Alice at Last
Chapter Eleven
After what seems like hours to Alice, Chessur disappears at a clearing. She looks over everything, hesitant for she's still small from the pishalver. She can't make out much, the fog far too dense, and it seems that someone has seen her before she saw them. All she can see is a rather large figure and... a hat. A top hat. But it's old, patched, with needles, stitches and a little feather on the side towards the back, a silk ribbon flowing to tie it together. It's strangely… familiar. Maybe she saw it in a book. It would be preposterous notion for anyone to wear it back home. Yet she isn't entirely sure if it's from her dream, neither. It feels like a memory… a distant memory.
"I'd know him anywhere!" a voice cuts into her thoughts, startling her. But she blocks him out again as they walk across the table, or tables. She catches sight of the dormouse who seems to be far more at ease this Time. Then a rabbit. His fur is disheveled, his whiskers bent. He seems… mad. The redhead lets go of her hand, slapping down more books on a chair that already had them, maybe piled up for a child to see and reach over the table. She takes a final look around before meeting the man's gaze. His eyes are a bright and festive green, joy and playfulness to them… A child-like tone. It reminds her of Hamish when he was a boy.
The Hatter now leans in after a joyful remark given to the other occupants of the table. "Do you have any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?" he asks in a low tone, as if telling her a secret.
Why a raven… She knows the answer. She knows she does. She's answered it before when she was but a child. It's because! Because!... Because? Her mind wanders off, frustration forming for she lacks the answer. She knows it. She used to go around asking her family, proudly explaining the correct answer when they could never get it. If she remembers that, why can't she figure out-?
"Downwiththebloodybighead!"
Her head jolts up and her eyebrows crease in confusion "What?"
"Down with the bloody big head," replies a deep voice, the nineteen-year-old relaxes as Chess materializes. "Bloody big head meaning the Red Queen." Red Queen… The Red Queen is a kind woman, that Alice knows. Why would they want to kill her? They must be talking about a different queen, surely.
"Come, come. We must commence with the slaying and such. Of course-…" His words trail off as they're dulled to nothing but murmurs from him as her attention is redirected to the mouse and rabbit who seem to be in their own respective world. However, the shine of a silver pocket watch brings her back. "I'm waiting," Hatter smiles, holding it up as it ticks rather frantically, too quickly, Alice notices.
"It's- it's ticking again!" the March Hare says happily, a delighted hmmm escaping the Hatter.
She then hears the deep baritone voice of Chess who looks exceedingly bored. "All this talk of blood and slaying has put me off my tea."
Hatter's disposition changes and Alice could swear she sees his eyes darken out of anger, but only slightly. "Our entire world is falling to ruins and poor Chess is off his… tea…"
"What happened that day was not my fault."
Alice feels the tension rise, almost tangible. Mally becomes smaller and the March Hare more nervous as Hatter stands, his voice growing dark, angry, deep. Then she notices that his eyes have changed from green to a golden, his face pallid, dark shadows around his eyes.
"You ran out on them to save your own skin…" She can't decipher the rest of his words, watching as Chess' eras fall flat against his head, his pupils dilating and she can't help but want to protect the creature.
"Hatter!" Mallymkum calls out, snapping him instantly out of his yelling. He turns, facing her, but Alice seems to catch the slightest glance of his eyes that have become normal, even his face regaining colour.
"Thank you," he rasps out, smiling. This must be a frequent occurrence.
"Meow?" the March Hare tests nervously.
"I'm fine."
"What's wrong with you, Tarrant?" Chess goes back to his tea as the red-haired man pulls away. "You used to be the life of the party. You used to do the best Futterwacken in all of Witzend." That seems to delight him as he smiles, reminiscing of past memories. He seems gentle now. More human… Wait.
"Futter what?" Alice leans over to get a better view.
"Futterwacken!" the March Hare replies happily, slapping the plate as he places his hand down, the spoon impressively jumping up then falling back down into the tea cup.
"It's a dance," Mally adds, Alice's face breaking out into a large grin as the March Hare laughs, mimicking the dance before Hatter starts again.
"On the Frabjous Day…" He heads back to his seat. "… When the White Queen once again wears the crown… On that day, I shall Futterwacken…" He now sits down. "Vigorously." She expects it to be mock serious, for once again, Mally and the March Hare fall into a fit of giggles. Yet once again, two words stick out to her. White Queen.
