[Disclaimer: All characters belong to Lewis Carol, Tim Burton and Disney. I will make 0 profits from this work.
Alice and Tarrant's brief instant of spontaneous idyll was punctuated by Mirana's return to the corridor, who was outspoken of her fondness towards the pair as they danced for those cursory moments. In a flushed state of abash, the pair split; Mirana courteously instructed Alice to follow her down another pearlescent corridor while a group of her close male subjects led Tarrant down the opposite end, to where Alice assumed he'd be dressed and groomed. Following the platinum-haired woman through the palace, Alice once again found herself in awe of the buildings' exuberant interior as towering pillars aligned the corridor hallways. She could have wandered aimlessly about the palace like a vagabond for hours on end and never grow bored; the scenery was unlike anything she had seen Upland. After walking about the hallway, the two women entered through a large door into what seemed to be a grand dressing room - Alice thought it had to be as large as her parlour at home, perhaps even larger, and yet the rooms' entire purpose was to serve as a closet. You could house an entire family in here! she thought to herself.
"Alright, dear. I have an array of gowns to choose from but this," Mirana thumbed delicately through her wardrobe before finally uncovering a particular gown which she retrieved from the rest of the cloth with a great deal of excitement. "Ah! This one here." She held the gown to Alice's chest and nodded her approval. The dress was like any other zeitgeist gown of the time; narrow around the waist with sloping shoulders and a bell-shaped skirt. This dress, however, was a breathtaking shade of prussian blue and was bedazzled around the seams in what Alice perceived to be real diamonds. Surely this piece of cloth had to be of utmost expense - something a commoner as herself would never have the privilege of wearing, much less owning, in her land above. Then again, Alice wasn't familiar with the expenses of Underland or even if the people had a system of currency like her pounds at home, and even so, Marina was a Queen and was sure to afford any luxuries of her desire.
"Thank you ever so much, your ma-" Alice's words were met with the raise of one of Mirana's dark brows, to which Alice corrected, "Yes, I mean, Mirana- Thank you." the two chuckled before Mirana exited the room to leave Alice alone to change, insisting that she come out at once upon putting the gown on because she "just has to" see the way it "compliments her beauty". Alice always deeply admired Mirana for her kindness and was proud to call herself a close confidante of the Queen. After Mirana slipped through the door, closing it behind her, Alice was left to change attire. She unbuttoned and removed the blue long sleeve pinstripe blouse she had been wearing upon entering Underland, but as she slid the silky cloth off her shoulders, she revealed markings upon her skin she had not noticed before. Her wrists were swathed in bandages faintly stained with a dark crimson that had seeped through the cloth. Alice shivered. She hadn't much recollection of the moments that ensued before her arrival to Underland and the possibilities of what had happened frightened the girl. "However did I get here, anyway?" she pondered aloud. Perhaps the injuries were from the glass shards from her room - Alice could vaguely recall the sensation of a sting before her blackout, But who bandaged me? The curious woman was beginning to unwrap the cloth when a sudden knock came from the door.
"Alice? Are you about ready, dear?" The Queen inquired through the heavy door, her voice merely a muffle. Alice decided to leave the bandages as they were as she hastily placed her ivory petticoats on, along with her corset, before finally sliding into the gown loaned to her by the Queen. Cloaked in the beauty that was prussian blue, Alice twirled about in front of a mirror located in the room, admiring her reflection for the first time in a long while. She noticed it was rather tight in the bust area, likely due to the Queen's petite figure, but aside from that one feature, the dress was a marvelous fit. Alice glanced down again at her wrists, noting how thankful she was that Mirana had picked a long sleeve gown for her to wear.
