Chapter V
Hatter couldn't relax his face. It was twisted with confusion and uncertainty while the "White Knight" bombarded him and the girls with the most ridiculous insults he'd ever heard.
What's a bug-gnasher? He asked himself.
Charlie introduced himself with what was perhaps the longest name Hatter had ever heard, and quickly demanded the same of the rest of them. Alice was the first to speak and, as Hatter assumed it might, her name caused him to perk.
When she told him that no, she was just Alice, he scowled, and stuck out his tongue in a weird way. It was like he tasted something disgusting. Hatter scowled slightly. The old man was utterly insane.
"He's mad as a box of frogs." Hatter told the two before turning his attention on Charlie. "How have you survived?"
Charlie stood a few yards off with his arms outstretched. He was staring off into the distance, seemingly in a world of his own before he suddenly snapped into reality.
"Hm?" He asked as they fell back to his side. "Oh," He smirked, "I'm a Knight. And I am an inventor, as I said," He sauntered toward them once more, his armor narrating his steps. Hatter put himself between the madman and the ladies, even going so far as to stretch out his arm to ensure they were behind him. "And I do tend to dabble in the Dark Arts." He practically sang that bit. A smile twisted his thin lips. "Soothe-saying," He snorted, "Toenail readings." Hatter grimaced. "That sort of thing. Here, give me your palm-" He reached for Alice's hand and immediately noticed the ring on her finger. "What is that?"
Hatter bristled and put himself between the knight and Alice once more as he began to ramble on about the ring.
"Okay," Hatter mumbled when Charlie went off and dropped to his knees. "We need to get away from this guy."
"Wait," Alice said before he could drag her too far away.
To Hatter's shock, she tried to convince him to stay. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. She genuinely wanted to stay with the nut job, all because he'd somehow survived so long in the forest.
"Just Alice," Charlie declared as he rose to his full height once more. "I, Sir Charles Eustace Fatheringay la Malvoy the Third, White Knight, and Guardian of the Curtsy," He proceeded to do just that.
"Oh, very nice." Hatter said.
"Will be honored to escort you, your goods, your companion, and your…" He grimaced, scowled and seemed to have to force the word, "vassal," Hatter eyed him in shock. "To my sacred kingdom."
Charlie bowed his head to her, but Hatter had trouble moving past one thing in particular. He turned to Alice.
"Did he just call me a vessel?" Hatter asked as he pointed at the knight.
"Vassal." Randy corrected. He noticed a small grin curling the corner of her full lips. "It means slave."
His face fell as he shot Charlie a look. The White Knight only grinned and arched a defiant brow at him. Hatter glared back.
"Come along, then. We should leave quickly before the rapscallions and no-gooders find their way to us."
Hatter pursed his lips and shook his head, but Alice seemed determined so he followed her along with Miranda.
As they did, led by Charlie to the horses he had tied to a distant tree, he glanced at Miranda out of the corner of his eye. She was off to the side, a little ahead of him, but behind Alice. He couldn't help it. The pieces of Alice were falling into place. He was getting a sense of her, starting to know how she would react in most situations. Hatter was always good at reading people, which was why the Tea Shop was so successful, but Randy was another story.
She was almost blank to him, and he didn't like it. She had cried over the destruction of his world, shed tears over the people here, and knew about their monsters. He knew there was a book about Wonderland, had heard about it from Suits who made the discovery in Other World, but surely it couldn't mention those.
But it was more than that. Miranda was nothing special, another pretty face that seemed to be the extent of it. He knew there was more, though, and that bothered him. After so many narrow escapes and high-tension situations that they barely managed to get out of, she should have shown a little of the person hidden beneath the façade. But no. There was nothing, and that bothered him.
Every time he looked at her, he felt like he was looking at a lie. There was no reason to it, but the feeling persisted.
When they reached the horses, Alice was beckoned to by Charlie. He told her it would be a great honor to be her bearer. As a result, Hatter assumed Miranda would join him. He leapt onto the back of his horse and offered her a hand. She stared at it blankly.
"Come on," He told her.
He noticed her take a step back, ever-so-slightly. His brows creased.
"I'll ride with Charlie." She told him before turning and approaching the madman in armor.
Hatter was left staring at her. Agitation and confusion filled him again. Why did she look at him like that? For some reason, she always seemed to recoil whenever he was close to touching her, shying away if there was a chance that his skin might touch hers. It was strange, wasn't it?
