A/n: I'm back. Sort of. Kind of. Mostly. Here's a chapter for you, which I hope you'll all enjoy. Our favorite idiots will be happily reunited next chapter.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Though Emma had only been in Wonderland for a few hours, she understood very quickly how the place could drive a person mad. The plants talked, the walls moved, and the social customs were inexplicably complex. Upon their arrival, they had been hastily shuffled into a large parlor, where they waited to see the Steward of Wonderland – temporary ruler in the absence of a reigning Queen. The steward eventually came to greet them some forty-five minutes after their arrival, and said nothing to Emma or Jefferson. He stared at her, hard, before doing an about-face and leaving the room. Half an hour later, Emma and Jefferson had been escorted to their separate suites by an armed guard, with very clear instructions not to leave their rooms.
A maid, a little doe-eyed thing, was allowed to enter the room only for a moment, to bring Emma a change of clothes and draw her a bath if she wanted. She declined the bath but accepted the fresh change of clothes, and attempted to make conversation while the maid laced her up. It became clear that the maid was either frightened, or had been ordered not to speak to her. Whilst waiting for the Steward to greet them, Jefferson had given Emma a crash course on the complex system of social customs and rules that needed to be followed. After fifteen minutes, the two had come to the conclusion that Emma had best let Jefferson do the talking.
Their unanticipated separation, however, made Emma rethink their plan. The maid had also delivered an invitation to dine with the Steward that evening, and a few other notable members of the court; she got the impression that it wasn't a request. Initially, she and Jefferson had agreed to talk to the Steward in private and explain their situation before attempting any kind of escape. It would be difficult to locate the Vorpal Sword and defeat the Jabberwock, in addition to fleeing from the armies of Wonderland. But having learned about the social customs of Wonderland, and seen the effect of those customs, she doubted that their original plan would suffice.
Her suite was exquisitely decorated; rich cherry oak furnishings and a 'dawn' themed color palette lent the room an air of serenity. If she tried, she could have been very at ease. Too much was weighing on her mind for that to be so, however. Regina was dying in another world, and every precious moment spent in this place was a moment Regina inched closer to death. She wanted to scream, to rip up their precious art and destroy their expensive furnishing, to do anything that might provoke them into kicking her out and letting her get back to her task. But that wouldn't help the situation, she knew. It would probably only serve to get her thrown into jail, or put under house arrest. She paced the length of her room one more time before deciding to explore her balcony and get a lay of the castle – in the event she needed to escape.
The sun was beginning to set, a stretch of midnight blue chasing the burnt orange beyond the horizon. It was beautiful, she had to admit. Realizing that it was a little chilly, Emma stepped back inside her room and put on the matching overcoat that had been provided for her. She buttoned it up and tugged at the uncomfortably high collar for a moment before giving up. It was clearly meant for warmth, not comfort. She returned to her balcony and focused on the castle grounds below. Too high up to survive the jump, and the contingency of palace guards would catch her quickly if she did. There was ivy crawling the walls, and Emma might have been tempted to test it's strength if there wasn't the possibility of it talking to her. Escape from the balcony seemed unlikely.
"Well, you'll make a very beautiful Queen," A voice purred, making Emma jump in surprise.
"Excuse me?" Emma asked after she'd regained her breath, and attempted to locate the sound of the voice.
"Down here, sweetling," the voice said again, and Emma looked down to see a kitten sitting at her feet.
Emma blinked at the cat in surprise for several moments before regaining her wits – and her manners. "Hello," She greeted the cat, and sat down on the marble balcony to be a little closer to the cat's level. "What's your name?" Emma asked, and felt very foolish.
"Abridel, and you are Emma Swan – the savior, and Queen to be of Wonderland." The cat purred in a sly, smug tone.
"I wouldn't go that far just yet," Emma replied dryly with a grimace.
"No? You're supposed to be saving the Enchanted Forest from the madness of the Evil Queen – proof that it really is hereditary – and yet you're here. Why is that, I wonder?"
"Regina is ill. She's been poisoned. The cure is here, somewhere, and I need to find it. It was just our mistake that we wound up in the palace, and I was mistaken to be the Savior of Wonderland."
"I see," The cat said, and crawled into Emma's lap, kneading until she was suitably comfortable.
Emma pet her absentmindedly, pausing only when she felt unsure if that was acceptable. What was the social norm for a talking cat? The cat began to purr, so Emma resumed her petting; the cat would say something if it was bothered, surely.
"So you're here to cure the Queen then? I think you might have a few wires crossed on how to save your kingdom, my dear," The cat advised, her tone biting. "Why?"
