AUTHOR'S NOTE
Hi. I know what you're thinking: wow, Nuggs, you updated at a more reasonable date for once! Hahah, you're right. I just recently felt more motivated to write. Speaking of which, I've got special news I want to share with my followers and fan and Wonderlanders and Nuggets. I published my first novel! Yep, I wrote a book, and it's published. It would mean the world to me if you'd like to find out more about it. It's on Amazon as well as on the online store for Barnes & Noble. Please private message me about learning more. It'd mean the world to me. I'll put the title and additional information on the next author's note. For now, sit bakc and enjoy the next chapter of Ana in the Land of Hearts.
~Nuggs
Chapter 49
"Leave it to Kitty Cat to run off like that," Jax spat, rolling his eyes. "Shire's tough but once you hit his emotions he just-"
"Runs away," Absolem and I said at the same time. We looked at each other and smiled sadly.
"That is how he ended up in Wonderland," Tannyn commented thoughtfully. "He ran away, correct?"
I thought about this. That's what he told me, right? I couldn't remember. So much crap happened to me between the time he explained his story up until now. I specifically remember that he had not-so-nice parents, he rebelled often, and he fell in a hole because a cat was getting cuddly with his ankle without permission. My brain giggled, but I couldn't physically laugh at a time like this.
"Will he be alright?"
We all instinctively turned towards the timid voice coming from behind us. Tarrant had been staring at us, but once our eyes met, he looked down at his feet with shame. I wasn't used to Tarrant being so shy and closed up. The way this group made him feel was just awful, but I really couldn't comment on the issue all that much because I didn't understand their history just yet. I wanted to reach out and apologize for the tension. Make him feel just a little better without taking sides.
No one seemed to be responding to his question, so I took this as an opportunity to ease the aforementioned tension.
"I think it'll be alright," I said. I smiled at him. It was a bit forced, but it had to do.
"No," he said, daring to look at me. "I know it'll be alright. But will he be alright?"
I stared at him.
"Oooh, look at Little Hatter being all existential," Jax hooted. He clapped his hands with the least bit of amusement.
At this point in time, I realized Jax didn't have those twin bodyguards around. They must have been on break. He never did get to explain why they're indebted to him.
Absolem sighed. "I don't think existential is quite the word you're looking for, but I suppose it's sufficient."
Tannyn stepped to the side, so as to somewhat block our vision of Tarrant. "Shall we move on?" Without waiting for our agreement, he began to lead the way back through the county.
Absolem and Jax turned to follow him. I looked back at Tarrant. What was I to do? He looked so sad. It was very unnatural on him, though I felt as though sadness wasn't something he was new to, either. It took an absolute idiot to not realize a lot of people didn't like Tarrant. He must have known as well. Shire and Claudine and Jax were very clear about their feelings.
"Can…can I walk next to you?" I asked.
Wow, way to cheer him up, Ana.
Tarrant didn't really smile, but he did seem to appear lighter in the face. He nodded.
I turned to start walking, but bumped right into Jax's back. He and Absolem hadn't even taken a step forward.
"You ready now?" Jax asked, slumping over as if he were forced to stand there.
Were they waiting for me? Geez.
I looked past them. Tannyn was already way ahead. He probably knew we hadn't moved yet, too.
"Um, we're ready," I said.
Jax and Absolem began walking. At first it was a fast pace so we could catch up to Tannyn, but then it became more leisure. Thank the Queen for that – I was still a tad wobbly in the legs. It was a quiet walk. Tarrant was obviously not going to be speaking much. Tannyn was leading solo. Absolem and Jax had nothing to say, and at some point in the walk Jax disappeared from our group. Before he did though, he offered a quick wave to Absolem, announced he was going home, and punched me on the shoulder. Then he left.
So, down to the four of us now, things did feel just a little less heavy. The loudmouths were gone. I was able to walk in a line with both Absolem and Tarrant. To cut the silence, I spoke up again.
"My legs feel like my legs again." I kicked out my right leg, then my left leg. Yep, felt good again. I was in control. "For a second there I really thought I'd need physical therapy."
No one laughed, though it wasn't funny to begin with. My words made me think about my condition.
"How did I get big again? I mean, back to my normal size. How did that happen?" I asked.
Tannyn glanced back at me over his shoulder. "We're not entirely sure."
Absolem shrugged. "When you lost consciousness after the impact, you slowly grew bigger and bigger over time."
"It was terrifying!" Tarrant exclaimed, his loud volume shocking the rest of us. He was feeling more comfortable. "When I came to see what happened I really thought you were gone!"
"Gone?" I parroted.
"You easily could have died from the fall," Absolem agreed. "The grass may have cushioned it a bit, considering your size at the time."
"Maybe it was the shock that got you to grow," Tannyn wondered.
"Shire picked you up the second you reached the bottom," Absolem continued said. "He tried to catch you midair but the way you were moving your arms and legs, he must have been afraid to grab you. It could've caused some internal damage – or break something."
Shire thought about all that in the 1.5 seconds it took me to fall from his hand and hit the ground? I hope he wasn't blaming himself for what happened.
