Alice opened her eyes to the magical world Underland once again.
"Welcome home." A voice behind her said as the arm of her dear Tarrant came and rested on her shoulder.
Tweedledee and Tweedledum came wobbling up to them. Alice and Tarrant had ended up on the concrete pathway up to Marmoreal.
"We knew he could do'it!" Tweedledee exclaimed.
"Yea, we knew Hatter could save you Alice!" Tweedledum mirrored his brothers smile.
"How did you know we would end up here?" Alice asked them.
"The Oraculum foretold it, Queen Mirana sent us out here to get you and bring you to see her." Tweedledee said.
Tweedledum reached for Alice's hand. "Come on Alice, let's go."
Tweedledee put his hand over his eyes in exasperation, "Dum! Let Hatter hold'er hand!"
"Oh, sorry." He let go of Alice's hand and twiddled his thumbs.
Alice looked at Tarrant and smiled. She realized that maybe the Oraculum had given the Queen a glimpse into their romance on the island. The White Queen was not good about keeping secrets. Especially secrets that were good news.
"It's alright Tweedledum, you can hold me hand."
"And you can hold mine Tweedledee." Hatter said.
Both boy's faces lit up in excitement with wide eyed smiles. Deep in their hearts they were just little children, waiting for someone to show them affection. As Alice and Tarrant walked side-by-side, Tweedledum to the left of Alice, Tweedledee to the right of Tarrant, Tarrant grabbed Alice's hand with his free hand. Mirana watched through her telescope on the balcony of Marmoreal. A smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, she was so happy to have both her Champion and her Hatter safe and home at last. She hurried down to meet them at the entrance.
"So glad to have you back." She walked up holding her hands in the air and swaying in a royal, odd, and dainty way as she always does but more so this time since she was excited.
Alice smiled and laughed inside. "It is so nice to see you again Mirana." She let go of Dee's hand and opened her arms out to hug Mirana. Mirana wasn't used to hugs, they were to informal for her so she seemed a bit alarmed when Alice threw her arms around her and hugged her tightly. Alice was so happy to see the humble and noble Queen again. Everything was just as it should be. Alice was grateful for the White Queen, she thought the people of Underland deserved a Queen as nice as Mirana to rule them, they deserved that after so many years of pain and suffering under the Red Queens rule.
"I am throwing a party in your honor tonight Alice. I hope it's not too soon for you, but the people of Underland never got to thank you for what you did for us. They are all just dying to see you. Do you agree to it?"
She was sort of worn-out from the last few days, but a party in Wonderland was just what Alice needed.
"That sounds wonderful!"
"I hoped you would say that. I have prepared the guest room for you Alice. You can stay here at Marmoreal as long as you like. Now lets hurry, I'm sure you want to bathe and find an outfit for this evening." She turned around, and walked up the stairs, which looked more like floating.
Dee and Dum ran behind the Queen and left Tarrant and Alice standing at the foot of the entrance to Marmoreal.
"Alice, if you don't mind, I would love to make you a dress and hat for tonight." Tarrant asked Alice.
"Of course." Alice got a questionable look on her face, "Are you sure you'll be able to finish them by tonight?"
Tarrant smiled, rocking back and forth on his heels. "I think I can manage it."
Alice knew Tarrant was a master worker when it came to Hats but she didn't know his skills as a Tailor. She should have known by now that Tarrant was a skilled man, in all sorts of things.
"Well you should make yourself something while your at it then." Alice didn't want him to forget about himself. Little did she know he had already planned the whole thing out as soon as Mirana said the word 'Party'.
"I'll find myself something don't you worry."
Alice put her arm around Tarrant's and they walked inside Marmoreal.
Once inside, Mirana's attendants pulled Alice and Tarrant away from each other at each end.
"Alice, right this way." said the woman attendants.
"Hatter, this way" said the men attendants.
Alice blew a kiss over her shoulder to Tarrant as the attendants shoved them both in opposite directions.
The attendants lead Alice to her new room. It was exactly as she remembered it. She had slept in the same room the night before the Frabjous Day. It was all white, with silver and white marble floors. The ceilings where tall and her bed was enormous and soft. The bedspread was made from some sort of white feathers.
"We have scheduled for you to have a bite to eat and then bathe before the party this evening. Are you hungry?" She asked as another attendant wheeled in a cart full of colorful foods. "Not right now actually, thank you though." The woman snapped her fingers and the cart was wheeled back out of the room.
