Sorry it took so long all! School and work picked up like crazy lately! Buuuut…. Here's a new chapter! RXR!


Chapter 9

Tarrant quietly closed the door as he left the room, letting out a breath as it closed with a gentle click. Alice had finally cried herself to sleep, and he was glad she was finally getting herself some rest.

However, as he walked down the hall, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that something was different. He was the one calming, not the one being calmed. And when he

should have been consumed by the madness at the loss of one of his dearest friends, he was instead staying calm and in his right mind, taking care of Alice. Alice, who had needed him. He couldn't figure

it out.

"You still haven't figured it out yet, have you." The voice came as more of a statement than a question.

"Absolem?" Tarrant turned his hatted head up towards the blue butterfly, who was perched atop one of the statue heads that decorated the hall.

"If you haven't figured it out by now, you're as stupid as the girl."

"Please friend, now is not the time to speak in riddles."

"Who's speaking in riddles? I am merely speaking of course of the Madness. Or lack thereof rather." Tarrant shot Absolem a rather frustrated glare, and received a smug one in return as he continued.

"You surely must have realized by now that the Madness does not make itself present whenever she is in your presence. Why even now, you're much more normal than you usually are. Surely you have

noticed it."

"Well o' course Ah noticed it…Ah'm nae stupid." his Scottish brogue just lightly touched his voice and he cleared his throat. "I just haven't figured out what it means."

"You really are stupid." Absolem drawled on in a rather bored fashion. "Alice is the antidote to the poison that is the Madness in your mind. And in turn is also your own poison, as without her or to see

her in pain sends you into a bout of Madness. But the more time you spend with her, the better you do, and the less the Madness surfaces, even when you are apart."

"Does all this 'ave a point? I'd rather like ter get tah bed." Tarrant's eyes weren't quite burning yet, and his anger was more from annoyance at riddles (for once in his life) than from any form of

Madness. "'S bain a very tryin' day."

"Even someone as stupid as you can figure it out, I'm sure… the answer here is clearly Alice, as it's always been." And with that, Absolem flew off, leaving Tarrant to be with his befuddled thoughts.


The day of Mirana's funeral came with grey skies and rain, as if Underland herself was crying at the loss of the White Queen. It was an odd sight to see all the courtiers dressed in shades of grey as

opposed to their normal whites. Alice stood rigidly under the large umbrella that was held over her. Her face was obscured by the black lace veil of the new hat that Hatter had made for her. It was a

smaller top hat, as if it had been shrunk down, and was made of beautiful black velvet, and was tilted to the side. The black lace covered just to the middle of her nose, revealing the trail of tears

streaking their way down her cheeks. Her hands were gripped in tight fists at her sides, clenched tightly as if to stop herself from shaking. After Mirana was lowered into the ground, the grave filled in,

Alice continued to stand and stare, the umbrella man having left on her request to be alone. Only the Willow Tree under which she stood offered some protection, but she apologized to Alice as the

raindrops continued to drip their way through her leaves, soaking Alice's dress. Whether it was minutes or hours later, for she was unaware as it seemed as if Time had frozen as a cruel punishment

against her, Tarrant placed a kind hand on her shoulder, bringing her from her trance.

"Come on lass, ye need to get inside where it's warm and dry." He took in arm gently, in an attempt to lead her back into the castle.

"Tarrant…" her voice was barely above a whisper, but was more than enough to stop him in his tracks. "What's going to happen now?"

"W-we're going to go inside…and get you warmed up."

"That's not what I meant." Tarrant knew from her tone of voice that she was going to be Stubborn Alice and he sighed in resignation, knowing that for right now, in this moment, no matter how badly

he wanted to be Silly Tarrant, Dry and Warm Tarrant, or Mad Tarrant, he needed, for this moment in time, he needed to be Serious Tarrant. He took a step up to stand next to Alice, his gaze turning to

Mirana's grave.

"You're not alone in this Alice…we are all here for you, to help you."

"I'm afraid…I don't think I'm cut out for this. Slaying the Jabberwocky was an easy feat compared to this."

Tarrant managed a small smirk as he looked to his dear Alice. His? He turned his face serious again as he grasped her hand, giving it an encouraging squeeze.

"You'll do just fine, and we will all be by your side to help you. I know you'll be a great queen." His voice lisped as he smiled to Alice. "But you're not queen yet. Right now, you are very wet and we must

get you inside…have I made a rhyme?" Alice giggled at her friend, and to him, who had heard nothing but tears, silence or fears oh, another rhyme! coming from her for so long, the sound was like music

to his ears. "Come along inside now, and we shall get you properly warmed with a proper cup of tea." And he offered his arm to Alice, who this time took it, and allowed herself to be lead inside, finally

realizing that she was indeed soaked and shivering.

