Chapter Twelve - The Lion
The entire party was frozen for several long seconds, simply staring at the new arrivals. Alice fidgeted uneasily. The Lion? There had been a lion in her dream too. Grimacing, she reached forward and took Hatter's hand, squeezing it protectively.
Seemingly encouraged by her touch, Hatter finally found his voice again. "No 'ffence, but we're not friends," he said. "I'm not much a fan of any you Whites righ' now."
"If you're talking about my sister, I'm not on the greatest of terms with her either," the Lion responded. "She's tried to kill me one too many times for me to forgive her readily. By the looks of it, that's something we have in common."
"Oh, this?" Hatter asked flippantly, arching an eyebrow. "This is nothin'. Just a few cuts an' bruises."
The Lion smiled and in the glint of the firelight his teeth looked unnaturally sharp. "I'm glad to hear it," he said. "In that case, I would like you to accompany me back to my castle. It would be my honour to have you as my guests."
"A'tually, we were just on our way 'ome," Hatter protested nonchalantly, but Alice could feel the tension thrumming through his body from their joined hands. She was suddenly grateful to be on his left side; with him so tightly coiled, his right hand easily would've broken hers to pieces. "S'been a long couple days. I'm ready for this holiday to be o'er."
Although the smile never left his face, something sinister slipped over the Lion's expression and sent a chill down Alice's spine. "I wasn't asking."
Hatter glanced quickly over his shoulder and Alice caught the warning in his eyes; they were going to have to comply, at least for the time being. "Right, well if you 'sist," he said, still trying to sound casual. "After all, 'ow many chances you get to see the castle of people who aren't s'pose to exist?"
The Lion gestured vaguely to the group of soldiers behind him and two of them rode forward, holding the reins of four riderless horses. At the same time, one of the soldiers came forward and picked up the discarded guns, tucking them into the belt around his tunic. "If you would mount, we can be on our way," the Lion said. "We should reach the castle by morning."
Alice stayed behind Hatter as they turned back to Gawaine, but when she tried to help him up onto the stallion he shook her off with a pointed glance. Apparently, he didn't want to show off his weakness in front of the prince. His jaw clenched as he heaved himself into the saddle, but he kept his expression neutral. Before anyone could object, Alice grabbed the edges of the saddle and pulled herself up behind him.
"We have plenty of horses," the Lion said.
"Good for you," Alice replied unconcernedly as she wrapped her arms around Hatter's waist. She was just close enough to hear his soft chuckle at her cheeky response.
"Very well," the Lion said and nodded, before turning his horse in a sharp about-face. The soldiers reformed their ranks as Rory and Charlie both mounted horses of their own. In the end, the soldiers formed a tight square around them, the captives riding close together with the prince directly in front of them.
"Hatter," Alice whispered into his shoulder so that only he would hear. "Who are these people?"
"He's a White," Hatter replied darkly. "They're the otha' line of royalty in Wonderland. Like the Queen of 'earts comes from the Red line. Only the Whites s'posedly died out when the Queen came to power. No one's seen 'em in a few cent'ry, a'least."
"So what, they've just been hiding out here all that time?" Alice asked.
" 'Parently," Hatter answered. "That's who had me brought here, a White princess called the Unicorn."
Alice blanched, her grip tightening around Hatter in alarm. Unicorn? So they were now entangled with both a unicorn and a lion. Her mind flashed to the dream she'd had before coming to Wonderland, and the vicious battle between the two animals. The unicorn had trampled the hat, and now she had found out that the person who had tortured Hatter was called the Unicorn. It couldn't be a coincidence, not in Wonderland.
"You okay, love?" Hatter asked in concern, glancing over his shoulder at her.
"Yeah, fine," she said and she met his gaze pointedly. "I was just thinking about what we were talking about before these guys showed up." Hatter's jaw tightened and he nodded in understood. "It's oddly relevant now."
Hatter scowled and she felt his body tense. She could see that he was burning to ask her about it, but he squinted furtively at the Lion directly ahead of them and stayed silent. Alice also looked forward at their leader and frowned. She had no idea who this prince was, but if her dream was anything to go by then at least they were better off than with the Unicorn.
It wasn't much, but it was hope.
They rode clean through the night in the same awkward silence. The deeper they got into the night, the more Alice could feel Hatter starting to deteriorate. What little strength he'd regained was melting away fast and his energy was flagging. For his sake, she hoped they were nearly there. He needed a chance to properly rest and recover.
An hour later the horizon was just beginning to lighten and, finally, the Lion stopped their group. Alice nudged Hatter, whose head had been sagging, and he straightened up. Ahead of them the first wash of morning light was warming a low valley between two grassy knolls. In the middle of the valley stood the decayed remains of a castle, the white stones draped in vines. Trees grew up through the ceiling and their twisting, gnarled branches poked holes through the cracks in the walls. It was hauntingly beautiful, much the same as the old kingdom in the Forest of Wabe where Charlie lived.
"You live 'ere?" Hatter asked in surprise. "Bit of a fixer-upper, yeah?"
