Once and Always Champion (5/7), an Alice in Wonderland fic
Unfortunately for them, Mally and Tarrant were proved correct: The Red Queen was not going to let them reach the Queen’s position easily.
There, pacing in front of the pearly gate, was Ilosovich Stayne.
They had been cautious in their approach. So far their presence had gone unnoticed by the Knave in front of them.
“What are we going to do?” Tarrant whispered as they hid behind the stalk of a mushroom.
“We’re gonna capture him! It’s all we can do!” replied Mally, swinging her hatpin in the air. “Just say the word, Alice, and I’ll poke out his other eye! Then he won’t see anythin’ comin’!”
While that was a good idea, Alice didn’t like the idea that her friend would be put in harm’s way. Alice considered her options for a second. “Do we have any Upelkuchen?”
Tarrant shook his head. “No, Thackery was out of Toe Jam.”
Alice frowned. They couldn’t wait around all day, hoping Stayne would leave. In fact, she knew that the man wouldn’t move from that position until he found Alice and stopped her from becoming queen. She was suddenly grateful for Absolem’s insistence that she arm herself before leaving the secure walls of the White Queen’s castle.
Slowly, she unsheathed the unfamiliar sword, noting the unsure look on her face in the reflection of the blade. Mustering up her Muchness, Alice stood up. “Stay here,” she instructed as she slid the weapon back into its holder and slung the sheath over her shoulder.
Tarrant stood up to follow her. “Alice--”
“No, I need you stay here,” she interrupted. The only way they could outfight the Knave was having the element of surprise on their side. “I’ll call you when I need you.”
There was a flash of orange in his eyes, but was quickly replaced with a dull yellow. He wasn’t happy with her decision, she knew, but he was willing to respect it. For now. “I hope ye know what yer doin’.”
“Me too,” she admitted softly.
Without allowing herself a second thought, or a first one for that matter, she made her way from the hiding place and walked directly to Stayne.
His disgusted laugh filled the air. “So, you’ve been hiding from the Queen all these years with those lunatics, the Hightopps.” He snickered as he took in her appearance. “What? Did you get tired with your current headwear?”
Hannahlyn’s hat! Alice had meant to take it off before she had left so it wouldn’t get damaged during her fight with Stayne. For a moment, she considered tossing it back to Tarrant, but she knew she couldn’t--not unless she was willing to reveal his position.
Which she wasn’t.
She ignored Stayne and tried to walk past him to the gate.
Unfortunately, the Knave wasn’t in the mood to move out of the way. “You’re not going anywhere,” he punctuated his statement with the drawing of his sword.
Alice drew out her own sword, suddenly grateful for her willingness to be taught how to fence by the men on the Wonder. She knew she wasn’t as proficient at sword fighting as Stayne was, but she was confident that she could hold her own. “I need to get by,” she said, deceptively calm.
“I can’t let you do that,” he said with a snarl and a thrust of his sword.
“You know,” she said off-handedly as she parried, “I always wondered how a swordsman of your caliber managed to suffer such an injury from a hatpin.”
Anger filled his features. “What did that blasted dormouse tell you?” he shouted, swinging his sword, nearly reaching her chest.
She took advantage of his sloppy swordsmanship and advanced, slicing his arm. “Enough,” she replied simply.
With a shout, he lunged forward and his sword clashed with her own. The force of the blow caused Alice to trip. She landed squarely on her bum before rolling out of the way from his next attack.
She got up to her feet and thrust her sword forward. “It’s over ye, brangergain-in' greizin'-grommer!” she shouted.
Surprise caused her hold on the sword to loosen slightly. Had she just spoken Outlandish?
“So, you have been with the Hightopps,” Stayne sneered. “I should have known by your poor fighting skills. Tell me, Alice, how does it feel knowing you’re about to die?”