In the distance, he noticed her speak with Alice. Alice glanced at Hatter briefly, then turned her attention back to Randy and nodded. They parted. Miranda joined a slightly disappointed Charlie while Alice reached Hatter.
"You comin' with me, then?" He asked her.
"Looks like,"
When he offered his hand, she happily took it. He helped Alice climb onto the back of the animal and after a moment she settled into a spot just behind the saddle. With a shout to them, Charlie led the way. Hatter snapped the reins and followed suit.
"What's wrong with Miranda?" He asked Alice under his breath so she couldn't possibly hear.
"What do you mean?" She asked with a level of worry that didn't surprise him.
He took a breath and thought about how to phrase his question without sounding like he was nitpicking. It was an odd complaint he had, he knew it, but it was the look in her eyes that bothered him so much.
"She looks at me like I've got pox." He told her as they slowly ambled behind the white horse.
"What?" She laughed.
"You ain't noticed?"
He was sitting in the saddle leaning a bit to the side. It let him look at Alice as best he could while they spoke and helped them hear each other, so as a result, he could see her face as she dipped into her thoughts.
The once mocking grin had faded and her gaze drifted to the distance. Hatter looked periodically ahead to make sure that he was still trotting directly behind Charlie's horse, but otherwise his attention remained on Alice.
"Now that you mention it," Her voice was low and curious. "She is acting kind of weird."
"Oh, yeah?" He was glad to know it wasn't just him. Although, it wasn't as though Hatter had a reference point, a baseline for Miranda's personality to really see a difference. It was just a gut feeling that something was off.
"Yeah," Alice's face twisted a little with uncertainty. He noticed her look ahead at Randy. "She's been really quiet since we've been here. She's usually a lot more…" She paused and tried to think of what to say, a word that would encompass it all. "Just more. Randy's the one that's usually the life of the party."
Her brows pulled together and Hatter could tell she was worried, and a little sad. It seemed like she was only just beginning to realize that there may indeed be something wrong with her friend.
"Hm," He muttered.
Hatter returned his gaze forward. He stared at Randy. He couldn't see her being the life of any party –ever. She seemed serious, and as though a genuine smile might break her face.
Maybe Wonderland simply robbed her of any life Alice said she had in Other World.
They continued on their journey. To lighten the mood a little bit, Hatter wasn't above teasing Alice here and there. It helped break up the monotony of the slow-paced ride through the forest.
It was after midday before the finally made it to the Kingdom of the Knights. Hatter had never seen it before. He'd heard about it, read about it, but never laid eyes on the incredible White Kingdom. That was what it used to be called –The White Kingdom.
Towering structures of absolute beauty scraped the sky. There were towers made of glittering marble, sculpted into chess pieces. Rooks, Knights, and even Pawns made up the buildings. They were unique, but beautiful in that uniqueness. It wasn't the same cold, dead, ultra-modern monstrosity that the Queen of Hearts had created.
"Would ya look at that…" Hatter mumbled.
Nature had long-since overtaken the city. Vines and moss clung to ever surface. Trees, thick and huge, grew straight through buildings. They stretched a hundred feet into the air, their canopy rivaling the tallest structures. Bridges had collapsed and some chess pieces had toppled to the side.
The White Kingdom had been forgotten, relegated to nothing but a legend after the Queen took control. It made him sad, sad that this beacon of peace was a shell of what it used to be.
"Believe it or not," Charlie continued as he led them into the depths of the kingdom, through even more trees and thick forest. "This used to be the throne room."
Hatter's brows furrowed. He didn't believe it. There were no walls, no roof because there were no walls, and even the floor had disappeared beneath centuries of neglect.
"But now," Charlie's voice was sad and heavy, "There is only a throne."
There, perhaps fifty feet away in the center of the expanse, there was indeed a throne. The stone chair had lost all of its detail, nothing but a basic shape with bishop pieces at the side. There was a man sitting there. A crown, a sword, and a body of mail and armor hinted that he used to be the king. Honestly, Hatter was surprised he hadn't disintegrated, withered beneath the weight of his adornments.
His feet took him closer to it, deeper into Charlie's camp, though his gaze had trouble leaving the former Red King. His chest physically hurt. Hatter couldn't say if it was his heart or not, but his chest ached, liked even breathing caused him pain.
