Warning: More instances of violence/torture. War isn't pretty, my lovely friends
Tarrant had woken not long ago, his body in agony; he found he was unable to move and instead conceded to lying on the floor, saving his strength. Istvan was sure to be back sooner rather than later, and Tarrant would need to be ready.
He wondered how long he must have been unconscious. He didn't think it had been that long, just enough to rest his aching head. But the sun was already at its apex and he couldn't believe half a day had come and gone.
He groaned, struggling to sit in a reclining position on his elbow, his free hand pulling at the chains to see if the bleeding has ceased. All his aching nose bore was crusted blood; it seemed that it had finally stemmed. He was still thirsty, and every movement made him more and more dizzy.
Why had they not brought him some more water? Were they hoping to dehydrate him? Tarrant mused, sinking down to lay on his back, his head far too woozy to remain upright. What's more, Tarrant thought, if it's been nearly have a day why has Istvan not returned? Surely a sleep deprived Hatter more valuable than a rested one, and for all the guards could know he was sound asleep and gaining back his strength.
What had he missed in his Time asleep?
He blinked as the sun continued to set in the sky, the bright rays blinding him as they shone through the window in the top corner of the cell. Tarrant dragged his hand in front of his face to shield his eyes, pausing as he realized that just moments ago the sun was atop the building.
He continued to watch the sun curiously as it moved downward toward the land, sinking rapidly.
The marching of feet filled the silent hall outside of the interrogation room door; Tarrant straining to hear what the cause of all the commotion was. "What in Underland is going on?" A shaking voice demanding as it passed, reverberating through the empty corridor.
"It's already been nine hours," a voice responded in kind. "And it can't really have been more than fifteen minutes!"
"But Time says it's been nine hours, thus it must be!" A third voice insisted.
The first voice chimed in once more, anger coating his words. "That's impossible, mere moments ago it was only quarter til nine in the morning."
"But now it's nearly brillig!" The third voice replied.
Louder footfalls charged toward the door that opened the cell Tarrant was confined in. The Hatter braced himself as he heard keys in the knob, the handle squeaking as it was thrust down. The door burst open, Istvan stormed in with fire in his pale eyes. Tarrant winced as he ripped up by his hair once more, struggling to get on his feet before he had a clump of red mane pulled from his head.
Istvan roughly through him back into the chair, his dark eyebrows twisting as he spat in Tarrant's face. "What have you done?"
Tarrant shook his head, his limbs trembling for the first Time since he arrived in the black hole. "It's brillig," Tarrant lisped, looking at the sun that continued to quickly set in the sky, "I swear I've just woken up."
Istvan took a hot poker from the wall, placing the metal end in the fire. The steel began to glow in the immense heat, the fiery orange filling Tarrant's wide green eyes. Istvan twirled the hot poker in the fire, his pale eyes watching the Hatter before him with rage.
"Someone is messing with Time; he is moving so much faster today." Tarrant suggested, wincing as Istvan loomed closer to him.
"You wouldn't happen to know who would be doing that, would you?" The king motioned for two card guards to join the pair.
The three of diamonds and the four of hearts entered grabbing the Hatter roughly by the arms, standing him up. Tarrant struggled against the chains that bound his hands and feet.
"Release him from the metal bonds, but keep him bound," the Black King responded.
The card guards obeyed, releasing Tarrant of the metal shackles and rebinding him with coarse rope around his arms. They removed Tarrant's trousers, leaving him in his small clothes, hobbling his legs with more rope. Tarrant winced as the rough material bit into his wounds. The guards then set him onto the frigid chair. Tarrant shivered in cold, his head still spinning from hunger bloodloss. He fought to keep his eyes open, missing his trousers but glad that the extra exposure kept him cold, which was keeping him awake.
Istvan began to circle Tarrant as he sat in the chair, "Is this Alice?
"How should I know?" Tarrant asked, his eyebrows arching. "I've been in this bloody room since you've left me."
Istvan seemed displeased with the answer, hovering over Tarrant, his breath hot on the man's chilled shoulder. "Is it Alice who is doing it?" He asked once more.
