Seven– Homecomming Queen

"Born but hidden, death due take. Yet alive she ridden, waiting to wake."

Oraculum Poem

I couldn't sleep, it was relentless.

I just kept thinking about everything that had happened; what with Alice, and The Hatter and everything.

Slowly I could feel myself getting more and more separated from everybody else and all because Alice came back.

I sat up, irritated with my slight insomnia and stood up, heading towards the door.

The castle was even more beautiful at night than any other time. There were no loud noises, no paranoid looks to see if any of the servants were following you and no hurrying maids trying to get to their assigned room. It was just a pleasant stroll, which could only be effected by one's own thoughts.

I walked past the kitchens before hearing something crash against the wall.

I turned around and ducked into the kitchen, smiling when I saw the boisterous Thackery.

"Hey, its yer!" The Hare cried, pointing to me with a soup ladle and causing his left eye to twitch.

"You remember me?" I asked, walking forwards with my hands behind my back.

"'Course I do!" he replied. "You're that one everyone's talkin' about!"

I lowered my eyes.

"They are?" I asked, leaning up onto the table. "What are they saying?"

The Hare twitched but didn't respond.

"Hare," I stated, sternly.

"They're-saying-that-Alice-might-be-right-about-yer!" The Hare said; all to fast of course but I could figure out some words.

My breath stopped for a few seconds after fully registering what he had said.

"But…but how could they?" I asked, taken back. "I've been here for almost three months! If I were to betray any of you don't you think I would have done it by know!?"

The Hare shrugged his shoulders and tamely tried to continue making his soup, glancing over at me before shaking and looking away.

Even The Hare was scared of me.

"You do not believe it, do you?" I asked his, jumping of the bench and looking to him.

The Hare did not respond.

I sighed before running out of the kitchens and along the corridor, up the stairs and into the library; pushing through the back doors and running up to the book stand where the Oraculum sat.

I reached my hand out and touched it, causing it to glow a bright yellow. That did not happen when Mirana did it.

I could open it; I could peek to the end- see what happens to me. After all my life could not get any worse at the moment, what will knowing what happen do!?

I tugged my hand away, although keeping my eyes glued to the scroll.

"It is wondrous is it not?" asked a voice from behind me.

I turned around as Alice Kingsley emerged from the shadows, her hands crossed in front of her. I looked away from her, not wanting to speak with the person who had potentially ruined my life.

"Why do you not look at the all-knowing scroll?" Alice enquired, walking up and standing beside me, although I was still looking away. "I did when I came here last; and I tried to change what was prophesied. But I learnt that, you can not."

I looked slightly over to Alice who was peering down at the scroll with her bright brown eyes, not unlike my own.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, quietly.

Alice looked over to me with a boggled look upon her face.

"Doing what?"

"Everything," I said, plainly. "You can not just waltz back into Underland and start accusations?! I've been here for three months Alice, if I were to betray these people wouldn't I have done it by now, why wait for the 'Champion' to return, the one person who could stop me!?"

Alice looked back to the scroll, sighing slightly.

"You just do not understand," she said, lowly. "I've spent, soo long having to be harsh, cruel and forceful the people in my world; having to come back, to the one place where I can be free and as mad as I want… and now you're here. And I feel like I must…."

Alice reached down to the scroll but pulled away once she saw I was watching. She looked up at me and half-smiled.

"You should return to my… your room, get some sleep," she said to me, as if she was my mother even though I knew for a fact I was older than her.

I nodded slightly before turning and walking towards the door. As I was about to leave I spied Alice in the corner of my eye holding the scroll in her hands, but I walked off. I did not want to know what was to happen.

*

Alice held the scroll to her eyes, the scarp edges hurting her soft delicate hands.

Her eyes glowered as she saw the pictures that identified not just hers now, but also Arietta's -the daughter of the Red Queen's- future.

Why is this so? Why is this Arietta soo important!? Why is she trying to steal her friends? Her Underland family? Why!? Why can't she just go back where she came from! And from seeing what was in her future in the Oraculum, Alice began to dislike her even more.

Alice could not let this happen! She knew that Arietta did not seem anything like her mother, especially from what she had seen of her, but now the scroll had decided for her- Arietta had to go, otherwise Alice would be banished from Underland… forever!

*

I sat outside, on the swing.

It was early morning and the sun was just about to rise. I had not spoken to anyone about my predicament apart from The Hare and Alice.

But there was one person I wanted to ask, more than ever- The Hatter. Yet I was scared.

How could he not side with his lover? It was silly to think that I could beat her! He loved her… obviously.

There was laughing from behind me and I looked around but could not see anyone from behind the hedges.

I stood up on the swing and could just see the tops of two small heads- Alice and The Hatters.

