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 14
"What is going on, White Queen?" Thackery asked as he bounced his way down the length of the empty, great hall. "Maids tell me you now don't sleep."
Mirana, with a sad smile at her lips, shook her head. "I don't want to sleep… I can't sleep."
"Why not?" the March Hare asked, flailing his arms about.
"Because I can't stop thinking."
Thackery eyed the queen intensely. "I see." He then leapt back to the front doors and yelled to the ladies nearest him, "Tea! Now! Music! Now! Distraction! Distraction!"
Within minutes a table was set for tea before Mirana and the string quartet set up at the corner to her right.
"Distraction!" Thackery shouted. "Start distraction now!"
Mirana smiled wider at her friend's help. However, as she took to her tea, her lips bumped into something solid within the fine liquid. With a spoon she fished out a pocket watch. Just like with Chessur earlier, Mirana began to feel her hard surface begin to crack.
As she set the watch on the table, the string quartet took to strumming. Yet, of all the songs they chose to play it was the quick-tempo waltz she had last danced with Tarrant.
"Stop it, Thackery," she said softly to the March Hare. "Stop the music!"
Thackery swiftly threw a teacup at the violinist and yelled at them to go away.
"This isn't helping," Mirana stated flatly as the hall emptied back to just the two of them.
Thackery narrowed his eyes skeptically on the queen. "I thought thoughts of Hatter a good distraction."
Mirana ever-so calmly curled her lips into a smile. "No, dear Thackery, that was my point. I can't stop thinking… about him."
Thackery rest his chin in his hand as he leaned forward eagerly as if ready for a good story. "Why is that bad?"
"Well," the White Queen weakly began, a little frustrated, "it's not bad… it's just… it's been too long."
"Oh, hard to remember what it's like to think about him again, eh?"
"Uh, no. It's not like that at all."
"Then what is it like?"
"It's… it's a lot like not being sure if he loves me… any more."
Just as she finished speaking, Mirana found herself narrowly dodging a teacup full of tea.
"Where did you get a mad idea like that?" Thackery reprimanded the queen.
"It's not a mad idea… it could be possible… it might be possible… it's quite possible… it's been too long," Mirana ended lamely.
"Time never stopped the Hatter!"
"Yes, but what if it is something other than Time…"
The March Hare pulled a gavel from his pocket and banged it on the table. "I say we change the subject!"
Mirana tilted her head in confusion over the abrupt action despite it not being entirely surprising.
"Let's talk of shoes and ships and sealing wax and of cabbages and kings and why the sea is boiling hot and whether pigs have wings."
Mirana blinked for a moment. "That's quite a list of subjects."
"Yes!" Thackery cheered.
"Is the sea boiling hot?" Mirana pondered out loud.
"It is?" Thackery jumped excitedly as he leaned closer to her. "I had no idea. Tell me. And start from the beginning. Then when you reach the end… stop."
"No, Thackery, I'm asking you… is the sea boiling hot? I had not heard about this."
"Neither have I."
"But… you're the one who mentioned it."
The March Hare sipped his tea before looking at the queen in confusion. "Mentioned what?"
"About the sea boiling hot."
"The sea is boiling hot?"
"No, Thackery! You…! Oh, nevermind!" Mirana stood from her throne with a plain smile. "Perhaps bed is best." Ending on that note, she glided out of the great hall.
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Tarrant was called forth to the dressing room of the Red Queen first thing in the morning.
As she took a seat in front of a large mirror, her courtiers gathered all around, Tarrant – taking a stand on a stool behind her – took the first of his many hats and placed it on her gigantic head.
However, when he looked in the mirror he did not see Iracebeth, but rather her sister wearing the hat he designed.
"Mirana," his lips begged to whisper.
He saw the White Queen smile up at him, but the moment he heard "No" she was replaced by the heartless queen once more.
Tarrant threw that red hat to the side and took up another one with black feathers. Turning to the mirror he found Mirana again.
"You are stunning in that hat!" the man with a large belly commented.
Tarrant's smile widened, still looking at Mirana. "Yes, she does," he wished to say.
"Yes," Iracebeth broke the spell. "Next."
A bit annoyed to see the Red Queen in the mirror, Tarrant took up the black wide-brim hat to cover her face.
"Your Majesty has never looked better," the woman nearest the queen praised as her incredibly large nose fell to the ground.
"Another," Iracebeth commanded, but Tarrant was too distracted to pay her any attention.
"You dropped something," Tarrant whispered to the woman as he held the hat in place on the queen.
The courtier realized her fake nose was what had fallen and quickly took it up, holding it in place again.
Seeing this, suspicion rose in Tarrant. He quickly looked around at the other courtiers noticing for the first time that all of their "large" features were in fact fake. Unable to contain himself, he broke out in wild laughter.
"Oh, never mind him," the Red Queen dismissed. "He's mad." She then addressed the Hatter, "Come along."
At this, Tarrant was all too happy to switch hats. However, just as he got a good angle of it on the queen's head the courtier with large ears ran into the room. Without hesitation she hurried to Iracebeth's side and whispered into her ear. Before they knew it the Red Queen turned red and shrieked, "STAYNE!"
In a whirlwind of fury, Iracebeth jumped to her feet, the hat flying through the air, and stormed out of the room and down the hall toward the staircase that led down to the throne room; all the courtiers ran after her.
Tarrant began laughing again, looking after the doorway. "That worked out rather well," he remarked
Slowly turning back to the mirror, the Hatter gave a sigh as he saw Mirana staring back at him from where she sat in the chair. He tried to reach for her only to be stopped by his chained ankle. "Why do you like to tease me so, darling queen?"
"What is taking you so long to come to me, sweet Hatter?" the reflection chimed back with a radiant smile.
Tarrant spared but a moment's glance down at the chain, afraid Mirana would find out about it, before eyeing her sadly with shame. "Sorry, darling. Just waiting on Alice."
"Come home to me, Tarrant."
"Yes, my queen."
As the image of the White Queen faded away, Tarrant turned to the mess of hats around him. "Can't have such good work lying about like this." He then began putting the hats neatly on display again and tidied up the room. "Come on, Alice," he whispered as he paused looking around, an hand tapping anxiously against his vest pocket. "Come on already. I want to go home."