(A/n) Thank you everyone for reading and thank you for all of the kindness you have shown so far.
Chapter 9
.oOo.
"I used to dream of many things while sitting by the bay,
Of ships and kings and ceiling wax,
Cabbages and hay,
The sun would rise up from the east, chasing my dreams away
Shining a light upon a road that led to Bayar Malay…"
.oOo.
The White Queen's dressing room consisted of more than just one room. Thery were a series of rooms dedicated to various types of outfits and accessories the Queen fancied. The main room itself was circular with mirrors placed carefully upon the walls to allow the Queen to study herself from all angles. There were several doors that led into smaller, different rooms that were dedicated to shoes, gowns, nightclothes, etc.
McTwisp led the Hatter and Helen through the mirror room and through a door that led into a room dedicated to the Queen's hats. It was somewhat eerie to walk through the mirror room and find only his reflection looking back at him. He had been tempted to glance back to see if Helen was still there but he could hear her off tune singing, a new little rhyme that made little sense as always.
The White Rabbit had stopped just short of the threshold to the hat room and turned around to glance up at the Hatter. "Here you are Tarrant, the hat room. There are several errands that I must attend to so I cannot linger. If there is anything you need, please ask it of me now."
"Tick, tock, goes the clock," said Helen in response to McTwisp's comment. The Hatter and the rabbit glanced back at the woman, who stood there smiling at them. The raven had chosen to follow them for some odd reason and was currently perched on her shoulder. It tilted its head as it stared at the Hatter, its dark eye studying the Hatter with its usual look of curiosity.
"I would like some material the same shade of blue as what Helen is wearing," said the Hatter, looking away from the raven and glancing down at the White Rabbit. "Same shade… Such a deep blue, like night…" he trailed off, his lime green eyes starting to look past the rabbit while a dazed smile appeared on his lips. He was imagining the different types of hats he could create just from that shade of blue alone. He couldn't help but think of a night sky. Something that bore semi- precious white stones strewn across the fabric, like the stars…
"Snicker snack," said Helen as she looked around the hat room, a gloved hand reaching up to rub against the marred flesh of the right side of her face. "Time…"
McTwisp seemed a bit taken aback by the nonsense streaming from Helen's lips and his snowy white ears twitched in response. His ruby eyes glanced up at the Hatter, slight confusion flickering across them. It was obvious that Helen's madness was strange even to McTwisp, who should have been used to the company of one such as the Hatter and the Hare. The Hatter supposed that the dear rabbit was looking for some sense in the maddening rhymes that she spoke but the Hatter could only smile and wave McTwisp along. "I will need that fabric, quickly now McTwisp."
The White Rabbit gave a quick nod and, carefully edging past the mad woman, he scampered off in his usual hurried manner. The Hatter turned to Helen, his smile growing as he studied the top of her dark curls. His green eyes traveled down, noting the marred flesh and felt a slight tug at his heart. There was something about her face, something about that olive toned skinned that reminded him of the feeling of that dream.
The smile had faded from dear Helen's face and she moved closer to the Hatter, her dark eyes studying his electric green eyes. "Hat Maker," her voice had grown husky, a soft and seductive tone that he had not been expecting. "Moon… March… Muchness… Memories…"
A gloved hand reached out to brush against the pale flesh of his cheek before moving up to the brim of his hat, her husky voice dropping to an inaudible whisper as she murmured words that he could not understand. Her dark eyes had glazed over, seeing whatever dark memories that played through her mad mind. The Hatter noticed the far off look and quickly took her hand, jerking her out of her trance. She gasped and focused on his face, her dark eyes flicking between his own. "How, now?"
He lowered her hand away from his hat and gently released it, a light frown touching his face. "Consider the letter M," he said before he took in a breath, those words she had whispered striking a cord with him. It had something to do with his dream, he just knew it. He wished he could remember what it had been about. "Do you speak the truth Helen? Always?" he asked, his voice dropping down to that guttural growl of his native accent, his green eyes locking with hers as he studied the sad look on her face.
"Always try," she replied, the clarity appearing in her dark eyes. "I think of it before speaking… Haven't been able to write it down…" She closed her eyes and lifted a gloved hand to hide the burnt side of her face. "Don't forget… The fire burns…"
A muscle ticked in his in jaw, the pale flesh twitching slightly as he sighed. "Let us get started on your hat…" he said, the frown on his face growing troubled as he walked further into the hat room.
.oOo.
"You were with Erom for much of the night. Did it say anything to you about Helen? Anything worth mentioning?"