“Ah wouldnae ken,” she answered, this time prepared for the unfamiliar accent coming out of her mouth. “Perhaps ye could teel me.” She lunged once, then twice but Stayne was prepared for her predictable moves. He blocked them effortlessly and advanced on Alice.
I’m nae gonnae tae be able tae defeat him, she thought worriedly.
Her confusion at her sudden capability to speak and think Outlandish combined with Stayne’s superior fighting skills made her doubt her ability to defeat him without the help of her friends.
Suddenly, Stayne stepped forward. He circled his blade around hers several times before flicking his wrist, causing Alice’s sword to fly out of her hand. She walked backwards until she hit the front of the gate, eyes wide in terror.
“I can’t say I’m going to regret this,” he said distastefully.
“Tarrant!” Alice yelled, as the blade was getting precariously close to her throat.
Startled, Stayne looked back to where Tarrant was. Alice watched as something came flying towards her. She caught the object in the air as Stayne turned back to her. Alice hadn't known what Tarrant was going to give her, but this was Mad even for a hatter.
“Is that a Squimberry tart?” Stayne asked as he looked at the tart hungrily, dropping his sword slightly.
“Yes,” she answered slowly, relieved that all signs of the Outlandish accent had disappeared. She looked bemusedly at the pastry in her hand.
Before he could ask for a sample of the treat, Tarrant came up from behind him and hit the hilt of his sword against the back of his head, knocking him out.
Alice looked at the pastry, then at Stayne, then at Tarrant. “I’m assuming this all makes sense to you,” she noted dryly.
Tarrant looked at her, grinning. She--along with his help--had defeated Stayne. Now there was nothing stopping her from becoming a queen and rescuing Mirana. “When you asked me for some Upelkuchen it got me thinking of all the things Thackery did put in our sacks, our bags, our --”
“Tarrant,” she intervened. “The tart?”
“Oh yes, well, if you remember that slurvish greizen’-grommer was on trial for stealing th’ Bluddy Behg Hid’s tarts. It’s quite known throughout Underland that Stayne cannot resist them,” he explained happily.
Alice looked at the motionless body on the ground. “But a tart?” she asked in disbelief.
“Everyone has a Weakness, Alice. Why not a tart?” he asked, hoping she wouldn’t ask him what his was. Or, his Courage countered, maybe he did want her to ask.
She smiled. “I suppose everyone does have a weakness,” she replied, looking directly at Tarrant.
His heart sped up. Was she trying to say something without saying it again? Before he could ask, she looked at the gate and drew a long breath. “I suppose it’s time for me to become a queen.”
He pushed down his Disappointment. “We’ll take care of Stayne while you go to the Queen’s Position,” he offered.
She whipped around and faced him. “You’re not going with me?” There was no mistaking the slight Panic in her voice.
Tarrant shook his head. “Only the one petitioning for the crown can enter the Queen’s Position,” he explained. “We’ll be waiting for you.”
Alice, the Alice that had led this journey with Determination and Drive, suddenly seemed very unsure of herself. Unable to stand seeing her like that, Tarrant stepped close to her and gently cupped her cheek. “I believe in you, Alice.”
His words worked better than many of the White Queen’s potions could possibly hope to. Suddenly, her Muchness reappeared, stronger than it had before. She stood on her tiptoes and gently pressed a kiss on his lips.
Tarrant had never been more surprised! If his words had caused her to kiss him, then perhaps he should talk more often!
He slid his hand into her hair, pulling her close. A groan slipped from him as he felt a puff of warm Alice-breath cover his bottom lip. He felt her slip her arms around his shoulders, drawing him somehow closer to her.
Several heart-racing seconds passed before their lips separated with a small pop. She leaned her forehead against his own. “Thank you, Tarrant.”
Slowly she took a step away from him. Reaching up, she carefully took the hat off her head. “Hold this for me?”
He nodded as he took it from her. Of course Alice wouldn’t need a Hightopp hat anymore, he thought with a twinge of Sadness. She would wear a crown now.
