Tarrant raced through the halls, causing the agitated paiges and servants to stare after the quickly disappearing figure. He didn't stop until he found Helen, practicing swordplay. "Dame Helen!" He called.

She stopped him in his tracks by pointing her sabre at him. "State your name."

"Tarrant Hightopp, ma'am."

The sabre did not lower. "Your rank?"

"Hatter to the Queen."

Still, she did not lower the sword. "Intention?"

"I need to speak you about a matter of utmost importance."

Helen finally lowered the weapon and considered the madman for a moment before saying, "You are trained in swordplay, correct?"

Tarrant was slightly surprised at this. "Yes, ma'am. May I ask why?"

She took no notice of his question. "Are you any good?''

"I believe I am. I fought on the Frabjous Day, defending the White Queen."

Helen simply nodded. "We can talk, of course. With one request. It has been many years since I have dueled with anyone. If you want to talk, and if you are as good as you say you are, I first challenge you to a duel."

Tarrant nodded. Alice didn't get her muchness from her father, did she? He retrieved another sabre from the rack and stood ready.

Helen stood opposite him. "Begin."

The contest was not finished quickly. Though it had been a long time since either had used a sword, both sides had been trained well. In the end, Helen won.

"I see your retirement hasn't diminished your skills with a sword." He said, putting back the weapon.

Helen replaced the sabre on the shelf next to his and said, "Nor has your career of hatting diminished yours. What is this matter of great importance, Tarrant?"

"It- it's about the Champion, Dame Helen."

"Just Helen, please. I've had enough with titles. What about Alice?"

Tarrant hesitated slightly. "I would like to know if she will be coming back as well."

Helen did not answer immediately and Tarrant did not push for a reply.

After a moment, she spoke. "Alice never forgot you. In fact, she spoke of you frequently. She often wondered if it was all real. Of course I could never tell her that I not only believed her, but that I'm from her beloved Wonderland."

Tarrant was crestfallen. She could never return if she didn't even know that this place was real.

Helen bowed her head shamefully. "But I could not bear to look at her face when she learned the truth, so I simply wrote her a letter. As brave as I might be facing a Jabberwocky or some other threat, I am a coward when it comes to relationships."

Tarrant waited for her to say more, and when she didn't, he asked, "You said she spoke of me?"

"Yes, I did, didn't I?" Helen said. She took a deep breath, as if trying to avoid relaying bad news. She continued in a soft voice. "About eighteen months ago, Alice and myself visited the Ascot Manor, in the hopes that she would change her mind about Hamish's proposal of marriage."

Tarrant felt a lump form his throat and suddenly found it hard to breath. She couldn't have…

"When she learned of the purpose of the visit, she promptly ran outdoors,"

Tarrant breathed a sigh of relief.

"-Except it had grown rather stormy. When she came back the manor, she was chilled to the bone. She got very ill. In fact, her fever got to the point where we stayed at the manor for a week. Sometimes she would wake, panicked and crying, from her fevered dreams. She would tell me of them. Every last one of them were memories of Underland. And most of them were of you."

"How could you be sure that the weren't simply dreams?" Tarrant asked tensely.

"Because her entire life, all the dreams she's ever had were memories. Even before she came to Underland."

So I am her dream. He thought, overjoyed.

Was her dream. A voice at the back of his head whispered.

His eyes widened at the implications of Helen's words. "Is- did she- how is…?" He stuttered, not wanting to voice his worried question, "Is she alright?"

Helen's attention split back to the present. "Alice is fine. She came close a few times, got us all very worried, but she is fine now. I'm sorry to give you the impression that I did about her well-being. It's a hard topic for me. That was the last straw, in fact. It was a hard decision to tell her the truth but after that week, I had to."

She smiled up at him. "And I'm sorry that I had to delay this conversation, for such a strange request as a duel. I had to be sure, though."

He was elated and confused at the same moment, which caused his eyes to churn yellow and lavender. "Had to be sure of what?"

"That you would really do anything for my daughter." Helen had a sudden thought. "In fact, if she hasn't left already, think how romantic it would be if you found a way back to her. The door to Upperland to find shouldn't be to hard to find. It'll be the one that isn't locked."

He didn't need to be told twice.

I'm still looking for new names for the story. If nobody has any suggestion's I think I'll go with "Halice in Blunderland" (No, not really. I just really, REALLY, REALLY wanted to say that, =P) And as always, especially for new readers, or readers who haven't already reviewed, Please Review. I will be grateful for as long as I write fan fiction/this website exists.