So we're back to Alice and Stayne now. This is three months ago from the last chapter. It carries on from where I left off with Alice in chapter 5. Enjoy!

xxx

"Aaaalice….Alice…wake up."

I twitched as someone's breath blew gently against my ear. I opened my eyes cautiously and looked around. A man was bent over in front of me with a warm smile on his disfigured face. Half of it was scarred and a heart shaped eye patch covered his left eye. His face was quite handsome, despite his injuries, but they just added a more devilish, rugged look to him. All in all he looked like an adventurer, afraid of nothing.

I realised I was staring and quickly looked down, blushing. He chucked. It was a deep, echoing, seductive- No Alice! How inappropriate of me to think such thoughts.

I tried to get my mind off his looks and quickly forgot about my thoughts.

"Where am I? Who... who are you? What happened to me? Why am I here?" I felt tears begin to well in my mind. "Why don't I remember?"

I began to sob and the man sat on the bed I was in and brought me to his chest. His armour was hard and cold, but it gave me a sense of security.

"Don't worry. I'm going to take care of you. My name is Ilosovic Stayne, but you can just call me Stayne.

I was on my travels when I came across you wondering around alone. You were so scarred, so I offered to help you find your way, but you collapsed before you could tell me where it is you were going."

"What?" I whispered. "But why can't I remember? And how do you know my name?"

He laughed softy.

"I doubt there are many people who don't know your name. You are champion of Underland after all."

"Underland? Is that what this place is? Is it my home?"

His features tightened and he shook a little in anger.

"It can hardly be called home any longer. Not after the White Queen took over. She destroyed freedom and killed ruthlessly. I was banished here because I attempted to save my friend from the dungeons in her castle. That's where I got this." He pointed to his eye. "To some, she seems innocent and pure, but there are those of us who know the truth for we have experienced her wrath ourselves."

"She sounds ghastly. Hasn't anyone ever tried to stop her?"

He looked down; I could see he was finding my question difficult to answer.

"What is it?"

He sighed. It was a disturbed sound, like he was remembering his soul being ripped apart or something equally as menacing.

"Someone did try. She was the bravest girl I had ever met. She tried her best and to some extent, weakened the Queen by slaying her precious Jabberwocky, but the price she paid was too great. The Queens right hand man attacked her village and killed everyone she ever cared for. He is a merciless man. Mad as a Hatter."

"What's his name?"

"Tarrant Hightopp."

The name struck a cord somewhere inside of me. I guessed it was just anger towards him for destroying a whole village. I didn't even know the man, but I hated him already.

"And who was she? The girl that lost her village?"

He didn't answer for a moment.

"The champion of Underland." He said in a bold voice as if presenting her at a ball.

"The champion…" I mused over the title. I gasped when I recalled what he had called me just minutes ago.

'You are champion of Underland after all.'

The words seemed to ring in my ears and swim around my head, pointing and laughing.

"No…no! I can't be! I would remember."

He sighed and looked into my eyes.

"If I could bring your family back, I would, along with all the other lives that…vile duo have taken."

I stared into his eyes. They held nothing but honesty and pity. I had only just met this man, but already I knew he was a friend. His kind gestures and compassion made him easily likeable, but what if he's lying? The question came from my mind and my heart quickly dismissed it, but my mind mused on. I guess it was just my nature to question things, to go against the grain, so to speak. But who would lie about such things? Villages getting destroyed, an evil monarch and her accomplice killing with no reserves, me being champion of Underland. Was I really a champion? It felt like something I would've done; stand up to the queen, to authority.

Yet, I remembered none of those horrific events. My memory was wiped clean. I couldn't recall one face from my past, but then, if all my family had died in the attack on my village, I guess it was best to not remember.

"What of your family?" I asked Stayne.

Tears welled in his eyes. Though he looked battle worn and strong, the tears in his eyes melted my heart. I felt my arms wrap around him and my hands gently stroked his raven black hair.

"What is it, where are they?"

"Dead." Was his blunt answer. "Hightopp killed them personally in the attack on your village. I was made to watch."

I gasped. I couldn't imagine loosing my parents that way. Even the thought of it made me want to cry.

"But you can help." He said. "You can restore the land to the peaceful place it was before."

"How?" I whispered.

I would do anything to release Underland from the foul pairs clutches. And by doing that, I would avenge my family and Stayne's parents.

"You must slay the White Queens champion."

I inhaled sharply. I couldn't kill anything. I though he had meant invading the palace or leading a revolution to capture the queen, but I hadn't intended on doing any killing in that process.

"I don't slay. Or kill things. I think it's wrong."

"Even after they caused so much pain and misery and despair? You could liberate a whole world, Alice. Don't you want to do it? For the people, if not for yourself. They killed your family." His voice grew dark and menacing. "Slaughtered them. Cut off their heads and stuck them on spikes, spit on their dead bodies." Anger was rising inside of me and hot tears fell down my cheeks. "You need to avenge them, Alice. You need to slay." His voice was sly, but I was too angry to care.

"Name him." My voice shook. "Name the monster that is going to feel my wrath when my blade pierces his body. Name him!"

"Tarrant Hightopp." He drew out the name slowly.

I focused all my anger into one point and directed it into a noise which was half scream, half growl.

"I'll do it." I fumed. "I will kill Tarrant Hightopp!"

So Stayne has her eating out of his hand now. She really does believe everything he told her, she's not faking it or anything and yes, she actually has forgotten her life.

I'm not sure if I should get them intimate together or not, so give me your thoughts on their relationship.

xxx