Four – Discussions
"Hello? Are you alright?"
I walked back over to the hole I had fallen down and looked up to where The Hatter was grinning down at me.
"Yes, but I have no idea where I am," I admitted, slowly.
I glanced back around the unknown place I had fallen to, the moon providing the only light which shone through the small gap in the dirt above.
There was sharp bark from above me and I could just tell that one of the guard dogs had picked up on my sent and was wondering its way towards The Hatter.
The Hatter made a slight "err" sound before wondering out of my view.
"Hatter," I hissed quietly, before hearing a low growling sound from in the shadows further away.
My breathing began to hasten as I feared the worse. It could be anything down there; a giant fox, a man-eating frog… even a fearsome dragon.
"Hatter," I cried, turning back around as the tall crazy-haired man landed atop the pile of leaves I had just stood on.
He rubbed his head and held up a lit torch he had obviously commandeered from one of the guards before he reacquainted himself with me.
"That is quite a fall," he commended, standing up and wondering over to me. "Now, where are we?"
He peered down along the darkness, shining the torch around to reveal that the tunnel continued for quite a bit.
"Well, let us vamoose we have only time," The Hatter insisted, beginning to walk forward.
"Wait," I cried, tugging his shoulder. "I heard something before… like… like a growl?"
The Hatter slowly looked over to me, blinking his eyes a few times.
"You don't think…" he began, his voice trailing off and causing me even more concern.
Suddenly he began to laugh and I stepped away from him.
"What?" I demanded, grasping my hips and lowering my eyebrows.
"Nothing," he said, abruptly seizing his laughter and beginning to walk again.
"Hatt-"
From above us the sounds of a dozen or so hoofs echoed through the walls and caused small granules of dirt to fall onto us.
The Hatter and I paused where we were as the sound stopped right above us.
Suddenly we could see a pair of dogs peer their heads down the hole to look right as us, barking as soon as they spied us.
"GO!" I yelled, grabbing the torch and leading us down through the tunnel.
"Well what about the growl?" The Hatter asked, as we reached the end of the current tunnel to a T intersection.
"Well let us hope it eats the dogs before us," I stammered. "This way."
I ran right, the Hatter trailing after me as the dogs entered the tunnels.
"Why this way?!" The Hatter contradicted, looking behind us into the darkness.
"When in a maze always turn right," I replied, panting.
How I knew that I wasn't sure, but it sounded good.
We came to a corner and turned, dashing along the next tunnel.
The dogs barked wildly behinds us as their sounds of menace came closer.
"Bad doggies, go home!" The Hatter hissed, looking around to them as they were not that far away now.
We came to another T intersection but this one came acquitted with a sign.
"Hiteway or edray," I read aloud. "What does that mean?"
The Hatter peered over my shoulder.
"Someone does not know how to speel," The Hatter said and I lowered my eyebrows. "Get it? I said speel in stead of spell? No… alright."
"My Lady," said a low, brusque voice I would recognise anywhere.
The Hatter and I turned slowly around to see Cylis and a gang of Guards accompanied by two Bloodhounds who barked at the Hatter's feet viciously.
"It is nice to be reunited with you, it has been far too long," Cylis said, in a gruff monotone.
"Technically it's only been a few hours," The Hatter began, but Cylis glared at him and he was silenced.
Cylis looked even more elderly in the flicker of the torchlight and there were still remnants of scars across his face from the days of my Mother.
"I highly agree Cylis," I answered, being as poised as I could muster and trying viciously to come up with a plan of escape. "But what in Underland would drive you through soo much just to save me? I highly doubt you need me, even the Court was saying I was not fit enough. Why not just let me go and Emerella can take over for me?"
It was a fair point. Emerella would be a better Queen than I ever could; why not she just take the thrown and forget all about me?!
"It is just not possible My Lady-"
"Why not!" I exclaimed, without even realising the temper in my voice. "Why must I do everything! Be everything! Why!?"
"Because without the blood that flows through the Queen's veins we can not return her!" Cylis yelled, his eyes suddenly going dire after realising what he had said.
"What?" I asked, asking the question on everyone's lips.
"I believe he said-"
"Actually Hatter I know exactly what he said," I said, politely before turning back to Cylis. "It appears that my return to the throne was for more than I originally expected. In that case I would rather die than return to that castle."
