First thing's first guys: This story is from here on in being bumped up to M rating. This is because of the fact that there will be lemons. If you're not okay with that then I suppose you could always skip over those bits. I'll warn you at the start of a lemony chapter.

Anyway, now that that's taken care of I want to thank all the new story followers and all of you that reviewed the last chapter. You made me happy :3 It seems Farcane is becoming more liked after the back story in the last chapter. I'm glad. I rather like the poor kid :)

Anyway, onwards and upwards. This chapter has some fluffy bits and was going to have lemons, if it hadn't been for the massive plot issues they would have cause, so I'm afraid they're going to have to wait a little longer. SORRY and please ENJOY! :)


After tea was over and done with, Alice and Tarrant rode back to Marmoreal. As they were climbing the steps up to the main hall, the sun was setting behind the palace and they cast long shadows across the beautiful palace gardens. Just before they entered the hall for dinner, Tarrant grabbed hold of Alice's wrists and turned her to face him.

"Alice a ghrĂ idh I am very sorry for acting so jealous earlier when you were with Farcane. I should have trusted you more. I just hope you realise that I never want to do anything to hurt you, or let anybody else hurt you, because I love you so very much."

Alice smiled and stood on her tiptoes to plant a chaste kiss on Tarrant's lips. "Tarrant, I love you too you silly hatter. I have since I was six years old! But you really ought to understand that I am a little older than six now, and consequently I am capable of looking after myself and making my own decisions."

Tarrant scowled at her for a moment before his expression softened a little and he replied, "All the same, Alice, I would certainly feel a lot better if you wouldn't leave to explore alone in future."

Alice was chagrined by the fact that Tarrant, even after all their adventures, seemed to think that she couldn't handle herself alone. "Well Tarrant, actually I felt like I needed some time to my own, so I decided to go and learn about your home and where you come from. I had no idea who Farcane was to you when I met him. As far as I was concerned he was a very polite and friendly young man who offered to show me around a strange town. Nothing more."

Alice stared Tarrant down, until he surrendered to her, chuckling good-humouredly. "I suppose I ought to have known. And I suppose if you can get Farcane to be reasonable again then I certainly shan't complain to have my nephew back." Tarrant smiled at Alice, but Alice didn't miss the little twinge of sadness mixed with anger in Tarrant's voice when he spoke of Farcane. Alice gently cupped his cheek and ran her thumb along his cheekbone. His eyes began to turn fuchsia, so Alice again stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, a little less chaste this time, before breaking away. She turned to enter the hall for dinner, before turning around again and poking him playfully in the chest.

"And by the way, I am perfectly capable of exploring alone, and you of all people should know that."

Then she took him by the hand, winked at him, and turned to lead him into the hall for dinner.


Both Alice and Tarrant had a very pleasant time at dinner, made all the more pleasant by the fact that Mirana was busy dealing with other business, and therefore unable to badger them about their plans for their fast approaching nuptials.

After the puddings had been eaten and quite a lot of wine had been consumed, Alice and Tarrant decided to go for a walk in the palace gardens. It was dark outside, but lamps were lit to show the paths between the hedges and through the winding paths, and creatures that looked like big fireflies buzzed lazily around. Tarrant and Alice meandered hand in hand through the gardens, unsure of where exactly they were or where they were going, and not caring all that much either. Eventually they came to a stone bench that was mostly hidden by a tall hedge behind it, but that sat facing out onto Underland. They sat together on it and Alice rested her head against Tarrant's shoulder. Tarrant made a soft grumble of approval and wrapped his right arm gently around her. They sat there, in contented silence for a while. Eventually, Alice broke the silence.

"Tarrant?"

"Hmmm?"

"Farcane was teaching me outlandish today."

"Yes. I know that Alice." Tarrant said, his jaw tightening.

"Well I was just wondering why you had never offered to teach me?"

Tarrant sat them both up and turned to face Alice.

"You wanted to learn outlandish?"

