Alice sat upon the bed trying to figure out how to escape. To try to climb down from the tower was suicide and there weren't enough blankets to produce a makeshift rope to even get halfway down. She could try to fight her way out, but it was a long road to Marmoreal and this time she did not have the aid of a Bandersnatch. She was only brought out of her planning by the sound of the door being unlocked.
Her eyes directed to the door, surveying the entrance of three women, one of whom Alice recognized from the Red Queen's court, Lady Big Ears, who of course turned out to be a phony.
"So it's true then, Stayne did pick you up from the market, didn't he, Um?" The woman asked, her tone less than questionable which made Alice frown.
"Well, I see that the White Queen banished you as well. Tell me, did your King recruit you on the spot or did you have to grovel for this position?" She retorted which made the other two women snicker while the disgraced Lady was left to stand with her jaw dropped.
"Why you insignificant little-!"
"If I am so insignificant, why is it that you were sent up here to look after me?" Alice asked, getting to her feet. "Now if you don't mind, I think I would prefer it if you left." She insisted looking to the other two women, who were doing their best to contain their laughter.
Unable to find a ground to defend herself, nor the will to stay longer, the woman stormed out with curses under her breath, slamming the door behind her.
Now Alice was left to inspect the remaining two servants, and so far they were far more tolerable.
"I don't think I have ever seen Hana run out of a room so fast!" spoke the first woman who looked only a few years older than Alice, with dark hair and bright blue eyes. The second woman, who was a great deal older than the other women scoffed with a nod.
"Serves the brat right," the elderly woman started in a thick Irish sounding accent, clearly not a fan of Hana's company either. "She still thinks herself as a bloody Lady! You should have heard her just the night before! 'I shouldn't be scrubbing the floors on me hands and knees! This is peasant work!'" She mimicked which cracked a smile from Alice, who now extended her hand to the pair.
"I'm Alice."
"Oh, there is no need for you to introduce yerself miss. Not round here anyways. You slayed the Jabberwocky!" The old woman practically sang taking her hand and shook it with all her might.
"I'm Az" began the younger maid, "and this is Elga." Nodding her head to the elderly plump woman. Alice gave a nod and sighed heavily turning away from the two.
"I'm so terribly confused. You two seem decent, how is it that you live here?"
To this question, neither one of them had much of an answer, as they began to prep the large wooden tub in the room and fill it with the pails of water they left outside of the room.
"Well miss, one can't choose where one is born," Az said with a shrug pouring a pail of water into the tub.
"I suppose not, but surely you could leave? I can't but you can go to Underland and-"
"Ah, but we can't miss, even if we wanted too." The elderly woman began with a sad sort of smile. "The White Knights guard the border, no one gets in or out without their say."
"Surely that can't be true!" Alice exclaimed sitting back down on the bed. "There must be a mistake."
"It's nothing for us to fret over Miss," Az started grabbing a small bucket of rose petals. "It's true that Underland has changed for the better since you came and went, but conditions out here have improved since the Crown has been restored. Order has been set to these chaotic lands."
Alice stared at the servant in disbelief. Was it possible that this place was at one point worse? Things were better with Stayne ruling? She shook her head at the thought when Elga placed a midnight blue dress at the side of her bed.
"The King would like for you to join him for dinner tonight, after your bath miss."
"I was under the impression that I would dine alone tonight." Alice began, bitter at the thought of having to share a room with Stayne.
The pair of maids looked at each other before moving to Alice again.
"Miss." Piped Az, looking far younger than Alice at the nervous aurora she gave off now. "Our Master is a fair man, but even the Champion of Underland should not cross him."
"The day Ilosovic Stayne is a fair man is the day I will wear a codfish as a hat," Alice muttered, folding her arms and turning her head away. "He is a deplorable man. A coward and killer," She stated getting on her feet, her hands going to tend to her wrists again.
"He said he would remove those infernal cuffs if you were to join him tonight," Elga's voice chimed right on cue.
"You can tell him that I'm quite content with these marvelous cuffs and that I don't have that strong of an appetite." She muttered, going for the balcony again. "That is all I need tonight… Thank you, Elga, Az." She whispered.
The pair both bowed their heads and retreated from the room, collecting their supplies beforehand. Alice waited a moment, hopeful that the door would remain unlocked however her hopes were dashed away at the sound of a single hard click.
Stayne walked the corridors of his castle, ignoring the servants that scurried past him, his mind turning at thoughts far more important than ensuring those beneath him were doing what they should. No, for now his mind was focused on the wildflower he had locked away in the tower.