Cylis lowered his head in a slight bow.
"As you wish My Lady, all we need is your blood," he said, slowly.
The Hatter placed his hand around my waist, pulling me back slightly before a low, malicious growl filled the air.
It was the same growl from before.
The Hatter and I looked at one another before looking behind Cylis where the growl had come from. The guards turned slowly around to come face to face with a large bear like creature whose teeth were dripping with blood. It almost grinned before lunging towards the red guards, tearing apart a singular guard- limb from limb.
"Time to go I think," The Hatter whispered to me before grabbing my arm and running down the tunnel marked 'hiteway'.
We ran as fast as we could, the faint sound of my heat beating could be heard in my ears.
We followed the tunnel, hearing the growl echoing from behind us which told us the creature had finished its dinner and was ready for dessert.
"Look, light!" The Hatter grinned, pointing to a faint drizzle of light from above us.
We dashed towards it, tearing through the rough dirt until we made the hole large enough.
"Go," The Hatter insisted, beckoning for me to climb up first.
I jumped up, grasping onto the sides of the gap which felt like coarse stone. I tugged myself up and sat, panting and attempting to catch my breath.
I looked up.
I was in a garden, a lovely garden that looked awfully familiar.
The hedges were trimmed elegantly and there were beautiful white roses all around.
"Hatter," I hissed, looking down the hole and spying the Hatter still below ground. "What in Underland are you doing!?"
The Hatter grinned broadly as the growling echoed out of the hole and up to me.
"Oh aren't you a timorous beastie," he stated, I presumed to the creature.
"Hatter!"
"Come and get me brute," he teased, jumping around and causing his hat to jiggle. "I'm right here!"
"HATTER!"
The ground began to shake as the creature came closer.
"HATTER!"
The Hatter bowed before jumping up and out of the hole just before a large "BANG" echoed throughout the halls below.
The Hatter grinned at me as we both stood up.
"What did you do?" I demanded, smiling slightly.
The Hatter laughed.
"Beastie boy just had a date with the wall," The Hatter said, smiling.
"Oh you are a clever Hatter," I beamed, dashing over and throwing my arms around him, delivering a well deserved hug.
I could have stayed this way forever, just where I was; no worries, not a care in the world- just me and him, knowing that whatever came after us together we could get away.
"Halt," warned a voice from behind me.
Against my desire, we broke apart but the Hatter kept his brave arms around my shoulder.
"Who dares come into the White Queen's Castle unannounced," hissed the white guard, as all the other guards pointed their long spears at us.
The Hatter grinned.
"White Queen did you say?" he asked, stepping forward and letting go of me. "Well that is fantastic! It is I that enters unannounced, The Maddest Hatter in all of Underland… plus one."
The Guards stepped back, relinquishing their weapons.
"Hatter, we humbly apologise," The Guards said. "We cannot be too careful what with the Red Queen returning."
"Oh how bizarre," The Hatter cried, brining me forward. "Because I have the Red Queen right here-"
The Guards shared a glance before two of them grasped me by the arms and tugged me forward, leaving the Hatter behind.
"Hey! Hey let go of me!" I shrieked. "Hatter!"
The guards kept going, led by the one who had held the conversation with The Hatter mere moments ago.
"Hey, hey wait!" The Hatter yelled, darting around to the front of the pack and halting their arrest. "She is not the Queen, she is her daughter-"
"So she must be brought to the dungeons," the guard argued, trying to get past The Hatter but he blocked him off.
"Yes, but she is not evil- she is good," The Hatter argued. "She helped me escape the death penalty… well she did give me the penalty, but still!"
The guard considered the fact for a moment, looking from The Hatter to me before returning his gaze to The Hatter once more.
"Very well Hatter," The Guard said. "We shall bring her before the Queen then she shall decide what to do with her."
I sighed silently in relief.
The Guards tugged me forwards, my eyes catching onto the Hatters' which were a large form of comfort, knowing he was still looking out for me.
The Guards led me into the Castle, The Hatter standing right beside me the whole way.
We entered through the large white double doors and I gazed wide eyed at the beauty and plain elegance of the room.
"Do you like it?" The Hatter whispered, leaning towards me.
"It's beautiful," I beamed, grinning.
