The start of a new day signaled the start of a new beginning to the Hatter.
True enough, his madness often rendered him with a skewed perception of Time, but even he was able to feel the buttery warm sun on his face, whiff the scent of blossoms on the breeze and know that hope had returned to Underland.
Tarrant felt lighter on waking in his given room of the White palace; the Red Queen was banished away, and Alice had forgiven the unpleasantness from the night before. He hoped that she would not have need to forgive anything from him again, for it would grieve him greatly if he frightened her with another of his upsets.
And they were to leave the White castle later on that day, with no telling what they might come upon outside the brilliant marble walls. More adventure, more danger, more heartache…even with Lady Mirana back on the throne, who could say what the world held in store? Hatter was meant to be her friend and host; if Alice did not find Underland agreeable, he wanted to be up to the task of making her time with him pleasant enough that she would give up this idea she had of going back to the Otherworld. It simply would not do!
Still, all concerns aside, Hatter looked forward to the day, to being alone with Alice again and showing her his house.
After the man had bathed and dressed for the morning, he'd moved across the central courtyard in a shortcut to the palace kitchen. A fluttering in his chest brought a smile to his face and he laughed, just like being tickled with feathers from inside. Alice was staying with him, and later in the day she would come to live with him at his house! Grand!
It was the start of a happy time, he could feel it in his bones as he crossed the green. But he also felt a growling hunger, which called for a breakfast of tea- oh, raspberry tea!-and a few slices of cinnamon cake. Perhaps he might sneak a piece of chocolate ganache, as well.
"So you intend to take her to your house."
Hatter stopped and looked up, smiling to see Chessur come into being on the branch of a tree to his left. The cat came into view, from his wide grin to the tip of his fluffy tail. He did admire the cat's evaporating skills. Practice, practice.
After the cat's help leading up to the Frabjous Day, Hatter had let go of his grudge- his shoulders had grown tired of carrying it for so many years, and it was a very good thing to call Chess his friend again.
"Her, Alice. Yes, I asked her to stay and she agreed." Looking closer, he saw that Chessur held a dainty teacup in his paws. Hmm. Perhaps apple tea with his breakfast was called for, rather than raspberry.
The cat took a sip and then vanished the cup. Chessur lived to show off his talent. "Lovely girl. And what do you intend to do with her once she's there? I've just come from the manor, Tarrant, and it's in no condition for a tea party, nor even tea for two."
Hatter realized then that he had not formed thoughts or intentions beyond bringing Alice to come live with him at his house. He couldn't say what they would do; he was out of riddles but perhaps Alice had a new game. He might teach her to cook or sew a pattern, he could show her his garden, but would she enjoy that?
The Hatter faltered under the intent gaze of the cat. "I don't know what we'll do. I haven't…"
The cat's rolled onto his back, though his head remained facing forward to the man. "Don't be embarrassed- planning ahead was never your strong suit. But if you do bring her there, I think you'll both be busy enough."
"I hope we will be. Alice won't stay just to putter about the house, she can do that in her own world."
Chessur's tail twitched. "There will be plenty to do once you get there, though I don't envy you the work."
Hatter nibbled on his lower lip. The cat only made sense when he chose to, but what did he know of the house?
The cat looked up. "Tarrant, the queen is coming for you."
Hatter looked over his shoulder and smiled to see Lady Mirana coming toward him, gliding across the grass. She was such a graceful woman, and the way her pale hands swayed in the air had always endeared him. He could watch those swimming hands for hours, and he had on several occasions when they had played on their infatuations. But that had been many innocent years ago.
He smiled and bowed at the waist on her approach. "Good morning, my lady."
The woman curtsied to him, raising the hem of her silvered gown just high enough to reveal delicate slippered feet. "Good morning, Tarrant. Am I to understand that you'll be leaving us today?"
Her dark eyes wavered slightly when he nodded. "Yes, my lady. I'm going home and I've invited Alice to come live with me."
