A Curious, Mad Dream

Quick Review:
Acelin: AZ-LEEN
Civmiralli: SIV-MER-ALL-EE
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Thane’s P.O.V

After Acelin had safely made it up the stairs to disappear onto the balcony, I grabbed my cloak from my bedroom being sure to fasten my holster around my chest and load my guns. Before I grabbed my sword, I removed Acelin’s clothes from the dryer and folded them; I placed them on the foot of the bed in the hopes she would see them. I slung my sword across my back and silently left the tower, throwing my hood up as I stepped out into the sunlight. Ducking quickly through the brush that covered a path I had made for my own personal travels, I moved swiftly towards the Hatter’s mansion. Not only because that was where the twins were most likely residing, but there also was much he and I had to discuss.

The path was a straight shot to the mansion as I approached from the side in front of the gate. I scanned the area looking for any sign of March considering he was supposed to be guarding the entrance. An annoyed scoff left my mouth when I saw he was slacking off on his job as usual. Cautiously I stepped out of the thick foliage of the forest to approach the gate. The sudden sense of alarm caused goosebumps to erupt all along my skin.

My fingers wrapped around the hilt of my gun as I spun around to point the barrel at March’s eye; the barrel of one of the hare’s guns staring me in the eye.

“Always nice to see you, March,” I dully greeted cocking my gun. A similar sound from his echoing after mine.

“Wish I could say the same, Sinclair, but then I’d be lying,” March sighed, his finger applying slight pressure to the trigger, but not enough to make it go off.

“I’m just here to talk business with the Hatter,” I informed him knowing exactly what he was going to say next.

“About the arrival of the Outsider? He already knows so go home,” March bit out keeping his ground. Our guns stayed locked on each other.

“It’s more than that. I have a feeling she’ll be coming to visit him soon.”

“Did the little voice inside your head tell you that?” March mocked. The corner of his mouth turned up into a hateful sneer. The hare and I had never gotten along; even more so after the war had ended and everyone parted ways. I ground my teeth in anger at the mockery, but I knew the one thing that always made him lose control and ultimately the battle.

“He sure did…rabbit,” I smiled viciously as I called him the one thing he hated most. Right below that was using his first name.

“Goddamn it!” he snapped angrily lowering his gun. “I’m not a fucking rabbit!” March stamped his foot angrily on the ground before pointing to his long, slender black ears.

“See these? See how they aren’t fluffy with fur and cutesy? Do you see how tall they are? I’m a hare, damn it! A hare.”

I rolled my eyes as I tossed my hood back and slipped my gun back into its holster.

“Just take me to the Hatter, March. Let’s stop having these same conversations each time I come to visit.”

March sighed tossing his gun up spinning towards the sun only to have it return to the palm of his hand as a large, silver coin. He slipped it inside the pocket of his vest where no doubt the matching coin rested as well.

“Fine,” he grumbled brushing passed me to push open the gate allowing me to step through first. Although the gate appeared to be unlocked at all times, the Hatter had cast a barrier around it that only allowed him and March to open the gate. Anyone else who tried would be severely injured. It was why the hare had been given the task to guard the gate at all times to either deter enemies or allow entrance to friends. The only time the enemies were allowed in was for business only.

I dipped my head in thanks and stepped through the gate. Hopefully the Hatter was in a good mood and willing to follow orders.

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“It has been a while, Thane,” the Hatter smiled. He sat at the head of a long, white clothes table that had variations of finger sandwiches, sweets, and pastries scattered across its length. A large, porcelain pot of tea sat off to his right where it was easily accessible to him. The twins were nowhere to be found.

“We have things to discuss, Hatter,” I said getting straight to the point. He released a heavy sigh as he removed the tall black top hat from his head to rake fingers back through his hair.

“It’s always business with you. Can’t you ever come to visit me because you want to catch up and chat in long detail about our lives?” The Hatter motioned for me to sit down in one of the empty seven seats, but I refused the offer.

“I already know more about your life than I want to know. You do not truly care to know about mine. Therefore, we have nothing to catch up on.”

“Fine, if that is what you insist,” he mumbled waving away my words with a fingerless, black leather gloved hand. “But at least call me by my name, Thane. Surely you could do at least that?”

I gritted my teeth together not really liking to call anyone by their first names except for the twins. I only call Lydia by hers because it was a force of habit with her being the queen. As for Acelin…I imagined she’d much rather be called by her first name.