"Beautiful," The Hatter said, standing back up straight and going off into his own world once again. "B-B-B… what else begins with B?"
I lowered my eyebrows.
"Erm… my mother," I said, through my grin.
The Hatter looked over to me, my eyes danced.
"Bulbous," I replied, laughing slightly.
The Hatter looked towards the ceiling, considering what I had just said for a moment before looking back to me and smiling.
"Good one, cheeky!" he cried, hitting my arm softly.
We continued along a hallway before reaching the throne room which was a glistening hall with vast white windows which allowed the beautiful vibrant sun to shine through.
How I wished I could have been here the whole time in stead of the drab Red Castle.
"Hatter, how wonderful it is to be reunited with you at last," spoke a low, wispy voice.
I gazed up to the throne where a woman, dressed entirely of white was sitting.
She smiled before standing and walking towards us, the Hatter meeting her halfway and lightly kissing her hand.
"I've been considering things that start with the letter B Your Majesty, any ideas?" The Hatter said, standing up straight and with the woman in white's full attention.
"Well, how about Best Friend?" piped another voice, this time it was as tiny as a mouse- which was exceptionally fitting as the voice had come from a small mouse that had just jumped atop the throne.
"Mallymkun!" The Hatter beamed, dashing over like a school girl and scooping up the Dormouse. "I do hope you have been behaving yourself!"
The lady in white smiled as The Hatter and the mouse all came over and stood beside her, all eyes turning to me.
"And you, I am pressuring, are my illicit niece," The lady said, ever soo elegantly.
She was soo beautiful, far more beautiful than any other person I had even been acquainted with. Part of me felt so inferior to her, and of course it didn't help that two large beefy guards were holding either arm and as for my current appearance… well let us just say the bad-hair-no-make-up look was not as attractive as it may seem.
I tried to speak but nothing came out, so I mildly managed a nod.
"I say we skin her alive!" The little mouse said, racing to the top of The Hatter's hat and brandishing a small sword.
"I say we do not," The Hatter objected, pulling the mouse down and back onto the ground before turning to the Queen. "Your Majesty, I do hope you can see reason in Arietta. She is nothing like that "Bloody-Big-Head" … if anything she is, B-B-Brilliant."
The Queen looked from The Hatter to me, but still did not seem impressed.
"Is this true?" she asked, although it was soo quiet and delicate her voice could have been mistaken for a whisper.
I nodded, spying the Mouse who was glaring at me; hand lying on the hilt of her sword.
"And you come to me, at this time of dire for what reason?" The Queen asked, pacing slowly.
I stood up straight, clearing my throat slightly.
"Your Majesty, I am not the Queen they believe I am," I began, boldly. "I cannot behead people, I cannot shout- and I certainly do not have a big head! All the things, that my mother was, that she still is- is not me. The same blood may flow through my veins as hers but that does not make me her. I have my own mind, my own choices and my own opinions- and they most certainly are not hers."
The Queen looked over at me, her dark eyes developing small traces of tears.
"I have been soo foolish," she said, slowly. "Although you are my sister's flesh and blood, you are also my niece- family. How could I possibly judge you; for I am not even sure who you are- I can see my injustice now. Guards, you may release her. Welcome to Marmoreal Arietta."
The Guards let go of my arms and I was free.
The Hatter raced over and picked me up, squeezing awfully too tight.
"I am soo glad you can stay! It's good that you can stay!" he chanted, happily. "Did you know that you can stay!? Here! How B-B-Brilliant!"
"Hatter, you are choking me," I spluttered, smiling and hearing the others in the room laugh also.
"Oh sorry," he apologised quietly and putting me down.
I smiled at the sight of The Hatter as he gazed down at me, hair all ruffled and eyes big and happy.
"I shall show you to your room, come," The White Queen insisted, holding out her delicate hand to me.
I took one last glance at the grinning Hatter before taking her hand and she began to lead me away. Just as we were about to leave the room, I glanced back to see Mallymkun glare at me once again before I was led off down the hallway.
My Aunt led me along the halls and up a large spiral staircase to what seemed as the top room in the whole castle.
"Here we are," she announced, as we reached the top and came to a large white crested door.
She pulled out a white swan key from one of her dress pockets and slid it into the key hole, unlocking the door and opening them to allow us entry.
