Chapter 9
A Good and Proper Letter Structure
Mirana watched the party layout assemble on the lush grass of the Witzend park. She pondered whether Tarrant would notice the subtleties within the letter. She hoped he wouldn't. And hoped against hope that he would find a way around them and the obstacles they enforsed. If he didn't realise it than Cheshire would; he was very astute with subtleties. But she doubted he would understand why, none of them would. And she wasn't able to tell them. The leash of the crown was tied tightly around her neck, and it was ready to tug and choke her the moment she stepped out of line. But Tarrant wouldn't realise the subtleties. He didn't have to. Him and Alice would happily come to the party that night, and no brute force would be needed.
The white and dull golden tiles were being laid on the ground to make up the dance floor; as immaculately dressed musicians tuned their redwood string instruments, on the already arranged stage. The buffet and ice sculptures were ready and waiting under the light of the paper lanterns in the trees. A temperate breeze blew over the vacated dance floor and wove its way through the mild cloud of conversation that hung above the party arrangers' heads. Everything was prepared. Everything was perfect, as it had been foretold, and how it shouldn't be. Mirana never thought she'd ever have to do anything like this for the sake of the crown. But she could not discourage the will of the Oraculum. And so, if someone suggested a party in Witzend park to celebrate the return of Alice, then she couldn't disagree. And if the Oraculum said that Alice was to be there, then she would have to use the full power of the crown to get her there. But also, if the Oraculum did not specify how many of the White Queen's guards were present; then she could fill the surrounding forest to the brim with guards, on the look out for her murderess older sister. Mirana would help and hinder the Oraculum's wishes in an attempt to balance the scales of fate, and prey for them to show her mercy. The Oraculum had rewritten its self once throughout history. Once and only once. But of course the monarch of the time could not tell of or document the change. So no one ever knew what had influenced the hands of fate and destiny to loosen their grasp, and rework the Oraculum. Mirana could only wish that they would pay her the same kindness. She gazed up at the stars that dotted the emerald sky, and noticed that they were glowing more brightly than she had ever seen them before. A good omen perhaps?
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Breathless giggling emitted from the Hatter's workshop, as he rather overenthusiastically kissed Alice's neck. Alice didn't know how long they had been there. A few hours maybe. The last few amber rays of sun had been sucked in by the horizon, about twenty minutes previous. Leaving only the dull yellow lamps to illuminate the pair and their playful courtship. Unbeknown to them, two invisible cats had been in the room listening in the whole time. They hovered transparent over the couple's heads, with their paws over their mouths as they struggled to contain their mirth. These humans were so idiotically oblivious to them.
Alice's dress had long since been finished, but not tried on. It lay spread out on the worktop at the far side of the room. (Alice was a little reluctant to change out of the Hatter's clothes, however nice the dress was.)The Hatter and Alice had unanimously decided not to go to the party that night. Even though it was in her honour. They had decided that the other party goers could have their fun for them. Instead they would spend the evening alone together, as lovers were supposed to do. But Alice had since concluded that she wasn't used to so much continues affection, all in one go.
"Hatter," Alice tried desperately through her laughing fit to sound serious. "Hatter, stop it! It tickles!"
He didn't listen to her, and she didn't pull away. His lavender lips passed swiftly up and down her neck. Her arms linked above his shoulders and his around her waist. Alice looked over his shoulder and through his wild orange hair. She froze. A pair of disembodied deep green eyes and a wide pointed grin hovered in the air, staring right at them. Her face flushed.
"Cheshire!" exclaimed Alice. She couldn't believe he had just sat there and watched them! How long had he been there?
On Alice's yell, the Hatter released her from his embrace, as if she had given him an electric shock. He whirled round just in time to see the green feline eyes glisten and disappear irksomely.
"Cheshire you…! you…!" The Hatter seemed unable to find words to describe Chess' shameful and prying behaviour. Which didn't really matter since he was shouting at an empty room. When he and Alice became aware of this they shared an awkward glance, and rushed up the stairs. In the living room they found a pair of very innocent looking cats, sat in front of the fire as if they had been there all along.
"Cheshire you heinous, eavesdropping, tea hogging excuse for a cat!" the Hatter ranted, his voice getting louder and louder as his eyelids got blacker. Alice held on tightly to his arm in a hopeless bid to restrain him as he lunged forward (oblivious to the sofa that separated him and Chess). "Relieve my house of your imposing company! Get out!"
"Hatter!" Alice shouted as she heard the Hatter's Scottish accent coming through. On the sound of her voice, his anger extinguished as quickly as a fire being hit by icy water.
"Thank you…" he said quietly, as if his voice was whispering from the bottom of his lungs.
"Now Tarrant," began Cheshire pleadingly, but the superiority in his voice was unmistakeable. "Don't you think you're being a bit brash?"
"Not at all." replied Alice and the Hatter in unison. Alice was still quite annoyed at him for looking in on them. She certainly hadn't wanted spectators for her first kiss, especially not an unseen evaporating cat. Something she would never have had to fret about in Overland.
The Hatter gave her a glance of thanks for being on his side, before turning back to Cheshire. "Your welcome left long before you did. Now please kindly follow it."
"But you've given me no alternative place to be." replied Cheshire lazily, as he made himself comfortable in the carpet. He had no intention of leaving the two lovers in private. The happenings of that last day had been too interesting to just leave and let them take there course. "What did McTwisp have for you?"