The Queen was gliding her way down a well lit corridor that rested beneath the castle. Where there should have been dungeons there were only storage areas. Chessur floated along behind her, studying the intricate doors they passed and noting how the Queen dismissed them with barely a glance. The door they were heading toward rested at the end of this corridor.
"The raven said that our dear Helen was not a true Upperlander but that she hailed from the Outland." The cat saw the interest that flickered past the Queen's ivory features and his own ears perked up. "It had been searching for Helen for some reason it could not say. It managed to let loose that she was a missing someone or another before it was quickly silenced by its binding spells."
"An Outlander…" The Queen said nothing more as she glided to a stop in front of the last door in the corridor. Unlike the rest of the doors, which were intricately carved with designs from slabs of stained and highly polished wood, this particular door appeared to have been forgotten. The wood was old and faded and no design graced its plane visage. The Queen removed a ring a keys that she had hidden beneath her skirts and pulled out an old, bronze key that looked as rusted as the hinges on the door. She placed the key in the lock and turned it, the old door putting up a fight before turning completely.
"What is this room, your Majesty?" Chessur asked in curiosity as the Queen opened the old door, the hinges screaming in protest.
The Queen let out a breath as she reached out to grab hold of an old torch that rested by the door. She moved to light it on one of the torches in the corridor and moved back toward the door. "It's a storage area kept specifically for confiscated items used for the dark arts." She moved into the room and looked around, her dark eyes searching the shadowed corners. The cat followed after her, his luminous green eyes catching sight of the many shelves of dusty and covered items. The Queen had moved toward the back of the room, being careful to aim her torch away from items.
"And what are you looking for?" The cat paused with interest, catching sight of what appeared to be a wooden jewelry box covered in odd markings. He glanced at the Queen's retreating back, his tail flicking with subdued excitement, before looking at the box.
"A particular mirror… It reveals things that cannot be seen by normal eyes…" The Queen glanced back at the cat and smiled. "I wouldn't touch that… Unless you would like to lose your life."
Chessur stopped in surprise, his claws hovering just above the lid of the box. He looked at the Queen and his grin grew, though he pulled his paw away. "What is in it?"
"I couldn't tell you for sure." The Queen looked away and continued her way down the aisle, her eyes searching. "The only people who can tell you are dead…" A strange smile touched her dark rouged lips, as if the thought of what lay in that forbidden box struck a cord with her. She glided her way to a darker corner, her torch held higher as she looked. "Ah hah!" Her smile was one of triumph this time as she found a floor length, oval mirror, covered by a brown cloth. "Here we are…"
"What is that?" Chessur floated over to the Queen, his grin growing with interest. The Queen glanced back at the cat and her smile fell to that strange one from before. She seemed oddly interested in these items. This was the first time that Chessur had ever seen his queen look excited.
"That, my dear Cheshire cat, is what we will need to find Helen's shadow…"
.oOo.
By the time McTwisp had arrived with the satin that was the same shade of blue as Helen's outfit, the Hatter had already created several hats from different materials sitting in the Queen's room. They were shades of lighter blue and white. One was a cloche hat, a bell shaped hat that was white with a dark blue band around it. It didn't look well with Helen's features. The next was white as well but bore a dark blue ribbon trailing over the back of the brim, the top of the hat being short and indented. That didn't look well either. He tried a few more before sighing in exasperation. None of these looked well on her,. What was he missing aside from having that exact shade of blue?
He had taken off his top hat and set it on the seat he had vacated. Helen was sitting across from him in another chair, watching him. Since she had no reflection, he could not ask her about what she thought she liked. She could not see herself and she was speaking in senseless rhymes now that her madness had returned.
"Tarrant?" The White Rabbit had appeared in the doorway then, holding the dark blue fabric the Hatter had been waiting for.
"Ah! McTwisp!" The Hatter turned toward the rabbit and strode over to him in several steps, reaching out to snatch the satin from his paws. "Just what I was waiting for! Now I can make… make…" He frowned, his electric gaze studying the rabbit as McTwisp stared up at the Hatter with anxious ruby eyes. "What will I make?"
"Hat for a bat?" Helen's cracking voice breaking through the awkward silence. The Hatter and the White Rabbit glanced at the mad woman. She was smiling at them as she held up the tattered top hat that belonged to the Hatter. She placed it firmly on her dark curls and tilted it in a jaunty way, the pink ribbons clashing horribly with the dark blue of her high necked jacket.
