Tarrant-
Our 'back-up' stepped carefully through the looking glass one by one (or in Chessur's case floated). As soon as Greer stepped through I wrapped her in a bear hug. "If this is how you greet sisters you haven't seen in years we should see each other more often!" she barely managed to squeak out. I quickly released her when I saw that she couldn't breathe.
"Johanna Greer Hightopp! How have you been? What have you been doing all these years?" My sister smiled and playfully punched my arm.
"Oh well, I've been well, Brother, especially since The Red Queen and her Knave o' 'Hearts ain't in power no more." She smiled again. "And you know exactly what I've been up to. Tea and Garden Parties. I do apologize for missing Frabjous Day, but we had a few things to do in the Outlands. But imagine my surprise when I heard that my older brother defeated Ilosovic Stayne and left with the White Champion to Aboveland!" she exclaimed proudly.
"Johanna." I half-whined and half-groaned as heat flooded my cheeks. Johanna laughed and Chess smiled widely. Thackery just cackled and threw a teacup at Henry. A few hours later, we set out to find Alice.
Alice-
Red Knights came in to get us. The moment they came too close I started to fight, kicking, punching, and threatening to bite. It took at least four to restrain me and take me out of the tent and into another. Standing there was the last person I had expected and wanted to see. The Red Queen of Hearts stood in front of me in all her large big-headed glory.
"Hello, 'Um'!" she said menacingly. "I've been looking for you." She stood from her throne and walked over to me threateningly. "I've done some research. Do you remember when you were just 'Um' my favorite in the place?" I nodded, the gag around my mouth preventing me from making a clever retort and possibly spitting in her face. "Well, using some of your hair found on your pillow and a potion, I learned exactly why you were the only one able to wield the Vorpal Sword. You, Alice Kingsleigh, are the daughter of Charles Kingsleigh, also known as Charles of Witzend. The youngest child of The Red King Barace and The White Queen Mirie, and my younger brother. Alice Kingsleigh of London, England…" She paused to make the impact of her next words more dramatic, "you are my niece. Only those of royal blood are able to wield the Vorpal sword."
I gasped through my gag. Me? A royal? My father was brother to this- this- MONSTER? This cruel woman who enslaved people for her own entertainment; who killed my best friend's entire clan and was the reason I had to slay the Jabberwocky? I knew it was going against what Tarrant taught me - but that's impossible!
"Now, I have an offer for you. As we - I - speak, your friends, brother, and nephew are riding here to your aid. I have Red Knights following them and a spy among them. If you disagree with me I will have them killed and I'm sure that's not something you want." She walked closer to me and I resisted the urge to struggle again, "However, if you join me in reclaiming the throne, your friends will be free. My knights will no longer follow them and the spy will leave them alone. Any questions?" She motioned for one of the guards holding me in place to remove my gag. After working my jaw a little I spoke.
"What if one or all of us fight afterwards?"
The Red Queen smiled devilishly.
"Do you see these?" She pointed to a small collection of dolls in the corner shaped like a few of my friends and I. "I need simply to give a small jab with a pin to one of them and they will experience great pain. Let me show you."
She walked over to a curtain and moved it aside. The image revealed was blank at first and then it showed Tarrant looking paler than last I'd seen him riding alongside Henry, a young boy, and a woman I didn't recognize at a rapid pace. Were they Henry's wife and son perhaps? The former Queen of Underland grabbed a random doll off the table in the corner and a small pin. With an evil smile she jabbed the doll. Tarrant's back arched and he lost his hold on the reigns and fell off his horse. He rolled a little, his clothes gathering dust.
"Tarrant!" the woman cried. She stopped her horse and jumped off. She ran to Tarrant with Henry right behind her. The boy also stopped and dismounted. The woman was already by his side. "You okay, Tarrant? Are you all right?"
Hatter nodded.
"I think so. I don't think I'm injured." He sat up rubbing his abdomen with his right hand. The Red Queen smiled more widely and jabbed the Tarrant doll with the pin again. This time where his hand was moments ago. Tarrant curled into a ball and screamed from the intense pain. I could hardly hear the woman's shouts over his screams of agony. The sight and sounds made me want to weep for my love.
"Stop! Stop it! I'll do whatever you want! Just leave him alone!" The Red Queen broke out of her intense blood lust and looked at me. With a sigh she stopped stabbing the doll. Tarrant relaxed and his body went slack. He lay panting beneath his worried friends and my brother.
"Henry, help him onto his horse. We'll have to walk the horses until Tarrant is better. No more hard riding. If he doesn't improve Thackery and Chess will take him back to Underland and have The White Queen's doctor look at him. You, John, and I will keep looking for Alice." Tarrant sat up and tried to protest only to be pushed back down by the woman. "Tarrant Logan Hightopp, you have no say in this! Understood?" Tarrant rolled his eyes and nodded.
"Aye. Ah dew." He said. The woman smiled softly.
"Henry, go get the horses. And Tarrant…"She turned back to look at him, "if you're hurt I'll break every bone in your body!" Tarrant nodded glumly and my brother left, the looking glass returned to a normal shining and reflective surface once more.
"Do you now truly understand what kind of power I have over you and your friends now? All your friends?" She pointed to a book shelf in the back of the tent and there they were. Dolls of all my friends and family, even people I had never met. Iracebeth walked over to the book shelf.
"Of course you don't recognize some of these people. This one is my cousin, Pheolope. The Duchess," she said, pointing to the fattest and ugliest of the dolls. "And these; these are my most prized figures - the last of the Hightopps. Of course you know the Hat Man. This is Johanna Greer Hightopp; his younger sister and the woman you saw in the mirror. This is his grandfather, Johan Hightopp, his uncle James Hightopp, and his brother, Ailistar." I gaped at her in disbelief. Other Hightopps were alive? Other than Tarrant? And she would hurt them when they'd already suffered so much?
It was then that I started to snap, glaring daggers at her I screamed at the top of my lungs, "You're a monster; a monster and nothing more! A monster who uses others for your own selfish gain!"
She smirked.
"You'll learn differently." I growled like the Bandersnatch.
"I'm tired of people telling me that! The last person who said that to me kidnapped me and nearly killed me and my best friend! He also helped you attempt to overthrow the White Queen! He also helped murder my best friend's family and drive him mad!" I screamed.
The Red Queen was unfazed by my outburst. She waved carelessly for the Red Knights to take me away. Even as I screamed and fought tooth and nail she seemed totally at ease. Curse that woman!
Mirana-
I was worried for my champion and hatter. There was a slim chance that Tarrant would survive and Alice was in ever increasing danger. There was also a reason why when Alice was young she was crowned a queen of Underland on her second visit; her father was to be king before he dissapeared. This was only discovered after her first visit when she managed to return home. I never told Iracebeth for fear of what she might do.
My fears weren't for naught.
Iracebeth now holds power over my champion. Dominion over living things has proved quite useful for her in this case. She uses the dolls to blackmail Alice and threaten her friends. If I or any others interfere she wouldn't hesitate to kill them. Alice has to defeat her this time, and perhaps kill her if necessary. I won't stop her no matter what she feels she must do. But Iracebeth must be stopped once and for all. I can only hope that my friends succeed.