First of all, there was – let's call her Nice Mirana; no, not the Mirana that you are familiar with – she's not so nice. On the whole, she was just as we have tagged her – good-natured, kind, basically sweet. The real problem, if you want to call it that – there wasn't much substance underneath; Mirana's problem as she saw it – the Nice Mirana liked her Alice a tad too much. As she watched the other her flutter her lashes, preen and simper, she clenched her jaw and ground her teeth. Which, of course, did not go at all unnoticed, and having witnessed it the Dark Mirana (no explanation necessary, I am certain) issued a most unladylike snort. "Oh, please." She rolled her eyes in disgust at our Mirana, "Her…really? She wouldn't last a day with me." Glancing at the Hatter as she spoke, she winked, raised a brow and suggestively ran her tongue over her lips.
Seeing Tarrant's frantic gaze, hearing his almost inaudible whimper, Mirana decided it was past time to assert control. "Enough." Once she was sure that she held everyone's undivided attention (truly, this time), she continued. "Please, let us all retire to our rooms. I must ask everyone for their utmost discretion, at least –" she faltered, "until we get to the bottom of all of this. I don't know where you have come from or how to get you back to –" she paused again, "wherever, but one thing's absolutely certain – Underland must only ever have one queen."
"Well, I don't know why it can't be me," the Dark Mirana muttered irritably. "Perhaps we should have a vote?" the nice one chimed in. Pinching the bridge of her noise to try stave off the rapid onset of a headache, Mirana took a long deep breath, let it out slowly, and stated much more calmly than she felt, "Because Iam this kingdom's rightful queen."
"Says who?" "But we are you," the others rejoined immediately and in her current state for Mirana that truly was enough. She snapped, "Says I. This is my Underland, I am Mirana, and neither one of you is me. So you will do exactly as I bid you." Almost as an afterthought, perhaps seeing the surprise in Tarrant's and Alice's faces at the previously unheard of acid tone, she quickly tacked on, "Please."
"Well, if I am to be cooped up like some sort of prisoner, I'd like a bit of company to pass the time. Tell me, Alice –" an oh so familiar finger wound the lacy tie of Alice's dress around it, "which one is your room?"
That really wasn't the smartest thing to do, not by a long shot, but then of course the Nice Mirana had only ever known the kindness of herself. Which was just as well, because upon her actions, she really did not want to be privy to Mirana's immediate flitting thought. Just to be kind in turn, and because this isn't that type of story, I'll spare you the knowledge of the darkness that reared in her mind but suffice to say it wasn't very pleasant, in fact, about exactly the opposite of that.
"That would be improper," Mirana bit out unevenly, allowing a hint of anger to glimmer in her eyes. "If you are unable to pass the time alone, you are more than welcome to share my room." Her haughty gaze unflinching, she looked into the Nice Mirana's eyes. Faltering under the weight of such a gaze, the other queen subsided quickly, weakly muttering, "On second thought, I'll be just fine by myself."
Nodding, Mirana waited till that treacherous finger unwound itself from within Alice's dress, telling herself it would be truly improper were she to rip it off; before smiling, cool demeanour in place, "Yes, that is precisely what I thought."
Raising an eyebrow in the other Mirana's direction, she received a smirk and a comment, "Don't worry, I am most definitely not interested in…that." She didn't need to clarify any further, they were the very same person after all, and she was certain that Mirana had understood.
She had indeed, and breathed an inward sigh of relief knowing how much easier it would be to deal with one, even though of course, she'd prefer it was none at all. "Then it is settled," gliding to the door, Mirana gazed both ways out into the hallway. "The guards are bound to be here shortly. There's only so long that they'll be prepared to wait. As a precaution, I always tell them thirty minutes, so that we can avoid the events that have happened…once before."
"Which were…?" Alice asked innocuously, being that she was entirely bemused – what with the numerous Miranas, their different personalities, but such utterly equal looks. Above all, being touched by someone other than Mirana and yet Mirana, exactly in the manner she'd longed to be treated in, for oh so very long.
Receiving an elbow for her efforts, Tarrant muttered not that quietly beside her, "You really don't want to know."
"Indeed," Mirana echoed in a murmur, her cheeks now stained with a light hint of a blush. "You two, please come with me," she indicated to the two Miranas. Seeing the way that Nice Mirana gazed at Alice and the way the blonde appeared to furtively return that look, she got as far as uttering, "Alice," so desperately wanting to dispense a warning, before she was struck full force by another fleeting thought.
What exactly would she say to Alice – please do not like this other me? Was it right to deny someone a happiness just because you weren't the someone that was sought? Even more, for all intents and purposes, was it fair to deny yourself? Was it the other Mirana's fault that she was nicer? Kinder? Gentler? Was that not, after all, the very reason Mirana herself had always held back – the knowledge that she wasn't the wholly sweet person that Alice so deserved? Painfully swallowing her tirade, Mirana blinked away the sudden tears at this sobering realisation. Seeing that Alice still gazed at her, she choked out, "Uh, I am sorry, it was…nothing, Alice. Please forgive me," she finished quietly and with complete sincerity. For ever thinking you should have to settle for someone as flawed as me.
Perhaps she should not have been so noble – not have suppressed, instead confessing how she truly felt, but rest assured that you would also be a bit off kilter were you to be confronted by yourself. An arguably better you, though as in most things that is a matter of opinion, and somehow I think that Alice is about to disagree.