. Something was different about him but it was so small a change she couldn't even tell you what it was. He had moved, and somehow in some tiny way he looked better. A tightening in her chest she hadn't knows was there previously loosened just a little now. Allowing her to draw in nearly full breaths, instead of stunted inspirations somewhere close to pants. Like a weight lightened just enough she could stand it, but she was far from deep satisfied intakes.
Now that she was awake she could smell the alluring fragrance of hot tea, scrambled eggs and bacon. She sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes, pulling her tangle of wavy blond hair out of the way of her vision. Grace forgotten in the waking moments, though not her care for her patient, she clamored over top of him to slide off the bed. Her stomach growled at the promise of food, but she ignored it to pour a cup of tea and try to coax the hatter into taking it in. Gaining her previous place on the opposite side of the bed from the food she lifted his head into her lap to prop him up and dripped a couple warm drops of tea on to his dark lips. The amber liquid slid across the skin causing them to shine, Alice was entranced watching, then the lips opened slowly giving the drops an entrance to his mouth. Alice poured carefully allowing the liquid to flow down the side of his cheek and whispered words of approval into his ear as he swallowed. Getting something into him to cut the poison was a very good idea she thought.
The second visit from the queen came at this time. Moving stealthily in case they were still asleep, she was able to watch for a moment at the delicate care the young woman took in everything she did for the Hatter. She spilled small sips of tea into his mouth and waited patiently for every swallow. She would try occasionally to tame an unruly curly red lock of hair. Every motion was calm and sure, and inspiration took hold of the queen. If Alice was going to stay she would need a place in the kingdom, a role. Mirana decided then that she would train Alice as a healer and potionier, her apprentice of sorts. Keeping the girl close and increasing the chances of future events staying in hand.
Walking with the clicking clack of her heels she strode into the room, drawing Alice's attention from her ministrations. "It's good to see you awake. Why don't you take some time to attend to yourself and let us get him cleaned up." The girls blue eyes shifted between the queen and the hatter.
"I don't want to leave him till he's better." She said softly looking at the queen.
"That is easy to see. I'll make you a deal Alice, go take care of yourself, promise to keep doing so and I'll teach you everything I know about healing people."
Alice's eyes widened. In all honesty she wasn't concerned about helping anyone other then the man who's head rested in her lap. The dark part of her stirred in her mind mocking how all the queen's knowledge had done little for him so far. Shaking the thought from her head she nodded. Skills such as Mirana's where to be valued and she had kept him alive with no knowledge what was causing this for some time now.
Nodding her head she slowly moved his head back to the pillow and got off the bed. Walking up to the queen Alice felt her muchness flair around her and she looked the other woman squally in the eyes. "I'll agree, but you will have to teach me here. I'll only leave his side when necessary." The queen met the stare with soft brown eyes, trying to convey a message that it wasn't time for. For the first time since meeting the White Queen, a nagging sensation started in the back of Alice's mind. Something was not right in this castle, maybe in all of Underland. And it seemed that the man in the bed was there because of it. Eyes narrowed slightly, and now a steely blue, she watched as the queen's eyes averted and she went to tend to that poor soul. Turning to leave for her own room and make herself presentable Alice wondered just what was going on in Wonderland.
When she entered the neighboring quarters that were now hers she felt alone. The room was stark and unlived in, with the typical Marmoreal colors that felt cool and lifeless after leaving 'his' rooms. They were no longer innocent and elegant to her. Walking in front of the dressing table, a sad looking creature passed the mirror as she did. Caught off guard Alice walked back to confront the reflection. She looked every bit as worn as she had the last time she measured her appearance and then some. Worry and suspicion pulled her brows up and decorated her expression with a crease. Typically vivid blue eyes, were now icy and hard, was that from the lack of color around her, or the turmoil inside her? Her hair was in such disarray she wondered how she could ever tame it and attempted to rake her fingers through it trying to pull it into a pony tail, and wincing as snag her fingers met.
"You look an absolute mess." the reflected lips seemed to say the words as much as her own. She couldn't have all of Underland seeing her looking like this, and she wouldn't have him waking up to see this image either. She found the bathroom expansive and sterile looking, but the warm water that came out of the faucet was like heaven. It caressed her aching muscles, letting them un-nit, and brought the pink color back out in her skin. The collection of cuts and scrapes from her mad dash through the woods with Mctwisp and Absolem all stung wickedly. She accepted every one as yet another payment of penance to her sins upon this realm. They called her the champion and hero, but it seemed that killing the Jabberwocky was nothing now. She had saved them from their fears but what had caused such a change in everyone?
Getting out of the tub she grabbed a large fluffy white towel that smelled of lavender from the linen bar and wrapped around her figure, and just in the nick of time...Or not. Cheshire materialized floating above the vanity watching her.
