~Six Months Later~

Nell stood in the full length mirror in her bedchamber in Marmoreal. She had just risen from bed, bathed, and was now finishing up the little details of dressing for the day. She gave one last pull at her corset strings and when she was sure they were tight enough, she sighed.

It had been six months since Alice had slayed the Jabberwocky on the Frabjous Day. She had single-handedly freed Underland from its former gruesome monarch, Iracebeth, the Red Queen. Underland had now entered an era of peace.

Unfortunately, it was rather boring.

Nell, quite used to living at court under a queen, was having a hard time adjusting to her new life in Marmoreal. The White Queen was kind and gracious to her and Nell adored her, but her kingdom ran so smoothly that most days she spent bored out of her mind.

In Salazen Grum, being the youngest courtier to the Red Queen meant that she played a special role in the court. The Red Queen used to have her strung up in the fanciest gowns, had her laden with expensive, ruby jewelry and made sure to it that she was as educated as she possibly could be. As a young girl, Nell was constantly being dragged about on morning strolls on the castle rooftop, bade to observe the queen's croquet matches, and even expected to be present at all executions. When wealthy visitors came to the castle for social events, or to invest in the Red Alliance, the queen was always hosting prestigious balls, and Nell was forced to attend every single one. By the time she had been in court a year, practically everyone in Underland knew who she was.

In Marmoreal, though, things were much different.

The White Queen was not at all like her sister. She took no pride in fancy gowns or heavy jewelry. She was rather a quiet queen, never raising her voice at anyone. She enjoyed her long hours of reading Underland's history books, her relaxed afternoon tea parties in the afternoon, mornings spent experimenting in her spell room, and even the gentle council meetings she held once a week. When she was to leave for procession, it was to aid families whose homes were destroyed by whatever means had brought doom upon them, sitting bedside by the sick who were readying to pass on, and even off blessing the poor with alms. She was a gentle creature, the White Queen.

After being stabbed by Iracebeth on the Frabjous Day, Nell was bedridden for nearly a month afterward, but not because she had chosen to be. Iracebeth's blade had struck her roughly a quarter of an inch away from her heart, which worried the White Queen greatly. In case Nell's heart had taken any damage, she ordered her stay in her sick bed until she felt it was prevalent to have her continue her normal lifestyle. She had her under constant watch, and did everything she could to assure the girl not get worked up, out of fear that it was to be discovered that her heart had actually been effected.

But it had not. And after a long month, Nell was brought to court properly.

Nell was given free-roam of Marmoreal and everything in it, within reason, of course. Unfortunately Marmoreal was not a place where exciting events transpired often. The White Queen barely had any visitors- no one to approach her and beg her for help in exchange for their loyalty. Unlike Salazen Grum, Marmoreal did not have reason to be attacked. When the Red Queen still sat on the throne, the Resistance had risen and had often tried to breach the castle walls via violent attacks, none were successful, but Nell had to admit that being amidst a small battle on the homefront had been exciting to her.

Nell's life had become a repetitive loop of tea drinking, napping, and sitting about the castle with her friends. The majority of her friends lived right there in Marmoreal, which was good for her, but when they banded together they always struggled to find a new activity to keep them busy. Chessur, Mally, Bayard and the Tweedles were regular visitors. Tarrant Hightopp lived in an immense hat-shaped house just east of the castle, but since Alice had returned to her home Above, Tarrant had taken to staying in a lot.

Once Nell was ready for the day, she left her chambers and headed for the throne room. It was not likely that the Queen would be there, but she found it easier to scrounge up conversation there.

Much to her surprise, when she pushed open the massive, white marbled doors, she took notice of the Queen, perched on her throne. The Queen's facial expression was twisted into utter confusion. There was no one else in the throne room.

"Majesty," Nell said, dropping into a curtsy.

"Nell, my dearest," cooed the queen. "I was just about to have you fetched. Come here, there is something I need to discuss with you."

Rising, Nell nodded, then went to the queen. To the right side of the throne was a fluffy white chair, this was Nell's seat when the Queen had visitors. She went to it and sat right down, not saying a word.

The Queen turned her face to Nell and her eyes widened. "You are never going to believe the news I have received today."

"What is it, madam?" Nell asked. "Is it of the good variety?"

The Queen shook her head, her white tendrils shaking everywhere. "I'm afraid not. It seems that Ilosovic Stayne has decided to go against his banishment. He was spotted just yesterday in a small village in the Tulgey Wood."

Nell felt odd. She had known Stayne well the past six years, and ignoring an order directly from a monarch was not something she'd ever expect him to do. Then again there had been those times he had completely ignored the Red Queen, such as when he had freed her from her dungeon. He had put his head on the line for her that day.