"I don't know," Tarrant shrugged. If only she had responded to my hellseziend, I would know! Tarrant groaned. But Gavin had been right, the mental conversation with his Upperland wife would be impossible. A trademark of the Underlands only club. "I don't know if Alice and Time are good enough friends." He looked up at the man with disgust on his face. "And, as I've already said, I have been here the past couple days entertaining you so how would I know?"
Istvan frowned, stepping slowly away from the man in the chair, his black riding boots clicking on the floor as he walked slowly toward the oven in the corner. When he had reached the stove, he stood over the fire for a breath, before taking the rod from the rod in hand.
He turned his head, looking back at Tarrant through the corner of his eye, "Stand," the king commanded.
"Wut gewd 'ill that dew yeh?" The Hatter burred.
The dark featured king turned, anger on his face, the poker in hand. "I said STAND."
The sheer rage in his voice caused Tarrant to obey, standing to his feet quickly. The king returned to his position before the Hatter, his gaze harsh. "One more Time, and don't try my patience," the king's voice was a low grumble. "Where is Alice?"
"Ah. Donnae. Kin." The Hatter responded, each word becoming its own sentence.
Istvan shook his head, sending the edge of the rod into the madman's hip. Tarrant screamed in pain as Istvan dug the burning metal into the pale flesh, the smell of burning flesh entering the Hatter's nose. Tarrant tumbled to the floor, writhing in pain as he fought the urge to pass out. Istvan continued to add insult to injury, sending his hard boot into the swell of the Hatter's rib cage.
"WHERE IS ALICE?" Istvan yelled, sending his foot into the man's torso again.
Tarrant bit his swollen lip, cracking open the scab once more, blood filling his mouth. His rib cage was moaning, his nose arching, and the fire on his hip throbbed as Istvan continued in his assault for answers that Tarrant truly didn't have. The Hatter looked up at his captor, his eyes turning a deep red color in anger.
Istvan took the rod and now slammed its length into Tarrant's hip, right into the burn mark. The Hatter screamed in pain once more, tears filling his eyes as he tried to wriggle away from the man's abuses to give himself a moment to recover. He struggled to breath amongst the massive amount of pain that flooded his body.
Istvan countered the scream with a yell of rage-filled frustration, taking a fistful of the red hair once more, pulling the man's head upwards. "Where…is…the…girl." Istvan hissed between gritted teeth. Tarrant's eyes burned with tears and with an overwhelming anger that flooded him.
"I'll nevae tell yeh." The angry husband countered, twisting about to spit in Istvan's face. The Black King wiped his face in disgust, slamming Tarrant's face back into the ground
In the short amount of Time that the exchange took, the sun had set behind the mountains in the distance, leaving the two illuminated by the roaring fire in the corner of the room.
Fury filled Istvan's voice as he stood, turning away from the Hatter, his hands shaking in fists. "I will find what makes you crack, Hatter," the man vowed. "And when I find your wife, I'll make sure to treat her in such a way you regret not telling me the simple truth right this very moment. You will rue the day you did not give me Alice when I requested, and you will pay with your bride's head."
Tarrant groaned from the floor. Istvan called for one of his knights to enter.
A darkly dressed knight entered the room, yielding a large sword. He bowed to the king upon entering, turning a dark eye toward Tarrant.
"Enough of this stalling," Istvan said first to Tarrant, his hard mouth turning into a sneer. He then turned to his knight, "Arm your men to attack Marmoreal in the morning. Bring to me Alice, Queen Mirana, and the baby princess, I want them all alive. I also want the wonderful Mrs. Hightopp. Find her. Kill every woman in the nation until we figure out who belongs to him." Istvan replied, glaring at Tarrant. Tarrant let forth a mad laugh. Of course! Tarrant's mind had been confused during the blood loss. He doesn't know yet that Alice herself is my bride.
A sad fact for all those poor women in Underland...
"And what of the White King, your Greatness?" The knight asked from beneath his equine shaped helmet.
