Disclaimer: Alice in Wonderland © Lewis Carrol and Disney…I think Disney anyway.
Three
Alice awoke the next morning with a terrible headache. Her hair was disheveled and when she reached up to touch her hair, she saw that she had long pieces of hay stuck in it. She sat up and looked around her. She realized with mild surprise that she was still in the Bandersnatch's stall. Then she remembered what she had seen the previous night. She realized that Hatter, her Hatter, did not love her. He was in love with that monstrous woman. Minerva had won. Tarrant Hightopp was hers.
"Thank you for letting me sleep in here, Bandersnatch." Alice whispered. "I have to go now."
She stood up unsteadily and exited the stall. She felt like she wanted to cry, but no tears came. She had cried and cried the night before until all the tears she had had finally left her. She moved slowly and quietly through the castle, she felt like a ghost. She had no emotions. All her sadness, happiness, anger…all her emotions peeled off her with every step she took. Alice felt broken, but that was okay. Maybe she had finally become mad. What else explained why she wouldn't cry, why she wasn't sad, or happy, or angry…
"Alice!" Kaden rushed towards her. "Where were you? We were all looking for you last night…what happened to you?" He began picking hay out of her hair.
"I slept in the stables. I…I went to the kitchens last night to get that potion and the cake and I saw Minerva and the Hatter in there. I overheard them talking and she asked him if he loved me. He said he didn't. When I looked through the window, I saw them kissing. I ran away." Alice said. "I think I've gone mad. Who marries mad maids?" She looked at Kaden.
"I…I don't know," he confessed. "Another mad servant? Alice…I wish I could say something to cheer you up."
"I don't want to talk about it anymore." Alice said firmly. "I don't want to be sad anymore."
"Not talking about it won't help," Kaden said, but let her be.
That day, Alice cleaned with extra vigor. Slowly, her emotions came back. The strongest emotion was the one that kept her from crying again. It was her anger that kept her going on when her heart felt like it was breaking more and more with every beat it took. The anger felt so wonderful to Alice. She was angry with Minerva, she was angry with Hatter, but more importantly, she was angry with herself. She was a fool to have believed that he would ever feel the same way about her. She was a stupid lovesick girl from the Overlands that abandoned him for China and new places. He deserved a woman that would stay and love and take care of him…just not a woman like Minerva.
Speaking of Minerva…Alice had to admit that the next day Minerva was treating them much better. She almost even paid everyone that day—almost. She wore a huge smile on her face and loudly bragged about how Hatter had kissed her the night before at the dinner party. Alice was angry, but she didn't do anything. She promised herself that when the night of the White Queen's Grand Ball, she would get even with Minerva. Then, she would find a better job…or, she would stay. If Mirana fired Minerva, the servants would be paid. Alice wouldn't mind working for the White Queen if she got paid for breaking her back every day.
"Do we ever get a day off?" Alice asked Kaden later that afternoon.
"Yeah," he laughed, "once a week on our payday."
"I should have known," Alice growled.
"Alice," he said, "let's make a promise right here and now. Let's promise that when we get Minerva sacked, let's agree to go to the beach for a day off once a month."
"The beach?" Alice said. "Yeah! It's a promise!" Alice didn't admit it, but it had been a very long time since she had gone to the beach. The last time she had gone to the beach was the last summer before her father died. It was one of her favorite places back home. She couldn't help but wonder what Underland beaches were like. "Let's go after we get Minerva sacked to celebrate!"
To Alice's surprise, she began healing. Each day, the aching pain in her chest went away a little more. She, like the rest of the servants, would work during the day and put up with Minerva tampering with their work in order to keep their paychecks. However at night, they would meet somewhere secret and they would plot. Alice found that ever since she caught Hatter and Minerva together, she was putting her heart and soul into this revolt. This wasn't just a fight for better treatment for the servants, the backbone of the castle, this was much more. To Alice, this was her revenge against Minerva. This was her way of getting rid of her so she could claim her Hatter. Well, at least that was the plan so far. To be honest, she really hadn't had things planned out past the Grand Ball. No one else really knew what they would do either. No one dared to make a plan in case they failed. They knew that there was a chance that the White Queen believed Minerva over them. They wanted absolutely zero negative thinking to ruin them. The kitchens were now off limits after dark now, so they knew that they would not be able to get the potion or cake after all.
"What if Minerva finds out," Dita moaned. Alice usually liked her. She and her sister, Ailia, reminded her of the Chataway sisters back in London. They were usually very bubbly and bright, but tonight they were nervous and anxious. One's mood impacted the other very strongly. It was impossible to see one sad or happy without seeing the other in a similar mood.
"She won't!" Kaden snapped. He too was very nervous. "You had better keep your mouth shut! If she does find out, she'll go to Queen Mirana and convince her that Alice and I are plotting against her. Remember, only we know who Alice really is. We'll be banished like Stayn and the Red Queen!"
