Oh The Webs That We Weave
Chapter 5: Nothing Is As It Seems
Disclaimer: I do not own Heart No Kuni No Alice or any of the characters.
A/N: Sorry it took me so long to post this chapter *bows head apologetically* work has been absolutely insane and consuming most of my life at the moment. I left work sick today and have been in bed editing my story, so my sickness is your good luck I guess lol. Anyways I just want to say a quick thank you to all of you who have reviewed my story. I hope you like the new chapter. :-)
"Blood! You know there's no fighting allowed!" said a panicked Alice as she grasped onto his arm. She hoped that the contact would help to cool him down. The situation was escalating in a dangerous direction, and Alice had no idea how to stop it.
Blood's eyes never left the smiling knight's face while asking dangerously, "What exactly is this poor excuse for a knight talking about Alice?"
Her face flushed and Alice ducked her head slightly and Ace grinned wickedly at her
"It it's nothing." Alice stuttered. "I got lost in the forest after talking to you and ran into Ace. Soon after it got dark so we had to camp out until morning."
Blood didn't appear to be pacified by her answer. His gun never wavered its position in pointing directly at Ace.
"Alice." Ace said pouting. "You left out all the best details."
Alice had never wanted to slap Ace as much as she did now. He was indisputably deliberately trying to cause a fight.
"Details?" Blood questioned in a deathly tone.
The blood drained from her face leaving a very pale Alice staring wide eyed at Ace. Did he have a death wish or something? Before she could respond it was Ace who happily said while fingering his sword hilt, "Yeah. Neither of us could sleep so we had to make each other tired."
BANG!
With lightning quick reflexes Ace drew his sword and deflected the bullet with the metal of his sword.
"Blood!" Alice screamed in panic. "You could have killed him!" she finished while releasing his arm. Obviously there was going to be no calming of the mad hatter.
"That was my intent." Blood replied coldly.
"You dented my sword hatter." Ace finally voiced.
"That's not all that I'll dent." retorted Blood. "Take a good look at Alice. Notice anything
different?"
Alice felt incredibly uneasy as Ace proceeded to take a good look at her. She noted that Ace's eyes widened slightly for a moment before quickly returning to his usual carefree expression.
"You think I care about that." Ace said to Blood. "That won't stop me."
What in the world were those two talking about? Her curiosity overrode her cautiousness and she began, "What are you tal..."
BANG!
Ace dodged the second bullet fired by Blood and the vase behind the knight shattered as the bullet made impact. Ace drew his sword and charged towards Blood at insane speed. Blood in turn instinctively pushed Alice father into the corner while trying to evade Ace's attack. The tip of Ace's sword cut into Blood's right arm. Alice gasped as Blood's shirt sleeve became red with the thick blood leaking from the cut.
Before the two could charge again a loud familiar voice interrupted them."What is going on here? There are no weapons allowed at the ball!" Vivladi yelled.
The Queen was flanked by the King and half a dozen card solders. Alice had never been so glad to see the Queen of Hearts. Surly she could put a stop to this madness.
"I don't need a weapon." Ace challenged sheathing his sword.
Blood's eyes narrowed as he put his gun away. Alice gave a sigh of relief thinking this confrontation was finally over.
Suddenly and without warning the two men lunged at each other. Blood ducked under Ace's punch and aimed for his stomach. Ace countered by blocking the aim and attempting another hit.
"Enough!" Vivladi screamed. "Both of you get out of our castle now!"
Before either could throw another punch Alice jumped in between the two and grabbed onto Blood's good arm.
"Blood let's just go please." she pleaded. "Besides I need to take care of your arm, it's bleeding a lot."
Blood's expression lost a shade of its coldness and he allowed Alice to lead him towards the outside staircase which spilled out into the gardens.
"Vivladi I'm so sorry." Alice apologized.
The Queen shook her head and said, "You don't have anything to apologize for. Its not your fault these two boys are idiots."
Blood gave a huff of indignation and Alice gave a slight smile at the Queen.
As they were heading towards the staircase Ace reached out and grabbed Alice's free arm and said, "Hey Alice.."
