(This is late but you see, while watching TV one day, I thought to myself, maybe I should do what TV shows do and do a chapter every week but THEN after that I realized how excited I was to get this chapter out, so I think I'll stick to three days or less on chapter arrival, but anyway, now that we've got to know other characters, let's get back to our main character, I'm Moonlight Snowflake now on with the show)

Annabella's POV

"How long have you known my mother anyway ?", that was the question, but the moment it came out of Anna's mouth, Anna knew three things,

1). A white rabbit could always get paler

2). She was right, there was indeed MUCH more going on than thought to believe

3). She said the wrong thing at the wrong time

Nivens was shuddering, "well, I um... well, um, why do you ask anyway ?"

"I was just curious... and"

"Well maybe your to curious for your own good" the rabbit snapped.

Anna's eyes became as wide as tea-saucers at how Nivens, Nivens of all creatures had snapped at her.

Nivens saw this reaction and must have realized he went to far because he spoke again in a much softer but still keeping firm, tone.

"Look Anna, I'm sorry for being cross but some parts of the past are best left untouched, for the good of everyone, all that matters is how we live the present and how we plan for the future, do you understand child" ?

"I think so"

"Good, now if you'll please excuse me, I must help the Queen arrange plans for Princess Lily's Birthday Ball".

Now most would have taken the waist-coat wearing rabbit's advice and let it go, but Annabella Hightopp was NOT like other's, not even close to it. Once McTwisp had left, Anna went back to thinking mode, while trying to figure out why the past was kept covered in mystery and secrecy, but even she has her breaking point.

Anna opened and sat by Noctis's cage, stroking the winged creature with the look of defeat on her face. "Oh Noctis, as far as I know, this is a waste of time, mother is clearly not going to tell me, and I could bet you that anyone else's reaction would be similar to McTwisp's if I asked, and even if someone does decide to tell me, as far as I know, it could be just a lie or a rumor"

The 12 year old's green eyes started shining a brilliant emerald color. "Rumors, Rumors, RUMORS, Noctis that's it"

The bird looked confused at his master and Anna giggled, "Noctis, who loves to gossip, who doesn't care who they tell, WHO, knows practically every bit of gossip that goes on in Underland ?"

Anna giggled again, knowing the bird could not answer and so answered for him, "The flowers, Nostis, the gossip flowers, they know close to anything and everything that goes on in Underland".

Annabella took her bird and started twirling around with joy, Noctis got free from her grip and started swauking around her, happy she had found her answers. Suddenly the red-head stopped and realized something.

"Well I know where to go, but how to get there is the question, if I even try to leave this hall-way, mother will surely start locking me in."

Then suddenly she remembered something, "If I try to leave now, I'll get locked in, but if I keep mother dearest under the radar for a few days ?", Anna started to grin, her trickery, sly, fox-like grin, she turned to face her bird with the sinister smile that he was starting to share.

"And after a few days, a simple trip to see someone, the tweedles perhaps would be innocent enough, and after all it is a big kingdom, where one could so easily go astray to perhaps a certain flower patch". Annabella softly snickered at the thought of how she was going to fool everybody.

The next day, Anna was up early put on her silver charm necklace and dressing in a soft pink hatter dress with gold short sleeves, a thin gold sash around the waist tied with a bow on the back and gold trimmings at the end of the skirt, with white stockings and a sparkly hat headband to match, she put on some gold ballet flats, grabbed her light brown satchel with note-books, folders, paper and pencils and she was ready to go.

Anna went down to the breakfast table and sat down with everyone else, but made absolute certain she was sitting beside her father, while her mother stood across from him, Anna tried to keep her head down at her oatmeal with apples, raisins and honey mixed into it. Picking up her spoon, Anna scooped up some of her breakfast and tried to eat slowly, hoping that if she did eat slowly enough, that the meal time she had before school could be spent only on her meal. Anna's plan was to be on her best behavior to keep her Alice off guard but on second day of punishment , Anna didn't trust herself to stay under control. The pre-teen kept her thoughts towards the taste of her breakfast, the sweet, sugary taste of the honey, contrasted perfectly with the light tang of the raisins and the apple chunks added just the right crunch.

The sweet taste of breakfast almost made Anna forget the awkward position she was in. It wasn't until the loud ringing of a clock that Annabella gained back focus on the situation. The clock on top of the mantle, inside the dining room was cue for the 12-year old to begin her walk to the school-house. She pushed the small amount left-over from her breakfast and sat up, and almost simultaneously, as did Alice.

"I will be walking you to school today Annabella"

The red-head could definitely hear a stiff coolness in her mothers voice, but also, perhaps something else, almost restraint. Could her mother actually be questioning grounding her. From the anger she showed just yesterday, it did not seem likely, but perhaps...

"Annabella ?"

Alice's voice pulled the young one away from her thoughts and back to reality.