"Kill him. Once he is removed and the Queen is taken, the rest of the land will topple." Istvan turned to Tarrant with a hard look, his pale eyes narrowing. "We are going to end this war." He said. He then waved his hand at the knight, dismissing him.
The knight bowed before exiting, leaving the Black King and the Hatter alone together once again. Istvan turned to Tarrant, the beating clearly not yet over. He smashed the rod across the milliner's long cheek with a strong thwack.
Tarrant could only imagine how freakish he looked; his pale face various shades of black, blue, purple, and yellow.
The king narrowed his eyes. "Spare your wife, give us Alice." Tarrant responded by laughing in the king's face, his amber eyes opening as wide as they would allow him. "It's sick how you will sacrifice your wife for the sake of the Champion. What would she think of you? Sacrificing her life for the sake of your world crossing champion?"
"Yeh donnae knew th' 'alf o' it." Tarrant answered in his brough.
"You could help me understand, Hatter. Just five little letters. Tell me where she is." He sat Tarrant up, looking in the man in his amber eyes. Tarrant show his head.
"Ne'er," the milliner answered.
With a frustrated groan Istvan let go of the man. Tarrant fell to the ground, his face falling in the dirt. Tarrant moaned as his sore nose was further crushed by the ground, starting the blood flow again. His cheek had been split by the rod and it too was trickling crimson streams into the dirt.
The Black King stood, intentionally crushing Tarrant's left hand under the heel of his boot. "Remember, this is your choice, Hatter."
The milliner didn't answer, burying his face into the ground and closing his eyes. He could hear the retreating steps of Istvan leaving the room, and he sighed, allowing several actual tears to fall from his eyes.
He was glad Alice was safe where she was sent to hide and hoped that Gavin was able to conceal the troublesome trio of Mirana, Lily and Alice until he could get out of here. Now it was just a matter of more waiting. Which Alice seems to have taken care of that pesky little problem, he noted as the moon was already at its apex.
How he wished help would be sent soon; he wasn't sure how much more his body could take. This was certainly worse than it had been when Stayne had interrogated him. Far more threats were used than actual implementation. Istvan wanted answers, and he was serious about gaining them. Tarrant was quickly learning that a blow would be served even before an inquisition made.
His head was throbbing and his side stang fiercely; he hoped that the burn wouldn't incur infection. There was not much he could do about that, anyways. Instead, he closed his eyes and imagined Alice on one of their picnic tea days. She lay in the green, green grass with small daisies braided into her blonde hair . Her eyes were the most wonderful shade of green he had ever seen in the sunlight. She wore an emerald colored chiffon that day and it hugged her hips perfectly.
She was the epitome of wondrous, even if she wasn't Underlandian.
Tarrant fell once more into an unconscious rest with that image behind his eye lids.
Alice ran up the hill to the outskirts of the city of Marmoreal, making her way quickly to the castle. Twenty four hours had passed instantaneously, and in that Time Alice found she was able to help make Mirana and Lily comfortable, her own gait impacted by the swiftly moving hours. She had bid Mirana goodbye that morning, making sure the Queen was settled into the small house, able to provide herself some meals on top of the food that was packed. Mirana and Alice had also conjured up an escape plan in the event that something happened and Mirana and Lily were uncovered. Once assured that the Queen and the Princess were able to care for themselves, Alice had set off on her way with nothing in hand, eager to have Gavin's promised realized.
Time was back to his normal ticking and it had taken her nearly three quarters of day to get here; she found herself wishing for her horse or the Bandersnatch to speed up her journey. Seeing the city walls from far off, Alice let out a sigh of relief. She had made it, in good Time, and if she was swift with gathering the party that Gavin promised, certainly they would be able to set off before tea time for the Outlands. They'd have to travel during the night, but it would provide extra cover, and they would be able to attack at dawn when everything was still and quiet…
Much like Marmoreal was at this moment…
Alice's pace increased as she realized how still the usually bustling epicenter was, wondering where the cries of the shopkeepers and the street venders were. Where were the children running about the city walls, twirling and doing cartwheels in the long grass?
Alice's cheeks paled as she discovered why it was oh so very quiet as she approached closer to the walls.
