The barrack captain of third house couldn't believe his eyes when he entered the barracks. Princess Alice lay sound asleep in the corner cot! All the guards traded their usual rowdiness for silence, quietly watching the sleeping girl.

A twitch invaded the captain's eye, and he turned to the closest guard and hissed, "Demeric! Explain this!"

"Uh… Alice has nowhere to sleep, sir… So she just came in here and… fell asleep."

The captain huffed and turned to sit on his own low bed. Very unusual for a princess to come sleep in the same room as the guards.

Demeric shookAlice awake quietly, careful not to disturb the sleeping guards, " Alice… Alice, wake up."

Blinking blearily, Alice peered up at him, "Ugh."

"Jabberwock's better and he wants you."

Sighing, Alice sat up and noticed the small pile of things at her feet, various baubles and trinkets. She cocked her head and asked, "What are those?"

Demeric grinned widely, "The guards felt pretty honored that you wanted to sleep in the same barracks as them, so they each scavenged up something to give you."

"Oh! They didn't have to do that!" Blushing, Alice picked up a ruby ribbon from the pile.

"Shh! And come on! Jabberwock's really annoyed this morning!"

Jabberwock sat moodily at his desk, drumming his fingers against the hard wood as Demeric bowed out of the room. As soon as Demeric closed the door, Jabberwock growled sourly, "When I said anywhere you wanted, I didn't mean the barracks."

Alice laughed, "Don't worry. They're really, really nice."

Gazing at her, Jabberwock bit his lip and his eyes darkened a bit, "Princesses do not sleep where the guards sleep."

"Technically, I'm not a princess."
Jabberwocky sighed and stood, "You are to stay inside today. Inside, you hear?"

"Huh? Why?"

"I'm executing the remaining prisoners today. You will stay in your room till it's done, and I mean it! No going outside."

Staring at him, Alice stuttered, her cheery mood gone, "E-e-executions?"

"Yes."

"But… you can't!"

Jabberwocky slammed his fist down onto the desk, "Stop saying I can't! I can and I will!"

Staring at him, Alice struggled with her voice, "But they're… it's horrible!"

"Executions are for those who disobey the King. That is why they were invented!"

"But-"

Jabberwocky clapped a hand over her mouth and hissed, "You will stay inside. I don't want to see you anywhere by the courtyard."

Peering up at him, Alice pleaded silently with her eyes, but he refused to change his mind.

Jabberwocky traced a claw across her cheek lovingly, "Ah… Alice… you're such a beautiful daughter…"

When Jabberwocky said to stay inside, Alice took it to heart. Slyly, though, she found a way around it called 'windows'. Silently, she gazed out into the courtyard. Dropping the prisoners, binding them with chains, and then backing away, the guards saluted solemnly to their King.

Jabberwock stood dressed in his terrifying armor, hands clasped behind him as he glared at the huddled, dirty mass of prisoners. After weeks in the prison, they cowered fearfully in their dirt and rags.

Jabberwock shouted an order.

Without a word, the black cards dragged the male prisoners to the middle of the courtyard. Leaving them there, the stepped a few paces back before standing silently frozen.

Jabberwocky voiced another command.

Other guards stepped forward, holding aloft torches crackling with orange flames. Advancing, they stopped a few feet from the huddled circle of prisoners. They waited.

Jabberwock roared his verdict.

As soon as the command was out, the black cards threw their torches into the midst of the bound prisoners. Screams clawed their way upwards into the air as the men caught alight, cries of horror and dismay coming from the bound women and children off to the side, shivering in the snow.

Alice watched in horror.

The screams grew to a ringing crescendo as the flames spread throughout the chained, helpless men. Struggling against the bonds, to no avail, they inhaled fire and smoke and ash.

Soon, the cries of pain and fear stopped, and the fire towered upwards in barbaric triumph.

Ignoring the fire of death, Jabberwock turned and drew his sword. He addressed the female prisoner, who clutched their children to them in fear.

