Wonderland? Wonderland!

20.

Then I opened my eyes. My eyelids feel heavy, but all the thoughts I had before immediately left my head when I saw where I was. I was no longer in a meadow with my mother, no I was lying in a bed, in a palace, with Louis by my side! With all the thoughts swirling in my head, I could only come up with one.
"Is he dead?"
My voice sounded rough and hoarse, almost like it hadn't been used in a long time and not at all like mine.
"He is."
A moment of silence filled the room before he continued.
"I promise I'll answer all your questions, but for now you have to take it easy, okay?"
I nodded in response.
And Louis began to tell me.

He was dead. We hadn't found his body, but he was dead. For her own good, however, I chose to omit that detail for now. If she wanted I could give her the grave, but no matter where he lay, he was dead. Right?

But never mind thate now.
She was alive, that was all that mattered.

I continued to tell her how we defeated the few who did not want to believe that Henry was dead. Of course we hadn't killed anyone, the queen had only banished them, but they were given materials and food to get by with which they could do as they pleaced with as long as it was outside the borders of Wonderland.

I told how we had freed the prisoners in the Red Palace, how families had been reunited and how happy everyone had been. But I didn't tell her that I sat by her side all the time waiting for a single lifeline. I had been on full throttle and at the slightest movement I had flown up and taken her hand. But only now, now that she had practically screamed in her sleep, had she woken up.

"How long, how, how long have I been…gone?"
I noticed that it pained her to ask, therefore the answer pained me even more.
"Almost three weeks."
"Holy shit."

I flinched when Louis started laughing, had I said that out loud? Judging by his reaction, I had. When he then ramblingly tried to explain himself, I just smiled. If this experience taught me anything, it was that life was unspeakable, and even if he didn't feel the same way, I was willing to take a chance. So instead of just telling him to be quiet, I leaned forward and lightly pressed my lips to his.

His puzzled reaction worried me as I pulled away, but then it developed into a bright smile.
"I thought I would get to be first Draling."
Was all he said before he now pressed his lips to mine, a little harder, a little bolder, but I could feel that I became like soft clay in his hands. And slowly, so slowly did he pulled away.
"Y/n?"
"Yes?"
"I love you."

I was silent for a moment and then I watched as he became more and more worried by it, before I finally spoke.
"I thought I'd get to say it first Love." "Not that you would remember, but you did."
"I did?"
"Indeed you did Darling."
But the last word turned into a mumble as I once again pressed my lips to his and put my arms around his neck. Only when there was a knock on the door did we let go of each other.

  ~●•♤•●~~●•♡ Day later♧•●~~●•◇•●~

"And you're sure you're feeling better?"
We were sitting outside in the sun at a small white table enjoying our tea when mother asked me for probably the 1000th time.
"Yes mother."
I said it with a jokingly annoyed tone and a smile on my face.

Louis and his father were also there, but like little boys they dashed off whispering doing God knows what. Mother looked as if she were trying to hold something back when the hatter came back and sat down. I looked at her questioningly and she exclaimed. "Turn around!!"
"Alice!"
But it was too late, I had turned and behind me Louis was on one knee with something hidden in his hand.

Ohh, no, no, no!!
The last thing I wanted now was to be proposed to!!!
I had had enough of them for almost a lifetime! But when I saw the smiles on everyone's faces, I couldn't help but stay quite. Only when Louis started could I speak.
"Y/n m/n Mckensly do you want--." "Stop! Louis I really, really like you, and I don't want to be mean, but I'm just not ready yet, and we have a whole life ahead of us and--."
He silenced me by lifting a finger.
"If you'll let me continue, Y/n."
Then he opened his hand and showed a key.
"A key?"
Then I realized and shut my mouth, once again I had interrupted him. With a now gigantic smile on his face, he continued.
"It's not much, and it probably needs some work after the guards, but there's a lake with a deck and a table for teatime and--"
Now I had heard enough and again I interrupted him, but this time by throwing myself around his neck. "Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!"
He release himself a little and planted a light kiss on my lips before our parents started cheering.

And that's how our fairy tale ends, happy and loving.