The Hatter stared at Helen, studying the sight of his hat sitting so casually upon her head as if it had always been hers. A smile touched his lips as inspiration struck, his bandaged and orange stained fingers toying with the dark blue satin that he held. "Ah! That's it… Like the night sky…"
He turned away from the rabbit and walked back into the room, his mad gaze studying the material he had left over. There was a lovely white ribbon that was resting on a pile discarded fabrics on a table, there was a black bow that would do rather nicely… He looked around, searching until he caught sight of Erom perched on the edge of a chair. His smile turned into an evil grin as he studied the dark, glossy feathers of the raven. Before the raven could even move, the Hatter had pounced on him and snatched a couple of its tail feathers. The ebony bird let out an angry squawk as it flapped it wings and flew to the other side of the room, his tail now devoid of two beautiful feathers. Helen let loose a giggle at the antics of the Hatter, her dark eyes studying the raven as it fluffed up in annoyance.
"Terribly sorry but these will be put to good use, I assure you," said the Hatter as he turned toward the table, placing the ebony feathers down with the dark blue satin. Yes, this just might work…
"Tick, tock, goes the clock…" said Helen, glancing over at the McTwisp and tapping the brim of the tattered, top hat. The rabbit stared at the mad woman, completely confused by what he had witnessed. He reached in his waist coat and pulled out his pocket watch, noting the time.
"Agh! I'm late!" The rabbit cried and with that he was gone, his fluffy white tail disappearing around the corner of the door.
The Hatter didn't notice the rabbit's departure, his mad gaze was focused on his task as his hands worked away at the sewing machine that rested in front of him. The vision was so clear in his mind's eye. The perfect hat for Mad Helen…
.oOo.
The sun had disappeared beyond the western horizon and the covered mirror that the Queen had needed had been placed in Helen's room by some of the trusted staff employed at the castle. It was facing east, toward where the sun normally rose, however it remained covered. The Queen was hesitant to remove the cover just yet, waiting for the Hatter and Helen to appear in the room.
She had set up a magic circle around the mirror, dotted with flickering tea candles that provided a mystical light. She muttered incantations that she knew by heart, words that were so ancient that the Cheshire cat had no idea what she was saying. After the last candle was lit, the Queen flipped back her silvery locks and turned her dark eyes toward him. "Chessur, look to the window and tell me if you see anything beyond the walls of this castle."
The cat was confused at first but did as she asked, turning away from her and floating to one of the many windows in Helen's room. He stared past the paned glass, his luminous eyes studying the trees that lay beyond the walls. His tail flicked once around himself and he faded from view, though he remained by the window. In this evaporated state, there were things that he could see that he could not see while visible. The walls that surrounded the castle, the glass of the window, and even the wall on either side of the window were mere shadows. The world could best be described as taking on a distinct grey-bluish tint, strange and magnificent colors that could not be seen by the normal eyes. In this vision, he could see the silhouettes of humanoid figures lingering amongst the trees. They each held what appeared to be spears or swords, their forms wavering like flames beneath a breeze. They were darker than any shadow that rested in Underland and their eyes were shining a terrible ice blue light.
At the sight of them, the cat immediately appeared in the normal world, his grin completely gone from his blue streaked face. "There are shadows out there. Creatures! I have no idea how to describe them."
The White Queen's ivory features were set in a deep frown, her gliding steps leading her to the window. She stopped beside the cat, her dark eyes searching the shadowed trees beyond her castle's walls. She could see nothing out of the norm but she could sense that something was there, waiting. "I feared as much. It seems that you were correct in the matter that Helen was being watched. The knights have not noticed anything strange just yet so they must be a fair distance away from the gates." She turned away from the window and held out her hands, the graceful fingers looking a tad tense. She glided her way back to the covered mirror, her skirts swishing gently. "We must hurry and summon Helen here. Tarrant must be done-"
The door to Helen's room opened at that moment and the Hatter walked in, a skipping Helen following in behind him. The Cheshire cat found himself grinning at the sight of Helen, her new hat set at a jaunty angle on her dark head. She was wearing a more feminine version of Tarrant's top hat. It was made of the same dark blue material as her high necked jacket. A white ribbon wrapped around the top while a black bow sat on the right hand side of the hat. The ends of the black bow trailed over the brim of the hat and stopped just above Helen's ear. Two long ebony feathers rose up from where the bow was tied; adding to the strange charm that held Helen's marred features.
The Queen was taken by surprise at the sight of Helen's new hat and a flicker of something crossed her features. She studied Helen's completed look, a feeling of déjà vu touching her. Those clothes… She knew this look… Who had worn such an outfit as this? She wracked her brain trying to find the answer but came up with nothing. The Hatter had noticed the troubled look on the Queen's face and he stopped before her and bowed. Helen dropped into a rather graceful curtsy behind him, the dark feathers swaying from the movement.
"Your Majesty?" The Hatter straightened from his bow, his electric gaze studying the Queen with concern.
