Chapter 6:

-In Wonderland-

Location: Hearts Castle

Time: Afternoon

Ace and I walked into Hearts Castle. I felt overjoyed at the thought of being back at Hearts Castle; so many memories flew into my mind. A few servants were at their duties, but stopped to welcome Ace and myself. "Welcome back, Ace. And welcome, Princess Alice." I smiled, trying to take in everything, and yet, stay focused.

"The Queen is most likely in the audience chamber." Ace said and turned to lead the way. I followed, but hesitated after a thought crossed my mind. 'What if Vidalia didn't recognize me?' Surely, a woman I looked up to and spent so much time with would remember me. Right?

We entered the audience chamber, and it was just as I remembered it. Vidalia sat on her thrown, on a balcony in the center of the room. To the right of her was Peter White, standing proudly and serious. There were guards on every corner of the room. None of them stopped Ace or Alice as they entered the room. Peter was the first to notice her.

"Alice! I knew you would come and you came so quickly!" He jumped over the railing of the balcony and landed running on the ground. He ran straight into me, his head crashed on my chest and we both fell back on the ground. "My lady comes here! This is proof that she wants me near!" I felt like I was ready to die. His head was on my breasts, again. Not to mention, his hand slowly snaking down my back to my butt. I pushed him off of me quickly.

"Are you out of your mind? I'm not here for you!" I knew I was being harsh, but I was sick and tired of Peter and his perverted ways. This has been going on ever since I was little, but now things were going to change!

"But-" Peter began, but he was interpreted.

"You there, girl." I looked away from Peter and my eyes were drawn to Vidalia. "Are you, Alice." I sighed in relief, she did recognize me! 'Finally' I thought!

"Yes, Vidalia it's me!" I said, I pushed Peter off of me and smiled at her. She smiled back and stood. I noticed that all the guards stood at attention. "I'm so glad to see you."

"Alice, you shall accompany me for tea." She said. "You may tell me about how you came back then."

-In Wonderland-

Location: Hearts Castle; Hearts Garden

Time: Evening

Vidalia took us to her garden, which was border by a maze wall. Vidalia poured my tea. As I looked closer at her a memory came to my mind.

I was sitting with Vidalia in her room. I was about 7 at the time and was watching Vidalia trying on the most gorgeous gowns. "You look beautiful in that one." I said to her. The dress was an ivory color with lace and layers of silk. It was like a wedding dress. The fabric was almost transparent, exposed but covered. With her purple curls, Vidalia was like a goddess. She turned to Alice and tilted her head, like she was pondering something, and finally, she started to strip the gown from her body.

"I want to see you in it." She said. I felt my skin turn red. I slowly rose from the bed and approached her. Vidalia put the dress in a chair and helped me undress. She then held open the dress so I could step inside. Without looking at it in a mirror, I knew the dress fit me perfectly. Vidalia and I had the same petite waist, though it was long since Vidalia was so much taller than me. I turned to the mirror and felt my smile fall.

Compared to how Vidalia looked, I was hideous in this dress. I felt so angry and envious of Vidalia at that moment. She put her hands on my shoulder, "You look beautiful. Even better than me, I'd say." I looked at her reflection; she was now wearing a simple red silk robe.

"I'm nothing compared to you." I said my voice stained with envy.

"You must be looking in a cloudy mirror. For someone with such beauty as you can out shine anyone. Even a Queen like me." She planted a kiss on the top of my head. I smiled at her, she made me feel like a true princess. She let me keep the dress.

I wonder if I still have that dress.

"The evening is enjoyable. It is a period of time I like." Vidalia said then sipped her tea. I sipped mine as well; I forgot just how much I adored the tea in Wonderland. It is so much more tasty and rich than the tea on earth.

"Psst, Alice!" I heard Ace whisper in my ear. "I'm gonna head for Julius' place now, so I wanted to say goodbye." Ace said to me. I was about to say my goodbyes to him when a bullet cruised past us and almost nicked Ace. We both turned and saw Peter White holding a gun.

