A/N: The story actually rolls without a single break because the stylistic device of not using any dialogue gave me a sense of more presence within the story, in fact. I only broke the story into chapters after writing everything to improve readability. To me, it still feels like a one-shot.
Names for characters (or rather their territories) that I created for this story will be used in other stories as well.
.
The heels of the shoes of Mirana and her ladies-in-waiting clicked strongly on the marble. Alice saw Mirana walking even straighter than before.
The hallway widened into the huge throne room, and once they were in, people were lowering themselves like a wave of water. It was an impressive sight.
The space was filled with courtiers, servants, and commoners alike. After Mirana had regained the crown, more and more people had come to and were still coming to Marmoreal. It was turning into a colourful and lively place, and Alice had to say that she liked it.
The strict sight of grey, cream, and white only when she had arrived in Marmoreal for Frabjous Day was receding. At the time, there hadn't been any commoners besides Hatter and the others who would wear other colours. Servants then and now wore aprons or coats in teal; the only other colour allowed. But in the surroundings of the white marble, it had only added to the cold impression.
Mirana took a step to the side and turned to Alice, offering her hand.
She was smiling festively. No hint or sign of her thoughts regarding the situation in her chambers.
Alice complied and accepted her hand.
People were straightening again as the two walked towards the back of the room where Mirana's throne stood. Nivens hopped to the side and indicated for a decorative chair at the bottom of the steps.
Mirana was leading her towards it and indicated for her to sit in it.
Alice looked at the chair, made of oak, carved with many ornaments, and ivy wound around it.
She looked back at Mirana, holding her gaze and her hand as she moved, and sat down.
Their hands separated, and Alice kept her head turned to the side to watch Mirana ascend the stairs to her throne. It was easier than facing the many people in the room.
When Mirana was seated, Nivens, who didn't stand far from Alice, turned towards a door on the other side, opposite of the one they had come through, and clapped his hands loudly.
As they were waiting briefly, Alice caught his eyes and found him glancing at her before smiling carefully at her. She returned the smile.
The approaching steps made everyone look at the source.
Hatter came in, followed by two white hares carrying something. A third one stayed behind and held his hat. He stopped at a respectable distance in front of Alice and bowed elegantly. After a moment, he only raised his head. He looked from her up to Mirana and smiled charmingly before looking back at her.
When he straightened, the first hare came to his side and held up an ornate cushion.
It held a crown made from willow twigs. Simple, but perfectly wound.
Alice smiled at the sight. She was too old for flower crowns now, but it had always been a funny memory to make them with her sister.
So Hatter could even work with wood for his profession. Was there anything he couldn't process into something wearable?
He picked up the crown with a smile of his own and walked animatedly towards her.
When he stood in front of her, she straightened automatically in her seat.
Hatter lifted the crown and gently sat it down on her head. Against her expectation, it didn't hurt nor press. It was wondrous, just like the dress she was wearing.
With a proud look on his face, he retreated and observed the result of his work. He was beaming.
The hare had moved a few steps back, making room for the second one. His cushion also held a willow crown, but it was larger and also contained some twigs with fluffy catkins. Now Alice understood why Mirana wasn't wearing a crown. It was on purpose.
Hatter took the offered piece in his hands and slowly walked up the steps to the throne. His expression had turned more serious, but still showed his underlying smile. Alice turned carefully in her seat to watch him place the crown on Mirana's platinum blond hair. It made her look like a queen of a forestland; still regal with her elegant gown and makeup, but not as stiff any more as bound by a metallic crown to civil society.
After he had taken a step back, Mirana mildly bowed her head to him, and he bowed his in return. They held each other's gaze for a moment, but then the redhead moved away from her, carefully stepping down the steps backwards.
Claps erupted from the mass of people, making Alice jump in her seat after the voiceless silence. It was so much louder than with voices murmuring in the background.
Together with the hares, Hatter walked to the side to other people standing there. He received his hat from the hare waiting in the back.
Nivens hopped back to the centre of the open space, waiting for the crowd to quiet down, and clapped his paws again sharply.
There was movement at the front of the crowd, and Alice saw people making room for a proud stag who was carrying a bucket hung to his antler. She recognized him as the stable master of the castle. By his side was a rather young man in dark cream-coloured clothes. He was lean, but seemed most agile in his smooth movements as he walked towards the pedestal. His hair, platinum blond like that of all Marmoreal courtiers, was rather short and curly.
Two yards diagonally in front of Alice, he and his servant came to a halt. His head turned towards the blonde and he greeted her with a deep bow of his head. When his eyes landed on hers, they gleamed with cleverness. His soft smile didn't fade as his gaze quickly went down her form and back up.
Before Alice could term it inappropriate, he quickly put his right hand on his heart and went down on his right knee, bowing his head deeply to Mirana. His left hand was against the side of the stag, who bowed his head carefully as well with the bucket on it.
The Marquess of Mews. His stag carried the first sacrifice, horn shavings, in the bucket. Alice couldn't see it from her position because the stag was so tall, but Mirana had told her.
From a bit to the side, Nivens clapped anew.
A sturdy man, perhaps twice as old as the previous one, moved. He was wearing a suit in light grey tones. Alice didn't like the slightly arrogant and self-important look on his face, but that was probably not to be unexpected by a count. He was ruler of the territory of Trington, which was full of rich forests.
