It felt as though someone had drove a knife through my world and torn it to shreds.

"It's sort of an experiment," He tried to explain, hoping that I wouldn't take anything the wrong way. The queen shot him a dark glare. He jumped a little. "Well…it's true." He was quiet on his sentence.

I couldn't believe this. Reaching up, upon my head, I grabbed his hat that I planned to wear as I walked down the isle. With my muscles tense and tightened, I couldn't help but grasp it tightly, tossing it on the ground at his feet. I darted past everyone, running up and to my room. I didn't cry, I didn't scream, I was confused. I was pacing back and forth. Gone for five months and this happens. Maybe life with Chaunce wasn't going to be so bad after all. Tarrant and them seemed pretty content while I was gone so what served my purpose as another body here? Just a waste of space and a perfectly nice room! But, my mixed emotions stopped when Tarrant appeared in my room.

"Leilani?" he asked.

I pointed my finger at him.

"You…You stay away from me! I have no words for you, Mister Tarrant Hightopp."

"Leilani let me explain."

"There's no explaining to do! In simple words, I'm nothing to you anymore."

He looked annoyed. "I loved you…and without you here life was purely hectic! It's unlawful to take a King's wife, which will result in her death and mine as well."

"I'm not married!" I yelled.

He blinked, gazing upon me. I felt trapped in those big, green eyes of his. A part of me wanted to rush forth, kissing him, having him whisper in my ear that everything would be okay. And yet, if I were to do such an action, the Queen would surely find out.

"You're not?"

"Didn't you hear me?" I asked him, crossing my arms and sitting on the bed, gazing out at the window.

"I thought you were lying." He spoke.

I faced him, seeing him looking away from me, toying with his large hat in his hands.

"Well I hope you're happy. You get this big, GRAND castle, with all the food you can eat, all the necessary equipment to make hats, and the most beautiful woman in Underland. Boy, isn't life purely swell for Mr. and Mrs. Hightopp," I spoke as tears started forming in my eyes. I stood up, pacing the room back and forth. Why was I feeling this way? This…this feeling inside of me made my stomach feel like it was twisting, like my heart was turning to nothing but black, carved coal. I closed my eyes tightly, opening them back to glare at Tarrant. But, the next feeling in my stomach made me do something I hated to do when I was upset: be jealous. "How did this happen?"

"The Queen and I were talking one day. We both went for a quick walk after I was done mourning over you and she kissed me. It was quite nice, actually. At that point all my worries were gone, for the time being and then-"

I stomped my foot. "I don't want to hear about it!"

"But you just asked!"

"Never mind what I say," I told him. It was silent until I realized he didn't answer the first part of my question. "You must be happy, right?"

He was silent as well. He moved, walking to the chair in front of the window, peering out of it and turning back to me. He stood up, walking over to me, raising his hands and placing his hat on my head.

"I'm not sure if I am happy," he said. He looked confused for a moment and looked me in the eye. "Why are you questioning me like I'm some child? I'm not Elizabeth. You can't snap your fingers at me and expect me to do your every waking command, Alice."

I was still, almost able to pass for a statue on display with the title underneath it, saying: "Heart-broken girl in shock."

I turned to him slowly, smacking him across the face, getting up and leaving. Alice? Alice? He had called me by my mother's name. The woman who bore no resemblance to me at all. Heck, I'm surprised he didn't call me Mirana! But yet, I took that as a sign that he wanted to be with my mother more than he wanted to be with Mirana, more than he wanted to be with me. I grabbed my blanket, the blanket he rescued for me, tossing it around my shoulders, heading out of the door.

Mirana came out of the castle.

"Leilani! Leilani, where are you going?" She asked in a somewhat concerned voice. I turned around to her, shooting a glare at her. She looked taken aback by my look, so she just hurried inside, calling for the Hatter.

