Be My Alice

Samuel and Leonardo Meet the Duchess

We were far off when Crimson ambushed us at Caterpillar's domain with a new armada of knights. We rested next to a stream where the Vale of Tears returned to our regular size. We should be off to the Duchess; she is in closer range than my father.

Ah. Mad Hatter Sr. The man who raised me as his successor. Nowadays he is resentful of passing down his lineage. I am not looking forward to the encounter. I have not spoken to him in years, especially after my time as a Royal Guard.

We have different ideas on how a Mad Hatter should be portrayed. Perhaps that was the reason he did not bother reaching out. He does not see me worthy as his successor; he does not see me as his son.

I cringed, feeling a tug on my sleeve. I composed my expression to neutral as I turned to my traveling companion. Leon's dark eyes studied me. "Are you okay?" he asked in concern. "You were pretty out of it after we escaped the knights." Ah. I was too deep in my thoughts to notice his wariness. Should I tell him what my relationship is like with my father? He spoke of his woes and concerns. It would be fair if I voiced mine. "I don't mind listening to you. You did hear me vent. Maybe I can help."

No. It does not concern you, I wanted to say. It is my vendetta. Leon does not need to worry about what my relationship with my father portrays. We aim to see if he has a frame to create the Looking Glass Gateway. If not, then we will speak to the next Wonderlandian.

To reassure the turtle, I gave him my best genuine smile. "I am alright, Leonardo. Merely sorting my thoughts. Nothing to worry I can assure you." He did not believe my words as he continued to stare searching for any lies underneath my green eyes; nonetheless, Leo nodded.

"Okay", he said. "Just know I'm willing to listen. We're in this together. Remember?"

Yes, I do, but this is about Leonardo. He is the new game. Wonderland will thrive into action wanting to participate in the game, especially Crimson Knightly.

The Captain of the Royal Guards wants to have the Outsider, either for himself or for the Red Queen, which boggles my mind. The current Red Queen is Quinn Cerise, and she would never hand over her crown without a fight.

...unless... she was dethroned...

No! Quinn worked hard to achieve high standards. Was she dethroned?

I blinked seeing two fingers snapping in front of my eyesight. "Sam, where are we going? We have three people to see. The Duchess, the Carpenter, and the Mad Hatter – which I'm gonna take a wild guess to say he's your dad."

I nodded. "I was not aware of how important my father is to Wonderland. One of the founding fathers... even I cannot believe it."

"Here's my question. Who are we visiting first? And we gotta think fast 'cuz I'm not looking forward to seeing my Red Stalker again." I assumed he meant Crimson.

I surveyed our surroundings noticing a couple of signs mentioning the Duchess's home. I have heard stories of the Duchess. A cannibal giantess living in the forest. Her distinct appetite consists of women with madness. They are fables; so, I am not confident how accurate the stories are. But she is one of the original Wonderlandians and knows and perhaps the know-how of a mirror frame.

Leon nodded. "Okay, let's go before the knights catch up."

I nodded as well, taking the lead. "We need to be wary. The Duchess is a cannibal. If things get out of hand, I need you to run."

The turtle blocked my path. "I'm not leaving you with a man-eating woman. I bet we can take her together."

I shook my head, declining his idea. "You do not understand. She is a cannibalistic giantess. She has the size and the home advantage. But we are not there to start a battle, we need answers or the salvation we need to get you home." I sighed, heavily. "Hopefully, she is not famished, otherwise, we would be her evening dinner."