Mirana had told her that he would burn one of the large trees and collect its ashes for Chargin Rite.
Some of the ash was carried in a bucket by a large fox who walked on his hind legs. He wore a frock coat that was just perfectly cut for his beautiful, bushy tail to move between the flaps of fabric. Without any emotion showing, he beheld Alice from the corner of his eyes as he kept moving two steps behind his master.
Contrary to his predecessor, the nobleman only acknowledged her by a quick bow of the head before he went down on one knee beside the stag, bowing to Mirana. The fox came to a halt beside him, kneeling and bowing his head as well while he held up the bucket. Again, Alice couldn't see the content.
After Nivens' third clap, a woman about Mirana's age stepped gracefully forth from the parting crowd, a giant tortoise carrying a vase on her shell beside her. Wearing brightest cream tones, this was the Duchess of Verdigrisse. This one, Alice already knew, because she was closest to Mirana within her court. Alice couldn't say the same for her own relationship with her. Their conversations had always been most rigid. It was difficult for Alice to handle.
In this instance, however, her eyes were on Alice with an admiring gleam. As her gaze travelled down her body, her smile seemed to deepen. She bowed her head elegantly at her.
Alice couldn't read this woman, so she focused on the poor giant tortoise beside her. It was a wonder to Alice that the vase didn't fall from the highly irregular surface, but then again this tortoise looked to be old enough to know what she was doing.
The vase was holding water from a spring in Verdigrisse, Mirana had explained. The territory held several mines containing copper ores and the respective water routes bringing ever more.
The noblewoman stopped beside the fox, gaze now directed straight at Mirana with a kind smile. She lifted her skirts to get down on her left knee and then bowed her head deeply to her. The giant tortoise stood beside her and only bowed her head like the stag did.
Alice let her gaze wander over the three nobles and their servants holding the sacrifices for today. Everyone was doing so, Alice saw when she looked up from them. No, not merely … they were also watching her.
Alice swallowed, feeling odd about being seen as a sacrifice herself. She knew she wasn't, at least not in the ancient meaning of old ages.
Something about the idea gave her another rush to the lower abdomen, however, automatically drawing her thoughts back to being painted by Mirana. Her entire attention solely on her …
A blush appeared on her cheeks and she quickly averted her gaze from the crowd, back to Mirana. The queen just then raised from her throne powerfully.
It was a rare sight compared to her usually soft and smooth movements, and it always struck something deep within Alice, like her darkened eyes did.
Now she didn't like her strict and seemingly cold per se. In fact, she revelled in her kindness towards everyone and especially when it was directed towards her. But it was the contrast that was fascinating and that also looked good on her.
It was impossible not to want to look at her.
After Mirana had let her gaze wander over the assembled crowd, her eyes fell on the sacrifices for the Old Willow.
Her hands were up like usually, but the fingers of her left hand were stretched upwards with purpose. She descended the steps to the stag.
Nivens clapped again, and a hare came quickly to stand between the stag from Mews and the Count of Trington. In her hands was a cushion that held a delicate belt and three small pouches.
What were these for?
Mirana's right hand went into the bucket of the stag. She drew it out as it was formed into a shovel. It was filled with a pile of horn shavings. After looking closely at the collected good, she tipped her hand to the side, making it fall down back into the bucket.
When only a few remained on her palm, she picked one shard up with her left hand. In order to drop the other remnants back, she turned her right hand entirely. Then she took the single shard between her right thumb and index finger. The Marquess of Mews was looking up at her now with self-confidence radiating from him. Mirana led the shard towards his forehead. She gently pressed the edge against his skin and drew it down to the bridge of his nose. From there, she took the shard away and let it fall into the bucket. Alice could see the faintest line of blood form on his pale skin. But the marquess didn't show any indication of dislike or discomfort.
"Blessed be the horses and oxen of Mews," Mirana spoke.
"Blessed be the horses and oxen of Mews," the gathered crowd and the two other nobles as well as their servants spoke in chorus.
It was so loud despite being spoken so quietly, Alice thought with a jerk.
Mirana took one of the pouches from the cushion in the hands of the hare and drew it, open, through the bucket, collecting some of the horn shavings. She bound the cord around it to close it and put it back onto the cushion.
Mirana and the hare went on to the fox from Trington. As before, her right hand sank into the bucket. On her flat hand was a pile of ash. Again, she seemed to inspect it and took a long moment for this. Then she spread her fingers to let the ashes fall through them. She discarded the rest by turning her hand around.
There was a layer of ash still on her hand when the count looked up at her with booming pride. Mirana placed her right middle finger on his forehead and dragged it down as on his peer. There was a trace of ash on his forehead now. A bit of the ash on Mirana's hand snowed down onto his cheeks, but he didn't sneeze or even wiggle his nose.
"Blessed be the forests of Trington."
"Blessed be the forests of Trington!"
She took up another pouch and filled it with a portion of the ashes. When it was safely placed on the cushion, the queen went on towards the giant tortoise from Verdigrisse.
Her hand went into the vase. As she pulled it out, water trickled down the sides of her hollow hand and between her fingers. Still, she looked closely at the liquid, leaning her head a bit from side to side. Apparently satisfied as well, she tilted her hand to let all of the water run down.
The duchess was looking at her with her perfect smile. It didn't leave when Mirana put her wet middle finger to her forehand and moved it down. Not even the single drop that snaked down the side of her nose, down her cheek, and just past her lips made her drop it.