"I do advise you to be more careful, Ana," Tannyn said. "It seems like you act on emotional impulse. Your in-the-moment mindset is dangerous."
I nodded and looked down at my feet and the ground moving as we walked through the growing darkness. I felt like a puppy that just got scolded.
"It's also admirable," he added, a little quieter this time.
I smiled and looked up, but Tannyn was focused ahead again. Things seems to be more relaxed as we walked onward. We fell back into a silence. It was the kind of silence where you enjoyed your surroundings. How pretty the sky was as it changed from that solid blue into a blue that welcome the evening time. I searched the sky for stars. There were a few. The air must have been nice and clean. Hardly any light pollution in Wonderland. It was nice.
Bandit County wasn't as scary when you walk with people who made you feel secure. Having Tannyn and Absolem, I didn't fear this place. Tarrant wasn't much of a rock. A place like this seemed to really get to his head. There was something about this place that made him take his hat off. There was something about this place that kept making him come back. It was as though he was drawn to it. Why else would he had run to Bandit County after Shire, Jax, and Claudine made him feel uncomfortable?
"You've got a lot going on in your mind," Absolem said, slowing his pace to walk beside me.
I shrugged.
"We're almost to the fence. Don't worry," Tannyn said from the front.
I nodded. I was fine, really. I was feeling peaceful. My mind was just all over the place, but that wasn't anything new.
"We've been in the County for a while now because of this while incident. I'm glad it's solved, but we should really get going before it starts playing those mind tricks," Absolem said.
"Mind tricks?" I repeated.
"The longer you're in Bandit County, the more vulnerable you are to adopting its ways of thievery," Absolem explained.
"There are other factors, however." Tannyn turned towards us, but continued to walk. "Your mental strength and emotional stability plays a big part in it as well."
I thought about this. When I was here before, didn't I fall under that weird Bandit County spell? It was like my mind was trapped in a cage while this weird evil version of me took over. I had two different voices in my head. It was terrifying. That was when I ran into Mercy. Somehow, though, I snapped out of it.
Actually, I knew exactly how I snapped out of it. I recognized Mercy – someone familiar. Someone to bring me back to reality. Seeing him made me happy. Angry and sad because he was drunk, but still I was happy.
"Have you guys ever felt it? The need to steal?" I asked.
"Not really," Absolem said. "Sometimes I've had a sort of itchy feeling before, like the desire was bubbling and waiting, but it never quite made it."
"Well that figures. You've definitely got great mental strength," I said. He read everything. He knew virtually everything. If there was something he didn't know, it was because it hadn't been recorded yet.
He chuckled. "Yes. If I hadn't been feeling lonely that day, I wouldn't have had the urge at all. It's a strange phenomenon here."
Lonely? Absolem felt lonely during that time? Does he still feel that way? Did I feel lonely when I was walking by myself in Bandit County? Or maybe because I was alone and it was dark – I was scared. My emotional stability must have been off.
"I've yet to feel any urge of that sort," Tannyn said.
"I'm not surprised," I replied. I smiled. "What about you Tarrant?"
I should have hesitated to ask that. After all, Tarrant was a child at heart, but at the same time, his mind was a battle between negativity and positivity.
Tarrant nodded. "Yes. I've felt it. It's awfully scary. Make sure to be strong around here, okay Ana? It's-"
"I'm sure she's gone through it before," Absolem interrupted.
He didn't mean any offense. It didn't seem that way, but I still felt kind of hurt. What, was I mentally weak to him? Unstable?
"Wonderland can be a lonely place. Especially for a current prophet," Absolem said.
Okay. He cleared his name. Why did I overthink everything?
"We're here," Tannyn said.
I hadn't even noticed we had stopped walking and were already standing by the fence. That lovely, lovely fence. It was dark, but not dark enough for them to not notice that my face fell at the sight of this thing. I've done a ton of walking since falling into Wonderland. I can walk. This experience built up my stamina (it's mostly been flatland anyhow).
"Your face says it all." Absolem stuck his hands on the fence and sighed. "Just don't think about what you're doing. It'll go faster that why. I'm not a fan of climbing either."
I looked at him and nodded. Placing my hands on the fence, I took a deep breath.
Tarrant stood on my other side, offering me a big, encouraging smile. Tannyn had already begun climbing. He reached the top and remained perched there.
"I"ll help you over. It's the scariest part," Tannyn said.
I smiled. On the count of three, I scaled the fence with Absolem on one side and Tarant on the other. They matched my pace. At one point my hand lost its grip for a moment but both of them supported my back to help me get my balance in order. At the top, Tannyn assisted me in swinging my leg over. He steadied me as I got ready to climb down. Poor thing. While his hands were on my waist, he was avoiding all eye contact.
The four of us reached the bottom. It probably took way longer than they're used to, but no one made me feel bad for my poor climbing skills (unlike Shire). Eventually I'd get used to it, I hoped.