White hair, dark eyes, lips and eyebrows. Gentle as gentle could be. Soft spoken, loveable. She knows her too. She's far too familiar to her. She recognizes her title, hears her voice, sees her face. She has a name… What's her name?... Mirana. Mirana of Marmoreal. Alice can't help but feel some sense of accomplishment from remembering that name. Mirana. It just rolls off the tongue. Mirana.
The laughter is cut short as a neigh fills the air, however distant, the brown rabbit's ear twitching in the direction, catching it, and the air grows concerned. "Oh no," the rabbit stutters. He jumps behind Chess who also seems worried.
"Uh oh," the gray and blue cat says once he turns around. Through the thick mist, Alice is able to make out large figures approaching, a large number extraordinarily square.
"The Knave," Mallymkum whispers, clutching tightly to a spoon that is almost as large as she is for protection.
Immediately after Mally speaks, Chess begins to dissipate, leaving Thackery exposed. "Good-bye." The rabbit scamps back to his seat, visibly shaking now.
Alice barely has Time to react to anything before a bottle is shoved into her mouth. "Drink this quickly," Tarrant commands, the blonde trying to focus on not choking before eventually shoving Hatter's hand away, coughing at the bitter and strangely dusty texture of the drink. It doesn't have any distinct flavour that she can compare it to, certainly nothing she's ever eaten or drank back home. She doesn't know what to think as she shrinks, feeling degraded as Hatter picks her up before placing her into an empty teapot, quickly pushing the excess fabric of her dress into it as well.
She struggles to find herself through the cloth, huffing when she finally manages to, hearing an all too familiar voice of Stayne ring out. The reason she's been terrified of older men for years, yet just like Iracebeth, Chess, and Mirana, she doesn't remember where the fuck he first appeared. She just remembers he's been terrorizing her dreams ever since she was a child. She doesn't even remember or know his name. She doesn't know to be relieved or not. The fear in the pit of her stomach forms and she feels sick, eventually banging on the bottom of the tea pot lid. "Let me out!"
She bangs more, wanting to throw up before the lid suddenly opens. Her face turns a bright red. "Ohp!" Hatter closes the lid again before carefully grabbing a long piece of fabric, leaving Alice in almost the complete dark once again. She hears cutting before the lid opens before long. "Try this on for size," he whispers, pushing a now finished dress. She looks over it, rather impressed by how quick he was able to make a dress and it surprisingly fits. Once she has it on, she knocks on the lid. She's greeted by a larger Hatter as he carefully picks her up and out of the teapot. "Eh…" HE studies her before his face breaks out into a wide smile. "I like it!"
Alice looks down, finally able to see it clearly before she smiles slightly. It does, admittedly, look beautiful. His fingers might be big but they're quick and nimble, once again, surprising her. "You must take her to the White Queen" the March Hare announces. "She'll be safe there! …Spoon…"
She watches as the Hatter takes off the hat, placing it next to her. "Your carriage, milady." He smiles and she finds herself truly beginning to see him. He's eccentric, different, weird almost. Like how she was when she was child. How Hamish used to be, what her father even endorsed for both her mother and governess criticized which only made her want to go against them more in defiance, becoming rather bitter towards the two. She was worse to her governess for she was cruel, finding any reason to physically discipline the child. At least her mother showed her love, even if she wasn't happy about Alice's decisions and antics. She was still her daughter and she would treat her as such. She shakes herself out of her stupor, realizing where she is again.
"The hat?" she inquires incredulously.
"Of course. Anyone can travel by foot or horse but the absolute best way to travel is by hat." He pauses. "Have I made a rhyme?"
She hesitates, staring at it momentarily before she gets on it, herself being the right size for the hat. She sits on the brim, clutching onto the ribbon. "Oh, I just love traveling by hat!" Mally exclaims excitedly.
"Mally, just Alice. Please." The blonde sees the dismayed look on the mouse's face and she wants to insist on her going too but he had already picked her up and carried her away, carrying her somewhere else entirely, but she isn't sure if she's completely comfortable with being whisked away to who knows where with… whoever this man is. If he had the liquid to make her smaller, then he must have the cake to make her larger… Then… She shudders to think of it yet part of her truly isn't worried. A stupid part, maybe even naïve, hopeful part tells her that he will become a good friend.
"Enjoying the view from up there?" he asks only a few minutes into the walk.
"Is it always dreary here?"
