Stayne disarmed the blade from Alice's hand for the fifth time in a row. If this training was not so serious, he would relish the frustration on his wife's face. It seemed impossible that someone so terrible with a sword was able to slay the last Jabberwocky, but he once thought it to be impossible to get her to even smile at him.
"Again," Stayne said, void of emotion as he pointed to the weapon on the ground with his own. Alice huffed making her way to the blade and knelt down to pick it up.
"Is this really how you were taught?" She questioned, finding it hard to believe that anyone could actually learn how to fight like this.
"Yes, but with the exception of a few things," Stayne said, eyeing her while he kept his distance. After she had caught him with a fist, he didn't put anything past her, even if it was just training, she was very unpredictable when frustrated.
"Like what?" she asked, the pair began to circle around each other.
"Well, for one, most of my sparring partners aimed to wound me, not to help me." Stayne said before he moved in to strike, which Alice successfully deflected. "Good."
Alice pushed herself back and tried to land a strike not, but paused when Stayne brought his sword to her throat. Now Stayne sighed in frustration.
"Alice, focus."
"I am! Or at least I think I am.." She muttered, her muchness nearly depleted now.
Stayne closed his eye as he sheathed his blade and approached her now. Taking the weapon from her he tossed the weapon off to a nervous squire. Stayne nodded his head for the armory, a silent order delivered to which the squire answered with a bow and retreated out of sight.
"I'm beginning to think your skills are more improvised than anything… instinct rather than knowledge…" He pondered his hand finding his way to hers. Without warning, he began to lead her in a simple dance. Confusion showed in Alice's eyes, but as expected, she followed in suit without too much of a thought.
"Ilosovic? What are you doing?"
"Alice, has anyone ever told you that you think too much?" Stayne questioned and he spun her around, Alice's body obeyed the rhythm with grace, but more so, it was fluid.
Alice simply nodded. It would take some time to tally up the times her family had scolded her on her overactive imagination. But in recent years her mind was much more flooded with what-ifs. What if she could establish a trade route at every port in the eastern hemisphere? What if she could start her own trading company? What if she could get Tarrant to come to his senses?
What if she was starting to feel something for Stayne?
Bringing her body to his, Stayne continued to lead their dance. A part of him wished that he could cancel the lessons and treat Alice like the queen she was and throw her a ball, where he could show her off to all of their kingdom and under, but this was to prove a point.
"Just let go, Alice," Stayne whispered looking down at her. "Treat a battle like you would a dance.."
"I think the two are very different," Alice retorted, still unsure how she felt about their lesson turning into a dance. Stayne chuckled softly, spinning her again and again, and Alice had yet to falter in her movements.
"In a dance… you have a lead, and in battle, your opponent will always want to be the lead." He said pulling her in close again, now anchoring her frame to his. "Let them lead."
Alice stared up at Stayne, still doubtful about his new direction of the lesson, but nodded again. "So, I will just follow their movements?" She asked.
"Yes. And whatever you do, avoid getting hit." He said, stealing a quick kiss from her, turning Alice's cheeks red as the squire returned with two wooden swords to test out this new method.
Time sat in his library, his eyes were closed but he saw all that he needed to see.
"She's improving." He said out loud to himself. He hated to admit it, but it seemed that Stayne and Alice made quite the pair. They complemented one another and yet were perfect contradictions. Opening his eyes, Time got to his feet and made his way for the door that led him to Marmoreal. He stepped into Mirana's room.
Mirana sat alone at her parlor, basking in her image when she caught the face of Time in the mirror. He wasn't pleased it seemed but Time was rather short these days.
"Are you aware that your subjects are planning on smuggling Alice out of Under?" He asked.
Mirana shot Time the most incredulous look she could muster. She opened her mouth to respond but Time raised his hand. "Let them."
"What?!"
"I said, let them," Time repeated looking over the royal with disappointment. "... They can't be defeated, not when they are together." Time confessed.
Mirana resisted the urge to huff. Vocal outbursts big and small were Iracebeth's thing after all. Mirana would suffer in silence. For the moment anyway. "How am I to rule over Under if Alice lives?" the White Queen asked gently. "It doesn't seem right anyway, sparing one and killing the other. I hear that a wounded heart is near impossible to recover from. Shouldn't they both be able to greet Death together?"
