Time of Remembering

"Nivens, please come here."

It was Mirana's voice, and there was a clear sense of sadness in its tone. Her voice echoed throughout her bedroom, which was quite large. The woman found herself encased within white walls, given a view of the vast valley with the waterfall through her tall glass windows, which she found herself gazing through lately. There was a large white canopy bed, a gentle sparkling translucent curtain hanging vigilantly over the light silver sheets that slumbered beneath it. The floor was decorated with a chessboard, its colours of glass and a pale shade of white. There were white irises that decorated the room, as well as other white furniture, from the vanity to the smallest table.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" came a greet from the servant. He was no taller than two feet, and already he was dressed in his dark blue waistcoat; it was much more lovely than that horrid rag of a cloth the Red Queen had given him under her reign of power. He was quite twitchy, looking around as if he were to be hunted down by blood-thirst animals. Nobody could blame him though, as Iracebeth had sometimes sent the hounds after him as a form of entertainment for herself.

The woman smiled as her body turned away from the dark world outside window. She approached him slowly, kneeling to his level as to not tower over him. Her nightgown trailed not too far from the back of her feet as she took simple steps. "Will you please do me a favour?" she asked. Her voice was very gentle, nearly a whisper.

The rabbit nodded quickly. He had never felt so at home. Most of his life had been spent fearing for his life, but he knew that the White Queen would never hurt him, and he owed her quite a lot. He had served her during the Red Queen's reign, but the hag had been so demanding that he could not stop serving her; he was a prisoner. "How may I help you?" he asked happily.

"Will you go to Alice's world, please, Nivens?" the Queen spoke, smiling sweetly as she saw the rabbit before her, "The Hatter is there, and he has to return to Wonderland right away." She paused for a moment. "Alice and the Hatter were supposed to meet each other up there, but it somehow did not happen. You are the only one capable of going up the hole."

"Certainly anything for you, my Queen!" the rabbit replied, turning around towards the door. He began hopping away, quite eager to return to the world of London. Thud. Thud. Thud. Click. Silence.

Mirana smiled, a loneliness coming upon her. It was not that she did not like not having company, but during the day, she really did miss Tarrant Hightopp. The woman really did miss having him around, accompanying her. She knew all too well that he would not be back anytime soon, even if she had just sent Nivens McTwisp up the rabbit hole. After all, there would be the time the rabbit would have to locate the Hatter.

Standing, she took gentle steps towards her bed, her steps as light as a feather. The woman was well-known for her grace, whether it was her movement or even just the way she had a heart for all living things. Well, she had to have a grace as she walked; she did not take ballet as a young child for nothing. As she slipped herself beneath the bed sheets, she felt the cool dampness of its fabric, running like silk along her skin and the dress that covered it. Her head lay gently on the pillow, the same softness calming the side of her face as she closed her eyes. Memories of her and ballet flowed through her mind, allowing her to relax.

It did not take long for her to drift to her sleep.

The next morning came with no disturbances.

Light shone through the tall glass windows, illuminating the white room. It was something out of a movie, where everything was still. The flowers did not weep for water, nor did the mirror starve for attention. The table would not collapse, nor did even the door open itself the slightest. There was no movement in the room, with the exception of the bed sheets, being pushed aside to allow the human woman to leave its clutches.

The White Queen was definitely not a grouchy person in the morning. No, she was still her lovely little self, as if she had never slept at all. Well, of course she would never be in a bad mood: she had all the time in the world to sleep, and she could do whatever she wanted. After all, each morning meant saying "Hello" to the wonderful sun that shone brightly in the sky.

She made her way to the bathroom attached to her own room, her arms up, as if letting them fall to her eyes would somehow make her a disgrace. Her time inside was not very long, as she came out as soon as she had entered. Mirana was very quick to get dressed, dressing herself in her usual white dress, a pattern of golden roses sewn upon the corset on her dress. Most would assume that the corset was used to keep her youthful body from taking its true shape, but that was not it; her body naturally fit into the cornet, curves and all. She was quite beautiful, after all.

