It's All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses Their Mind

“Did you tell him about your visit to the queen?” she asked, her hesitant tone revealing that she already knew the answer.

“Of course not. I just said we were going on another adventure, and picked the door I knew led to Wonderland…” I trailed off, shame rushing back as I remembered my deceit.

“How about this one?” I suggested with a point towards the looking glass, the portal to Wonderland. I had tried to be as casual as possible but inside I was worried. What if Jefferson said he would rather try a different door? I didn’t want to keep the queen waiting, especially if she now had eyes everywhere around me and would know that I had had a portal hat and not used the opportunity to perform my task for her.

“It sure is peculiar,” Jefferson remarked with a tilt of his head. We had approached the door hand in hand and his thumb was running softly across my knuckles. Instead of sending romantic butterflies to my stomach, I only felt guilt for not being entirely honest with him.

“Let’s try it. I’ve never walked through a mirror before. Perhaps the portal will lead us to a land of only glass,” I said to prompt him forwards. Jefferson gave in and allowed me to lead him through the looking glass. We stepped into Wonderland and were met with high blades of grass that surrounded a cobblestone path. The purple-hued sky brought with it a peculiar smell unique to only this land, and the toadstools rose almost as high as my hips. Jefferson and I wandered down the path, searching the nearby area for a secluded spot to spend some time together, until we were spotted by a pair of guards on patrol.

“Should we run?” Jefferson asked in a hushed voice, leaning in so his breath tickled my ear.

“No. We couldn’t make it back quick enough,” I replied sorrowfully. The last thing I wanted was to be trapped in this foreign land, punished for fleeing, and all because of the queen’s task.

“Who are you? What is your business in Wonderland?” one of the men asked. The other kept his tense stance, as if he was itching to swing his sword at us.

“We make hats,” I answered before Jefferson could, gesturing to the items atop our heads. Ever since I had gifted Jefferson his hat, he had hardly taken it off, and I always felt naked without one. “We were hoping the queen might be interested in our products. Perhaps we could establish a trade with this world.” The guard paused and contemplated my words.

“Very well. I will take you to her,” he agreed before spinning on his heel. As we were taken further and further away from our portal back home, I did my best to note any standout objects in the landscape to help me find our way back. The guards presented us to their queen, a woman who refused to show her face and forced her advisors to also wear masks. Her primary advisor stood to her right, listening to what she whispered to him before repeating it aloud for Jefferson and I.

“The queen would like to know why you wish to sell hats in her land,” the man announced. Jefferson looked to me, not wanting to speak out of line and ruin my lie. I was glad he understood the importance of keeping our story straight and trusted me to keep the situation under control.

“People in our land do not appreciate the true art of our craftsmanship. We thought we might find people with more style in another land,” I called out. Jefferson shifted uneasily on his feet and I followed his gaze to the line of guards, giving his hand a short reassuring squeeze.

“The queen would like to see more samples of your work. Did you bring any with you?” the man asked. I gulped, realising that it was a mistake to not have goods on us when we were trying to sell them.

“Due to a lack of sales back home, we were unable to afford material to craft from before we left,” Jefferson spoke when I was unable to. My nerves had gotten the best of me, wary from the unfamiliar rules of the land as well as whether or not I was going to be able to succeed at stealing from a queen. I fingered the necklace beneath my blouse and mentally reassured myself that I was going to be okay.

“The queen has plenty of supplies. She would like you to stay and produce a variety of hats for her. If she likes them, she will make an offer for your services,” the man instructed us.

“Of course. We would be honoured,” Jefferson smiled in response. We were dismissed and led away by another pair of guards. I ensured we remained a good amount of distance behind them, and after a quick look over my shoulders to make sure no one could hear me, I leaned in towards Jefferson.

“Thank you for covering me, darling. I’m sorry I froze, I think I became overwhelmed,” I whispered, now grateful that I had asked him to accompany me.

“You’re more than welcome,” he said with a grin. The guards came to a stop before a pair of tall oak doors, then swung them open for us. Inside was an incredibly large room full of materials galore. The supplies were beyond what I had ever dreamed of, and as a crafter I was in paradise. Jefferson thanked the guards and they left us alone after rattling off a speech about when meals would be served and where to locate the baths.

“Perhaps we shouldn’t return,” I joked, though my tone was serious.

“There is a slight problem with that,” Jefferson said and I turned to face him. He stepped forwards and swept his arms around my waist.

“And what’s that?” I asked. My lips brushed against his.

“I have no idea how to make hats,” he remarked. After a brief moment of silence we began laughing, realising just how ridiculous the situation was.

“So what did you do? How did you keep your cover of hat makers?” she questioned. I finally found myself smiling at the memory from Wonderland.

“I taught him how to craft.”