"Do you remember when you were way back then

You held the world inside your hands

When you told me love was the strongest stuff

Your strength was innocence"

Chapter 11

Both women sat there, stunned, for only a moment before Mirana all but sprang into action. With a quick glance back at Alice, she was up and out of her seat, already walking toward the out-of-breath and frantic young man. "What has happened?" she asked worriedly, looking around for Mia as they retreated back into the hall. "Where is Mia?"

"She's still outside, wi—" Hamish began as he led the Queen toward the gardens.

"You left her in the gardens in the dark?" Mirana was stunned. Yes, the castle grounds were fairly safe, but the poor girl was only six years old and unfamiliar with the world of Underland.

"It was her idea, not mine!" he defended, putting his hands up slightly in mock-surrender. "She was trying to get him down, and sent me to fetch you."

"What? Hamish, please, what is going on?"

"There's a young boy in one of the trees outside. The poor thing is scared half to death, and won't listen to anyone but Mia." He let out a worried sigh, and both quickened their pace as soon as they broke through the Castle doors and into the cool, early-morning air.

"—She is very nice, and she'll know what to do. Lady Mirana takes care of everyone, so you can trust her—" they heard a little voice saying as the pair approached the edge of the forest. "Here she is!" Suddenly, Mia ran out from the dark shade of the trees, only to grab the Queen's hand before she could even reply. "Hurry, Lady Mirana! My friend is stuck up in one of the pretty trees, and he's scared to come down." Her tug was surprisingly strong for such a tiny girl as they approached the dark wall of foliage. Mirana scanned the treetops, trying to locate the young lad that was causing the second major crisis of the day, but saw nothing until the redhead pulled her to a stop beneath one particular deciduous. She frantically pointed upward, toward two of the lower branches partially hidden by the peach-colored blossoms adorning the tree this season, saying, "There!"

"Oh dear," the Queen muttered to herself. There was, indeed, a small child perched among the leaves. His intense, dark gaze – sharp for one so young, Mirana thought, wondering just what this young boy had been though – was fixed warily on her, and she found herself becoming uneasy. Mia, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice.

"Can you help him, Lady Mirana?" she asked innocently, gazing up at the Royal with wide, pleading eyes. The Queen hesitated, glancing at Hamish - who had come to stand alongside her – and then back to the little redhead tugging on her hand.

With a sigh, she agreed. "I will try my best, but I fear there is not much for me to do." With that, she stepped closer to the trunk of the tree, patting it gently and quietly asking it to move its branches so that she might get a better look at the boy. It obliged, giving Mirana a clearer view so that she could assess the situation. From what she could tell, the lad had dark hair that fell a little ways past his ears and a long, lanky figure that reminded her of someone she was not able to place at the moment in her mind. They stared at each other in silence for a few moments, each sizing up the other as they figured out what their next moves would be.

"Please don't hurt me," came a small, frail plea from above, and Mirana felt her heart go out to the young lad. Again she wondered what had happened to bring him to the position he was in.

"I would never harm any living thing, my dear. 'Tis against my vows as Queen." She replied gently, smiling softly. He looked skeptical.

"You're not the mean Queen, are you? I heard that there were two Queens at one time, and that one of them wasn't nice at all. I know—" It seemed that he was going to continue, but he cut himself off quickly, almost as though he was afraid to finish his statement.

Mirana sighed, saddened by the turn the conversation had taken. Where had this boy been, not to have known about the war? "No, no; that, I'm afraid, was my sister." There was another pause as he gauged whether or not he thought she was telling the truth. What more could she tell him that would get him out of the tree…?

"He can't come down," Mia said, pulling on Mirana's skirts.

"I know, dear. I'm trying my best to convince him, but he's stubborn."

"No, he can't come down." The little girl repeated, growing frustrated.

"I am aware, and I'm doing all that I— Oh." Suddenly, Mia's words made sense as she took a closer look at the figure in the tree. Little details that she had failed to notice before were becoming apparent, such as the odd direction on of his ankles was facing and the funny way he was clutching his arm. He was injured, and physically could not leave the tree without hurting himself further. How had he gotten up there in the first place? Now was not the time for such questions, however, as a new solution began forming itself in Mirana's mind. "Hamish, please come here for a moment." The young man stepped closer, and the Queen began describing what needed to be done.

Soon, Hamish was off on another errand, this time to fetch several of the palace guards. When he returned, Knight and Castle pieces were trailing behind him, ready to serve their Queen and her odd request. While Chess Guards were not as… stackable as Card Soldiers, they easily adapted and were known for their incredible strength and skill in battle. They were also known for their kindness and loyalty, two other traits that were sought out in training. Very few men made it through the ranks to be a Chess Piece in the Queen's army, as their talents and traits had to be fiercely evident and their demeanor exactly the fit that Mirana was looking for.

