A/N: Another day, a new piece of work.

Disclaimer: I (still) don't own Alice in Wonderland.

Full Summery: Malice. Mirana loves Alice, and Alice loves Mirana. But things are changing in Underland, and there's the possibility that Alice might return too late to change the fate of her and Mirana's relationship.

WARNING(S): story may contain and/or be; crack-pot, contain the yuri/femmeslash/lesbian pairing between Mirana of Marmoreal and Alice Kingsleigh, slight use of profanity, a high score on the cliche meter, tons of confusion, reiteration, violence, drama, man sized pigeons, peanuts and/or peanut dust, and talking parrots.

Chapter I

~•~ Mirana ~•~

In the few short hours Mirana of Marmoreal spends sleeping each night, she dreams of such grand things. Though each night the dreams are different, one stays the same. It repeats over and over again in her head, and she plays it throughout the day. A curse she cannot forget completely, it hangs over her always and clouds her judgement at times. Of it's true beginnings she's unsure, but it has repeated in her mind since her adolescence and only recently had it begun to bother. For the dream was of a love known, a love which was forbidden, between her and another woman: a woman who she could see but not stand to touch, whose very presence in the dreams caused her to shake and shiver and wake drenched in a cold sweat.

Each time the dream began, each time it ended, it played much the same: only once, ever changing. She would find herself in the gardens, walking about and surveying the natural court of Marmoreal: the court not of the people but rather the court of nature. Such a ruckus would be raised by her passing the hedges and flowers and other such things that it was nearly impossible for her to think. Then all time would stand still, all beings would stop and be pushed down upon by the forces of a woman entering. And in Mirana's head she'd know then it was the dream, and her heart would sing so loudly that this was her love. Her heart would win over her feeling of needing to run, to flee, and stay she would as the ethereal being drew closer. As a child they'd had no face she'd remember, but their body was always the same. They dressed the same each time, in the same beautiful blue dress.

'Blue,' She'd think to herself in the daze of the dream, under the thrall of the astral woman, 'The color of nobility.'

By the time she'd finish that thought, which always occurred, the lithe woman would be upon her and escape from the dream impossible. Mirana would find herself reaching up to cup the woman's chin in her hand, to brush the girl's cheek with her hand, or trace the line of her jaw. But each time her trained traits would kick in, and she'd be unable to touch the girl for fear of hurting her, the girl would pull back just slightly. As if she too were afraid of the consequences of love even in dreams, but with the hint of fire which suggested she was challenging Mirana. A chase would ensue after moments of stalemate, the breaking move coming from the other woman in the form of a quick kiss. The two would end up below the greatest of the trees in Marmoreal, and Mirana's refuge. Forgotten words would be exchanged, the woman would pin Mirana down in response to the queen's dominance of their verbal battle. She whisper one line, one line Mirana dared never repeat, and the dream would end.

The one thing which had changed about the specter of the a woman, haunting Mirana most every night for so many years, was her gaining of a face. The queen had not expected it, and was quite surprised. It was the night before Frabjous, the dream had progressed to the end. She was pinned again, subconsciously loving every second of it, and the other woman would lean in and there would be Alice. Inches from her face, and Mirana was able to tell quite well for the body of the girl was Alice's, the clothing as well. Everything was the same, the structure, the height, everything. All but the face, the face had been but a shell for so many years, and all she'd needed to fill was a name to go with the face and the body to house it.

At the time Mirana had passed it off as a fluke, as the projection of Alice into her dreams due to a slight attraction to the slightly younger girl. As time progressed, after Alice had left, Mirana began to realize it was so much more then a mere fluke. The dream, it seemed, had been a sign and she'd ignored it. Losing her chance with Alice, of whom she wasn't truly sure was attracted to her. There seemed so many reasons for Alice to find someone other then Mirana, for yes she deserved a queen, but she was too good for Mirana in the queen's own opinion.

