A/N: Quick update! Yay! Anyway, hope you like it.
The tent city was buzzing with anticipation as Dietrich awoke. His new assigned tent was probably just as grand as Ayden's fully adorned with bed, closet, table for eating, table for anything paperwork related, table adorned with random nick-nacks and do-dads, and large plush carpet in the middle of everything. Dietrich felt strange each time he walked out and every passerby gave him a curt bow. He heard the whispers of awe behind his back as children and their parents pointed and giggled. He honestly didn't get what those people saw in him. Just because he was from Britain, apparently in another dimension, didn't make him special. On the contrary, he felt so plain in comparison to the people there. Each seemed to have their own set of skills, or at the very least, wore clothing that made all heads turn to look. He, on the other hand, wore a plain green duster lent to him by Hatter and knew barely anything about sword fighting. The memory of the training he received brought a fresh twinge of anxiety. It had been two weeks and they had done nothing to rescue the Duchess. Dietrich hadn't even seen a plan among the scattered maps and documents along Ayden's desk.
Speaking of, Dietrich entered the large pavilion to find himself face to belly with the enormous man from the first day he had come here. The man shot him a toothy grin which made him shiver, but at least it was more welcoming than his first were standing around Ayden as well, including Hatter and the newly arrived March Hare.
"Ah, Dietrich, come we have been waiting," Ayden beckoned and a woman with a large wig moved out of the way to allow him space among the circle.
"S-sorry I got a bit lost at some point, trying to get here," Dietrich mumbled a shy apology as all eyes turned to him.
"Do not apologize, we have not waited long," Ayden returned his gaze to his paperwork for a moment and continued. "To business then."
'A month ago we sent a request to the White Queen who is sovereign over the North. She denied us the troops we required and her supplies have dwindled as news of her niece's capture reached her. She feels that, without the Duchess turning a blind eye, White Rabbit will find us out and she does not want a full scale war with us. That was of course, before we had the Alice in our hands. With Dietrich, she will surely reconsider. So, without further delay, I will dispatch a small unit to escort him north. Convince the White Queen to aide us Dietrich. It is our only hope of defeating White Rabbit and rescuing the Duchess.'
As he finished his speech, Ayden placed his hands on Dietrich's shoulders and gave him his famous piercing gaze. Dietrich stayed frozen as his mind attempted to process the information he was given. On one hand he was upset that they were wasting their time trying to win the favor of someone who had refused to help them. On the other, he knew that, though the Rebellion was large, most of its people were no fighters and they needed experienced men.
"She wants the Duchess, not an Alice, Ayden. She won't agree to this just because you show her some boy from another world," the burly man spoke up.
"I know she may be skeptical at first, Clovis, but she must be aware of the destiny of the Alice who comes to Wonderland of their own free will," Ayden paced out of the circle and began picking through his mound of maps.
Dietrich felt as though his head was shrinking and knew that a migraine was not far behind, "Wait, what. What destiny?"
Hatter turned to him. "Every time an Alice comes to Wonderland of their own free will, the monarchy ruling at that time always falls."
Dietrich looked at them as though they had all gone mad, which they probably had. His gaze swept from face to face hoping that someone would tell him that they were joking. He had no idea how to fight this war. He just wanted to save his friend. He didn't have some special power that would let him end White with a snap of his fingers. Instead, each pair of eyes looked at him in expectation.
"You don't have to do it single-handedly. We will assist you in every way we can, but it is your image only that we require at the moment," Hatter continued. "You just need to look convincingly Alice, and we'll do the talking."
"Oh," Ayden said turning, "and you have no choice in the matter. Clovis, March Hare, and Hatter will be your escort. It has to be small so that no attention falls on you, but I have the utmost confidence that they will be able to keep you safe."
"Start packing something warm," Hatter said to Dietrich before flinging a ratty scarf into his face and stepping out.
"Right."
Dietrich had been given clothing for the trip from a few kindly neighbors and soon he had a small pack slung over his shoulder, waiting once again in Ayden's tent. The man, Clovis, was the only one there besides him. Dietrich couldn't help but run his eyes over the bulging muscles in his forearm. Even his head seemed to be ripped. Dietrich couldn't help but fidget in his chair. The rustle of the tent flap had him bolting straight up and almost jogging to where Hatter and Hare were walking in.
