Author's Note: Hi, everyone! Just a quick notes before we get started. First of all, I'd like to emphasize that this is a SEQUEL to my other story "Reflections of a Champion," so if you haven't read that story, please consider reading it first, otherwise this one won't really make any sense. Second, I'd like to thank my friend KatherineNotGreat for allowing me to adapt a scene from one of her stories to fit this one and for helping me realize what a fun character Stayne can be to write. (Though the Hatter's still my fav.) Last but not least, I don't own Alice in Wonderland, but I DO own my OC's Violet, Hazel, and Phoenix. If you ever want to use any of these OC's in your future stories, you're welcome to do so as long as you credit me. Alright, that's it! Please R&R and enjoy!

~CaptainHooksGirl~

Chapter 1: Red Tide Rising

Queen Mirana Stayne stepped gracefully into the edge of the surf, her pale bare feet sinking slightly into the sand as the sparkling waters of the Crimson Sea rushed around her ankles in turquoise rivulets [1]. She closed her eyes and sighed happily, relishing the feel of the sand between her toes and the tangy, salty scent of the ocean.

Ever since she could remember Mirana had loved visiting the coast. As a child, she had come often with her family, occasionally convincing her parents to allow the royal hatter's apprentice or the young knave-in-training to tag along with them. Mirana smiled at the memory of a much younger Stayne chasing her round the beach, flinging gobs of goopy, wet sand like snowballs at her perfectly pristine white bathing gown. In the end, of course, he had caught up to her, smearing sand all over her dress. She'd returned the favor by sticking a crab down the back of his shirt, giggling like mad as he danced around the beach trying to get it off and stumbled right into Racy's magnificent sand castle. Afterwards, they'd both gotten a good screaming at from the red-haired princess and a couple of pinches from the understandably irate crustacean, but it had been fun, nonetheless, and it remained one of her favorite childhood memories.

She frowned, suddenly. It had been nearly four years since the death of her sister, and while she should have been happy about the end of the Red Queen's reign of terror, it saddened her that they had not been able to come to a peaceful agreement.

She stared at her reflection, the afternoon sunlight illuminating her shoulder-length hair like ringlets of white gold around her pale cheeks. Her sleeveless white gown fell to her ankles in uneven swaths of gauzy-like material accented with tiny seed pearls and silvery sequins that glistened with every ruffle of the breeze. She studied the other-self with interest. Though she was taller and more slender than her sister, she had the same porcelain skin, the same liquid obsidian eyes, the same blood that ran through her veins. No matter how much she might want to escape the shadow of her elder sister, she was always there in the mirror, staring back at her in her own face, haunting her. Mirana was nothing like Iracebeth, would never become the monster that her sister had been, but the thought that she had been ultimately responsible for the Red Queen's death troubled her.

The gentle warmth of a hand on her shoulder brought Mirana out of such melancholy thoughts as the dark figure of her husband joined her reflection. Standing more than two feet taller than her and garbed in a black waistcoat and matching cloak, the former knave was quite an imposing figure. He wrapped his good arm around her waist and drew her close against his side.

"Remember when we used to come here as children?"

The queen smiled and looked up from her reflection, reaching a hand up to stroke his handsome scarred face. "How could I forget?"

The king smirked. "Well, if your memory needs refreshing…"

The queen put her hands on her hips and gave him a mock glare. "Illosovic Stayne, if you dare throw sand at me again, I will personally see to it that your lovely silk cloak is thoroughly drenched in seawater…Unless, of course, you desire to have another crab down your shirt!"

The former knave raised an eyebrow and gave a rakish grin. "'Tis you that I desire, my queen."

She shoved him away playfully. "Oh, you horrid man!"

He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips, then grinned again. "Come, now. That wasn't so absolutely horrid, was it?"

Mirana shook her head and laughed softly. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you, Stayne."

A sudden squeal of childish laughter and raucous splashing cut short their conversation as a small girl in a lavender dress ran wildly through the tide pools, short black curls bouncing against her shoulders with each step of her pudgy snow-white legs.

"She's growing up quickly," Stayne mused. "Seems as though only yesterday the kingdom was celebrating her birth."

"Yes. It's hard to believe she's already three years old." The queen smiled. "She reminds me so much of you."

Stayne snorted. "Well, let's hope she didn't inherit my rather poor moral compass. Lord help us all if her adolescent years are anything like mine!"

Before Mirana could respond, she heard another loud series of splashes coming from behind and felt a small pair of wet arms wrap around her leg. "Mummy! Daddy! Guess what I found!"

Stayne knelt down so that he'd be closer to his daughter's level, his long cape billowing in the breeze behind him. "What have you found, my little flower? A pretty seashell, perhaps?"

The girl shook her head excitedly. "Nope! Even better! I found pirate treasure!"
The king gave his wife an amused grin before looking back to their daughter. "Really, now? Well, that certainly is a most interesting find! May I see it?"

The dark-haired girl jabbed a hand into her dress pocket, then put her tiny fist in her father's open palm, uncurling her chubby fingers to reveal a large ruby pendant attached to a golden chain. Stayne's jaw went slack and Mirana gave a sudden gasp.

"Isn't it pretty, Daddy? It even has our sign, see? May I keep it, Daddy? May I?"

