Chapter 2

Alice woke in a large bed, significantly larger than her own which was saying something. Mr. Kingsleigh was a wealthy man due to his trades and travels and he was able to provide a lot to his two daughters and wife. Still, the bed was big and comfortable. The young girl rubbed her eyes tiredly with the back of her hand, yawning. When she got out from beneath the covers, she took notice of the silk nightgown that had been placed on her. However, she had little time to truly admire it for a sharp pain had ripped through her side, rushing through the entirety of her small frame. Tears pooled in her eyes and she collapsed back on the bed, on the verge of passing out. Her hazel eyes closed half-way before the opening of the door caught her attention. Before she was aware of what was occurring, she was gathered in gentle arms and held in a loving grasp. "How are you doing today?" a gentle voice inquired, fingers running through her mess of blonde hair.

"Fine," was all she could respond with. She felt herself shift and watched as the white queen lifted her nightgown, carefully removing the bandages and observing the cuts that had been neatly stitched up. Mirana seemed quite happy with her handiwork. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not gonna hurt you, don't worry. I'm ensuring that your stitching hasn't come undone." She wrapped a new set of bandages around her before pulling down her nightgown. "Now…" She offered the girl a smile. "Hungry?" Alice nodded in confirmation, looking around the castle as she was carried to the large dining hallway, Alice's eyes twinkling in awe. Mirana looked down at the child, chuckling softly. "You've never seen a place like this before? It's grand, it really is. I love it here…"

The queen placed the girl down on a chair, laughing to herself when she saw the girl much too short to reach over the table, nonetheless, look over it. It was quiet adorable, the little hands reaching over in an attempt to feel what was on it. "Oh honey," she laughed, not being able to help it. "I'm so sorry. Here." She sat down after gathering the girl, placing her on her lap. "Is that better?" Alice nodded, still in complete and utter awe as she stared at the sheer length of the table. "This is the table empty… Imagine what it would look like if there was a fear my dear." She tapped her nose gently, a giggle filling the air, warming the White Queen's heart. "Oh, you're so precious!" she cooed, pulling her closer to her heart. "Look at ow precious you are."

"Precious?" Alice reiterated, the r rolling off much like a w. The way that Alice was going, Mirana wouldn't be correcting her at all. Her vocabulary would merely consist of adorably pronounced words until she grew old enough to say it correctly. And despite knowing it was wrong to enforce it, she just couldn't bring herself to correct her.

Mirana smiled, tapping the girl's nose once more. Her nose scrunched up in return. "Why are you doing that?" she inquired innocently.

"You don't like it? I can stop if you want me to."

"No… It tickles," she admitted. "My daddy does that."

"Your father?"

"Yeah. But he keeps going away on giant ships… And for a long time. I miss him. I don't like it when he leaves…" Alice looked down at her lap, playing with the fringes on Mirana's dress. "… Mommy doesn't pay attention to me. Only Margaret."

"Who's Margaret?" Mirana whispered, her heart aching at how dismayed the girl became.

"My big sister. She's…" She looked down at her hands, counting on her fingers. "Three years older than me. She started school so mommy is focusing on her only. I'm lonely… Margaret used to spend the day with me but now I'm left alone. I get bored."

"I know how that feels," the gentle monarch spoke. "My sister, Iracebeth, would get all the attention. I barely had time with my mom and dad too. Since she's older, she was to get the crown. So they took her away to teach her. And I got lonely and bored too…" She gently lifted her head by her chin. "… How about we give each other company? So neither of us are alone?" she suggested. "How does that sound?"

"Not lonely anymore?" she inquired, her eyes beginning to shine with tears. "Never again?"

Mirana nodded in confirmation. "You will never be lonely again as long as you stay with me… Here."

The girl thought for a few moments, the queen waiting patiently, finding another action of hers absolutely endearing. "I stay here?" she asked as if trying to confirm that she wasn't being pranked. The White Queen nodded.

"Right here in this castle. And since I'll be taking care of you…" She smiled as she thought of a way that would surely make Alice accept. "… that means you're a princess."

Her eyes sparkled immediately at that. "A princess?"

Mirana laughed, nodding once again. "A princess. Yes. I will be treating you much as a mother shall care for a daughter, meaning that you, dear Alice," she tapped the button of a nose, smiling widely, "are technically considered a princess. How does that sound to you?"

"But I'm not… related to… roy-roy-royalititty…" she managed to finally get out. This was something she had to correct, despite finding the cuteness in her struggle.

"Royalty. That doesn't matter."

"It doesn't? But mommy always says that I can't be a princess unless I'm with a prince of if I'm related to anyone."

"Oh, honey. That doesn't always apply. There are exceptions to everything, including this. So don't mind what anyone else says. I'm the queen. I make the rules, and I say that you are a princess. Now, what princess do you wanna be?"

"Kitty cat!" she exclaimed happily.

"A kitty cat princess?"

"Yeah! I'll have all the kittens! All of them as my own!"

"I take that you like cats, am I correct?" The girl nodded. "I think you will like a good friend of mine, Chessur."

"Is he a kitty?"