"Well, we're still in the Red Queen's territory. Even bright days are bleak." He sighs, looking around. "Witzend still has bright days but the brightest, even on cloudy days… are at Marmoreal. But there was a Time, however short, where both the Red and White kingdoms were ablaze with light and vigour. When you were here."
She looks rather confused. "I never was here. Besides, this place isn't real."
"Do you not believe so?"
"…No…" she mutters, but she isn't too certain about how truthful her answer actually is. "But I'm not too sure about what to believe. Everything seems so weirdly… vivid and true. This dream has never felt so real before."
"Do you have this dream often?"
"Something akin to it almost nightly. It's only different when I don't dream at all. Strange, I know. But it's strangely different this Time."
"Do you like this dream this Time around?"
"… I'm not too certain yet."
xxxXxxx
"This is the second meeting over a span of two days. What's on your mind?" Mirana inquires as she lets her sister into the meeting room.
"I was thinking about the last meeting… About the crown being more important than Alice." She waits until the doors close, the two being the only ones in the room. Typically, there's at least one guard for either queen but Iracebeth had insisted on them being alone. "…It's not," she concludes. "It's not… Alice is more important. She's always been… I know that this might be a shock to you but…"
"No, it's not," Mirana says calmly, sitting down and gesturing for her sister to do the same. "…You miss it, huh? When we ruled with equal power, or almost equal when we were taking care of her."
The redhead is silent, just giving the briefest of nods. "…I… Ever since her, there's no point in me being queen besides the luxuries. I can't do much anymore without thinking about what Alice would think. And when I do it, well…
"Before Alice, I would kill people left and right. You know this… I didn't' think twice, neither. Each morning, there were literally dozens of people lined up. When Alice arrived, it stopped. Just like that. I had planned on Stayne being the last one dead but she insisted. She said it was ultimately her own choice… Which is true, very much so… She spared him without a moment's hesitation. I wanted to kill him anyway, I wanted to… Mutilate him for what he tried to do. No part of me wanted a damned thing to do with him. He was already dead to me. But she said no. I refused to let him walk free. He could have died down there for all I cared… Then when she got sick…" Iracebeth trails off and there's tears visible. "…I thought she was dead… I thought we were too late…" Her eyes close as she thinks back.
"Come on, you gotta eat," Mirana gently insists, placing the plate filled with food in front of the six-year-old. "You didn't' eat all day, you must be starving."
Alice shakes her head and the White Queen frowns. She looks tired, pale. Her eyes are a dull blue, something that told her something was very wrong. "Long day playing?" She hopes that it's just that Alice had exhausted herself like she typically does but she has a feeling that isn't the case either. The child shakes her head again.
"She's been in bed the whole day," Iracebeth pipes up, walking out with tea and tarts. "It was a nice day out. I suggested for us to go for a horse ride but she refused… She has never refused a horse ride before."
"Did she eat breakfast?" Miraa inquires for she had left early to work because Iracebeth was staying over for a few days to watch Alice.
"No."
"She's getting worse. But I don't think we should worry. She should get better if she goes to bed early and rests."
"Mirana, she's done nothing but sleep. Every child in Underland eventually comes down with this but should we be worried? I mean, she's not from here."
"He has muchness," Tarrant calls out as he enters too, picking the young Alice up and holding onto her. She groans quietly before she suddenly lurches forward, yet she has nothing to throw up but some water. Iracebeth curses beneath her breath, cleaning it up. The Hatter huffs before hugging the child. "We're going to need medicine just to ensure that he's alright."
"I'll go fetch it," a certain cat appears.
"Pay for it," Mirana responds, handing him some gold coins. "Pay. For. It. Don't steal it, Chess."
"I'll pay, I'll pay."
"I'll go with you," Tarrant suggests.
"Nooooo," Alice whines, clutching onto him tighter, well, as tight as she could at the moment.
"We'll all go," Iracebeth speaks up, earning surprised looks from everyone. She arches an eyebrow. "What?"
"Nothing. Just no one has seen us in Witzend for literal years. I mean, what will they think if we bring a child?" Mirana whispers.
"That we adopted her," she answers. "They wouldn't know she's from the Abovelands. All they know is that she doesn't have parents if we tell them that. They know that our relationship has healed, they just don't' know why. It's the truth, isn't it?"
Mirana nods. "Alright. Tarrant, you seem to be who she wants to stay with at the moment. It's cold out so go and bundle her up tightly. Make sure she can breathe, though."