There were two answers Emma could give – the honest reason, or the moral reason. The cat was not simply a cat, from what Emma could tell. She knew too much about who Emma was, about the Enchanted Forest, to be a common cat. Honesty, she had a feeling, would win her the most respect – and information – from the creature. "My son, Henry. Regina raised him and he loves her. Henry hasn't met his father - I told him that he died, I lied to him to protect him. He's already mourned one parent, and I don't want him to mourn another. And it's the right thing to do."
The cat blinked up at her and peered at her intently. "I see. So you have embarked on this heroic quest to rescue your enemy. What is the cure that you seek, then?"
"The poison was taken from a Jabberwock, and we need it's saliva to cure here."
The cat hissed and growled. "All those vile creatures that Wonderland made were destroyed long ago,"
"Not all of them," Emma replied, shaking her head. "Whenever a Jabberwock is killed, I understand that every part of them… dissipates, disappears. If there weren't any left, the poison wouldn't still exist."
"So one creature still exists, then," The cat growled, and grew quiet
"I need to find it. I'm guessing you have no idea where it might be?"
"I'm a Cheshire Cat, darling, but I'm not omniscient." Abridel said, sound proud and a little exasperated. Her ears twitched slightly, when someone rapped sharply on Emma's door.
"Catch you later, your majesty," The cat bolted from Emma's lap, and faded into invisibility as it trotted off the balcony.
Emma sat in confusion for a few moments before standing to go back inside and answer the door. Apparently, Disney did get some things right. "Come in," She said, her mind still numb from witnessing the cat disappear.
Lydia entered the room with a box in hand, and curtseyed before Emma.
"Yes?" Emma asked, realizing that the maid was not about to offer any information unless asked.
"Master Lysander has sent me to ready you for dinner, my lady," She explained, and set the box on the table.
"I'm already dressed – what else is there?" Emma questioned, not understanding what else there was to do.
"Oh! But your hair still needs styling, and your make up needs doing, and then there's the crown…"
The girl responded excitedly, actually speaking a full sentence to Emma for the first time.
"Crown?" Emma questioned, her mouth going dry.
Lydia obligingly opened the box on the table and stepped back to give Emma room to admire it.
Emma looked at the crown with growing disdain. It was beautiful, to be sure, but it was also obnoxious. It was larger than a tiara, and encrusted with diamonds and white gold.
"Master Lysander thought you might prefer a more modest crown, from what he judged of you in your meeting earlier,"
For being so quiet earlier, Lydia was practically singing now. "This is modest?" Emma asked incredulously, eyeing the crown again.
"Oh my yes! Some of the crowns worn by our previous Queen, the Queen of Hearts, were much more extravagant." She grew quiet after that, and wrung her hands as though she had spoken out of turn.
"Well it is very pretty," Emma said, attempting to console the maid who now seemed crestfallen that Emma had inadvertently brought up Wonderland's previous monarch.
"Isn't it? Oh it will look so beautiful with your hair! I was thinking we could put your hair up for dinner, is that alright?"
"Fine," Emma agreed, and obligingly sat in front of the vanity mirror as Lydia prepared to do her hair.
"What's this?" Lydia asked curiously, her hand lightly resting on the leather bracer that still resided on Emma's wrist.
"Oh!" She had completely forgotten about it. How did that keep happening? "It was a gift from someone, and I guess I've gotten so used to it that I forgot about it."
Lydia giggled. "A gift from a man, no doubt! Any woman would surely not give you such a thing,"
Emma stifled a chuckle. "Yes, a gift from a man. But I don't think I should keep it on. It doesn't exactly match the crown, does it?" Lydia shook her head, smiling. Emma unclasped the bracer and removed it from her wrist, setting it aside. "Lydia, do you think the Steward would agree to let me take a tour of the kingdom? Before I'm officially crowned, I mean,"
"Well," Lydia's voice dipped conspiratorially. "He already announced you to the court this evening. If you want to take a tour of the kingdom, he can hardly say no, now can he?" She giggled and gently turned Emma's head to the side to smooth out a bump.
"No," Emma replied smiling, a plan beginning to form. "No he can't."
The Rabbit stepped back from Killian, his paws raised in retreat. "Now, now, I meant no harm,"
"Like hell you didn't," The pirate growled in reply. "But you're going to make up for it. I'll take your pack from you and a mushroom and have them returned to their proper size before you take your leave,"
"And what's in it for me?" The rabbit inquired, his whiskers twitching in irritation.
"Your life," Killian replied coldly. "Give me the mushroom and leave, and I'll let you live. Don't, and I'll use your hide to make the lass a winter coat and take whatever I need from your rotting corpse,"
The Rabbit tossed his sack to Killian, who rifled through it quickly to make sure he had what he needed. With a mocking bow, the pirate waved the rabbit off. "Leave, before I change my mind," He ordered. The Rabbit obeyed and left, leaping into the rabbit hole and disappearing from sight.
