Chapter 13- a castle and raindrops
"Morning dearest…"The Hatter whispered into her ear, waking Alice out of an almost restless sleep.
Alice turned around to see a compassionate, slightly nervous smile on his face.
"Morning…" Alice signed getting up, brushing of the skirt of her dress.
The Hatter wrinkled his eyebrows together and pouted a bit when Alice wasn't looking. What was wrong? What had he done to make her upset?
"Well see all our friends before nightfall!" He said cheerfully as he stood up, folding the blanket.
"Really?" Alice asked, coming out of her mood a bit.
"Yes!! Tonight precisely, if I'm correct! Which I may not be, but I think that I am, although I'm not right about these sorts of things often, I much prefer making hats, in fact once…"He lisped, rambling on.
"Hatter…" Alice said affectionately, touching the side of his face.
"I perfectly fine, just peachy…" The Hatter choked out, taking her hand off his face and holding in-between his own hands.
"So Mamoreal, huh? What's happened here since I left?" Alice lightened her mood considerably after calming the Hatter down. They picked up they bags and began to walk down a straight, clear path.
"Not much has happened, Alice. Which is a good thing, you know, in Underland!" Tarrant chuckled, shifting the bags weight to his other arm.
"So no revolts? No nothing?" Alice curiously asked, looking at the hatter who was walking beside her.
"Well certainly things not nothing! The Queen has held many tea parties and ball in your honor, after you left of course…"A hint of sadness came into the Hatter's face when he thought of the three, lonely years Alice was absent from his world.
"Really? How were they? Did you Futterwaken at all the balls?" Alice teased, not noticing the miserable look this brought to the Hatter's face.
"Actually no…I did not attend…" Tarrant muttered, pulling his hat down farther so that Alice couldn't see the look on his face.
"Why ever not?" Alice questioned, trying to see the face that the Hatter had just hidden.
"Well…you know…after the battle…I was a bit tired…. And exhausted Alice…and I…" His eyes were a shade of grey just thinking about it.
"Tarrant… tell me the truth…" Alice grabbed his arm and forced him to stop walking. She then pushed his hat up slowly, noticing the sad color his eyes had adopted.
"I didn't want to celebrate…not after…that…" He whispered, his eyes glistening emotionally, looking into her own.
Alice pulled him into a hug, almost crying from the look on her husband's face.
"Hatter…" she said fondly, holing his face between her palms, "I will never leave you again, you know that? I'm sorry. I was foolish, I didn't recognize my feelings for you…for if I did…" Alice sighed, "I love you Tarrant…"
Alice leaned forward to brush her lips against the Hatter's full of love.
"I'm sorry Alice…I should have never let you go in the woods, I should have been able to handle all of this new stuff, I should have…"
Alice cut him off with her lips, muting him in a passionate kiss. She placed her hand behind his head to pull his lips closer to her, and felt his hands rest on her hips.
"We will never make it to the Queen's castle if we keep doing this…" The Hatter said, hovering over her lips.
Alice smiled, a little bit disappointed, "Yes. Your right I guess…" Alice stepped back and then took his hand in her own as the continued to walk down the path, an outline of a castle appearing on the horizon.
"Tarrant Hightopp and the Champion are on their way, my Lady…" Nivens said when he entered the queen's chambers.
"Excellent!" Mirana clapped her hands together gently, before grabbing the Oraculem in her hand.
"Has the Oraculem predicted anything else, your majesty?"
"No, Nivens, that is not why I am taking it. Can you call for Absolem?"
"What is it you majesty?" Absolem asked, appearing on her shoulder.
"Alice has arrived…" The White queen informed him.
"Then lets go and greet her…. Properly…" Absolem said as he and the Queen walked out of out chambers.
"Do you think they are all here?" Alice asked as they walked through the all white courtyard.
"I believe so…"
"What makes you say that?" Alice asked him intently. The Hatter just pointed his finger at a large crowd of animals running towards them.
"Hatter!!!" Mallymkun shouted as she scurried towards them. The Hatter reached out his hand and lifted her up so that he could hug his cheek.
"Your late you know…both of you…" The White rabbit commented to Alice, and then Alice surprised him by lifting him up and giving him a hug.