Alice admired the self-control of these three.
"Blessed be the springs of Verdigrisse!" Mirana said.
"Blessed be the springs of Verdigrisse," came the reply.
Mirana took the third pouch and dunked it into the vase. When Alice saw it round and apparently filled, she was surprised to see it staying that way. Was it lined with bladder?
With obviously practised fingers, Mirana drew the cord tight to close the pouch.
Even when she sat it down on the cushion, it seemed to be waterproof.
With purposeful steps, Mirana walked back down the row of the three nobles and their servants and suddenly Alice found her gaze on her. The hare followed her behind the six.
They both stopped in front of the blonde and once more, Mirana offered her hand to her. Were they leaving now?
A bit insecure and still embarrassed after her outbreak towards the queen, Alice carefully placed her hand in hers and got to her feet, watching the taller woman's expression carefully. Alice stood too close to Mirana, almost bumping into her, because she stood so unfavourably in front of her chair.
It seemed to her that Mirana held both her hand and her eyes for a moment longer than was necessary. How could she mind, though, when she was still smiling at her? There was no hint at her being angry with her. Or were these just her schooled features for the public?
Alice could usually make them out from a certain distance to Mirana. It didn't seem like it now, but who could tell? She never stood so close to her during larger public appearances.
Slowly, Mirana let go of her hand, still keeping her gaze. The hare was holding up the cushion, Alice saw in her peripheral vision.
As Mirana picked up the delicate belt, it dawned on the blonde. She would wear the portioned sacrifices. Oh, oh no. Her eyes widened slightly. She didn't like the thought of Mirana fumbling about her waist again. But they were in public. Alice would keep it together. It was her turn to demonstrate self-control.
Accepting her situation, Alice lifted her arms to the side to allow Mirana to sling the belt around her waist. She stared at the ceiling in the distance as the queen closed it with ease, telling herself that these weren't Mirana's hands that took measure of her middle so easily, pushing the belt into position and pulling her dress back into shape.
It was especially trying for Alice when Mirana slung the long end of the belt up under itself and looped it back down to secure it. She kept brushing the same spot where her hands had slid to the side on her bare skin previously. As the queen was taller, Alice couldn't avoid her eyes when she straightened.
While Alice had her lips pressed together and her breath held, Mirana seemed untouched and unchanged.
Was she the one making it odd again? Probably …
What was this with her? Alice had never felt like this. Had they put questionable ingredients into the bathwater or the paint? It had to be it.
Mirana took up the first pouch and bound it to her left side. The second pouch followed and the third one, with a dangerous splosh, as well. Alice sincerely hoped the pouch with the water held proof.
Mirana's smile deepened as her eyes were fixed on hers, and Alice couldn't look away from her.
"Blessed be the maiden of this Chargin Rite," Mirana spoke with emphasis.
"Blessed be the maiden of this Chargin Rite!" The crowd erupted, breaking into an applause.
The impact drew Alice's gaze from Mirana's. She was surprised to see everyone so happy and smiling so enthusiastically. Even the usually grave and contained courtiers were smiling openly.
Was this festivity actually so remarkable to the inhabitants of Marmoreal? She still had to learn so much. Perhaps it had not been the best idea to choose her for this rite. There were so many others who could cherish and value this position properly.
She had already thought the same for Frabjous Day.
Mirana had stood in front of her court asking who would be her champion. Alice thought that quite a lot of the noblemen might have enjoyed to make their mark in front of the queen. They certainly knew how to wield a sword and fight, and she couldn't imagine that they would have been left without a favour. But they hadn't received a chance; the queen's question a mock, for all had known the Oraculum's depiction.
The highest possible reward to this day was what troubled Alice when she thought about it. Yet no one seemed to speak about it.
Her gaze went back to Mirana. The platinum blonde was smiling gleefully as well, but upon having Alice's attention back, her expression fell and turned to worriedly knitted and raised eyebrows.
Who would marry Mirana one day?
Alice hadn't heard anything about a husband nor fiancée so far when she had carefully voiced her curiosity to her friends as Mirana wasn't present. She wasn't married, never had been, and wasn't engaged. They hadn't said more to the matter, resuming their game of tag.
In this moment, Alice wondered if Mirana fulfilled the requirement stated to her for this rite herself. Was she still a maiden?
Oh, it was terribly improper to wonder this about a friend.
But Mirana had been so confident and sure in undressing her that Alice couldn't imagine that she had never been with someone. Her open gazes during the bath had lacked the shyness of someone unacquainted with the sight as well.
Ashamed, Alice turned her head away to the other side of Mirana, away from the crowd.
The queen should have asked someone else to be the maiden for today. Any other woman or girl wouldn't have distracted herself with such inappropriate thoughts during an apparently important rite. They wouldn't freeze in the middle of it. They would have simply enjoyed their part in it, the attention, the touches …
Alice swallowed.
When her attention returned to her surroundings, she saw the three nobles and their servants, by now standing, staring straight at her. The Marquess of Mews and the fox from Trington with questioning expressions, the stag from Mews and the giant tortoise from Verdigrisse with indifference, and the Duchess of Verdigrisse and the Count of Trington disapprovingly.
It didn't make her feel less uncomfortable.
