* 2 months later *
.: Hatter/Tarrant's POV:.
I laid on the bed, thinking about no one but Leilani. I would see her today, out of three months of being without seeing her face, arguing with her, hugging her and finding out more about her, seeing her smile and feeling her soft hair. I had plotted a strategy to go and get her myself. She'd see me, run to me, and I'd save her from the red queen and Stayne. It was purely perfect, especially the sword fight. The queen placedher hand on me head.
"Are you sure that will work out?" She seemed doubtful.
"Oh yes, certainly!" I nodded quickly.
"What if she has gone to the red queen's side?" She asked.
I sighed with a slight smile. "My Queen, I told you already, she hasn't betrayed us." I smiled, biting my lower lip.
She chuckled a little. "And are you sure you're not in love?"
I thought about it. "I don't honestly know." I blushed a little. This had never happened to me before... "blushing."
"You think about it, okay?" She asked, leaving the room.
I laid down on her comfortable bed and picked myself up, putting my top hat on and grabbing my sword. I was ready…
.:. Leilani .:.
I went over, shaking Adam awake. He had grown pale, knowing he we able to see his sister once again after a year. I was dressed like Stayne, in nothing but black armor.
"Adam." I whispered. He looked up at me, dark circles under his eyes.
"What?"
"It's time for the war." I spoke softly.
He chuckled and I helped him up. He was so weak and fragile.
"I can't go."
"You have to. Your sister needs you." I said. He gave me a weak smile.
"I have no sister."
I looked at him and pursed my lips together, frowning and returning back to normal. I helped him out of the cell, only to be greeted by the queen herself.
"What? Taking Adam, now are we?"
"He's a friend. I want him to see how much fun it is to cause damage." I explained. The queen giggled.
"That's what I like about you, Leila." She had shortened my name these past two months. My eyes welled up in tears when I remembered the Hatter. For some strange reason, I thought of him.
We headed out of the castle. The queen and I rode in the carriage whereas Stayne walked outside. He took a sword from his holder.
"The vorpal sword. It was your mother's possession along her arrival here. You deserved it." He spoke. I grinned slightly and grasped it, examining it.
"I trust that you'll allow me to keep my crown, Miss Astor?" The queen asked.
I turned to her and nodded, looking at Adam.
"Are you okay?" I whispered.
He turned to me, his eyes looked gray and dull. He was hungry.
"I'll be okay." He lied.
"He shall stay in the carriage with me, my dear." She spoke. I nodded and sighed. We were riding for a long time. All I saw was the white queen atop a horse with her soldiers behind her and the hatter riding on a bandersnatch. I frowned a little. They had completely given me up to the red queen, just like her little brother. We were a great distance from them. Stayne helped me out of the carriage and the hatter took a few steps forward.
"Leilani, it's okay, you can come back. You're safe with us." He spoke. I turned to Stayne.
"What ever does he mean?" I asked.
Stayne looked at the hatter. "My dear boy, Leilani is my apprentice." He laid his heavy hand on my shoulder. It seemed like most people on the white queen's side gasped.
"No, you're toying with us. She's on our side. Come on, Leilani." He spoke, walking towards me. I backed away and lifted my sword.
"Don't talk to me like I'm some child, Tarrant! You chose this fate for me."
He raised a hairy eyebrow. "I chose this fate for you? You're the one who wrote us saying you'd be siding with the red queen."
I was confused. "I didn't write any letter!" I said, lowering my sword. He opened his mouth to say something but Stayne pulled me away.
"Remember, he's the enemy. You have to finish them all off." He said.
"Don't listen to him!" I heard a familiar voice bellow at me. I turned, seeing hatter. His eyes were full of worry. Soon, the two men started talking to me all at one time, getting me rather confused. All I could possibly understand and hear were: "enemy"; "friend"; "betray"; "red queen"; "White queen" and so on.
"Enough," I yelled loudly, my voice echoing. I turned to Tarrant. "You offered me off as bait! Who's the traitor now?"
