A.N. Bawbcaboose still wants my nuts. Jus' sayin'.
Alice scrutinized herself in front of the full-length mirror in the room Jonas had provided for her. She was wearing a white wedding dress, with small pearls sewed into the fabric. Or, at least she thought they were pearls, until they started changing colors.
The bright white of the dress was sadly only a few shades lighter than her ghostly-pale appearance. Small blue veins were visible under her skin in some places. She gave a small smile at her reflection, thinking the change of her expression would maybe make her look more appealing.
The pearls started changing colors again, frantically glowing and switching colors until settling on a dark navy blue. She looked over to one of the maids Jonas had sent to help her get into the mountain of a dress, who simply smiled.
"I'm sorry to bother you about this, but, why are these pearls changing colors..?" Alice asked, uneasily. The maid gave a confused face.
"You mean the Juytus, Lady Ivory?" The maid said slowly and carefully, as if she were being tested.
"Juytus.." Alice said, trying to think back if she had ever heard of something called that before. Her memories outside the castle were fuzzy, but she thought maybe she had heard of them before.
"Sir Jonas told me they were ones you two picked together, while strolling his gardens some years back, Ma'am." The maid said humbly, with a smile. "Are you feeling well? I'd 'magin you'd be dead with excitement."
Alice thought long and hard about what the maid had said. Gardens.. She didn't immediately remember strolling any gardens with him, so she decided it must of happened while she was outside of the castle. She smiled back at the maid.
"I remember now, sorry. And yes, I could die from the nerves!" She said with a small laugh, giving another spin in front of the mirror to make sure she looked good. The maid was about to say something when there was a knock on the door. Alice quickly directed her vision towards the door, and took a step to open it when the maid stopped her.
"Ah ah ah!" The maid said in a smooth, motherly tone. "A bride must not see her husband the day of their wedding. I'll go attend to him, you just pretty yourself up some more, there's some powder in the drawer to hide those veins." The maid left the room, leaving Alice all by herself.
Alice absentmindedly walked towards the large dresser by the window, to retrieve the powder when she stopped dead in her tracks. The window was opened, and an unfamiliar man was climbing through. Alice stared at him, wide-eyed as he straightened his clothing and adjusted his hat. Her heart started racing as he looked up and smiled at her, a big gap-toothed smile.
"Alice!" He said excitedly, and started walking up towards her. "I'm so so so sorry it took so long! This place, it's a bloody fortress! Now, we don't have much time for sentimental stuff at the moment, that lady can't be distracted for too long." He was standing right next to her now, and staring at her like she were the most interesting thing in all of Wonderland.
He reached out with one hand, and ever so gently touched her face. He was so hesitant, as if he feared she would break from such a slight touch. He smelled of sweet teas and flowers.
"My dear Alice, I have no idea what they've been doing to you here.. You're so thin.." He stepped closer, and his other hand was caressing down her body, just the silky fabric of the dress between them. "Please forgive me, please."
He was so close to her, she could feel his breath on her, warm and sweet. He wrapped his other arm around her, and kissed her, his lips rubbing on her mouth, feeling as smooth as honey. He broke the kiss when they heard footsteps, and her lips were on fire.
The man looked at the door nervously.
"Please, Alice, we must leave now." He took her hand, and started leading her towards the window when she stopped dead in her tracks. He looked at her, confused.
"Who are you?" She finally managed to say. Her legs were shaking, eyes full of fear. She quickly yanked her hand away, and took a step back. Words cannot describe the look of pain on his face.
"What did they do to you..?" He asked, in barely just a whisper. He reached his hand out, to try and touch her face, and she slapped it away. Another step back.
"Alice! Please!" He said hastily, his gaze shifting from her, to the door, to the window. She didn't even know who this Alice was.
"My name isn't Alice. I do not know you. I want you to leave." Her voice was shaking. She had no idea what she was feeling. She held up one shaking finger towards the window. "Now." Her heart was racing, she felt like she were about to hyperventilate. He looked so sad, she couldn't even look him in the eyes. She had to stare at the ground.
With one swift move, the man grabbed her outstretched hand, and placed in her grasp a small vial. When she looked up, he was already out the window, just as the door opened. Her head quickly darted towards the door, and she was relieved to find it was only just the maid returning.
Upon seeing her, in her flushed appearance, the maid questioned what was wrong. Alice thought long and hard about what to say to her. The intruder, she knew for a fact, she had never met a day in her life. Yet, something about him made her want to trust him. She swallowed hard, and smiled at the maid.
"Just nerves." She said shyly, looking at the ground. The maid gave a laugh, and led her to get her makeup done, counseling Alice about her marriage experience and tips for her nerves. The whole time, unknown to anyone except her, a small vial stayed clutched tightly in her hand the whole time.
Inside the vial was a dark black liquid, condensed and strained until it was black as night, the opposite of what she had taken before. On the vial was a little label, with the words 'Drink me." printed clearly on it.