It seemed like the worse things only happened to her, she thought. Whether she'd like it or not, she'd become Alice Hartziene, and now faces another mysterious character she likely didn't want to know.
The man kneeling by her was worried beyond belief as far as she could tell, there was no way to turn him away. Without warning, he picked her up bridal style and carried her, wrapping her hands around his neck.
"Uhm, mister?" She tried to ask but he already started making his way up the hill. He said nothing as they made their way further, where she took a look around since she wasn't being put down anytime soon.
The higher they got, the more she'd seen the manor drawn on the map clearly. It was large and white, some golden black accents and hints of green with the foliage growing on it. It looked new, but the plants made her think they didn't maintain the house too well.
"Just a little longer and I'll get some medicine, I'm sorry I couldn't find you sooner." He said with a sad look in his eyes, as they approached the manor ahead.
The place was quite desolate, there were no people like at the red queen's castle, but rather it felt like no one even lived at such a place. The inside was cold and quiet, yet filled with bright lights from the chandeliers, and filled with a certain aroma.
She was placed down on a large white sofa with what looked like gold engravings. The man she'd just met walked off to presumably get her medicine, and she looked at her staff.
He'd carried it for her, including her bag. She didn't think he was that bad of a person, but she learned better than to trust people within this world. If he tried to lock her up or kill her, she'd be forced to retaliate. She didn't want to use any dangerous spells, though.
A barrier of light would be perfect if it worked, but life isn't that easy. She couldn't teleport using magic, either. Her level of magic was slighter greater than a witch at the moment, not a great magician's.
As she put her staff beside her, the man returned and immediately went to her foot. "You poor thing, that must hurt. You're so tiny and already wearing such high heels." He said as he started applying some ointment.
It stung quite a bit, but she endured it. Her body's pain tolerance wasn't too high she thought, and became thankful he carried her if she was flinching just from ointment being applied.
As he bandaged it, she could hear him purr slightly, smiling at her. "Perhaps you got lost, but not many in the Hatter territory would come here if they've got any idea of what goes on. I'd take you home, but it isn't that simple, right?" He asked.
She was scared he was. How would she approach the topic of asking him to tell her his magic? "Well… actually." She begun while pausing multiple times over.
He took the seat next to her and patted her on the head, and took over. "I'm assuming you've just been given a role? There were a lot of us like you at first. Don't be too anxious just because you've seen death." He said, causing her eyes to widen.
What was he talking about when she only just got there. There's no way he could know about Cynthia, so was it an old role-keeper? "Still, as long as you do your role nothing can touch you. You'll be safe as long as you just do your part." He tried to console, but only made her feel worse.
Stay safe? Do her part? If she did then more than likely he'd be the one to end her life instead for touching the white queen.
"Actually, I am Alice." She said abruptly, interrupting him. He was telling her things which only made her feel worse that she just wanted him to stop.
He acted like this was normal as well. She couldn't tolerate people treating life carelessly. "I'm sorry, but I'm not the role-keeper you're expecting." She said, thinking he misunderstood her. Perhaps the Mad Hatter Faction was expecting a new member?
"Ah, thank you! I suppose calling you Great Magician might of made you feel awkward?" He laughed lightly and pat her head again, making her freeze.
Her eyes widened and she felt a thick lump in her throat as she tried to swallow it down. There's no way he could of known about her so quickly.
The look on his face was replaced by a cheshire grin. "If you want to know, it's my role. The Great Magician is a little girl with bright eyes. Her job is to destroy the white queen." He explained.
She had no clue what his magic was, but it likely pertained to getting information. "Please, do your best in killing her majesty. I beg you, do not hesitate in killing Queen Lexia." His smile returned to normal.
Lisabeth, also known as Lexia. She had always used the name Lexia as an alias, but she soon begun to believe it as the other way around. Lisabeth was likely a name she adopted after fleeing. She had even become her disciple under the name "Lexia".
The question was why the man in front of her told her to do the job. His cheshire grin soon vanished and his docile look returned.
Taking a deep breath in, she found her courage. "Mister… cat? Would you mind telling me more about Le.. Miss Lexia?" She asked, looking him in the eyes.
He smiled and leaned back, crossing one leg over the other. "Cheshire Cat, at your service. I know everything about everyone, so of course. My role is to be a pet, but not every pet likes their master." She could see a sense of burning animosity behind his eyes.
"Her highness, the white queen, should not be taken lightly. It's a whole large affair… but she's able to manipulate the Mad Hatter quite easily. Please, kill her before he sinks further into her clutches." It nearly sounded like a beg near the end to her.