"Nothing to concern your snooping ears with." snapped the Hatter. He placed his hand over the pocked that contained the invitation and narrowed his eyes at Cheshire. "You and your body snatching lady friend will just have to find somewhere else to moult - And why is it my fire place full of cat hair?" he added in an irritated but curious tone.
"I am not his lady friend,stupid mad man." grumbled the ragged cat. Both felines ignored his question
"Surely you must have somewhere else to be." Alice addressed Cheshire, as she sat down on the sofa. She wouldn't accept that he didn't have anyone else to nose in on.
"Of course I do, but you and Tarrant are ever so entertaining." he purred teasingly.
"Entertaining?" exclaimed the Hatter insulted; rising to Cheshire's bait. "Is that all your slurvish, gluttonous eyes see us as? Cheap entertainment?"
Cheshire grinned a grin up at him that seemed to say: "Yes. What else would I see you foolish humans as?"
Before The Hatter could respond, Alice turned her head up to look at him from the sofa and asked amiably: "Hatter, may I see the invitation?"
He dutifully passed it to her without a word; his eyes still glaring at Cheshire.
Alice unrolled and read over the invite. She got a sinking feeling in her stomach even looking at it. There was something foreboding about it somehow. It was set out like an official document; not unlike the ones she'd had to deal with at her father's company. It made her feel very small and insignificant. Even the type of the lettering seemed to press out of the page and threaten her. How could a party invitation be so ominous?
The Hatter sat down beside her. "You're not reconsidering going are you?" he asked, his eyes full with worry; as he remembered how he had vowed to protect her, that night on the balcony.
"No, I…" Alice didn't know what it was about the invitation, but there was something unsettling about it. "Cheshire, could you have a look at this?" she asked as she passed it down to him. He took it in his furry little paws and scrutinised the parchment. All eyes in the room were fixed on him, as they watched his slitted pupils glide over the paper. After a moment he looked up with a grave expression.
"This is no invitation." he said solemnly "It's a summons."
"Don't be ridiculous." said the Hatter irritably. "The White Queen sent it herself."
"It's a summons." he said forcefully "There have been subtle attempts to obscure it, but this is definitely a summons."
"But why would she do that?" asked Alice with a vexed expression. Both her and the Hatter looked back at Cheshire, anxiously awaiting a solution. But he gave them one.
"I don't know." replied Chess as he looked over the invitation again. "But it must be fatally important to the Queen that you be there, for her to use the full authority of the crown."
"How can you be certain it's a summons?" asked the Hatter. He was less than eager to take Alice somewhere she was afraid to go; but he was also unhappy about defying the Queen that he had fought so tirelessly to get into power.
"There's no doubt in my mind; it's arranged precisely like a court summons." he passed the paper back to the Hatter "I would have thought you'd recognise the layout."
"I don't think any of us need to remember that incident." said the Hatter, giving Cheshire a reprimanding stare for digging up the old and almost forgotten subject.
"Why? What happened?" asked the ragged cat, her eyes greedy for embarrassing stories about the Hatter. But Cheshire only gave her an enigmatic look. "Ple-ase tell me what the mad man did." she said in an uncharacteristically sweet voice. She was almost begging as she stretched herself closer to him; as cats do when they're requesting food.
"He got himself in a bit of a tizzy in the court room-" began Chess.
"It really is quite a dreary story-" interrupted the Hatter, his cheeks reddening slightly. But Cheshire ignored him.
"And so he danced about on one leg, lost his shoe and took a bite out of a tea cup. All in front of the Red Queen and King and entire jury. It's nearly ancient history now. Nearly."
The two cats sniggered at the Hatter's previous uncomfortable episodes.
"I do wish you'd take my situation a little more seriously." interrupted Alice sternly "What happens if I refuse the summons?"
"Do you remember seeing the Hatter in the court room when you were younger Alice?" asked Cheshire
"Yes, but-"
"In what manner did he arrive?" asked Cheshire. His tone was that of a tutor educating a student.
"He was dragged in by the Red Queen's guards." Alice could hear the pieces clicking together in her mind, but she didn't want to look at them. The bigger picture was most unappealing.
"Because he refused the summons." finished Cheshire.
"Why?" asked the ragged cat.
"Because he's an arrogant fool, who thinks he can evade the crown." said Cheshire as if it were a common known fact.
"I am not!" exclaimed the Hatter; he was getting sick of the felines condescending attitude towards him.
"We're straying from the point." said Alice reprimanded the two cats. She gave the Hatter a look that showed that she in no way agreed with Cheshire, to which he replied with a loving smile. "If we don't turn up to the party, will the White Queen…?" Alice didn't want to finish. The words would sound obscene coming out of her mouth.
The ragged cat opened her mouth, but Cheshire calmly gestured to the ragged cat to be quiet and ask no more questions. He then turned to the two humans on the sofa: "If you don't attend the party willingly, then you will be brought there by force, in the armoured arms of the Queen's guards."
"Our Queen Mirana wouldn't allow it." said the Hatter firmly.
"Looks like she's the one making it happen." muttered the ragged cat as she set about licking her paws clean.
"What I don't understand is why she's doing this." said Alice with a tense expression. "What could be that important?"
"And if it was this important, then why didn't she simply tell you?" Cheshire's face was deep in contemplation. "This sly secrecy doesn't bode well. It's very unlike Mirana."
There was a long and dragging moment of thought, in which Alice and the Hatter's thoughts kept exasperatingly reverting to her dream.