"Then would you like to bathe now?"
Alice thought a nice hot bath sounded lovely at the moment. "Yes that would be great."
The woman and the rest of the attendants lead her into her own private bathroom. However it wasn't very private. The attendants drew her a bath and stood there waiting for her to undress.
"What are you doing?" Alice asked.
"We will assist you with your bath. If you need anything we will be here to help you." The woman looked at Alice like she was the one who was odd.
"No thank you, I like to bathe alone. You can just leave my room altogether actually. I don't need anything. Thank you." Alice nodded her head at the woman.
"Yes of course Alice. See you this evening." All the attendants bowed in unison and left the room.
Alice took a deep breath. She was glad that was over, they made her terribly nervous.
She was able to look around at the glorious bathroom now that the attendants weren't breathing down her neck. The bathtub was almost the size of her bed. It was gigantic. It was in the center of the white room with white handles and a white faucet. White roses in white vases were all around the bathroom that made the bathroom smell beautifully. The smell of the flowers made her realize she smelled like a fish. Being ship wrecked and stranded on an island didn't make her look or smell like a beauty queen that's for sure.
Alice dipped into her hot bath and enjoyed peaceful solitude as she washed away all the salt water, and sand in her hair.
Tarrant was in his hat making room and was very, very busy at work making Alice the perfect dress. Mirana walked into the room to see what in the world he was doing, "Shouldn't you be resting Hatter?"
"I'm making something for Alice." Mirana walked over to his worktable and took a peek at what he was making. Cut up pieces of material laid all over the table.
"Oh my! Hatter that is beautiful. Alice will look so lovely."
"Thank you. Alice looks lovely in anything." He smiled proudly. "Now leave me be my Queen. I must hurry."
Mirana could have kissed his little cheek she was so proud of him. He was more than a Hatter to her. He was like family. She was so happy that ha had found happiness with Alice. She had seen him sad for too long. Just as Alice was grateful for the Queen, the Queen was grateful for Alice, because of her, Underland was saved and her dear Hatter was happy again.
When Alice was done with her bath, she looked in her closet and found a white robe of course. She put on the robe and hopped up on her huge bed. The bed frame was high and had four tall posts on each end, supporting a white velvet fabric hanging over the top.
The bed was so comfortable and soft she couldn't help closing her eyes and falling asleep. She was tired after all.
The next thing that she knew she was woke up by a knock at the door. She sat up and rubbed her sleepy eyes. She opened the door and saw Tarrant holding something in his arms covered by a white sheet.
"It's finished. Just in time too." Tarrant lifted the sheet and uncovered the most beautiful gown Alice had ever seen. She took it from Tarrant's arms delicately and held it up to her. It was an iridescent blue gray, when it hit the light it glistened changing to silver and greens. The strapless bodice was pleated, with a silk gold sash cinched around the waist and tied in a bow.
The bottom flowed into an A line with bunches in places, tucked with gold beads.
It was absolutely gorgeous. Tarrant picked a blue material because he thought it was Alice's favorite. He thought right.
"Tarrant its, stunning. Thank you."
"I'm glad you like it, but that's not all." He picked up something from the ground outside the door.
"Here." He placed a top hat on Alice's head. The top hat matched the dress perfectly. It had round blue allium blossoms and gold cosmos around the edge and a silk gold sash around the middle. Tarrant made sure his Alice would be attending the party in style.
"You did make something for yourself didn't you?" She gave him an evil eye.
"Don't worry about me Alice. I have just the thing."
"Good. I love you." She said before closing the door.
Tarrant just stood there for a few moments even after Alice closed the door. It was still shocking for Tarrant every time Alice said she loved him, it was like a rush of happy emotions came over him and he didn't know just how to handle them. Once he snapped out of it he returned to his Hat making room to make a little something for himself now.
Alice quickly tried on her dress in her room, she was so excited to see how it looked on her. It fit her like a glove. Obviously Tarrant had looked at Alice enough to know exactly what size she was. There were oodles and oodles of shoes in her closet so she picked out the best pair for the dress. She looked at herself in the mirror. The person starring back at her was lovely, she couldn't even believe it was her. She had decided to let her wild curly hair down and hang over her shoulders for the party. She knew Tarrant liked it that way. She sat at a large vanity in her room and waiting till it was time for the party, then someone knocked on her door. "Miss Alice, It's time." An attendant said through the door.
