I'm back and ready to rumble! This is going to be kind of a filler chapter before the Nexus Vitae, but I hope you will still like it.
Alice looked at her lover strangely. "What do you mean by that?" she asked curiously.
"Exactly what I said," Tarrant said as if there was no other option. "When has a great thing ever lasted forever?" he asked rhetorically.
"Never, I guess," she muttered unhappily.
"All the more reason to enjoy the greatness while we can!"
Alice giggled and laid her head on his shoulder. They sat in a contented silence for a few minutes, Tarrant gently tracing the contours of her spine with his fingertips. Alice closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy the contact to the point that chills broke out across her skin.
"Do you enjoy that?" Tarrant asked her quietly.
"Mm-hmm," she murmured.
Tarrant continued to caress her back for a while, enjoying her happiness. When he finally forced his hands to still, Alice was disappointed. She looked up at him with large eyes, their normal blue color flecked with silver.
"Alice!" he squeaked. "Your eyes!"
Alice blinked rapidly. "What about them?" she asked worriedly.
"They changed color!" he cried. "Only a Hightopp's eyes change color!"
Alice's brow furrowed. She thought for a moment. "Is it possible that since I am carrying the child of a Hightopp, that some of the traits of the Hightopp's have been passed into me?" she asked.
Tarrant thought for several moments. "I've never heard of a Hightopp having a child with someone outside the clan before, so I have no idea," he said honestly.
Alice looked suddenly panicked. "So you have no idea what could possibly happen?" she asked frantically. "Not only am I not from your clan, I'm not even from Underland!"
"Alice, I'm sure everything will be fine," he said soothingly. "There is no proof that anything will go wrong."
"Has someone from Underland ever had a child with someone from Overland?" she asked.
"Alice…"
"Has it ever happened?" she persisted.
"People have tried," he admitted. "But it has always ended badly."
"Badly?" she repeated. There was an odd lack of emotion in her voice. She appeared to be keeping her face carefully blank, no trace of any type of emotion in her features. Her complete lack of expression unnerved Tarrant.
"Yes," he said uncomfortably.
"Badly how?" she asked with the same lack of feeling.
Tarrant shifted his gaze away from her face, refusing to answer.
"Tarrant," she said coldly "If something bad is going to happen to me or our baby, then I have a right to know."
He snapped his gaze back down to hers. "I will not worry you with uncertainties. There is no guarantee that something bad will happen, so I shall not worry you with it."
"Tarrant…" she said lowly.
He shook his head. "No Alice, you needn't worry about it. I don't want to worry you with that which may never come to be. Forget about it."
"You know I won't forget about it," she said reluctantly. "But I will leave it alone for now."
He kissed her forehead. "Thank you love."
Alice didn't answer him. She just stood up and looked at him expectantly. He took the hint and stood up as well. Extending an arm for her, he spoke. "Shall we find someone to perform our ceremony?" he asked with newfound cheer.
Alice took his arm with a gleeful grin, her earlier coldness disappearing like dew in the morning sun. "We shall."
The pair of them quickly exited the room and through an unspoken agreement, made their way toward the throne room. On the way there, they ran into the Tweedles.
"Alice!" they exclaimed together. The looks of childish joy on their faces were enough to light up the whole of Marmoreal.
"Hello Tweedles!" Alice said with equal delight.
"Why are you and the Hatter holdin' onto each other like that?" Tweedledee asked. "Are you two bonded?"
"No, they can't be," Tweedledum grumbled. "There would've had a big ceremony, and I'm certain they would've invited us!"
"Contrariwise, they wouldn't have to invite us, so they could be!" Tweedledee punctuated his sentence with a punch to his twins arm.
Tweedledum returned the blow forcefully. "No they would've invited us!"
"They mightn't have!" Tweedledee cried, hitting his brother again.
"Yes!"
"No!"
The two of them were now hitting each other almost nonstop. Tarrant knew that if someone didn't step in soon they would hurt each other, so he stepped in, saying "Boys, calm down! Alice and I are not bonded, but we plan to be soon."
"Ohhh…" they murmured in unison.
"We were actually on our way to see if Mirana would perform the ceremony for us," Alice added.
"Mirana?" Tweedledee asked.
"The White Queen you imbecile," Tweedledum growled.
"Why would they go to the White Queen? They should go to Absolem! He always performs the Nexus Vitae!"
"Do you know where he is?" Alice asked eagerly.
"I am right here, stupid girl." The blue butterfly landed on her shoulder as her spoke.
"Hello Absolem," Alice answered, ignoring the insult.
He ignored the niceties. "What do you need me for?" he asked.
"We would like you to perform the Nexus Vitae for us," Tarrant answered quickly.
"Why?" he asked lazily.
"We must be bonded to help assure the worst doesn't happen to the child Alice bears," he said quietly. "That and we love each other and want to be bonded."
"Is this true Champion?"
"Yes," she said evenly.
"Then I will perform the ceremony tomorrow," he said just before he fluttered away.
"Tomorrow?" Alice repeated. "So soon."
"Is soon a problem?" Tarrant asked.
"Never," she said quickly.
"Good," he beamed at her as he answered.
At that moment, Thackery bounded around a corner. "Yer all late fer tea!"
Well that's my lame little filler chapter. I hope you enjoyed. The next chapter will be longer and will hold the Nexus Vitae in it. Until then, I say adieu.