Hook turned to the tiny children and broke off a small piece of the mushroom. "Take one small bite each and wait and see if you need another piece before you take another," He commanded sternly.
Grace and Henry obeyed, and only had to wait a moment before the magic took effect. They both grew to their appropriate heights and shook off the slightly numb feeling.
"Now, are you two alright?" Killian asked, appraising them carefully. They nodded and shuffled their feet, unsure of what to say. "You're both very brave to be doing this, but also very foolish. You could have gotten yourselves killed! Had I not come along, you'd have been sold into slavery!" He barked sternly, the Captain surfacing.
"No one was doing anything!" Henry replied, his tone hurt and angry. "I heard them in the hospital, Mary Margaret and David and Mr. Gold. They all wanted my mom to die!"
Killian noted that Henry hadn't mentioned Emma; clearly Cora's spell had taken. "Henry, you're mature for your age, and I'm sure you've heard things that no child your age has any right to hear, which is why I'm going to treat you like a man and not boy. So, let me give you a piece of advice – drop the self-righteous attitude and grow up. Your mother has done some terrible things in her life, and some of those things – many of them, in fact – have been reserved to punish Snow White and her precious prince. Try and understand why your grandmother might feel reluctant to help. Now, if you'd stuck around the hospital, you'd know that they decided to send someone to Wonderland to retrieve the cure – me," He said sternly, before Henry's avarice could grow.
"I understand that you were worried about your mother," He said more gently, laying a hand on Henry's shoulder. "But you must never lose your head. The moment you lose your head and allow emotions to cloud your judgment is the moment you lose the battle, savvy?"
Henry's face, which had been red from shame, cooled. He managed to mutter a half-hearted "Aye, aye, Captain," under his breath, making Killian laugh.
"There's a good lad. Now, what's the plan?"
Henry and Grace looked at each other and shrugged.
"We were just going to talk to some people and try to figure out where the Jabberwock was," Grace said, and eyed the deserted road with concern.
"Ah, not half bad plan – excluding the fact that any unattended children are sold, but you couldn't have known that."
"And you have a better plan?" Grace asked, her tone suspicious; she clearly didn't trust him. She looked very little like her father physically, but there was something in the way she held herself, the way she smiled, that was very like the Hatter. Killian found it incredibly irritating.
"Similar to yours, actually, just a bit better thought out and more well informed. We're going to head to a village to get you two some different clothing so you blend in a little better, and then we head to the Capital to get information. These outlying villages won't know much. If we walk now, we can reach the closest village by nightfall, I hope, and should be able to reach the Capital tomorrow."
He rifled through the bag until he found what he was looking for, a map and a compass. "Give me a moment to figure out where we're heading, and we'll be on our way," Killian said, and looked at the signs of the four way cross.
Not This Way
That Way
The Pit
Mallory Manner
"That's bloody unhelpful," Killian grumbled with a snort, rolling his eyes.
"That's Wonderland," A small voice said with an exasperated sigh.
Killian located the source of the voice, a black cat sitting in the tall grass. "And with talking cats too. How wonderful," He said, and looked at the map again.
"The map isn't going to help, pirate, but I can," The cat purred, weaving in between his legs.
"And why would you do that? What's your price?"
"Maybe I just want a bowl of cream and a warm lap to sleep on for awhile," The cat said, purring.
"Don't play coy with me, Cat, what is it you want?"
"My name is Abridel. I want to help you complete your quest and save the Evil Queen, and in return… you'll take me with you when you leave."
"And how can you help me?"
"I'm a Cheshire Cat, my dear, I know things. Including the lay of this land, and if you want to find that stray Jabberwock you'll take me up on my offer,"
"Very well, Abridel, we have a deal,"
"Excellent, now follow me," Abridel commanded and began a speedy trot down the road.
Killian whistled to get the children's attention and jerked his head towards the cat. "Come on,"
"You know where we're going?" Henry questioned, looking at the signs doubtfully.
"No, but the cat does," Killian said, and pointed to the kitten waiting patiently for them in the middle of the road.
"We're going to follow a cat?" Henry asked, his nose scrunching in uncertainty and confusion.
"Aye," Killian affirmed, leading the way to follow Abridel. After a moment's consideration, he unlatched his hook and placed it in the bottom of the sack. Digging through it, he pulled the cloak from the bottom and draped it around his shoulders. As they walked, he meticulously began to remove any excess jewelry and clothing. The people they encountered would likely be far more receptive to a guard and his young charges than to a pirate and potential slave trader. They would all need new clothing, himself included, if they were going to pass through the area easily. And ease was essential to their time frame. He could scarcely believe that he was trusting a talking cat to lead them to safety and the next phase of their plan, but he had few other options. He needed to find the Jabberwock, and Emma by extension. Cora's spell on the bracers could activate if they were separated by more than a league after a twelve hour time span. The clock was ticking down.
