Title: Only A Dream – Ch.2
Fandom: Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Pairing(s): Stayne/Alice, possibly more later
Rating: PG-13/T (for now)
Summary: The Knave and Alice make a deal. Continued upon request! People are strange and things get complicated. Stayne won't let Alice forget her promise and she comes to find that everyone has their secrets
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING! Also: All mistakes including grammar, spelling, or character-wise are my fault! I know there was a major spelling mistake/word mix up in the last chapter *facepalm* But it won't let me go back and fix it, so I apologize! If any other mistakes happen in the future (I hope not) please feel free to tell me!
Author's Note: Wow! I never imagined anyone would actually read this story let alone ask for a continuation! I must admit, it wasn't originally in my plans…but then I read your reviews, received alerts that people actually listed this story under their favorites (etc) and I just couldn't refuse! I'm sorry I don't have time to respond to everyone individually but THANK YOU! Honestly, from the bottom of my heart…it means a lot to me. I'm a senior in college so I'm sorry if the updates are slow (I graduate in May!) but I promise I will finish this! Also, there will be more background of the characters and a side story in this so I hope more depth is acceptable instead of well…going straight to Alice repaying the deal entirely ;) Enjoy!
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I was in a dream-like haze as the Jabberwocky's head fell down the stairs and time seemed to slow down as it descended towards the bottom onto the chessboard battlefield.
Thump, thump, thump…
I lifted my head slowly, just in time to see the monster's head hit the bottom.
"Sixth impossible thing," I whispered under my breath.
I looked over the scene below me in time to see Tarrant drop his raised sword beside Stayne's body which was lying on the ground unharmed.
I wondered what had transpired between them while I was fighting the Jabberwocky because seeing the evidence that my best friend and Stayne had fought made me feel a sharp pain in my chest. As Stayne rolled away from Tarrant, the Knave still managed to look arrogant and majestic as he lifted himself to his feet and when he turned around his one eye meet mine. I started to experience those indescribable feelings again as I remembered his mouth, the firm touches, and his warm body pressed against mine. Did all that really happen just a few days ago at Crims in a darkened hallway?
"Off with their heads!" The Red Queen screamed, breaking through my hectic thoughts.
In response the Red Knights dropped their spears with the tips shaped like hearts clanging to the ground in answer to her ordered shrieks. The Red Queen had no power in Underland as of this moment and they refused to do her bidding any longer.
"Off with their heads!" she kept repeating until a couple of the Red Knights grabbed her by the arms. But they also went and grabbed Stayne, forcing him to his knees and holding him down.
I could see the White Queen talking to her sister. I could hear her say that while the Red Queen deserved death she had vowed never to harm a living thing and so the Red Queen was therefore banished forever to the Outlands where no one was allowed to talk or have any contact with her. She was doomed to loneliness for the rest of her life. Far worse than death, in my opinion but it was deserved. A couple of the Red Knights went over and handcuffed the Red Queen and then went to go handcuff Stayne as well. I mused if he was to have the same fate as the Red Queen if I didn't speak out now? This was the moment, it was now or never.
"Wait! Please stop!" I yelled out as I moved around the creature's body and descended the stairs two at a time to approach the group.
"Your highness, please reconsider the Knave's fate."
Suddenly I was met with complete silence and everyone was openly staring at me. I knew they were perplexed as they waited for me to continue with some kind of explanation to my seemingly bizarre behavior and request.
"I knew it!" The Red Queen shouted as her big head was turning near the color of a ripe tomato in her rage, "I knew something was going on between the two of you! I should never have…"
"Silence now, Iracebeth! You no longer have the right to speak here!" Mirana announced with anger and sadness reflected in her eyes. She glided over to me and put her pale arm around me and asked in a comforting manner, "Alice do you know what you are asking?"
No. I had no idea what I was doing. Was it morally right of me to keep my part of the deal? Maybe if I just let him go I wouldn't have to keep the other part of our deal. Something I couldn't possibly forget if I tried, which I did try, so very much. I was conflicted and I didn't know what was right or wrong anymore. Sure, he was the head of the Red Queen's Army but did he deserve this? By all means he didn't use fair methods to tie me into this little deal or game we entered into. But as much as I loathed admitting it, I entered into it willingly. No matter how many sleepless nights I spent trying to convince myself that he forced me into this whole ordeal I couldn't quite fully accept it. And I hated him for making me so confused, I hated him for what he had done to Underland even if it was under the Red Queen's orders, and I hated him for having me think about him at all. Damn him. But I wasn't going to be the one damning this man. In fact, today I was going to save him just like I had promised. I just had to hope and pray that it was the right thing to do.
"Your highness, I have thought long and hard about this," too much I chided silently to myself, "and I don't believe he should be banished to the Outlands along with the Red Queen, which I believe to be his fate."
At this moment Tarrant approached us with his deep angry accent and asked, "What are you saying Alice? How could you possibly want to free this man after all he has done?!"
"Tarrant dear, calm down please!" Mirana replied while rubbing his arm in a soothing and gentle manner.
The madness left Tarrant's wide greenish yellow orbs to be replaced with dismay and sadness. Which to me in that moment was even worse because I had to ask myself if hurting my friends was worth all this? Was Stayne worth it?
"Why?" was all he asked and I just replied, "Because I have to. I don't expect you to understand."
How could I expect him to when I didn't? I felt ashamed as I saw him look away from me and Mirana just asked, "Alice?" her eyes flicked over to Stayne briefly who was watching us all very intently, "do you owe him something?"
I looked into Mirana's warm but worrying brown eyes and had to wonder if the White Queen possessed the same kind of wisdom and knowledge as Absalom and if she knew what I had done.