"My Queen! My Queen!" Outside, in the hall, came Bielle's voice, an excitement in her voice.

Mirana was quick to run to the door, opening it so she could see the female bloodhound who sat patiently before it. "Yes, what is it?" she asked, a clear curiousity in her voice.

"The Bandersnatch and Bayard have returned," Bielle replied, bowing her head in respect as she was graced by the Queen's presence, "Alice awaits for you in the kitchen." She turned for a moment, then stopped. "Oh, and I shall have you know, my Queen," she spoke, turning her head behind her, "Thackery seems to be causing an uprising in the kitchen again." With that, she followed behind the giggling Queen, following down the silver carpet.

* * *

"No, I will NOT have butterflies in my porridge!"

It was clearly Thackery Earwicket, the March Hare. Oh, he had certainly gone mad again. If anything, he was Wonderland's new source of madness, if not insanity. To Alice, he seemed to certainly beat the Hatter at the title of mad.

"Please, be careful!" Alice cried, diving behind a bowl to avoid several spoonfuls of porridge, which had been whipped fiercely at the walls. She panted, wondering how the kitchen staff could handle his impulsive behaviour, and the maids, who had to clean after him everyday.

"Alice! Do you like Flies' eyes in your cake?!" His voice clearly showed he was no longer his right mind. That was no surprise. After all, he never was.

"Umm no, but I would prefer lemons," the girl replied, running behind glass bottles. The girl took a moment to look at the contents of the bottles: one had a green liquid, filled with duck eyes; the other had a purple ooze. Alice certainly would not ask what was in them. She heard as the hare had another fit, throwing a metal fork in the direction of the bowl she had just hidden behind. Suddenly, she felt grateful for the glass bottles of hideous ingredients.

"Thackery, please go call everybody for tea now," came a familiar voice, "You've done well here in the kitchen." It was a sweet, gentle voice. Alice peeked around the bottles, seeing the White Queen, who had just ducked from a pan, coming at possibly 60m/hr. Goodness, she was quite lucky when it came to surviving Thackery's presence. She had never been hit once, and often the attacks she walked into were the deadliest. Alice nearly shrieked as the March Hare left the kitchen, followed by a trail of his shrill laughter.

It was quiet now. The kitchen remained still, with its many utensils and ingredient-filled bottles remaining dormant, waiting to be used. The silence was broken by the sound of the White Queen's footsteps, followed by her voice calling "Alice, are you here?"

The girl from London appeared out from behind the bottles, cautious in the event Thackery returned to the kitchen. She was quite small, wearing her blue dress. "Oh, hello," she greeted shyly. She walked to the end of the island, her feet seeming to float over the white counter. Well, of course it did. Alice's shoes were white, as well as the counter.

"Alice!" Mirana exclaimed, a happiness in her voice. She smiled as she extended a hand for the girl to climb onto. She did. "How have you been? It's been over a year since we've seen you!" She brought the girl over to the top of the bottles, letting her sit upon the cork that secured the contents of the bottle within its glass.

"I've been well," Alice replied, smiling as Mirana turned away from the girl, walked around the counter, and began opening cupboards, looking for something, "I've just returned home before I came here to Wonderland."

"How wonderful," the Queen replied, still looking through cupboards, "How was your trip?"

"It was quite nice."

"Lovely." Mirana was quite preoccupied with the cupboards. "You know, a year and a half has already passed since you've been back." Clearly, she was just making for small talk.

"So I've been told." There was a hint of guilt in her voice. Alice did not like leaving her friends, but she knew she had to back then. What came to mind now was the thought of the Hatter, waiting for over a year for her to come to tea. It would be such a long wait. Oh, how that slowly killed Alice inside… "How have you been?"