"Your highness?" Came a rather pleasant voice from behind him, stopping him briefly to investigate the source of the sound, a young woman who worked as a maid along with Hana, but this woman's name always escaped him.
"Your highness, we did as we were requested to do, however-" She swallowed hard. "It would seem that our 'guest' does not hold interest for dinner tonight."
"She doesn't hold interest for dinner, or she doesn't hold it for me?" He asked in a growl which made the woman shudder.
"She said she is quite content with her cuffs and that she has no appetite," Az whispered looking down. "If you so wish it, I can return and try to-"
"No." He muttered peeling off both his gloves and tucked them into his belt. "I will have a word with her. Perhaps I was too kind to her. Giving her a tower instead of a cell." He hissed before taking notice of the woman again. "… Well. If she won't come down for dinner, then I will just have to bring it to her, won't I?" He asked, going to leave when something in the woman's demeanor caught his attention.
"What is it?"
"Well, Y-Your Highness. It's just that... the prophecy. It- It says that Alice must choose you." She began. "Not that I don't have faith, but… she has so much muchness and she does not seem to even tolerate you..." She whispered glancing up to him worried, but he seemed quite calm.
"What is your name, serf?"
"It's Az, Your Highness."
"Well Az…" He whispered bending at the waist to whisper to her now. "I certainly hope you don't hold any doubts, because a follower who has no faith in me, isn't fit to be in this kingdom… If you wish it, I can have you escorted to the border to Un-"
"No, please Your Highness, I meant nothing by it!" She wept, her hands grabbing at the collar of her dress.
"Then don't let me catch you getting involved in things that are above you, Az." He marked, swiftly moving away, leaving the poor woman shaking where she stood.
Turning the corner of the corridor, Stayne spotted a wolf being dragged in the direction of the dungeons. The wolf in the ringmasters coat.
"Well! It would seem that word got around about Alice, has it not?!" The Black King roared, quickening his step to not only catch up to the three, but to pass them to open the large black door that led down to the dungeon.
"My King, please, it was not I who allowed word to get out!" The wolf whined as he was pulled passed Stayne, his eye showing no mercy. "We will just have to see about that, now won't we?" He asked closing the door behind them and followed them down the spiraling staircase, lit by torches rather than candles.
"What shall we test you on first? The rack, or maybe I should cut off those ears of yours. You hardly need them anyway, listening certainly isn't your strong suite," he mocked as they approached the bottom, the dungeon open for them which made the wolf whimper in fear.
"It was not from I! It was a little bird who started telling everyone!" He cried which made Stayne chuckle.
"Like I have not heard of that one before! Do you take me for a fool? Put him on the rack!" He snapped.
"The news came from Underland!" The wolf cried as he was hooked up to the rack. "I swear! I don't know how they know, but they know!"
Stayne cursed moving to the wall to slam his fists upon walls. How it was possible that the White Queen caught on so soon and that- Unless. The Oraculum? His mind paused looking back over to the wolf who was whimpering now.
"Leave us..." Styane whispered, his voice nearly untraceable, but the two guards heard it nonetheless and left the prisoner to their king. "Now, what did this little bird say exactly?" The wolf did his best to not swallow his own tongue.
"Please, My King, release me and I'll-" He cut himself off as Stayne brought out a dagger and drove it into the board right next to his left ear.
"What did the bird say?!" He demanded, his face nearly touching the wolf's muzzle.
"The Oraculum! It told them, I swear, that's what the bird said!"
"Yes, yes, but what did they say?!" He growled, his patience thinning.
"The bird said that Alice was back and that she was captured by you, My King." He whimpered which made the pale man curse moving away from the prisoner. His plans were torn before he could grasp them.
"And they wish for their champion to be brought back." He muttered, moving to one of the cages that hung overhead, a withered corpse lay in it. A fellow who called for forming a republic rather than be forced back into a monarchy, as though self governance would actually work.
"No Your Highness!" Came Grail's voice, it grew confident. "It is the opposite." These words brought light into his dark eye, he now turned to face the mongrel who did his best to sit up against the straps that tied him down.
"The bird said that the White Court did not wish to interfere with fate." He whimpered as Stayne drew closer. "And that if Alice was meant to be with you, then it would be."
"We are all slaves to Time, are we not?" Stayne asked amused, delighted actually to hear that the White Witch would do nothing! His mind began to wander. Would she submit to him when the time came for him to siege Underland, or would she stand up and fight then? No. No he couldn't see her keeling over. He had to make her suffer. Make her watch as her army is torn down, make her rue the day she did not kill him. Instead, he had to be weighted down by her sister for nearly a year. He winced at the memories of Iracebeth. The insufferable woman plagued his mind even in death.
