Alice could feel her heart racing, her gaze shifting from the Knave to the Duchess, and then to the baby that squirmed restlessly in her arms. There was something about the Duchess—a dangerous cunning hidden beneath the surface of her casual demeanor—that put Alice on edge.

The Knave of Hearts cleared his throat, cutting through the awkward silence that had settled in the room. His voice was firm, but there was a slight edge of urgency to it. "We seek the White Knight," he said, his gaze locked on the Duchess. "Perhaps you might know where to find him."

At the mention of the White Knight, the Duchess's expression shifted, her eyes narrowing as if she was calculating something. She gently bounced the baby on her knee, her fingers idly brushing the infant's soft hair. "The White Knight, you say?" she murmured, her voice taking on a sing-song quality. "Oh, he's always wandering about, isn't he? Dreaming up his little contraptions, talking of honor and bravery... but so often, he forgets to tell anyone where he's off to."

Then her smile deepened into something almost predatory. She stopped bouncing the baby for a moment, her hand stilling on its head. "But why the sudden interest in the White Knight?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity and something more, something calculating. "I thought you and he were not exactly the best of friends, were you, Knave?" Her gaze was unwavering, like a cat playing with a mouse. "Surely you didn't come all this way just for a chat about old rivals."

The Knave met her gaze with a steady calm, though a flicker of tension crossed his face. "The past is the past," he said evenly, though his voice was tight. "We need him now. That's all that matters."

The Duchess let out a slow, drawn-out hum, as if pondering the Knave's words. "Oh, how interesting. Needing him, now, of all times," she mused aloud, her fingers beginning to stroke the baby's hair again. "And what's brought on this change of heart, I wonder?"

Her words hung in the air, thick with implication, as the room seemed to tense around them. The Duchess clearly knew more than she was letting on, and her amusement at the situation was all too evident.

The Knave, however, wasn't in the mood for drawn-out pleasantries. "We don't have time for games, Duchess. We need to defeat the Jabberwocky and for that, we need the White Knight's aid."

The Duchess chuckled, the sound rich and indulgent, like someone savoring a fine dessert. "Oh Knave, ever so serious are we? Very well." Her smirk faded slightly as her tone grew more serious. "The White Knight is somewhere near the Outskirts of the Looking-Glass Mountains. Last I heard, he was tending to some strange mechanical project near the Mirror Lake. Always busy, that one."

The Duchess chuckled, a sound rich and indulgent, as if she were savoring a particularly fine dessert. "Oh, Knave, always so serious," she teased, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Very well, if you must know."

Her smirk faded slightly, and her tone grew more serious, taking on a hint of gravity. "The White Knight is somewhere near the Outskirts of the Looking-Glass Mountains. The last I heard, he was engrossed in some peculiar mechanical project near the Mirror Lake. Always busy with his inventions, that one. It's a wonder he finds time to rest."

"The Looking-Glass Mountains," the Knave of Hearts murmured, his gaze fixed on the Duchess as he absorbed the information. "That's not far from here. We must leave at once!" he declared, nodding curtly at the Duchess before turning to his companions.

"To leave, we must," the White Rabbit echoed nervously, his voice trembling slightly.

However, the Duchess's attention quickly shifted back to the White Rabbit. Her sharp eyes gleamed with a mischievous glint as she leaned forward on her stool, adjusting the baby in her arms with deliberate care.

"Well, well," the Duchess said, her voice dripping with amusement. "I do recall, dear White Rabbit, that you owe me a few things. My fan and my gloves, if I'm not mistaken." She tapped her chin thoughtfully, her gaze piercing.

The White Rabbit froze, his eyes widening in panic. He fumbled with his pockets, patting them down in a frantic and clumsy manner. His whiskers twitched as he stammered, "Oh... oh dear... the fan and the gloves... well, you see, I... um... I might have... misplaced them."

The Duchess raised an eyebrow, her smile growing colder as she observed his distress. "Misplaced them, you say?"

Alice glanced at the Rabbit with a mix of sympathy and curiosity. "Lost them?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant while scrutinizing the Rabbit's jittery response.

"Y-yes," the White Rabbit stammered, nervously fiddling with his watch. "I-I was in such a hurry, you see, and... well... it's Wonderland! Things vanish all the time!" He attempted a weak laugh, which quickly faded under the Duchess's unyielding stare.