"I've been quite well," the woman replied, smiling as she brought a small plate to the counter. It was a glass plate, and in the middle was a small, square piece of cake. It was no bigger than an inch on each side, a pastel shade of green icing covering the inside. On the top, in clear white text, were the words 'Eat Me'. The plate tapped against the countertop as it was set down.

"Oh, thank you," Alice spoke, sliding down the bottle. She was quite eager to eat some of the Queen's upelkuchen, the cake that made one grow. It was quite delicious actually, if you ever really considered or knew what the ingredients were. You would never think such a delicious cake would be made of such revolting ingredients. As Alice bit into the cake, she could taste some carrot, and she could feel the effects of the cake to kick in, as she jumped off the counter, increasing in size. Within a matter of seconds, Alice Kingsley was at her normal height, which was quite close the White Queen's herself. "It feels lovely to be myself," she remarked, looking down at the floor far from her face, the looking to the Queen.

"Well then, that settles your size problem, does it not?" Mirana smiled, a gentleness in her voice. She was just as Alice remembered her: sweet, gentle, and pleasant. The White Queen was the innocent one of the two Queens, always going out of her way to help those who could not help themselves.

"Yes, it quite does," Alice replied, accompanied by a giggle.

"Well then, please say in Wonderland for awhile," the White Queen invited, "I have something to discuss with you. But first, please do stay for tea." A smile came upon her porcelain face. "After that, I would like to talk to you."

"I will stay for a little bit."

Footsteps echoed the empty kitchen as they exited the room.

The halls of the White Queen's castle were well welcomed by Alice in her memories. There came the sound of shuffling cloth and the click-clack of their shoes crashing to the ground with every gentle step they took, taking in the brightness of their surroundings. A memory of Wonderland returned to the girl as she turned her head back and forth, most of them centering around the Frabjous Day, and the decision Alice had to make for herself. It had been so scary back then, having to choose between life and death. Yet, looking back on it now, it was not so scary, and the answer was quite obvious. Had she not slain the Jabberwocky, Wonderland would cease to exist, and she and the White Queen would not be there in the castle, walking to the tea party in the courtyard. Along with the current traveling, Alice knew that she would be most hurt if a certain madman had disappeared from her life because of her.

When she and the Queen stepped through the doorframe of two grand double-doors, Alice felt the grass beneath her feet. It felt soft as it shuffled beneath her feet; it was a little more comfortable than walking on glass and concrete all day. Before her, Alice could see a long table stretch away from her, covered by a sparkling white sheet. Upon the table were several teacups, empty and ready to be filled, accompanied by an empty chair. It reminded Alice that there was a world beyond the sky of Wonderland, and she would have to return quickly if she did not want to seem as if she had gone missing; after all, she only asked if she could be 'excused', and 'excused' was the only way to say 'May I go to the Ladies' Room?' even if the word was not limited to that meaning.

"Alice, please sit with us," the White Queen gestured, her skin glowing as she gestured to the chair beside her own, which was at one of the two ends of the table. She had taken to her own seat, ready to have tea. She watched as her friends joined at the table. Her eyes watched the March Hare first, followed by Bayard and Bielle, who often left their pups to play on the grass around them. She gazed upon Chessur, who had made himself visible, then Mallymkun, followed by Tweedledee and Tweedledum, who had taken to fighting each other over who sat in which chair. Filling the rest of the seats were the Beautiful People, the nobles who were close friends with the Queen, often found wandering the castle gardens in the front courtyard during the day.

With everyone seated, the Queen stood, standing proudly amongst her friends. "Friends, I have a wonderful announcement," she began, smiling she looked to everyone. Under the bright sky, it seemed as if the lights all shone down upon her, drawing to her all the attention she could ever want. "We have a very special friend joining us for tea today." Her attention turned to the foreigner beside her. "Alice, welcome back to Wonderland." Applause followed, then quickly receded as she raised a hand for silence. "She has won back our freedom from the Red Queen and slain the Jabberwocky on the Frabjous Day, as foretold by the Oraculum." Her voice was so longer one of a speech, but of a sweet mother, which was soft and breathy. "For that day over a year ago, thank you Alice."