It was an hour later when I realized something, sitting here alone in this forest, staring out into the sunset. How could five months of finding someone new like Mirana beat only two days with me? I couldn't believe that they were finally finding the ones they needed the most. I couldn't believe that I would never get that chance with Tarrant, ever for that matter. When the Queen likes something, she never lets go unless strongly persuaded or by force. I heard rustling of leaves and I figured it was just the wind brushing leaves past. I paid it no mind. I saw a smaller, thin fragile-looking squirrel, trying hard to crack open an acorn. In an attempt to help it, another squirrel came along, taking the nut and cracking it for the smaller squirrel. I sniffled a little, getting emotional for no known reason at all.

"Hello." I jumped at the randomness of a voice. I turned around slowly, hoping it wasn't who I thought it was. Oh, but it was.

"Hi." I said softly. The man with orange hair came, sitting right next to me.

"Have you any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?"

I thought about it, spending a few extra moments in pure silence. "Because Poe wrote on both?" I asked, turning to him.

He shook his head with a bashful grin upon his face. "It's not supposed to have an answer."

I chuckled, looking away from him. "Hatter, why did you come?"

"To discuss the situation with you, Mirana and I."

I groaned. "Not this, again."

"Yes, this again."

"You called me Alice."

"But you are her daughter."

"But I do have my own identity, thank you very much. If you don't mind, I'd like to be called Leilani."

He looked at me. "Why did you act that way back there?"

"Are you trying to make me prove something?"

"If only you admit it before I can prove it to you."

He was so clever, full of logic in the weirdest ways, and could change anyone's mind, just by pure confusion.

"What happened at the castle is none of anyone's right mind."

"What about mine?"

"Especially yours." I said, my voice raising slightly.

"You're getting that way again. You're jealous."

I frowned. "I am not jealous! I am just…frustrated that you found someone else whereas I'm here, lingering in my own problems. I should have gotten married if I knew you fancied Mirana."

"I don't fancy her."

"Then why stay?"

"Because, you are being extremely difficult. It's like a mind game that never ends with you."

I could not take this frustration any longer. I grabbed his collar.

"I confess! I confess! Just leave me alone, already! I confess that I want someone here to crack open my acorn for me." I used the acorn situation with the squirrels and referred it to the weaker acorn as me and the stronger as him, the Hatter. This was just my way of saying, uneasily, that I needed him by my side.

He looked around, picking up an acorn.

"There's one right there." He said, handing it to me. I snatched it and threw it across the way.

"I don't want an acorn, I don't want anything in this world. Tarrant…I lo-"

I stopped myself short, seeing him turn his head away from me, obviously sick of my nagging. I placed my hand to his face where it was red. He flinched a bit from the coldness of my fingers.

"It hurts." He said, rubbing his cheek.

"I did that?" I asked, rubbing it a little bit.

"I have two. One from the white queen, one from you." He had an uneasy smirk on his face. I calmed down just a little, trying to change the subject for now.

"It brings back memories, this forest."

"Aye, it does." He spoke, nodding in agreement. I looked out of the corner of my eye, seeing him staring deeply into the orange horizon. It reminded me of his hair. How could I ever stay mad at this charming fellow? I leaned in close, kissing his hurting cheek. He turned to me, a small smile crossing his lips.

"That's for the slap." I said, turning his head a little to go and kiss the other slap.

"And that?"

"in favor of the queen, herself."

He stared into my eyes, holding my hand in his. That feeling, this spot was the most magical spot ever. To think these forests have been burned down by the Red Queen and still have the horizon make it so beautiful. But yet, that didn't matter. All that mattered next was the action that almost happened. He leaned in to kiss me but I laid my hand on his chest.

"What's wrong?"

"What about the queen?"

He sighed. "We talked and I told her I didn't love her like I said I did."

"And you did that…for me?"

He nodded his head, grinning.

"Aye, I did." He said, his Scottish accent appearing again. He leaned in once more to kiss me but I stopped him.

"Wait…you didn't let me finish what I started to say." I told him.

"Go on." He nodded.

I leaned close to his ear.

"I love you, too. Took me a while, but I finally know how I feel, Tarrant." I told him. He looked me in the eyes, shock on his face, until he lightened up a little, leaning in to kiss me, finally receiving what he had desired all along…for so long.