A/N: Ok, so this is like a companion piece to chapter 21. Alice and Mirana's sisterly relationship and how it compares to Alice and Margaret. I hope you enjoy it!

Also, I've been listening to "Almost Alice." Anyone else? I might be in love with this CD. So many of the songs are Alice/Hatter-ish. I wonder if the bands wrote the songs based off the original script. Ah well.

As I sat reading to the children, there was a knock upon the door.

"Who is it?" I called.

"Mirana!" a voice answered.

"Auntie Mirana!" Charlotte cried happily.

"Go let her in," I instructed and Lottie flew to the door.

"Hi, Auntie Mirana!" Lottie said as she opened it.

"Hello there, Lottie! How are you today?"

"I'm well."

"Is your Daddy home?" Mirana asked.

"No, he's working in his shop."

"Yes, perhaps I should have gone there first."

"Mirana, what do you need Tarrant for?" I asked, laying Will in his bassinette.

"Babysitting."

"Wait, what?" I asked.

"Well, is it babysitting if it is for your own children?"

Underlandians could be so strange. "I don't understand."

"Alice, I desperately need to talk with you, but not with the little ones present."

"Oh! Charlotte, will you check on your brother for me, please?"

"Yes, Mummy!"

I turned back to Mirana. "You need to talk. All right. Well, it's almost lunch time. Perhaps Tarrant will be home soon and he can stay with the children while we go somewhere more private."

"Yes, that sounds lovely," she said as she twisted a piece of her hair, an uncharacteristic thing for a queen like herself.

"Is everything all right?" I asked, suddenly concerned that she was somewhat worked up about this, or at least as worked up as Mirana got.

"Well, yes. I mean, things are actually quite nice. But I just don't know what to do about it. And I was hoping that you would be able to help me."

I was afraid she was going to break into a ramble of Tarrant-proportions. "I'd be happy to help you, Mirana. Just as soon as I know what the problem, or I suppose the non-problem, is."

"Oh, it's definitely not a problem. I can tell you this much: I'm in love!"

"Love? Mirana! I didn't even know!"

"We kept it a secret. Oh, Alice, I wanted to tell you, but we agreed to keep it between ourselves. But I just can't keep it to myself anymore! And I need to talk to a friend, a sister, about it."

Sister. I recalled just a few days ago talking to my actual sister. I felt that this conversation would be much different and it made me feel wonderful.

"Well, I'm sure Tarrant will stay with the children while we talk. I'm so excited to hear about this!"

"Excited about what?" Charlotte said as she walked back to us.

"I am getting a new hat from your father," Mirana fibbed. I'm sure it wasn't a total lie. Tarrant made hats for her all the time.

"Oh." Her disappointment at missing something good showed.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Daddy will be home soon and he's going to play with you and Will for a bit," I consoled.

She perked up at that. "All right then." And she wandered back over to Will.

"Do you think he'll be long?" Mirana asked. "Perhaps he's working on an important hat. Perhaps one for you?" she said, knowingly.

I had confessed the hat secret to her when she noticed that there was an over-abundance of hats even in the sitting room.

"Have the two of you inspired any hats lately?" she asked with a wink.

"Maybe, maybe not."

"Liar. I can see it in your eyes. Probably inspired him last night."

My eyes widened and Mirana had her answer. "See?"

I stuck my tongue out at her and it occurred to me just how much like sisters we had become.

"Yes, well, this isn't about me, or Tarrant or my hats right now. It's about you. What's his name?"

"His name is Landrew. And he is the sweetest man. He has the most amazing blue eyes! I met him two months ago—"

"Two months!?" I interrupted. "You've been hiding this for two months?"

"Well, yes."

"I feel like such a terrible friend for not knowing."

"Alice, I have remarkable acting skills, if I do say so myself. Don't fault yourself."

"Well, I still feel bad. So, you met him where?"

"I will tell you all of it once Tarrant arrives."

I pouted. The story was just getting good!

Finally, as if on cue, Tarrant returned from his workshop. The hat he made must have been a good one, because he seemed to be in a wonderful mood.

"My sweet Alice. Try this one on for size!" he said as he danced over to me and placed the hat on my head.

"It's beautiful, Tarrant," Mirana said, trying not to giggle.

"Thank you, Mirana … Mirana!" he stuttered with a double take.

"Didn't even notice me here, did you?"

"Um … no, I'm afraid I didn't. I was just so excited to show Alice this new hat that I made and I just waltzed in here with just the hat and Alice in mind and I somehow managed to walk right past and—"

"Hatter!" I called.

"I'm fine. And anyway, what brings you by, Mirana?"

"She wants you to watch the children so we may have some girl time," I explained.

"Of course. I can certainly do that."

"Splendid! I shall see you later then, Tarrant."

He bowed slightly to Mirana and I kissed the children, then she dragged me off.

Once we were in her chambers, I sat down on the fluffy white armchair.

"So, the hat was for you," she teased.

"Ah, ah, ah. This is about you. All right, let's hear it. Let's start with, where did you meet?"

She smirked, knowing that she had to talk now. "Actually, in the new town book shop."