The Queen blinked twice and looked away from Helen, who was now standing completely still and staring out the windows to the quiet evening sky. "I am sorry Tarrant. I had a bit of a daze…" She fanned herself and glanced at the Hatter. "That is an interesting choice for Helen."
The Hatter glanced at the mad woman, who had moved to the window Chessur was floating in front of. She placed her gloved hands against the paned glass, her dark eyes seeing things that could not be seen. "Shadows…" Her voice cracked as slight fear rose up in her. "Shadow's play… Keep the shadows away."
"Nothing else suited her, your Majesty," said the Hatter in reply, his green eyes studying Helen as she began to sway from side to side, humming the lullaby that was like Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Bat. She was staring intently through the glass, her dark eyes moving from side to side as she searched. The Queen looked back at Helen and turned, gliding over towards her to wrap an arm around the other woman's shoulders. Helen jumped in surprise and looked at the Queen, her dark eyes questioning.
"Come Helen," said the Queen, gently steering her away from the window. "We must find your shadow." She led the mad woman toward the mirror and placed her in front of it within the circle. Helen stared at the brown cloth that covered the mirror, her eyes growing wide with fear. She tried to back away, her body beginning to tremble.
"He stole my reflection," said Helen, looking at the Queen before her eyes searched the room. "Nevar more?"
The raven appeared on the Queen's shoulder at that moment and leaned forward, its dark eyes studying the cloth. It looked at the Queen and gave a nod, affirming what the Queen had suspected. This mirror would help in finding Helen's shadow but from the terrified expression on the woman's face, it would be a difficult task. She feared mirrors, feared mirrors that were more than just mirrors. They were gateways to another world, a world where the barriers between realities blurred. She knew that world and wanted nothing of it…
A bandaged hand had wrapped around her gloved one and she looked at the Hatter, who stood on her other side. The Queen released her hold on the woman and backed away as the Hatter gave Helen a reassuring nod. "It will be all right Helen. Nothing will harm you, I won't allow it."
She let loose a shaking sigh, her tense form beginning to relax as she kept her gaze on the Hatter. That was right, he was here… The shadows would not harm her now that he was here… She had felt so safe with him in that room with all of the mirrors, nothing had happened there. This would be the same. She intertwined her fingers with his and held on to him for dear life. She leaned in close and rested her head against his shoulder, her hat bumping against his cheek and sliding over her dark hair.
He stiffened at the closeness but began to relax, ignoring the sudden thump of his heart at her closeness. He looked at the Queen and gave a nod, indicating that she was free to start whatever it was that she needed to. The Queen smiled at the two of them before turning and gliding her way to the side of the mirror.
"This mirror will help us to find Helen's shadow; it will reveal to us the truth of its whereabouts. Hopefully, we might be able to summon it here." The Queen pulled the cloth off and the mirror was revealed. The glass was shadowed, the roman numerals of a clock embossed around the surface. The numbers were embossed in a way that made them look backwards, as if it was the reflection of a clock face.
The Cheshire cat had floated his way over to the Hatter's side, his luminous eyes sparkling with interest. The mirror was swirling with dark gray smoke and it moved in a counter clockwise fashion. The roman numerals began to glow a deep blue in color, counting down from twelve and all the way to one. At that moment, the mirror flashed and the smoke receded from the mirror, revealing the form of a young girl's shadow.
It stood where Helen did though it was but a mere shadow, the tiny height of the shadow was not what the Queen had been expecting. Before anyone could say anything the small shadow took a step forward and then another, stepping through the glass and onto the marble floor. Everyone grew tense, not expecting the shadow to actually step from the mirror. The shadow was very faint, not looking anything the way a proper shadow should. It seemed weak as well as it turned its head to look at the Queen. It had no features like a human should and yet the faint silhouette bore a familiar shape to what would have been hair on its owner.
"Hat Maker…" The voice that issued from the shadow as it looked at the Hatte was but a whisper, the sound of such one who was deeply sad. "Hat Maker… Help to find us three so that we may be one… Maiden, Woman and Crone…" The shadow looked at Helen then and raised its hand. "I've searched for you… Years have I searched…I am all that is left of you… I cannot remember who we are anymore…I cannot remember where the rest of us has gone. He stole our reflection and cast us through the looking-glass. It shattered and your shadow had shattered with it…" It let out such a sad sigh as it took a step toward Helen, reaching in earnest. "I want to come home now… I want to be home…"
The others could only watch this strange scene as Helen pulled herself away from the Hatter. She released his hand and moved closer to the very faint shadow of the girl, her gloved hand reaching out toward the shadow's.
