Take My Hand (Rewritten)

Chapter 8

The next morning Tarrant rose before dawn to try to figure out how he was going to tell Alice the truth. At exactly eight o'clock McTwisp blew a trumpet signalling everyone in the palace must rise, and attend a meeting.

Tarrant, who was already dressed made his way down to the throne room. Alice and the queens were already there chatting. "Tarrant, please join," Mirana beckoned however declined.

"No thank your Majesty, somebody has to be ready to calm Mally when she arrives, hat pin in hand!"

He laughed, they both knew he was right, no matter how much Tarrant wanted to join his fair Alice.

Five minutes later than door mouse arrived, ready to kill! However Tarrant went slyly in his tact and said: "Mally, how would you like to view this early morning meeting from the brim of a top hat?"

Of course, she didn't refuse. Whatever ill-will Mallyumkin bore towards the queens red and white for waking her at this "Godly hour", in her words, hand melted away thanks to the hatter.

Before long, the whole castle had come to the throne room. "Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen. My apologies for the early hour. However, something was bothering me, of course the guilty party is not in trouble, for it was not a crime. Because of them we can rejoice in the wonderful news that our Champion has awoken." Mirana said then the hall burst into cheers, no one happier than the hatter.

After the cheers died down Mirana continued. "We discovered the cause of Alice's illness and found that was lucky that our Champion survived. A poison called Wordsworth was injected into her system, via the forever moving Wordsworth plant. For those of you who do not know, Wordsworth is a blue and purple bramble bush with deadly poison on its thorns. One is sent into a deep sleep, if they even survive the poison, a sleep like death and only can be awoken by true love's kiss."

Tarrant was staring at Alice, he was her true love, and he knew with all his heart that she was his.