Chapter 9: The Ball
The day of the ball has arrived. Ali prepares her dress and goes to the castle. Ace and Peter are working hard and Vivaldi is nowhere in sight. Ali stands on her tip toes hoping it might help some. Ace walks over and pats her shoulder. "Heeeey Alllllli!"
"Hi Ace." She smiles at him.
"Did you come over to play with little old me?" His smile was kind of cute. Ali can't help but blush at his cuteness. "Getting everything together is a drag. Hey why don't you come to my bedroom?"
"Don't be a perv." Ali says flatly.
"Aw come on!"
"I said no!"
"She came over to play with us." Vivaldi walks over right on time. "Ready to have a royal makeover?"
"Yes please!" Ali rushes over to her.
"Ace get back to work!" Peter yells from across the room. Vivaldi takes Ali into her room and sits her at her vanity.
"Now. Let's see what we shall do with you." Vivaldi lifts Ali's head and starts her work.
The day changes to night and guests start piling in. Boris is talking to the twins. "I haven't seen Ali yet." Boris looks at them. "You haven't seen her have you?" They shake their heads. Vivaldi is at the top of the stairs and she claps her hands.
"Let the ball begin." The lights dim and the music starts. Ali steps next to Vivaldi. Everyone's head turns to look at her. A few of the faceless mutter among themselves. Ali walks down the stairs and her dress drags behind her, slowly flowing like a river, the makeup she had on was minimal, but enough to make her more defined and older looking, her hair was down but had a slight curl looking like golden rings. Everyone's stare made her blush a bit.
The first two that come up to her is Dee and Dum. "Wow sis! You look like a princess!"
"I'm not that pretty."
"On the contrary." Blood and Elliot comes over. They both look great in a suit.
"You look amazing Ali!" Elliot looked adorable. Ali couldn't stop staring at his ears.
"Um Elliot...?" Ali says looking straight at his ears.
"Yeah?"
"C-can I pet your ears?"
"Huh?" His face pales. She backs him up into a chair where he just sits down. She puts her knee on his leg and reaches for his ears. He shuts his eyes preparing the worst. Instead of the unimaginable pain of them being pulled, Ali gently strokes one ear in fascination.
"They... are so soft..." She gets off of him and smiles at him.
"No fair Ali. Why don't you pet my ears like that?" She turns and Boris is standing there.
They all mingle and have a good time. She dances with everyone, even a very stubborn Julius. The only one she didn't dance with was Peter and he was outside on the balcony. She walks out and stands next to him. "Hi Peter." He looks at her coldly and looks away.
"I brought you here thinking you were Alice... but you're not... Why haven't you gone home already?"
"Peter I'm glad you brought me here. I feel like I don't want to go home. It feels like you saved me."
"What do you mean?"
"Peter... I think you should know the truth about Alice."
"The truth?" He looks at her attentively. Ali leans on the rail.
"I knew Alice Liddell. Time here and in her world is different. Some years past since she left here. She had a daughter, Maria. Alice and Maria were close. Then Maria fell in love with a man, George Heart. They had four beautiful children and one on the way. Alice and Maria stopped talking for awhile. Then Maria got sick and died while giving birth to her youngest daughter." Peter looks astonished about what he's hearing. "The youngest daughter grew up; she lived in a mansion and could have anything she wanted, except her family's love. Her father went into a depression and wouldn't leave his study, her sisters and brother wouldn't acknowledge her. They blamed her for Maria's death and their father's depression. Alice came and took the little girl to live with her and told her stories about Wonderland and the people there. But Alice was slowly growing old and passed away in her sleep. The girl was only fourteen. Her family didn't want her and lived three long and painful years in an empty mansion, with only the maids to keep her company. Her oldest sister finally found her and said, 'You're a jinx! You kill everyone! You hurt them even worse!'. The sister slapped her and left."
Pain and hurt fills Ali's voice. "Then she goes to relax in a meadow to keep her mind off of things. Then a strange man with rabbit ears throws her down a hole and into a new land where she meets people who love and accept her. That's all she's ever wanted right?" Tears form in her eyes. "My grandma was a loving woman, and she loved you all. She died with no regrets."
"You're... Alice's granddaughter?" Peter stares at her.
"Yeah. I'm sorry you mistook me for my grandma... and you probably hate me for telling you, but..." Peter hugs her.
"No... I'm sorry... I'm sorry you suffered so long... I'm sorry I was cold. I'm so sorry..." Ali didn't expect him to change his heart so easily but she hugs him back and silently cries.