Stayne hesitantly flipped the pendant over, and sure enough, there was Underland's royal family crest – a dove with an olive branch settled atop a heart-shaped shield guarded by a lion on the left and a unicorn on the right. [2] He held the necklace by the chain, allowing the precious stone to dangle loosely, spinning slightly in the warm sea breeze. He'd recognize this pendant anywhere. When he finally found his voice, it was a harsh whisper. "Violet, darling, where did you find this?"[3]

The girl bit her lip and looked down at her bare feet, wiggling her toes in the sand. "In one of the pools. I was digging in the sand to make a sand castle, and I found it." She looked up into her father's single eye, her own dark eyes clouded with confusion. "Am I in trouble?"

Mirana placed a gentle hand on her daughter's head. "No, dear one. Of course not." She tried to smile, but it was a strained, painful effort.

Violet frowned. "What's wrong, Mummy?"

"Nothing, Violet, dear."

"You look sad."

Mirana smiled at her daughter's concern. "Well, you know what would make me feel better? A big, beautiful seashell. Do you think could find one for me?"

The girl nodded seriously. "Oh, yes, Mummy! I'll find you the prettiest shell in the whole world! Just wait and see!" And with that, she ran off, completely forgetting about the reaction her "pirate treasure" had caused, for what troubles a grown-up will never trouble a child.[4]

Mirana sighed, taking the necklace from her husband and running her thumb over the golden etching of the family emblem. She leaned against his chest and allowed a few hot tears to slip down her porcelain cheeks. "Is it wrong of me to still miss her this much?"

"She was your sister…It is not wrong for you to love her."

Mirana shook her head. "She killed so many innocent people. How can I still care for someone who has caused the ones I love so much suffering?"

He knew she was speaking of the Horevundush Day, though she did not say so out loud. "You forget that I was as much a part of what happened that day as Iracebeth." He smiled sadly at his wife, his queen. "Yet somehow you still manage to love me."

"If not for her, you never would have done it in the first place."

"I am a grown man, Mirana. I made the decision to follow her orders."

"But when you were given a second chance, you made the right decision. That is why I love you." She glanced down at the pendant in her hand. "I gave her this on her eighteenth birthday. She was wearing it on the day of the battle."

Stayne wrapped his arms around her. "While there are many things in my life that I regret, eliminating Iracebeth is not one of them, but I am sorry for the pain that I have caused you in doing so."

Mirana felt fresh tears escape her eyes. "You did what I should have done, what I could not do…"

"I can understand why it wouldn't be easy for you."

"Doing the right thing isn't always easy." Mirana laid her head against his chest and looked up into his single eye. "Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?"

She motioned to the beautiful beach scene before them. "For this…for our daughter…for everything."

"Mummy! Mummy!" The queen felt a soft tug at her skirt and looked down to see Violet holding up a large purple and cream colored conch shell. "This is for you! It took me forever to find it, but I think I got the right one. Do you like it?"

Mirana smiled and bent down to accept the shell, placing a kiss atop her daughter's soft, black curls. "It's perfect, darling. Perfect and beautiful just like my little girl. Now, then, I think it's time for us to be heading home."

"Awwww! Mummy, must we leave now?"

"I'm afraid so. It will be getting dark soon, and the horses have been waiting for quite some time."

Stayne spoke up. "Why don't you come and help me with horses, Violet?"

Pouting, she reluctantly reached up to grab her father's hand. "Alright…"

Mirana shot her husband a knowing glance, then looked back to their daughter. "You two run along now, I'll be there shortly."

For a while, she watched them leave, father and daughter walking hand in hand. It was rather amusing to see such an awkwardly tall man, missing an eye as well as a hand, leading such a small and innocent young girl, but to the queen, the sight was heartwarming. Turning back to the sea, she looked out toward the horizon, to the place where Iracebeth's body had been laid to rest. Blinking back her tears, she held the pendant close to her heart and whispered the words she'd never had the chance to say on the battlefield so long ago.

"Fairfarren, dear sister. You will always be in my heart."

Receiving no answer but the whisper of the waves, the queen sighed and turned to leave. Had she lingered a bit longer, she would have noticed the setting sun staining the water an ominous shade of red.

[1] Yes, I realize that a "sea" and an "ocean" are not technically the same thing, but I wanted to do a "beach scene" in this chapter so please just ignore this inaccuracy for the time being.

[2] The dove, representing peace and purity, is symbolic of Mirana. The heart-shaped shield ideally represents love, but is also symbolic of Iracebeth, the "Queen of Hearts." The lion (courage and royalty) and the unicorn (magic and the healing arts) are a nod to the original Alice books in which the two creatures constantly fight for the crown.

[3] For those of you who remember from "Reflections of a Champion," violet is Mirana's favorite color, and Stayne, as one of the few people who knows this about her, presented her with a black rose tinged in violet as a token of his love on the evening before the final battle with Alicia and Iracebeth. When Mirana finally gave birth to the child she was carrying at Alice's return, they named the beautiful baby girl "Violet" in honor of their love for one another. Though future "White Queen," Violet loves the color purple just like her mother and wears it constantly.

[4] Reference to Peter Pan.