Madness to Ensue:

March was a smart guy. He knew his chances with Natalia better than he knew the looking glass itself, and he could see in Hatter's eyes that he was gunning for her as well. But March knew the odds. Hatter was an average looking fellow with a strange personality and odd sense of style. He had a smile that every girl fell for though, that and his puppy dog eyed glances. But March, he was a good-looking guy with a classy taste in clothes and fashion. He was a classy man with wide broad shoulders and pearly white teeth. Hatter was the son of a teashop owner, and March was the Queens favorite. Any girl would pick March over Hatter.

But we aren't talking about any girl. This is the joker's daughter, Natalia. She was a wild card in the kingdom, and she lived up to her name. March didn't know what she looked for or what she wanted in a man, and he was determined to find out. Carefully, oh so carefully he slipped a bottle of honesty into her drink for dinner that night, as she had planned to dine in her room. For the rest of the night, she could tell nothing but the truth and that meant learning her inner most secrets. March could hardly wait as he dressed himself in the mirror, gladly waiting the arrival of Hatter that night for their activities.

Hatter on the other hand, was doing his honest to god best to be honest with himself. He tried one a thousand different outfits, trying every look he could imagine-from dressing like Jack Heart, to dressing like March, he tried every outfit in his closet, seeing what looked good. They all did, but none of them were really him. Hatter slumped back into his room, trying desperately to find himself an outfit. How was he supposed to impress a girl he knew nothing about? Secondly, did he even find her attractive? Was it the tea that morning that he found her beautiful, or the fact that she came barreling into him? He decided that it didn't matter what he wore. He was Hatter to Pete's sake, and he was his own person.

As darkness spread throughout the city, Natalia watched from her window. Her hair had been braided back in a loose braid down her bareback and tied with a yellow ribbon. She wore a backless gold dress that glittered and shimmered in the mellowest of light with tall black heels. Her hands were folded behind her back as she stared out the 'v' shaped window of her room at the lights of the city. She would finally be allowed out by herself tonight, for the first time in her life, and she planned to use every single moment of that time to do something. Her heart beat excitedly at the very thought of being able to explore, and she smiled to herself. She stood, waiting for the knock on her door by March. Secretly she hoped Hatter had already arrived.

Of course March looked better than Hatter. Hatter awed at his friends clothes as he descended the stairs, taking in his highly polished black shoes and pressed pinstriped pants, his black suspenders and white button shirt, cleanly pressed and folds hitting his body at the right angles to highlight him perfectly. Hatter himself stood shocked at his cleanness, like he'd never seen him before, and for the first time in his life he wondered what he looked like standing next to someone who looked so, expensive. Hatter unconsciously soothed his bright red shirt with glittering black spades on it (a gift from March, obviously) before throwing him a lopsided smile. March nodded and smirked.

"Don't you look dashing," he said simply. Hatter nodded.

"You clean up nice yourself. And Natalia?" he said, trying to restrain the eagerness in his voice. March hadn't noticed it, so it went undetected.

"She's-"

"Right here," came Natalia, standing behind the men. Both spun quickly on their heels and eye her down, in a short glittering gold dress and bright white tights. Hatter's mouth dropped while March fantasized quickly about her legs underneath. She placed both her hands on her hips and stared at them. Both of them quickly regained their composure, unfamiliar with the feeling of even losing it at all.

"You look nice," Hatter commented lamely. Natalia smiled at him.

"She looks beautiful," whispered March, smiling at her, "Shell we go then, date?"

He held his arm out for her and she took it, leaving a bubbling jealous Hatter to be the third wheel-for now. March smiled as she took his arm, her light fingers gripping his sleeve. He couldn't tell by her smile if she'd taken the emotion or not, and he couldn't smell it on her, so he didn't know whether to be weary around her or just to be natural, so he remained on guard.

When the trio arrived at club 21C, the velvet ropes were let up as March flashed his smile, and Natalia flashed hers and Hatter did a simple hat trick, and thus they went in to the red painted club, smiling the whole while. The club was a beautiful large room of red and black velvet walls and satin curtains. The left wall was covered completely by private booths with drawn silk curtains while the right side was an entire oak bar, the scrolling bar of the tea of the day scrolling over it. The center of the room was a wide lighted dance floor headed by a large DJ's mixing table. Towards the entrance were more, smaller table, and March was having none of that.

With a snap of his fingers he requested a private booth, in which Hatter was accustom to, but to Natalia the concept was completely new. March slid in first and then Hatter let Natalia slid next to him, taking the very edge, in case he got the nerve to ask her to dance. March ordered a strong cup of excitement while Hatter ordered a simple cup of joy. Natalia wanted everything, but refrained and asked for water. March smirked and Hatter didn't seem to notice.

"So," leaned over March after the drinks had come, "What do you think?"

"It's all so wonderful!" shouted Natalia, trying to hear her own voice over the music. Hatter mindlessly sipped his tea and just nodded along with the beat, trying to ignore the small talk that March was trying to make with a very overly excited Natalia. Hatter sighed and swirled his spoon in his cup.

"Hatter," Natalia said after finishing what sounded like a very dull, very drawn out conversation about March himself, "Would you like to dance?"

"Me?" he spluttered, unable to get the thought to be coherent in his mind, "Me?"

"Yes you!" she said, shoving him lightly, "Now let's go, this will be fun!"

Hatter scooted out and held his palm out for Natalia, who took it with a smile and then looked back at a very content March.

"March?" she asked, looking at him. He returned her gaze in a dreamy state, like his mind was far away.

"Oh, no, that's quite all right," he said with a wave of his hand, "You two go on and have fun," he muttered.

Natalie leaned back over the table and gave him a kiss on the cheek before whispering in his ear.

"You are the greatest, March."

And she dashed away, her hand stuck in Hatters, heading to the dance floor. Hatter smiled down at her and followed her, clutching his hat with the other hand as the music began to play on the dance floor, the pounding bass filled the air as Natalia began to dance. Hatter watched, waiting for the music to fill his veins as she danced in front of him. She was so carefree in her movements it was like she was the only one in the room in her mind. Hatter smiled at the thought of her complete freeness, it seemed to be a trait that came with her. Hatter too responded with dancing, letting the smell of tea and her pomegranate scent fill his nose as the joy tea filled his veins.

Back at the booth, March watched with boiling jealously. It was an emotion he had never experienced before, this envy, because he has always had everything he ever wanted. He wasn't envious of Hatter, no he could never be envious of his best friend, but rather of Natalia, because he couldn't, and by the looks of it, wouldn't have her. March was unsure of this feeling, but he did not like it. He was a cunning and devious man and he never in his life was unsure of himself.

But at this moment he was unsure if she'd ever be his.

But that was going to change soon, and oh yes he was going to make sure of it. Oh yes, he was going to be so sure.

***

A/N Dun Dun Dun, oh know what's going to happen now? Hatter's fallen head over heels, March is envious of Natalia, and Natalia is going to cause trouble this next chapter. Oh yes, lots of trouble for Wonderland, and that will put March and Hatter to the test. Who will win? Or will they even still be friends? hmm.. But, until then, you could always review this lovely chapter and tell me you answers to the above questions :)

Sounds like a good idea? I think so.

Let's review shall we?

Review...now!

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