Chapter Three

I had decided. Severe heath risk or not I was going to do this. I stood outside the large mahogany doors of the library with a determined look. Just as I had for the last ten minutes. I told myself that I was just appreciating the patterns in the wood, but I knew that I was a bad one for procrastination. But I couldn't stand here forever.

Jutting out my chin, I stepped forward and flung open both of the doors. It created much more noise than intended, and I got a few stares from the people inside. Blushing profusely and trying to make myself small I crept inside, and looked around. I couldn't see the easily recognisable ears anywhere, leaving only the exclusive section. It was a separate room out back which only roll holders and a few senior servants were allowed access to.

I walked over to the entry desk and looked up at the librarian. As if my height disadvantage wasn't enough, she sat on a raised podium and even without eyes managed a distinctive scowl. "Ex-excuse me miss, but I need to get into the exclusive section, if you please" I stuttered. She glared eyelessly down at me. "And why ever would an unimportant little serving girl like you want to go in there, hmm" she said in an annoyed tone.

"Ah, I'm looking for Lord White" I dropped my gaze down to the carpet.

"Why"? I noticed that she had an annoying way of pronouncing to letter w, always adding a h.

"Because I'm his new assistant"

I said this a bit more boldly, and the libraries other occupants fell silent. I heard mutters like 'so she's the one' and 'poor girl, so young'. Hmph, I'm not dead yet.

"So if you please, ill be going in now". With that I huffed past the librarian and everyone else, and through the red velvet curtain to the back room. The heavy material cut off the stream of muttering, and I leant against the wall with a sigh. So the life threatening part wasn't the only con of this job.

I'd never liked being noticed. In Wonderland being noticed meant being a target, and so over the years I had learned little ways of blending in, making myself scarce. Now that the spotlight was on me, freezing up was the only way I knew.

I looked up and actually took in my surroundings. The room was luxurious, with rows upon rows of shelves, all situated in a pattern around plush sofas and a few desks. I had to be one of the few rooms saved when the Queen had gone on a decorating rampage, just after her coronation. It was a rare piece of evidence showing what the previous castle roll-holder had been like.

That did happen, roll changes. Never in my time, and as it was not an open subject no one really knew all that much, mainly because it showed that the roll holders were mortal, killable. And although we faceless had been trained with submission since birth, there were always the rumours. Rouges, mad-men, roll-holders gone bad. Pushing such dark thoughts to the back of my head I noted the recurring theme in the decoration. It was almost all white. Scarily like a hospital. And apparently the perfect camouflage for white rabbit ears.

As Peter White rose from one of the couches I nearly screamed and jumped a few feet. Turning to fix me with a cold stare he simply said "Oh, you". Id been called many things over the years, girl, maid, servant, but now I was apparently down to just 'you'. Not really sure how to respectfully reply to the comment I just stood there, stupidly silent.

"Well, what do you want"? he began to impatiently tap one foot. Luckily I was prepared for this one, and had checked over the time table on the walk here. "Well sir, you have an appointment with the head of staff in ten minutes, and I thought that we should start over to the study" I said this like I actually expected cooperation.

"No, I don't think I shall". While ignoring a direct summons from the Queen would get him punished, everyone else was too low ranking to protest, so he usually didn't even bother to show up late to meetings such as these. He fixed me with that icy gaze again, and there were a few moments of silence.

Think Marie, think, you have to try something different to what all the other servants have. Something he won't see coming… With a gulp, I stepped forward slightly and took a determined stance. "Lord White, I really think you should go to the meeting" I stared at him determinedly, not that he could tell, my eyes being invisible and all, but I thought I gave off a determined sort of feeling, I hoped.

For a few seconds he looked genuinely surprised, before the icy cool fell back in place and he raised an eye brow at me. "Be carful how you speak to your superiors, servant" he said while toying hintingly with the watch at his hip. Servant. At least it was a step up from you.

"You can't kill me, sir". Again this got a look of genuine surprise, which I gloated over. Before I found the gold gun once again pointed at my head.

"No, it just means I'll be punished, a mere inconvenience" I felt my courage waver, as it appeared that the thought didn't bother him too much.

"And I'm betting that it's a big enough inconvenience to stop your bullets" I kept up my calm face, although really inside I was in a heap of jelly. Id never so much as spoken back to a superior, and now I was openly goading one. "Be carful, you're betting with your life, not that it's worth much" he said with a sneer.

"Yes, but currently its all that stands between you and a cold wet jail cell". Another few moments of silence, and then he strode forward, directly towards me. 'This is it' I thought 'goodbye insignificant existence'. I closed my eyes, but I simply felt him brush past me, headed towards the door. Halting at the curtain he turned.

"Coming, this was your idea".

I gave a startled nod and scurried after him. He practically jogged down the corridors, with me trying to keep up behind. Stupid universe, cursing me with short legs. When we finally arrived at the study, I was completely out of breath. Peter immediately strode through the doors, slamming them shut behind him. He seemed surprisingly enthusiastic.

I allowed myself a small break against the wall, feeling very pleased with myself for still being in the world of the living. After a while though, I realised that something was wrong. There was no sound whatsoever coming from the room. Strange, did I have the wrong room, but I would have sworn I'd heard the head of staff's voice when we arrived.

I quietly pulled the doors open a crack. Immediately a sticky red substance oozed down between them. Jumping back, I pulled the doors fully open and gazed around. Bodies everywhere, absolute carnage. And bunny boy nowhere to be seen. I glared evilly at an open window. Looking around I noticed a small piece of paper stuck to the body of a maid.

I leave the clean up to you- PW.

I scrunched the note in my hand as I heard the door open behind me. It was Hatti. "Marie, what's happened here" she stepped delicately around the corpses. I turned to her, an evil glint in my eye, "Be verwy verwy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits"!

a/n: Sorry about the crappy speech skills, I get easily sick of he saids and she saids an its hard to keep up the alternatives.