"Yes. Indeed he is. A talking and smiling one, too."

"Oh! I know who he is! It's Chess!" She exclaimed, joy sparkling in her eyes.

"I'm elated that you remember me," the gray and blue cat appeared, smiling at the child.

"Of course I would. I've never seen a smiling cat before." She lifted a hand to pet him to which he gladly leaned into, seemingly content at the gentle touch. Mirana watched the exchange with a warming heart, glad that the two already got along.

"Alice says she wants to be a kitty cat princess," Mirana spoke up.

"I do not follow anyone. No matter whom it is."

"But you wouldn't want to upset Alice, would you?" Chess gazed up at the child who wasn't paying mind to the conversation.

"I suppose not. It appears that there are exceptions to everything," he winekd, quoting what the queen said merely minutes earlier.

"You sly dog! How long have you been in here?"

"Since your little guest has awoken. I figured she would like to see a familiar face if she was uncomfortable around you," he purred.

She smiled, stroking the hair of the child. "Luckily, she isn't uncomfortable. She was hesitant at first but…"

"Yes, yes, my dear queen. I am well aware. As I said…" He watched as the girl's eyes grew heavy and her pets slowed down to a halt, her hand sliding off. Mirana caught the child as she fell forward, asleep, just like that. "You came to the dining hall but did you eat?"

"No. I suppose we didn't…" She carefully set the girl down on the chair before asking the chef to make a quick breakfast consisting of eggs, a form of bacon, and some sweets. Mirana loved sweets. Of course, she would ensure that the cooks remained quiet about that little extra information. The people in her court didn't necessarily need to have that extra information in their lives. She kept her figure enough however to take in the sweets. She wondered now how Alice would like them, how they could potentially be different from the above lands. She sat down and gathered Alice in her arms again, holding her, allowing her to rest until the food came out. She asked for a double serving, not knowing how much the girl ate either. She doubted she ate much due to how tiny shew as but just in case. She didn't want her to go hungry.

She thanked the chef, asking Chess to wake the young girl. He did so by gently rubbing against her face, accidentally causing her to wake up with a sneeze. "Sorry," he quietly apologized, the monarch attempting to suppress a laugh with little success."

"That's so adorable! Did you hear her sneeze! It was so tiny!" she laughed, Alice still in her sleep stupor, not really noticing what was happening, only feeling Mirana pulling her closer to her chest, her body shaking with quiet giggles.

"Mmm… Daddy?" she inquired, her voice thick with sleep.

"No, honey," she buried her face in her hair. "It's Mirana, remember?" She heard the rumble of the girl's stomach and smiled. "Come on. Why don't you eat something?"

Alice looked over the food on the table before pointing to a tart. "No. You have to eat real food first. How about some eggs? They're really good," she suggested, pulling the plate over to her. The girl sighed but gave in, taking a mouthful of egg. Mirana wiped away the yolk dribbling down the side of her mouth, taking a forkful of her own breakfast. "Do you like it?"

The four year old nodded happily, finishing the egg on her plate within two more large bites. She ignored the meat, going for the tart. "Alice," the queen stopped her.

"I don't eat meat," she stated simply now. Mirana looked confused at that statement.

"Why not?"

"Why would I? I would only eat the meat if I knew that the animal died from old age. Daddy shows me a lot of animals from his journey. He says that they're gonna be… umm…" She thought, attempting to get the word she heard her father use plenty a time. "They won't live any longer. None of them and… I… just think that I don't want to help it. So I don't eat meat."

"What about eggs?"

"Huh?"

"Do you not know what eggs are?"

"I do. It's what chickens lay."

"Chickens? What are chickens?" she asked, now intrigued by the creatures of the abovelands. She knew that they shared some species but she was sure that she wasn't familiar with the creature.

"They're birds. They're a type of bird! Daddy says that they originally came from China but no one has traded with them. They came to the country side of England. I've never seen a chicken before but Daddy had shown me pictures of them. They kinda look like ducks. They're funny looking." Alice took a piece of bread, taking small bites, her appetite diminishing as the food settled.

Mirana watched her. She decided not to tell her what an egg was for she would have nothing to feed the child with then. She was growing anyways. She would need it. Mirana handed her a glass of juice. Alice took it, staring at the dark purple liquid. "What is it?"

"Try it. It's bumbleberry juice. The bumbleberries were freshly picked this morning. The horseflies have just pollinated the flowers to them so they're nice and sweet," she smiled, eating the dark purple berry. The girl hesitated before taking a sip, immediately loving the flavor. It reminded her of blueberries and cherries. "Would you like some more?" Mirana inquired, happy to see her taking a liking to the juices. She nodded and the woman carefully poured her another full cup to which the child drank almost instantly. "Don't drink it so fast," she warned. "It's very-…" She was cut off by a loud burp from the child, "gassy…" she chuckled.

"Excuse me," she blushed a deep red. "I didn't mean…"

"It's quite alright. We burp for a reason. I do it too."

"Nuh uh. Queens don't bupr."

Mirana laughed at that. "Alice. I'm a queen. Not something out of this world.
Alice seemed puzzled at that.

"But I've never heard of Wonderland before."

