Underland

The King was lost in his own reverie, oblivious to the Rabbit crashing awkwardly to his feet, nor the sinister shadow of the Jabberwocky becoming tangible once more.

After a few moments, the King stirred.

"Oh," he said flatly, his tone akin to dreary post-awakening confusion, or half-asleep drowsiness. "Yes. Yes, I suppose it is."

The King quickly composed himself, rising from his seated position on the windows ledge and offering a haughty, distant, demeanour he believed was suitably regal. Or, at least, how he believed 'suitably regal' should appear.

"Yes," he said, gesturing to the window, at its view over the courtyard and gardens. "A veritable hive of activity."

The king stalked back toward his throne. Dismissively, he stepped over the White Rabbit, his performance suggesting that the creature was so far beneath his notice he failed to spot her. Perhaps, it would remind her of her place... though he suspected her child-like naivety wouldn't register the slight.

"Yes," he repeated. "It is good that the Suits seem to be earning their keep."

The King pondered for a moment.

"Seem to be," he reflected to himself. "Yes, We hear rumours that the Cards have a tendency toward... shirking their duties. Of course, We would know little about it...it is not, shall we say 'proper', for a King to mix so openly with the peons that serve him."

Of course they were shirking their duties. Everyone around him seemed to be shirking his duties. Did anyone really respect him, really? Perhaps it was envy, or spite, or just sheer incompetence but it pained him that he was not loved nor admired as a King should be. Was he fit to rule at all? Did his people hate him?

No, he dismissed the idea. They were his people. His.

The King spun, his ermine cloak catching the air and spreading like the wings of a great beast, seating himself in a fluid and overly dramatic motion he was sure would instil a sense of power and majesty.

"We should task someone with investigating this possible discrepancy," he commented. "Perhaps, instilling a bit of discipline might help things. Perhaps a decimation, or perhaps Folding an entire Hand might breed some encouragement."

After a moment of thought, the King decided to acknowledge the Rabbits presence.

"Ah," he said. We did not notice you at first."

He was pleased, congratulating himself on presenting a suitably aloof and imperious air.

"Your king returns the pleasantry," he said, referring to her morning greeting. "Now, tell Us, what matter brings you here,crashing through all courtly protocol?"

Of course, court protocol tended more towards whatever the King's whim or mood dictated from moment to moment. A headache or any of his staff ans courtiers...


... not that any truly respected him.

"We hope," he said. "That is of suitable import to Our business. As you can see, the labours of statecraft keep Us constantly plagued."

Clearly, the 'labours' of statecraft really didn't.

Suddenly appearing out of the darkness, Imago Icarus, more commonly known as the Blue Butterfly, stepped forward with his head bowed and a smile small playing upon his lips. In his hands he held a silver tray, atop which was a cream coloured scroll, tied up with a scarlet ribbon. The Butterfly himself was dressed smartly, with smart black pants and shoes, a long-sleeved white shirt and black tie, held together by a shimmering violet waistcoat. A lilac band was wrapped tightly around his upper right arm and his brilliant blue wings could just be seen, occassionally peaking out from between the linen gauze the King had ordered they be wrapped in, so that he could never 'fly away from his courtly duties'.

"Forgive me for the intrusion, your Majesty." Imago purred with a voice like a soft, warm breeze as he dipped low so that his knee touched the ground and he extended the tray with the scroll towards the King.

"Here is the report you asked me to compile for you, Majesty."

The King looked upon the proffered tray, a slightly bemused look upon his face.

"You interrupt us," he said, all sense of emotion lacking from his voice. "You interrupt us. Has all respect for courtly proceedings vanished. Has all respect for your king vanished?"

The King's face was growing redder, his porcelain cheeks flushed. His eyes began to well with tears of rage and pain. Albeit for a moment. As his hand reached for the Crozier, it withdrew. He was calm once more. At least, calm as he could ever be.

"We were discussing the business of state," the King said, his eyes locked upon the Butterfly. "But if your missive is important enough to interrupt us, then by all means, We would have you dictate it to us."

The Blue Butterfly chuckled, eyes brightening and teeth flashing in a grin when he saw the King's rage. Respect for courtly proceedings? Perhaps Imago would have had respect for such things back when they were carried out with respect. Respect for the law, the court and the truth. Queen Alice had always had such respect for such things, after all, she had been a respectable monarch. Quite unlike the round, ugly creature performing an impressive impression of a tomato before him.