The Lion glanced over his shoulder and smirked, but made no response. Instead, he started forward again, leading them into the valley through a long row of ornate columns shaped like chess pieces. At the end, they reached an enormous stretch of brick wall. It looked like it might've had a mural carved into it at one point but time and vegetation had worn the surface down to nothing more than a pockmarked façade.
No one moved or spoke as the Lion rode forward. He reached out and placed his hand into one of the hollows in the wall. There was a small flash of white light and then the ground began to shake with a low humming sound. Alice watched in awe as the wall split down the middle and slid away, revealing an enormous corridor that sloped down into the earth.
Alice shifted uncomfortably as the group moved down into the opening. As much as she hated being in Wonderland city, she would still prefer that over being underground. At least the openness of the city had provided plenty of room to run and escape. Hatter squeezed her hand reassuringly but she could feel the tension down his spine that said he was just as unsettled.
Inside the corridor, the Lion steered their group through a large archway on the left. The room beyond was a cavernous stableyard, lined on either side with paddocks that housed dozens of horses. At their arrival, a cluster of workers dressed in maroon and brown hurried forward to take care of the horses as soldiers began dismounting.
The Lion signalled and Alice got the hint to follow suit. She slipped down off the saddle and waited cautiously while Hatter carefully slid down. His knees wavered underneath him when his feet hit the ground but his grip on the saddle kept him from crumpling to the stone floor. As a worker appeared and led their horse away, Hatter slung an arm around Alice's shoulders and she immediately wrapped her own around his waist. To anyone else, the movement looked casual and not like she was practically the only thing keeping him upright.
"Before we go any further," the Lion said and a maroon-clad man appeared at his side hefting a strange leather contraption. It seemed to be a thick belt, with a smaller metal cuff attached to it by a single link. "Mr Hatter, if you wouldn't mind?"
"What the hell is that?" Alice asked, seizing Hatter's elbow when he made to step forward.
"It's just a precaution," the Lion said but there was something malicious about his smile. "Even in the outer lands, we have heard of the Right Hand of Death."
"Not me favourite nickname," Hatter said with a resigned sigh. He offered a quick smile to Alice. "Don't worry, love." With that, he stepped up to the servant. Two of the soldiers took the belt and fastened it around Hatter's waist, pulling it tight and securing it with a strange lock and pin. The then took Hatter's right arm and closed the metal cuff around his wrist. His arm was trapped close to his body, right hand unable to move more than an inch from his waist.
"See, now we can talk without any nasty business," the Lion said, walking up to stand directly in front of Hatter. His eyes landed on Hatter's other hand and he smirked at the bruising around his thumb. "Although it seems you've slipped a bond recently. Perhaps we should..." And he adjusted the cuff so that the edges of it bit into Hatter's skin, giving him no room to twist free. "Much better."
"Couldn'a least done anotha colour?" Hatter quipped, wrinkling his nose at the belt as he tested the give of the cuff. "A fan o' blue meself."
The Lion grinned but ignored the comment. "If you'd follow me, we can get you settled in," he said with an airy wave of the hand. "I'm sure you'd like some time to relax after the journey."
The four of them exchanged quick glances before following the Lion out of the stable and back into the main corridor. Hatter had draped his free arm around Alice again and tried not to let it show how much he was leaning into her as he limped beside her.
Alice, meanwhile, looked over at Charlie who had been uncharacteristically quiet. There was a look of awe and reverence in his eyes as he clunked along with them that turned his boyish face brighter, even though his jaw was clenched. "Old loyalty," Hatter whispered when he followed her gaze. "He's a White Knight, after all."
It struck her for the first time just what that meant. When they had met Charlie he had been defending the throne of the Red King, but she'd never considered the fact that he wasn't a Red himself. What must it be like for Charlie to find his people again after all this time? To realise that the line he was meant to serve actually still existed? She couldn't even begin to imagine his conflict.
From the entrance corridor, they moved through a wide set of double doors and Alice nearly staggered in surprise. They were inside an elaborate courtyard, doors and passages branching off in every direction. The centre was a wild garden, wild plants curling around each other and flowers of every colour blooming behind floor-to-ceiling windows. The ceiling was also made of paned glass that was half grown over by vegetation. It was a jungle; a beautiful, sun-dappled jungle inside a stone and glass prison.
Hatter whistled appreciatively. "By the Cards, 'ow big is this place?"
"Larger even than my sister's castle," said the Lion, smug.
"That don't 'elp. She didn't 'xactly give me the grand tour," Hatter pointed out glibly. "Poor manners, really."
"That's my sister for you," the Lion said. "We will have a tour, but later. First, you should rest." He led them through one of the passages on the right and down a winding series of tunnels decorated with rich paintings and tapestries of epic battles. Finally, he stopped in a large square foyer with doors on the three sides. "A room for each of you," he said, gesturing grandly. "I imagine Miss Alice-of-Legend will be sharing your room?" he added to Hatter.
"Yes, she will," Alice replied frostily. She hated when people tried to speak around her like she wasn't capable of speaking for herself. It was the same way the Caterpillar had treated her. Hatter squeezed her shoulder but she saw a dimple appear in his cheek as he swallowed back a smile.
