(And I return! Have you missed me? I have definately missed you, my little readers ^_^. So here is the tale of why it too so long to post. As I was listening to music on my laptop one day, it turned itself off. As I try to turn it back on, it refuses to travel past the "windows loading" screen. That was the last week of school and the day before I had almost finished the chapter! I was very disappointed. The last week of school I pondered several ways to get the next chapter up and finally figured out a way! I would post it the last day of school and type it the day before in my advisment time, saving it to the schools computer. In fourth period that day, I realized that my 2 thousand word document would me lost forever because previously mentioned in that class that I rarely paid attention it, the computers would not be there tomorrow as they had to be taken apart and things had to be done to them. Depressed, I went into my first week of work and saw that the girl I was babysitting had a laptop. She lets me use it whenever I want, but I had such bad writer's block that week that nothing was accomplished! The next week, actually that weekend when I returned home, it was discovered that I had been infected with staph infection on both of my arms and on my ankle. -.- My Umma would not let me even close to the computer, so I spent two weeks fighting off my older brother for the couch and mopped around. Finally, on Monday, the doctors told me that all of my staph was completely healed and that if I stayed on my meds, than I should be good to go! And when I got home, I went strait to work on getting this chapter done :) It was killing me not to write for so long. Anywho, let's return to our story!)

~~~**Tarrant X Alice**~~~

Tarrant looked at the blade of the vorpal sword in this man's hand as it pointed at the blonde behind him. "Nae," He growled. "I will nae let ya take 'er." He pushed his arm behind him and pushed her backa few steps. She held onto his arm though, refusing to let go.

Mirana gave a panicked look that Tarrant did not understand as it had greatly deepened, "No!" She choked out.

Tarrant felt Alice's warm lips pressed against his cheek and his heart stopped. She stepped in front of him and raised her chin in a very brave way. "Very well, Century. Release my queen and I shall return with you."

"No, Alice!" Mirana choked as a wicked grin split Century's handsome features. Tarrant grabbed her arm and forced her back against his side.

"Alice, no... Please, don't do this," He lisped. Alice gave him a grim smile. "But, Hatter, I have to."

She pressed her lips to his nose and looked back at Century. He pushed the White Queen down and she settled in astonishment at the harsh treatment on the floor. Alice reached a hand out to Century and said to her beloved hatter, "I'll be back before you know it." And with that, Century grabbed her and held her back to his chest.

"Don't count on it," He hissed evilly and suddenly a screen of smoke enticed the veiw of the inhabitants of the room. "NO!" Tarrant screamed as he lept to the puff of pink smoke that had enveloped his love and her captor, but it was too late. They were gone and nothing could change that.

Betrayal filled the madman down to his very core. How could she just go with him like that? How could Mirana just sit there while the champion of Underland -His Alice- gave herself up to save her? His fists clenched and he turned and began to trash the room. His eyes blazed red. How could Alice just leave him? Didn't she know that she was all that kept him sane in the world? She was all that mattered to him, and without her, nothing was worth saving. Not even-

Her majestly squeaked and ducked as a mannequin came flying in he direction. She had stood and was not watching in pity as Tarrant coped in the only way he knew how. "Tarrant?" She asked gently, not wanting to startle him from his rage.

He dropped the chest he had been about to throw out of the window and turned to face her. "You," He snarled. "You just had to go lookin' for trouble! You had to let her go, didn't you!" He took a step towards her.

She realized what she had to do. Mirana scowled at him. "I am your queen, Hightopp, and you would be wise to remember your place. Now, do you want to find Alice or not?"

Tarrant stopped at the mentioning of Alice's name and his eyes flickered blue. He slumped to the ground and burried his face in his hands. He rubbed his eyes wearily. "Of course I do."

Mirana knelt down next to him and placed a hand on his back. She hated have to raise her voice or use her high title to address people, but sometimes that was just what needed to be done. "Then we need to ready our troups. We need to find her as quickly as possible. Alice is a strong girl, Tarrant and when she went with that crazed man, she had to have known a way to get out of it. We have to trust her."

Tarrant nodded. She helped him stand her bare feet padded across the tiled floor. For the first time Tarrant noticed something about his queen that no one else had. His cheeks blushed crimson and her looked around for his long coat. "Your majesty," He mummbled, covering his eyes and handing her the coat.

Mirana examined herself and realized that she wore merely her slip. she squeaked in embarassment and grabbed the coat. "Thank you, Tarrant." She announced.

He turned back to face her and she was burning as red as he. "That man will pay severely for having to force me to wander through my own home in such an inappropriate fashion!" She said angrily, storming out of the room. "NIVENS!" She screamed and Tarrant shivered. Never in all his life had he ever heard Mirana threaten another being like that. It was chilling, even to a homicidal madman. She had never been so angry, that he was aware of.

He followed her awkwardly as Nivens McTwisp rounded the corner in a hurried manner, his fur standing completely on end. He looked up at his queen and stuttered, "Y-yes, y-yer Majesty?" He quickly looked away and began to fidget with his waiscoat. Never was a queen supposed to be seen by anyone but her husband, and ladies in waiting -who quite usually dressed her- in such a very unprofesional style. She wore nothing more than her slip! Not even a corset. And ever curse of her lovely womanhood was clearly visible through the thin white cloth of the garment.

She had her fists balled up, "Nivens, have Senta brought to my private quarters to help me dress. Also find whatever is left of my guards and have a small party sent to retrieve the ones sent to search for the Vorpal sword. They must all meet back at the stables. As soon as they arrive, I want their horses either changed out or fed and watered. For more instruction on how they are to be assigned, they must report to Mr. Hightopp. When this man known as Century is brought back to my castle, I want a word with him MYSELF. That will be all." She raged.

"Yes, My lady!" Nivens said shyly as she stomped off. He looked up at Tarrant. "What has happened?"

Tarrant shook his head, "My Alice has been kidnapped by the man who stole the Vorpal blade and now Mirana is thratening to break her vows." He explained.

Nivens nodded and hopped along as fast as he could with Tarrant behind him, to find Senta and the guards.