"I used to dream of many things while sitting by the bay…" Helen began to sing her new rhyme, her cracked voice wavering. "Of ships and kings and ceiling wax, cabbages and hay." The shadow's small fingers intertwined with Helen's larger hand and they clasped, gripping firmly. "The sun would rise up from the east, chasing my dreams away." A bright flash erupted from the contact, a blinding light that made the others close their eyes. "Shining a light upon a road that led to Bayar Malay…"
When the light subsided and it was safe to look, Helen stood there in front of the mirror, staring at her gloved hands. The mirror was quiet now, no longer revealing swirling gray smoke but darkness, an occasional plume drifting across its surface. The Hatter took a careful step toward Helen, his bright green eyes studying her as confusion settled within him. What had that been? Why did it speak to him first? It had told him to find three, Maiden, Woman and Crone. To be made as one? Was that shadow supposed to represent something? Was it really a part of Helen?
The last question was answered when he caught sight of a very faint shadow beneath her. It was hard to see beneath the light but it was there. It was smaller than Helen but it mimicked her movements perfectly. She was studying it with awe in her dark eyes and she looked up at the Hatter, a small smile forming on her lips. "My shadow…"
A terrified squawk broke the awed silence as Erom disappeared from the Queen's shoulder and reappeared on top of the mirror. It flapped its wings, pointing within the glass. Everyone looked at the mirror, catching several pair of glowing, ice blue eyes that were making their way through the darkness, staring straight at them. Helen let out a cry and rushed forward, grabbing the brown cloth and flung it on a corner of the mirror. The raven had took to the air and tried to help move the cloth over the mirror.
"Those creatures will come through the mirror," Chessur said, his grin fading from sight as his fur bristled. "Tarrant, help Helen to cover the mirror before they get through the glass!"
The Hatter did not need telling twice and he rushed to Helen's side, taking the cloth from her and pulling it over in one swift movement. The cloth fluttered once and then lay still, the mirror no longer seeing. A sigh of relief escaped Helen's lips, her shoulders slumping. "Keep shadows away…"
The White Queen had placed a graceful hand upon her chest and she cast a fearful glance to the windows before looking at Helen. "I have no idea what is happening but I fear that this is only the beginning."
"What do we do in the mean time?" The Hatter asked, flicking his green eyes to Helen as she began tying the corners of the brown cloth at the foot of the mirror. The Queen was about to respond but a cracking voice answered with a clarity that startled nearly everyone present.
"Must go east to the fertile land of Queast… Follow the shining road to Bayar Malay... Must meet the Queen of Summer within that village by the bay." All eyes glanced at Helen, who had risen to her feet and brushed the dust from her dark blue slacks. She straightened her top hat and glanced at the Queen, her dark eyes looking somewhat clear of their usual madness. "To go by train. We must jump over the brooks and pass the eighth square."
It took a moment but a look of realization flickered past the Queen's ivory features. "Alyiona…" The Queen muttered in surprise, her gaze leaving Helen's and meeting the Hatter's questioning one. Who in the world was Alyiona?
The White Queen nodded to herself, looking more at ease than she had since the whole ordeal with the mirror started. "Alyiona of Bayar Malay, the Yellow Queen of Clubs..." She gathered her skirts as she moved past the group, completely forgetting herself as she rushed to the door and opened it. She disappeared in a flurry of white ad silver, not waiting for the others.
The Hatter stared at the open doorway in faint surprise, never once had he ever seen his queen run like that. The raven and the Cheshire cat had gone to follow after the Queen in her haste, hoping to catch up with her. Helen was about to follow when the Hatter reached out to grab her gloved hand. She turned in surprise, her dark eyes flicking between his electric green.
The Hatter searched those dark orbs but he saw the clarity slowly seeping back into the madness that was hers. He pulled her closer, his hold on her hand growing firm. "A piece of you has been returned. Are you as you were before?"
Helen blinked before a small smile appeared on her lips, her marred cheek lifting her eye so that it looked almond shaped. "I need a codfish to write what has happened thus far but you had left it at home. Perhaps a salmon might do? Have you one in that lovely hat you wear?"
The Hatter could only stare before he suddenly started to laugh, a mixture of madness and amusement that had Helen's smile growing. She giggled with him and started to pull on his hand, leading him away from the mirror. "Come, we must find some sugar for the party. I haven't washed my hands today and I feel so naughty."
The Hatter allowed himself to be led out of the room as his mad laughter filled the corridor, Helen's giggles joining his. She was still as she was, completely and utterly mad beyond reason. Despite all of the strangeness that was going on and the strangeness he had just been witness to; he could not help but be relieved that Helen retained her madness. He found that he liked that side of her best…