"What were you doing in Witzend?" I asked.

"Sometimes I just need to get out of the castle. I disguised myself and went to the shops. I can't thank you enough now, for orchestrating the rebuilding of that area. Regardless, we began chatting about a book I was looking at and he asked me for a walk. He was such a gentleman and asked me to see him again. After a few meetings, he finally figured out who I was."

"How romantic! So, he seemed to like you even before he knew you were the queen?"

She nodded happily.

"Mirana, this is wonderful! So, what is the problem?"

"He's asked me to marry him."

"And you said?"

"Yes! Of course I said yes. But, I'm … concerned for …"

"Oh, the wedding night?"

She blushed. "Yes," she whispered.

"What are you concerned about?"

"Well, I've never…"

"Oh … Oh! Really?"

She shook her head.

I didn't know why I was surprised. She was the picture of propriety. Of course she never had done that. I wasn't sure she had ever had suitors before this. And I wasn't even sure how old she was. While we seemed to be roughly the same age, I knew she must be much older than I. This conversation was going to be strange.

"Well, what can I tell you?"

"I don't know, to be honest. One would think after all this time, I would have learned something. But there were geography lessons and horseback riding lessons and decorum lessons … there was nothing about this. And my mother passed away before she could tell me about anything. And I certainly couldn't go to Iracebeth. So, I figured I would learn what I needed to know, when I needed to know it."

"Do you know the … fundamentals?"

"Yes, I do know that."

"Then don't worry about it. I certainly knew nothing about it and we did just fine. All Margaret would tell me was that I was just to lay back and think of tea time."

Mirana scrunched up her nose at this.

"Don't worry. You won't be able to think of tea time or anything else for that matter. It's a wonderful experience to share with the one you love. Everything will be fine."

"Yes, I suppose it will. I don't even know why I'm asking. I really don't want any specific details." She giggled.

"Well, I guess you got one today," I said, blushing.

"Alice, we're sisters now. No need for blushing! I have seen your hat room, after all. Your large hat room. And I certainly don't want to know everything, but you can tell me some things."

I smiled, remembering the last time my hats came up in conversation.

"Why are you smiling so?" she asked.

"When Tarrant and I went to visit my mother this last time, Margaret was there as well. Charlotte told of how many hats I have and of course, Margaret figured it out. She teased me about it and I teased right back. And while none of it was mean-spirited, this is a much more pleasant conversation."

"Yes, I certainly cannot imagine a conversation like this with Iracebeth," Mirana said sadly. I know she would have wanted this relationship, before things got so bad.

I shuddered. "I can't even think of what she would tell you."

She sat up a bit and shook her shoulders as if to shake off the conversation. "But none of that matters now. What matters now is that I am engaged to be married! The rest will come."

I smirked.

"Alice! That is certainly not what I meant!" she said, blushing terribly.

"I know! Look at what you've turned me into!"

"Me?! No, no. This is all Tarrant's doing. He's turned you into a wanton woman!"

I couldn't help the wicked grin on my face. "Indeed."

Mirana gave a very un-queenly chuckle. "I think it is best that we are each other's sisters now. I can't imagine either of our actual sisters being able to handle this conversation with us."

"Oh Margaret would have rebuked me long ago. Or fainted!"

"Iracebeth would have called us prudes despite the conversations."

We laughed again. It was so good to have this.

"Thank you so much, Alice. This is wonderful," Mirana said, almost reading my mind.

"It is. So, I wasn't much help, but do you feel better?"

"Yes. I know that everything will be fine, as long as I am with Landrew."

"Exactly. So… when do we get to meet the future Mr. Mirana?"

"I do not know. Soon I hope. I want to introduce him to the people here slowly and I think starting with the Hightopps could work."

"I thought you said slowly!" I joked.

"But you are my favorite people! He must meet you first."

"Well, in that case, we will try to be on our best behaviors." I paused. "Well, I shall try to be on my best behavior. I can't always speak for Tarrant and the children."

"I hope we will be as happy as you and Tarrant. You have the model relationship."

"Yes, I would agree. But don't let it fool you. It's a lot of work to maintain that. We have the added hurdle of the occasional outburst from Hatter, but we work past that."

"He has been so calmed since he fell in love with you. It's a remarkable change."

"I'm glad to be a help to him. It makes me happy to know."

Mirana nodded. "Oh dear! Tarrant! I've kept you longer than I thought I would! You should get back to him and the children!"

"He can manage. This was very important. I'm so happy you've found love, Mirana. You deserve it!"

She blushed. "Well, I'm certainly enjoying it. And it will be nice once we tell people. It has been an ordeal to keep sneaking out!"

I couldn't believe my prim and proper friend was actually sneaking out. It wasn't like her in the least, but I supposed it was true that love makes us do strange things.

"Keep me posted on when we can meet him!" I said as I stood to leave.

"Absolutely. It should be soon."

"Wonderful!" I hugged her close, grateful for the friendship we had. "Have fun, Mirana."

"Thank you. I shall see you soon."

"Yes, of course."

And with that, I left. I couldn't wait to tell Tarrant all of this!