"Yes, I know. I spoke to Alice just moments ago. I just…I wanted to see you before you left."
Hatter took her hand into his. "I will return the moment you have need of me, you know that."
Mirana smiled at the man. "Yes, and I will have need of you. My friend, with Underland safe once again, there is cause for celebration. And I intend to celebrate in style."
In the time of her father's reign as king, the Hatter and Mirana- then only a princess- had spent much time conspiring over plans for galas and balls. Now he smiled, for it seemed that they would collaborate together once more.
"Ah, you need my hats."
"Your hats, your talents and yourself, for we will celebrate soon. I will have need of you in my court once again." Mirana leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Fairfarren, Tarrant. Look after that champion for me, will you?"
"You know I will."
After a lovely breakfast of apple tea and cake, the Hatter returned to his room. The time to leave would be upon him soon, and he felt the need to ready his things; he did not have much to pack, only a few articles of clothing and his broadsword. The sword itself was a problem- what would he do with the thing now that there was no reason for its use?
Hatter gripped the handle of the sword and caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the smoothness of the blade. Bright green eyes set in a face of stark white. He rarely gave much thought to his own looks, but his distorted image unnerved him for a moment. What an odd character he was!
He swung the sword back and forth in long arcs, fighting with an imagined foe. He parried, he thrust, and on one last twisting strike, he noticed a large parcel that had been awaiting him on the low table near the doors leading to his own balcony. Curious, Hatter set the sword aside and approached his mystery gift.
On unwrapping the package, Hatter found a bundle of new clothes inside, along with several provisions for the journey and the house. There was even a small box of chocolate tucked away for him. Ah, the Lady Mirana was a most generous woman!
A knock came at the door, and Alice stood on the other side. He had not seen her since leaving her room late the night before. His pulse quickened on seeing her again, so lovely and delicate in a simple frock of pale lavender with a silver chain draped about her throat.
"Good morning, Hatter."
"Alice! Look, look at what the queen gave me." He waved his arm, drawing the girl into the room. Hatter opened the box and handed her a piece of precious chocolate as Alice moved to sit beside him on the sofa, the parcel resting between them.
"I received one as well this morning. Lady Mirana's parting gifts, I suppose."
"You see? You are the champion of Underland, I told you she would have gifts for you." Hatter leaned forward to confide in a whisper, "She is planning a celebration soon, so we will not be parted for long. I will be the Royal Hatter once again!"
"That's wonderful, I'm so happy for you! I can't wait to see your work." Alice smiled.
"You will, very soon. But we need to get on to the manor, you see, as the time has come." He could feel the swell of happiness in his chest tickling him again. "Are you ready to come away with me?"
Alice swallowed, shifting her eyes away for a moment. "I am. I only have to say good-bye to the nymphs."
His eyes brightened. "Ah, the nymphs! I didn't know they were in the castle, I thought they had fled to Snud years ago."
Alice shook her head and held her hand out to him. "Come with me, they've been asking to see you."
Alice lead the way back up to the high tower that held her room. Hatter was following a few steps behind, though he kept becoming distracted by the corridor murals of unicorns, dragons and other creatures. One moment he would be speaking with her, and the next he would be tracing the spiny tail of a painted dragon with a thimbled fingertip.
"Come on, you silly thing," Alice teased as she looped her arm through his and pulled him forward down the hall. She was more tolerant than most, but after the third time he'd grown distracted, she simply had to lead him on.
"Silly is a state of mind, my dear." Hatter replied in his defense. "And my mind is in such a state!"
Still leading him by the arm, Alice nodded with a smile. "I know it, but if you investigate every last painting in this palace, we'll be here for the next year. Better stick to things that begin with the letter M, or B, if you prefer." She suggested.
"Ah, the bold B. A beautiful idea with bountiful possibilities."
