Love Checks Fear
Disclaimer: I do not own any dialogue, characters, settings, etc. from Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass," nor from Disney's animated "Alice in Wonderland," nor Disney's most recent 2010 film of "Alice in Wonderland." What very little creativity that remains is – surprisingly – mine.
Chapter 13
After several hours taking notes of measurements of the Red Queen's head from all angles and notes on what colors and styles she preferred, Tarrant was escorted to a private sewing room. Although immediately, upon arriving with the guards to this luxurious room, Tarrant was chained by the ankle to the room itself, he didn't seem to take full notice of this as servants began flooding into the room bringing an assortment of wiring, fabrics, feathers, ribbons, buttons, bows, lace, color dyes, and mannequin heads replicating that of the queen.
"Ah, yes," the Hatter awed with wide eyes that drank up all the materials that were covering the tables. "Hats call to me."
The moment the servants left him alone in the room, Tarrant, with fingers itching to get started, grabbed red fabric and black feathers and took a stand at the sewing table next to a mannequin head. "Brilliant! Perfect!" he laughed in a daze as he began forming his first hat. "I'll bring it forward at this angle! Yes! And then the feathers at the backside on end! Yes! This we'll be superb! Brilliant! Perfect!"
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After learning of Alice being in Underland, and sadly the Hatter being taken by the Knave, from the Pencird, all in the kingdom noticed the White Queen becoming a little bit more expressive of her emotions. However, since Bayard's return, she quickly froze to a near solid piece of numbing ice once again.
"Did you wish to summon someone, Your Majesty?" one of the ladies in waiting asked as she approached the queen seated on her throne.
"No, thank you," Mirana smiled pleasantly.
"Perhaps you wish to check what progress the loyalists have made with the trees?" another maid asked.
"No, no, that's quite all right, dear. I'm sure they are doing excellent work in making the trees happier."
"Your Highness," a courtier curtsied to the White Queen. "Would you like the soft melodies of the string quartet? I can call for them right away."
Mirana smiled down at the woman. "That won't be necessary. I'm content just as is, but thank you, dear."
The queen paid no attention as the courtiers, ladies in waiting, and even a few of the guarding knights began to whisper among themselves. She sat on her throne in the great white hall in peaceful bliss; a simple closed-lip, dark-red smile not quite reaching her eyes.
"What an odd situation," came a sing-song voice from Mirana's left. She shifted her eyes and found the Cheshire Cat floating nearby. "Should I dismiss the others? Request a private sitting with my favorite queen?"
"Oh, am I your favorite now?" Mirana teased in a hollow manner.
The cat gave a large grin and a wink before shape-shifting into her and turning around to face the other people in the room. "That's enough for today," he mimicked her voice perfectly. "I'd like some time alone."
The courtiers, maids, and knights gave a momentary questioning glance before scurrying out of the great hall.
Chessur returned to his normal appearance of gray with turquoise stripes.
"How can I help you, Ches?" Mirana asked sweetly.
"Mmmm," the cat hummed as he rolled in the air. "I'm not the one in need of help."
"Very well," Mirana said, the smile still present. "You wish some company?"
Chessur brought his upside-down face very close to the queen's. "I'm not the one wishing for particular company."
Mirana's smile broke into a toothy grin. "What is it that you want, Ches?"
The cat twirled right-side-up. "It's not about what I want…"
"You're not making any sense, Chessur."
The Cheshire Cat chuckled at this. "Much like a riddle?"
Mirana narrowed her smiling eyes on the tabby cat. "What are you trying to get at?"
Chessur swished his tail happily. "Who are you trying to get at?"
Mirana blinked a few times. "What?" She shook her head, still smiling. "What is the matter with you, Ches?"
"Nothing," the cat grinned. "What's the hatter with you?"
"What… what…?" the White Queen stuttered as the cat evaporated. "Come back here, Ches! Chessur!" She immediately stood and looked all around her and her throne, but no Cheshire Cat lurked about.
"That's not funny," Mirana huffed as she took to her elaborate chair. "Not funny at all, Ches."
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Tarrant, whistling jovially, finished his twelfth hat for the Red Queen when nightfall covered the Heart Kingdom.
"Perfect!" he praised as he set the laced headdress on a stand and set to work on pulling new materials to start another hat. "Should try twisting this around to the front this time… oh, and with the ribbons dangling off here… maybe… and perhaps a bow… hmmm…"
"Wow," came a voice, full of admiration.
Tarrant looked up to see Alice enter the room carrying his hat, her eyes going from hat to hat as she approached him.
"They're wonderful!" she commended.
"It's good to be working at my trade again," Tarrant admitted gleefully as he ran the sewing machine along the newly picked fabric and ribbon of choice.
Alice gave him a sad smile. "It's just a pity you had to make them for her."
"Yes," the Hatter agreed with a grin, not fully taking in what Alice had said. "For her…"
As the words finally sank in, Tarrant stopped the machine and looked around the room at all the hats he had made. A breath caught in his throat as he realized with horror that he had not only agreed to be Iracebeth's hatter, but had actually created many hats for her.
"For her," he whispered. "What is the hatter with me? Hatter… mmmmm… Mir… Mir… Mirana…"
Furious with himself for allowing this obsession with making hats distract him from his duties, he raged at everything around him – clearing the table of all the various, beautiful materials, knocking hats to the floor, and then reaching for the full body mannequin to throw… only to find that he could not do so due to being chained at the ankle.
"Mirana!" he yelled with all his might as he kicked and fought with the iron shackle at his leg.
At that moment, Alice took his face in her hands and called him out his tantrum, "Hatter!"
Tarrant suddenly became silent and stiff as he looked up at Alice. "Have you any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?" he eventually managed to whisper. "A raven is like a writing desk, isn't it?"
"Not sure," Alice replied gently. "I suppose a raven could be like a writing desk."
Tarrant frowned, tears in his eyes. "I don't like it here, it's terribly crowded, it's too red, it's not home." He paused for a moment in thought. "Have I gone mad?"
Alice brought her hands around to gently feel his forehead and cheeks – being extra careful of his bruised right cheek. "I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers," she said before breaking into a wide smile. "But I'll tell you a secret… all the best people are."
Tarrant grinned at this and straightened himself up as Alice let go of him. She reached behind her, took his hat from where she had set it on a few stacked boxes, and then snuggly set it on Tarrant's head.
"That's better," she said looking the Hatter over. "You look yourself again."
As Tarrant opened his mouth to give thanks, Iracebeth's voice echoed into the room from down the hall. "Hat man!" she demanded at the top of her lungs. "Where are my hats? I am not a patient monarch!"
"I'm told the Vorpal sword is in the side courtyard," Tarrant spilled out to Alice in a whisper. "The Bandersnatch guards it."
Alice's eyes widened in worry.
"Get it, Alice," Tarrant went on. "Take it to the White Queen."
"No," Alice whispered back. "We'll go to the White Queen together."
The Hatter grinned. "Why is it you're always too small or too tall?"
"Hat man!" screeched the Red Queen.
"Go," Tarrant said, shooing Alice away.
"I'll come back for you," Alice replied as she reached the doorway.
Tarrant shook his head laughing. "Go!"