“Fine…Gage,” I softly replied so he couldn’t hear the malice dripping from my voice. A wide smile spread across his face reminding me of Avira’s annoying face.

“Now, what did you want to discuss?”

Before I could allow the words to tumble from my mouth, a figure appeared beside Gage’s chair. My eyes narrowed on the grinning face belonging to none other than Rhett Avira.

“Oh, Thane, how nice to see you,” the neko smiled even wider, those golden eyes lighting up with mischief.

“The package?” Rhett asked of Gage. The Hatter reached own and grabbed a slender, paper wrapped package that had black string tied across. I watched as he handed it over to Rhett as the neko disappeared; that wide smile being the last image to fade away. That’s when I knew I only had a matter of time before Acelin no doubt defied orders the way her mother had and found her way here with Avira’s help.

I took a hurried step forward.

“Gage, you mustn’t reveal too much to her about her mother or her part to play here in Wonderland. Not until he has at least talked to her first,” I stressed. Gage watched me through bored, grey eyes.

“Oh, you mean your invisible friend? Are you still keeping up that childish charade?” he yawned picking up his tea cup and taking a sip; those challenging grey eyes never leaving mine. I swallowed back my anger knowing that yelling at him wouldn’t help my situation.

“He’s not invisible. He lives in the dreams of Wonderland. The way we live in a dream,” I reminded him. Those calm, grey eyes suddenly darkened into a pitch black color.

“This is no dream. We were not created in the mind of some bored, brainless, idiotic girl who didn’t know her place in the world. Wonderland existed long before she came along; it exists outside the realm of the Outsiders. She—” he spat the word—“just happened to stumble upon our peaceful world thanks to that damn, no good white rabbit! Then to repay us for our hospitality and love, she had the gall to bring war upon our land!”

Gage slammed tightly clenched fists onto the table causing the dishes to rattle and a splash of his tea to slosh out of the cup over the side staining the pristine white tablecloth. I remained still waiting until he was finished with his little episode. Once his heavy breathing had died down and his eyes were grey once more, I continued with what I was saying.

“Answer any questions she might have, but please—I beg of you, Gage—do not discuss her mother’s past here. I know you feel resentment towards Alice and what she did to you, but that doesn’t mean Acelin needs to hear about it just yet. Not yet. And allow him to explain her role in Wonderland. I’m asking this of you as a friend, a fellow Civmiralli, and b—”

“I get it!” Gage snapped cutting me off at the one word I knew would cause him to get shaken up. Not because he disliked the word or loathed it, it was more of the fact that it brought up many memories and also reminded him of a betrayal. Indeed, Gage had gone the maddest after Alice’s abandonment.

“Fine. I won’t say more than is needed to the girl,” the Hatter quietly agreed his eyes fixated on the stain left by his tea.

“Now get out,” he ordered. Knowing not to say another word, I turned and left the mansion hoping I might be able to return in time before Acelin left, but I had a feeling that wouldn’t happen.

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Henry’s P.O.V

I was back to being trapped in this room surrounded by darkness; my mind clinging to images of Acelin’s face. First, it was the look of awe and excitement that had lit up her beautiful face when I had given her the pendant; it soon turned into the look of horror and fear that had been shining in her blue-violet eyes as Vincent had kidnapped her to Wonderland.

I stood up trying the door handles once more but still finding them locked. I sighed and took my place back on the foot of the bed. This wasn’t supposed to be the way things ended up for either of us. I dropped my head into my hands as I fought back the urge to scream out in raw anger and regret. I was glad to have given her the pendant when I did; I just sincerely hoped she clung to it like her life depended on it. I wanted her to keep my memory close. If I could transfer my thoughts to her, I would and then I’d tell her what I wasn’t able to back home. That I loved her. I had loved her since that first day I laid eyes on her. My love for her was one reason I had been locked in here.

I fell back onto the bed spreading my arms wide to stare out into the darkness knowing the ceiling was there somewhere high above me. I could open the curtains if I wished and allow the light to shine into the room, but I wanted to sit in the darkness. The only time I considered opening the curtains was at night when I could gaze up at the moon as it shone brighter than the sun into the black of the room. Because I knew that wherever Ace was, she’d be gazing up at the moon, too, hopefully thinking of me the way I would think about her.

I released a heavy sigh.

“Come back to me soon, Ace. I know you’ll find a way. Just use the pendant I gave you.”

I allowed my eyes to flutter shut wishing I could send out my thoughts to her.

“Come back to me…”