"Was there anything else? Anything?" Now it was Stayne who was pleading, pleading for the hope that he could still win. "Tell Me!"
"Yes." The wolf whispered now feeling as though he might see the sun again. "The Oraculum told of a wedding. Alice will marry you." He whispered which brought a smile to the thin lips of Ilosovic Stayne.
"The Champion will take my hand? On what day is this? How?" He asked taking the knife from the rack in a single pry.
"The bird didn't say Your Highness. Only that it would be, and that the White Queen would not interfere." He spoke watching the man, hoping the information would suffice and that he could be released once more.
Stayne stood tall now, everything would fall into place. It was falling into place! He had captured The Champion, the White Queen would not send her forces, and greater still, Alice, would accept his hand in marriage.
"I must warn you, My King." Came Grail's voice again, waking him from his dreams. "Someone is coming for her." Stayne's eye boring into his very soul now.
"Who?"
"The last of the Hightopp clan, he was the only one to oppose the White Court's decision." He whispered, unsure if the information now doomed him. It was no secret the Stayne disliked it very much to have anyone stand against him, however the King of Black began to laugh, such a laugh that it seemed to pierce the ensnared wolf, his ears pressing back against his head.
"So, The Mad Man wishes to claim The Champion?! Let him come then!" He shouted with a grin as sharp as his blade. Stayne released the wolf from his bindings but he wasn't finished with the canine yet. "I have a task for you, my loyal subject."
"Anything!" Piped the Wolf, grateful that he would not only be set free, but given a job as well. As cruel as the Black King could be, he was rather generous when it came to payment. The rewards always outweighed the risks.
"I need you to infiltrate the Marmoreal and get me The Oraculum. It may be of use to me for the times ahead."
"Go, and don't come back without the scroll!" He ordered, to which the wolf obeyed without so much as a second thought, running on all fours to the surface of the castle.
Stayne grinned, pleased with the news he took for fact. How delicious it all was. The only ones that stood in the way now were Alice's own stubbornness and the hatter.
The Hatter. At the thought of the mad man he began to grind his teeth. The lunatic had indeed bested him on the field, all on account of a damn needle to the eye. The cheating bastard would have slain him had Alice not defeated the Jabberwocky first. Though it had been but a short time since that battle, Stayne's sword skills had greatly improved. He swore to never be bested by another living thing again.
"Twinkle Twinkle you little rat.." cooed Stayne recalling the tune of the song the mad man would often sing. "Where I wonder you're hiding at," he sang and ended with a chuckle moving for the staircase. He had an ambush to prepare for.
Tarrant and Chessur stood under the cover of the last bits of the forest to survey the border before them. One of the outposts the White Court had set up lay before them, to ensure the safety of those in Underland.
"Infernal White!" Hissed the hatter looking for a gap within the ranks, but the edges of the two realms seemed to have been rather well guarded. "Ay don' think ay can ou' rune dem' Chess."
"Well, Tarrant, it is a good thing you came to me, now isn't it?" The cat purred before vanishing in a puff of smoke which made the mad man jump. He had known Chessur for forever and a half, but he feared he would never get used to the cat's vanishing act. His mixed matched green eyes went back to the border patrol in search of his feline friend. The guards just before him were speaking of the news that Alice had been captured by the once was Knave and his cohorts. One was opposed to the idea of leaving Alice for fate, while the other wanted to let it be. After all, who were they to play part in fate? Suddenly shouting began to erupt down the line which caught everyone's attention.
At the main 'camp' there stood a few guards men, completely confused as one of their fellow soldiers ran after his helmet which floated just out of grasp. Seeing this, everyone drew closer to investigate. That is, everyone but Tarrant.
Wasting not a single second, the man who stuck out like a sore thumb wherever he went hurried across the open field, going unnoticed by all. His feet did not stop until he was a good way's out, now having giant boulders to duck behind. Peeking out to see how the distraction was going, he saw that the guards had finally managed to get a hold of the helmet.
Confused, the hatter moved to get a better view only to feel claws digging into his shoulder blades to draw him back under the safety of cover.
"The deed is done but night is drawing near and we do not wish to be out in the open when the sun sets." Chess said, his eyes darting around side to side. "The White Knights were the LEAST of our problems. Now we have to worry ourselves with Man-Eating Willows, Dandi Lions, Bandits and Hellhounds… Well, maybe I don't have to fear them but you certainly do."