Dead bodies of courtiers and servants were strewn about the cobblestoned road of the city, crimson blood marring the white walkway. Alice gingerly stepped by the bodies, her heart beginning to race in her chest as she realized that something terribly awful had happened in her absence.
As she passed the moat into the fortress she noticed the drawbridge was torn to pieces, gaping holes allowed her to see through the bloodstained planks to the moat below, where bodies lay floating in the water, swirls of blood leaving their lifeless bodies. Alice felt tears prickle at her eyes; had she missed this carnage as well? Had seen been entirely useless once more?
She dared to continue into the city, walking the streets mechanically, her green eyes rarely straying from the blood drenched path of the cobblestones before her. Her ears were filled with pained moans, weeping filling the street as courtiers, citizens, and servants banded together to attend to the wounded, identify the dead, and gather the corpses together, wrapping them lovingly in sackcloth.
As Alice continued forward, she felt her pale skin growing cold. Who else had she lost in this attack? The first had taken Tarrant. Would this wave of madness steal the White King? Was Gavin living? What of Mally and Chess and Thackery and all her other dear friends that had been staying at Marmoreal with the Hightopps? What of her new friends, Beezy and Harriette? Certainly two serving ladies in waiting would not know how to defend themselves in the face of such danger!
Alice felt her feet hit the marble stairs of Marmoreal, white stone that was smeared by bloody hand and foot prints. Her heart was heavy and hopeless, and she found her legs giving way under her. She sank to the stairs, sitting down as she put her head on the tops of her knees.
What have I caused? Alice paled.
"Alice!" A woman's voice called from the distance.
Alice lifted her head, seeing a plump lady hurry towards her, her arms outspread. Alice felt strength return to her legs as she stood, her arms opening in welcome to the woman she had come to care for so dearly.
Harriette nearly bowled over, hugging her emphatically about the neck and placing soft kisses on the woman's cheek. "Oh, Alice you're alright duck!"
Alice laughed, returning the woman's hug with gusto. "Yes, I made it back just a little bit ago." Alice looked around, her green eyes really taking in the carnage around her, now that she had an arm to lean on. "Harriette, what has happened here?" She looked back to see the horrified expression of Harriette, her brown eyes wide and filled with tears, her mouth agape with a trembling bottom lip.
A tear slipped loose of her eye as she hung her head, "Oh Alice- the Red Army came. They tore apart the castle looking for the Queen and the wee little one." Harriette directed Alice to sitting back on the steps as she continued the story of what had occurred. "Of course they didn't find her, being as she was with you and all. Well, King Gavin told those knight that they never would be found," she looked around at the struggling survivors, her hand covering her face for a moment before she proceeded. "Then the knight began to demand where the Hatter's wife went. It was then that our clever king realized that they had no idea that you were the mad man's wife, so he was doing his best to keep your identity a secret," Harriette sighed as she turned to look at Alice with a frown, "but they got hold of poor McTwisp. He told all, that you had returned and married your Hatter. He really didn't mean to be such a big mouth, and of course he feels awful about it now that it's all said and one with. The poor rabbit's a mess."
"It's not his fault, and it's not his war to be fought," Alice said, shaking her head, thinking sadly of the rabbit that had been so kind and so flighty all at once. "Oh, McTwisp, they probably scared him nearly to death."
"He's recovering," Harriette placed a hand on her arm. She frowned as she looked over at Alice, "The price on your head has grown,. They have Hatter and have been trying to extract information, to see where Mirana, you, or Lily are currently hiding. They think he knows."
Alice's eyes went wide, her mouth flying open as rage and hate filled her being. "Tarrant knows nothing! Oh, my dear mad man." Her face collapsed into her hands, her mind thinking furiously of what to do.
Clearly Gavin would not be able to provide the people she would need to right the wrong. She would not be able to go out on her own to save her Hatter. She would be stuck here with the wounded and the weak, watching as she missed every chance she had of intervening slip away.
Unless she took the opportunity now.
