"What is wrong, little Alice?" the Mad Hatter asked.
Alice gave out a heavy sigh. "The Cheshire Cat told me of a story not so long ago about the Royal Family and the Queen Mother and I don't know if I should believe it or not."
"Ah," the Mad Hatter sighed. "The Cheshire Cat is not allowed to lie, only to speak of truth in forms of riddles and stories."
"So you're saying what he said is true?" Alice said. "That everything here is just created by some depressed Queen Mother to take everyone's place?"
The Mad Hatter smiled bitterly. "I am one of the few that remains from the Original, like you."
"And the Royal Family?"
"They were just commoners before." the Mad Hatter said. "Until the Queen Mother decided that she cannot rule and continue to create Wonderland in her condition."
They heard a derisive chuckle from the other end of the table and the two of them looked. It was the Cheshire Cat.
"Another story telling, Cat?" the Mad Hatter sighed. Mr. Bear poured another cup of tea for the Cheshire Cat who sidled up to them.
"It is the only way for the Little Lost Girl to regain her memories, as well as preserve the History of Wonderland." the Cat said, taking a sip of the tea. Alice was about to ask what does the Cat means of regaining her memories when the Cat made another gesture and portraits appeared yet again.
"Once, there was a lovely Princess living in a far away kingdom." the Cheshire Cat started. "They say she has everything, that she is very blessed to have beauty and knowledge, for you see the Princess is quite the scholar and enjoys studying and the company of her books more than anything else in the kingdom."
"That's some extreme introvert Princess." Alice muttered. The Cheshire Cat gave her a look that silenced her. The Mad Hatter only chuckled sadly.
"Her people loves her so much and they live quite happily together." The Cat continued. "However, happy the people may be, but the Princess isn't wholly happy. Yes, she is happily content, yet there is this yearning in her heart to be loved by a man."
Alice rolled her eyes. "Typical."
"Do you want me to finish or not?" the Cat asked pointedly. Alice made the continue motion.
"And so, a number of young lower nobles courted the Princess. None were successful save for one. A young Viscount who managed to win her favour." The Cat continued. "Though their love may be short-lived, the Princess is greatly hurt by it in the end that she vowed she will not be swayed and swept off her feet by sweet words and their overly exquisite charm, and along that she had lost the bright smile that warms peoples' hearts. And many suitors were turned down.
"But another young noble, dared to approach her one day and said thus,
'Such face does not suit you, my lady. Pray thence, smile to bring back the joy in people's hearts as well as to make you ever so beautiful again.'
'I will not be swayed by such sweet words, sir Knight.' the Princess replied, recognizing him as the Black Knight who's starting to be popular. 'More so by men who use their charm to get women instead using their sincerity.'
"Funny, normally they make use of Knights in shiny white armours in our versions." Alice muttered to herself. The Mad Hatter stifled a chuckle.
'Alas,' the Knight said dramatically, 'I am not one of those men whom you bespeak, men who uses means to get women. I am the latter, who uses sincerity and true love.'
'You cannot fool me.' the Princess replied haughtily. 'Men are all the same. Once they get the woman, after a few months they leave since there's no longer joy and glory in brandishing trophies and will move on to get another one.'
The Knight held out a hand to her. 'Let me be the one to change your views, my lady. I am not really one to woo women with sweet, lying words. Many says I am not the most charming Knight, for they do not understand how much I will treasure the woman I will love forever.'
'Forever is presumptuous,' the Princess said. 'Not many would stay that way for long.'
The Knight held her hand to his heart. 'Then let me change your views.' "
The Cheshire Cat took a long sip of the tea, leaving Alice a little annoyed.
"And then?" Alice asked.
"Oh, I didn't know you were so interested in the story." the Cat said, putting on an innocent look. Alice glowered and the Cat just laughed in his seat.
"The story is like any other." the Mad Hatter said gently. "They lived for a few years happily, the Knight's heart soaring whenever he hears her laugh or see her smile, with the Princess giving everything of her to the man who had changed her views. He calls her 'My little Princess', and she calls him 'My Dearest' and wore their rings as if married already. And then one day, he went missing, leaving the poor Princess hurt and crying once more."
"And the Princess went missing also, along with her smile yet again. Probably locked herself up in the garden of calla lilies, roses and irises where they spend a lot of time together." the Cheshire Cat added, lounging in his seat. "Though the ending is more like some cliff hanger...no one really knows what the ending is."
Alice frowned. "Hang on, that sounds familiar..."
The Cat grinned. "Of course, the story's an allegory of Wonderland, little Alice. Didn't I just say it's a way to preserve the History of Wonderland?"
o~o
Yeah well. Made a lot of mistakes in drawing. Hard to draw when one's mind and hand are not stable, with the danger of tears spilling all over my limited papers at hand. But hey, I like the clothes at the last two drawings, thanks to xxxHolic's Yuko with a few modifications.
I was too lazy to redraw the whole Black Knight again on that tiny piece of paper (running out of pen ink and sketchpad space) so here's the link for the complete one: Of Knights and Fire Emblem
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