They continued walking the corridor, side by side, when Alice laid her head on his shoulder for a moment with a dreamy, faraway cast over her eyes. "Hatter, I'm glad you convinced me to stay on in Underland. I like it here much more than my world."
He had not been expecting this, for her to lean on him or to confide her secret. Until the last few days, their contact had been merely incidental. Now it seemed that Alice wanted to touch him all the time. Very curious, but not unwelcome if he was honest- and when was he not?
Hatter stopped walking and turned to face her fully. Following the trend of touching, he put his hands over her arms, unknowingly mirroring the grasp he'd taken during his rage the night before. Alice fought the urge to wince when he touched the bruises he'd given her on the balcony.
"If you're happier here, you can stay for all time. Lady Mirana would allow it. You could stay." His voice matched the earnest look of his eyes.
"I'd like to, but I told you before that there are still things I need to do in my world, just…not yet. I'm not ready to go yet."
Hatter considered this. "Then if your leaving is only a matter of Time, I'll kill him again to be sure you stay on. Just think of it. The tea party that never ends!"
When Alice shook her head, her hair caught in the light coming forth from the nearest window.
Buttery, bouncing, blonde…
"Don't kill anything, Hatter. I'll have to leave Underland but it won't be for a while. And when I leave, it won't be forever."
He didn't much like the thought of her leaving again- he had missed her very much the first time she had returned to her world. They had searched for her for days, and were upset to recover no trace of the girl from the bizarre Otherworld. In his own way, Hatter had thought perhaps that he'd dreamt her up, Alice being the signal of his madness reaching new heights.
"When you leave, you might not find your way back to us."
The unspoken "To me." was made clear enough in its implication. Alice didn't want her friend to worry that she would disappear forever.
"I will come back." She told him firmly. "I thought it had all been a dream before, but I understand now. It's all real. I don't know how or why, but I can make it back here."
"It won't be the same when you leave."
Hatter didn't want to sound petulant; he was mad, not a child.
Still, he wanted Alice to send her plan to return to her world away, for it did not sound like a place where she would be happy. Yes, Hatter knew then that he was right all along. It would be best to send Alice's idea of leaving off to the Outlands where it could keep the Red Queen and the loathsome Knave company for all eternity.
Alice sighed lightly and shook her head at his insistence. "Well, it might help you to know that my world will be more tedious than ever once I get back- and you know I'll have to go back, Hatter." A delicate pause. "But not today. We have to get going to your house before I can get going back to my world."
Her words did not carry the full renouncing of the Otherworld that he had hoped for, but as a craftsman, the Hatter understood the need for patience.
He smiled lightly as Alice looped her arm through his once more and started forward to her room.
Happily, he moved to take the lead this time.
On entering Alice's room, there was an immediate fluttering of gauzy material and excited female chatter. The Hatter's vision was flooded with bright purple eyes set in identical faces of such alluring beauty that he had to catch his breath. He felt hands clutching and stroking at the material of his jacket, perhaps searching for the stark white skin beneath. Before he knew what had happened, he'd been lead to the sofa with the nymphs fawning over him.
Ah, nymphs. Men were their catnip, and as a hero, the Hatter's charms were tenfold in their eyes.
Vaguely, it entered his fractured mind that by rights, the nymphs' attentions should have been set on Alice by bringing her more gifts from the queen and setting them at her feet. Alice deserved new dresses and shoes, all the cakes and chocolates in Underland! She was the champion, not him! He was no hero, just a hatter, that was all. He shouldn't ride her coattails into fame, not even if her coattails happened to lead him into pleasurable company.
And such pleasurable company!
Too often, it was forgotten that the Hatter was every bit a man. Hang his madness and his stark coloring- his blood was every bit as red as the Knave's, though that part of his humanity had been buried for years...Tarrant Hightopp was a madman, naturally, but even a man as crazy as he was would be made helpless when swarmed by such a strong pack of nymphs.