Alice was too far away to hear, but her sobs would have drowned out any sound anyway.

Alice hid from Jabberwock for the rest of the day, shrinking away in dark rooms and secluded corners. She had tried to go into the Imagination Rose room, but it was locked. So, instead, she now sat in Hatter's room, shivering as the horrible event replayed over and over in her mind.

What had Jabberwocky done to women and children?

She didn't know, for her nerve failed her, and she fled before the murderous tyrant took any action.

Sighing, she clutched the pillow to her chest, feeling it warm beneath her fingers. She missed Hatter, and March… She missed one's hilarious quirks, the other's constant attention…

She wondered what they were doing…

"So... Hatter... I've heard you taken a liking to Alice." Lyona glanced up across the clearing, eyes curious.

Ignoring her, Hatter sipped at his tea, but a twitch of his eye signaled that his attention perked to listen.

March poked him, "Hats, the lady asked you a question."

"It wasn't a question."

Sighing, Lyona turned back to Chesapeake and the map, "Anything?"

Chesapeake shook her horned head gravely, "I don't see anything we can do against the castle. I mean, we're low on troops as it is."
Hatter remarked grimly, "We're right here, you know."

"Yes, but we also know you hate the Jabberwock."

Silent, Hatter sipped at his tea again before changing the subject, "Snow should melt soon."

Lyona glanced at him again and accused, "You never responded. Do you like Alice or not?"

Hatter hesitated, "…Yes…"

"Why?"

"Must there be a reason?"

"Yes."

"Well, she's nice and kind and-"

"Reminds you of Lily."

Stiffening, Hatter flinched and set down his teacup, "Yes… but I like Alice for who she is."

"Really?" muttered Chesapeake suspiciously.

Glaring at the Unicorn, the Mad Hatter hissed, "I swear, I love Alice for being herself!"

"Swear on what?"

"My honor!"

"You don't have any honor!" snorted Chesapeake.

Hatter sprang up, furious, "On my real name, then!"

"Then you won't mind telling us your name!" Triumphantly, Chesapeake pointed a finger at Hatter.

Paling, Hatter sat back down, "I won't tell you my real name."

March shrugged, "Then they can't take your word for it."

Hatter shuddered, "If I…" Shivering, he slumped, "If I tell you, promise not to tell a soul?"

Nodding, the others chorused, "We won't."

Chewing his lip, embarrassed and sullen, Hatter muttered, "I'm… I'm half-shadowlander."

Silence ensued before the governors leapt up in surprise, "What?"

Hatter scowled, "You hear me. My father was some flirty Shadowlander, my mother was a Wonderlander. I'm a mix. A blasted mix."

Staring at his comrade, March stammered, "But… your skin…"

Hatter smiled grimly, "Apparently, I inherited more from my mother than my blasted father. The only thing I have that's shadowlander is my eye, and it even isn't mine."

Silence descended for a few moments as the others digested the information. Slowly, the Unicorn hesitantly questioned, "Your name?"

Hatter muttered a harsh word, obviously derived from the Shadowlander language, and added, "My name literally translates to- of all things- Imagine. My," he spat the next word, "Father always made jokes about it."

March peered at him, ears tilted forward attentively, "What happened to him?"

"Don't know, don't care. I hope he's dead and rotting somewhere."

Crossing her arms, Lyona said, "You don't know his name?"

Hatter shook his head, "Never said his name. He just asked that he'd be called father… But I could recognize him anywhere."

Cocking her head, Chesapeake asked, "Did you ever try to find him?"

"Go into the Shadowlands? Are you insane?"

"No, but you are." snorted the Unicorn.

"Shut up!" Hatter snarled before he took a sip of his tea.

Jabberwock eventually found Alice, after a few hours of searching desperately into the night. Standing in the doorway, he gazed at the sleeping Alice in dismay. She lay dreaming. He couldn't sleep next to her, let alone come close, without being tempted to eat the imagination. Sighing, he turned away.

Maybe tomorrow…