His eyes glowed red. "Listen here, love, ye wish to fight meh, then so be it!" He walked towards me, his sword in hand, aiming at me. I blocked it, soon sword fighting with him as knights started attacking one another.
Hatter's eyes turned from red to green. "Leilani, you don't have to do this, please. I can't bear fighting you."
"But you are." I said in a low voice, full of hate.
"I didn't offer you up."
"Then who did? Why didn't you come and rescue me, Tarrant?"
He thought. "I thought it was apart of the plan. I didn't want to mess it up again." He admitted. Tarrant's eyes went back to red as he gave a devilish smirk.
"Tarrant." I said softly.
He looked me in the eyes. "But, if it's a fight ye desire, it's a fight ye shall get." He said, kicking my leg. It was already weak from Stayne training me before. I had fallen and Hatter jabbed, but I rolled over, missing him.
"You stupid girl! Don't be like your stupid mother! Get up and fight!" The queen yelled. I turned around, seeing her bulbous head. I turned to Stayne, who was now fighting hatter. This was crazy. I panicked, falling to my knees, grasping my head, thought rummaging inside. I looked up, seeing Tarrant occasionally glance at me. His red eyes turned green as he saw me on the floor.
"Leilani," he yelled. I stood up, charging towards the Red Queen, striking her in the back of the head. She fell over and out of her carriage. "Turn around!" I turned, seeing Stayne coming towards me, putting me in a chokehold. I gasped for air.
"Let go of me!"
He held the sword to my throat.
"Not on my own accord, little lady."
I tried getting out but his grasp grew tighter around my neck. He bent down, kissing my cheek and then my neck. I shook, the blade from his sword drawing closer to my neck, the coldness now touching it, but not yet harming it.
"I'm not going where you're taking me."
"Who said I was taking you anywhere? I could kill you right now. It's not a problem."
I turned to hatter, reaching up and grabbing Stayne's hair, tugging harshly. He yelled in pain and Hatter took a step closer. Stayne slit my wrist, making me let go and pressed the sword back to my throat.
"Hatter don't move!" I ordered. He stopped and watched us both.
"Another step and your girlfriend, here, dies." He said, tossing my in the carriage, along with the red queen. He slapped the horse, making it walk as he rode on the outside of the carriage, making sure we weren't being followed.
~ Back at the Red Queen's Castle ~
I stared at the floor and at my scar on my wrists. Who had written the letter if Hatter didn't do so? It didn't make any sense, whatsoever. I was confused, this whole place was confusing. And I wanted nothing more than to leave if I were to never see Hatter's face again.
"That didn't work out, now did it. Now you'll never leave here, and neither will I." Said Adam. I turned around to him.
"You spoiled brat! I attempted to save you, but you didn't want to go anywhere. No place is satisfying to you." I explained harshly.
"You won't see the light of day either. You're being executed first thing tomorrow. Anyone who betrays the Red Queen will be."
I shook my head slowly, toying with my hair for a second. I clasped my hands to my face and turned to the gates, seeing something brush past it outside. Soon, a cat appeared inside my cell with me.
"Chess!" I smirked.
He revealed his usual grin.
"I can get you outta here."
"Who were you sent by?"
"Who else?"
"The white queen?"
"That silly hatter, of yours."
I blushed slightly and cleared my throat.
"How can you get me out?" I raised an eyebrow.
"You ask an awful lot of questions."
"Because I deserve to know! There are two of us that you need to rescue!"
The cat grinned widely and sighed heavily, leaving the gate.
"Foolish." He spoke.
"Wait! Come back! Please come back to us!" I said in a whisper. He drifted down the hall, not a care in the world. I figured he was going to leave us here, but I was surprised when I saw that he came back with the keys. My stomach growled. Now I understood why Adam was so cranky: lack of food. His previous meal was just a few days ago and that wasn't even enough. They treated us like the prisoners we were. In my real world, I was royal…in this world, I'm nothing more than a toerag. In his kingdom, he's a prince. In this one, he's nothing more than a fragile, annoying, pessimistic boy.