Dita fell quiet, but Ailia spoke next, "What if we fail?" Several other people murmured similar objections.
"If we fail," Alice said quietly, "I'll die."
This surprised everyone. Normally, Alice was very quiet during their meetings. Everyone had noted her sudden change in mood since she had disappeared that one night, but no one but Alice and Kaden knew where she had gone and why. Ever since then, Alice disappeared after hours frequently. Sometimes she would only be gone for a few minutes, other times she was gone for a few hours, other times yet she would be gone until sunup. However, there were rare occasions when Alice disappeared for a day or so. Minerva would be furious when Alice reappeared, but that never bothered the young woman. She was not afraid of Minerva, definitely not now. Everyone saw those rare day-long disappearances as an act of rebellious disobedience. Alice never told anyone where she went, not even Kaden.
"Die?"
"Figuratively," Alice replied emptily. "I might leave. The tailor said he'd give me a job if I decide to quit," she suddenly revealed. "I've learned to sew and I can be of some help to him. There are other positions if any of you are interested. I heard the hatter is looking for employees as well."
"Not him!" Ailia gasped. "He's mad! He'd probably pay in broken tea cups!"
Alice looked out the window and stared out at the gardens. She liked it when they met in the highest room of the castle's tallest tower, especially when the moon was full and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. She had perfect view of the White Queen's beautiful pristine gardens. She didn't say a single word for the rest of the meeting.
"Are you going to eat tomorrow?" Kaden asked when everyone was gone. Alice looked at him. "You barely pick at your food since the dinner party. That's not very healthy."
"Neither is the food they serve us." Alice replied blankly.
"You aren't you anymore. Maybe you are Lisey, nothing but a blank hollow shell," he said bitterly, "You're shriveling away into nothing, Alice. Your uniform is getting baggier on you every day, your hair is becoming dull and limp, you have dark circles under your eyes now. You keep disappearing and you don't seem to care that everyone is worried about you."
"I don't need babysitters."
"We're not being babysitters." Kaden argued. Then, his voice became tender. "We're family here. We're all each other has got. That's something you've failed to remember. The Hatter hurt you, but that doesn't give you permission to take it out on us. We want to help you."
"I won't tell you how to live your life," Alice said sternly, "so please stay far away from mine." She got up from her place and began to walk out of the room.
"Disappearing again?" Kaden asked harshly. "Was he really that important to you?"
Instead of answering, Alice kept walking and soon disappeared within the shadows.
Minerva didn't move from her spot in the dark corner. Lisey didn't notice her as she slowly walked out of the tower. Kaden appeared soon after. She knew that they were the masterminds behind the plot to have her fired! Anger filled her entire body as she walked down the hall. She hadn't heard very much of their conversations, but the whispers among the servants were enough for her. Then she heard Kaden's statements: "The Hatter hurt you" and "Was he really that important to you?" So, Lisey had an eye on Tarrant Hightopp as well. She had admired him for two years and she wasn't going to let some blonde tramp with a pretty face take him away. It was bad enough that Alice had returned. Luckily, she had had sense enough to disappear. Minerva wouldn't let her take the Hatter from her. Alice had her chance, it was her turn now. But now, she had to concentrate on the servant's upcoming revolt.
"So," she said aloud, "they're going to rebel against me, eh?" Minerva laughed aloud. "I know their kind. They're bloody sheep. They'll follow whoever their shepherd is. All I have to do is lock both of them up and they'll do whatever I say!" Doubt suddenly filled her. "But then again, I think I'll lock Lisey and Kaden up in separate ends of the dungeon and lock the rest up in the servants' corridor. Then, I'll take care of the ringleaders after the ball." A cold evil cackle emitted from her throat.
"Yes, I think arranging a little accident for little Kaden in the stables would work nicely. As for that man-stealer," Minerva pulled a bottle of arsenic from her apron pocket. "A few drops of this in her tea will do wonders."
A wide smile spread across her face. Kill the leaders and the followers will follow a new leader. It always worked. She thought of all the money stacked up in her desk from docking all the servants' pay. It was good to be boss. Minerva thought about the arsenic in her pocket and the knife under her mattress. I do wish Alice would come for a little visit,she thought joyfully, a little arsenic and a quick stabby-stabby would be a nice payback for getting my beloved queen banished. Not having any competition for Hattie would be a great bonus too! Yes, it was good to be boss.
A/N: And just when everyone thought that I couldn't make Minerva any eviler. BTW, Alice's last line is actually the first line from "Running out of Time" from the Almost Alice Soundtrack. It sorta went with the story line as I was writing it. Thank you all for all the reviews! I'm trying to reply to all of them, but if I don't, please forgive me! Thanks for reading this! I'll try to get the next chapter up soon!