Alice dropped her hands, standing to her feet and looking down at the woman still sitting on the stairs. "Quickly, go fetch Chess, Beezy, Mally, and the Captain of the Knights. I'm not sitting around any longer. We need to act."
"What are you saying?" Harriette asked her with wide eyes.
"I'm saying that it's Time we travel to the Outlands past Witzend and find this secret place before it's too late." Alice turned abruptly, sprinting up the stairs.
"Where are you off to duck?" The lady in waiting called back to her.
"I'm going to find Gavin, if I can, and then I am going to get my Bandersnatch. Meet me at the gates in no more than fifteen minutes." Alice called back.
Harriette stood, brushing off her pinafore, nodding her head as consternation set in. "Of course, m'lady." She answered, heading off to fetch the rescue party.
Alice hurried up the corridor and into the Royal apartments. She began a frantic look throughout the rooms, searching for a king she hoped she would find alive and intact.
He was in the bedroom, laying upon the bed with a bleeding wound in his abdomen. His forehead was thick with perspiration and he winced as he tried to sit up, a hand pressed to the weeping wound. Alice let out a cry, rushing to his side and helping him sit up.
"Alice," he groaned in relief, letting out a cry as Alice helped Gavin up.
"Mirana and Lily are as safe as can be. "Though I am sure Mirana has told you that," Alice said, looking down at the wound with worry, but knowing he would want to be sure his wife and daughter were safe. "They shouldn't be able to find them now. But you," she winced at the sight of Gavin's wound. "Are you alright? Is there anything I can do?"
"Go into Mirana's drawer," he pointed to the armoire across the way, "the top one." Alice was quickly to obeying, opening the drawer and finding a jar filled with ointment. "Yes! That one, bring it here!"
Alice returned to Gavin's side, unscrewing the lid. He dashed his fingers into the white cream, ripping his shirt apart to reveal an ugly oozing wound below his ribcage. He quickly covered the bleeding stab wound, letting out a yell. Alice watched with a gasp as the bleeding immediately stopped as soon as the ointment touched it, the skin beginning to scab quickly.
"That's amazing," Alice gasped.
"That's what a wise witch can do with a little bit of heartbreak tears and a lot of sealettuce," Gavin moaned. "I should be right as rain in a few moments."
Alice nodded her head, still shocked at the regenerative powers the cream held. "I am glad to see that; you will need to lead your Kingdom, your Majesty." Alice turned, once she was sure Gavin was going to live. "I'll send in one of your servants to help you."
"Where are you off to?" Gavin called out after her.
Alice turned to look at him, pausing at the doorway. "I am going to be gone a couple days, but I will return as soon as fate allows me."
"Whatever do you mean, Alice?" Gavin grimaced, still clearly in pain from the damage served him.
Alice smiled at him mischievously, knowing he would try to stop her and she was going too fast to even try to change her mind. "I am taking several handpicked people to Witzend. We are going to get back Tarrant and then we are going to come back, assemble our army, and we are going to take the Bluddy Behg Heds down!" Alice looked over across the room, remembering that the Queen tucked one vitally important piece of victory away.
She passed Gavin once more, entering Mirana's closet to grab the Vorpal sword, glad to be wielding such a useful and powerful tool once more.
"Alice, that's suicide." Gavin's eyes were wide and he shook his head in strong dissent.
Alice looked back to him with a frown on her face, shaking her blonde curls. "If you have no Hatter, you have no Champion. I will also have hold of the Bandersnatch in my journey."
"Alice!" Gavin groaned in frustration now.
"Fairfarren!" Alice called back, rushing forward to gather the last of her needs before setting off on her rescue mission.
A/N: Thanks guys for the likes, reviews, and follows. In the editing world, I have about ten chapters left to spruce up (most of them are actually short chapters, which actually takes me a lot less time to clean up than combing through 8 page ones- but I can play with ideas more!). This has been a journey and a labor of love I had no idea would be so time consuming, but I'm glad for it.
As always, leave a comment if you can. This story is going to increase in intensity over the next few chapters, but hopefully you'll stick around. After all, in Underland villains don't always prosper.