Alice at Last

Chapter Four

Mirana was greeted with the sight of Alice on top of her, the child staring down at the queen, her hazel eyes shining brilliantly in the morning sun that illuminated the room. She had retired to bed late the night before so she was still exhausted. Alice, on the other hand, was more than fervent. Not noticing, the child smile brightly. "Good morning!" she exclaimed.

The White Queen sat up, gathering the child in her arms, a white nightgown on. "Good morning to you, too," she chuckled softly. "How are you doing this morning?"

"My side hurts," she admitted.

"Let me see?" She was careful upon lifting her shirt, looking at the bandages that were now soaked through with blood. And it was as though the light switched turned on, Mirana immediately becoming alert. "Oh, honey. Let me clean that up for you." She got out of bed, holding her close as she brought her in the bathroom. She mumbled a soft curse beneath her breath, ensuring that Alice didn't pick up on it. She was silent as she stared at the cuts, noticing some infection around the stitching. Her eyebrows furrowed as some of the stitching had come undone. "Alice… How long have you been up for?"

"Before sunrise," she responded. Mirana looked out the window, seeing the sun about halfway up in the sky already, which meant she had been roaming for a few hours at least.

"I told you to be careful," she gently reprimanded her. "What were you doing all that time?"

"Exploring."

"Did anyone bother you?" she inquired as she gathered a light purple cream.

"No."

"When did you come to wake me?"

"Just now because I felt something when I climbed up on a rafter."

Mirana immediately turned her head at that, her eyes widening. "What?! Alice, why on Earth were you climbing on rafters?! Especially since you're hurting?!" Her tone grew frantic despite her best efforts and she watched as Alice began to visibly grow upset too. "Oh, honey. No. Don't cry."

"I'm sorry," the girl shook. "I didn't mean to… I just got curious. Mother… says that my curiosity always gets me into trouble."

Mirana stared at the dismayed child before carefully taking her face into her hands. "Alice. Please, look at me."

The child lifted her head as more tears rolled down. "I'm sorry," she whimpered.

"There's nothing to be sorry for. I'm not mad at you."

"You're… You're not? But I thought-. You seemed mad."

"No… No, no, no, no, no. I'm not mad, sweetheart. I'm worried. I'm just worried. I want you to be more careful. You could have seriously been hurt."

She dipped her head once more, growing silent. "Mother says… says that I shouldn't be curious. It's improper for a girl."

The queen immediately shook her head at that. "Who's to say what is proper? If proper was wearing a cod fish on your head, would you do it?" She smiled at the girl's laugh that rang through the air. "There we go," she hummed happily, gently rubbing her cheeks with her thumbs, wiping her tears away. "There's that smile. Alice. Listen to me. The most important thing one can have is their curiosity. Without it, much of what we have wouldn't exist. I want you to keep your curiosity for as long as you live. Never stop being curious and exploring. Never. Do you promise me?"

Alice locked her gaze with the queen's once more before lifting a hand, holding out her smallest finger. "I pinkie promise."

Mirana smiled widely, hooking her pinkie around hers before placing a tender kiss on her forehead. "Thank you, my dear Alice. Now…" She stood fully, gathering cloth and thread. "Let's clean you up." She worked diligently, the cream numbing the area as she stitched it up after draining the infection. "Does that feel any better?" The girl nodded before going into her arms, wrapping her own around her neck. Her shirt was put back on before ethe two left, Mirana carrying the child out into the main hall. "You haven't eaten yet. Are you hungry?"

The girl nodded and as if on cue, her stomach grumbled. The White Queen smiled at that. "Absolutely precious," she whispered.

"Huh?"

"I said you're absolutely precious," she smiled. "Absolutely, irresistibly precious. And nothing will convince me otherwise."

Alice stuck her tongue out in response, not used to such compliments. Mirana smirked, pressing a kiss on her cheek.

The weeks that went by were simple, happy, and Mirana was glad that her sister hadn't demanded any meetings. She didn't want to leave Alice alone, despite her side almost healed but she also didn't want to bring her to the Red Kingdom. She simply didn't want Iracebeth knowing Alice existed at all for she feared about what she would do if she found out about her.

She was holding Alice in her lap one night as she worked. They had unconsciously established a routine each day and night. If there were no emergencies or meetings, Mirana was happy to spend the day with the child. She showed her around the entirety of the kingdom as well as over the land she ruled. And Alice was fascinated by absolutely anything and everything. But if Mirana did have to attend a meeting, she would ensure that Alice remained in the garden. Tis was a rather easy task since the meeting room did overlook the garden.

Alice had her own little area she tended to that consisted of blue and white roses. Mirana had requested an area especially for her.