"It is a miracle that anyone could live out here!" The mad man mused. "I don't know if even Alice could make it in these parts…"
"Well she had slain a Jabberwocky, if anything the creatures out here would bow to her, but for you, they may just take a bite or two from you." He purred vanishing before reappearing farther down the field. "Come along, Tarrant."
Tarrant pulled out his pocket watch to view the day. According to his watch, they had less than a week to reach Alice before the Grievous Day, the day in which the Oraculum claimed would be the day Alice would wed the Knave.
As the pair traveled on through the night, creatures called to the night sky which was alien to the hatter, but Chessur knew this moon as well as any other night orb. They narrowly escaped the jaws of a pack of Hellhounds and Tarrant nearly lost his hat to a lone Eating Willow.
Just outside the Black City, Tarrant looked to the populated area with eyes that matched the smoke which blocked out the night sky.
"How can anyone live in such a dismal place?" asked the mad man as the pair walked through the streets. Everyone they passed held only pain, anguish or illness in their eyes. "How can-"
"It is a matter of opinion Tarrant. While you may see these parts as dreadful, just as I do, some actually find this place quite fantastic" Chessur replied while floating on his back.
"But there is no light, no magic, no-"
"Joy?" Finished the cat, which made the mad man nod looking about the dreary streets.
"This is not at all what I was expecting..." murmured the mad man, who now was trying to find reason from all this.
"Well if you think that this is bad, you should have seen it before Ilosovic came to power." Which stopped the fiery headed man in his tracks.
"Ye 'new of the gresee worm maken out' like eh bandit?!" The Hatter growled, his eyes burning as bright as his hair. The cat floated up higher to be just out of reach of the mad man's grasp.
"Now Tarrant, please. You know my position on matters like this, I don't see it fit to get myself worked up over these things."
"But ye 'new! Ye meh ave well as given Alice ovah yerself you spineless puss!" He roared, which began to attract attention from others in town.
"Tarrant, please! I cannot help you when you are like this!"
"Yev' helped enouf'! Why ay shoulda drove meh sword right though that Knave when I could. Shoulda follo' em and de bloody big head when dey were banish'd An-"
"Hatter!" Shouted the cat, in attempts to get the mad man under control. Tarrant held in his breath, his eyes, now diming to a shade of yellow green looked to the cat with some guilt.
"I'm fine." He whispered, his voice strained and now looking around, forgetting his place.
"Nothing to see here folks! Just a hatter who's lost his head momentarily!" He shouted to those who watched with interest. A few people shrugged and wandered off, while others departed on their own terms, whispering to one another on the event.
"We should probably find ourselves a place to spend the remainder of the night, just to stay out of sight for a while." Chessur suggested which the ginger man nodded in reply.
"I could go for a nice cup of tea I think. Help calm me down sum' more."
"Oh Tarrant, you poor thing. Tea is in short supply in these parts." The cat confessed to moving towards a nearby inn. "I'm afraid that these parts are more open to the beverage of coffee."
"Coffee? Why, surely you don't mean that bitter black stuff, do you?" Tarrant asked, looking rather distressed.
"I'm afraid so. It's not all that bad with cream and sugar."
"I refuse to believe such- such... poppycock!" Tarrant shouted, his hands grasping at the lid of his top hat, pulling it down as though it would help shield him from the horrors of this place. "We must save Alice as quick as we can. This is no place for the likes of her! Can't even get a cup of tea!"
Whilst The Hatter went on with the cat, they failed to notice the wolf dressed in red eavesdropping on their conversation.
Half of him told him to return to Deces, to inform Stayne on the arrival of The Hatter, but he was told to not come back without the scroll. At a loss he sought out the auctioneer rat and told him to report to the castle to deliver the news for him.
The rat was reluctant at first, however he was persuaded at the chance of getting extra cheese rations from the King himself and off he went, out of the Black City and for Deces, to inform his King of the mad man and cat in The Black Kettle.
I just had to install the next chapter, this story is seriously taking up my mind nearly every waking hour, but now I'm afraid I must take a bit of a break but only so I can collect feedback from those interested in the story.
I'm considering upping the rated content to M, for a darker spin on the story, however, this story is not just for my benefit but for all of you to enjoy, and I know that black, dark tales are not everyone's cup of tea so I want to make it something that you guys will keep interest in. Let me know, and I'll have another chapter up once I get a better idea where I should take this tale.
Thanks!
~Mandi