"I have recieved news, my King, that someone came down the rabbit hole." The Blue Butterfly said, not bothering to unrole the script before him. He already knew what had happened in Wonderland. He always knew.

"However, I am unable to tell you who witnessed such an event because that someone wasn't anybody. They were Nobody. Therefore, forgive me for this but... Would it have happened if Nobody was there to see it? Perhaps there aren't young women from the Overland running around your beautiful kingdom but perhaps... There are. It's merely a matter of philosophical debate, as Nobody was there to see it, so did it really happen? One must really wonder..." The Butterfly spoke while admiring his finger nails, shoving the tray and crumpling the script underneath his arm.

No doube he would be punished for his innosolence, despite telling the King exactly what he was supposed to, but then would the King have it in him to kill him? Of course, he had the Crow to report to him, but then the Crow seemed to see only what the King wanted to see so... Was he really seeing anything at all?

Kiria slowly turned, looking about herself in bewilderment. I-i must be dreaming! She pinched herself, and winced. Definately felt that. Um... What to do? S-should I go and find people? The young girl felt her pockets, and feeling a small lump, reached in and fished out a five dollar bill. "Uh oh... I don't like this situation... maybe I can find a pay phone somehwere...?", she mumbled to herself. But first to find one. Already she could invision her mom yelling at her for being so far from home. But maybe she wasn't too far! Although Kiria didn't even recognize the surrounding trees, perhapes she wasn't as far as she first thought! She raced out of the forest, but then stopped dead when she saw what was in front of her. A poorly kept, yet giant garden of white roses, with the occasional red rose. She stood there, transfixed and unbeleiving until someone ran into her, nearly knocking the girl over. "Gya! Watch where your-" She was cut short by the sight of the offender. The card meerly glanced back at her before hurrying off, and he was followed by other cards who payed her no attention. Except the last one, who grabbed her arm and pulled Kiria along with them. "Hurry, hurry! Work, work, work or who knows what will happen to all of us!", he called before letting Kiria go. Shaking, she sat down limply onto a bench. Oh my gosh... Kira calm down... Panic filled Kiria as she bit her lip and clenched her fists. Obviously this place was... She didn't know how to put it. Above the garden, a castle loomed. Kiria was scared what might happen if she entered...

The card was back, and he once again pulled her to her feet. "Hurry!", he dragged the poor girl after him as he entered the castle, and they were now in some sort of kitchen, with cards bustling around everywhere yelling nonsense. "Cut the bread, cut the bread!", the card ordered, pointing to a pile of bread loaves next to a knife. "Uh... okay...", Kiria weakly responded before starting to cut the bread, figuring she might as well go along with this.

The King flushed a little at the Butterfly's insolence, but as the news sunk in his attention was dragged elsewhere.

"An Upplander?" the King asked, an astonished tone slipping into his voice. "Here?"

If there was any truth to this rumour, it may not bode well. Potentially another Witch-in-Blue, potentially another...Alice.

"You say Nobody saw this...Upplander?" the King asked.

"We can only hope," he said, "that if Nobody really saw it, then it did not happen."

Normally, the King would be eager to indulge in such philosophical discourse...but this news troubled him to say the least. Every occasion and individual from the world Above found their way into the Underland they brought with them great changed to the organised disorder of His realm. He remembered bitterly when last Alice came to this world.

No, this would not do at all. Not at all.

"A proclamation," he whispered weakly to himself. His eyes were glazed, his face drawn. In his shock, the King's heart was almost driven to beat once more.

"A Proclamation," he said, more forcefully this time.

"A Royal Proclamation," he said once more. "Let it be heard that on this Day, your King demands this Upplander, should they exist at all, be brought into Custody at once. Let no stone or tree or abode of any sort be left unscoured. While We have endeavoured to be kind to Our people, let it be known that any who would harbour or hide this possible fugitive shall find their still-beating heart upon my plate. If this creature exists at all, We want it found."

The King slumped deeper into his throne, letting its embrace comfort him. His face was a picture of brooding contemplation. He scratched at his arm absently, as he was want to do when faced with stress and his mood soured into a deeper despair. His nails worked at the pale flesh, scratching it raw.

The spectre of Alice loomed over him like a coming storm.

"No," the King whispered. "This cannot be allowed to happen...she is dead. It cannot happen again."

This was troubling news indeed.