Loved these lines:
A stab of something painful crossed through Duchess. She could feel it trembling under her skin. Her heart was breaking.
She was the grit and the pearl both. Duchess felt that emotion stab through her again. It took her breath away.
Jack stood like a statue, all in black. Duchess was merely nearby, a vision in gold and white, because he was the King and she wasn't his consort.
And that chink inside of her that had always fiercely cared for him sparked brightly.
He was building a new house of cards. It was a baffling new game.
She crouched beside him, so difficult in her beautiful shoes, and pressed gloved hands to his shoulders, his arms, even his face. Reassurance. It was always green in the bottle and tasted of solid plans and her wardrobe in perfect bountiful order. But something bled through, something real. It shook her from the inside out. She cared, so much.
He had not squashed her stature in Wonderland. He was curious what she would do with it now.
"And you always hated it," she replied with a softness that surprised them both.
It was like a slap. Duchess teetered between hideous understanding and denial. An indignant shriek howled inside her, followed swiftly by the honeyed tone she'd always used to smooth away Jack's suspicions. But her instincts, always her greatest weapon, supplied her true voice. Incredulous and hurt.
Duchess was left behind, something hard in her chest. It coloured her dreams.
Duchess smiled, amusement and pain colliding in delirious agony under the surface. How exquisitely ironic that she continued to speak the truth, honest and actual, and he would always take it as a lie.
"I care about you, Jack," his name singed the atmosphere. Something ignited and cooled all at once.
It was the most complete truth she had ever spoken aloud to him. It was there now, between them, his to disbelieve and discard. Jack didn't walk away. He looked at her, his expression troubled. Searching.
"I don't trust you."
Duchess wasn't surprised. She was resigned, a flavour she had never tasted before. She was exhausted by it. "I know."
The King is to have a White Queen.
Jack let her leave and Duchess felt his eyes at the middle of her back. Not judging her or even scornful, but puzzled and intrigued and always always searching.

This really is my favorite Duchess story! I wish there were more written about her, you've made me care about her :)
I am just a little confused about the term "White Queen". Is it because she is a Diamond? (I'm not sure if that is canon, actually, I've just read it somewhere..)

This is really well written - I especially love the mention of teas and how they taste, how they are just snuck in and not focused on. I would love to read more in this storyline. What makes a White Queen? Does Jack ever come to believe Duchess? Is a coup in favor of the Queen of Hearts attempted? Give us more!

I absolutely loved your characterization of the Duchess. How she takes charge and then with Charlie, it makes it clear what she will soon become. And the unease with Jack...I don't know, kind f brings hope. I absolutely loved it.

No! Not the end! *Please,* you have to write more. Duchess/Jack is so bloody hard to do properly, and yet you've managed it beautifully. I just need a proper resolution!

Oh, gosh...that was amazing! *U*

For some reason, I love reading about these two! There's just so much there, you know? XD

Gosh...Duchess has so much to fix between them. :'( It's almost really sad that she can't make him believe her! :( Gosh, but she's so true now...GORGEOUS! *U* She cares for him so much, too, even if she DOES wish she had a Tea to fix things... U

Jack, too; he really IS a complex man, huh? His dealings with Hatter were so sweet, and the fact that he sometimes notices things about Duchess and rarely shows emotion...! The ending was GORGEOUS! He might finally be seeing her (starting, at least) at last! *U*

I loved the inclusion of Charlie! Gotta love the crazy Knight! His place in the Palace is so expected and sweet! *U*

Rock on! This was a gorgeous tribute to Duchess and Jack! U *U*

Ever-so sincerely signed,

Shizuku Tsukishima749 :D ;D :) ;)

This was great! I love Duchess-centric stories. She was severely underused in the show.

This was good! I don't usually read stories about Jack and the Duchess but I decided that I'd try at least one. I'm glad I picked yours. I really did enjoy it!

This is FABULOUS. Such a wonderful look at the Duchess post-show.

I think this is a great story. I really liked Duchess in the series and would love to see more fics with her or her and Jack together in them.

Other then that, I think you captured both characters wonderfully and had a realistic version of post-series Wonderland. Good job.

~Blaze

I found this to be one of the best After-Alice fics I had read. You captured the Duchess beautifully.

This was lovely; I'd found the Duchess to be quite interesting in the show, and it really seemed like she cared about Jack. You did a good job revealing the post-Alice wonderland, the longing for the certainty of liquid emotion instead of the muddy waters that come with true feelings. Both Jack and the Duchess acted true to their characters, and you finished the story with a lovely taste of hope. Thanks for writing an "Alice" story.