My mouth dropped to the floor as we entered the room- if you could call it that.
There were large towering windows on all sides, shrouded by long white drapes. A grand satin coloured bed sat in the middle of the room, with two matching bed side tables and a large dresser. There were mirrors everywhere and a grand piano in the corner.
"This is my room?" I asked, shocked.
"It is the grand room," The Queen replied. "For anyone whom I believe is worth it. You are only the second to stay here."
"Who was the first?" I asked looking around.
The Queen looked to the floor but did not say anything.
"Well, thank you soo much Your Majesty-"
The Queen raised her hand for me to stop.
"Call me Mirana," she insisted. "Aunt Mirana if you so desire."
She smiled and for a moment she was no longer superficial.
"Alright, 'Aunt Mirana'," I said, grinning.
She nodded gracefully and swept out of the room, closing the door swiftly behind her.
I moved to my bed and collapsed down onto it, falling straight to sleep.
When I awoke, I had a giant pain in the back of my neck from how I had fallen asleep and I sat up immediately, rubbing it with my hand.
It began to feel better so I walked into my bathroom, bathed and changed into a long white dress and looked at myself in one of the large mirrors.
The dress was immensely too long and I looked dramatically like a boy.
I raced over to my desk and took out a pair of scissors, cutting the dress so it was shorter on the arms and legs and making a bow around my waist with the spare material. I fetched a pair of almost glass-like shoes and tied up my straight blonde hair with a white ribbon.
From outside the window I saw a flash of light and I raced over.
The Guards were going out for their patrol, which suddenly caused my curiosity to go into overdrive.
It was night, everyone else was asleep – I could explore.
I left my room and wondered through the vast halls, sneaking into the library on the second floor and then to the dining hall which had a table still littered with food.
After nibbling some cake and gulping down some tea, I found myself out in the gardens sitting on a white bench that overlooked a vast waterfall. To the left of me was a large green shrub and just hanging off one of the branches was the remainder of what appeared to be a cocoon a caterpillar had once been in. I walked over and peered closer just as the last bit flew off the bush and over the edge, disappearing into the mist from the water.
I made my way to the edge and lent against the railing, just breathing in the sweet sent of the water.
"Brilliant isn't it?" the voice of The Hatter asked from behind me.
I turned around and grinned.
"You really like that word, don't you?" I pointed out, cunningly.
The Hatter smiled back before walking over, jumping atop the bench and sitting down looking attentively at me.
"You should be asleep you know," I stated, sitting beside him and looking over at him.
" Yes but one cannot possibly sleep when one knows that someone is up that one cares very much about, if that makes any sense," The Hatter said, gazing straight ahead.
I raised one eyebrow in confusion.
The Hatter slowly rotated his head to look at me.
I broke out in laugher, unable to control myself.
The Hatter grinned taking off his hat and placing it beside him.
"You're mad," I stated, once I had obtained my maturity.
"Someone once told me that," he said, his voice trailing off.
I cleared my throat and looked off into the distance also.
"Who was she?" I asked, suddenly.
The Hatter did not respond.
"Well?" I turned to look at him. "Both you and Mirana have spoken of her, but stopped before I could learn anything."
The Hatter placed his hands on his upper legs, beginning to rock backwards and forwards slightly before suddenly stopping and looking to me.
"Just out of interest, why is a Raven like a Writing Desk?" he said, hastily.
I smiled and looked to the ground.
"You still remember that," I said, lowly.
The Hatter nodded.
"And I've been pondering and pondering over it for years and years and years so now please tell me," The Hatter begged, tenderly.
I bit my upper lip and looked up to him, the wind blowing through my hair.
"When you tell me who she was, tell I shall tell you what the answer is," I said, before standing and walking away.
I returned to my room and sat down on my bed, gripping my pillow.
First Mirana and now The Hatter.
There was someone who had once been known the people of these parts, someone obviously brave and heroic and who is dearly missed; and if there was one thought I hated, it was that my friends were keeping secrets from me.
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and read so far. Sorry if this chapter was too long or confusing by the way. Part of me is kinda loosing inspiration for this story so I thought I would write a longer chapter in case I did before it finished. So tell me if you like or don't like the story still- I'm thinking that more characters will return in later chapters because Ari is now in Marmoreal and you know what characters live there :P MikiChik x