Now, those gentler qualities were to be put to good use as the Castle Piece stood with his pack to the tree trunk, and the Knight Piece climbed atop his flat helmet. As he reached up to lift the boy, however, the he shrank back further into the branches, afraid. "Come 'ere, lad; aye'm not goin' to hurt ye." He said gently, trying to coax him into his arms to help him to the ground. His efforts were in vain, however, as he refused to come out.

"Oh, dear," Mirana said for the second time, trying to work out something that would convince the boy that he was safe. Suddenly, the little pressure on her skirts disappeared, and she looked up to see Mia being lifted by the Castle guard. He stopped her at eyelevel, and she began explaining something that the Queen could not make out. With a grunt of acceptance, he lifted her up into the arms of the Knight guard, who placed her on his shoulders. Her breath caught as the little girl teetered for a second, trying to get her balance, before steadying herself. Mirana glanced over at Hamish, who's brows were furrowed in worry, but he said nothing.

"See? He won't hurt you!" Mia was telling the boy excitedly, a bright, innocent smile on her face. "He's very nice." She hugged the Knight around his neck and grinned at the little boy, trying to show him that everything was okay. Mirana couldn't help but smile at the scene herself, seeing traits in Mia much like Alice herself. She was brave – as made evident by her precarious position at the moment –, kind, and curious. The Queen could only guess how she had come to find the boy in the tree, seeing as he didn't seem to be the type to outright announce his presence.

While the boy still looked wary, Mia's stunt must have convinced him somewhat, for he began inching back into direct view. After a few tense moments, he allowed the Knight to lift him under the shoulders, and soon all three – the Knight, the boy, and Alice's daughter – were safely on the ground once more, allowing Mirana and Hamish to breathe a collective sigh of relief. The Castle Piece helped Mia off his comrade's back as the group returned inside.

Hamish noted as they were walking through the great wooden doors that the early morning sky had lightened from a Navy blue to a soft grey, and suddenly he felt exhausted. It had been a long day without rest, and it didn't seem to be coming to an end any time soon. A glance at his Queen revealed that she, too, was looking a bit worse for wear, what with purple circles forming under her eyes and her usually-perfect hair slightly frazzled. He quickly caught up with her, and – throwing decorum out the window, for he was just too tired – offered her his arm. She gladly took it, and leaned into him for support.

As Mirana had instructed, the little party made their way back toward her chambers where Andrea and Alice still were. When they arrived, the Queen – closely followed by Mia – rushed to the Champion's side. While the little redhead threw a hug around her mother, Mirana was relieved to see that the worst of her friend's spell seemed to be completely over. She was now sleeping peacefully, though how she would be if – when, the Queen scolded herself – she woke. Satisfied, she turned back to the boy, whom the Knight had sat in one of the large chairs. She noticed that Andrea had collapsed, exhausted, into the other, and was now taking a nap, as well.

Mia wandered back over to the boy's side as the Queen fiddled with various things on her temporary potion table. She gathered bandages and a wet cloth, and started introducing various ingredients back into her cauldron to make a disinfectant for the boy's wounds. He seemed much calmer, and – now that they were in good light – Mirana could see that she had more than just his leg and arm to worry about. His entire body was covered in nicks and scratches, some scabbed over and some brand-new. Now that she could see him better, she realized that he was really not much older than Mia – maybe six or seven years of age. For neither the first nor second time that morning, Mirana wondered what had brought the young lad to her Castle.

As she knelt down to care for his wounds, she noticed Hamish standing awkwardly detached a few paces away, unsure of what to do. A sudden thought occurred to her, and looked up once more. "Hamish?"

"Yes?"

"Would you mind find Tarrant? To check on him?" The Englishman hesitated, frightened at the idea of meeting with the madman – who already didn't seem to fond of him – when he was already so distraught. There was no telling what would happen. "Just to make sure he is alright, and hasn't hurt himself." Another pause, as he still was not ready to give in, even to Mirana. "…Please, Hamish." The Queen was practically on her knees begging Hamish to help her friend, and he knew that this was just something that he had to do. For Mirana.

"Of course, Your Majes—Mirana," he smiled nervously before leaving the room and heading back in the general direction of the Hatter's workshop. Yes, this would be interesting, to say the least.

With that taken care of, the Queen turned back to her little charge. She set about washing out the many cuts with water, but – halfway though – she realized that, with how filthy he was, it would simply be better if he took a quick bath to extract most of the dirt from his wounds. She was a seasoned healer, and this seemed the most practical solution. She did not think that the young lad – he refused to say much, and she still had not discovered his name – would object much to his first hot bath in who-knows-how-long, but it was Mia she was worried about. It wouldn't be proper to allow her in the room with them – even if he left his undergarments on in the water – but, as she had been cleaning his stinging and painful injuries, he had grabbed her hand for support. She thought it was sweet, but it worried her that Mia would not want to be separated from her new friend.