She almost jumped in her skin when she felt a hand under her jaw and another one against her forearm. Mirana turned her head to make her look back at her. Her heart ached oddly when she felt her arm being squeezed and her jaw faintly caressed as Mirana looked at her, seemingly alarmed and concerned.
Was Alice bleeding somewhere on her face? Was her paint smeared after Mirana had put so much effort into it? Was she still to be sacrificed as in old times with her life while no one had told her and this was their goodbye?
Perhaps she should have run, after all.
Mirana cocked her head slightly, but what could Alice do except to look at her? She couldn't read her thoughts.
She wished she had more time to look at Mirana and have her return her gaze only at her.
Everyone craved the attention of this queen.
But it was painful to see her so down all of a sudden.
Mirana then nodded her head gently towards the main entrance to the throne room with her eyebrows slightly lifted in question.
Alice knew they had to depart for the Old Willow, so she nodded. Hoping, in the back of her mind, that her blood wouldn't nourish the soil of the tree at the end of the day. Underland sometimes had a brutal touch to life in it.
Mirana's hand left her jaw and came up between them instead.
Alice looked from it back up to the taller woman, and for a moment, she got lost in the schooled, neutral, pretty features. Beautiful, gorgeous Mirana. She wished her own hand could caress her pale, flawless cheek. But it never seemed appropriate.
She knew there were other people, but due to them not speaking, they weren't as intrusive.
If Alice required a priestess to lead her to her death today, then Mirana was a most pleasant choice.
Was she wearing white for her death?
Her hand came up into Mirana's.
After a moment of looking into each other's eyes, the queen let go of her arm and tugged on her upheld hand instead.
Alice moved almost imperceptibly, indicating her being ready.
Mirana turned to face the crowd in the throne room and held the tension for a moment before she began to walk down the aisle towards the main entrance to the room, all the time keeping Alice's hand in hers.
Alice noticed her walking at a slower pace than she usually would. She had no trouble keeping up with her like this. It was unusual.
She watched Mirana's face from the side. It was tranquil. She seemed to force the smile onto it in this intensity. She wasn't usually this close to Mirana when there were so many people around her. Was this normal?
Halfway through the lengthy room, Alice took in the people in the crowd instead. Smiling faces. Grave faces. Curious faces. All of humans and animals alike. Adults, children, elders. It was amazing to see the variety of a town in the people gathered here by now. It was livelier than with only the courtiers, Alice had to say. Many of them were currently building houses outside the castle grounds, now that it was considered safe.
Ten yards away from the doors, Alice was suddenly hit by the rays of the sunlight streaming in through the large and high windows above them. She blinked briefly. When she opened her eyes fully again, she heard a few silent gasps around her. She looked to the side and saw faint blushes here and there on awed faces.
A group of young children pushed through the legs of the adults by the doors, and when they had reached the front, they stopped abruptly and looked at her with wide eyes and gaping mouths. They seemed to have more discipline than Alice herself as they did look at each other quickly, but didn't speak a word.
They passed the open doors and were in another corridor. It wasn't as high as the throne room, and there were no windows, so Alice's eyes could recover from the brightness. There were only marble guards in this corridor, standing in parade. Alice still couldn't grasp their beings entirely. They spoke only rarely, and without any feature of a face visible, they seemed stranger, odder, and less tangible than the cards of the Red Queen. Sometimes these facts made her be a bit afraid of them. They seemed calmer than the cards; but cold murder always came from the apparently calm.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Mirana pressed her hand, still upheld between them. She noticed her own fingers more tightly closed on hers and relaxed them. When she looked at her, she was faced by a true smile. It was smaller than before, but it reached her eyes.
Alice had so many questions. She wanted to talk to Mirana so badly. She wanted to apologise. Thinking about the situation in the queen's bedchamber made her so embarrassed that she quickly averted her eyes and looked back straight ahead. Mirana's thumb brushed across her fingers.
Behind them, Alice heard the rustling of fabrics, clicks of heels on marble, and whispers of nonverbal nothings. The commotion of hundreds of people moving to follow them. Alice realised it was her only chance to breathe through for a moment, not directly under any observing eyes that potentially judged her. Mirana was her friend and she was accustomed to her presence, and even if she was the queen, she had never belittled her for her behaviour or antics.
Hopefully her accident earlier wouldn't change that, she suddenly thought. So far, Mirana seemed back to her own normal behaviour towards her, but who knew what would happen when they were actually alone and away from the crowd of people.
They went around the corner and there were still only chess piece guards. Alice knew the outline of the castle at least on this storey well enough by now to know that after this long corridor, another corner, and a short corridor, they were in the entrance hall.
It was somewhat uncomfortable to stay silent for so long next to Mirana when she actually had so much to talk about. They walked on, and Alice seemed to become aware of everything.
The way she herself walked, the way Mirana walked (she adjusted her steps to Mirana's), the way their hands touched (her fingers began twitching, moving, and even lightly sweating, while Mirana's stayed the same, all firm and steady, the entire time). The way Mirana kept looking at her from the corners of her eyes while she herself avoided to gaze at her strictly. The way her underdress and dress moved around her body, caressing her skin. The way this reminded her of Mirana's touches … and how she wished to feel them again. To feel more of them …
The way her face was flushing and she turned it away from Mirana.
The way the guards seemed to look at her, face red under white paint. The way she had to look back ahead because of the people behind them looking as well.
