Alice stopped at a shimmering gate and hastily unfurled her skirts. She straightened her dress and tousled her hair, glancing back at me. She frowned and walked toward me, hands outstretched.

"Hold still, Miss Hatter," she said softly in hushed, calm tones.

She put her hands at the bottom of my dress and holding the hem in her left hand, she created a tear with the nails of her right. I felt my stomach lurch when I looked at her nails: they had been allowed to grow long and were sharp, painted with a metallic gray color. They looked more like steel claws than fingernails. She pulled at the tear until she had ripped a ragged edge all around the edges.

"There," she breathed. "Our story might be more believable now."

"Are you serious?"

"Hm?"

"Is it that important?" I asked with raised eyebrows.

"Of course. Modesty is paramount to my lady."

"Then I doubt she will like me," I laughed, shifting my weight on my sore feet.

"Oh, you will do well."

I was puzzled. "At what?"

"My lady will explain all," Alice smiled. She looked me over once, commanded me to put my shoes back on, and pushed her way through the gate.

Ahead of us were trees glowing white with silver leaves and opal berries. Though it must have been the dead of night, it was brighter than day in this courtyard. I could barely make out the white rabbit amidst the illumination. I had very little time to look around me, but I was able to catch a flash of ruby off to my left. I glanced over and I could swear I saw a small boy painting red berries with white.

We stopped at a guarded door where we were neither questioned nor inspected. Instead, the silver-clad henchmen moved aside and allowed myself, Alice, and the rabbit to pass through.

Once on the other side of the door, I noticed a very stark change from outside. The palace (castle, palace, I wasn't sure but it was constructed of marble, at least on the outside) was like a gigantic version of the carriage. The outer appearance was white and regal; the inside was dark and dank and I saw more faint hearts imprinted and carved into the walls. Rather than white marble, the inside was a mix between worn onyx and dark, faded wood. As in the carriage, wherever I saw hearts, murky red shone through.

Which "lady
was I going to see? If the boy I had seen outside was truly doing what I had thought, then I would have to be seeing the White Queen. But why were there hearts everywhere? And why was I uneasy? This was the pure Queen who could harm no living creature, and I was very much a part of that category. Yet there was something menacing about the castle that I could only attribute to the remaining aura of the Queen of Hearts that was clearly slowly being removed from what I had seen. Perhaps I had come to Wonderland recently after the White Queen's victory over her sister. Maybe she needed me to aid in restoring Wonderland to its former glory?

"Are we going to see your lady now?" I asked, limping after the still quickly moving Alice.

"Oh yes," she replied. "She requested to have an audience with you as soon as you arrived."

"Isn't it late? Maybe we should wait until morning? If I were a queen, I'd really rather have my beauty sleep."

Alice stopped and faced me, looking confused. Her expression quickly melted into understanding.

"Of course, there's day where you come from. Silly me."

"What are you talking about?"

She smiled. "There is only night here, Miss Hatter."

"But-but your lady, wouldn't she rather have daylight?" I stuttered, puzzled.

Alice laughed as if I were a silly child. "No, Miss Hatter. Daylight is harsh and cruel. The only truly safe light is that which is created by oneself, and this castle is surrounded by light created by our White Queen."

"So then by your own logic, it's only safe for her."

"You are indeed wrong again. Since we are the White Queen's subjects, we are a part of her. Therefore, we are protected by her."

"From what exactly?"

"Those that would threaten us and all of Wonderland."

I nodded. Well, this was an elaborate dream.

We continued walking until we were in front of a heart-shaped door that was newly painted in white. Alice knocked several times before a croaky voice within called back for her to enter. She opened the door and we walked into a large ornate room. It was empty save an ivory dais covered with white silk. Seated on the dais was an ancient woman in flowing robes, with long white hair that poured into her lap. Her eyes were bright and blue, almost youthful, but her skin was deeply lined with wrinkles.

The rabbit hopped forward and made a burrow in the silk at the woman's side. She stroked it several times before turning to Alice and I. She looked me up and down and smiled.

"Hello, Allison Hatter. I am the White Queen."