"Step away, Ace. Now." Peter said still holding his gun toward Ace. "Give my Alice her space. By her side is not your place." It annoyed me to hear him call me "his Alice", but I chose to ignore him rather than respond. Ace just laughed.

"You can be pretty scary, Peter. I should probably get out of here." Ace said turning to leave. While walking away, he turned over his shoulder and called back to me, "Bye, Alice! I'll see ya." With that he was gone.

"Hmph, that man! He's always so rude." Peter said staring off in the direction of where Ace had gone.

"You are loud, White. Do you value your head?" Vidalia spoke, her eyes scowling as she drank her tea. You could cut the tension in the room with a butter knife. Finally, Vidalia broke the silence. "I welcome you back, Alice. You have been missed. A great time you have been gone, and you have grown." She said looking me up and down from my seat. "Have you settled in alright?" She asked.

"Yes, things feel different, but it's still home." I said smiling at her. "I wasn't happy to have seen myself grow like this after I left, but I think I'll get used to it at a point." I said.

"Yes, I noticed that. I barely recognized you at first." She said. "You are even more beautiful then when you were a young lady." I blushed at that. "Where is your friend, Virginia? I'm surprised she hasn't come to see me yet." My mother found Virginia in the Hearts Kingdom when Virginia was a baby. She was an orphan. My mother adopted her and brought her to live with us. She was still close to the Hearts Kingdom, and whenever I came here she would love to come with me. Vidalia always called Virginia and I her "little play things". We would always laugh about that.

"She is at the Clock Tower." I said. Peter White scoffed.

"The Clock Tower? You mean the home of Julius Monrey?" I think that was the first time I'd ever notice Peter's feelings towards Virginia. He was jealous of Julius.

"So it shall be." Vidalia said, sipping her tea. This was her blessing. I nodded in agreement. "You and Virginia may visit anytime you want." Suddenly, the sky became dark and it was night. The time changes here were insane. "Oh, has it become night? It has interrupted our pleasant moment. Evening is the only period of time that should ever exist." Vidalia stood and set down her tea. "It is regrettable however – night has ended our tea time." I started to rise as well.

"I should probably-" I felt so unbearably dizzy. I immediately sat back down. ". . . Get back . . ." I put a hand to my forehead, feeling slightly ill. I hadn't realized how much Wonderland had taken out of me.

"In such a state, you will be asleep before you reach Whites Castle." Vidalia said. "You must rest at here, if only for now." I took a sigh of relief. I used to have sleepovers here all the time. I stood back up and nodded in agreement. "White, see her to the guest rooms." Vidalia commanded him. I held back the desire to groan.

"Yes, majesty!" He said, very eagerly.

-In Wonderland-

Location: Hearts Castle

Time: Night

Peter walked me down the halls to the guest rooms. I felt oh so dizzy. I kept swaying as I walked about the halls. Finally, Peter grasped my arm to help me keep my balance. "You are not steady at all! Take my arm or you will fall." I immediately pulled from his grip and slapped him in the shoulder.

"I don't need your help! And stop touching me!" I pushed ahead. Though I was exhausted I wasn't going to ask this pervert for help.

"This is for you." He said gesturing toward a door. Right before I entered it he spoke again, "In truth, I would prefer you in mine-" I turned over my shoulder and scowled at him.

"You've got to be kidding me. You've done nothing but assault me. I'm not getting anywhere near you room!" I was so angry. His perviness was really starting to get to me.

"But I want you to love me back!" White cried out. His actions didn't seem to be those of love, more like those of a stalker. I scoffed at his words.

"I'll never love you, Peter! Get over it." I knew how harsh I was being. This was necessary though. I needed to have him understand that I meant business. I wasn't ever going to be interested in him—not like the way I felt about Blood. I didn't care that he was a mafia boss; my heart still ached for him. "Now, good night!" I opened the door and stepped inside. I was just about to shut the door when Peter spoke again.

"Fine, I understand." I stopped. Did he really understand what I was saying? "But even if you don't love me you are still in this world with me. As long as you're here that's enough." He smiled at me. "Good night, sweet Alice." I slammed the door. He didn't get it.