"He helped me find the Vorpal Sword. I promised Stayne I would do this for him."
"You say his name? Alice! What is wrong with you? Why did you promise that to him?" Tarrant cried out with the madness entering his eyes again and his accent once again becoming thick and heavy.
"I promised I would plea for his freedom! Please Tarrant, you are breaking my heart. I don't want to argue about this!"
"Alice how could you promise that—that thing anything?"
"He helped me, helped us all in the end by telling me the location of this sword!" I exclaimed lifting it above my head which was dripping with the Jabberwocky's vile purple blood.
"Stop fighting!" Mirana interrupted, "One battle is more than enough for today. I will not lose my sister and see my friends torn apart on the same day, do you understand?"
I had never seen the White Queen look less than radiant and exceedingly cheerful but right now I could see the turmoil she was going through. I risked a glance in Tarrant's direction and his body language indicated that he was embarrassed by his actions but still very distressed. Neither of us seemed to know what to say so we nodded our heads in an uncomfortable almost shameful sort of way.
"What is going on over there? What is this? I will not be ignored!" cried out the Red Queen as she struggled against her bonds.
Tarrant left us then looking very upset and distraught as he went over to help keep Iracebeth restrained and silent. As he was walking over I could hear Mallymkun ask Tarrant, "What is happening? What is Alice doing now?" Mallymkun never truly trusted me. Perhaps she had a reason to.
Mirana then put one of her hands on my armored shoulder and used the other to caress my cheek gently as she said, "Alice you have saved us and all of Underland will be forever grateful to you. As Underland's savior I can deny you nothing but please understand," she breathed deeply and continued, "One good deed does not excuse a man from all the wrong he has committed."
"Though I don't believe it is enough to condemn a man either," and Mirana looked just as surprised with my response as I was.
"Indeed, my friend," and with that she instantly brightened as if nothing had happened, "Very well!" she exclaimed happily.
"Ilosovic Stayne you are henceforth pardoned of your crimes…release him!"
The Red Knights let him go and Stayne swiftly got back to his feet once more, whipping his head around to glare at them before walking away while miraculously keeping every shred of his dignity intact.
"What? Stayne! Don't leave me like this! Ilosovic, help me!" The Red Queen exclaimed.
"Your well being is no longer my concern," he told her coldly as he moved past her and headed towards my direction.
"Don't leave me for that little wretch! You will regret it, mark my words! Don't…" but she was cut off as one of the Red Knights threw a huge sack over her extremely large head and they hauled her up onto a white horse where they prepared to ride out to the Outlands and leave her. And so, the last of her words were carried away with her and justice was finally served. I hoped.
Stayne then stood in front of me and looked down, searching me over. After studying me for awhile he cleared his throat and said, "Hello Alice, you've…changed."
"You haven't," I retorted.
"I've missed you," he teased and I tried to tell myself that there wasn't also a hint of sincerity in what he said as he ignored my last statement. He bent down to try to help reach my new genuine height but was keeping eye contact with Tarrant as he continued, "What about a kiss, Alice? I've missed those the most."
I stepped back and disregarded his question while I asked him one of my own, "And what about a thank you for saving your life just now?"
Stayne smirked at me but before anyone got to say anything else on the subject Chessur appeared suddenly before us in a puff of smoke, "Well Hatter" he stated as he started to float between us, "I do believe you promised to futterwacken most vigorously if the White Queen was restored to her rightful place on the throne…" Chessur crossed his arms together and rested his head on his paws, "I do hope to see it."
Tarrant just glanced in my direction and then looked back up at Stayne with great distaste, "Maybe later."
"Ah come on!" Tweedledum exclaimed and I almost forgot that the two brothers were still here as they were very quiet, which was very unlike them, up until now.
"We were looking forward to it!" Tweedledee finished.
"I hope it's not on my account," Stayne said slyly while he reached down and put his hand on the back of my neck. Tarrant opened his mouth to speak when Mirana dispelled the tension and said, "Maybe tomorrow? I plan on throwing a Ball in honor of Alice and to celebrate the fact that Iracebeth's reign of terror over Underland has finally come to an end!"
"Ooh I do love a good party," Chessur purred while some of the others around us cheered enthusiastically.
"Then it is settled!" Mirana said with a clap of her hands. She twirled around effortlessly and smoothly moved towards the deceased Jabberwocky where she started to collect some of its blood. Mirana looked a bit repulsed as if the blood did not smell too good before she corked the vial up and turned around to hand it to me, "This will take you wherever you want to go, even back home if that is what you wish though I hope you plan on staying with us for at least a few days longer."
I took the vial from her gentle hands and asked, "But what about my family? They must be worried about me."
I imagined my mother and sister extremely worried and frantically trying to find where I had disappeared off to after I ran away from Hamish's proposal and in a way, my responsibilities.
"Ah, time passes differently up there," she gestured upwards with her perfectly polished fingernail and continued, "It has only been a few minutes in your world."
"Are you sure?" I didn't bother asking if it was possible, I knew better than that now.
Mirana just laughed lightly and said, "Absolutely! Now come along and…ah! Is Stayne to be joining us at the castle?" And she had a glint in her eye that was not too entirely innocent. At least now, I didn't have to wonder anymore if she at least knew something.
"I will be going with Alice." Stayne said simply but with a tone that suggested there would be no debating the matter.
"Splendid!" Mirana turned around and looped one of her arms through Tarrant's and the other around mine and sighed contently, "Let's head home."
As everyone headed back to Marmoreal I couldn't help but look back and up towards Stayne who was following us and was startled to find that I might have missed him…a little bit.