Once back inside however, Alice remembered to realize just what was coming. There would be the feast in honor of Mirana's life, and then in a few day's time, Alice's coronation. Her heart dropped into

her stomach at this thought and she fell into the overly large armchair near the fireplace in her room, staring into the flames. She hardly even noticed the chamber maid who had entered into her room

with a pot of steaming tea, and was scurrying about to dry Alice's hair and prepare a new, dry, dress for her to wear to the dinner. This one was not black like her funeral dress, but was instead a

darker grey silk, long sleeved and collared. Alice noted quite thankfully that Hatter had once more left out the corset and instead fashioned buttons up the back which would still hold her form, but allow

her to breathe and sit comfortably. An icy chill set through her entire insides and she shivered, her convulsion coming not from cold, but from the fear of what was ahead of her.

"Might was well get about it then…holding it off will only make it worse." She quickly down her tea in a fashion that would have made any woman in London gasp, and changed into her new dress,

heading for the door. As she opened it however, she jumped at the sight of a Hatter with a hand poised ready to knock on her door.

"Oh! I-uhm-was just coming to…that is I mean to say…I thought you- perhaps would maybe want an escort down to the dinner? I shouldn't think you'd want to walk there alone." He hung his head in a

rather embarrassed fashion, mentally kicking himself for babbling so, folding his arms behind his back.

"Thank you Hatter, I would appreciate that." She took his elbow, and allowed him to lead the way downstairs, her own feet feeling more and more like lead the closer they got.


The dinner passed over many hours, or very few, for Alice could barely tell as a good amount of the time she was either crying or lost in her own thoughts, and Time had become such a very tricky fellow

lately. She only came to when Cheshire spoke very closely into her ear, realizing that he had been asking her the same question many times over. She then realized that the entirety of the hall was

empty and she was all alone in a plush dinner chair, her tea cold and the tables cleared. Chess took to floating over onto her lap, welcoming the scratching behind his ears, however absentminded an

action it was from Alice. His purring became a comfort to her and she looked down to him, sighing heavily.

"Oh Chess….what am I to do?"

"You could move a bit to the left…ahh yes! Right there." He turned his head more into her fingers. "But in all seriousness Love, you know what it is you need to do…now all you need to do is to do it."

"But what if I fail? What if I'm awful?"

"And since when are you one to care what others think, huh?" this new voice came from Mally, who had awoken from the inside of the lone teapot left on the table, and had walked up to Alice, sitting

on the edge of the table.

"I know I'm not one for proprieties… but being queen is different isn't it? I don't think I'm able to do it."

"You slayed the Jabberwocky didn't'chya?"

"And traveled to…oh what was it…Ch-Chiinnna?" Cheshire yawned as he stretched, which was very interesting to see a cat with evaporating abilities do. He reformed his body back onto Alice's lap, his

head never having moved from under her scratching fingers, his purring resuming.

"Well I supposed I did do all of that…but that's still not the same."

"Well, a queen can always make her own way Love, Mirana surely did. And she surely approved of you and your ventures. Why shouldn't you make a fabulous queen?"

"You'll do just fine, Alice." Alice's eyes turned to Mally, unable to fathom why the mouse was suddenly being so nice to her. She opened her mouth to ask, but it seemed as if the dormouse had read her

mind. "I have apologies to make to you Alice. I was right down rude to ye from the start. And now, what with Mirana being gone and you being back and well…bringing the Hatter back from the

Madness, well, I guess I just can't really be mad at ye anymore. Not to say I wasn't!" she pointed her tiny finger up at Alice in her attempt to justify herself. "He was in a downright state when you up

and left! Wasn't right for years!"

"Years? But I was only gone for one."

"One your time. It was nearly five to be precise down here! And he was in a right state I tell you! Course with time he got happy again, but then the Madness was always there. But I can't rightly be

hating you what with you being back and his Madness being away. And I- I'm sorry Alice."

"All is forgiven Mally. I understand how it feels to be angry towards someone who has, knowingly or not, hurt or could hurt someone you care about deeply." Alice's thoughts turned to Lowell and the

girl he was all too close with in the gardens so long ago. "I'm just glad we can be friends now. Real friends. I'll need them now more than ever."

"And we're here for you dear. Now…why don't you get yourself up to bed? It's been a very long day, and I have a hat to find." Cheshire floated up from Alice's lap before evaporating into thin air,

leaving Alice to make her way to her room along, and Mally to return back to her teapot for a good night's sleep.


Love it? Hate it? I'm sorry it was another sad chapter! But never fear dear friends and readers! Happiness is on the way! But hey... life can't be all sunshine and sugar. :P

I can't promise when the next chapter will be up what with Harry Potter coming out tomorrow night, essays for school and Thanksgiving. But hopefully it will be up soon! :D

Enjoy, RXR, and if I don't post by Thanksgiving (and if you celebrate it) enjoy your holiday! :D