“I’ll be back,” she said confidently before stepping through the gate.
Tarrant watched, transfixed as Alice walked away and out of sight. His Sadness didn’t last long; his Memory reminded him of the amazing, astonishing, astounding Alice kiss he had just experienced.
As he opened his eyes, Chess appeared on the side of him. “She kissed me,” Tarrant said, if only to prove to himself that it really had happened.
“Yes,” Chess said with a sigh. “I saw that.”
“What does it mean?” Tarrant asked honestly. He never had to deal with so many conflicting emotions at once before.
“It could mean nothing. It could mean everything. That’s up to the two of you to decide,” Chess replied.
“She does have much Muchness, doesn’t she?” he asked, still looking at the gate.
“Quite.” Chess looked at him carefully for a moment. “Tell me, Tarrant, what do you know about Frabjousness?”
Alice didn’t know quite what to expect when she entered the Queen’s Position. She was hoping that she would just stand there and suddenly a crown would appear on her head. But, like everything else in Underland, things were as never easy as she thought they ought to be.
The long checkered path in front of her didn’t lend much to the imagination, so Alice busied herself by thinking of Tarrant and the kiss they had shared. She wasn’t surprised by her forwardness, in fact, she mused, it was a wonder she had waited as long as she had!
During her time at sea, she had worried that the unexplained feelings she had towards Mamoreal’s Royal Hatter would diminish as time went on. But, as soon as she saw Tarrant again, despite the way he tricked her, those feelings had increased ten-fold.
There was no way that Alice wanted to make things uncomfortable between the two of them. But after seeing his eyes follow her wherever she walked and knowing his dedication went far beyond whatever pledge was tied to the top hat she was given, Alice allowed herself to push the boundaries of their relationship a little further than it had been before.
Of course, she allowed herself to think, all this time spent with Tarrant might not be a Good Thing. She thought about how easily the Outlandish words had slipped from her mouth when she'd fought Stayne. She had meant to ask him about that before she entered the gate!
There was no time to think about such things now. She had to focus on becoming a queen and saving Mirana.
She continued following the checkered path until she found herself standing in front of the mouth of a large cave. Cautiously, she walked inside.
To her surprise, there was a large owl waiting for her.
He was easily as tall as Tarrant with his hat on. His brown feathers were glossy, his blue eyes were piercing. She didn’t know whether to be amazed or terrified by the giant bird.
“Lady Alice, welcome to the Queen‘s Position. I am Tylluan,” he greeted warmly. “Absolem said to expect your arrival.”
“Thank you,” she said, looking around the cave.
It was more like a large room than any cave Alice had ever seen. The caves she knew of were dark and dingy. Here, the walls were luminescent, giving off a faint pink light. She touched the cave’s wall and noted, with some surprise, that the surface was soft.
“He did mention your curiosity,” the owl noted. “He also said that you want to become queen with the intention to challenge Iracebeth of Salazen Grum.”
Alice nodded. “Yes.”
He considered her for a moment, studying her carefully. “Very well. Follow me,” he finally said. He made his way down the cave corridor which was lit by large torches, each casting a green flame.
Suddenly Alice found herself in a chamber with two looking glasses. Tylluan turned back to face Alice.
“The decision to become a queen should not be taken lightly,” the owl started. “When one takes the crown, their life becomes bound to the land they rule over. Even if, as Absolem suggested, you would want to relinquish the crown once Mirana of Mamoreal is restored, your bond to the land will not be broken.”
He pointed to the mirrors. “I offer you two choices, Lady Alice.” The owl flew between the looking glasses. “One will return you back to you world. You will be reunited with your family and live the remainder of your life in Overland. The other will grant your request and you will become Queen and spend the rest of your life in Underland.”
Tylluan flew close to her. “But I warn you, Lady Alice. The mirror that you do not choose will be closed forever.”
Movement in the mirror’s reflection caught her attention. She saw her sister and mother talking excitedly as a little child waddled around the living room in her childhood home. Alice saw herself in the corner with a smile, but seemingly out of place.