As he stared at the throne and Charlie spoke on something, movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention. He glanced at it briefly and noticed that it was Miranda. His brows furrowed slightly as he watched her glide past him, down the slope, past Charlie's camp and to the throne. He shot Alice a confused eye. She shared it. Together, they slowly followed.
The closer they stepped, the more certain Hatter was that Miranda was shaking. No, she wasn't quite shaking. She was trembling. Her entire body, in fact, was trembling just badly enough that both he and Alice noticed. It looked as though she was sitting outside in freezing weather, but too stubborn to actually warm herself.
She came to a stop in front of the throne. In profile, he could see that she was crying again, but it wasn't silent weeping. Her face reflected the sadness this time. Her mouth hung slack as she struggled to breathe and her cheeks completely damp.
Then, without warning, Randy crumbled to the ground. It was like her strings had been cut and she collapsed. Her knees slammed into the dirt. She curled forward, her head down, and buried her face in her hands. Alice raced for Miranda, fell to her side, and immediately tried to console her. Hatter remained a few feet behind. The intense emotion that poured out of Miranda made his head spin and he couldn't stomach being any closer.
Alice wrapped her arms around Randy, and Miranda threw her arms around Alice. The heartbreak he saw on her face twisted his gut. It was so real, far beyond empathy. He felt his eyes prickle with tears, too, and had no idea if they were his own, or brought on by her.
"Hey, it's okay." Alice said softly, sweetly. She ran her hand up and down Randy's back while the other cradled her head. "It's okay."
Miranda shook her head. "It wasn't supposed to be like this." She cried. Randy clutched at Alice's dress, fisting it tightly as though it was the only thing that could steady her. "This is wrong. All of this is wrong."
Alice somehow managed to draw back. Hatter was surprised she could. It looked like Randy held her in a vice.
Alice held Miranda's face. "What are you talking about?"
She stared back at her friend. Hatter again saw that pain and it turned his stomach. It was worse than before, deeper than before. Randy sniffed and chewed on her bottom lip in what looked like a weak attempt to steady her quivering jaw.
"I'm sorry, Alice." She said. "I'm so sorry."
He noticed her flinch slightly and draw back just a bit. "Sorry about what?" Alice asked carefully.
Randy's jaw dropped and her lips parted to help her breathe. Her head dipped again. "I've been lying to you."
Alice let go of Miranda's face and stood. Hatter could see her body turn rigid. Given everything that had happened over the last few hours, he understood her reaction.
"What do you mean, you've been lying?" Her voice was stern.
Randy took a moment to steady herself before she finally pushed herself to her feet. She attempted to run her fingers through her hair, but they were caught on the bun that hadn't quite fallen out completely. She grabbed the tie and tugged it out, letting her shoulder-length hair tumble down. She ran her fingers through it like she'd initially attempted. It looked like a type of coping mechanism, or just something to help delay whatever she was about to say.
Eventually, she looked up at Alice again. Her eyes were rosy and glassy. Her cheeks were completely wet and pink. There was no doubting that she'd been crying heavily.
When she spoke again, her voice was different. She didn't sound the same as before, her accent no longer the same as Alice's.
"I'm not from Other World." Miranda said in a posh, soft, English accent. Hatter's face fell. "I was born here, in Wonderland."
Alice's feet seemed to move without her knowledge. They brought her closer to Hatter, and further from Randy. Hatter noticed her expression. It was blank, completely unreadable, but he felt the shift. Hatter could tell something was wrong.
"No," Alice shook her head. "No, that's not true. You're from Philadelphia. We grew up together. We went to school together. I've been to your house. You can't be from Wonderland."
"It's true." Randy took a step closer, but Alice retreated just the same. Miranda stopped trying to approach.
"No, it's not!" She said loudly. "I met your parents."
"No," Miranda shook her head softly. "You didn't."
"Yes, I-" And then Alice fell silent.
"You've never met my parents, Alice, because they never existed." Randy said.
Hatter knew that he and Charlie had disappeared to the pair, and he was partially grateful for it. He didn't know what was happening and was more than willing to be forgotten.
"I was born in Wonderland and sent to Other World to find you."
Alice flinched. "What are you talking about?"
"There was a prophecy." She went on to say. "It talked about the Queen's rise to power, so I was sent to Other World to find Alice. I was supposed to protect her, keep her safe, and help her when she found her way to Wonderland."
Alice had begun to shake her head, either refusing to believe her, or simply unable. "I can't believe this. I thought you were my friend."
"I am your friend."