"Now shush," Said Cheshire. He unlocked us and I helped Adam to his feet. He was wheezing heavily. The guards saw us.
"Stop them!" They yelled, charging after us. I got frightened, trying to run with Adam from the guards. We passed by Stayne who was taking care of the queen, who had no recollection of the incident, nor did she know who she was. Stayne pointed his sword to my throat. Cheshire appeared invisible and grasped it from his hands, hitting him in the back with it.
"You leave the castle! I'll fight them off." Cheshire grinned widely. I nodded, walking swiftly out of the castle with Adam. He held on to me as we walked. I walked out of the castle and saw the White Queen's castle just over a few mountains. I sighed heavily to myself, beginning on our journey.
~ Hatter's POV ~
I paced back and forth. This wasn't good, not good at all. Leilani was imprisoned and I had no idea how to get her back to me…I mean, the Queen. I kicked the stone walls of the balcony and looked up at the stars, tears streaming down my face at a fast pace. I wanted to just die. What I'd do to get her back safely.
"Hatter," Said the Queen. I dried my tears with my collar and turned around to her, feigning a smile. "It's time for dinner, if you'd like some?"
I thought about it. Food, dining and having my fill with an empty chair right next to me. She'd miss tonight's dinner, the dinner we all figured she'd have for beating the red queen's army.
"I'm not hungry, I'm sorry." I apologized in a whisper.
She walked towards me. "Hatter, it's too late now."
"Why is it too late?"
"The queen will have her killed tonight." She said. My eyes turned a deep blue and then a red color. I wanted to jump over the ledge and run to the castle, but I was scared of the sight I might witness. I could see Leilani blind-folded, bending over. That, or I could see her head in the bloody straw basket. Both made me sick to my stomach. I gulped and sat on the little bench.
"I'm not hungry anymore."
The queen gasped. "I'm sorry for filling your head with such thoughts."
I shook my head. "It's not that. I just miss her. Two months without her and when we come in contact, we're trying to kill each other. She tries coming back to us, but it only leads her to her death. It's unbearable to focus on tasks when the thought that she could be dead. It's hard because she's someone I deeply care about. She's someone I-" I stopped myself short, thinking of what was suitable to say.
"Say it." The queen nodded. I blushed and looked away.
"Love."
She patted my shoulders.
"I'll leave you to your thoughts."
Once she left, I yelled in pure anger and rage, tears streaming down my face. I couldn't even tell her that I knew her, tell her that I was there, tell her I was sorry…and that I love her. I blinked, which only made the tears come down faster.
"Why did I fight her? I should have refused!" I yelled to myself. I cleared my throat, Dormouse coming over.
"Hatter, why do you cry?"
I turned to her and snickered, looking away only to let the tears fall down harder.
"I'm in love with a dead girl."
"Leilani?"
I bit my lower lip. The sound of her name pierced my heart. I grabbed it tightly and nodded, unable to give a simple yes or no.
"Aye."
"She's dead?" Asked the mouse.
I grabbed my orange hair, taking my hat off and throwing it over the ledge.
"Aye." I repeated, this time hoarse, making my Scottish accent thicker than ever.
Dormouse sat next to me.
"She tried coming back, but they were better than her."
"No one is better than Leilani! No one, I tell you!" I shouted, closing my eyes tightly, leaving and walking to her room. I searched in her closet, taking out a dress that I had made for her. I sprayed it with the perfume she had always worn and laid it on her bed, inching closer to it, pretending it was Leilani I was laying next to.
She's gone, Tarrant. Accept it…
I tried telling myself.
"But I love her."
I was truly going mad over Leilani. Maybe I really didn't love her…maybe it was some kind of personality thing that I had, needing someone to be in my life. This had happened before, with our other champion. But no, this wasn't like Alice. This was stronger. I had fallen for Alice Kingsley's daughter…