"My brother would be pleased to have Ilosovic, that is certain," Time replied as he drew near, which was when Mirana noticed a few gray hairs that had not always been there. She was polite and remained silent, allowing Time to continue. "Unfortunately I'm not sure if Death could handle Alice himself, and I'm unable to undo the damage she is inflicting-" He said drawing a inquisitive glance from Mirana through the mirror's reflection. "But you can erase memories... Can't you?"
Mirana frowned at the request. Rising to her feet the White Queen spun on her heel to face Time. "Do you have any idea how many buttered fingers I would need to make a batch large enough to satisfy all of Under?" She asked, throwing her hands up. "That is what you are proposing is it not? Make everyone forget about Alice? I would have to dig up every corpse from her to the Putty sea to do that!"
"You do not need to make everyone forget… enough for ten, at most." Time said with a shrug. "One for Tarrant and the gang of traitors should be cleansed as well, namely that white rabbit. Stayne can die or he can have her memory purged from his mind. It's all the same to me as long as those who need to know her, don't."
Mirana smiled wickedly at that idea. Taking the one thing Ilosovic cared for from him. It was such a delicious thought, but then an even more splendid idea came to her mind. She motioned to speak but paused. Surely if it was a bad idea Time would warn her of the consequences. After all he did see all, or at least what could be.
"I have to ask, dearest Timeothy, why is it so important for others not to know about Alice? What powers does she possess that you don't… Or. does she stop you from happening?" Mirana asked innocently.
Time slammed his fist against the marble wall, cracking the stone which startled the woman.
"That is none of your concern," Time started. This was about ensuring his own survival. Alice was proving to sway Ilosovic that his will could be denied. If others caught on to that simple fact, his hold on Under would weaken. Moreover, Alice didn't need permission from him to create life- and now that she had lain with the Black King, it was entirely possible that Alice could produce another heathen. "Postpone the battle. Create that potion. And do not disappoint me again... This must be done properly." He hissed approaching her.
"Should I find myself tangled in this mess once more, you shall reap the consequences..." He growled. "Do I make myself clear?"
Mirana nodded, and without a word made her way out of her own chambers to seek Winthorp, all the while questioning what Time was hiding as well as what she could hide from him.
Once alone, Time nearly collapsed, resting himself against the wall and placed a hand over his ticker. He could feel himself slipping, all because of that blasted girl. He dreaded the thought of what could be if she and the Stygian blooded man could do should they take rule over Under now that they were actively defying his will.
Should they produce an heir… It would be the death of him.
An outside source of life drained his powers, but to have a life created not on his watch would break his hold on this realm, and may even disrupt the rest of Underland.
What would happen? Not even Time could tell….
Back in Deces, Alice and Stayne continued to train rigorously. They made a pact that they wouldn't stop until they could no longer move, or until Alice had won a match. She wasn't pleased about this deal, but she reminded herself that she was the one who asked to be trained.
Alice brought her wooden sword across with all the force she could muster. The sound of wood slapping together echoed off of the walls of the castle. Knocking the weapon from Stayne's hold, the wooden weapon clattered against the ground out of his reach. Both stopped in shock at the successful blow. Their eyes met and smiles were exchanged.
"Alice, that was-"
Ilosovic was cut off by those perfect lips smothering his own. If he could make a request of Death he could see no better way to leave this world than by being snuffed out by such perfection. He wrapped his limbs around her frame and held her close as he deepened the kiss.
"Alice," he beckoned, wishing they were not in the open but behind a locked door.
Breaking the kiss completely, Alice stared up at Stayne with a bright smile, smug with victory.
"I won..". She teased. Stayne could only chuckle.
"Yes, yes you did.." He whispered, kissing her forehead, resting his hand on the back of her head. They may have a chance after all.
If you are still with me,
I AM SO SORRY!
I can't believe how much I've neglected this site, I swear I never meant to leave, not for this long... But I'm back! Hopefully I can get another chapter in sooner rather than later.
I had to reread the story myself to write this chapter up, and I'm mortified at all the spelling errors there are, but I hope you guys at least enjoy the direction the story is going in.
Feel free to comment, and scold me for the delay.
I'll be sure to reward you guys with smut for the next update.
