Wonderland: 7

The queen guided the hatter back to his room. It wasn’t as if he needed any help, or even if he was hurt or tired, but for some reason, the queen walked beside him for a long time with her eyes closed and facing straight-forward.

The whole time the hatter wanted to offer her help, but he wasn’t brave enough to force his words out of his mouth. Not when the queen looked so determined, and yet, peaceful.

When they reached his door, the queen opened her eyes again. They were shining a little more than before, when they were still attending the rabbit, but not as bright as they were in the morning. The hatter felt a strange sense of guilt over it, but he couldn’t quite understand it… After all, it wasn’t that long ago (or was it?) that the rebellion were willing to cut her head off.

- Is everything okay, Vincent?

- W-what…? – he felt lost when her words hit him. He was lost in the past for a second, something the hatter didn’t do much, before looking her in the eyes again. – Oh, yes, I’m okay my queen. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of much help.

- No need to be sorry. We’re all alive, after all, so everything ended well.

- Still, the only thing I could do was watch… I’m not skilled in the arts of magic, like the ace is. I’m also not gentle as that maid, or even as brave as Billac, to go with you on your meetings. I don’t understand what am I good for and why did you want me here?

The queen smiled, taking some time to breathe and then touch her back on the wall beside his bedroom door. The walls behind her almost looked alive when she touched it with her back, the pearly-red-whatever-it-was-made-of started flurrying around, shining as waves in the sea.

- Do you remember that time, when I condemned you for killing time? And you and the March Hare thought you were forever stuck in tea-time?

- Yes.

- That was hilarious… And yet, it made me so furious. Even though I had condemned you guys, you just… Looked to the bright-side… That you were always stuck on your favorite part of the day… - she took a deep breath once again. – Then it hit me that it meant you would never sew again, so even though we could sometimes hear you and the hare having fun… - she bit her lip for a second, as if she was searching for better words, but then, she just continued. - At least, that made me feel less… Offended by it. But then, Alice came to Wonderland and it didn’t matter how simple it was the designs you would make for her… They were so pretty, I was so jealous… You didn’t lose your gifts, even though you didn’t sew a thing for so many years…

- But… If you wanted me to sew for you, why didn’t you force me…? You are the queen, you could always…

- Yes, I could. But the things you do only look that way because you do them with love, Vincent. Even I knew that anything you’d sew me by that time wasn’t going to look as amazing as the things you created for Alice. Because her image gave you hope. And I would only bring you hell.

For some time the hatter just looked at the queen, in silence. Not quite understanding.

- But, I don’t understand… I thought you liked to make our lives miserable… I’m sure all of the alliance thinks the same. But I can see now that it isn’t true. Why did you do it?

- A queen does whatever she has to do to keep her people safe. – the queen’s hand touched his cheek a little bit, caressing it for a few second while she smiled. – Even if you didn’t understand it by then and don’t understand now… I was the smaller of your problems by then…But at least I was able to protect you all long enough.

- Long enough?

The hatter was confused, not to mention, curious. The queen talked as if there was something even more merciless than she was and she was pretty terrifying in the past. But she had a sad smile on her lips by now. One so sad, and yet so beautiful, he was afraid of asking again, even though the silence seemed to have dominated them again.

- Never mind that. – she smiled once again, taking her own dress from the hatter’s arms. – I’m sorry I spoke too much. Time to go to bed, as I’ve said before, from now on we won’t have much time.

- … - he didn’t understand. The queen spoke as if the rebellion before was something good, even though they had banned her from the land. But her last words gave him goosebumps all over again. – We don’t have much time… What for? ‘Til what?

- War.+

The hatter had more questions, of course, but the queen had already turned on her heels and was leaving, carrying her dress whatever she was going to. He decided it was best that she had some rest, but when the hatter finally laid down on his bed, he couldn’t sleep.

The queen said war was coming, and she didn’t sound as if she was talking about the alliance. If war… Real war, was coming their way… He should find a better way to serve the queen. He had to.

#alicethroughtthelookingglass #wonderland #aliceinwonderland #english