With her chance seeming to having had passed, Mirana tried desperately to end the dream. To prevent it's reoccurrence, and, thus failing, took up the habit of forgetting it to the point where the poor thing was put a scattered handful of images. It continued, however, for visions of that nature continue until the event has come to pass and the appetite of the it of it has been sated however temporarily. Still there in the back of her mind, it haunts her every so often when the certain key is struck, when a trigger of her mind pulled. So it is, never forgotten, the empty husk of a vision come to pass in some form. Come to pass, soon.

~o~ Alice ~o~

It was not in the dreaming lands which Alice was haunted by the memory of a love forbidden, but in the day and the dusk. On the nights she could not sleep, at the times her thoughts were delved too deep. Not even that, as time progressed, for as she grew older and returned home the thoughts of Underland returned in great fleets. Hiding the thoughts of feelings she harbored for and towards the precious white queen.

Two years before she would not have thought it possible for her to love another woman, even in Underland, much less for such a thing to happen outside of Underland as she'd so learned.

Yes, she'd learned much in her travels. For the men of the ship could not censor her no matter how much they so desperately tried. Nor, for that matter, could society censor her. For Alice was belonging to two worlds, and by nature knew the loop-holes of life. The little ways to ferret away information, the secrets which not many could know. In her brief stays in Underland, and throughout her life, she'd learned how to recognize people of the open mind. Those, more often then not, were willing to help her upon meeting her and hearing of her wishes. And if not, then she'd deem them unworthy of her time, save less they had something of which she so desperately wanted. More often then not, these things she'd procure were fairy-tales of various origins or literature taken so carefully in small quantity from the frail and invisible network of others like herself. In any case the girl had grown from her more meek person of but two years before, into a far less ignorant and far more graceful- both in physique and mind- woman.

With her knowledge of her world expanded, and her business at the best possible place, the woman returned home. Alice hoped for a short break, and, perhaps, to fall down a certain rabbit hole again. Instead to find, during the carriage ride from port to the home of her business partner, that her thoughts were turbulent. Tumbling and raging, rippling within her mind and never ceasing in motion. Her stomach felt both as if a thousand butterflies had taken flight within it, and as if she were about to be violently sick.

Upon arrival, Alice found herself greeted coldly by Hamish and his mother though welcomed by the Lord Ascot. Her own mother was there as well, of course, with a rather dreary look upon her face. Disappointment Alice supposed, for she'd told her mother well off that she'd never marry a man she did not-could not-love. That had happened two years prior, but it seemed her mother had never quite gotten over the thought of Alice choosing her own husband when she wanted to. For it was quite clear now, in her mother's mind, that Alice was never going to settle enough to marry a nice young man. It was written on her face, in her expression. For a moment, Alice almost felt guilty that she could not please her mother, but then she remembered what Mirana had said to her. Mirana. Even thinking of the woman brought back the strong feelings of regret and wonder experienced such a short time earlier.

Though she had admitted that it was possible for a woman to love another in such way as a suitor, and though she had admitted to herself of her attraction to the other woman, doubt remained that she had the courage to try for Mirana should she ever see the other woman again. She doubted her capacity to love Mirana in that way, for in her mind, she would never be to snuff for the queen whom had so easily stolen her heart. Alice did not hide her doubt well apparently, for after the initial reacquainting, of her to her mother and the family of Lord Ascot, Lord Ascot found her outside and questioned her under the clouded skies of near night.

"Is something wrong Alice?" He asked, his voice smooth enough to calm Alice's nerves to a point.

"Nothing I think," The woman replied, looking up at the sky and wishing it would clear to the point it had been the night she and Mirana had looked up at the stars together.

"It's obvious that can't be true," Lord Ascot retorted, calm like the dead sea, "Your eyes are worrisome and dark, you haven't been sleeping well have you?"

"I can't have been sleeping poorly if I haven't been sleeping," Alice replied, "My thoughts are a bit weighty now, I suppose."