"Ready?" Hatter asked. Somehow he made it sound like some ominous foreshadowing. Dietrich prayed that he did it as a joke and that the North was a hospitable place.
"I suppose," he answered.
Without any more words, they made their way through the bustling people and into the tunnels that led to the old castle grounds. Dietrich couldn't help but feel relief wash over him at the sunshine that crawled up his arms and into his face. The dusty lamps that were the only lighting system in the cavern had made him severely claustrophobic. The trees rustled among the columns. The few leaves left on their twisted branches floated away on the brisk breeze. Winter was coming.
"We'll pick up some horses once we get to the next town," Hare informed the group.
"What the hell happened to the Bandersnatch?" Dietrich asked, not remembering it coming into the tunnels with them.
"Probably went back to its mistress. Bandersnatch are very loyal to their owners," Hatter said nonchalantly and continued walking.
Dietrich wondered if it would go back to the mansion or somehow know that the Duchess was no longer there.
Cheshire ran down the cold steps to the prison cell. It was the last one on the left side. He hated it down here. The stench made his nose crinkle and his eyes water. Still, she was more important than the smell. "Duchess!"
He swung around to face the dank little room. There was no light but his eyes were used to the nocturnal shades. His mouth turned from smile into concerned frown as he saw the absence of his playmate. His nose couldn't tell whether she had left with someone else or not. With a worried look back to make sure she really wasn't there, Cheshire ran out to fetch White.
The castle's marble floor was sometimes hard to run on with only two legs so Cheshire tore through it on all fours. The dance room had been mostly fixed from the little scuffle after the ball. He felt a twinge of sadness as he remembered picking up the bloody form of the Duchess. She had looked so small with that dress clinging to her as the blood fell from its tendrils. She had smiled at him before her eyes closed. No one had smiled at him like that before.
Through another door or two and he found himself in front of King Rabbit's study. The king had a strange fascination with it that Cheshire would never understand. But, maybe that was only because he didn't know how to read yet. The Duchess had promised that she would start teaching him, which was why he had been so excited to see her today.
Muffled voices came from behind the oak doors making his ears perk up. King Rabbit had told him never to eavesdrop, but it wasn't bad if he did it just to make sure that the Duchess was in there. Or, that was what he told himself. He pressed his fingers lightly to the door and cupped it with his right ear. The left one was never as good at hearing for some reason.
"I'm going to ask you one last time... Where is the Rebellion hiding and who ids supplying them?" the voice was definitely King Rabbit's.
"I told you, I don't know. The last time I almost got any information out of Hatter was the blueprints I used to find the Alice Room," Cheshire sighed in relief at the sound of the Duchess' voice. She sounded scared. He mewled softly in concern. He didn't like it when she sounded sad or hurt.
A slap resounded through the door. Cheshire felt like he should have left, but he couldn't. His claws ejected from his fingers, digging into the door. He flattened his ears in fear that King Rabbit had heard him, but there was no indication of it so Cheshire leaned into the door again.
"I know your lying! You were conspiring with them as well!" the shouting grew higher and Cheshire winced.
"I killed countless rebels and put an end to almost every movement against you, by myself!" an equally loud shout answered back. Cheshire pleaded silently for her to be nice to King Rabbit so that he would let her go and play with him.
"If you don't tell me what I want to know, I'll make sure you never see the light of day ever again!" King Rabbit was getting even more angry.
"Do your worst!" she bit out defiantly.
"Are you really willing to risk my wrath? Do you really want to chance it?" his voice had dropped into a deadly whisper.
"What more could you do to me? I'm rotting in a cell and every moment that I'm not, I have to look into his face. I have to look at the man I destroyed. I have nothing left to lose White. So do your worst, but I have nothing left to give you."
Cheshire couldn't move. He tried to think but couldn't. A pain in his chest made him claw at the door again. His clock must have skipped again. It was doing that a lot lately. On the other side of the door a cruel laugh broke the silence. The door swung open and he fell in. His eyes met the ruby studded feet of King Rabbit. He shivered in fear as he was grabbed by the scruff of his neck and chucked into the arms of the Duchess. Her eyes were clouded with tears and he couldn't help but let his own fall. He looked back and tried to form apologies but King Rabbit was shaking in hidden laughter.
"Then I will up the stakes. You will accompany Cheshire to the North. Once there you will convince your dear aunt, the White Queen, to surrender her territories to me. I expect to see either a piece of paper signing them over, or her head if she becomes difficult. Am I understood?" with those words he left, slamming the door behind him.