With a smile, Mirana smiled to her friends. "Today is a very special day," she continued, "With the return of our Alice. We have waited so long, and she had gone through so much to save us." She paused for a moment. "Today, tea shall be served with the accompaniment of the finest sweets in all of Wonderland." A look of pride came upon her face as she finished her short speech, sitting as white fairies flew in, carrying silver platters that were home to as the Queen said, the finest sweets.

Alice watched as the fairies flew in. They were about 3 feet and a half, carrying platters that shone brightly beneath the shining sun. She watched as their blue hair flowed like a river behind them, as well as their white dresses, lined with blue vines at the edge of their skirts, which were up to their knees. Their fingertips barely touched their delivery, their hands and fingers spread perfectly to avoid the spilling of the food. In London, their perfection would sicken her.

The girl was quite tired of being served by maids, who were changed until they were flawless, whether it was their looks or even just the slightest way they moved their legs to take steps; they had to be perfect. In Wonderland, it did not seem so sickening. Perhaps it was because there was a party in light of her saving Wonderland, but perhaps it was because they seemed so naturally graceful that they needed no reform, unlike the maids in London. Well, this was Wonderland after all. Anything could happen.

Somehow, as the tea progressed, time brought forth depression to Alice. How could she be in Wonderland, sitting at the tea table, when everyone around her knew that the Hatter was not present? Were they angry with her because he no longer had tea with them? Where was he? How could she be happy when she knew somewhere in the world there was a sad madman waiting endlessly for her? Which reminded her… Where did he go? When she had requested to return to the castle, she said she wanted to see 'him'. That 'him' was not at the table. It finally came to Alice: 'him' was gone.

Time passed very slowly to the end of the tea. There was much fake happiness and enjoyment from Alice, who was hiding well the fact she was absolutely heartbroken. Her eyes watched as people stood from the table and began to drift from the table, taking their leave. The White Queen, herself, did not leave the table as her friends left. It seemed that she was content with her friends leaving her at the table, so it seemed to Alice like she was wishing to be alone. They waited as silence quickly fell upon them.

As soon as it had come, it was broken by the sound of the White Queen's dress, which produced the sound of moving cloth. "Alice, I would like to ask you something," the Queen spoke, leaning on the table, leaning closer to Alice. She paused for a moment. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to return to Wonderland," Alice replied shyly. She was unsure whether or not she should take that question as an insult or as a simple question of curiousity. There was no smile on her face, but there also was no sign of distaste in the woman's eyes.

"So you did not see him?" A look of surprise came to her face.

"Who?"

Mirana shook her head and smiled, lifting herself from her chair. "Please come with me, Alice," she suddenly spoke, as if it would answer her question. She seemed a little rushed, almost excited. "Please hurry," she added as she watched Alice stand. There was a look of eagerness upon her face as she quickly made her way out of the courtyard. She took Alice's wrist, like a child dragging their mother to a toy store.

As they scurried, they passed over the silver carpets that covered the floor of the hall that lead to the courtyard from the main foyer. The world around them was one glowing white blur, passing by quickly. Through their eyes, it seemed that the world was an empty hallway they were running down, and their running seemed as if they were running for their lives. All they could hear was the sound of their breathing, accompanied by the sound of their heels crashing onto the ground. The sound of both their dresses rustling with movement remained nearly silent as they ran.

"If I may ask, where are we going?" Alice managed to ask as she ran. She was running solely on adrenaline, which was somehow transferred to her from being in the presence of the frenzied queen. She had never seen the White Queen so worked up about anything, but then again, she had never really spent much time with the woman.

"You will see," the Queen spoke as she slowed in pace, the doors before her being opened for her and Alice to pass through by Beautiful Maids. Mirana watched with much patience as their silk arms reached for the golden handles of the door. Their milky hands shifted slightly, and as they returned their hand to toward their bodies, the doors were opened. They bowed silently with a pleasant smile as they were given a "Thank You" from the two females before passing through.