I returned to sit on the swing, only to discover I was no longer alone.

"You're feeling left out too aye?" Mallymkun asked, looking to the ground and shuffling her small feet as she stood on the swing.

I shifted to one side to allow the dormouse more room.

"I do not know what you mean," I stated, looking off the mountains. "The Hatter and Alice are in love, it cunningly fits that they do 'folic' together."

My voice sounded slightly spiteful and I hoped Mally had not picked up on it.

"In love? Since when?!" Mally asked, her eyes almost popping out from her head.

I turned to Mallymkun.

"I thought they were… aren't they?" I cried, confused.

"Not that I know of," Mally replied. "The Hatter has always said to me that he was like a sister to him?!"

"Well if that's the case and they are lovers then its slightly illegal," I sniggered, quietly.

Mally laughed, causing me to laugh also, and soon we were absorbed into fits of laughter.

"Mally?" Alice's voice asked from behind us.

We stopped laughing and turned around to see Alice and The Hatter walking towards us but stopping at the edge of the path.

"Ari!" The Hatter said, his eyes lighting up. "I haven't seen you for days! Is this where you've been hiding, you?"

Mally and I looked to one another before cracking up into laughter again, me holding onto the rope of the swing to stay up.

Alice huffed, before tugging The Hatter away by the arm.

"Oh-okay then… bye Ari!" The Hatter stuttered, as they disappeared into the hedge maze again.

Mally and I stopped laughing slowly, wiping our crying eyes.

"Let's go Mally," I said, standing as Mally jumped onto my shoulders. "We can find our own non-brothers and sisters to make-out with."

"Why yes!" Mally cried and we began to laugh again.

We returned inside and spent the rest of the day exploring through the castle, Mally showing me all the secret nooks and crannies that I had never even thought of finding before.

Both Alice and The Hatter were absent at Dinner which gave Mally and I hours of funny material to joke about.

"You know what?" Mally asked me; as we sat on the bench outside.

She crawled up to sit on my shoulders and looked out to the snowy mountains with me.

"Who needs the love birds!?" Mally cried. "Because now I have you; my newest bestest friend."

"Awe, thanks Mally," I sat, scratching her small head. "Just to think, when I first met you, you stabbed me."

Mally giggled.

"I can stab you now if you like!?" she cried, grinning and holding her small sword.

"No thank you," I said, smiling.

We remained where we were for a while before Mallymkun began to get tired so she returned inside.

I stayed outside in the cold air, watching my breath turn white as I exhaled.

"You Majesty," said a gruff voice from behind me.

"Wrong Queen, Mirana's inside," I said without turning around.

Guards, are they blind?!

"No, I am not looking for Mirana of Marmoreal, I am looking for Arietta of Crims," the voice said, hastily.

I looked around to see a tall Red Guard standing behind me, standing straight and looking right at me.

"What are you doing here!?" I cried, taken-back. "How did you get in? There are guards everywhere!?"

"I got your news Majesty," The Guard said. "And I have prepared the troops for battle; we shall kill every single one of these wretched people."

What was going on!? I had no idea who this guard was and how he got here, but it certainly was not because of me!?

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, angrily. "Just go, get away from here! Before they kill you!?"

"Right Majesty, I shall return to base with the news," The Guard said turning and running away.

I was completely gob smacked. I had no idea what was going on! I knew all of the guards in the Red fleet and he certainly was not one!

I watched the guard run away and spied the long white spear on his back. What Red Guard would have a white spear!? Unless… unless it was not a Red Guard at all, but a White one… I had been set up!

I stepped forwards but heard a crackling of leaves from somewhere nearby.

I headed towards the sound but could find nothing, except for a small tearing of blue material that one of the hedges had caught hold of.

I stood up straight and looked in the distance, holding the tearing.

"Ooo, someone's been naughty," said Chessur's voice, his head appearing beside me before disappearing.

I returned to the castle, absolutely confused and went to my room, falling straight to sleep.

I awoke to the next morning so see my whole room had been packed away into many large boxes.

I stood up and dressed before making my way downstairs and into the Throne room where everybody was gathered.

"Why is all my stuff packed up?" I asked, walking into the room.

The room fell silent as Mirana stood up from her throne, a scarce look plastered over her face.

"Ari, we have reason to believe that you have conspiring against us," she said, controlling her temper with much angst.

"What!?"

I looked around the room; The Tweedles looked down to the ground in synch, not moving. The Dodo looked ashamed but could not hold my eye contact. Mally was sitting on the arm of the throne, looking quite upset. But Mally was nothing compared to how sad The Hatter looked. His eyes were the most golden I had ever seen and his hair was soo droopy, not to mention the long frown on his face.

Alas, there was one person in the room that was not looking upset- Alice.