Usually I wouldn't feel scared in Wonderland's Once Lived, but ever since we found Mr. Bandersnatch injured, and later on dead, this place brought back the same chills I had when I had first seen it. Dark, lonely. Always 10:30pm, as Shire had told me. Some stars scattered across the sky, peeking out from the silhouettes of tree branches. I considered talking to Stephanie, but I had to do that on my own time. I doubt Absolem and Tannyn would leave me here in WOL. As far as we knew, it was dangerous around here now. It killed me to know the Bandersnatch was lying on the grass somewhere, unable to breathe or fight or talk to me every again.
"There you go again," Absolem said. "Thinking about anything and everything." He elbowed me.
I drew my arms closer to me and walked ahead of him. "Where are we headed?"
"If I'm not mistaken, it should be evening in the outskirts. I think you should just get some rest at my dome," Tannyn said.
"You-you are always welcome at the estate as well, Ana!" Tarrant chirped.
"Thanks," I said. "I'll stay by Tannyn's, though. You should find your hat." I smiled at his premature gray hair.
Absolem made a face as though he wanted to say something smart. Luckily he held his tongue. I didn't have to scold him. Good.
We made it through the cemetery rather quickly. At the gate, Tarrant said his good-bye and wandered off, claiming he'd look for his hat. It should have been here at the gate where he had dropped it. Where else would it be? Maybe Demetrix found it on one of his little walks. He was such a hardworker.
It was still dark outside – only a little lighter than WOL at the time. I began losing energy on our way to the timekeeper's dome. I just wanted to lay down and cover up in blankets. They wouldn't be my nice blankets from home, but I couldn't think about that now. The more I thought about home, the more painful it fell on my shoulders. On my head.
I yawned. "Are we almost-"
"Yes," Absolem answered. "And it seems like there are people waiting for us."
Loud knocking noises were ringing out from the dome's front door. I squinted. We were too far to really see it who it was.
"Ana! Ana, Ana!" a voice yelled.
"Ana!" a similar-sounding voice chimed in.
I blinked. "The Twines?"
"Again?" Absolem asked. Oh, he was irritated.
Tannyn sighed and lead us forward. He waved at the twin cousins, bowing his head out of respect. The boys greeted him warmly but shone when they spotted me.
"Ana!" the taller one yelped. Baseball cap. Damion.
"Gosh, Ana, it's been forever," the shorter one said. Bowtie. Daniel.
The little freckles and chestnut red hair. Khakis. The energy. All still there.
"Hi, guys," I said. I was tired, but when they both swarmed me for a hug, I accepted it gratefully.
"Why're you looking for Ana now?" Absolem asked as the boys pulled away from me. "She's tired. She doesn't have the energy to play."
"No, that's not it," Daniel said.
"We've got news," they said together.
I looked between Absolem and Tannyn unsurely.
"Let's hear it, then," Tannyn said.
Daniel and Damion looked at each other and nodded. Then they turned to me, bowing on one knee and reaching their hands out. For a second I thought it was a proposal.
"Our kind, humble, and beautiful Majesty invites you, Anastasia Liddell, to the Heart Kingdom Ball!" they chanted.
"There will be plenty of food, dancing, and suitors!" Daniel chirped.
"Suitors?" Absolem and I repeated.
"The Ball is two days from now, Heart Kingdom Time," Damion said.
For some reason I searched Tannyn's face for how to feel. His eyebrows were knitted together. What was going through his mind?
"Um," I murmured.
"Heart Kingdom hasn't hosted balls since the King and Queen left," Tannyn said slowly.
"Well I guess our Queen is in a wonderful mood because she's hosting one!" Daniel said, keeping up his enthusiasm despite our lack of it. "There's just a few conditions she'd like to talk to you about."
"So…" I drawled.
"She's requesting your presence as soon as possible," Damion concluded. "You should get your sleep and then head out for Heart Kingdom when you get your energy back." He handed me a sheet of crinkled, crisp paper.
"Good to see you again, Ana," Daniel cheered. "We should play some games. We'll see you at the ball though!"
The boys started to walk off. "Take care," they yelled.
I was frozen. So the Queen wanted to see me. What were these conditions? Why was she suddenly holding a ball?
Absolem took the paper from my hand and unrolled it. Both he and Tannyn looked through it.
"What?" I said. Their eyes bore through the paper, and then through me. "W-what is it?" I asked. I grabbed the paper back and stared at it. In black, bold ink, the words Heart Kingdom Ball was written. Underneath it was a sketch of…me?
"You're the guest of honor, Ana," Absolem said.
"Guest of honor," I read. What?
"You get to sit right beside the throne during the ball. Right beside royalty, just like Tannyn used to back when he was the timekeeper."
I looked at the invitation again. Instead of my face, I imagined Tannyn's. Beautifully sketched in the center. His lips smiling. His eyes glinting with the warmth of knowing he's wanted. Needed. How must he feel now?
I eyed Tannyn, who was staring at the ground quietly by this point. "Tannyn?"
Tannyn looked at me straight in the eye. Absolem's hand made it to my shoulder, resting there while my heart rate sped up.
"Congratulations," Tannyn muttered and walked straight into his home. The door shut behind him.