"Hmm, oh yes I'm coming"

Neither spoke the entire time, granted it wasn't that long a walk, a usual 15 minutes or less. Anna was mostly hoping that her mother would leave her half way or if she did walk her all the way, a story as to why that was so. Don't think of her wrongly, Annabella loved her mother, but all of the other students and even most adults saw Annabella as a adventurist, an explorer, someone who could handle herself, someone who liked to take risks, not someone who would want their mother walking them to a school, in town, only 15 minutes away.

But pretty soon, when on to arrival, Anna saw that it was unnecessary, everyone was being walked by a parent, guardian, or family member. Anna was shocked, she was about to ask her mother but once inside, Alice turned heel to leave, Annabella said good-bye but her mother was engulfed in the crowd of parents that she probably didn't hear her anyway. As the children filled the halls Anna headed towards her classroom as fast as possible, as possible as it was without tripping on anyone. Call it a hunch, but Anna felt that perhaps, the fact that ever other student was being walked by a grown up wasn't a coincidence. Anna reached her classroom, went down to her seat and waited patiently, well at least how 'patiently', Annabella Hightopp can be for the other students, most particularly Malinda.

"Hey Anna"

Malinda was slightly taller than Anna, maybe by an inch with blonde hair, except unlike Lily's light, pure platinum blonde hair, Malinda's was a shade darker, but not dark enough to be called brown, but it did always have highlights of some color on it depending on what she was wearing. Today she was wearing a frilly baby blue top with a long, gold colored, ruffle skirt. (Look up "Long Ruffle Skirt" on Google Images) With a few thin baby blue highlights on her head. One day when Anna asked why she did that, Malinda simply replied, "it's my niche, like how your's is hat bands, mine is highlights ".

Annabella turned to her aqua-eyed friend with relief that she arrived before class was to begin.

"Malinda, thank goodness, your here, why was everyone with a parent today"

Malinda looked to her confused, "You mean you didn't know"

"My, um mother didn't tell me", okay not a total lie, her mother didn't tell her, in fact they hardly had talked the entire morning, but if anyone found out she was grounded, they would ask how, then ask what she was doing in the woods in the first place and it all would just be a complete mess.

But luckily, Malinda accepted this and began to answer, "well apparently, the queen sent knights and guardsmen to every house, late last night to say that children were to be escorted to where ever they went and for all adults to be on their guard".

"Be on their guard ?, For what ?"

"I actually thought you would know, living in the palace and such, but rumors are that..."

"Alright students, bottoms in chairs, faces forward, mouths shut, class is to begin"

"Just great", Anna thought, "here I was just about to get some answers and whoop de do, class begins", but then the red-head thought of something else, "then again, at least I know why there were so many adults there, kind of".

Most of the time, Anna loved school, in Social Studies, you get to hear a new part of a story, and the best part would be that it did happen, in Language Arts, she could, debate, discuss, and say what she thought about something in her own way, math could be frustrating, but when you understood the formula, all the problems, looked more like puzzles or parts of a game. And Science, well, it really depended on what you were learning about.

But today, on Anna's mind and on basically everyone else's, was, why the queen did what she did. Mrs. Martial probably knew no one would pay attention, that would explain why she basically just reviewed the notes, the class had taken the school day before and read out of the text book, knowing no-one was following along.

Once first period ended, everyone stated to head to their next class as was Anna, until she was stopped. "Miss Hightopp, a word please", a chorus of ohh's followed with the other student's' footsteps heading out the door.

Anna saw as the dark-haired woman shut the door, that would soon have a line of students waiting beside it and have brown eyes turn, head, and look towards her's with concern.

"Am I in trouble ?", the girl said with worry, the grounding was bad enough, a note or meeting with the teacher would not help Anna's 'under the radar' plan.

The woman smiled, "oh course not Anna",she was a wonderful teacher, she was very understanding, but was not a pushover, which could be because she had two children of her own, though they both were much younger than Anna. She had dark brown hair, that would either, reach slightly past her shoulders or was put up in a bun, and she was about half a foot shorter than Anna.

She looked at her student carefully, and spoke softly, almost in a whisper, "Anna, listen to me, the rest of the faculty and I were told not to mention it, but do you have any idea what is happening, just like everyone else I'm scared, so please Anna, if you have any information about what's going on, please tell me".

"I'm sorry , I don't", the woman's face fell, and Anna felt awful not knowing the answers, she was probably this, not just teacher, but mother's only way to find out why this was happening, "but if I can find out, you'll be the first person I go to". 's face lightened a little bit, not as hopeful as before but still having hope. "Thank you Anna, you may go now".

Annabella turned to leave with a pang of guilt, "but why should I feel guilty", she thought, "after all, it's not my fault I don't know", suddenly, Anna's eyes began large with fear and thought. "If and Malinda both thought I knew the answer, I bet everyone else will to". When reaching and taking her seat in 's room, Anna could practically feel the eyes of everyone looking at her, what was she going to do.

(To make up for the wait, here's a super extra long chapter for you, hope you enjoy, by the way, is actually based off by my 7th grade teacher from back in the day, though not the same name, there will be a new chapter soon, so be on the look out, also, here's a question, I'll be in a new school next year, and thought about having mini top hat headband as my niche, what do you think ?)