Hey, guys! Sorry for the late update! I've been really busy helping my aunt around! She broke her ankle (yes, ankle. Not leg.) and had a hard time getting stuff done. Never got the chance to think about new updates!

Alice in Wonderland II: Underland's Champion

Chapter 6: Alice and Tarrant

After everyone exchanges a happy hug with Alice, Mirana decides that everyone should return to their rooms and sleep for the night. She believes that after a good night's sleep, they will continue with their talk about Alice's return. Alice hasn't realized how tired she was; the excitement of seeing her friends again has kept her up.

While the others are dismissed, the Hatter offers to take Alice to her room since it is across the hall from his own room. Mirana merely smiles and thanks the milliner before she walks towards her private rooms. When the duo are alone, they glance at each other and smile. Then the Hatter offers his arm like a proper gentleman to Alice. The blonde smiles and accepts his offer before the royal milliner leads her out of the kitchen.

The walk is silent and slow. The duo say nothing to each other so Alice takes a few moments to look around. She notices a few slight changes to the castle, the red guards being one of them. Each door and some windows have active guards and Alice wonders why the queen has tightened her security. Alice also notices that there are a few new decorations that she has seen from the Red Queen's castle.

Alice couldn't help but pipe up her curiosity. "Hatter?"

"Yes, Alice?" The Hatter flashes a toothy smile at Alice.

"Didn't the Red Queen used to own these decorations?" Alice points at a statue and a portrait next to it. The Hatter's smile dims when Alice mentions the horrific tyrant, but he relaxes when he notices her curiosity. "Yes. Most of the things that Her Highness have taken are mainly antiques that belonged to their parents. With the Red Queen gone, Mirana decided to tear down her castle and took back her heirlooms. Everything else she gave to the victims of the Jabberwocky's attack."

Alice looks at the Hatter and notices that his eyes have a hint of blue. His facial expression shows his hidden sadness. Alice places her free hand on his shoulder. "And you, Hatter? How have you been doing?"

"As good as I can ever be, I suppose…" The Mad Hatter shrugs. "I mean, that woman is gone and it is a good thing." Suddenly his eyes start to change into a deep shade of orange and his voice grows louder. "That bloody big head has caused everyone here so much pain and she got away with it! That scandalous, pompous, good-for-nothing-!"

"Hatter!" Alice stops their walk and forces the Hatter to look at her. The milliner blinks before he hastily shakes his head. "Nothing. I'm fine." He croaks.

"Hatter… You shouldn't let her get to you anymore." Alice frowns sadly as she places her hands on his cheeks. "She is gone now."

The Hatter doesn't know why, but his body grows still when Alice cradles his face and stares at him with tender blue eyes. A strange feeling begins to buzz in his chest and it makes his mind turn blurry. But he needs to speak and not stare at his friend like an idiot.

"Missing." The Hatter clears his throat. "She and Stayne have gone missing."

"I know. McTwisp told me. But I hope that they have changed for the better in the last four years. They aren't stupid enough to ambush us again by themselves." Alice points out. She smiles a bit when she realizes something. "But that would probably explain why Mirana has the guards out tonight."

"Yes." The Hatter nods slowly as he gently removes her hands from his cheeks. Her touch was hot for some reason and he was uncomfortable by it. "We have no idea what those two are planning so we are simply just being cautious."

Alice couldn't help but blush when the Hatter stares down at her. The duo are barely centimeters apart and their hands are playing with each other sensually. They could feel each other's heat radiating from their bodies and they feel something strange flickering in their chests. As sapphire and emerald eyes stare at each other, they are unconsciously aware that they are slowly leaning towards each other…

"Hightopp, really? Couldn't you take this to a lesser used hallway?" A deep voice sneers. "There are people still awake at this time, you know."

The duo hastily pull away and stand a foot beside each other as they stare at the newcomer. A man dressed in a white suit and cape sneers as he slowly walks towards them. Alice stares at him curiously while the Hatter's eyes turn blazing red. He frowns in anger and hides back the urge to snarl.

"You better take that back, Blake," The milliner snarls. He clenches his fists tightly. "You dare to speak so lowly of our Champion?"

"Champion?" The shadowed man raises an elegant brow. He cranes his neck to move a brand of his hair from his face so he can get a better look at the duo. He stares at the girl with intrigued eyes. "The Champion Alice? She has returned?"

"Just now. We spoke with Her Majesty and were just heading towards our rooms." Alice could sense the hostility between the men and decides to ease it by introducing herself. She steps forward and offers her hand. "But I prefer being called Alice. It is nice to meet you, Monsieur…?"

"Blake. Stefan Blake." The dark man surprises both Alice and Tarrant when he kisses her hand. Alice has expected a formal handshake. "I am the White Queen's most trustworthy advisor."

"I have a nephew also named Stefan." Alice smiles a bit before she sees the man's eyes. She tilts her head and furrows her eyes a bit. "But how come I have never seen you before?"

"I was promoted about a year ago." Stefan smiles crookedly. "It was unexpected, but I took the job without any regrets. It is an honor working for the White Queen."