She stood beside The Hatter, with a straight face- but as I noticed, missing a patch from the hem of her blue dress.

"I did not do anything!?" I cried, returning my gaze to Mirana.

"You did," Alice said, almost teasingly. "We saw you, last night whilst on a stroll. Me and The Hatter. Isn't that right Hatter?"

I looked to The Hatter, my heart beating loudly and my hands beginning to shake.

He looked to the ground but nodded, not able to speak.

"Alright, yes I was talking to a Red Guard last night but I had no idea who he was-"

"Liar!" Alice accused. "You were talking about arranging troops to kill us all! Did I not tell you she couldn't be trusted!? Wouldn't it just be better for everyone if you just, left?"

I looked into Alice's matching brown eyes.

They did not seem filed with anger, or jealously like I initially expected… more like fright. She was scared of something… not me…no, not fully, it was something I was going to do that she was scared of.

"Well, if that's what everyone wants," I said, taking one last look into The Hatters eyes before bolting out of the throne room, past the guards and down the stairs.

I kept running, the White Guards right behind me but I could not let them capture me.

I made it to the gardens and dove through the maze, making it out the other side and heading towards the path, except missing it and tumbling all the way down the hill to the ground on the southern side of the castle.

I stood up, dusting off my hands and my purple dress. I was right on the edge of the frozen lake.

I made my way back around the castle, climbing up and around the mountain and using a nearby ledge to push myself over the wall.

I was in one of the back gardens of the castle, but just the garden I wanted.

I made it to the hole in the ground which was now covered in sticks and stones and pushed past them, jumping down into the Labyrinth.

Behind me there was a wall of rocks from where The Hatter had tricked the creature into bashing into the wall.

How I would miss that hat.

My eyes began to tear up, but I held the tears in- I must be strong.

I continued along the tunnels, back tracking the way I had travelled with The Hatter all those months ago to the best of my memory before making it to the two signs again.

"Hiteway and edray?" I read aloud.

What does it mean?

Wait… the way I had just come from was hiteway… hiteway… white! White plus ay! Pig Latin!

"Red," I stated, looking down towards the other tunnel.

I sighed.

Where else would I go?

I dove off into the darkness, weaving my way through the tunnels before finding a small gap of light.

I dug through it and pulled myself up, right into the back garden of the Red Castle.

"Halt," said a Guard, running up to me.

"Why does this always happen?" I asked, almost forcefully. "Get out of my way! I am Arietta of Crims, daughter of Iracebeth, niece of Mirana and granddaughter of Calista and Rowan of Dementia and I desire to speak with Horracks Emerella of the C.R.E.S.T of Hearts! So… can you make that happen? Or will your head, be off?!"

The Guard lowered his spear and bowed his head.

"Right away Majesty," he said, beckoning for me to follow him.

I followed the Guard inside and to the large double doors of the throne room.

Angrily, I pushed open the doors and stepped into the room.

"OFF WITH THEIR HEAD!" I cried, a voice coming from somewhere inside me that I had never heard before.

Emerella froze dead as she stood talking to Nivens McTwisp the betraying White Rabbit.

"You're back," she said, looking to me. "But you picked your side Ari, and it was not us. So why in Underland are you back?!"

I walked forwards and pet one of the frog servants on the head.

"Because Horracks," I said spitefully. "I have learnt my lesson. Why be good, when you can be… bad?"

With one swoop I slapped the frog across the face, causing it to fly back into the wall and slump down in pain.

Emerella's eyes lit up, almost happy.

I walked over, the Rabbit beginning to shake.

I bent down beside him and smiled unconvincingly.

"Nivens, Nivens, Nivens," I began. "I found it weird how quickly you came back to our side when I was first introduced to you, but now I know. You are telling my dearest Aunty every word we say… and do you know what that is called my dearest Nivens? It is called treason… you can ask your lovely Alice, after all she is the expert in staging it."

I stood up, hands on my hips.

"Now, what should we do with him?" I asked myself, as Nivens began to whimper. "Oh I know, OFF WITH HIS HEAD!"

Two Red Guards took the rabbit and began to pull him away.

"No! No! We trusted you!" The Rabbit whimpered, as he was pulled down the corridor.

I walked towards the throne, licking my fingers still covered with frog saliva.

"Yes, as did I," I said, sitting down on the throne as everyone (including Emerella) bowed before me. "Now, what are you all doing sitting around here!? Ari misses her mummy."

I smiled delightedly.

Oh how good it was to be home.

:O She did not! Haha. So Arietta has returned to the throne… does this mean the Queen will return? And what did Alice see on the Oraculum that made her do what she did? What will happen to Nivens! Well, you'll have to wait and see! :) Thanks once again for reading and reviewing, you're awesome! MikiChik x