The Lion seemed unfazed by her response. "Then please," he said and pointed to the room directly across from them. Charlie entered the room on the right and Rory the one on the left, while Alice and Hatter let themselves into the proffered room.
The suite itself was extravagant, with plush white carpets and a bed large enough for six. There was a writing desk against one wall and a large mirror on the other. A wardrobe stood open beside the desk with a wide array of clothes folded neatly onto the wooden shelves.
"You will join me for dinner," the Lion said from the doorway. He gestured, and one of the soldiers walked up to unlocked the cuff around Hatter's wrist. Alice noticed that he backed off rather quickly once Hatter's hand was free. "Until then, your time is your own. It would be appreciated if you did not try to leave the room. There will be sentries posted outside and they have been ordered to shoot on sight."
Hatter smirked. "You wouldn't kill us."
A flash of overly sharp teeth came in response. "I would rather you dead than let you fall into my sister's grasp again," he said coolly. The smile on Hatter's face flickered ever so slightly. "Now please, rest and enjoy yourselves." He closed the door behind him as he left and even Alice could hear the distinctive click of the lock being turned.
The moment the footsteps outside had faded from earshot, Hatter sagged against Alice. "Hatter," she gasped in alarm, throwing her arms around him to keep him upright. His face was pale and there was a thin layer of sweat glimmering on his brow. She helped him to the bed, where he collapsed on the mattress.
"Cracked kettles," he cursed, panting heavily.
"Just a few cuts and bruises, huh?" she teased to lighten the mood and he smirked.
"Might'a exaggerated a bit," he admitted. He scooted up so he was properly on the bed and Alice climbed up next to him, toeing out of her trainers. "Neck deep in the marmite, ain't we?"
"What?" Alice asked, lips quirking up on one side.
"In a right spot o' trouble," he clarified.
"What does he want with us, Hatter?" she asked.
Hatter frowned, his eyes darkening. "If he wants the same thing's the Unicorn, he wants information from me," he said. "Location o' someone, on'y I dunno where he is. But for some reason or anotha, they think I do. Somethin' about me granddad." He shrugged and massaged his right wrist where the cuff had left red marks deep in the skin.
"He called you the Right Hand of Death," Alice said, scowling. "Why?"
"Got me a reputation, don' I?" he said. He seemed far less perturbed by it than she was, which made her think this title wasn't news to him. "You seen what this 'and can do. I've thrown a few punches in me day and word's got 'round. It's not the best name I've been called but not the worst either." His expression tensed and he said, "What's got me worried is you."
"Me?" Alice asked, surprised.
"You said you dreamed 'bout a Cheshire cat," he said.
"Yeah, so?" she said. "It's not the first time."
At this Hatter sat up even though it was clearly painful. He twisted on the bed to face her, expression grim and frightened. "It's happened 'fore? When?"
"Last time I was here," she said. "When I left for the Casino, I fell asleep in the woods and dreamt about it. I thought it was Dinah at first but then it smiled and it had these teeth..."
"Alice, I need you to tell me exactly what the Cheshire showed you this time," he said.
So she recounted every detail of the dream that she could remember. Hatter's brow furrowed the further she got into her story and he looked positively ghostly by the time she'd finished. "Is that everythin'?" he pressed. "Was there anythin' else? Did the Cheshire say anything to you?"
"Hatter, what's going on?" she asked, scared by his reaction. "It was just a dream, right?" Except even she had guessed that it was more than that.
"Cheshire dreams aren't normal," Hatter explained in the same tone he'd once used before when he'd asked Does this look like a children's story to you? She had a feeling he was about to further destroy her perception of the way things worked in Wonderland. "Cheshires're magic and they on'y show up at the most 'portant parts of 'istory. Last time someone saw a proper Cheshire in Wonderland was when the first Alice was 'ere. They're omens of a sort, premonitions of change."
"So when I saw one last time-?"
"You ended up bringin' down the house of cards, didn'cha?" he prompted. "And this time - Don't you see it, love? Everything that's 'appened since. It was a warnin'."
"There's something going on between the Lion and Unicorn," she concluded. "Something that involves you - the hat - and something to do with a pocket-watch."
"Time," Hatter said grimly. "Tha's what the Unicorn kept asking me about. She's lookin' for someone named Time and she thinks I know where he's at."
"But you don't?"
Hatter grimaced. "She didn' seem to agree," he said and rolled his injured left shoulder.
"That's why she tortured you," she said. "So you'd tell her where this Time person is." Hatter didn't answer, laying down on his back. He sighed and his eyes fluttered shut. From where she was sitting by his head, the shadows beneath his eyes were even more pronounced, standing out against his pallid skin.
"Sleep, Hatter," she said, propping her back against the headboard and crossing her ankles. Talking about it more wasn't going to do them any good, not until they got more answers. "I'll keep watch."
"You need sleep too," he countered but there was already an exhausted slur to his voice.
"I'll sleep later," she said unconcernedly. She nudged his hat aside and combed her fingers through his hair. Hatter hummed with pleasure and leant his cheek against the side of her thigh. "This time, it's my turn to make sure you're taken care of."
Hatter smiled in his sleep.