“I can be reunited with my Mother?” she asked softly. “But she’s dead. How is that possible?”
“You know of the looking glass’ ability to move a person through Time. It is the one realm he does not have control over. If you were to return to your world, you could do so and return at whatever point in Time you wanted,” explained Tylluan. “You could relive the time you missed with her.”
“Would she…” she swallowed, “still die the way she did?”
The feathers on the back of the Owl’s neck ruffled. “I am not sure, Lady Alice. Fate is an extremely unpredictable fellow. Even more inhospitable than Time himself.” He looked at her. “He did go out of his way to bring you back to Underland. However, Free Will is always a mite stronger than he is so nothing is certain.”
She turned her gaze from the first looking glass to the second. Tarrant and Mally were standing in the middle of a checkerboard field, each armed with a weapon--a broadsword and hatpin respectively--next to her. She saw herself dressed in the Champion’s armor, brandishing the Vorpal Sword. There was a large gash in her head and a determined look on her face.
The easy or the difficult?
The known or the mysterious?
The possible or the impossible?
To be Alice or the Alice?
Alice turned back to the reflection of her mother. She took a step forward towards the mirror and held up her hand, nearly touching the glass. All she had to do was reach out and she could be reunited with her mother…
And be separated from Tarrant.
Again.
“I’ve made my decision,” she said, taking a small step backwards.
His eyes widened. “That is terribly swift, Lady Alice. Are you certain?”
She nodded. “I’ve had to make this decision before,” she answered, thinking about the vial of the Jabberwocky’s blood. She looked in the mirror. “Goodbye, Mother,” she whispered, her eyes filled with unshed tears. “I’m ready now.”
“Good luck, Alice,” the owl said.
“Thank you. Fairfarren, Tylluan.” She turned around, gathered her Muchness and stepped through the opposite mirror--
And ended up outside the Queen’s Position.
Alice didn’t have to wait long for her companions to find her.
Chess smiled widely.
Mally curtsied.
Tarrant stuttered.
“It’s the Brallign,” he finally managed to whisper.
She looked around. “Where’s Stayne?”
“He is…tied up at the moment,” Chess answered, nodding towards a tree where Stayne, still unconscious, was bound.
She took a step towards Tarrant, curious at his quietness. Before she could say anything, he bowed lowly. “It seems like you found your crown, milady,” Tarrant finally said, oddly formal.
Alice laughed awkwardly at his rigidness. “Tarrant, I’m still the same Alice.”
He mumbled something under his breath and turned around quickly. Mally chased after him. “Hatter!” she cried as they walked away.
“What’s wrong with Tarrant?” asked Alice.
Chess spun around lazily. “Did you ever ask which part of Underland you were queen of?” he wondered.
“No.” It was something Alice didn’t even consider since she had no intention of holding the title once Mirana returned to Mamoreal.
“For centuries, Witzend and Ipalm have been unofficially part of the White Queen’s realm due to lack of a monarch. But, it seems, Queen Alice, you have filled in the void,” Chess purred.
“I’m Queen of the Outlanders?” she asked incredulously.
“In title only, of course. I doubt you could convince the majority of them to follow your rule. They have, after all, been on their own for a long time. Most of them abhor the idea of a ruler,” he replied. “Including myself.”
She watched Tarrant leaning against the tree in the distance with a worried glance. “That’s why Tarrant acted so odd.”
“It’s not just that,” he disagreed. “He doesn’t know quite how to react about the news concerning the Frabjousness when I brought it up earlier.”
Alice looked at Chess, now floating several feet in front of her. “What’s that?”
The Cat sighed. “I thought they--the future Absolem or Mirana--would have told you about it when you were the Queen’s Champion. Especially when Tarrant asked you to stay,” he said avoiding her question with a drawn out sigh. “Of course it is up to me to explain everything.”
