"You can't know how glad I am to see you again, you dear old thing!" said Fairy, as she settled affectionately on Alucard's shoulder.
Comforted by how familiar Fairy's presence was on his shoulder, Alucard thought that perhaps things were starting return to normal as he trekked through the woods. He was wrong.
"You've got to save me. The Queen is ever so frightfully mad at me!"
Alucard wondered again who the Queen might be. Left Hand was the White Rabbit, Sword, Demon, Ghost and Bat were likewise accounted for, even D and his Father had shown up in this strange place. He thought the Queen might be Fairy before when Dracula had given him the directions to the Queen's Courtyard, but now he knew that couldn't be the case.
He had quite forgotten that Fairy was sitting on his shoulder by this time, and was a little startled when he heard her voice close to his ear. "You're thinking about something, my dear, and that makes you forget to talk."
"Sorry! Sorry, Fairy!" Alucard exclaimed.
"Duchess. I'm the Duchess," Fairy replied mildly.
"And the Queen is angry with you?" Alucard asked.
"Frightfully mad."
"Why?"
Fairy looked honestly sad while she pondered his question. "I thought to make things better between us, while I was helping D with Castlevania, but I only made things worse."
"Pardon?"
Fairy smiled up at him, spread both hands and shook her head. "N-Nothing! Uhm, she thinks I stole her tarts. That's why she's mad at me."
Alucard glanced sidelong, wondering about her first comment. It really was too bad that everyone had to play a wonderland role and couldn't just talk with him normally. He hadn't really been worried about his brother solving Castlevania, but...
"Maybe if I talk with this 'queen' I can straighten everything out," Alucard offered.
Fairy dashed up off of his shoulder to fly in front of him.
"Oh, would you? It would be ever so helpful if you did!"
Alucard smiled, realizing for the first time, in Fairy's ebullient and very much in the character of the Duchess' response, that perhaps his familiars liked playacting the characters from Alice in Wonderland. He knew his father did. D's participation still puzzled him.
"Evidently I need to go to the Queen's Courtyard anyway, so why don't we go together?" Alucard suggested. Fairy flitted over, settled on his shoulder in her accustomed spot and smiled in agreement.
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Author's Notes -
Next chapter teaser - Chapter Seven - (withheld) ::a swirl of creepy violin music::
Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get!
stargarde (at) stargarde (dot) com