Tarrant's usual attire, which consisted of a vibrantly colored linen shirt under a purple paisley patterned waistcoat with a dusty cravat and kobicha-brown plaid pants, had now been replaced with a fine chocolate-brown suit, paired with an ivory cravat and green tie that complemented his emerald orbs beautifully. The one piece of his original attire that was implemented into his current ensemble was his trademark hat, which he wore proudly over his mercury-poisoned locks. However, despite the grooming done by Mirana's male confidants, the Hatter's orange mane still looked as if he had just stuck a fork inside a toaster - perhaps there was no taming those wild locks, no matter the products at hand. He awaited Alice's presence inside the Queen's ballroom, where he later met and grouped with his old friends, Mallymkun, Thackery, Cheshire, Nivens, and the Tweedles, who all eagerly awaited Alice's arrival.
"I can't believe she really came back," a voice said, seemingly out of thin air before a wide grin revealed itself.
"Well, it only took her nine years! Shame on her to make us wait so long- Not that I missed the stupid girl!" The pee wee-sized mouse retorted.
"The Queen said that this gathering was to begin five minutes ago, and neither she nor Alice are in sight! They're late!" Nivens said aflutterly, his white paw cleaving onto his stopwatch in a firm grasp.
"I thought it was supposed to start in ten?"
"No, it's supposed to start at ten, and it's five past!" The Tweedles chimed.
Normally, Tarrant's mood was zany when in the presence of his close friends, but tonight he was uncharacteristically silent. He couldn't help but wonder what the holdup was, eager to see Alice again. It had only been a few hours since the Queen had separated them, insisting that they each wore the proper attire for the soiree, yet Tarrant felt that the duration lasted a lifetime. After all, when coming so close to losing his best friend for what he thought would be an eternity, he couldn't bear the thought of her leaving again. Then he remembered - she couldn't leave.
"Look, it's Alice!" The March Hare nearly screamed, snapping Tarrant out of his daze.
Mirana and Alice entered the ballroom alongside each other, their arms interlocked, and the Underlandians inside the palace fell silent. The room was white in its entirety, the only colors coming from the attendees and their marvelously crafted suits and gowns. The contrast was picturesque, Alice noted. Mirana made her way to the front of the ballroom, where she stood behind a white marble podium atop a platform that raised her just high enough for the whole room to see her from afar. She gestured for Alice to stand beside her behind the podium, and she obliged.
"Good evening, my friends. Don't you all look sensational this evening?" she began. "Today we coalesce to honor our Champion, slayer of the Jabberwocky, in celebration of her gallant success in saving our world to my sister…" she looked down, her expression clouded with dejection at the reminder of the era in which Irazabeth reigned in despotism. Quickly, she shook her troubled mind and carried on with her speech with a bright smile. "Of course, we would have celebrated Alice many moons ago, but she had to return to her home above. However, she returns this time with the intent to stay! So, consider this a 'thank you', as well as a 'welcome back' soiree!" The Queen concluded; the attendees cheered and the festivities began. Despite the short notice Alice had given the Queen, the soiree seemed far from impromptu - it seemed as though she had been carefully planning the event for weeks!
"Thank you again, Mirana. This really is lovely." Alice smiled. Do's were never quite her thing, but the effort her friend had put into the event was beyond flattering.
"Do not mention it, dear. Welcome home." The usage of the word 'home' made Alice smile especially hard. "Now go along, Alice. I don't want to be a bore to you at your own do. After all, I believe there's a certain Hatter who's eagerly waiting to dance with you." Mirana giggled before turning her glance towards Tarrant, who met her eyes and smiled. Alice felt her cheeks flush ever so slightly at Mirana's remark and responded with a polite nod as she made her way across the ballroom to where Tarrant and the rest of their friends sat.
"Oh, I was getting worried you weren't going to show! But it is ever so good to see you again, Alice, even if you are always running late!" Nivens smiled, a rare act for him. It seemed the poor rabbit was always too anxious to ever be seen smiling, and Alice felt warm inside in knowing that her appearance was enough to make even the most anxious of creatures content.
"She's always late. And it's quite inconsiderate if you ask me." Mallymkun protested, her arms crossed.