"Duchess?" Cheshire whispered. She stared helplessly back at him and he could only tighten his grip around her as he felt her slipping away.
Dietrich's feet were sore from the endless walking and he was starting to wonder when in the hell they would reach the damned village with the horses. His companions walked at an unforgiving pace which had left him behind about an hour ago. Now, he was more than a yard behind. At the back of his mind he grumbled that they wer the worst body guards ever. If he was to be attacked now, they surely would not be able to reach him in time.
"There it is!" Hare called out.
"Oh finally," Dietrich muttered under his breath.
The village was made up of only ten or so huts and a center square with a dry fountain. The people gave them weary glances and stayed as far from them as possible. For once, Dietrich didn't feel like he was in Wonderland. The poor there looked exactly like the poor back at his home. The horses weren't in the best shape either and he wondered if they would even be able to hold their weight. Clovis was apparently thinking the same and announced his discontent. The owner could only shake his head and point to the meager pile of hay that lay on the side of a decrepit barn.
"Leave the man alone Clovis. These are hard times and White doesn't spare taxes for anyone, even the starving. Thank you sir," Hatter placed a bag of coins in the man's hands earning a thankful smile.
"Fine," Clovis grumbled and placed his pack on the animal's back.
Dietrich placed his foot into the stirrup and swung his other leg over. The animal teetered alarmingly to the side. With a grumble Dietrich got off and placed his pack onto the saddle instead. It seemed as though fate really hated him.
The road was starting to frost over as they continued on. Apparently the next stop on the map was only five miles away, an easy distance to trek before the darkness fell over the land. Dietrich felt the small hills rise and fall under his aching feet, the downward slopes a welcome relax while the uphill a strenuous, arduous task. His horse was starting to shake so he draped his wool blanket over the poor creature. It snorted in thanks and they continued on.
The lights of the town stood out against the growing darkness of the twilight. Dietrich was starting to shiver as his breath crystallized before him. He should have been used to the weather, so similar to England in late fall, but he shivered like a child nevertheless. The inn they chose was a large, homely building. The rush of warm air that hit Dietrich's face was more than welcome. The horses had been taken to the stable where they would be able to rest and, hopefully, gain some more strength. Clovis went to reserve the rooms and returned with four keys. Dietrich was given one with the number 203 written on the handle. He wondered why it was so high when the inn could barely have fit eight rooms.
They sat around a small table in the corner and ordered a set of whiskey to warm themselves even more. Dietrich coughed as the heavy liquor burned through his throat and settled into his stomach. After the initial shock, it was a welcome feeling. Hatter pulled out a worn map and spread it across their table almost knocking out all of the empty glasses. Clovis shot him a look but only got a deranged smirk in return.
"Alright. We are here and the next village is not until here," his spindly fingers traced a long distance of road until it hit a large dot in the upper right side of the map. Dietrich had never really been aware of his location in Wonderland so it was surprising to find that he was so far north already. They only had about ten miles before reaching the border.
"Doesn't White have any outposts to defend against attacks from the North?" Dietrich couldn't help but notice the lack of buildings along the border.
"The Duchess urged him to put them up, but White likes to show that he has confidence. He refused to enforce the borders and the bulwarks are decrepit and unattended," Clovis whispered before chuckling under his breath. To Dietrich it sounded like a burst of thunder.
"Even so, we should keep to the forests by the road to avoid any possible scuffle. We cannot be seen," Hatter rolled up the map just as the bartender came up with the next round of drinks. Dietrich wasted no time in downing his shot. The burning had lessened a bit as this was the second one.
"Great, enough planning and lets get drunk!" the March Hare grabbed a beer mug from a nearby table earning him a growl from its owner. He took an impossibly large gulp and placed it back with a devilish smile. Dietrich rolled his eyes as the burly man stood and turned toward them. So much for staying under the radar.
It turned out that the man before them was one of few words. Instead, he took his massive hand and drew a cruel looking sword that was almost as long as Clovis' arm and had an edge that looked like it could cut sinew like butter. Hare jumped over the table to lean against Hatter's turned back and gave a drunken laugh. Dietrich could feel his own head grown from the quick movement he performed to escape the downward swing that cleaved through their table. In the back of his mind he wondered where they would find the money to pay for damage costs. That part was quickly overtaken by the instinctual command to dive as another swing barely missed him. At some point, Dietrich realized that the whole bar had erupted into a mass of tussled and tangled limbs. Men swung at each other with all sorts of weaponry while women gave shrill cries and taunts. Even the owner seemed to have been pulled over the counter and into a rather frightening brawl.