Ace's words were cut off by Bloods fist connecting with the left side of the knights face. Ace immediately let go of Alices arm and brought his hand up to his face while glaring at Blood.
"Honestly Blood." she heard Vivladi sigh.
"That was a cheap shot hatter." Ace said rubbing his reddening face.
"Stay away from Alice." warned Blood. And with those parting words Blood took ahold of Alice's hand and led her down the stairs. While they were making their descent Alice could hear the Queen reprimanding her knight for his poor behavior.
Blood and Alice descended the stairs in silence. They made their way to the large water fountain the occupied a rather large portion of the garden. Blood stopped a few feet away from the fountain and watched it silently.
Alice was slightly nervous to speak after what had just happened. She could tell that Blood was in one of his moods. He was probably going to start on her again about seducing all the men. But it was his fault that she ended up camping with Ace. If he hadn't detained her for so long in the forest she could have gotten out before nightfall. It was his fault she told herself, so there is nothing to be nervous about.
"I need to look at your arm." she said finally breaking the silence.
Blood turned his gaze from the fountain to his arm, as if he had forgotten about his injury.
"It's nothing." he said shortly.
"It's not nothing." Alice retorted irritated. "Now let me see."
"No." he replied stubbornly.
Alice could not believe how childish he was being. She knew he was upset, but this was ridiculous.
Alice sighed in frustration and said, "At least let me tie it off to stop the bleeding."
"Fine." Blood relented as if she were some small child that he was humoring.
Alice scowled at his tone and said, "I'm going to use your tie."
At the look he gave her Alice quickly continued. "You're the mafia boss. You're rich. You can buy a new one."
This drew a small and rather reluctant smile out of the hatter. Taking the smile as a form of acceptance she reached up towards his neck and began undoing his tie. For some reason Alice felt slightly flustered at performing this simple act. Her fingers seemed to be numb as she tried to remove the tie. After what seemed like hours she finally managed to get the tie undone. She quickly wrapped the fabric around his bleeding cut and tied a tight knot , effectively stopping the bleeding.
"All done." she said as she finished. Alice moved to step back but Blood quickly wrapped his arms tightly around her so that she was pressed flush against his chest. Alice let out a noise of protest but was cut off when she felt Blood's warm breath on her ear.
"Where did he touch you?" he whispered in her ear.
Alice gulped. She did not want to tell him what had gone on in that tent. Her breathing quickened and she knew that it hadn't escaped Blood's notice.
"I don't want any memories of him lingering in your mind. Every inch of you that he touched, that he kissed, will be replaced with the memory of me." His grip on her tightened as he spoke. He brought his lips closer to her ear so that every time his lips moved they brushed against her ear in a sinfully delighting way.
"Unless you tell me where he touched you I'll have to kiss you everywhere." he said in a deeper voice.
Alice's heart and breathing stopped at his words. She recognized the threat and promise that his words held. A shiver ran up through her entire body at the thought.
"Alice." he quietly demanded.
She didn't know what possessed her to blurt out, "My neck."
As soon as she said it she wanted to swallow her words. She could have lied and said her hand or check. Either would have been less intimate. But then again, she was never really good at lying.
She felt Blood's hair brush against her bare neck as he lowered his head to her exposed shoulder.
Alice gasped as his lips made contact with shoulder. He began slowly placing hot searing kisses along her shoulder as he determinedly made his way up to her neck.
Alice was becoming increasingly light headed as he continued his journey. He was right she couldn't even recall Ace's kisses.
She was embarrassed by her body's reaction to his touch. Her breathing was deep and she was having a hard time standing because of the shivers that continuously coursed through her body. She should tell him to stop. But she couldn't find the words. Did she really even want him to stop?
Alice unconsciously tilted her head to the side allowing Blood easier access to her neck. As he neared the point where her neck met her jaw his kisses became even more intense. Alice let out a startled intake of breath when he playfully nipped at the spot directly below her jaw. She felt him smile against her neck at the reaction he caused.
"Where else?" he asked huskily.