"Would it hurt you at all to announce yourself? How long have you been here?"
The mysterious cat's toothy grin took on a evil glint as he spoke. "Longer then you would like, not nearly as long as I would. But that is neither here nor their Alice." He caressed her name in a verbal way making her glare at him disdainfully. "Don't worry my dear, I have no doubt in your power to bring Tarrant..."he paused for the slightest moment to watch her." back into himself, and I don't wish for him to be aiming to create another smile for me." he drew a finger across his throat in a very 'off with his head' fashion.
Tired of his frivolity at her expense she waved her hand at the floating cat and started to pull a silver hair comb through her wet tresses. He floated behind her in a barrel roll to her other side. "We have matters to discuss, and we need to do so soon." his grin was stunted as he said that and she cut her eyes over to him.
"I thought you made it a point never to get into politics." She stated his quote but with a question lilting to her voice.
"It won't be the first time I allowed myself to be drug into you affairs will it? I stood with you all at the battle." Anger didn't taint the words, he was just speaking truth.
"That is a fact. How is it you are so well informed now though?"
He melted into the bathroom and hazed into being over the mirror. "I'm not well informed on matters that concern you most but while I may not know the how I know the who."
Gaining her feet Alice toppled the chair to grasp at him, but missed as her fingers caught only mist. "Chess Please!"
When next she spied him he was floating quite out of reach. "I'll keep the information until you are ready for it. You have to focus on your current job before you go rushing off for revenge. You figure out the How and I'll give you the Who, no questions or riddles asked." He vanished for the last time now, she felt a cool brush across her cheek and held her hand to it but she would never be completely sure if she had imagined it or not.
Frustration and anger seized Alice and in a blind rage she hurled the silver comb at a wall where it crashed horrifically against the marble. Why was everything and everyone so infuriating to her today? Lack of sleep didn't seem like a suitable answer to that question. A growl nearing vocalization she stalked back into the bedroom to see that her trousers and other clothing had been collected, more then likely for the wash. Opening the wardrobe hopefully, her eyes were met with every color blue one could imagine in dresses of the most beautiful design. She ran soft fingers across them all feeling the lush fabrics and smiling. They were in fact beautiful and none of them looked like something to wear everyday, and nothing as comfortable as her trouser and vest. With a small grudge at returning to the proper she pulled a dress out of the back, much like what she had worn years ago upon her second visit to Underland. It was that same muted blue and it had simple lines and no over the top accents. As she held it she suddenly realized why the blue in quarters next to her was so familiar and the so familiar ache now living where her heart should be gave a particularly large twist.
The dress slipped on soft against her skin and it fit perfectly, as if someone had her there to size it...She didn't want to wonder at who had created it, but it was so lovely she even attempted to trap her hair in a fancy bun with ringlets. It would fall into disarray surely but the attempt to find the familiar in the reflection was necessary.
When she walked back into 'his' rooms she moved slowly, taking it all in and trying to find where everything was. toward the back room she saw a tea stand up against the wall. It had, and this shocked her, a lovely and MATCHING service set of china. White with little blue flowers on it that flowed in elegant patterns so lovely she had to pick up a cup and look closer at the intricate vines and leaves surrounding the flowers. Setting it down she found canisters with varying types of tea, sugar cubes, and a collection of silver. On the far side of the little table was a flowering plant with a mortar and pestle next to it. Frowning in confusion she picked up the stone basin and felt the bottom with a finger that came back with white powder.
"Mirana?" Her voice carried into the next room, a small bit of urgency in it hurrying the other woman's flowing steps.
Coming upon Alice holding the grinding instruments the fair lady frowned slightly. "What is so important about a simple mortar and pestle to make you sound so severe?"
Alice turned and offered the bowl to the more knowledgeable woman. "there is a white powder in the bottom of this...and it's right here with a tea set. Why?"
The queen took the bowl and sniffed carefully at it. A sweet fragrance wafted up to her, that of flowers. "He must use this to grind fresh ingredients for tea. He is quite found of it you know."
Irritation pushed Alice to nearly roll her eyes at the queen's so obvious statement. "Do you think he may have used this plant here then?" She touched the delicate petals of the bell shaped blooms that tumbled down upon each other on it's stem.
The queen looked at the petals, they were a light purple but when dried they could have produced a white powder after grinding. "Perhaps. This is his personal tea set, maybe he was making a tea with some special purpose..." She frowned as the blond girl grabbed up the pot and looked inside. It hadn't been washed but it was empty but for a dark stain. It hadn't been used in some days then. Frowning to each other they looked to the plant.
"Do you know what it is?" The question hung thick in the air as Mirana thought.
"It isn't a typical plant found in Underland, but it could be from Witzend, where the Hatter hails from."
Brown and blue eyes looked at each other.
"You don't think this is what's poisoned him do you?" The queen asked.