Curious Alice {#Wattys2016}

Curious Alice - Chapter 4

"Yes? What about her?" I ask, taking multiple slow sips of tea. Mirana doesn't reply for a while. She looked down and played with her tea. She opened her mouth as if to say something, however, didn't say anything.
"Mirana?" I ask. She slowly looked up at me. Her eyes filled with serious, upsetting emotion. "Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine, my apologies... Iracebeth... I fear something might happen." Mirana said, looking back at her tea and starting to take a few sips. Tarrant's face grew visibly frustrated and angry. His eyes went from green to a much darker color, I could hear him making audible growling noises. I glare over at him. He places his hands on the tea table angrily. I pick up his right hand and gently placed it into the palm of my hand and held it.
"Is everything okay?" I ask, looking into Tarrant's eyes. His eyes went back to their normal green color, and as for the color around his eyelids, they went back to their natural pink and blue color.
"Iracebeth is looking to take Hatter's sister and keeping her hostage and potentially... Definitely killing her." Mirana said as she looked sadly back at Hatter. I look back at him as well, feeling severe sympathy for him.
"She's already got my sister." Tarrant said, placing his teacup down. He places his head in his hand and rests it there, and with his other hand, his pointer finger stirred his tea. He looked depressed. This isn't how I am use to seeing my Tarrant. Hatter, looking very depressed, seemed very Unrecognizable. His hair a darker shade of red, but still having a rather orange color, his eyes a lighter shade of green, his eyebrows down
"Her army took my sister away from me. Right in front of my family. In front of me. We were all held back by some members of her army. Just until they put my sister in a carriage and drove her off... Took her right out of my arms." Tarrant explains, looking at me directly. He stopped stirring his tea.

"Wow, Hatter. I'm... I'm sorry." I say, going back to holding his hand. I look at Mirana and then back at Tarrant. "Where is she now?"

"Probably locked in the Red Queen's prison." Mirana said "In a couple days, she's going to be forced to play these very evil games..."

"She could be killed. These games are extremely dangerous." Tarrant said, rocking himself. Clearly about to lose his mind.

"Mirana... Is there anything we all can do to save her?" I ask, looking back at her. She nods,

"It's a dangerous task..." She stopped

"I was put through traveling back in time with the chronosphere, and it was very dangerous. I bet we can do this." I said, nodding my head bravely.

"Indeed." Mirana said, "Well. You see... We have to sneak into her castle... Which is already dangerous enough, and then unlock her out of the cage she's trapped in, in time before Iracebeth forces her to play her evil games..."

Suddenly, Chess appears sitting down in a seat, with his paw holding his head as well. He gave his sly grin he always gave us,

"And, do leave with her alive, please." He said, casually as normal.

"Chess. Shh." Mirana said, "Obviously, we will."

"Apologies. I was only trying to help again." He said, starting to float towards Hatter and I.

"Don't worry. Hatter, we will get your sister back, alive." I said as Chess rested on Tarrant's shoulders. Hatter looks up from his tea and gives me a sad face.

"What do we need for this journey?" I ask Mirana.

"All we need is skill -- and time." She replied.