Her mind was in such a frenzy she could scarcely remember her own last name, let alone answer his question. Blood placed a finger under her chin and tipped her chin up so that she would have to look him in the eyes.
"And what about your lips?" he asked deeply brushing his thumb against her lower lip.
She should say no. Deny that Ace had kissed her. But she couldn't remember why. Before she had time to say a word his lips descended onto hers. If his lips on her neck had made her light headed then his lips on her own nearly sent her into a catatonic state. He kissed her slowly but throughly. He brought a hand up from her waist to the back of her head pressing her closer to him, the other hand tightening around her waist.
Alice's eyes fluttered shut. And against her better judgement she brought her hand up to tentatively run her fingers through his ebony hair. This simple innocent act on her part seemed to trigger an automatic response in Blood. His kisses became more aggressive and demanding. His tongue slipped into her mouth and Alice clung to him as he explored her mouth. When his tongue danced across her own Alice's body reacted entirely of it's own accord. Her back arched pressing her even closer to Blood. Blood's response to this was even more intense. He grasped her waist even harder, fingers digging into her soft flesh. With his other hand he intertwined his fingers in her hair and pulled down bring her head up so that she was now starring up at the night sky. Then his lips were once more on her neck. Hungrily kissing and nipping at her exposed skin. She clutched onto Blood even tighter as the burning sensation inside of her became even more intense. She had never felt like this before. Every time his lips touched her skin the feeling became more intense.
Alice let out a small hiss of pain as one of his love bites became a bit too intense. The brief feeling of pain was immediately replaced with pleasure as Blood licked the tender skin to sooth her and placed a final kiss upon the mark he left on her neck.
"I want you to move into the mansion." Blood said against her neck, voice gruff with desire.
" Wh what?" Alice questioned startled, her head still reeling "I I couldn't."
Blood brought his head up so that he could look her in the eyes.
"You can and you will." Blood stated. Smiling at her indignant expression he continued. "After all it's only natural."
"What do you mean natural?" Alice questioned. She had a feeling that this conversation was heading in a direction that she wasn't going to like.
"It's only natural to live with your lover." he replied, putting extra emphasis on the word lover.
A flush crept it's way up her face as she stared startled at the man in front of her.
"But we're not!" she exclaimed. "I'm not your... and you're not mine.." Alice couldn't bring herself to say the word and was becoming more flustered by the minute. Blood smirked down at her and brushed a thumb over her swollen red lips.
"You deny that you're my lover, yet all your actions point to the contrary." he said confidently.
"My actions?" she questioned pulling away from Blood. "You're the one whose always..."
Blood interrupted her rambling when he brought up a hand to caress the earrings that were dangling from her ears.
"Tell me Alice, in your world when a man wishes to express his interest in a woman what does he give her?"Blood asked.
Startled by the slight change in topic Alice repeated perplexed, "Give her?"
"Yes." Blood said still playing with her earing. "When he wants to let all others know that she is his and he alone intends to be with her. What does he give her?"
Alice felt uneasiness in the pit of her stomach. Why did she feel that something incredibly bad had happened and she hadn't even noticed? Alice gulped down the lump in her throat and replied softly. "A ring."
"Jewelry then." Blood stated dropping her earring and looking at her pointedly. It was as if a light had suddenly flipped on.. A jolt of panic shot through her heart and she took a step backwards putting more distance between the two.
"No! Not just any jewelry it has to be a ring." she said hurriedly. Blood clicked his tongue in disapproval.
"Things are different here Alice." he said seriously. "Our rules of engagement are slightly different from yours."
"What are you saying?" she managed to chock down her panic and ask.
Looking her straight in the eyes Blood answered, " It doesn't matter if it's a ring, bracelet, necklace, or earrings. The meaning is the same. By accepting the earrings you acknowledged my feelings and intentions. By wearing the earrings you declared to everyone here at the ball that you are promised to me."
"That's not fair." she said angrily. " You tricked me, I didn't know that there was a meaning behind the earrings.""Your ignorance is no excuse." he said, then as an afterthought he added. "If you had showed your Mortician friend the earrings he would never have let you wear them without knowing the full repercussions. But you didn't tell him did you?"he finished with a smirk.
