The White Rabbit, Emma, whose flame-colored hair stands out in the middle of that forest full of trees and bushes, was hurrying to the meeting she had scheduled with the Queen of Hearts, Krone, in her huge palace in the center of Wonderland. It is well known by all that Queen Krone, a corpulent and strict woman who rules those lands, is impatient and expects all her subjects to be very punctual, so it is of utmost importance to be on time... If not, her punishments are so severe that she is even capable of sentencing death without a second thought.
However, and despite the fact that Emma Rabbit has always been very painstaking and careful with her time, as well as making sure that all her orchestrated movements have a reason and an order, today nothing has gone as planned and it has turned out to be chaotic. Starting with the fact that a girl with long golden hair, eyes as clear as the ocean and a blue dress with a white apron that at first glance denotes someone who comes from a good family, has been chasing her since morning without rest and without reason. Even though she has chosen paths she has never taken before, the girl has managed to catch up with her repeatedly and keeps after her relentlessly, asking questions and constantly distracting her, taking her away from her main objective.
And in the midst of so much chasing, Emma has not only lost her gloves and hand fan, but has also noticed that her watch has stopped working. "What a bad luck!" thinks the White Rabbit to herself, as she flees in terror from that little girl who calls herself Anna Alicia. She learned this fact when the young girl became a giant and heard her talking and complaining while she remained stuck inside her own house, which is why she had to ask for help from her neighbors to get her out of there, her last option being to start a bonfire with some of her little pieces of furniture, leaving everything in their hands since she had this important appointment to which she could not be even a minute late.
She really didn't have time to deal with that nonsense, so she ran to the only place in the whole kingdom where she knew she might be able to find help: the Mad Hatter's house.
Not that he was the best person for the situation, but he was probably the sanest person in the whole place. So Emma Rabbit ran as fast as she could until she reached that clearing in the forest where the home of the enigmatic Hatter was located, who was together with the March Hare Don enjoying, as every day, his famous tea party at that huge table under the great shade of that leafy and majestic tree.
"Long time no see, Emma Rabbit, why don't you sit down and have a cup of tea with us?"
"Sorry, it's too late now. I have a meeting with the Queen of Hearts but my watch has stopped working. I thought maybe you could help me fix it."
"But of course! Hare Don, prepare a cup of tea for our guest."
"I don't intend to stay long..."
"What are you talking about, my dear? You don't have time, I know that, your watch has broken down and you're lost without it. But think about it once more: time has stopped and now you have enough to spend some time with me, don't you think so?"
The Mad Hatter's seductive voice, coupled with those mischievous gestures as he touches her around the waist to guide her towards one of the chairs, only manage to make her nervous, and although she cannot fully understand his words, he ends up convincing her to stay for a little while, waiting for him to solve her problem. He pulls one of the chairs from the large table for her to take a seat, and then rearranges it again, making sure his guest is comfortable.
Hatter Norman is a young man with snow-white hair, eyes like the sunset sky that range from a deep and timeless blue to a warm and soothing lavender, who also has a great gift for speaking and entangling with his words, capable of convincing even Queen Krone herself to to fulfill his whims if he set his mind to it. And he knows that perfectly well, so he always makes the most of his natural talent.
Don Hare approaches with the cup of tea, takes the watch and hands it to the Hatter, who examines it carefully walking from one side to the other, as if he knew what he was doing, while muttering words that everyone present manages to hear.
"Mmmm... Mr. Time got annoyed with me and has completely abandoned me. He has thought I wanted to kill him hahaha what nonsense! Imagine me, killing Time. But well, thanks to that here it's always tea time and now you can safely sit and enjoy our company!"
Emma Rabbit takes a sip of her delicious tea listening to Hatter Norman's nonsensical words, unable to help a quizzical look at such nonsense. Soon, standing right in front of her, blue eyes bore into her emerald orbs like a pair of daggers, a piercing gaze very hard to hold, so Emma Rabbit looks down and remembers why she is there.
"But can you fix it?"
"Maybe... that will depend on whether you want to remain a slave of Time... see it's more fun to live unbound... Although well, I guess that depends on what kind of bonds we're talking about" says the Hatter with a mischievous smile as he walks towards her and brushes his long fingers against Emma Rabbit's wrists, who feels a slight shiver run all over her back at the mere contact with his skin. Her cheeks soon flush and feel like they're burning, so she takes another sip of her tea, hoping the cup will cover her rosy face a bit.
Hatter Norman hands the watch to Hare Don, who tells them that he will look for the Cheshire Cat Ray and return as soon as he can. The young hatter takes a seat next to Rabbit Emma, who remains somewhat nervous and blushing at finding herself alone with such a character.
"So, where were we my dear Bunny? Tell me, who have you lost your head over?"
Lost her head? Hearing these words, she remembers what she was doing there: if she doesn't get to Queen Krone in time, she will cut off her head without hesitation. So she jumps to her feet and turns every which way looking for Don Hare and his watch.
"Easy, Emma. Time is just an absurd measurement invented by someone (don't let Mr. Time hear me hehehehe). If there is no clock here to mark it, it means we are free from its chains. Sit down and tell me everything".
After many years of living in Wonderland, Emma Rabbit deep down knows that Hatter Norman is right: the laws of logic don't apply in that realm, so if her watch doesn't tell time, does that mean it has stopped? And if it has stopped, should she take advantage of it to spend it with him? Mmmm ... difficult decision.
Norman, giving her a reassuring look, holds out his hand to help her sit down again, like the distinguished gentleman he is. She can't help but think how his neat and elegant clothing really brings out his handsome features... the contrasting colors in his clothes further highlight his pale skin... and not to mention those gold earrings dangling from his earlobes...
The young man also takes a seat next to her and Emma begins to talk about how this girl, Anna Alicia, has been driving her crazy since the morning she ran into her by accident. She tells him about how the girl followed her down her rabbit hole, how she flooded the waiting room of Wonderland with her tears, how she apparently likes to turn giant and small in a matter of seconds, about the incident at her home and how she found no solution but to burn down her own little house.
"And I was scared to see her so giant! Moments before it was this little girl who was helping me get my stuff and suddenly, bam, it was a giant taking over my house! The worst part is that I was left without my gloves and hand fan" said Emma Rabbit as she waved her arms enthusiastically to emphasize her story, ending with a pout that Hatter Norman found simply adorable.
As a result of the story she was telling with such care, the Hatter's infectious laughter at such a muddle was not long in coming, echoing throughout the place, being a tremendously pleasing sound to Emma Rabbit's ears. "Aaah... I'd forgotten how much I loved spending time here" and as her face was relaxed and smiling, lost in thought, the Hatter brought his face closer to her, until he was just a few inches away, holding her jaw with his left hand and running his thumb over her lower lip.
"If you like it here so much, why don't you stay? Say... forever?"
To be continued
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