"It's good to see you too, Mally," Alice giggled. Oh, how delightful it was to finally be amongst her old friends again! Truly, the only real friends she ever had were the people - and animals - before her now. No one Upland was to Alice's taste, and to say the least, she wasn't of theirs either. No one Upland had ever quite understood Alice. She believed this to be due to her eccentric demeanor while everyone else was just arrogant and closed-minded, which wasn't exactly false. Sometimes Alice thought she was the only person in London with a mind of her own. What a lonely existence, to be the only person with originality and personality. And what's worse, being frowned upon for it. After catching up with her friends, sharing drinks, stories, and many laughs, Tarrant rose from his seat next to Alice and offered her his hand. The baroque music playing throughout the ballroom was romantic and slow; a slow enough pace to where Alice felt she could keep up and dance comfortably with a partner. She met his eyes and smiled sheepishly, placing her hand atop the hand he had extended towards her. The pair made their way to the centre of the ballroom, where the previous dance was coming to an end. A new song began, the soft rhythms as slow and romantic as the former, and Alice and Tarrant took a step forward and bowed. Alice could feel several eyes on her which she fought to ignore.
"Let's give the staring eyes a show to remember," a soft lisp cooed into her ear, causing her nerves to rest. They circled each other, their gazes firmly locked, as Tarrant placed a mangled hand on Alice's waist, her hand on his shoulder, and their free hands clasped together, fingers intertwined. Together, the pair began to sway and dance in perfect sync to the music, their feet moving rhythmically together. Alice could feel her heart begin to pound in her chest.
Be calm, there's nothing to worry about. It's just him.
Alice took a deep breath and calmed herself down, staring into Tarrant's deep emerald orbs. She allowed herself to become completely immersed in those emerald pools - so much so, that she forgot where they were. Suddenly, no one existed but she and Tarrant. The two were incredibly close, Alice noticed, and she could feel his warm breath on her cheek, the space between them nearly nonexistent. Tarrant guided Alice through the dance in a dream-like state and it felt as if Time himself had slowed the moment down, allowing them to bask in the scene. As the song progressed, Alice felt more content and confident in her dancing - she felt as though she was floating on a cloud, like a butterfly; graceful in its movements yet effortless. It was at that moment when Alice felt true serenity. Suddenly nothing mattered anymore. Her mother, her sister, the loss of her father, and the ship that was her joy in life, the curious wounds on her wrists - it all faded into nothingness as she was swept away in the moment. Alice, for the first time in years, truly felt alive. The rhythm of the music became her pulse and Tarrant guided her breaths.
The dance was over before she knew it, and the audience before them began to clap enthusiastically. Tarrant bowed, Alice curtsied, and the crowd seemed to go wild. That's when Alice realized, they were the only couple on the floor. She had been so wrapped up in the motions that Tarrant had guided her through, she had failed to realize the lack of dancers on the floor. Upon this realization, her face began to heat up again. Tarrant seemed to notice this and offered his comfort.
"You danced like no other I've ever seen, my Bonnie. We definitely gave them a show," he said matter of factly. He even sounded proud - and Alice couldn't tell if he was proud of the fact that he got to dance with her, or if he was proud of his own dancing skills, which were undeniable. Alice figured it must have been the latter, but in reality, it was the former. Tarrant counted his lucky stars that he got to be the lucky man to dance with her. After all, he had normally just been a solo-act, and dancing with a partner - especially one that he was so smitten with - was a true honor, and something somewhat new to him. Of course, his parents taught him how to dance with a partner at a young age, usually practicing with his sister or mother, but he hadn't ever danced with another woman - not one who wasn't related to him by blood, at least.
"I guess we weren't too bad, hm?" the blonde giggled.
"Not in the slightest."
[Note: I apologize for the rather rushes ending and my lacking to answer several questions that may have aroused from this chapter - however, I am filled with loads of muse for this piece and should have the next chapter out within a few days, if not 24hrs. I hope you're all enjoying it thus far! I'm really trying to take a darker approach to the "maddness" of the characters, while also having enough fluff and cute ship moments to keep things fun... Feel free to leave suggestions or critique me in the comments! -Or, comment on something you enjoyed about my writing. Of course, positive criticism is appreciated as well 3
Cheers!