Alice smiles a bit. However, something deep inside is telling her that there is something off about this man. It's as if he is hiding something. Not only that, but his eyes look familiar for some strange reason…

Suddenly Tarrant clears his throat. He purposely steps up and gently pulls Alice towards him. "I don't mean to be rude, but we really must go to our rooms. The White Queen has requested that we get some rest before we talk about Alice's return after the Council meeting."

Stefan's eyes darken as he slightly glares at the Hatter. The duo exchange a heated glaring contest and Alice frowns when she notices the great hostility the duo are exchanging with each other. Finally the tense silence ends and Stefan snorts. "Very well. Just try not to do anything suspicious, especially this late…"

Alice could feel herself blushing while the Hatter's shoulders twitch. Stefan only smirks as he pulls away from the Hatter and smiles at Alice. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Alice. Good evening." He bows politely before he walks away. The duo watch him leave until Alice hears dark mumbling and turns to see the Hatter shaking.

"The nerve of that bastard…" He snarls as he shakes his fists with restrained anger. "He didn't even apologize to Alice…"

"Tarrant," Alice calls out to the Hatter by his name. The milliner blinks and stares at her as she holds his hand. "It's really not that big of a deal. When I was on my journey, the men on the trade ship always made jokes like that about me."

"They insulted you?" Tarrant looks furious as he glares expectantly at her. Alice couldn't help but feel flattered that the milliner is suddenly being protective of her. It was rather sweet.

She smiles. "Nope; they really mean no harm by it. I always joked around with them too; it was quite fun." Alice's smile widens at the memory of sharing stories at nighttime with the sailors. Each man had a different interesting tale to share; a story about their past lives, their goals, their families, and sometimes their achievements.

Seeing Alice smile makes the Hatter relax a little bit. He slowly nods and takes a deep breath to calm himself. When he opens his eyes, Alice sees that they turn back into a light shade of green, but not completely emerald. This must mean that he is still upset. Then Alice grins as she squeezes his hand. "I cannot wait to tell you about all my adventures tomorrow! I have so many stories about my journey that I want to share with you!"

Tarrant's eyes turn deep green as he smiles slightly. "That does sound quite interesting. I cannot wait to hear them."

Suddenly Alice lets out a loud yawn. Tarrant chuckles. "It seems that our Champion is quite tired. Let's keep walking; we're almost there." Tarrant smiles as he pulls Alice gently by the hand and leads her down the dark hallway.

The two are silent for about five minutes until they come across a large door. Tarrant stops and turns to face Alice. He smiles as he gently holds her hand up with both of his own. "We are here, my lady. Get a good night's sleep and I shall see you tomorrow morning for breakfast."

Alice flushes a bit and smiles as the milliner tenderly stokes her hand. She looks down at her hand and suddenly frowns when she sees large bandages around his palm and fingers. Wordlessly she takes his hands into her own and looks them over. She sees various scars on unbandaged parts around his wrists. "Tarrant… What happened?"

The Hatter looks a bit unnerved when Alice looks at his damage. He sighs as he slowly pulls away from her. "That is a story I shall tell you later…" He looks ashamed as he adjusts his hat and turns away. "Get some sleep, Alice… I will see you tomorrow."

"But-" Alice is about to protest but the milliner walks away into the shadows. Alice winces guiltily as she watches her friend walk away from her. She knows that what she has just asked must be a very tender subject. Suddenly weariness overwhelms her and she decides to turn in for the night. She can apologize to Tarrant tomorrow morning.

She slowly opens her door and quietly enters the room. She turns on the light and looks around for a moment. She sees a large bed covered with silk and a large vanity sitting beside it. She sees a door that leads to the bathroom before she looks down at herself. Seeing her dress dirtied from her short rush, she decides to take a quick bath.

She takes out a comfortable set of light blue undergarments and places them on the bed before she retreats to the bathroom. Then she strips herself from her clothes, dumps them into a laundry basket, and starts the bath. She sighs as she waits for the tub to fill up. Then once she turns the knob off, she slowly slides into the water. She winces a bit at the slightly hot temperature, but then she relaxes when the heat relaxes her muscles.

She simply sits there for ten minutes and enjoys the tranquility before she begins to wash herself. The soap smells like lilies and Alice smiles as she steps out of the bathroom smelling sweet and feeling clean. She dries off her hair before she walks into the bedroom. She quickly puts on her undergarments and hangs up her towel before she climbs onto the bed. After making herself comfortable under the sheets, Alice falls into a deep slumber.

Thought I'd give a tender friendly moment between the duo. I'm not starting the romance just yet, but it will get there. I promise.

And since I will be busy for the next while, I've decided to give foreshadows of the next chapter. However, I need some tips on what should happen! I'm running out of ideas and I'll be busy in the next few weeks! I would greatly appreciate it.

So, for the next chapter, Mirana decides to plan a ball in honor of Alice's return at her parents' castle, the Crystal Castle. Alice isn't too thrilled since she still feels guilty about the tea party at the Ascot residence. Meanwhile, the Hatter is still shaken about their encounter and wonders why he feels strange towards Alice. Some tips about what I should do would be appreciated.

So how is the chapter? Feedback, please!