"He's being insubordinate," Nell observed.

"That he is," the Queen agreed. "Unfortunately, Stayne is not my main concern right now. It's my sister. Obviously they are no longer bound together and who in Underland knows what she could be up to."

In the six months since the Frabjous Day, no one in Marmoreal had heard anything of Iracebeth and Stayne. After a few weeks, Nell presumed them to be dead. If Iracebeth was alive, there was no way in Underland that she planned on remaining dormant. She was much too high strung for that.

"What do you plan to do, majesty?" Nell asked.

The Queen stared off into the corner of the room, where the White Champions armor stood poised on a pedestal. Her eyes looked glossy, as if dazed. "I have not a notion," she replied. "If I was to send a party out after Iracebeth…. She may be expecting that. I don't wish to send my men into a trap."

"You could send someone after Stayne," Nell suggested. She had sat in on many of the Red Queen's council meetings, where she had learned the tactics of running a kingdom.

The Queen's posture stiffened a bit. "Yes," she replied. "However they may be working together to get me on a hook."

Nell thought she'd attempt to seize the opportunity. "You could send Me after Stayne, majesty," she suggested. "The knave and I have always gotten along well."

Immediately the Queen shook her head. "No, Nell, I do not wish to send you off into what could possibly be one of Iracebeth's schemes. Especially after….." She reached a soft, pale hand up and placed it over the scar of Nell's stab wound. "No doubt if Iracebeth got her hands on you…."

She was right. As much as Nell would have loved to be able to leave Marmoreal on a quest for her new queen, it was very dangerous, especially if Iracebeth was involved. The only way Nell was to leave Marmoreal was if she was at the side of the White Queen.

It royally vexed Mirana that Ilosovic Stayne would go against her orders like he had. She began to feel irritated. She had wanted Stayne and Iracebeth as far away from her kingdom as possible so she could assure that Underland was peaceful, yet the Knave had crossed a line he shouldn't have. No doubt that Iracebeth was behind it.

"I think I will discuss this with Lord Tuppley," the Queen decided. "Once a plan is made, I will call for you. Until then, I forbid you to leave the grounds, Nell."

"Yes, your majesty," Nell agreed. She did not in any way want to argue with her new overseer. She kissed the Queen's hand lightly, curtsied, and gingerly walked from the throne room.

She went back to her bedchamber, and locked the door behind her. She went to the massive shelving unit mounted to the west wall of her chamber. On the third shelf was a hefty wooden black box, adorned with little crimson hearts. After she had healed from her injury, the Queen had taken her to Salazen Grum so she could collect her personals from her old bedchamber. Much to her dismay, she had discovered that the castle was being overgrown by massive vines and the great black and red rooms were overtaken by many species of birds.

She plucked the box from the shelf and went to her bed.

She opened it and reached a hand in.

Inside was her favorite pair of gold earrings, heart-shaped, set with vibrant rubies. Also was the matching gold and ruby choker, and the sewn ribbon rose Tarrant had given to her on her very first week of the Red court.

On the bottom of the box was none other than Iracebeth's old leather-bound journal. Before the Frabjous Day, the White Queen had given it to her, claiming that inside were the secrets as to who her birth family was. Unfortunately the only key in existence that unlocked it was in Iracebeth's possession.

Iracebeth had studied Dominion Over Living Things and dark spellcraft as a young woman, and the White Queen had warned her that the journal had been enchanted. It was impossible to open it without the key. One could not even simply break the lock, it had to be properly opened.

"Why do you think it's all right to come back?" she asked the journal, as if it were Iracebeth herself. "I was loyal to you for so many years, and you were awful to me. You stabbed me."

Feeling anger rise up in her, she whipped the journal as hard as she could. The cover smacked loudly against the stone wall, and dropped to the floor.

"I hate you, bluddy behig hid!" Nell declared.

Nell couldn't remember the last time she had been so angry at someone. And of course it had to be at the person who had agreed to take her off the street. The person who clothed her in fancy gowns, fed her high quality foods, gifted her expensive jewelry and gave her life purpose.

The very person who had turned on her.

The fact that Iracebeth had been caring enough to allow her into her court when she was but a mere peasant, yet irascible enough to throw her away like she was nothing, angered her so, and, in fact, even broke her heart a little bit. She knew she had gone against Iracebeth by aiding Alice, but it all had been because Iracebeth had just up and turned on her one day.

Now she was in Marmoreal, and her life was boring.

Leaving the journal on the floor, Nell left her chamber and headed for the garden. She decided that if anything exciting was to happen that day, it would happen outside the castle walls. Hopefully she could find something or someone interesting in the garden.