Unknowingly, she found herself reaching and patting his head lightly as he did to her before. "She will kill whoever is in her path to become queen… even if they're her own subjects." He began to struggle talking as he clasped onto his neck.
"A true monster that needs to be ended before he finds her, in his delusional state, my only advice is to make her feel secure until you're able to break her." He rasped out now on the ground as she panicked.
Water bottle! She found in her bag after throwing a bunch of junk out. Quickly, she handed to him although unable to open the cap.
She wished her frail body was stronger, she'd thought. "Are you alright, mister cat?" She asked panicked.
How come he suddenly started choking on air? Why was he on the floor kneeling over in a pained-like state?
Coughing, he drank it all. "Sorry, did i worry you?" He asked as he banged on his chest and sat up again, smiling at her. Reaching out, he pat her on the head consoling her.
Why was he concerned for her when he was the one suffocating? "You're too kind, Alice. You don't need to worry since I'm a housepet, talking ill of my owner gets me punished." He said as he lowered his shirt which showed a tight collar he wore. Huh?
The collar was slowly loosening, and eventually rested. He truly was treated as though he was just an animal…
She felt sorry for him and understood now why he wouldn't like her, she definitely wouldn't want a collar, but she still didn't think she could trust him.
He's the enemy, she repeated. No matter how kind, even Dee was insane when his illness kicked in and so would his.
He took death lightly, too. She didn't agree with that, and yet she believed he's the only one at the moment who'd give her answers.
She didn't like seeing him in pain, so she'd avoid the topic of Lisabeth. This was strictly a business relationship, she'd thought.
"Who is the man you were talking about?" She asked after he assured her multiple times he was in fact fine, and the collar stopped.
With a sad look, he got up. "Mad Hatter," he said while gesturing for her to follow. "A long time ago, the roles reset. A whole new generation was born. Thus started the rule of the red queen, and white."
He took her into a room filled with toys to the brim for a young girl. Some even looked like romance novels or things a teenage girl likes, she'd thought as the man pulled out a book.
Out came pictures like a popout, as he finished. "Two babies were born, one with brilliant red hair, and the other of pure white," the book showed two small babies wrapped in blankets, both in their respective families. "The girl of white was born to him, a boy barely ten years of age." With that, a young boy popped out of the girl's family, a worried expression.
"The boy knew the girl would be forced into a role, and upon hearing it to be queen, he volunteered to be the Mad Hatter," with that, it showed the next page of a boy pleading before a man with great height and long ears. "Please, at least allow me to watch over her until my death."
There she saw the next page of a man with black hair and a ruby red gaze. "Very well, the black rabbit said and allowed this. The young boy thanked him although separated from his sister, the white queen, who was forced to live in the castle until five years of age."
The book showed the white queen and red queen. She was marvelous and perfect while he looked neglected and uncared for.
"Thus, the fates of red and white were born until the red queen chased the white queen away after a talk they had one night."
"The white queen ran away with tears in her eyes and went to the Mad Hatter unknowingly. She'd only ever seen it once on a map," he explained while the book showed the red queen slapping her, and a transition to the manor.
As the man flipped the page, his gaze worsened as he gripped his neck. "I only killed a bird! That's no reason to yell at me, doesn't he like pain?" She asked innocently to the man before her she didn't know to be her brother.
"Hiding behind a cute exterior. The white queen already learned to mask herself. The second she was born, she'd cause calamity. The man knew this but protected her. He encouraged her." He said while the popout showed a teenage boy her age consoling the girl.
The book showed many more instances of the white queen's deeds while acting cute, not intending to harm. "Eventually, he took over and chased her away, but the Mad Hatter protected her repeatedly," he swallowed before continuing. "Knowing she was filled with evil he still let her escape with a device he created after living in seclusion trying to actually help her live." The last page of the book showed an older man with a miserable look.
Closing it, the Cheshire Cat got up and held his hand out to her. "To this day, he hasn't given up. As long as that woman lives, he yearns to protect her and save her life even if it means risking his, just as a hope she could return to normal after success."
She felt chills up her spine as he reached towards her with such trembling eyes. She couldn't tell if he disliked or pitied the Mad Hatter. It reminded her of her sister. Even though Alice was a lost cause, she stuck with her to the very end and even cried over her despite her being the embarrassing of the family, just because they were sisters, but could she really justify the Mad Hatter's actions? No way