Alice's heart sank at his words. Why hadn't she told Julius everything? She felt sick to her stomach. What had she gotten herself into?
"I guess I didn't have anything to worry about after all. I thought you two were close. It looks like I was wrong." he finished.
Alice had never been so upset in her life. She was mad at Peter for bringing her into this crazy world. She was mad at herself for her stupidity. For letting this snake in front of her kiss her and put his hands on her. Mad at herself for starting to trust him. But most of all she was enraged at the man in front of her. Her face was red with anger as she glared daggers at the mad hatter.
"You can have your earrings back." she said through clenched teeth. "I don't want them, and I don't want you!." she snarled.
She quickly took both earrings off and meant to throw them at Blood. However, it appeared as though the earrings were stuck to her hand. Alice stared dumbfounded down at the earrings. She tried shaking her hand this way and that to get them to fall but nothing worked. Alice gasped in surprise as the earrings suddenly moved of their own accord. They encircled her wrist in lightning speed to form a bracelet.
"What's going on?" she demanded of Blood while trying to rip the offending bracelet from her wrist. Why wasn't it coming off? This was insane! She could feel her panic bubbling up and about to turn into hysteria.
"That particular piece of jewelry can take on any form." Blood said unhelpfully.
"Thanks I hadn't noticed." Alice snapped. Her panic continuously rising as she tried unsuccessfully to pry the jewelry off. "How do I get it off!" she demanded.
The skin around her wrist was starting to bleed from her frantic actions in trying to remove the bracelet. Blood interrupted her frantic attempts when he grasped her wrist preventing her from causing further harm to herself.
"It won't come off." he said. "The very moment you put those earrings on you promised yourself to me. Here in Wonderland once you commit to someone you commit to them for life. Thus it will never come off."
Alice was close to tears of anger at this point. "I didn't commit to you! And if I did by accident I didn't mean it and I take it back!"
At this point tears of frustration were running down her face.
Blood sighed, "You can't take it back. It's done Alice, just accept it."
"No!" she cried. " I won't. You can't do this!"
Alice began struggling to try and free her wrist from Blood's grasp. She had to get away, she couldn't deal with this right now. She just wanted to run away and find a place to hide.
"Hatter!" a new voice shouted.
Alice turned to face the voice and through her watery eyes she was able to see that the voice belonged to none other then Vivladi.
"Vivladi." Alice whispered.
"Let her go Dupre." The Queen demanded.
Blood narrowed his eyes at the Queen and pulled Alice closer. " This doesn't concern you." he said.
Vivladi sighed and said quieter. "She's upset Blood. She needs to calm down. Let her come with me for awhile."
Blood looked intently at Alice then rather reluctantly let her go. Alice was shocked that he had listened to the Queen.
"I'll see you soon." Blood said gazing at her intently then turned and walked off into the garden.
"Come Alice." Vivladi said. "Let's go inside."
Alice mutely fell in step next to the Queen. Tears of frustration and anger continued to streak down her face. She wanted to speak to Vivladi, but it felt like the energy that would require was far too great. Today had been a roller coaster of emotions and she was just so tired.
Vivladi continued to lead a silent Alice through a quiet corridor in the castle and to a secluded room. The room was small but lavish in decoration. A large red cushioned couch occupied the left side of the room. Vivladi sat on the large couch and patted the seat next to her, indicating for Alice to come. Alice quietly sank into the plush couch and wiped the remaining moisture from her was so frustrated and confused, she had no idea what to do.
"I didn't know." Alice said finding the strength to speak. "I didn't know that accepting the jewelry meant anything."
Vivladi let out a sigh of annoyance. "That was incredibly underhanded of him." The Queen said with anger clearly evident in her voice.
A scene of Blood and Vivladi together in the rose garden suddenly flashed into her mind. What was their relationship? If they weren't lovers what were they? Was Vivladi mad at her? Did she think she was trying to steal Blood away? Frightened by the thought she quickly turned to the Queen.
