A/N: so here we are.. For the few of you who are actually reading this I'd like to get some feedback. Such as: How would you like to see this story end? Which direction would you like it to go form here?

I have a lot of ideas bubbling and a lot of different endings/events. Though I'd like to see what you'd like to see.

The last bit of starlight was just dieing off when horse hooves stormed the gate. Stayne dismounted his steed quickly, feeling quite satisfied with himself. The knowledge that he would soon have to explain why he returned without the vorpal sword, or with Alice's head to the queen couldn't even knock him from his high. He had laid with a beautiful, important woman. No amount of bitch-slapping could hurt him. However, suspicion of his loyalty from his mistress would greatly muddy things. She was all ready unsure of this, and he wished to not push her more in that direction.

Laying in her very large bed was Iracebeth. Even in her sleep she was grinning something awful. Her dreams were filled with the sure victory tomorrow morning would bring. Frabjous day was but two mornings away, and she had complete and total confidence in her advisers ability to apprehend the damned blond and return the vorpal sword to her. These expectations put her in the most foul of moods when Ilosovic Stayne woke her from her slumber to inform her that none of this had been accomplished.

"So. Let me get this straight: You tracked her into the woods, but they were all ready in Mamoreal?"

Stayne nodded, keeping the most remorseful expression on his weathered face as he knelt before the pajamad Queen.

"It never occurred to you: "Well, mayb-"

"I scouted the palace, I assessed it's weaknesses.. my Queen." He tacked the last on quickly, it had the desired effect. Iracebeth held Ilosovics face in her tiny hands and motioned him to stand. He complied, now forced to look down at her huge head. She went to a small tea table near the balcony, claiming a seat and sighing.

"What did you discover?" she asked him finally while eyeing the contents of her tiny gold box.

"It's seemingly secure, though I did receive inside knowledge from the help." Iracebeth raised a brow at this. Anyone else who dared to move a piece from it's spot on the board without her consent would have been beheaded, but not Stayne. Her Stayne. Indeed he had happened upon some maids wandering the outer garden before his departure. A girl by the name of Agatha. She was a linens changer, and part time cook. According to her: she was very much trusted by both the court and her fellow servants. In their brief meeting with the Knave, they had divulged a major weakness in the palace structure. To which he further explained to the Red Queen. "The south garden, vines hidden behind the rose bushes have crushed the walls to almost complete rubble. It would only take one blow for the whole thing to come crashing down." She seemed unconvinced. "I had a look at it myself, and I assure you.. just one blow."

This seemed to satisfy her. Rising from her place at the table, she quickly went to Stayne and wrapped her tiny arms around his lanky form. He fought back a scowl and placed one awkward hand on her shoulder.

"Prepare the troops, Stayne. We march at noon." And with that, he was dismissed.

Ilosovic smoothed his hair with a very long exhaling of breath held in for far too long. That went better than expected, and not bad tactical planning on her part. Mirana expected a fair fight, how naive of her. They would strike early, as they prepared to go over the hump of the day. They may appear to have all the cards, but the element of surprise was key and swayed the odds into the Red. As ordered, Stayne would march himself down to the barracks and rouse the troops.


Tarrant was awakened by gently rays of light peeping through a crack in the closed drapes. As he was about to almost seizure out of bed did he realize there was a sleeping form curled into his chest. Memories of the previous night washed back into his mind as the tide of consciousness came back to him. He blushed. The form fidgeted, Alice's eyes opening slowly to meet the hatters.

"Good morning, Alice." His voice almost cracked, a hand brushing a stray hair away from her cheek as she fought back the urge to fall back asleep. Propping herself on an elbow she surveyed the room. Half of the bed was off the frame, the sheets were all but torn to shreds, and.. where were the pillows? She began to laugh.

Tarrant gave her a good tilt of his head but resumed his task of getting up. With the sudden loss of warmth, Alice pulled what little there was of the blanket around her little body and followed suit.

An easy task finding his clothes, somewhat piled together on the side of the bed with the sideways mattress. For Alice, the wardrobe provided for her was vast and she found it an impossible task to pick just one.