"Ah! Could it be that you've finally succumbed to Cupid's ill arrow?" He questioned, a bemused expression on his aged face so much unchanged.

"Perhaps," Alice replied drearily, her voice tired and flat, with the hidden hand of an emotional dam about to burst phantoming in on Cheshire paws.

"I take it that this love of yours is... of another kind?" Lord Ascot asked, his eyes searching the night for the appropriate question, and the answer Alice was not likely to give him: a simple confirmation was all he asked.

"Is it that obvious?" Alice asked after a few moments of soul searching.

"My dear, it was obvious to all those with eyes," The lord replied truthfully, "That does not change the fact that I could care less who you love, and not worry more for your health without endangering my own. So tell me Alice, when you are causing yourself and those who care so much pain, isn't it much easier to return to your love?"

"You do not know of the feat you speak so lightly of," Alice retorted, her voice cooler then earlier, emotions slowly leaking from the dam she'd so carefully built over the past two years.

"You mistake my tone," Lord Ascot continued, catching Alice's eyes with his own, "Do not let love pass you by Alice, business can wait-and, so long as you and she are happy then damn the world! Return to her, find your love and embrace her again. I will not stand to see you unhappy! Nor would your father have allowed you to do this to yourself! Now go!"

"You are sure?" Alice asked meekly, her insecurity showing through brightly, her brow furrowing deeply, "But what if she does not love me? What if, in returning to her, I may never return to here?"

"If it has come to this, then you are not the Alice I thought you were," Lord Ascot said in conclusion, stepping away to head back to the house, he stopped and spoke once more before leaving her for the night, "I trust you to make the right decision Alice. Farewell."

Alice stared after the man whom had been so much like a second father to her. He supported her, that was certainly clear. Truth be told to herself, Lord Ascot and her sister were the only reason Alice had bothered returned home at all. Yes, seeing her mother had been another reason for returning, but her love for her mother had been outweighed by her fear of her mother's concern and stubbornness. With one of her closest friends supporting her, she had very little doubt that she would return to Underland. This time, she hoped her stay would last forever and her hopes were high despite her low confidence level. However she had matters to attend to before heading back to Underland. And so Alice returned to the house and was soon resting in her bed. Her errands to been taken care of the next day, and her mind far less turbulent then it had been just hours before. Her dreams were filled with the friends she'd left behind, the friends she'd leave behind, and of course, Mirana.

~•~ Mirana ~•~

The queen paced, it wasn't everyday she was faced with such dilemmas as she did. For it had come to the attention of the people's court that Mirana did not have an heir, nor, for that matter, did she have a lover. Normally that would not be an issue, however, stranger things then usual had been happening in Underland recently and they feared for their queen and they feared for the future of Underland should she fall. With that in mind the court decided that, unless Mirana proclaimed her own love by the end of the Underland year, they would arrange her marriage. The dilemma was weather she was to see suitors, or wait and hope for Alice's return. For it seemed, that only seeing Alice again would be able to tell her if her attraction to the girl was deeper then simple infatuation. But without the other woman present, there was not much to be done save try to fend off the suitors of the court or take them but not see them.

Mirana came to the conclusion that the former was likely not an option save her duties produce a more ample amount of work to be done. Logically, she would have to pick the latter and hope for the former to show through. However, neither would be able to delay the inevitable picking of her future husband unless Alice arrived and was willing to love Mirana as the queen so loved her champion. For by that thought, she'd come to the conclusion that infatuation waned over time, but her feelings for Alice had only intensified in the time passed. So it was decided, she would wait for the return of her champion and hope for the increasing of her work load. If only her wait would pass more quickly.

A/N: Did you like it? Whatever the answer is, this will continue. Unfortunately it's crack-pot, just like half my other stuff. So feel free to enjoy the cliffhanger chapters and the long update periods to come.