AN: Says my muse to Jack, as she pokes through his secret stash: "Got anything useful in here? Some Creativity? Maybe a splash of Inspiration?"
Says Jack: "I don't think that stuff can be bottled." Slightly confused look. "Besides, isn't that your job?"
My muse, sulking slightly: "You try being her muse when she's this stressed!" Gets bright idea. "Can I borrow this?" Holds up a bottle of Calm
Says Jack, shock evident in his voice: "Absolutely NOT! Haven't you learned anything reading this story so far?"
Replies my muse, smirking: "A few things, actually."
Jack, rolling his eyes: "Just see if Duchess will whip up a placebo for her."
(Apologies for the delay in getting another chapter up... my muse doesn't like stress. The next chapter after this should be up quickly, it's already half written)
...
It had been a time of political unrest. The Queen of Hearts had been banished, and the young, blonde Alice of Legend had disappeared, back to her own world. The Spades and the Diamonds were both striving to put their royals on the vacated throne, but the Clubs and the remaining Hearts would not align themselves with either. And so, though the Cards still ruled, Wonderland had fallen largely into a state of anarchy.
But, it allowed the rise of certain folk-heroes and Javan Devillius had been a legend. The young Ace of Spades had quickly made a name for himself, both among the Cards and the people of Wonderland.
He was a revolutionary. He was a fighter. And most important to his fame, he was a jabberwock slayer.
Lord Devillius had paraded that jabberwock skull through the streets, to the cheers of all of Wonderland.
And the legend had been born: of how this brave young man had marched into Tulgey Wood, tracked the jabberwock for days on end, subsisting only on berries and lake water, and in the end had battled to the death with the hideous beast, and brought back its head.
Which was far from the actual story, but most legends are.
In truth, he had become separated from a hunting party out chasing borogrove, and had, by chance, come across an old and badly injured jabberwock. One that would likely have been dead within hours left on its own. And even in its crippled state, it had nearly bested the young Ace, inflicting more then a few wounds before Lord Devillius had sunk his blade and ended the creature's miserable existence.
The hunting party had come upon him just as he was finishing severing the head from the neck. In spite of its size, they had dragged the head all the way back to the city, and the legend was born in earnest.
And he had relished his celebrity status.
He had become a member of the council, championed the cause for a Spade King (not him as he was Ace bloodline, not royal), and in general helped to rule Wonderland.
Things had gone well until Mary Constance Devillius Heart (his second-cousin, and daughter of the exiled Queen of Hearts) returned to the heart of Wonderland, commanding an army and bearing the Looking Glass and Stone of the Kingdom of the Knights.
The Cards had put up little resistance as she reclaimed the throne of Wonderland, and thus began the reign of a ruler far more callous and vindictive then her predecessor ever was.
And Javan Devillius was eventually forced to flee and disappear, with only his head on his shoulders.
…
The day had not ended nearly as promising as it had started.
Lord Devillius had taken great effort to convince the wavering council that Hatter was the guilty party. After all, who else could it be? He had the history, the experience, the cunning, the dubious past playing both sides. And, above all, location. Who else from Wonderland had his kind of access?
What made the argument that much stronger, was that Lord Devillius truly believed Hatter was guilty. And five of the remaining Aces had eventually agreed with him. King Jack did not, but he had said nothing.
But Lord Devillius had seen the dread, the horror and agony, that flitted across Jack's face and remained, barely discernible but present in his eyes, when he suggested that they hold Hatter to trial in Court. And it had pleased him immensely.
How much tea would Jack have to consume to be emotionless as he condemned his ally to death, in front of the Oyster that he was so fond of, no less? Lord Devillius knew that it was only a matter of time before King Jack would break. The strain was already visible, even through the well-practiced mask and the tea-induced placidity.
It was no secret to any of the council that the King was back on oyster tea. It was hardly subtle. However, they all seemed content to just let it slide. After all, a few of them were still battling the addiction themselves. That, and it wasn't enough by itself for Jack to lose all credibility. And the king was being extremely careful.
But if Jack were to show weakness to the masses, or to break down, Lord Devillius had no doubt that the council would move to remove him as king, and the royals from the other suits would once again be able to vie for the monarchy.
But the idea of Court was stayed in favor of dosing, at Hatter's own request. Dodo had been surprised and more then a little outraged. Then he had noted the king's great reluctance, and the looks that were passing between the king and Hatter. And was that fear in Hatter's eyes?
They were both concerned about the outcome. And Dodo had to wonder why. And how he could turn this to his advantage, to take down Hatter, or the king, or both.
When council had broken for lunch, he had instead slipped away, a different destination in mind.
The scientist had looked like he wanted to jump out of his skin when Lord Devillius had burst into his lab, a storm brewing in his face. He offered a bribe, and gave implicit instructions. Terrified, the scientist had just nodded, and breathed a sigh of relief as the lord exited in much the same manner as he had arrived. Then he had slowly turned back to the concoction before him, and reached for an additive.
Lord Devillius had eyed the terrified Hatter, tied to a chair, expecting at any moment for the boy to back out. Especially when the Honesty was brought in, a ridiculously large amount of Honesty. But Hatter had surprisingly opened his mouth and taken the dose.
And promptly let the council know it had been tainted, which drew the wrath of the oyster and she had been removed, much to Dodo's delight.
But that was the last thing that had gone in Dodo's favor. King Jack had taken the task of questioning (probably a back room deal between the two), and had kept Hatter focused on the situation at hand. And the Ace of Hearts had only let the questioning go on long enough for them to know that Hatter was telling the truth, and only on the one issue.
Hatter had been sent away, under the guard of the king's best men, to be hidden until the Honesty wore off.
And he could feel the change in the council, even as they resumed the business of deciding what was to be done about the issues at hand. He had lost a battle, at a time when he couldn't afford to.
He knew much of the council was afraid of him. He was Resistance, and he was fiery tempered. If he disappeared back underground, they knew that their government would be in trouble. A new Resistance was the last thing they needed. And he also had a wealth of knowledge and experience, and for that he was respected.
But he had just wrongfully accused one of Wonderland's newest heroes. One that had played a major part in giving the council back some of the power that they had been stripped of under the queen's rule.
And the legend that was this second Hatter and second Alice of Legend was far trumping the legend that had been Lord Devillius.
AN: Hard to write, but a bit of back story was needed. Hope you like. Please read and review. Much love to those who have been reviewing. :)
Coming soon... hopefully: a lemony one-shot of Jack and Duchess. At least, I've started writing it... I'll have to see how it turns out.
