The white queen was walking with her counsel as Alice and Tarrant approached the castle's inner walls. Tarrant took off his hat and bowed to his queen, while she rushed over to grab Alice's hands and squeeze then tight. "We almost thought you wouldn't come!" She chimed. The hatter stood and replaced his hat to its rightful place, coming to put his hand on Alice's waist in a protective manner.
"Well, we are here, my queen, imagination and I." Tarrant grinned as he spoke, glancing at Alice.
The queen gave a small smile, "Thackery is in the infirmary still, taking my medicines and mixing them as he pleases. It keeps him calm, I suppose. He has asked to see you, Mr. Hightopp."
Tarrant nodded and released Alice, whom the white queen promptly stole away into the deeper cavities of her castle. They got to a room where no one was, yet there was a large dining table of pure silver. Mirana ran her fingers over the smooth surface and sighed, "Hightopp clan used to gather here on every special occasion with their finest trade markers, showing me with such pride. Even the smallest children could bring in a piece and it would be praised by everyone, myself included. Not all were mad as a hatter, but most were. Tarrant's father, his father's father, and his uncles. All of them were a well behaved bunch, but when his grandfather refused to work for Iracibeth, she vowed revenge on the clan before she took off his grandfather's head. Soon after, I fear Iracibeth went a little mad in her own...
"Tarrant came here for the first time as a tot, not much older than you when you first fell into Underland. Tarrant didn't want anything to change when you left, so he set out to kill Time. Time, the touchy old fool, was terribly offended and went into hibernation. When you returned to Tarrant, Time thought it would be a hardy prank to speed time up for my hatter. That's why he is older now than he was in the years between your first and second adventures. I remember him well as a child, looking simply adorable. Iracibeth and I took turns as children taking his hat and wearing it. Of course, now he has a different hat. It's bigger than the one we played with as children, but it suits him well.
"Sometimes I rather miss Hightopp clan... They were such a lovely group. Most of Tarrant's family had lived in Thackery's mill at one time, you know. Amazing. They had to set multiple tables together to have every drink tea at the same time." Mirana sighed heavily. "I do miss them..."
Alice spoke up, tearing the queen away from her sorrow, "Why are you telling me this?"
Mirana turned, her hands half in the air, "What have you done to my poor hatter?" She asked.
"Me? What do you mean?"
"He calls you his imagination. He does not believe that you're real. If you are planning to leave again, don't bother telling him. It'll just hurt him." Mirana said sadly.
Alice shook her head, "I don't know what to do... I don't have anything to go back to anymore. While I was away, my mother passed away. My sister, Margret, has exiled me from her life when I caught her husband with another woman and told her. Nothing is left for me there. I'm staying here, where people are much more..." She thought for a moment, "Pleasant. Like you and Tarrant."
Mirana smiled, "I'm glad to hear it, and I'm very sorry for your loss. Alice, as champion of Underland, it is your duty to protect its inhabitants... Tarrant, no matter how distant, is one of its inhabitants. You have to make him see that you're real. Please, I would be most grateful... He's grown terribly violent since you left." Mirana gingerly stroked her cheek.
Alice gasped, "He hit you?"
"Not me... Poor Ches." Mirana's eyes suddenly widened, "Oh no!" And she started running.
"Wait!" Alice shouted after her, running at top speed to catch up with her. "What's going on?"
The queen turned many corner, lifting her dress so she didn't trip, half yelling, "Cheshire is in the infirmary!" Alice didn't quite understand, but followed any way.
Mirana thrust open the large doors to the infirmary and sighed in relief. Tarrant was sitting in the floor with Thackery lying in his bed; Cheshire was talking to him, trying his best to grin. Alice gasped when she say the cat. He looked horrible. Cats were naturally violent creatures, but he looked like he'd been put in a blender! "What happened to him?" Alice asked, rushing to see him.
"Your beloved bandersnatch decided to play... Ches is such a small creature and the bandersnatch doesn't know how to play nicely. He pounced Ches and used him as a chew-toy." The queen clearly hat pity on her face.
"The bandersnatch? He's still here?"
"Well, of course. I wasn't just going to let him get slain in Underland's wood. No one would ever know. You know as well as I that every creature deserves a second chance."
The hatter looked up from the brown rabbit and grinned at Alice, "Oh, hello imagination!"
Mirana frowned, "Tarrant, Alice and I are going to sit in the dining hall. Could you meet us there when you're finished here?"
The hatter smiled gently and nodded.
Alice petted Cheshire's head and left with the queen. They went to a different place, the royal dining hall, Alice presumed. Mirana ordered Mctwisp to bring them a cup of tea, and an extra for Tarrant. Alice sat down across from her majesty, "Your highness, what do you suppose I do?"
Mirana hummed and looked at her guest, "Well, I'm not sure..." she said, "But I would prefer the two of you staying here for the night. I'm sure your horse is tired and Underland's streets by night are... very unsafe."
Mirana suddenly started crying, one silent tear at a time. "What's wrong?" Alice asked, standing to stand by the queen.
She sniffled and MCtwisp returned with the tea, "Ever since you left, Underland has been corrupt. The subjects of the Red queen have come to Underland. It isn't even fit for children to walk the streets of Underland at all anymore."
Alice sighed, "I have quite a bit of work to do now, it seems."
Mirana nodded, "Thank you MCtwisp. You may leave now." Alice rubbed the queen's shoulder.
"I'll do it," Alice whispered, "I'll help you restore Underland to its former self."
Tarrant entered the room, sitting in Alice's previous seat, "My queen, what's the matter?" He asked.
Mirana wiped her eyes and faked a smile, "I'm just so happy that Alice is back."
