Mad World
Chapter 14
"Do you, do you think she'll like them?" he asked, nervous as ever.
"I think she will. And she'll need some new dresses to wear here in Underland. I don't know how long she'll be staying. You can ask her once she's out of her bath," Mirana explained.
Mirana realized that she should have chosen her words more carefully. The Hatter's eyes turned a color she had never seen before and he promptly passed out on the palace's floor.
Mirana's eyes were wide as the Hatter and everything hit the ground with a loud thud.
The Queen rushed to his side and kneeled down next to his head. His hat was still firmly in place.
"Tarrant?" she asked quietly, trying to get him to come around. She got no response. She gently shook him, still getting no response.
She was beginning to fear the worse when he began to twitch ever so slightly.
His green eyes opened quite suddenly a second later and he sat up next to the Queen.
"Hatter, are you all right?" the Queen asked.
The Hatter shook his head, as thought that would straighten all the madness out. His eyes turned yellow in his confusion, then once more became their usual green.
"I think I'm fine," he said. "What happened?" he asked although he knew perfectly well what had happened.
Tarrant Hightopp had never felt this way about anyone before in his entire life. His usual thoughts of Alice were very pleasant ones: strolling hand in hand through Tugley Wood, where Queen Mirana had built a memorial for the lives lost on Frabjous Day, preparing tea together and pondering things that began with the letter M, perhaps that one day that Alice would see fit to kiss him for the first time. But all of these (mostly) innocent thoughts, the notion of Alice in the bath made the Hatter weak in the knees. And when one was already weak in the mind on occasion, the combination led to loss of consciousness.
Hatter's head turned quickly around the hall, as if something was after him. He surveyed the dresses in heaps on the floor around him and the Queen who was still watching him carefully from her seated position.
The Hatter climbed to his feet and reached out for the Queen's hand, after all, it was proper to help the Queen to her feet.
It was lucky for the Hatter that the Queen and staff kept the castle in immaculate condition. The hallways in all parts of the castle were swept multiple times of the days so the stone remained a sparkling white.
The Queen helped the Hatter pick up the gowns that had landed unceremoniously in piles.
"How is your head?" she asked as she smoothed out one of the dresses she held.
"Muddled as always, your majesty," he replied.
Mirana straightened his hat and stifled a giggle.
"I meant, did you hit your head when you fainted?" she asked.
The Hatter thought for a moment.
"No, I don't think it does hurt," he replied. "I think I'm the same as always. I think my hat took most of the shock," he grinned.
"All right, all right. Well, is your hat all right?" She asked.
"Yes, my hat is fine as well," the Hatter smiled.
"Well, I should think Alice will want to wear one of your creations immediately. As she might not be…uh…prepared for visitors of the male gender, shall I take them in to her?"
The Hatter nodded in agreement. "Yes, I should think that is a wonderful idea, your majesty."
"She will look lovely in all of these, Tarrant," Mirana said.
Thoughts of Alice came rushing into his already befuddled mind. First, he thought of the previously mentioned bath, then that was replaced by thoughts of Alice wearing one of his dresses. He suddenly felt the cold stab of possessiveness for her. Tarrant wanted Alice to be his.
Mirana saw flecks of gold in the Hatter's green eyes. Apparently, the madness in him wanted Alice, too. All parts of him wanted Alice to fall in love with him.
"Yes, your majesty. Will you be so kind as to deliver all of these, with the exception of this one, to Alice?" he said, his full Scottish accent breaking through.
"Why not that one? It's positively lovely," Mirana smiled.
"I am hoping she'll want to wear it to the un-birthday festivities and such," he said, his usual voice coming back.
"So you're going to ask her to be her escort?" Mirana asked.
"Yes," he said. "I should think that will make for a delightful evening."
"It shall be positively enchanting," Mirana said in an over-dramatic way.
A tea tray was coming around the corner, floating in midair.
Chessur's smile appeared behind the tray and soon the whole cat was visible.
"Breakfast time?" the Hatter asked.
"Alice wished for it to be breakfast time again, and turned back Time," Mirana said.
"I did think it odd that the sun rose twice today," the Hatter said. "But Time has always been the prankster. I thought perhaps he was playing a naughty joke."
"You made it back, Tarrant," Chess said.
"I certainly did," the Hatter replied.
"Alice, dear, are you decent?" the cat knocked.
The Queen looked to Tarrant to make sure he was still upright.
He wavered a bit, but seemed to be all right overall.
One of the maids opened the chamber door and ushered the floating cat and tea tray inside and bowed to the Queen as she strolled in, arms full of dresses.
Mirana smiled over her shoulder at Tarrant, who did his best to return it in a sincere fashion.
"I'll send Alice to find you once she's eaten and is dressed," Mirana whispered. "You should ask her as soon as possible."
She took another step into the room and the door was closed behind her.
The Hatter stood still for a moment, just staring at the closed door. And then ran for his workroom in the castle as quickly as he could.
A/N: Okay, here was chapter 14. I hope it isn't moving too slowly; as I am trying to rectify the previous events that happened so quickly.
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