It was a lovely day outside. It was neither too warm, nor too cold and there was a perfect, gentle breeze that blew. Nell smoothly strode along the white stone path which led from the castle, to the garden, Tarrant's house, to the stables, and the drawbridge. The shoes they wore in Marmoreal were much softer than those of Slazen Grum and they made no sound when she walked. The boots she had worn in Salazen Grum had thick heels and one could hear her footsteps coming from a few yards away.

As she entered the section of the garden that was adorned with brilliantly beautiful cherry blossom trees, she came to discover that Chessur, Mally, Thackery, Bayard and the Tweedles were happily participating in midday tea.

"Nell!" said Mallymkun when she saw her. "Come join us!"

"We 'ave fresh tarts!" Thackery chimed. He plucked a tart from the silver platter they were piled on and he took a massive bite from it.

Smiling, Nell took a seat beside Bayard. Chessur faded in before her and poured her a nice, steaming cup of tea. The scent of cinnamon and something else very sweet flooded her nostrils.

"Mmmm," she hummed. "What is that exotic aroma?" she asked. "I've never smelled tea like this before."

"Thackery made it," Bayard informed her.

"It's me secret," Thackery boomed across the table.

Nell took a big whiff of the tea. She raised her cup. "To all my wonderful friends. May Underland remain in peace and may we remain friends until the end of Time."

They all shared a toast and began to sip on Thackery's new tea blend.

"Tell us, Nell, how is court treating you?" Chessur inquired.

Nell sipped her tea pleasurably. She then reached for a tart. "Things are….. Interesting." She bit into the tart to discover that it was in fact a squimberry tart. The taste made her reminisce about her old lifestyle. Squimberry tarts were the Red Queen's favorite. The monarch had even killed once due to someone eating her personal stash of tarts.

"Interesting," chided Chessur. "How so?"

Nell swallowed and wondered if it was permitted she inform the group about Stayne and Iracebeth. The Queen had never minded her sharing what went on before, and she doubted that the current situation would be any different. "The Queen received some news that Ilosovic Stayne has unbound himself from Iracebeth and has fled the Outlands. He was spotted in a village somewhere in the Tulgey Wood."

Gasps and whispers began to circle around the table.

"What's the Queen planning?" Bayard asked.

Nell shook her head. "I have no clue, Bayard." She reached a hand over and began to stroke the bloodhound's back. "I offered to go to Stayne on behalf of the Queen, but she fears that this whole thing is Iracebeth trying to take back the crown."

"It wouldn't surprise me not one bit," rang out a voice from off in the distance.

They all looked east to discover Tarrant Hightopp trotting down the path toward them. He looked as content as ever.

"Hatter!" Mally exclaimed excitedly.

It had been at least three weeks since Nell had seen Tarrant and she beamed when he approached the tea table. She jumped to her feet and gave her favorite hat man a loving embrace. He then went about the table greeting everyone personally, then, taking a seat next to Nell.

"I do apologize for being late to tea," Tarrant said. "I was busy designing a new hat for Lord Tuppley when my cuckoo clock told me that I was horribly late for tea time." He helped himself to a cup of tea and sipped it happily. "Quite a blend, Thackery! That there's the ticket!" he praised the March Hare.

"Thanks very much," Thackery said with a grin.

"Now," Tarrant went on. "Tell me about the Knave."

Nell cleared her throat. "Well, he's being mighty insubordinate for a man who inquired about whether or not the Queen bore him an ill will. But the one in any real question here, is Iracebeth. Her Majesty thinks she's using Stayne to lure her in and steal the crown."

"Well, we most certainly cannot let that happen," Tarrant explained. "I've laid my life down for the Queen, and I'd proudly do it again."

"As would I," agreed Bayard.

"Us, too," chimed Dee.

"Yes, two of us," Dum countered.

Out of nowhere, Chessur began to pur. It was something he did when he hatched what he thought a good idea in his mind. "Why don't we ask the Oraculum?" he suggested. "Or seek kismet from Absolum."

Nell's eyes lit up. "Why, I haven't seen Absolum since before the Frabjous Day. Does anyone know where he is?"

"Last I knew, he was getting ready to metamorphosize," Tarrant answered. "If he was finished, he would have been back by now."

"Good point, Tarrant," Chessur purred.

Nell quickly finished the last sip of her tea. "The Queen keeps the oraculum locked in a glass case in her office. I could ask her if I could see it."

"And if she declines?" Chessur inquired.

Mallymkun sprung up onto the table. She drew her small sword and held it erect in the air. "Then send me. I will get it."

Nell smiled. Maybe Marmoreal wasn't so boring after all.