Chapter 3: A new home

Cheshire reappeared fully behind Alice. "I am not sure at all what you are talking about." he said.

Alice turned around to face Cheshire. He was floating in the air with his front paws folded in front of him like he was lying down on the ground. His eyes were now big and black. His grin was gone now, replaced almost into a frown.

Alice turned around to face Cheshire. "You just said my name you little cretin." She said. "That just proves you know what you're guilty of."

"And what is that exactly?" Cheshire asked innocently.

"Coming to my world and luring me to that portal hole in the forest, then pushing me down it."

"Well I admit that the first part is true. I did come to your world but only to play around a bit. I didn't mean to spook you so bad, or make you fall down my hole."

Alice still did not believe Cheshire but before she could interrogate him more, Hatter spoke up. "Cheshire why is it that you always find yourself in trouble no matter where you go?" He said. "You even got this poor girl involved in your shenanigans."

Alice turned to face Hatter and her cheeks reddened. He was tall, had fair skin, broad shoulders and chest. Under his brown top hat she should see strands of dark hair that looked like it was combed to the left side of his head avoiding his eyes. All in all Alice thought he was incredibly handsome.

Alice was so distracted starring at Hatter she didn't even realize Cheshire was gone. Hatter walked up to Alice and said, "My name is Hatter. I'm sorry about Cheshire he can be incredibly mischievous at times but he's not evil. So what brings you to our happy little home?"

Alice stood there unable to find the breath to speak when March came to her rescue. "I found her." He said. "She was wondering the ruins of Tresek village cold, hungry and scarred. So I brought her here."

That brought Alice out of her trance. "Well when you put it like that I sound so helpless." She said.

Cheshire appeared out of nowhere again saying, "March what happened to all the Moon berry tea?"

"Alice drank what little was left." March replied. "And if you want me to make anymore ever again you will explain yourself to her this instant."

Cheshire let out a low little growl but reluctantly gave in. "Alright then fine." He said. "Alice I am sorry, truly I did not know that you would be spooked so much from our little game. I also was unaware that anyone else was capable of following me into your world. I can only visit there so often and I actually have no idea how to send you back."

Alice wasn't entirely sure if Cheshire was telling the truth or not but she couldn't do much about it regardless. So she just sighed, and took a seat at the table. Hatter was sitting on the end and was starring at her, and March went back inside to grab everyone some tea.

Alice, Hatter, and Cheshire sat around awkwardly not sure what to say to each other. All of them were waiting for March to return to break the awkward silence and get some conversations going but he was taking abnormally long. Eventually Alice found the courage to speak up. "So um Hatter." She said.

"March tells me you might be able to make me some new clothes?"

Hatter looks up at her cheerfully and says, "Yes, if you can imagine it I can make it. Well as long as there's some form of cloth involved."

"So how is it that you came into such a trade? Making clothes and top hats I mean?"

"Well I started when I was really young, and discovered I had a great talent for clothing design. So it quickly became a hobby of mine and that's really all there is too it. In truth though Me and March are both of simple taste so new hats aside I don't really get many opportunities to design or make new clothes.

I can also make shoes, but again I'm the only one who wears them and I quickly found a design that I love so that only went so far. If you want I can start measuring you right after tea, and get you into a lovely pink dress so you're not running around in your pajamas."

Alice thought this over for a moment then said, "I would like a white dress instead."

Hatter smiled at her and said, "I do have plenty of white."

Then March came out carrying a tray with four tea pots on it. He placed a tea pot down where he would sit then reached over the table putting another one in front of Alice. He then walked over to Hatter put a tea pot next to him; finally he went to Cheshire who sat at the other end of the table from Hatter and placed the last tea pot by him.

Everyone sat around the curved tea table grabbing one of the many tea cups placed all around it and filled them up. Then they sat there drinking their tea and having light conversation. The tension in the air from Alice and Cheshire quickly disappeared. After tea; as promised Hatter led Alice to his fabric room and began measuring her.

"So Alice, what are your plans now that you're here in wonderland?" Hatter asked while he measured her.

"Well I don't actually have any."

"Would you like to stay here with us? I know March enjoys your company and Cheshire can become bearable with time."

Alice laughed a little then said, "And what about you? How would you feel having me around here girl-ing up the place?"

"I think I could become used to it, I need someone neutral here. I've already begun going mad. Between Cheshire's shenanigans, and March's, well just March I could use someone normal."

Both of them started laughing, like they were long time friends. Their laughs filled the room echoing all around them. When they finally stopped laughing Hatter was able to finish measuring Alice and grabbed a couple stacks of white cloth lying around.

As Hatter set to work Alice said, "I will live with you guys. But on one condition."

While keeping his eyes focused on his new project Hatter said, "What's that?"