“Chess,” she pushed, “what is a Frabjousness?”
“You are familiar with the term Frabjous, yes?”
“I thought it was the day when I slew...I mean, am going to slay...the Jabberwocky.”
“While that is true, the word Frabjous means perfect balance. When you slay the Jabberwocky, it will bring a stability to Underland that we haven’t seen in millennia. But its power is not limited to events. People can have the power of Frabjous within them,” he explained. He licked his paws. “Like you and Tarrant.”
Though she didn’t know what he was talking about, Alice felt a blush crawl up on her cheeks. “What does this have to do with the two of us?”
Chess didn’t answer her question and instead presented one of his own. “Tell me, Alice, how much Outlandish to you know?” he asked off-handedly, his tail swishing back and froth.
“Very few words,” she admitted.
“Yet you were able to use some quite…colorful Outlandish when you were fighting with Stayne,” he noted with a grin. “And, despite Tarrant’s terrible propensity to hold a grunge for a century or two, he managed look past his Suspicion and trust you rather quickly.”
Alice turned her head slightly. “And that’s because of this Frabjousness?”
Chess grinned. “Precisely. The Frabjousness kindles a connection between two people. When the process is complete, it is a complete merging of hearts, minds and souls.”
Alice froze, not sure if she was comfortable with such an intrusion on her individuality.
“What do you mean ‘a complete merging’?” she asked. “I won’t be Alice anymore?”
“Of course you will maintain your individuality,” he huffed. “Perhaps you would better understand it better if I told you that you will become more than you could have been without Tarrant. The two of you will balance each other perfectly. I suspect the last time you were here, you felt that pull before.”
Alice thought about it. Of course that’s why the two of them had seemed so close when she had returned to Underland the first time! She thought about her conversation with Tarrant on the castle balcony, two half-mad kindred spirits, sharing a quiet moment together.
“There are steps you will need learn to make sure you will not consume each other,” Chess continued, “but that will be for Absolem to teach you once you return to Mamoreal.”
Alice watched as Tarrant started placing the field…vigorously. “What if one of us don’t want to go through with the Frabjousness?”
“You must stop the process. Without intervening, the connection will only grow stronger regardless if you and Tarrant are willing participants or not,” he answered lazily.
“In fact, since you are now Queen of the Outlanders, it might be best to end the Frabjousness. To pursue a relationship--let alone allow a Frabjousness to be completed--with one of your subjects could be quite…scandalous.” he ended with a smile on his face.
“I wore trousers instead of dresses for three years while I was at sea, I never wore a corset to any of Mother’s events and I hate the feel of stockings. Scandals and I have a long history together,” she argued back. She had never backed down from a challenge and she certainly wasn’t going to break that pattern now.
But, she admitted, as much as she wanted to learn more about the Frabjousness, they still had a Queen to save.
She looked at Tarrant. “Will he be alright?” she asked.
“You are his Queen now. He will do whatever you ask of him. Though,” he said as he started to fade away. “I hardly believe you would have had any trouble getting him to do what you wanted even without that crown on your head.”
Frabjousness, his Hope cheered, could be th’ beginning’ o‘ somethin’ Unimaginable between ye an’ Alice.
Frabjousness, his Fear whispered, could scare Alice awa’ from ye fer good.
Frabjousness, his Affection shouted, could keep Alice wi’ ye forever.
“Stop pacing!” Mally yelled. “You’re gonna step on me if you ain’t careful!”
Tarrant paused long enough for her to scurry up him and sit on his shoulder. He began his pacing as soon as she was settled.
Why hadn’t he known about this Frabjousness before? And, more importantly, why did it have to be Chess who told him about it? The smug grin he wore the entire time he told Tarrant about the bond had nearly driven the Hatter mad.
“Frabjousness,” he repeated as twirled Alice’s top hat in his hands. “Me and Alice…can you believe that?”
“You can always end the rite,” Mally offered.