With a sigh, she sat down her damp and now-dark-with-dirt cloth, and waved the Knight – who had been standing diligently at the door – over, as well as telling Hopsin - the head frog servant, who had been making early morning rounds throughout the castle halls and happened to pass by the door – to start a bath. The frog nodded quickly, bowed, and hopped away toward the bathing chambers. When he started out the room, though, she instructed him to start her own bath for the boy. The servant was shocked, but did not question his Queen. Meanwhile, she asked the Knight to carry the boy toward the bath. She called Mia back, however, and asked to have a word with her as the boy was made ready for the warm water.

"Yes, Lady Mirana?" she asked, slightly distracted. She wanted to follow her friend, but would not disobey someone older than her – her mother had taught her better than that.

"It is late – well, early, now – Mia, and I can see that you are about to fall over where you stand! Perhaps it would be best if you curled up with your Aunt Andrea and rested while I tend to your friend." She smiled sweetly and gestured toward the over-stuffed chair where the brunette woman was still sleeping.

The little redhead, however, was more like her adoptive mother than should have been possible, however. Mia shook her head, "I am not tired," she replied, glancing back toward the bathing chambers quickly before returning her gaze to the Queen. "I want to stay."

"Mia, love, I do not feel that it would be best for you to come with us," Mirana again tried to explain. The little girl, however, would not be swayed, and shook her head again.

"I don't want to leave." Her bottom lip began to tremble, and the lack-of-sleep seemed to be taking its toll on her. She would become simply intolerable if she threw a fit, something that young ones often did when they were tired. Wanting to avoid an explosion, so to speak, Mirana sighed gently in frustration. Alice had never been one for propriety, anyway, and it wasn't likely that she would mind.

"Alright, you may come. But—"

"I promise I'll be good!" Mia's mood was completely turned around, and she went from near-tears to grinning in less than a second. With that, the Queen took her hand and they made their way toward the bath chamber.

When they entered the room, they saw that the Knight was gone; he must have departed after leaving the boy in the servant and Queen's hands. He was, after all, a soldier and not suited at all for domestics such as this. Hopsin was stripping the boy of his grimy, torn clothing as they walked in, and Mirana quickly requested that he leave on his under-things. Soon, he and the Queen were helping him into the warm water, Mia watching on, worried for her friend. She winced, herself, each time the boy flinched when the water covered his injuries. Once he was submerged to his neck, he seemed to relax completely and sighed in contentment. Taking this as her cue, Mirana began once again cleaning his wounds while Hopsin prepared some soaps to wash his hair.

After several minutes of comfortable silence, Her Majesty decided that it was time for the questions to begin again. Maybe now that he was more comfortable – he obviously no longer felt threatened, as he had allowed himself to be practically stripped in front of strangers – the boy would be willing to talk. "Seeing as you know who both Mia and I are," she began gently, not looking up from the ugly slash across his forearm, "it seems only fair to me that you tell us who you are." There was another pause, and Mirana briefly wondered whether or not she should have waited a tad longer.

"My name is Johnstone," came his little voice after a tense silence.

"That's a lovely title," she replied, glancing up at his face. He seemed nervous – afraid even – once more, and Mirana tried her best to keep him calm. She could tell that he had been through much in the past few hours – if not days. He said nothing more, however, and the little group continued on once more in quiet.

Growing tired of the lack-of-noise – or maybe sensing how uncomfortable her new friend was becoming – Mia spontaneously began telling Johnstone of her adventures before and thus-far in Underland. She told him of her time spent travelling with her mother – because she really couldn't remember anything before that – and then being on the slavery ship as a prisoner. She then told him of hide-and-go-seek with her mother, and playing with Mr. Hatter (whom she decided Johnstone simply must meet). She kept talking until her eyelids began to droop, and the little dark-haired boy's began to do the same.

Before long, Mirana had finished tending to his wounds, and she and Hopsin began the task of extracting a sleepy-eyed Johnstone from the water. After wrapping him a plush white towel, they sat him back in one of the chairs in the bath chamber and Mirana began wrapping and bandaging the many now-disinfected injuries on his body. Soon, however, his breath became heavy and slowed in time to match Mia's, who had also fallen asleep where she had been sitting. The Queen took a pause in her work to observe the two children, smiling softly to herself at the little scene before her.

There would be more time for explanations tomorrow, and it had been a long day for all. For now, she simply let them sleep as long as they could.

AN: Yay! A (relatively) fast update! :3

There wasn't as much action in this chapter, but I promise that the next installment will have the Hatter in it. I had planned to put the scene with him in this chapter, but it became too long. *sigh* Oh well. This chapter hasn't been beta'd, so I apologize for any errors. I don't always catch things.

As always, reviews are loved! Thank you to all who have reviewed, favorited, alerted, and read this story so far! It's your support that keeps me writing! 3

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, ALL!