"No, you're not!" She yelled. "I don't even know who you are. Jesus, is your name even Miranda?"
Her head fell slightly and like before, she ran her bottom lip through her teeth before answering. "Leah. My sister's called me Leah."
Alice's face fell. She lifted her arms briefly before they dropped back to her side as though silently saying this is what I mean or unbelievable.
"I don't know your name," she began to count on her fingers, "Where you're from, or that you even had sisters. What else are you lying to me about, huh? Do you really work for the Hearts? Did you help them take Jack, too? Are you just trying to get this ring for yourself like everyone else? That's it isn't it? You've just pretended to be my friend to get the ring."
Alice's voice had turned mean, almost cruel, as she shot accusations at the person that Hatter had seen meant a lot to her. Throughout the journey so far, they clung to one another. Now, there was a chasm so wide that Hatter doubted they could see each other on the other side.
"Enough!" Miranda, or 'Leah' rather, shouted. "I have never worked for the Hearts. I was born here, do you understand that? Here." She motioned to the surrounding forest. "I was born in the White Kingdom and now look at it. Look at what the Hearts did to it." The tears began again. "Do you think this is how I wanted to tell you, hm? I wanted to tell you the truth, a thousand times over, but would you have believed me?"
Alice's jaw tightened along with the muscles in her back, forcing her to stand straighter than before.
"Why didn't you say anything when we got here?"
"I didn't know where we were." Miranda said in a broken voice.
"Bullshit," Alice snapped. "If you were born here, then-"
"It didn't look like this when I left." She said as though it should have been obvious. "That city wasn't there. This kingdom was still shining, filled with people, and Wonderland was happy." Miranda looked away briefly. She wiped the tears from her cheeks, but it made no difference because more fell the instant she blinked. She turned her attention back to Alice. "I had no idea where we were until Hatter said so. I don't even know this world anymore. How the hell was I supposed to tell you the truth, hm?"
Miranda shook her head. She stepped away, turned her back to them and paced slightly. Hatter could tell she was trying to organize her thoughts, probably trying to find a way to explain herself, though he doubted it was possible. Even he had trouble keeping up. Then again, maybe it was just due to the unbelievable things she was saying.
Eventually, Miranda turned back around. Her eyes were focused solely on Alice.
"I don't want the Stone, Alice." Miranda sounded broken. "I never did and never will. When I was sent to Other World, I was simply meant to watch over you, nothing more. I was never meant to become your friend, but I'm so glad I did."
Alice shook her head. Hatter could see she was on the verge of crying, too.
"You're not my friend. You never were." She said. Her voice shook. "Friends don't lie to each other. Friends don't spy on each other." Alice let out a scoff. "Ya know, I considered you a sister growing up. You were like family to me."
"I'm still-"
"No," Alice cut her off quickly. "No, you're not. So, y'know what? Why don't you just go back to your real family, hm? Go back to your real sisters."
Hatter saw it in that instant. He saw when whatever was left of Mirada's heart broke. He felt his do the same.
She took in a long, steadying breath and then began to peel the navy coat he'd given her from her shoulders. Miranda folded it in half and approached him. Without a word, she handed it over. He took it, though he wasn't certain why. He wanted to speak, the words were right there on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't force them out.
Miranda stepped back and her gaze drifted to Alice.
"My family is gone." She said softly. "Murdered by the Hearts. Everyone I knew is dead. My home is in ruins." Hatter saw Alice flinch, but her exterior remained as cold as it could. "Do whatever you can to retrieve Jack and return home, but please, please don't try to bargain with the Queen. She has slaughtered thousands without a second's thought and she will kill you, Alice." Miranda took a steadying breath, but it didn't seem to help. "I'm sorry I lied to you, but I'm not sorry we met. You were my best friend and I hope you find everything you want."
Miranda walked away and when she was roughly thirty or forty yards off, she turned, bowed to the three of them, then continued on. Within a minute or two, she was out of sight.
Alice sniffed. He looked at her and even though she tried to hide it, he could tell she was about to break down. Without a word, Alice walked away, likely to cry in private. Neither he nor Charlie stopped her.
Hatter glanced down to the jacket in his arms. It was still warm, but everything else felt so cold. Hatter lingered there for a moment before he tried to snap himself back into reality. He sniffed, shook himself into the moment and felt a tear trickle down his cheek. He wiped it from his cheek.
There was no reason for him to feel as bad as he did, but he couldn't help it.