Alice remained at the doorway, transfixed, watching how easily the man fell into their web. She felt a twinge of…something in her chest. It was not jealousy, exactly, but a small, secret part of her was disappointed to watch her friend buy into their flattery so easily.
The flame-haired Randa was the dominant nymph, so far as Alice could tell, and so she placed herself directly before him. Her hands rested lightly on his chest, her eyes holding his in her magic. "Tarrant, you've been back to the palace and never sought us out, you cad!"
"Randa, that's no way to speak to a Frabjous Day hero!" Lrala admonished. "After all he's suffered and all the danger he's faced, such a man deserves nothing but comfort."
"You are too right, sister. We owe so much to you, Tarrant. Stay with us so that we might show you our gratitude." Randa leaned forward and only just brushed the Hatter's lips with her own.
Alice's fist clenched to see the Hatter's eyes slip closed with the slight kiss.
"And we are so grateful. Do you recall the hats you made for us while your clan was in the court? We saved them, Tarrant. How could we have left them behind? We know how much you pride yourself on your work, surely you'd like to see us wear them again." Carel whispered softly. The nymph's hand was resting on his thigh.
Lrala agreed and stroked the stripe of color over his cheek with her fingertip, "We haven't had any fine occasions to wear them, but thanks to your good works, every day that Lady Mirana holds the throne is a day worthy of wearing your craft in celebration. We'd be more than happy to wear them for you."
Randa sensed it, perfect timing for the coupe de grace. She leaned forward to whisper to him, "The hats are allwe'd wear for you, Tarrant Hightopp."
Alice scowled at the scene. She had understood the nymphs to be creatures naturally transfixed with men, but this was all becoming too vulgar. She moved to leave her bedchamber, fearing the scene might erupt into some bizarre orgy right there on the low sofa!
The man swayed slightly, so deeply, so thoroughly enjoying the soft strokes and light kisses from the nymphs. There really was no man alive who could resist being drawn in by their allure, their flattery…but it was one thing to be drawn in for a time, and another to forget oneself completely.
Hatter opened his eyes and pulled his mind from the pleasant lull they'd given him. To his left, he saw Alice standing at the doorway with a strange expression clouding her face. Yes, she was the lighthouse that would remind him of the dangers of sea nymphs singing their song on the rocks.
He stood from the sofa and looked down on them as they sprawled before him, missing him already. Both Randa and Carel gripped his hands, cooing for him to return to them. "Ah, you nymphs are lovely, but I'm afraid that I must leave you."
"Hatter Tarrant, no, stay, stay with us!"
"Please, we haven't see you in so long…"
"Don't you know how we've missed you? How we've ached for you to come back?"
He swallowed. A part of him wished to live forever in the spell they'd weaved for him, but the larger, more powerful part knew that to remain in their company for too long would end in disaster for it was in a nymph's nature to love a man to death. He shook his head. "I am sorry. You're all wonderful creatures, but I remember what you did to the Knave."
At the mention of the Knave, the nymphs withdrew from him as one, cringing.
"That coward!"
"Don't mention his name to us!"
"Horrible man, so cruel!"
"Had it not been for Nivens, we would still be his prisoner at Salazen Grum."
Hatter nodded, satisfied with this diversion. If they had kept on in their efforts to seduce him, he would be lost. "Yes, yes. And that little parting gift you gave him is sure to last a lifetime." He looked to Alice, who still stood in the doorway. He was happy to see a brighter expression on her face now. "Alice and I must be going. If the Chesshire Cat is to be believed, then there is work to be done on my house."
"Is there any extra room in your house? We would make most agreeable guests."
Hatter closed his eyes for a moment, banishing a rush of thoughts. "Of that I have no doubt, but as I am the hatter to our Lady Mirana, I'll be needing both my eyes to work. Only Alice will be joining me. Fairfarren, ladies."
The Hatter moved toward Alice and offered his arm to her. "Shall we?"