"You owe me, Rabbit," the Duchess said softly, but with an unmistakable edge in her voice. "And I don't like being owed."

The White Rabbit gulped audibly, his fur bristling with anxiety. He shrank back, casting desperate glances at the Knave, Alice, and the others, hoping for some form of support or reprieve.

The Duchess leaned back, her gaze still fixed on the White Rabbit, a sly smile curling her lips. She waved her hand dismissively.

"Doesn't matter. They're the least of my concerns anyway. At least not now," she said, her voice low and calculated. "But you do owe me, Rabbit. For that… well, I think I'll need a small favor."

The White Rabbit's ears twitched nervously, his eyes darting around as if searching for an escape route. "A… favor?" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.

The Duchess's smile widened, revealing a hint of mischief. "Yes, a favor. You see, I've been meaning to visit the Queen of Hearts, but… let's just say our last encounter was rather unpleasant. I need someone to, oh, smooth things over for me. A messenger, if you will. That's where you come in, Rabbit."

The White Rabbit's face drained of color. "The Queen? Oh no, no, no! Not the Queen!" His paws trembled as he fidgeted with his watch. "She'll have my head! She's never forgiven me for being late to her court that one time—"

The Duchess chuckled softly, cutting him off. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. You'll be fine, as long as you're quick and don't make any mistakes." She leaned in closer, her voice lowering to a near whisper. "Just deliver a simple message: 'The Duchess seeks an audience.' That's all. No need to make it more complicated than that."

The Rabbit gulped, clearly torn between his fear of the Queen and his obligation to the Duchess. "B-but, what if she—"

"Ah, no 'buts,' dear Rabbit," the Duchess said, her tone firm as she waved her hand dismissively. "You owe me, remember? Consider this a repayment of that debt. And don't worry, I'm sure the Queen's in a much better mood these days… probably."

Alice's brow furrowed as she interjected, "I beg to differ. The Queen accused me of being a spy for the Jabberwocky. I had to promise to defeat that monster to clear my name. If we return to the Queen now without dealing with the Jabberwocky, we'd all be in serious trouble."

The Duchess's eyes twinkled with amusement, though her expression remained neutral. "Ah, well. Perhaps you'll have to find another way to deal with the Queen's wrath. For now, the Rabbit's task is simple. Once he's delivered my message, we'll see where we stand."

The White Rabbit, his face a picture of dread, nodded reluctantly. "I… I'll do it. I'll deliver your message."

"Good," the Duchess said, her voice softening but still carrying a hint of authority. "Now, don't dawdle. Time is of the essence."

Alice hesitated, a tight knot of anxiety forming in her chest. "We'll wait for you here," she offered, turning to the White Rabbit with a protective edge in her voice, as if their collective presence might shield them from any further misfortune.

The Knave of Hearts, however, cut in sharply. "We can't do that. We don't have time. The White Knight won't wait for us, and we need to find him as soon as possible."

"But the White Rabbit…" Alice began, her voice trailing off with concern.

"I'll find you, Alice. Don't worry," the Rabbit said, his voice steadying despite his visible anxiety. "You have more important things to handle. The Queen's business can't wait, but neither can yours." He gave her a reassuring smile—though it was tinged with apprehension—before turning toward the door with determined hops.

Alice watched as the Rabbit made his way out, her heart heavy with unease. She wanted to protest, to keep him with the group for their collective safety, but she knew deep down that he was right. They couldn't afford to anger the Queen further, and their own mission had its own pressing urgency.

The Knave nodded, a look of resolute determination on his face. "Let him go. He'll find his way back to us. I know that rabbit. He always finds his way around wonderland."

Alice glanced back one last time as the White Rabbit disappeared into the distance, her mind swirling with worry. "Stay safe," she whispered softly, though it was unclear if he could hear her over the sound of his hurried footsteps.

The Mad Hatter, ever the embodiment of whimsy, twirled his hat with a lopsided grin. "We're all mad here, aren't we? So, why should we worry? Come along, Alice. Adventure awaits!" He clapped his hands together enthusiastically, his infectious cheer attempting to lift the group's spirits despite the looming uncertainty.