Dietrich sneaked along the wall, content to be called a coward and escape without any bruises. Unfortunately, a rather large man was shoved right against him. Dietrich felt his nose rub against the man's fur coat as his back protested against the pressure of being pushed against hard wood. The man moved away but Dietrich was not fast enough to avoid the fist that sailed through the air. His cheek bone felt as though it had been pelted with a boulder as he was thrown to the ground. Silently he cursed the March Hare as he crawled away.
The staircase finally came into view. Dietrich rummaged in his pocket to find that he had forgotten to take the key from where he had left it on the table. Growling in annoyance he decided to climb them anyway, if only to find a safe haven from the fighting. The stairs creaked but it was barely audible over the shouting and jeering from downstairs. The room number he had been came up in his view. The door was surprisingly ajar. Not questioning his good fortune, Dietrich stepped in and flung the pack, that he had amazingly kept with him through the whole affair, onto the floor by the bed. He laid his head gently on the pillow, waiting for sleep to take him. Tomorrow they would reach the domain of the White Queen.
"Aren't you going to pack for our trip?" Duchess asked from where she was leaning against the bed post. Cheshire had been reading a small picture book for almost three hours and she was starting to get anxious that White would walk in and berate her about not leaving immediately.
"Just one more page," the boy was stooped over in concentration.
"Here, you continue and I'll pack for you," she ran her fingers through his messy dark hair.
"Sure," he answered, only paying half attention.
The clothing had to be warm. Even though her Cheshire always complained that he was too hot, she knew that he had almost no tolerance for cold weather. The wardrobe was full of his usually lanky black pant and purple or blue shirts. She found a satisfactory fur coat it the back. After dusting it she found that it was a hideous color of rusty orange. She folded it neatly and placed it into a small bag which she had improvised with a small door. White had of course taken her original one so she had had to improvise. The pants were another problem as none of them were really that warm. She made due with two pairs that looked to be the thickest and a large pile of high wool socks. There were a few turtlenecks to the side that seemed warm as well so she took those as well. Satisfied with her efforts she turned back to her adorable companion.
"You'll have to pack your own underwear though. I'm not making that mistake again," she chuckled but her smile slipped as he stared at her in confusion. She had almost forgotten that he had no recollection of the past. It had been so long ago too, she wondered why she remembered it. "Never mind what I said."
"Okay," he shrugged and buried his nose back in the pages he was leafing through. His head suddenly came back up and he gave her a quizzical look. "Aren't you packing?"
"I have nothing to pack," she stated simply.
As though on cue, a maid bustled in and handed her a stack of warm clothes and, with a curt bow, took her leave of them. Cheshire smiled and the Duchess half-heartedly shoved the clothes into the pack. "Ready?"
His ears perked up and he grudgingly shut the book. "Ya."
"Hold on tight," with a small rush of air the Duchess and her Cheshire disappeared into the invisible door.
Dietrich was woken by the gleam of fresh frost covering the landscape for miles. The sun shined bleakly overhead as he tugged his jacket tighter around him. The cold had seeped through the holed walls during the night and he was visibly shaking. The boots by his bed were warmer than bare socks but didn't do much to make him more comfortable. Taking the stairs was made difficult by the fact that half of them had been cracked in half. The floor below looked just as terrible as was to be expected. The bartender seemed to have been hit a few times in the face and had at least three missing teeth. Dietrich rubbed his head to get the soreness of the alcohol and the punch out. It didn't work as well as he hoped.
"Breakfast, sir?" the bartender asked good-naturedly.
Dietrich felt his stomach rumble and realized that he had skipped out on a dinner. "Sure."
"Very good, sir."
Dietrich settled into the few remaining chairs. The table had been cracked but at least it stood upright, which was more than most of the remains of the others. Behind him he could hear the other occupants waking. He silently prayed that no one would be up for an early morning beating. He needed peace and quiet to get rid of his headache. The eggs that had been served for him smelled fresh so he wasted no time in digging into them. By the time that Hatter or the others had dragged themselves out of their rooms, he had saddled his horse and prepared for the long day's trek.