"And I've never heard of London before. You're from the abovelands, aren't you?"

"I'm from London," she responded, Mirana biting back a snicker.

"Yes, yes. I know you are, my dear. But the abovelands is where London is. Do you get it?"

"No," she said simply. The white haired woman smirked and shook her head, deciding to leave it alone at the time being.

"Alright. Would you like to try a tart now that it seems as though you're no longer hungry?"

"Please!" she exclaimed happily, taking the bumble berry tart, more than pleased at the tangy taste of it combined with the sugar.

"How do you like it?" she gently wiped some of the berry from the side of her mouth.

"I love it! Mommy used to make sweets all the time! Until… Margaret went to school…" Her tone dampened. Mirana sighed, her own heart aching slightly at seeing how fast Alice's mood had diminished at the mention of her family.

"Don't think of them, my dear Alice. Please. Think of only now and the future. Think of what it has in store for us, alright? Can you do that for me?" She carefully tucked a stray hair behind her hear. "Please?" Her own eyes saddened upon watching a tear roll down her cheek. "Please, don't cry." She gathered the child to her chest, holding her in her arms as she began to full on cry. "Don't think about them. You're with me now. And I'm going to make you very, very happy. I promise you, my dear. You'll be content living here and you'll never ever shed another tear. I give you my word." Something in Mirana told her to protect this girl with her life. No matter what it took, she had to protect her and keep her happy.

"I know that I'm not your mother and I doubt very much that I could take her place. I'm not trying to. But I promise that I will give you the love that any parent would give to their child. It hurts to see you this upset, young Alice. Please. Can you dry your tears for me?" she softly begged.

Alice pulled back after a few minutes, seeming to relax as her tears were wiped away. She was scared, lost. She missed home and all that London was. But then again, that was all she knew at the moment. She didn't know if she could trust Mirana either. She was always told not to trust strangers and her mother did everything to ensure that she was always in sight of her. The fact that Alice managed to get out of her sight was a shock all of itself.

The queen noticed the uneasiness and the hesitation in her eyes. She sighed softly. Not of annoyance or tiredness. She was merely attempting to think of something. "I know that you don't trust me. How could you? I'm merely a stranger after all." She gently took her face in her hands. "… But I want to help you. And I want you to feel t ease." She gave her a small smile. "I did tend to your wound, didn't I?"

She gave a small nod of confirmation, soft sniffles the only noise escaping her. "So that gives me some sort of credibility, right?" She chuckled when a shrug was the only answer. "What I mean is that I've shown that I want to help you. If I didn't, I wouldn't have stopped the blood."

"Blood?" She seemed confused. "You mean the red milk?"

"Do you not use the word blood?" Mirana thought that was odd. She was aware that Alice was brighter than the normal child, from Underland or not, but why not call it blood? Perhaps it was too… dark for the child? But it was reality and if Alice were to experience pain, she may as well know what was coming out of her from the pain.

"It's not called red milk? It's called blood?" She lifted the nightgown up, looking at the securely wrapped bandages, going to take them off, having a sudden urge to see it as though now knowing it was called blood would change the liquid entirely.

"No. Keep that on. You need to heal and removing it might undo the stitching."

"But the blood…"

"Is the red milk. Calling it blood does nothing to it. It's still the same, honey. Alright? So let it heal. You know what, why don't we do something else to take your mind off of everything?"

"Do something? Like what?"

"It's up to you. We can explore the castle, the library, the garden?"

"Can I see the garden? Please?" Her mother and father both adored flowers so they had an extensive garden at home. There were flowers from all over the world from the trades, spices as well, a few fruits and berries too. "What kind of flowers do you have?"

"Mostly roses," she replied simply, setting her down and taking her by the hand, leading her through the hallways and to the garden. Alice looked around, seeing all the roses were red. Mirana saw her expression and grinned. "Were you expecting more white?" The girl nodded and the monarch sighed. "My sister… Racie. She loves red roses. Last time I've spoke with her on good terms… She told me red roses were her favorite because of the love that they represented." She stared at the bushes, a stray tear falling. "Racie… held a lot of love in her heart. If it was a thing we could see, it would be as red as the color of these flowers. It was that pure. But she's changed… I keep the roses as a reminder of who she used to be… I… Miss her." She stopped and looked at Alice. "I'm sorry. I've been rambling, huh? I just…" Her voice cracked and she turned back to the roses. "I miss my sister as much as you miss yours… I miss Racie…" she whimpered.

Dipping her head, she allowed herself to cry. She stopped when she felt small arms wrap around her, holding onto her, attempting to comfort her. "Don't cry," came a soft whisper. "I don't like it when you cry… It makes me wanna cry too…" Alice admitted.

Mirana's heart warmed the most it had in the longest time. She gathered the girl and put her close to her chest as she had done before a number of times now, burying her face in her hair, allowing tears to flow down, her chest aching over years of pent up emotions escaping, feeling as though she had comfort, that she had someone that would truly comfort her. She had no idea why either. She was young but something told Mirana that she could find love in Alice. That loving someone was exactly what she needed again. Alice was what she needed.