"I want you to tell me everything it is you know about Wonderland. The red queen, the house of cards and whatever else you can think of I need to know."

Hatter sighed then said, "I suppose if you're going to be living here in wonderland with us then you have the right to know this stuff. The first thing is around anyone else but I, Cheshire, or March; do not call this place Wonderland. For reasons unknown the red queen hates that name and forbid anyone from calling this world by it again. As far as the red queen and everyone else are concerned this place no longer has a name.

Next thing is the house of cards. It's what the red queen calls her kingdom. It's a place of utmost beauty and greatness. The only condition to live there in the queens grand kingdom is you must first serve your life to her, but for a place of paradise it's a small condition for anyone. At least that's what everyone including myself believed."

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

"Well the first part is right the place is beautiful or so I'm told."

"Told by who?"

"You know for a girl with a lot of questions you sure don't wait around for the answers."

A moment of pause then Alice said, "I'm sorry please continue."

"Anyways the truth about the house of cards is that it's only paradise for the queen and her select hand of servants. For everyone else it's either a life of dull servitude with occasional tastes of paradise or it's a waking nightmare. The servants inside the castle get all they need and enjoy some delights when the queen deems them worthy of it but they work like slaves. Everyone else lives in poverty and fear of the red queen."

"Why don't they just leave then?"

"And where would they go? Hatter asked rhetorically. "You've seen it outside the lands are barren and lifeless. It's like that almost everywhere in Wonderland. Everywhere except here and in the house of cards that is. The people may live in poverty there but it's better than absolutely nothing.

Still I'm sure there are at least a handful of people that would at least try to find a new life outside of the house of cards but the queen has guards set up all around the kingdom. These guards though, do not keep people out they keep them in. The queen believes that anyone who doesn't want to live in her false paradise is a traitor. And if your caught trying to escape then your sent to execution. Off with your head or so I'm told is how it goes."

"So if no one can leave then how do you know all of this?" Alice asked suspiciously.

Hatter stopped working on Alice's dress which by now was almost complete to study her. When he was done he said, "I suppose from your point of view this all does sound very suspicious." Hatter continued his work on the dress.

"Well luckily for us we have a spy in the house of cards, employed directly to the red queen as her assistant. White Rabbit; he's March's brother. He only comes by when he has an assignment that requires him to leave the house of cards. I've only met him once since my time here and he's nothing at all like his brother."

"So you haven't always lived here?"

"No, not always."

"Well then where did you live before?"

Hatter said nothing he just finished up the finer touches on the dress then got up and walked over to Alice. He held it in front of her to see if it looked right then he guided her back to the hall. Finally when they got into the hall hatter spoke again; "lets find you somewhere in our room to change."

Hatter then opened the door with the paintings of rabbits, a hat and the cat on it. Inside was a square tiled room about 50 feet around, the ceiling only reached to 8 feet. Three beds sat side by side on one end of the room while the rest of it was empty. The room had paintings all over the walls, of knights in white armor, some pieces from a chess board, and what looks like medieval jester juggling fire. Alice looked up at the ceiling and saw a beautiful night sky painted on there filled with dozens of tiny stars.

Hatter stepped up next to Alice who was still admiring the painting on the ceiling which was considerably better than the ones on the walls. "Do you like it?" He asked.

"The paintings on the walls were made by me and March. Cheshire painted us the ceiling; it glows in the dark as well."

"It's incredible," Alice said astonished.

Hatter then handed Alice the dress and said, "Here try this on in our room and I will be just outside the door. Come out whenever you're ready." Then hatter shut the door behind him leaving Alice alone in the room. She studied the paintings a little more then stripped herself of her pajamas and put on the dress.

The dress felt smooth and warm against her skin, it fit tightly as well but not too much that she couldn't move about freely in it. It went down to her knees and she walked around the room a bit enjoying it when she remembered Hatter was on the other side of the door waiting for her. She opened the door and stepped out into the hall where Hatter was leaning against the wall. Hatter just starred at her stunned as she spun around for him and asked, "How do I look?"

Hatter after a long moment managed to find his words and said, "You look beautiful, Alice." Then he smiled at her. Alice started to blush and then hugged hatter. He spun her around a couple times then let her go and took a step back awkwardly.

Hatter and Alice starred into each others eyes neither of them knew what to do or say next; so they just starred at each other admiring one another. Then Cheshire appeared in front of them breaking up their awkward silence. "You look lovely in that dress my dear." Cheshire said.

They were both a little startled at Cheshire's sudden appearance and took a couple steps back from each other and turned to look at Cheshire. "Sorry to break up your romantic embrace, but March and I were wondering if Alice had made a decision?"

Hatter looked at her with the same curiosity that Cheshire had. Alice looked at her dress, and then briefly glanced at Cheshire who was sitting casually in the air. She didn't need to think for more than a few seconds when she said, "yes."