Mirana glanced up from her papers one evening, looking down at the sleeping child before turning her attention to three flowers. A white rose. A red one. A blue one. She had decided to place them there because Alice had said her desk was too boring. So she complied. She found it ironic and adorable that she did what Alice said. But she knew that she was far from a brat. Everything she suggested was to cheer the both of them up.

"Having fun?" came an all too familiar voice from a certain invisible cat.

"The time of my life," Mirana responded, setting her quill down. "What are you doing here, Chess?"

"I can't say hello?" he inquired as he appeared, giving her a broad grin.

"Yes, but be soft. Alice is asleep."

"Indeed she is. Quite peacefully too. I assume you made your mind up about keeping her?"

"No," she sighed. "I would love to but she has a family. She belongs in the Abovelands."

"She seems to be doing fine down here with you. She fits right in."

"Chess."

"Mirana."

"Why are you being so insistent on me keeping her?"

"Because it's crystal clear that you care for her. Why are you so willing to let her leave?"

"… I'm not," she whispered. "I… I just don't want to get too attached if she does decide to leave and go home. As much as I wish she were mine, she's not…" She looked down upon the sleeping child, a deep feeling of love and contentment but also a great sadness forming. "… She's not mine. Therefore, I have no right to keep her."

"This has been the happiest I've seen you in years."

"I know. I'm well aware." She took in a deep breath. "If… she doesn't want to stay, I'm not gonna force her to."

"And if she does?"

A rather content smile formed on the queen's lips. "I'm not gonna push her away. I'll care for her like my own for all eternity if I must."

"You love her."

Mirana glanced up, a warm smile apparent. "It's impossible not so. She's so precious and endearing and she has the biggest heart any child could possibly have… If she can stay down here with us forever, that would truly be amazing. But I don't want to get my hopes up. But it's impossible for me not to stay away from her. Why do you think I hold her as much as I do?" She chuckled softly. "I can't not be without her. Or I have to have something that reminds me of her."

"You know… There are potions that can make her forget about her family."

"No," she immediately responded. "Not a chance. That's selfish."

"But you love her."

"Exactly," she nodded. "Chess, that's not something one does to someone they love. Alice isn't an object. She's a person with common sense and knowledge. She knows what she wants and she has her own free will. And don't you dare take it upon yourself to do that. Do you understand?" she demanded, instinctively holding Alice closer to her chest. She glared at the cat, for one of the few times, becoming stern and demanding. "Chess. Do. You. Understand?"

He sighed before nodding. "Yes, my queen," he said before disappearing.

"I'm going back home?" came a soft inquiry from the child in Mirana's lap. The queen looked down at her, her heart jumping into her throat at the thought of letting go of her.

"Do you want to?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

The child shook her head. "No… I never get this much attention at home," she answered honestly, curling into her more. "Are you going to send me home?"

She almost immediately shook her head at that. "If you don't want to, I'm not gonna force you, honey."

"So… then what are you to me?"

Mirana looked at her in confusion, not truly knowing what she meant by that. "Well, what do you want me to be?"

Alice began to hesitate, unsure if she was about to drive her away. She took in a deep breath before softly answering. "Mum?"

"You want me to… be your mother?"

The blonde refused to look at the queen, worried about what her answer would be. So she merely nodded, clutching onto her tighter. She was surprised when she felt Mirana relax and scoop her up, holding her more. "Of course, Alice. I already consider you as my own. But wouldn't your real mother be afraid and worried?"

"She doesn't care about me," she mumbled sadly. "Only about Margaret. Father cares about me. But… He's always out sailing. I want to go with him but he says it's too dangerous. So I always… Stay home, wondering if he'll come back or if I'll be left alone with no one to love me. And I know Mother will marry me off as soon as I turn of age. And she won't give me a choice of who I want to marry."

"Alice, you're far too young to be worrying about this."

"Mother says I should be thinking of it. She says once I get to school, I'll be taught how to be a lady and a proper wife."

"Then whom do you want to marry?"

"No one," she answered. "I don't want to think about it. I don't want to go to school! I want to explore! I don't want to learn how to be a wife! It sounds boring!" The child was growing upset and Mirana didn't blame her. She would too if she had her whole life planned out in front of her. Alice was a child and that was all she should be for the time being.

"If you stay here, you won't ever have to marry if you don't wish. Okay?" she inquired gently to which Alice nodded.

"Okay," she mumbled as she grew comfortable once again, her eyes closing as she yawned. "I love you."

It was silent as Mirana took the words in. She waited until she was asleep once again, to which she pressed a tender kiss on her head before smiling. "I love you, too."