"I didn't even know it existed until today. Tarrant I want to know about you. I want to know about your past, and I want to be your future."

"Oh Alice dear." Tarrant whispered and pulled her in to kiss her on the top of her blonde curls. "Alright then. What would you like to learn?"

"Well, Farcane taught me a few phrases earlier. He taught me to saw 'madainn mhath', 'tapadh leibh', 'mar sin leibh' and 'tha gaol agam ort', although neither of you ever did tell me what that last one means..."

"Alice your pronunciation is excellent for a beginner, really you have a remarkable..."

"Tarrant, stop trying to change the subject. What does it mean?" Alice sat up and pouted at him.

Tarrant sighed and leaned in close to her. He put his lips up close to her left ear, and if it hadn't been for her positioning, she would have seen Tarrant's eyes turn a deep fuchsia. Into her left ear he whispered the words with the reverence he felt they deserved.

"Tha gaol agam ort." He breathed against her ear. He then moved his lips to her right ear and whispered their English equivalent.

"I love you."

Before Alice could respond, Tarrant had covered her mouth with his. He kissed her passionately, like he had the day of the battle. Without thinking, Alice melted into his kiss, kissing back hard, her lips moving with his as though they had been created to do this. Tarrant ran a hand through her long blonde hair, then slid his hand down to the small of her back, pressing her closer to him.

Alice's hands were gently wandering across Tarrant's shoulders and down his chest. When she nibbled gently on his lower lip he gave an appreciative growl and moved his mouth to trail kisses down the pale skin of her throat, causing Alice to let out a sigh of pleasure. She busied herself by removing his top hat and running her fingers through his thick, orange hair. It may have been Alice's imagination, but she thought it was a little tamer than it had been when she arrived in Underland. This thought was quickly extinguished however, by Tarrant taking her waist in both his hands and shifting her to sit straddling him. This movement duly accomplished, Alice resumed kissing Tarrant's beautiful lips.

Tarrant ran his hands slowly down Alice's back and gently tickled under her ribs, causing her to giggle into his mouth. She responded by running her tongue slowly along his lower lip, soliciting another growl of appreciation from her hatter. Alice shifted her weight slightly to make herself more comfortable, and felt the evidence of Tarrant's arousal. At that moment, it suddenly occurred to her how it would look if someone were to come round the corner and see them. They were unmarried, it would cause a scandal! Alice quickly leapt away from Tarrant and straightened herself and her slightly ruffled appearance, blushing profusely. Tarrant looked up at her, confused and rather disappointed, with wide eyes - irises a deep fuchsia that was almost purple in its intensity.

"I...I'm sorry Tarrant but...umm..I...uh...we...err...not married...and well...you know..." She stammered and muttered, paying particular attention to her feet as she spoke. "I have to go." She finished quickly and ran up the gardens back to the palace, leaving a very disappointed Tarrant still sitting on the bench staring after her.


Mirana awoke to frantic knocking on her chamber door. She quickly rose, slipping on a robe and answered the door. Standing there was Tarrant, looking slightly dishevelled and his eyes were orange with flecks of fuchsia.

"Tarrant? What are you doing here at so late an hour?"

"Ye have tae marry us!"

"What?" Mirana asked, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Tarrant, what on earth are you talking about?"

"Alice and me! Ye have tae marry us as soon as ye can. The now! Sunrise! Ah donnae know, but we need tae be married, as soon as we can!"

Mirana was too sleepy to understand what on earth Tarrant was jabbering on about, and frankly far too tired to care, so she told him as much and that she would deal with whatever it was in the morning, and closed the door on a rather bewildered Tarrant. She returned to bed and tried to settle herself comfortably again. Just as she was on the cusp of falling back to sleep, she realised what Tarrant had really been referring to, and chuckled quietly to herself.


That last little section was a last minute addition, but I thought it was quite cute. You could tell me your opinions on it using that lovely little review box! Ya know, just down there. A little lower. Oh yeah that's the box. Now go for it. Review! ~L