Mirana grasped her hand tighter and pulled firmly on it, pulling her closer with it, but also managed to make her stop just before she bumped into her.
Alice's mind was a mess. Yes, she had moved away from her, she noticed, but it didn't improve her situation that she began imagining actually, accidentally crashing into her. The queen's posture was spot-on most of the time. Alice imagined Mirana's muscles to hold a certain basic strength, able to stop her in her path, to make Alice hold onto her, to hold her steadily.
And Alice realised she had had a sample of just that in the queen's bedchamber. Mirana hadn't budged when Alice had thrown herself at her. Her hands had held her firmly away while her arms hadn't even twitched under Alice's clawing hands.
With a renewed blush, Alice looked up at Mirana from under her eyelashes.
The taller woman drew back at the sight, smile falling alongside. It didn't take too long for her to catch herself, however, and Alice found herself confronted with a confident smile before her hand was gently tugged closer and Mirana pressed her lips to her knuckles.
Alice held her breath and her head swam. Her abdomen tingled.
What had Mirana done to her as she had been prepared for this day?
She couldn't even look away as the other woman was holding her gaze, smile gone, face sincere. Her eyes weren't as dark as they had been earlier, but they were attentive, they were present, they took in nothing but her.
It was such an amazing feeling.
Like this, it was hard to remind herself that there were people watching them. They were some distance behind them, but still. She kept looking at Mirana instead who returned the gaze.
What do you want to tell me? Alice wondered. Usually, Mirana let her be. But usually, she wasn't a maiden for a rite. Was this normal for Mirana on this day? Would they simply not talk about this day afterwards? Or at least not about the details? Alice wished she could at least ask Hatter.
As they were staring at each other, Mirana held out her other hand into the direction they were walking into. Alice followed it and saw that they were just in front of the last corner before they were in the entrance hall. She looked back at Mirana who lifted her eyebrows.
Alice knew that once everyone had gathered in front of the gates, they would travel to the Old Willow. She was curious to see if the slit in the side of the dress was enough to make her ride the Bandersnatch without trouble. This was her last chance to breathe through.
She heard the commotion behind them. No one was saying a word, but it was still noticeably loud. It was kind of impressing. An entire court moving without a whisper.
Alice was looking forward to the travel. Yes, she would ride at the front of the crowd next to Mirana for everyone to see, but she didn't have to do anything during it. In fact, the nobles had to act again. One after another, they would sing their realm's songs. It made her think of Mirana's verses in her bedchamber. It had been pleasant – but had she enchanted her with it? The thought didn't leave her alone.
They passed the opening into the large entrance hall.
The light seemed to be everywhere due to diffusion from the white materials. Alice's eyes adjusted again as she took a deep breath.
After some more steps, they were outside, and Alice closed her eyes against the bright sun. She heard gasps and rustles of fabrics. When she opened her eyes again, she saw even more people gathered in front of the main entrance to the castle, all of them bowing and curtseying right now.
It didn't cease to impress her.
Mirana stopped, so Alice did the same.
When the blonde looked at her, she saw her gaze already on her. A warm smile greeted her. When the bulk had straightened from their bows and curtseys, the queen turned to the crowd with a proud look on her face, lifting their joined hands a tad higher into the air and indicating for her maiden with her other hand. The crowd erupted again, cheering.
Mirana looked back at her, face so satisfied, and then nodded.
It didn't take too long before she walked on, making Alice follow with their hands still together.
Alice still had to get used to the fact that animals could walk and talk here in Underland, she noticed as her gaze wandered over the assembled mass outside the castle. More commoners – both humans and animals – were gathered here than inside. It kept warming Alice's heart to see them smiling, comfortable, calm in front of Mirana. Not anxious, afraid, fidgety.
Alice couldn't imagine Mirana causing them to fear her. But then again, she only knew her half a year.
As they walked on, Mirana's hold on her hand became firmer. Alice could see the Bandersnatch and the queen's horse at the end of the aisle in-between the gathered people.
She had learned to ride the Bandersnatch without trouble in the meantime. Now she didn't mind his rough movements, but it was still different from a horse. He had become accustomed to his new home like Alice and was in fact very tame now that he was treated with tolerance and not control. That was to say, citizens of Marmoreal still didn't trust him entirely yet, but he was always calm, especially when Alice was with him. In exchange, they didn't provoke him. He could move about the castle grounds almost freely, but had to return to the stables for the night. There he had his own addition to the building.
Again, Alice heard the movements of hundreds of people without speech. The crowd from inside had to be pouring out of the castle by now, while the crowd outside began to make room for them as well. Towards the end of the bulk, people were making even more room for the queen and her maiden. Alice could see more horses to the sides. Probably those of the nobles, judging by their decorations. However much decorated they were, none was as pure white as Mirana's horse. It might be the reason why her name was Bianca.
The strict adherence to colours still amused and fascinated Alice. Mirana only held a moderate level of vanity personally, but she had her court ordered by colours.
Once more, she looked down at herself. A white dress. Oddly enough, she felt she didn't deserve the honour. She was fine enough with the mostly blue clothes she wore here.
They reached the end of the line of people and stopped. Mirana turned to face her and let go of her hand. Alice felt the loss too deeply, strangely, and wished to have the contact back, hardly knowing what to do with the sensation. But Mirana was already taking in the crowd with emphasis. Her hand came back up to indicate Alice again. The shorter woman couldn't tear away her eyes to notice any reactions towards herself. Mirana was sparkling too much in the open sun. Not only the diamonds stitched onto her dress and the threads of silver embroidered into it. Also her hair, her pale skin, and her demeanour.
