WONDERLAND ✯ Louis Partridge

19 | Alice & I

Y/N

_

SO, HERE'S THE THING.

There's a 99% chance that I will die doing this, and there's a 1% chance that I will also die doing this, so I'm really not given much legroom in this dastardly mission I've taken upon myself. For all I know, everyone could be dead by now, and I'd just be walking into a trap.

No, no, I take that back. I'd rather not think about them being dead.

Not to mention, it wasn't really going swell at this apparent moment. Since Alice had no clue that the cards were bad people (since she got here, like, yesterday), neither of us knew how to get to the castle—and we ended up getting lost twice.

But we somehow made it to the edge of the castle, standing with our backs pressed up against the stone wall as we avoided the security teams pacing around the front gate. Winging a plan was horrible, and I don't recommend it.

"I can distract them," Alice offered, her cheek pressed against a brick, "they haven't seen me yet, so I'll lead them off so you can get in."

I winced, "you could get hurt."

"I wouldn't mind."

"Alice, are you insane?"

"No."

"Then I must be insane."

"You're just as sane as I am," she smiled, winking, "and I think we're perfectly fine."

I gave her a confused look, before turning my attention to the line of Cards outside the castle gates. Due to some quick thinking, I remembered to grab a dagger and sheath from the weaponry bag back at the cottage, and could defend myself at the very least.

And if Alice was offering...

"Okay, fine," I sighed, nodding my head, "you distract them, I'll free the group, and then meet you out here."

The girl nodded. "Okay."

"See if you can arrange a mode of transport too, I don't think we can all fit on one horse."

"I can pick a lock," she grinned devilishly, her eyes darkening, "I'm sure there's a stable around here somewhere."

Upon hearing that, I hesitated, my mouth hanging ajar at her words. Maybe....just maybe....I liked her. She certainly knew some helpful things, and she was agreeing to put her life on the line to help me rescue my friends, regardless of how long she's been here. So yeah, maybe I liked her a little bit.

"Thanks, Alice," I said, giving her a smile, "and you're sure you want to do this?"

She shrugged, "all in a day's work."

"But you're absolutely sure?"

"Yes, [y/n], now stop worrying and let me get to work."

And before I could stop her, she pushed herself off the wall, running towards the gate with her arms flinging wildly in the air. It was an unusual sight. She started yelling strange things out towards the cards, taunting them joyfully, and occasionally picking up a stone to chuck at them with spite. It was absolutely chaotic—but it worked. Not even a minute after it started, she was already being chased off into the forest by the entire deck.

"Jeez," I said under my breath, half in admiration, "don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't that."

Brushing my fingers against the belt of my sheath, I made sure my dagger was still intact, before slipping off of the wall and into the abandoned front gate. It was definitely still nerve wracking, but I found myself sneaking down an unfamiliar hallway a few minutes later.