"I like that one.." Tarrant spoke from behind her, reaching over and pulling on the sleeve of a light blue dress. Taking it off of the hanger, she laid it over her body and modeled it in the mirror. It hung flat, and modestly ending about mid calf. With the waist tied in by a slim shiny ribbon in the back. A small coo escaped her as she slipped it on. The fabric felt luxurious against her skin. "It compliments your shape." Alice blushed.

It wasn't long after did the pair emerge from their room. Around a large table were the suspected key players including Absolum, whose eyes were locked on Alice. She felt very uneasy under his tiny gaze.

The table was set up oddly for breakfast. The plates lay barren and the cups unfilled, and the air in the room was stale with a very heavy sense of seriousness. Tarrant held out a seat for Alice before taking his own beside her. Chess arched a brow but said nothing. The group sat in silence. Alice grew more and more uncomfortable as all eyes laid on her. Specifically the tiny eyes of Absolum, who perched himself on a tiny seat of his own.

Chess warped himself by the young womans side, whispering into her eat in his regal voice, "Calm, my dear. The news is not terribly bad." Though he couldn't have been more wrong in Alice's view.

Mirana had that old scroll rolled up in front of her, she was motherly in the way she spoke to Alice.

"It appears.. there will be a new face in Underland." Her finger traced the tipped edges of the Oraculum. The blond furrowed her brow in confusion as did the Tarrant. Apparently the troupe had been briefed on the situation for they showed nothing but understanding. The March Hare's expression was almost gleeful, however, as she sipped at his empty tea cup.

"With child! Early morning, needs more sugar.." Clearly now more concerned with his unsweetened imaginary beverage, he tossed his cup aside and brought his paws out in front of him on the table. A maid was quick to clean it up.

Alice's hands went to her stomach then, shocked beyond all comprehension. Tarrant's sent shocked expressions at his comrades, all giving him the same reassuring gaze. Such an alarming wake-up call, and so soon too. He almost bubbled with mad joy. His eyes that same pink tone, glowing over his Alice. His Alice who was looking almost horrified at her lower torso. A worn and battered hand grasped her shoulder tightly, a bright face kissing her on her parted lips.

"Oh Alice! A mother? Our child!" This came about so quickly and he could scarcely contain himself. Even Chess' calming palm could not ease him blooming frame.

"It's not yours.." he purred into the Hatters ear. He drooped.

"Yes, yes I'm afraid it's not." McTwisp added, fiddling with a spoon on the setup in front of him. Aligning it again and again with his knife and fork. Tarrant continued to wilt as he retreated back into his ornate seat. His brows furrowed in confusion before realization dawned on him, and he understood the others dismay. This truth had dawned on Alice before him, and the memory of Stayne's cock in her womb brought her to a horrified state. The girl tried to stand to leave this get-together of horrors when Mirana sat her back down. Alice resisted against the delicate queens hands, but her stern expression made her sink back down into the cushion. The White Queen then went to sit opposite Alice, her eyes both comforting and filled with malice. It was a strange feeling to be the center of this sort of attention. Mirana was clearly frustrated with her.

Mallymkin, who was often to mean spirited towards the blond, placed a tiny paw on her trembling hand. Alice's lips were parted slightly, her eyes locked at her own battered hands. The small warmth of the dormouse's hand was little to bring her back from her far off place.

Tarrant's eyes grew dark with rage. He abruptly stood, causing his chair to fall backwards a good distance from him. Mally ran after the Hatter as he stormed from the room.

"I knew he would react this way." McTwisp was curled deep into his chair, put on edge by the sudden outburst. Mirana sent him a waning glance and he said no more. Chess sat in his chair with a solemn expression, fingering his plate.

"He, nor anyone outside this room has to know." he offered.

Alice nodded before getting up like a phantom and she too left the room.

Mirana sighed deeply, "I'm not in the mood for breakfast anymore." She said finally. Her plate was pushed aside and she said in silence. Others soon began to leave until only the queen and Chess were left.

"How could he do this."

"I do not think he meant this to harm you, my queen." Mirana became quite still. Her eyes almost burning into the cat. Chess' ears flattened as he became quit frightened. The storm passed quickly, and she rose from her seat like a dancer.

"We just don't ever know what goes through his head, now do we?" And with that she departed. Chess sighed, and stared deeply at a crystal glass near the edge of the table. He promptly pushed it off.