"The coward is up first," a booming voice sounded from behind him.
"Good morning to you too Clovis," Dietrich mumbled back. He wasn't in the mood for a lecture on bravery at that moment.
"We'll be ready to move out in, oh, five minutes," he slapped Dietrich in the back making him stumble into his horse. A booming laugh followed the giant back into the little inn where the others had settled into their own breakfasts.
The horses were much stronger than they had been the day before. Dietrich even managed to get on his without having the poor creature stumble over the weight. Clovis was the only one who had to stay on foot. Dietrich smirked as he questioned whether any horse would be able to hold the man. Still, they made good pace over the frozen landscape.
They branched from the road as soon as the town was out of sight. Hatter tied a branch to the end of his horse's feet so that the tracks would be wiped out. It didn't really do that well of a job, but it was sufficient to confuse the average passerby. Dietrich wrapped himself in the blanket he had taken. The cold bit into his cheeks, turning them rosy. His eyes blurred as the wind rushed through his scarf.
"How long until we stop?" he chattered.
"At the pace we're going... maybe ten hours. If Clovis moves his ass... maybe eight," the Hare laughed out. Clovis slapped his horse causing the animal to rear and throw its rider into the snow. A string of profanity left his mouth as he clambered back on. Dietrich could only groan at the though of eight hours of that.
The Duchess exited from a door leading to an inn located near the palace in Marmoreal. They would be making their entrance by foot, but first, she had to put on something more regal than a pair of worn pants and a puffed wool jacket. Cheshire was made to wait outside the room and look for any possible occupant returning. Inside she locate the long-sleeve red silk shirt and the flowing lion pelt. Her pants were cotton and the darkest shade of black that she had ever seen. The boots matched them and were padded with more fur on the inside. She looked at herself in the small mirror on the little vanity on the far wall of the room. A pair of ruby adorned golden earrings and a matching necklace and she was ready. Cheshire jumped up from his slouched position as she walked out.
"Let me do the talking but I will need your skills if this turns into a fight. Our objective is peaceful negotiation first. If it does come to blows, make sure to take out every member of the royal family so that surrender is the only option," a small part of her was frightened by the flat tone she used when she stated this, but the larger part was calculating. This would be a grand victory and the territory would be hers once she was rid of White. She would ensure that this endeavor would be beneficial.
Together they strolled onto the snow-covered streets. Children ran around screaming and having snowball fights. The Duchess could see the yearning in her partner's eyes as he watched them. Sometimes it really hit her how similar he was to the old Cheshire. Perhaps a lot more childish, but still fun-loving and energetic. Shaking her head she focused on their path toward the gates of the palace. It looked like a gleaming ice sculpture. The spires reached to the high heavens, decorated with white angels and winged horses. The pawns scanning the outer wall gave shouts of their arrival and the doors began to swing into the courtyard.
"My niece," a fair voice sounded from the other side of the large garden. Her aunt always had a strange fancy for cherry blossoms but the trees were now bare and covered in glimmering ice and snow.
The White Queen flitted to the Duchess' side and gave her a kiss on the cheek as was customary for her. The Duchess returned the gesture by placing her lips to the ring on her aunt's hand. The diamond sparkled in the cold light.
"We have much to discuss," the Duchess said once the formalities had been said.
"Yes, I suppose you never come for family reunions anymore," the Queen turned on her glittering heels and strolled down the isle of trees. The Duchess couldn't help but stare at her bare shoulders and ruffled white dress. It never ceased to amaze her how the woman could be so resistant to the cold... and how much she could resemble a large frosted cake.
"Marmoreal is only a day's ride from here," Hatter stated as they settled into their inn room. The money had been mostly lost at the previous one so they had been forced to share a room. With only three beds they had drawn sticks to see who would sleep on the floor. The March Hare had gotten the honor, much to Dietrich's silent relief.
"I hope you have a good plan for persuading the White Queen to give her support," Clovis grumbled from where he was lounging in his bed.
"Of course," the Mad Hatter replied. "I was born with the gift of a silver tongue."
Dietrich rolled his eyes and rolled over to get some sleep. The next day promised to be as grueling as the past one.
P.S: Wow, longest chapter ever. *sigh* at least I got it over with. Oh, and on a side note, the Duchess arrived two days before the guys do (which will be next chapter). Review please. :)
