Chapter Three:A Trace of Violet

Lucy opened her mouth to speak but no words would come out. The Hare and the Hatter looked as if they wanted to help her, but were way beyond frightened to move. The White Rabbit finally spoke. "Sire! Oh King Cheshire please forgive me, it was all my doing, I found her by my rabbit hole and…and she asked me to take her around Wonderland. I know I should have asked you first but…oh sir I'm so sorry! Please let the girl go." He begged.

Cheshire cat looked at the Rabbit and frowned a bit. "That's enough of that, I don't want to hear your excuses, I'll deal with you after I'm done with the girl." Cheshire looked at the girl he had his arms wrapped around and grinned, "Well my dear, what is your name?" He asked breathing in heavily. So this was the girl with the mouth watering scent….interesting.

Lucy gulped and finally spoke up. "Lucy…" She muttered looking anywhere but at the cat. He chuckled lowly, "Lucy…what a pretty name, tell me Lucy has my slacker of a page boy shown you a good time here in Wonderland?" Lucy frowned and got her nerve back, she jerked away from his…embrace…and glared at him. "He is not a slacker and you should be apologizing to him for being so rude! He's been nothing but kind to me this whole time and you show up and insult him. What kind of a King are you? Treating your subjects so poorly."

Cheshire blinked in surprise, and by the looked on the others faced he wasn't the only one astonished by Lucy's words. His ears twitched and he ran a hand through his hair. Regaining his composure he spoke, "Well…I've never been spoken to that way before….I must say Lucy you're definitely something else."

Lucy glared still. "I'm not hearing any apology…your majesty." She mocked.

He laughed again, but then he turned to the Rabbit, "Please accept my apologies Rabbit. I should be more aware, apparently you do your job very well." The Rabbit, at first, was completely silent from shock that the Cat had actually given an apology. When he finally spoke it was in stutters, "I-it's q-quite al-alright your h-highness, I accept y-your a-apology." Cheshire then looked up at the March Hare and the Mad Hatter. "And to you friends, I'm very sorry for interrupting your tea party…please carry on."

The Hatter and the Hare still couldn't speak and just nodded at the cat. They hadn't heard him speak so calmly in many months. It was almost as if their old friend was making his way back through, if only for the moment.

"Rabbit, meet me back at the palace whenever you're done here….Lucy you will come with me." Before she could protest the Cheshire Cat had wrapped his arms around her once more and was vanishing stripe by stripe. Lucy struggled to get loose of his vice like grip. She only ceased when she noticed that they were no longer in the forest at the tea party but in a Grand Hallway in a palace. "W-where am I?" She said mostly to herself. Cheshire smiled genuinely and whispered in her ear, "My palace."

Lucy stared in awe at the surroundings. It was a huge hall supported by pillars of Marble. Banners hung from the ceiling to the floor and there were roses, so many roses, covering the walls. The ceiling was most incredible, for when you looked up at it, it was like you were looking at the sky outside. "Wow…" Was all she could get out of her mouth until her attention came back from admiring the hall to realizing how they had landed. The Cat was sitting atop his throne and Lucy was sitting atop his lap, his arms secure around her waist. His grin stretched wide across his face.

"Hey! Hands off!" She wriggled free of his grasp and stood in front of him. "Who do you think you are?" She said gazing furiously at him. He just continued to sit there, grinning,"The King of course! I'm sorry miss Lucy I couldn't help myself." He stood and walked over to her but she backed away.

"How on Earth did such and arrogant CAT become King?"

When she said it Cheshire burst out laughing and doubled over onto the ground. Everyone in the palace came out to see their all powerful king on the ground…laughing?

Lucy saw the people coming out to gawk at the sight. Embarrassed, she tried to calm him down, "Alright enough of that now, get up, this is no way for a King to act." She said hauling him to his feet. He finished his last fit of laughter and composed himself. "I'm sorry Lucy, but that was just too funny."

Lucy blinked in confusion. "Huh? What was so funny?" He smirked over at her. "Well dear, for one this is Wonderland! You can be anything you want to be here! Cat's can be Kings and humans can chase the mice. I can be a young kitten or old as dust if I wanted to! I thought that Rabbit would have explained that to you. Actually wouldn't haven talked to a rabbit make you realize that this is no ordinary place?"

Her face reddened. "W-whatever!" changing the subject away from her lack of observation, instead she looked around the Grand Hall some more and finally asked, "So where will I be staying?"

Cheshire smiled up at her, "You will be staying with me of course!" Lucy frowned and crossed her arms, "No way."

"Awww come now, it's an honor to stay with the King! Besides we have no other available rooms as of now, that is unless you'd rather stay with the Rabbit."

Lucy smiled. "I'd like that very much indeed!" She said clapping her hands together, the Cat sighed and folded his arms over his chest pouting like a child. "Alright then, if that's what you'd prefer, I guess I can't force you." Cheshire stopped, a puzzled look on his face as he scratched his head. He COULD very well force her…but all of a sudden he says he can't? What had gotten into the poor Cheshire? He himself did not know. Lucy looked at him in slight worry. She saw the confused look cross the King's face and had to know what was wrong.

"Um…sir? Is there something wrong?" Lucy asked him. He gave a genuine smile and shook his head. "No, no, everything is just fine. Follow me and I'll take you to the Rabbit's room." He practically broke into a jog heading down the mazes of hallways that made up the inside of the palace.

Lucy, not expecting him to take off like he had, had to sprint to keep up with him, and the whole time he kept singing, "Twas brilig! And the slithy toves, did gire and gimble in the wabe. All a mimzy were the borogoves and the momrathes outgrabe!". Lucy laughed under her breath at the silly song and shouted to him, "Hey, Cheshie! Wait for me!" She said forgetting formality at the moment. Cheshire grinned at the nickname, "Cheshie? I like it!" He said and twirled to face her, running backwards. "Now, now my dear better hurry up if you don't want to get lost!" Lucy panted and propelled herself forward a bit faster until she was now right behind him.

He smiled and came to an abrupt halt. Resulting in her slamming right into his chest. "Ow…." Came the muffled response into his shirt. He chuckled and stepped back to see her better. "Well here we are! Now if you need anything don't hesitate to ask." And with that he grinned and started vanishing once more, stripe by stripe. She watched him vanish and thought she saw just the smallest trace of violet in his black hair.