Somehow, it made Alice sick, as it reminded her of the maids up in London. There were so many types of maids: one for cooking, and one for cleaning; some for dressing their mistress or master, and one simply for opening a door. The sickening feeling reminded her of the fairies that had brought in the delicacies to the tea party in the courtyard, and soon the thoughts came to Marie, who was Margaret's maid. Oh… How awful it was to think that for generations, Marie and the rest of the Lencoil family had been serving the aristocrats for a living! If it were not for money, could they not be living the same lifestyle?

All movement became a standstill as the two stood before a door, at the far side of the castle's main foyer. "Please open the door for me," the Queen spoke pleasantly as she turned to Alice, "I want to show you something through this door, but I require that you stay behind me."

Obediently, Alice opened the door for her. She waited as the Queen passed by her, the scent of lilacs following behind the woman. She seemed so strong and independent, and she was not at all awful to be around, like it was around the high class in London. Knowing she was one as well, she felt a sense of encouragement from watching the Queen pass by; if the White Queen could be able to be on her own and not be a spoiled brat, then maybe Alice could be too. She wouldn't have to hire any maids, and she could do everything herself, like the middle class, or even the working class!

As they took steps, a familiar scent came about. It was sweet and certainly a smell that gave a calming effect to her. Alice could indulge in the loving aroma for the rest of her life. What was it? She sniffed the air discreetly. It was… Cinnamon? Not a moment too soon before the girl began to remember… well, unpleasant memories.

There was the memory of her father's funeral…

"Father! NO! FATHER!" There was screaming

"Alice, don't!" There was the sound of desperation in Margaret's voice.

"Don't let him take him! Don't let him put him into the cold ground! FATHER!!!" I was screaming.

"Alice, I'm sorry! There's nothing we can do now!" Her arms restrained me tightly as I struggled for freedom. I wanted to run to it. I wanted to run to that wooden box they called a coffin. I wanted to run to the coffin and open it so I could take out my father.

"It's not fair! He's not gone! He can't be! Daddy promised he'd take me out for my birthday tomorrow!" I was only 11. I didn't know any better.

"Alice, I'm sorry!" There were tears in her eyes, but no sobbing. I could feel them as they crashed gently onto my head. Margaret, too, was upset, and I had never seen such a look of despair in her face before… Not that I turned around to look at it. I was too busy hollering.

"Take him out of there!" Everyone's eyes were on me. I didn't know them all, except for the Ascot family, but back then, I never really knew them well either.

"And what Alice?!" Margaret had never given me that harsh tone before. I knew she was upset too. I didn't care. I didn't care about how anybody else felt except for me. "What do you plan to do when you take Father out of that coffin?!"

I was silent. The damp air of that cloudy day suddenly became noticeable to me. I could sense the rain coming. I could see begin to see that this world was really what it was. My father was gone. Just as I had begun to lose hope, a calming aroma came about.

Cinnamon? Yes, it had to be cinnamon! My teary eyes looked around for any source of the sweet scent, but found no answer. Even so, I knew that my Father did not want me to hurt so badly. At least not here, before everybody.

No, Father wanted to show me that even in the darkest of times, there was always some shining ray of hope.

A sigh came from Alice as she kept walking, her eyes gazing upon the cold stone walls of the corridor. Time had passed quickly as she thought back to that day so long ago. She could see in the darkness becoming light that she and the White Queen had found what had to be shown.

The strong scent of cinnamon and a light, encased in a glass ball.

Note: Hey, sorry I've been putting off Chapter 11! I've been really busy with school lately, and usually I just end up forgetting to finish up the chapter. Updates will be slow. To make up for not keeping up with my chapters, I've basically typed one really long chapter that hopefully will make you guys forgive me. ^_^'' Enjoy!