~~~**Tarrant X Alice**~~~

Century landed gracefully on his feet while poor Alice landed uncerimoniously on her 's wicked grin faded to a small smile that was neither evil, nor wicked. It was simply a smile. "Oh, I do so love the dramatics."

Alice stood and dusted off her white gown. It would undoubtably be stained now because of the dirt on the cave's floor. "You!" She growled. "You gave me a potion ment to kill me!" She screamed, rasing her hand to slap him. He backed away as she swung her hand.

"Alice-,"

"NO! Don't you dare use my name!" She spat at him, turning her back to him.

"You are such a difficult girl, love. It was not intended to kill you. It was simply to put you to sleep until you were needed once more. I never intendedany harm to you." He said caringly.

She huffed and stuck her nose in the air in a snobby way. "I don't care! You tried to take me away from the people I love! You also stole my sword, used said sword to hold my queen hostage, and tried to convince me that Tarrant would hurt me! I have no use for someone as two-faced as you!" She shouted.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and stepped up behind her, "I didn't want you to get hurt, love. I was simplylooking out for your well-being. Did you not see the shape of his room? It was a disaster in it's attempt to be clean. He could mess his entire room up in a matter of seconds -just think what he could do to you if you were to tell him the wrong thing. I don't think I could bare to see him hurt you, love." His hand slipped from her shoulder to her forearm and turned her to face him.

Alice backed out of his grip. "Don't call me that! You will address me solely as the Champion of Underland -and nothing short of it! I will never be yours to love. My heart belongs to Tarrant. He would never hurt me."

Century growled, "Let me see your proof that he loves you! Where's a ring to signify that he is courting you! Where's at least a token that he has ever done anything other than lust after you -as so many more have! I don't see how such a smart person like you could ever be fooled by him! Alice, trust me, he's not who you think he is."

She scoffed, "And why would I trust you over him? He saved me from the red queen and you stole my sword. Which would you trust, huh Century -or whatever your name is."

He exhaled stiffly and she turned to face him, her brows drawn together angrily. He dropped to one knee and bow his head to her, "Dear Champion of Underland, I humbly ask your apology, but what if he never meant to save you from her? I heard stories from the markets in Underland that he tossed you away on his hat... What if he merely wished to have himself rid of you so that he could lose the Red Queen's knights? What if he had never cared, Alice?"

She turned and her expression never faltered. It was obvious she would not give him a passing glance if it were up to her. He stood and grabbed her arm gently. "I'm terribly sorry, but, dear Champion, if my superior finds I have simply allowed you to wonder around my home, they may question my ability to take orders." He pushed her gently through a small door. It was then that Alice could see nothing more than the blackness in the back of the cave. She could see half of a small matress on the floor and three furs on it along with something resenbling a pillow. She turned back amd held onto the bars that stood between herself and freedom. "No! You can't just lock me in here!"

Century locked the door and turned his back on her. "I had hoped I wouldn't need to, but you obviously do not know what is good for your own well-being. I have no choice. I have to go to the markets to restock on rations. I probably will be back somehwere in the dead of night. I would advise you huddle on the matress with the furs around you. Caves get rather chilly along the night."

She watched as he grabbed the torch from the wall and turned back to her, "Oh, and one more thing. That half of the cave isn't blocked off, but there is a rather large furry something or other back there. Its offspring occasionally venture up to the matress to wait out the night. They are rather large in their adolesence. Possibly rising up to your waist. I don't advise you trying to pet them. They fear the the light, so ig they do venture up, just step up closer to the door." There should be a tiny bit radiating in from the moon. Bye-bye." He mused as he took the torch and left. Alice turned and pressed her back against the bars, staring into the cave. What had she gotten herself into this time?

She sank down and crawled to the matress. Perhaps in her dreams she could escape this place. She had come to Wonderland in a dream before, maybe it would happen again... It wasn't totally a bad idea, right?

She curled herself into a ball and wrapped the furs around her and shivered. Tarrant would come for her soon, she told herself. It wasn't totally impossible to believe.

But part of her simply wondered if Century were right. What if she were not loved by him at all? What if-? She yawned and closed her eyes. 'Nonsense!' She thought. 'He does love me. And he'll tell me when he rescues me.' And with that, Alice drifted into a million nightmares in which she was helpless and her loving hatter simply let her endure the torment.