"As opposed to your hugs?" Chess inquires.
"Oh, shut up. She holds you just as tightly and you love it."
He rolls his eyes playfully and lays on the child who tiredly holds onto him, sweat rolling down her face. When Hatter attempts to wrap her up in a warm blanket, she whines, beginning to struggle. "Bring the blanket if she gets too cold, her body is warmer than it should be but since she actually feels warm, that's a good sign. Means her body is fighting off the infection and recognizes that it doesn't need anymore heat." Iracebeth is mostly talking to herself as she grabs her own jacket and gloves.
The five, well, three, moved quickly, wanting to get the medicine as fast as they could. The townspeople were shocked to see them but still as courteous and kind as ever, wanting to speak to them but they noticed the child and found it better not to. But word quickly spread and by the Time the group was gone, all of Witzend were talking about them and the mysterious child they are seemingly so protective of, many amazed that Iracebeth is especially, considering not many deemed her as mother material, if any.
By the Time they got back, Alice was asleep, cold and pale, worse than before. Chess was stubborn when getting off of her after they set her down on the bed. "She's alive, right?" Mirana inquires, fear plainly etched on her face.
"You must hurry. He has muchness but he is weak. We mustn't test how much muchness he truly has. Give him the medicine," Tarrant speaks.
Mirana nods and tries to wake her, cursing when she doesn't get a response. She tries again, blinking back tears before sighing. "Hold her up. I have to give it to her." She's careful as she pours the liquid down her throat slowly to ensure that she doesn't choke her, setting her in bed and placing her under the covers after. "Let's leave her to rest. It's late."
"Can I stay?" Chess asks as he appears next to her, curling into her, looking as though he won't take no for an answer.
Both queens give a nod before he snuggles into her fully. Mirana wasn't too keen on leaving Alice but Iracebeth insisted on watching her for the White Queen had been working the whole day and looked exhausted. When she finally laid down, she immediately fell asleep.
The night was long for the Red Queen for she stayed up, watching Alice and waking herself up whenever there were signs of drifting off. Alice wakes up in the middle of the night, in a daze before she shakes Iracebeth, gently getting her attention. "Alice? What is it?"
She doesn't say anything as she climbs into her arms ad passes out, Iracebeth checking for a pulse. "Mirana!" She clutches onto the child as she runs across the hall to her sister's bedchambers. "Mirana, get dressed! Now! We have to go!"
Mirana is up in an instant, guards and servants appearing when they hear the commotion to ensure that the monarchs aren't being murdered. "McTwisp, you know how to get to the Abovelands, right?" the White Queen demands.
The white rabbit nods before beginning to lead them. Iracebeth suddenly stopping the small group. "Wait… we're bringing her home?"
"We have no choice! She can't survive done here. Our world is different so we can handle this illness. She can't."
"… Where will we set her down?"
"In a crowded area. Someone is bound to find her and bring her somewhere safe."
Iracebeth stops, pulling herself out of the memory before sighing. "When I went back to Salazum Grum, everything reminded me of her. I kept her bedroom the same as it was back then. I haven't touched it since she last left it. And I couldn't shove the thought that, well… That I'd never see her again. And now she's back and destined to fulfill a prophecy that isn't fair. I either lose her or my Jabberwocky."
She had gotten the Jabberwocky as a child, raised him, watched him grow up, become immensely powerful and she loves him with everything she has. Yet she loves Alice just as much, maybe even more, though she didn't want to admit it. She refuses to look at Mirana, her breath getting caught in her throat as tears form once more. "I don't know what to do. I don't want o lose either. I don't want to choose."
"You don't have to," Mirana whispers. "We can go back to how we were with Alice."
"I got worse without her. Everyone wants me dead."
"You can show the people that you're changed."
"And what happens when Alice leaves? Will we revert back to this life again? That's the same problem that we had when she was a child. Underland is not her home! We cannot force her to stay because we're holding onto the past. A past that she, herself, doesn't even fully remember! She's grown! She understands what she wants more now! She might be married, even have a family! She might not even be our Alice anymore! Our Alice… she might never return."
A/N: I'm not too sure how many of you create fanart but if you do, might you please base some on this story or just Malice in general? Please email me at theperidotwriter57 gmail. com. Thank you so much and I truly appreciate it. None of your work will be republished or posted without any form of credit to you if at all posted.