Alice's heart began to race and she took one last look at herself in the mirror of the vanity. That night Alice was the fairest of them all.
She went out of her room and followed the attendants to the ballroom. The entrance to the ballroom was a large white archway. Music, lights and laughter were coming from inside, and there standing near the archway into the ballroom stood her Tarrant. He was dressed to the nines in a suit and top hat that complimented Alice's dress.
He held his arm out for Alice and smiled.
"Tarrant we match!" Alice said in surprise and ran ahead of the attendants and put her arm around Tarrant's.
"I told you I had something for myself." He smiled with a certain twinkle in his eye.
They walked arm in arm together through the archway into the Ballroom. They were up on the second floor looking down onto the ground level of the room. Everything was White and colorless besides all the people and creatures of Underland. There were two sets of stairs, one to the left and one to the right leading down. When Alice and Tarrant came to the side of the railing and looked down into the ballroom, the people attending the party looked up and noticed them. They all began cheering and clapping for Alice. She was their hero. Alice blushed and Tarrant felt so proudly to be standing arm and arm with Underland's Champion.
"You are our hero Alice." Tarrant whispered in Alice's ear.
"And your mine."
They walked down the left staircase and onto the ground floor of the Ballroom. Almost everyone in Underland was there. Alice only knew a handful of them. Dee and Dum, White Rabbit, Mouse, March Hare, Chessur, and a certain blue butterfly looked so familiar. "Tarrant who is that blue butterfly? He looks strangely familiar."
"That's Absolem. He finally went into his cocoon and changed into a butterfly." Alice's eyes opened wide when she realized that it was Absolem.
"Absolem you look amazing!" She shouted.
"Thank you Alice, so do you. I'm glad to see your home. I knew it wouldn't take you long." Absolem was being Absolem again, always predicting everything before it happens.
Alice and Tarrant walked around the Ballroom getting hugs and cheers from all the people of Underland. Once they had circled the room the band of Dodo birds began to play louder and people started dancing. Queen Mirana even joined in.
Alice and Tarrant went into a circle of people on the illuminated white dance floor and futterwackened, vigorously. The night went on and on for hours, with dancing, food, and laughs. Tarrant left the dance floor and got a spot of tea. Alice followed behind him.
"Let's go out on the balcony, I need to ask you something." Tarrant said, squeaking out the last bit with a heavy lisp nervously after sipping his tea.
"That sounds wonderful. Underland looks so beautiful in the moonlight." Alice didn't know how it was possible there was a moon in Underland but it surely wasn't the only thing odd and impossible about Underland.
"Alice there is something I must ask you." He said to Alice under the glowing moon on the balcony. The dim light made his eyes appear even brighter. They were so yellow they looks almost white. Alice took a deep breath when Tarrant moved in close to her and held her hands gently. She was preparing herself for the question. The question that would turn her Ms, to Mrs, Maid, to Maiden, Kingsley, to Hightopp.
Tarrant looked into Alice's eyes, "Do you have any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?"
Alice exhaled deeply, "What?" She was so upset that he brought her all the way out there to say that! She was so disappointed it wasn't the question she had hoped.
"I wasn't finished...Do you have any idea why a raven is like a writing desk, is what I asked you last time we were on this balcony together Alice. However, this time I must ask you something with much greater importance."
Alice squeezed Tarrant's hands tightly, "Go on."
"Alice I think you are the most wonderful person in all of Underland, Aboveground and any other place in existence. You make me so happy. I love you with all my very being.. Alice, will, will..Will."
"Spit it out Tarrant!"
"Will you be my wife?" His volume went from high to low.
Tears welled up in Alice's eyes. "Yes Tarrant, absolutely yes! That is the maddest, and most wonderful idea you've ever had." She laughed.
Tarrant picked up Alice in his arms and spun her around in circles. "Now you will officially be my Alice."
"Oh Tarrant, I love you." Alice giggled.
I have been sick the last few days so this chapter took a little while to finish. I hope everyone liked it though. More is coming soon.
As Alice plans her wedding, will she have doubts? Will not being being able to have her Mother involved in her wedding and all other important events in her life be too much for her? Or will everything turn out right for our Alice and Tarrant?