The Hatter chuckled at the rabbit's reaction.
"Yes, I'm so sorry... we got a bit caught up…" Alice nervously looked over at her husband, thinking back to the knave and the Red Queen.
"There you are! All of the tea is cold and it's all your fault!" March yelled madly, throwing a spoon at the Hatter.
"So sorry my dear March. I don't think I will be able to have tea much often anymore…" Hatter smiled at Alice across the crowd of people.
"What does he mean Alice?" Mallymkun asked, looking up at Alice.
"Well…"
"You see…" The Hatter tried to help.
"Alice! Hatter! What a pleasure it is to see you both!" The white queen said as she floated in.
"Your majesty." Tarrant made a low bow, his hat almost touching the ground.
"Alice…It's so good to have you back with us…" Mirana said as she gave Alice a hug.
"Yes…I know I'll love living here…" Alice looked over at the Hatter lovingly.
"You're staying?" March asked, pulling his ears.
Alice walked over to Tarrant and linked her arm with his, gazing into his eyes.
"For a long time from what I can tell…"
The Cheshire cat appeared, his head resting against his paws.
"So how is my favorite couple?" He grinned, spinning towards them.
"Huh?" Mallymkun asked confused.
"Oh, haven't you heard? It's all around the forest…"Chess drawled.
"Chess…" Tarrant warned.
All attention now turned to Alice and the Hatter.
"We have something to tell you all…" Alice got out nervously, clutching the Hatter's arm tightly.
"We're married!" The Hatter blurted out.
All was silent, and all around them Alice and Tarrant saw shocked expressions.
"Well…" Tarrant looked nervously down at Alice than looked up at the crowd around them.
"Congratulations…" The white Queen said, being the first to speak, kissing both of them on the cheek.
"We'll miss you at the tea table…" Mallymkun said sadly before she left.
March just gave them both a confused look and then followed the mouse as she left.
Nivens smiled at them both before following suit until only Absolem and the Cheshire cat were left.
"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Hatter…" Absolem said absentmindedly before fluttering away.
Chess grinned at them both. "I shall miss you Tarrant and out little tiffs. You wouldn't be parting with that lovely hat of yours then? You know, as a wedding gift?"
"It was our wedding Chess!" Alice insisted.
"Alright, Alright…" The cat said before disappearing into a puff of smoke.
"Well, I thought that went rather well, don't you?" Hatter sighed, wrapping his arm around Alice's waist.
"I thought you said they would be happy for us!"
"Well they are…"
"Did you not just see that?" Alice said upset.
"Yes! I did and frankly I believe they will just have to get used to it…" Tarrant pulled her fully into his arms, kissing her cheek.
He then noticed a small drop of water on her face.
"Are you crying?" He asked confused.
"No! What are you talking about?" She wrinkled her forehead, confused by his remark.
They then both felt more drops on their faces. They looked up and saw that it was beginning to pour down rain.
The Hatter took off his hat and placed it over Alice's head to shield her from the rain.
"Perhaps we should go in Alice, dear?"
"In a little bit…let's just stay here for a while…" Alice said, smiling, looking up at the sky fondly. She loved being in the rain.
"You'll catch cold…" Hatter worried.
"Hatter, dear?" Alice twirled around in the rain, splashing in the puddles
"Yes?"
"Do me a favor, and dance with me…" Alice smiled, holding out her hand for him to join her.
The Hatter turned her around in circles before placing his hand on her waist and waltzing.
He chuckled at her bright face, all bad thoughts now gone.
"Don't you just love the rain?" Alice asked, looking up as the Hatter moved her back and forth.
"It is rather nice, and refreshing…" Tarrant said as he twirled her out and then pulled her into a dip.
"You're an excellent dancer…" Alice complimented, brushing some of his soaked hair out of his face.
"Here," Alice took off his hat, "Have your hat back."
"No…"
"Why not?" Alice asked.
"It's looks much better on you…"
"I don't believe you. What's the real reason?" Alice saw through his remark.
"Well, I can't have my wife catching a cold, now can I? That would be a very un-husbandy thing to do…"
Alice laughed loudly into his shoulder, as he continued to spin her around, singing in her ear, the raindrops patting softly in the background.
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