And her eyes when she looked at her.
Mirana was looking back at Alice now and seemed taken aback for a moment, as she froze in her antics, eyes wide, eyebrows raised, and mouth slightly open. Alice could see her eyes then slowly travelling down her neck, past her breasts, and dropping even lower.
She swallowed, wondering what Mirana was thinking.
She didn't hide her body from her gaze and accepted her eyes openly when they flicked back up.
Seeing no shame in them made her heat up instead.
There was a rumble next to her. It didn't really register with Alice, so her eyes widened when the Bandersnatch came into her field of vision and pushed Mirana away with his head.
There were gasps of shock and people at the front shied away.
The Bandersnatch was breathing heavily, huffing. His nostrils moved, agitated, as he took in Mirana and then Alice when he turned his head to her briefly. He growled lowly at Mirana.
Alice didn't understand what was going on, but seeing the noblemen in the distance starting towards them and hearing the heavy steps of the marble guards was a very bad sign.
"No," she breathed, throwing herself at the neck of the Bandersnatch. She brushed along it with both her hands to calm him, like it usually did. But he even took another step towards Mirana. Alice caught a glimpse of her, only seeing surprise and no comprehension nor fear.
Worried, Alice buried her fingers in his fur and pulled strongly.
What was wrong with him? Mirana hadn't done anything to anger him.
He only moved his neck towards her swiftly to shake her grip off his fur. When he was back to facing Mirana, he openly barked at her.
Now Alice's pulse spiked as this reminded her too much of when she had stood in front of him instead of running away when she had met him for the first time. She had received the scars on her arm from it. The sound he was making was different from the one he had made at her at the time, but it still didn't sound amiable.
With a dash, she jumped in front of Mirana, turned to face the Bandersnatch, and spread her arms to the side.
He looked so displeased and Alice didn't understand why. He didn't seem to calm down and Alice hated it for so many reasons.
Her heart raced when she moved ahead and pressed herself against his chest, right under his head, and hugged his neck.
"Shh, it's all right." Ritualistic rules be damned. She kept whispering sweet nothings as she caressed his fur. She couldn't let him offend, let alone attack the queen. Whatever he was going to do, she would take it. If she didn't, she wouldn't live another day either way, but she also wouldn't be able to live with herself.
Thankfully, his agitated breathing calmed down. But she heard him sniffing again and still growling.
A long moment seemed to pass where nothing else happened.
Alice realised that she heard no steps approaching any more. However, she didn't dare to take her head away from its current position to look. Were the guards already surrounding the two of them?
It was suspiciously quiet, overall.
The Bandersnatch had even stopped sniffing and breathing audibly, only growling, still.
Alice closed her eyes as she kept brushing his fur and murmuring calming words to him.
His growling increased in the exact same moment when Alice felt a strong, almost dangerous, presence in her back.
Oh, who was behind her? A marble guard with his pole about to knock them both out? Or a nobleman with his sword ready to stab them both through her body?
It was her fault, after all. The Bandersnatch was her affair. She was responsible for him.
Alice heard a click on the ground behind her. No guard.
Another step. It was purposeful. Alice tensed, anticipating terrible pain somewhere throughout her body.
The next one. Oddly enough, the Bandersnatch's growling decreased.
With the next step, it ceased.
When the following step resounded, he even took a step back himself, only huffing now.
Overwhelmed, Alice opened her eyes. Her hands were still on his body, hardly moving, however.
She felt engulfed by the heavy aura behind her and was ready for whatever expected her. From special maiden for this day to traitor to the crown she had regained.
It was a surreal day even for Underland in her perspective.
She took a step back herself, breaking the contact to the Bandersnatch.
A gasp left her throat and a tingle went through her body when a hand brushed past her waist and came to lie on her stomach. It was firm and purposeful with the fingers spread across her abdomen. She was pulled gently, but surely against the body behind her.
With her pulse in her neck, her head turned and her legs almost gave out when she saw Mirana standing behind her.
What …?
She was holding her to herself naturally with her right hand as her left hand stroked the side of the Bandersnatch's face. What was startling and bordering on frightening were her authoritarian expression and aura. Alice had only witnessed it once so far; when she had spoken the sentence for her sister.
It was odd to be included in the direct range of this demeanour. Mirana was powerful, even if she didn't display it most of the time. However, this was more than pure rank. This was the strength of her will and mind.
It was what made Alice weak in this moment. To see this power while she was in the embrace of the queen and not scorned by her.
Mirana looked down at her and her eyes stayed hard for a long moment.
Alice was confused by everything. The Bandersnatch opposing Mirana, Mirana taking up the challenge and seemingly winning it, and now her warm hand on the thin fabric of her dress, pressing her back to her front. Despite everything, Alice felt oddly safe. Nothing had gone wrong.
Her abdomen tingled under the queen's fingers and Alice wished she were wholly embraced by the taller woman. Her own right hand came to lie atop Mirana's. Her entire body was humming.
Mirana's expression softened slowly and Alice was looking at the woman she knew and loved. Who else would let her be herself and look at her like this? Particularly after she had apparently messed something big up. There was no reason for the monarch to be so nice to her.