Emma was finally ready for dinner. Between the hair pulling and the crown adjusting, it felt like eternity before Lydia deemed her ready. Even still, Emma thanked her profusely, knowing that the girl had worked hard and seemed unused to praise. Lydia left and turned Emma over to her escorts, who stopped to collect Jefferson as well. He raised an eyebrow at her attire, and opened his mouth – to protest or to compliment, she wasn't sure.
"New plan," Emma whispered behind a tight smile. "Let me do the talking,"
Jefferson scratched the back of his head before shrugging. "Alright, but don't blame me if things don't go exactly as you plan," He offered her his arm, which she took, and they continued on their way to the dining hall.
She could hear them be announced, and the doors were opened for them by two obliging guards. Lysander was already waiting for them, not yet seated but standing at the head of the table. A few other people were already waiting to be seated, six or seven court members who were doing their best not to look too curious.
"Miss Emma," Lysander addressed her, pulling out the first chair on the left hand side of the table.
Emma strolled past him and stood next to the chair at the head of the table, and glanced at one footman standing in the corner with one arched eyebrow. He moved immediately and pulled out her chair. She waited until Jefferson took his place at her right hand before sitting. The rest of the court followed suit without comment.
Lysander's eyes widened, and his mouth opened to protest.
"You may be seated, Master Lysander," Emma ordered gently, sitting rod-straight in her chair. She could do this, she reminded herself. She'd done similar things a thousand times before. Every mask she wore, every show she put on for the cons she tracked down as a bounty hunter, were no different. All she had to do was play the part.
The Steward took his new seat with grace, taking the change of pace in relative stride. "Thank you, Miss Emma, now I was wondering if we might discuss a few things –"
"Master Lysander," She said firmly but gently, smiling genteelly. "In the future, I doubt I will object to your use of my first name, after we've gotten to know each other better, but right now I don't think it's appropriate."
"And what shall I call you, my lady?" Lysander asked, his tone curving into something more stern.
"That title will do for the present. But in a more formal setting, 'your majesty' might be more appropriate. I am the Queen, after all, am I not?" She asked him, and spared a quick glance to the rest of the court to see how her reproach had been received. The court showed no signs of surprise or disagreement. To the contrary, they even looked a little… smug at her reproach.
Lysander opened his mouth to protest or correct her, but fell silent instead and merely looked at his reflection in the shining silver of his plate.
"The first course, please," Emma said loudly enough for the servants to hear, please when they immediately complied with her command. "Now, Master Lysander, before my official coronation I think it would be prudent to view my kingdom, wouldn't you agree?" Her tone left little room for argument.
"Quite so, your majesty," He agreed, and met her gaze questioningly.
"I would have you arrange a processional – a parade, if it would suit you – throughout the Kingdom. Every major city, every village, every forest, and every mountain. And the site of the final battle with the Queen of the Jabberwocky," A shuffle of silks and quiet gasps alerted Emma that her request might have been inappropriate.
Lysander looked at her sharply. "May I ask why, your majesty? 'Tis nothing but a graveyard now,"
"Yes," Emma affirmed, sitting back when the servants arrived to place a bowl of soup on her plate. "And it is also the grave of Wonderland's champion, Alice. I believe I should pay my respects. Unless there is a reason you don't think I should go there, Lysander?"
"No, your majesty, not at all. When would you have this processional begin, your majesty?"
"Tomorrow,"
"Tomorrow – but your majesty–!" He attempted to protest, seeming to have found the balls to say something to her.
She raised an eyebrow questioningly, and took a small taste of her soup. It tasted liked heaven, and warmed her chilled bones.
He fell silent at her questioning gaze, and seemed to shrink before the task. "Yes, your majesty,"
As the rest of her court began to eat, Emma looked at Jefferson through her lashes; even with a spoon full of soup in his mouth, he simply couldn't stop smirking. Emma was rather pleased with herself at the moment. They now had a guide through Wonderland, and an army to help deal with the Jabberwock when they found it.
And even though she had no intention of staying, no intention of keeping the heavy burden of the crown, she had to admit: it was good to be Queen.
A/n: Thanks so much to everyone who continues to read this story, even despite the long waits in between chapters and the minor editing, not to mention the slow speed of the plot. I've got the next chapter partially written, and my outline is almost complete. I just have yet to decide how this story is going to end. Ah, well. Reviews are (as always) much appreciated. Let me know what you like, didn't like, things I could improve on (aside from updating regularly, you cheeky imps who sent me private messages with very loving threats) etc,.
Peace, love, & happiness to you all!
P.s. To those who have been paying very close attention to sub plot, did anyone catch the major event that SHOULD have happened but DIDN'T? Ha. Chew on that. (and yes, there really was such a thing) Include your response in the review that you're going to leave me! (wink wink, nudge nudge).