He watched Alice--no, Queen Alice--talk with Chess, looking in his direction periodically. He had little doubt that Chess was filling her in on the details of the Frabjousness. “I do nae want tae dae that,” he admitted softly, turning his gaze away from her.
“I knew ya were going to say that,” Mally replied sadly.
“Dae ye think she would…want tae? Wi’ me?” he asked vulnerably.
He looked at Alice, looking quite Muchy with the long-lost crown of the Outlanders on her head. She was a Queen and a Champion. A Mad hatter didn’t fit in with those positions of high caliber, his Doubt sneered.
“If she ain’t interested, I’ll be glad to give her a poke in the right direction,” Mally replied, punctuating her statement with a stab in the air.
“Nae, Mally, if she doesn’t want tae, ‘en there will be nae more talk o it,” insisted Tarrant. Despite the nearly overwhelming-irrestible-inescapable! urge to stay with Alice forever, he would end the rite if she requested it.
The dormouse kicked him on his shoulder. “Are ya madder than normal? Of course she’s interested! She’s enamored with ya, Hatter!”
“Me?” he asked in Disbelief. Certainly Mally was Confused.
“Of course, you lump! Little Miss ‘your eyes are purple’ is smitten with ya!”
He looked at his friend and shook his head. “I fear, Mally, that you--”
A loud swishing sound interrupted their conversation. Tarrant tensed. The only creature he knew that was large enough to make that particular noise was the Jabberwocky. Without thinking, he made his way to Alice, his queen, determined to protect her.
He ran across the field, ready to do what he needed to do to make sure she stayed safe. As he approached her, he located the source of the sound. It was, in fact, not a Jabberwocky, but a--
“Phoenix,” Alice whispered.
The large bird, which was slightly bigger than a Jubjub, was covered in soft, multicolored, iridescent feathers. They watched as the beautiful bird slowed down its flight and landed next to them.
“Your highness,” the rich voice of the Phoenix said. “I have come to take you to Tulgey Woods. A challenge has been issued to you by Iracebeth of Salazen Grum of Crims and Mirana of Mamoreal.”
Tarrant’s heart tightened. Were they too late to save the White Queen?
Alice squared her shoulders as the weight of the news settled in. Tarrant wanted--oh how he wanted!--to reach out and touch her, but with the newness of the news concerning Frabjousness and her position as Queen, he didn’t know how well his comfort would be received.
“Very well, but first I must go to Mamoreal.” She turned to the others. “Let’s go.”
Tarrant watched as Mally climbed on the back of the Phoenix. He held his hand out in front of him. He swallowed thickly, forcing all the questions--Did she want to go through with the Frabjousness? Did she him differently now that she was a queen?-- away. “After you, milady.”
“Tarrant,” she said quietly. She reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze.
He looked at their linked hands, wondering how such a small gesture could make him so unshattermade. He lifted his eyes to hers.
She didn‘t step onto the Phoenix’s back right away as Tarrant thought she would. “Chess told me about the Frabjousness,” she said, capturing his gaze.
His Denial did not want hear what Alice had to say. As long as she didn’t bring it up, then he could Believe that she would want to complete the Frabjousness with him.
“I’d figured he would,” he finally said.
To his Surprise and Delight, she grinned at him. “It would seem that we’ll have another adventure waiting for us when this is over,” Alice said.
Another adventure? Certainly there wasn’t more danger wait for them--Understanding rushed in and explained that she was, in fact, speaking of the Frabjousness. “Uh, yes,” he stammered. “It does seem that way, doesn’t it?”
She wanted to go through with the process! Tarrant resisted the urge to Futterwacken right there!
She laughed softly at his Joy before taking a seat on the enormous Phoenix’s back. “Your eyes are purple again,” she noted when he took his position on the back of the bird.
“Yes, well,” he mused as the Phoenix began its flight, “I believe I have come up with the perfect word to describe this feeling: Aliceness.”
Part 6