"Vivladi I'm so sorry. I saw you and Blood in the Rose garden together. If he's your lover, I'm sorry I promise I didn't know what the..."
Alice was interrupted by Vivladi's laughter."Oh Alice." the Queen said still laughing. "Blood and I are as far from lovers as you can get. I'll explain it to you someday."
"Oh." Alice said slightly relieved and embarrassed at the same time. Her gaze once again came tor rest upon the bracelet on her wrist."So is this really permanent?" she inquired of Vivladi. "Isn't there anyway to undo this?"
The Queen's face softened as she shook her head sadly and said, "No there's not. Once you are promised there is no going back. You will always be tied to the Hatter."
Alice felt a fresh wave of tears bubbling at the surface. Now that her anger had left her she felt frightened and anxious.
"What do you mean by always being tied to him?" Alice asked.
Vivladi took Alice's hands in hers and said gently. "It means that you are his intended. This bracelet is a promise that eventually one day you will be the wife of Blood Dupre."
His wife? Alice's panic increased ten fold. This couldn't be happening!
"H his wife?" Alice stuttered.
Before the Queen could respond the door was thrust open by none other then Peter White.
"Alice!" Peter exclaimed and rushed to her side. "How could you chose the mad hatter when you know that I love you."
"I didn't chose him. He tricked me." Alice said anger returning. Today had been bad enough and she did not want to deal with this stalker of a rabbit.
"Oh Alice." Peter gushed, eyes welling with tears of happiness. "I knew you would never chose him over me."
The next thing she knew Peter had thrown his arms around her and was hugging her tightly. She was usually able to evade Peter's hugs but after the day she had her reflexes were a bit slower than usual.
"I'll kill the Hatter and then you'll be free to be with me." Peter said happily.
How could he so badly misconstrue the situation Alice thought as she tried to push Peter off of her. "Get off Peter." she managed to get out with remaining air in her lungs."I can't breath."
"Oh I'm sorry Alice." Peter said as he released his hold on Alice and nestled his way between Alice and the Queen. Vivladi gave out a huff of indignation of being shoved to the side.
"White we think you should leave." the Queen said irritably.
Peter ignored the Queen and looked at Alice. "Alice!" he exclaimed. "What happened to your neck? It's all red."
Alice quickly brought up a hand to cover the left side of her neck as she flushed deeply. Peter's expression suddenly became fierce.
"Were you attacked Alice?" Peter asked seriously.
Alice quickly shock her head no and she heard Vivladi try to stifle her laughter.
"Oh good then." Peter said then once again looked at Alice imploringly. "Alice once I kill the hatter will you accept this from me?" he asked pulling out a golden necklace with a sapphire pendant dangling at the bottom.
She couldn't believe it. What was wrong with the men down here. Alice scooted farther down the couch away from the White Rabbit and said, "I don't want to be anyone's promised Peter."
She sighed as much as she disliked Blood at the moment she still didn't want him killed. There had to be another way to resolve this. "And I don't want you to try and kill Blood, I'll find another way to take care of this." Alice said.
"But Alice.." Peter began.
"Peter I think you should go." Alice said. She couldn't take anymore of this.
Peter poofed into his rabbit form and looked up at Alice with big eyes and asked. "Do I still have to go Alice?"
"Yes." the Queen answered immediately.
Alice tried to bring herself to say the word yes, but she just couldn't do it. He was so cute and fury and small.
"Of course you can stay." she found herself saying.
Peter jumped happily into her lap and Alice couldn't help but hug the small rabbit close to her. It was strangely comforting to have him there with her in this form.
"I can't wait to go back home."Alice sighed. "Everything makes so much more sense there."
Vivladi scooted closer to her on the couch. Alice turned to the Queen and was frightened by the look on Vivladi's face. The Queen had such a sad and pitying look on her face that Alice immediately knew that something was horribly wrong.
"Alice."the Queen began gently. "Once you tie yourself to someone here you can never go home."
A/N: Well I hope you all liked it. Let me know what you think. :-)
Lena