Alice was confused by her own thoughts today. She was used to being stuck in her head, but being forbidden to speak entirely was different still. She leaned the back of her neck back against Mirana's shoulder. It seemed like a wonder that she still wore the crown of willow twigs. It had a comfortable weight.
The Bandersnatch grumbled and Alice automatically placed her left hand under his chin, stroking it gently. She watched him calm down, closing his eyes, and humming mildly.
When he plopped down onto his knees, both their hands moved to other spots on his head. He still didn't seem entirely happy, but he was calm now. The tip of his long tail whipped idly up and down.
Alice suddenly remembered that there were other people. Particularly some who had come to solve the debacle. She looked to the side, past Mirana.
A group of noblemen stood closest to them. They were tense, looking as if they would rather separate all involved parties. Some still had their hands on their swords at their hips. Why had they stopped if they wanted to move on so eagerly?
The people behind them had a variety of expressions of the negative kind. Some were shocked, with their mouths open and their eyes wide. Some were simply surprised as it seemed, not as drawn back as those who were shocked. Some had their hands clasped over their mouths, making it harder to read their reactions. Some stared in obvious disbelief.
Somewhere further in the distance, a group of marble guards stood, but Alice could never make out their expressions – if they had any to begin with.
Alice looked at Mirana. She wanted to ask her if she was all right – but she already remembered that she wasn't to speak. Would there be consequences now that she had spoken? Would they have to cancel the rite because of it? She knew it was a bad choice to pick her for the special position in a rite she didn't know at all.
Like the Bandersnatch, Mirana didn't look entirely happy.
What have I done? What can I do to make you smile at me again?
She had never been this physically close to Mirana, she realised, and wondered that it only came to her now. She hadn't known what her body felt like and didn't dislike what she was feeling so far.
Unfortunately, Mirana already let go of her, easily snaking her right hand free and taking a step back. Alice seemed to fall after her.
Kind of dizzy, she turned around to look at Mirana with questioning eyes.
The platinum blonde seemed to take her entirely in in one look. She moved then, past the Bandersnatch, and stopped to his side. Her left hand indicated for the back of the beast as she looked back at her.
Then she went on and Alice saw her horse behind the Bandersnatch. She took a step herself to the side to see more. Bianca kept tapping the ground with the tip of one of her hooves and moving her head up and down nervously. When Mirana had reached her, she wrapped her neck around her, touching her head to her back. Mirana's hands came up to stroke her neck.
Alice knew that the horses were often afraid of the Bandersnatch. Mirana's horse was obviously stressed out by the dilemma of wanting her rider safe while not knowing what to do against the larger aggressor.
Mirana seemed to communicate so easily with her horse without words, Alice noticed suddenly. Bianca hardly spoke at all on every day, and Mirana hardly told her what to do with words. They were a functioning team. How had they managed to reach that level of understanding? For how long did Mirana ride her horse?
Alice looked back at the Bandersnatch. He was lying here, panting, seemingly ignorant to the trouble he had just caused. She sighed and moved along him, brushing over his soft fur. We will have to work on this.
When she was next to his torso, she lifted the skirt of her dress and climbed up his back. Once she had both her knees free of fabric, she got up easily. Upon having found her position atop him and holding on to his fur, he slowly got to his feet and lazily shook himself.
Alice steered him to turn to face Mirana. As she did so, she saw the mass of people below her, all staring at her in some kind of awe. Whether they hated her for letting this happen to their queen or were indifferent to her entirely, she kept drawing all gazes whenever she was on top of the Bandersnatch. Particularly when he listened to her so easily.
Unlike just a few moments ago.
She patted the spot under her hand.
Her gaze turned to Mirana. It did too often on this day. But then again, how could it not when she didn't really know what was going on? She relied on her to get through this day.
Mirana was already on her horse as well. It kept feeling off to Alice that she was so much taller than the queen when she was on the Bandersnatch. After all, no one was supposed to stand on so much higher grounds than the sovereign.
Mirana had never said anything to her about it, had never claimed ownership over the Bandersnatch, but right now, Alice felt awkward. All of Marmoreal was gathered here in front of her, and they all witnessed her raised above the queen. Those living at and around the castle of Marmoreal knew their little quirks with each other by now, but it still wasn't the norm.
Currently, people were moving again, because the nobles were getting to their horses, waiting to the side, and mounted them.
Alice saw that next to the horses of the three special nobles of this day, there were small carts behind workhorses. On the carts were their respective goods for the rite. Or so she guessed at least from the vessels on top of them.
There was quite enough that would be sacrificed to the Old Willow.
Alice noticed that people kept throwing glances at her.
When she had walked through the crowd with Mirana, they had been admiring, adoring even. Now they were somewhat between awed and scared. Alice shifted slightly on the Bandersnatch, relaxing her shoulders and straightening her back as she cleared her throat.
People looked so small from her perspective on the Bandersnatch.
One after another, the nobles got up on their horses and made them walk over to Mirana. The guards were forming around the front group, some next to the commoners, and a large troop of them in the back, as Alice could see from her elevated position.
When she let her gaze travel back to the front, it landed on Hatter at the front of the rows of commoners. As happy as he usually was when he saw her, he looked strained at the moment. Her own smile fell and she swallowed.
Had it actually been so bad what had just happened?
Of course it was … Her mind told her diligently. The Bandersnatch had been about to do God-knows-what to Mirana. For God-knows-what reason. Was it resolved now? Had the Bandersnatch made peace with Mirana? Could it happen anytime again?
How could she know?
Her grip on his fur tightened and he turned his head to look up at her. A questioning huff came along with a cocked head from him.
He saw no fault in whatever had happened. He was back to his normal, calm demeanour. Or he simply didn't think about such things for any longer.
Alice couldn't know.
Pondering, she lifted her gaze to Mirana and was surprised to find her looking back at her firmly.
With her eyes staying on her, Mirana made her horse turn around so that she was facing the direction of their path and was ready for departure. Alice steered the Bandersnatch to turn completely to her and start to close the distance. But after remembering Hatter's look, she stopped the beast instantly and froze.
Mirana looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. Then she straightened in her seat and beckoned her over.
Had she understood her dilemma?
Alice closed her eyes, willing the imaginary pictures of the Bandersnatch snapping and attacking Mirana away. After opening them again, she made him go on.
Upon them coming closer, Mirana smiled at her winningly. It seemed like a contradiction to her previous predicament. She wasn't intimidated at all by the Bandersnatch and didn't shy away as he stood two yards next to her. Her horse was beginning to shift her weight and it looked as if she was about to take a step to the side, away from him, but Mirana placed her hand on her neck and she held still.
Was Mirana actually the clear winner of whatever had gone on between her and the Bandersnatch? Did he know this, too?
Analysing his posture, he didn't seem to prepare to attack her. She would have felt the tension in him. His face had been relaxed as well when he had looked at her, not contorted into a grimace with bared teeth. It looked okay enough for the moment. Only Bianca didn't trust the situation. Better safe than sorry, Alice's mind replied to this notion. The mare was responsible for the queen's safety to a certain degree as well.
The riders had taken up formation behind them, and when Mirana looked into her eyes, she smiled confidently and nodded.
Bianca and Bandersnatch started.
The hundreds of hooves, feet, paws, and marble legs behind them were surprisingly loud. Such noises were so much more detailed on this day in the perception because of the lacking conversations to mask them.
Alice, swaying with the movements of the Bandersnatch, looked up and saw the sun above them. It was around noon. She knew that their journey would take some time. Probably around two hours, Mirana had said, going by past experiences. This much, she had been told. But she didn't know where their way led them. Not that she had really seen that much of Underland so far to get a feeling for their route.
Mirana didn't make her stay at the castle. She had only offered the option at first solution for her housing situation. She didn't force her to actually be there. Alice was free to roam and do whatever she pleased. But without a travelling companion, it sounded difficult and boring to explore Underland as a whole country. Mirana was busy at her court either way after regaining the crown and the power to rule, mending what had been upended by her sister, and Hatter and the others mostly stayed close as well with their professions at the castle.
There were a few excursions she had gone on, but it was nowhere near enough to claim to have any serious knowledge of Underland's geography. Mirana had told her the name of the forest they were heading for now after repeated asking, but for some reason, Alice had missed to look it up on a map, it came to her now. How had that happened? It was unlike her.
She had so much to learn, still. All of her friends made sure to teach her bits and pieces here and there whenever they could. It was part of why she stayed up so late with Mirana sometimes. The older woman would start with a lesson in the evening and didn't stop until she deemed Alice to have absorbed at least some of the information.
Mirana wasn't a straightforward teacher. As the sovereign, she knew a lot, but during explanations, she would drift off often. She also encouraged questions and discussions during them, and Alice's mind was always full of thoughts.
It was so refreshing to talk about other things than cooking, embroidery, and the latest gossip with another woman. Really, it was like balm to her soul. In this regard, Alice had to give credit to all noblewomen who held their titles in their own right and not through marriage, in fact. If prompted long enough, they would talk profoundly about politics, history, and basically anything. Not only fashion, the superficial layer of the latest news, and this dashing nobleman or that.
As difficult as the statement was for her, she even had to give this to the Duchess of Verdigrisse. She held the title of Verdigrisse and wasn't an airhead at all. Mirana didn't value her for nothing.
A voice tore Alice out of her musings. She turned around on the Bandersnatch and saw as well as heard the person in question raising her voice to sing. Mirana had told her this, but it was still surprising now that she was experiencing the silence of the day. She turned back around and listened to the words.
They were English, and they told the history of Verdigrisse. Apparently, it used to be a march for a long time. When had this changed? The song didn't tell that part.
When she was done with the Song of Verdigrisse, a man's voice took on.
He was singing the history of his territory.
Alice listened closely. Perhaps she could learn something from these songs.
One after another, the nobles sang their songs.
As the Bandersnatch had fallen into step with Mirana's horse without acting up again, Alice fell into a kind of trance as she focused all her attention on the stories of the territories under Marmoreal's reign, trying to remember as much as possible.
Early beginnings of territories, heroic deeds, economic advances, specialities of landscapes, extraordinary services to the crown. Alice couldn't tell how many decades a song spanned, but it all sounded so glamorous.
And it was a fantastic pastime for their journey.
The meadows and fields and trees passed in a blur in the background to the images Alice created in her mind to the stories she heard.
It came as a surprise when they suddenly slowed in front of what looked suspiciously like a forest. Alice looked over at Mirana.
After a moment, the other woman returned the gaze with a smile and nodded.