It was sorta hard to cling onto the hatter, when his hands were finally bonded and we started to match. I was practically attacked flat against his chest praying I wouldn't slip. I rested my chin to look upwards at is face. I saw no emotion in it just the distant look.

Past his face was the sky that soon changed drastically as we matched on. It good darker and gloomy. That's when I started seeing red.

Well red buildings.

A large castle that couldn't even compare to the royal palace in England, reached my bison as we matched on into it. It was full of red bricks and hearts stamped on any corner that was reached.

Once we were inside I could make out fine marbles of coarse red drapery.

"Take the prisoner to the dungeons. We're gonna try and break him before presenting him to the queen." I heard the Knave order.

It wasn't a large march till suddenly I let out a small yelp muffled by the hatters clothing, as he was roughly thrown into a ceil. The cards matched away leaving us alone in the wet dark dungeon.

Hurriedly I crawled out from his shirt from his collar coming face to face with him and both of us at the same time spoke

"Are you alright?!"

I was taken aback. This mad man had risked his life for Alice and I and was now in the custody of the enemy, and he was asking if I was alright?

"What?" He caught me funny look furrowing his orange brows.

I sighed shaking my head and tapped his cheek lightly
"Nothing. Your just a very odd man."

He let a deranged laugh past his lips as he settled me in his lap, and leaned against a cold damp wall.
"What do we do now?" I muttered

"Well I presume bloody big head will try to get some information out of me."

"We're gonna try and break him"

The knaves words rang in my mind as my heart sank
"Their gonna torture you."

I could see the frown in his eyes but he no doubt kept that smile of his to try and ease my nerves.
"Don't worry love. I'm afraid you can't break something that already is broken."

I sighed patting his hand
"Well your not alone. I'm sure they'll find me eventually."

His smile vanished
"I won't let them. I'll protect you."

I let out a laugh
"Hatter I know we've only known each other for a very short time but surely you've picked up by now that I'm pretty good at handling my own."

He chuckled lightly
"You may call me Tarrant if you wish."

I tilted my head curiously
"Everyone calls you Hatter though."

"Yes but you're not everyone."

Furrowed my brows I'm confusion at this statement. What's so special about me? What do I mean to him? Nothing Annie you mean nothing. Your just going along with this weird situation you find yourself in.

"How about this. To past the time and ease the nerves. You tell me a fact about yourself. And therefore I will answer with one about me. Fair?"

The hatter smiled
"I do love a good game."

____________________

And that's how it went well into the late night. We would tell each other about ourselves. Our lives. We'd laugh occasionally. And we'd share stories. It definitely eased the tension and I noticed some of the other no so lucky prisoners around us would listen in once in a while, till we were the only ones awake. The moons beam shined into our ceil from the small window.
And Tarrant took note of how I basked in it.

"Andromeda is a star yes?"

I nodded
"Yes. The daughter star of Cassiopeia. That was my moms name."

He sighed almost recalling a memory
"I knew a Cassiopeia once. Very lovely lady. She reminds me a lot of you."

I snorted
"Apparently I remind a lot of people around here of someone. My mom was lovely as well. She was kind. Sweet. Funny. She'd tell the wildest stories and taught me everything I know. She was a maid and nanny for Alice's family, that's how the two of us became so close...I miss her."

I felt Tarrant gently pet my head with a single finger comfortingly
"What happened to her?"

I sighed
"My mom has been sick for a very long time. It wasn't till recently did it finally take her."

"I'm very sorry Annie."

I quickly wiped my eyes grunting to clear the tension forming in my throat
"Aw well. That's why I'm so grateful for Alice. I know I'm never really alone with my friend."

"I can understand that."

I let out a laugh
"Your friends are as mad as you but I can tell they are truly loyal."

"They could be your friends too."

"Perhaps."

I festered for him to come closer and confused he did so. Boldly and took a step forward and rested my small hand on his cheek.
"How can a man with such a crazy laugh, and brilliant eyes, hold such sadness in his heart and mind?"

"Like I said... you can't break what's already been broken."

I couldn't help the words that fell out of my mouth as I looked into his green hypnotic orbs.
"Maybe your just looking for someone to mend what's been broken."

Before he could open his mouth to reply, we heard the door to the dungeon open. Quickly hatter took me, slipped me down his shirt and held me to his chest. I was breathing heavily scared for my friend and what was to come.

"Ok Hightop. Let's see what we can get out of you." The knaves cunning voice floated through the ceil.

Tarrant was roughly pulled up and I realized they were trying to take his clothing off. Hurriedly I hide in the folds of the fabric and let myself get roughly thrown to the side.
I peaked out from under his clothes and trembled with anger ask they raised his arms above his head, chaining it to the ceiling.

The knave had a whip in his hands and I suddenly knew what was going to happen.

"Alright. You can save yourself less pain if you give up where Alice is."

"I'm afraid I'm not sure what little boy you be speaking of."

Tarrant and I made eye contact and I had to cover my mouth from gasping as the knave whipped Tarrant in the back hard with the whip. Leaving a large gash.

"Wrong answer."

They continued for a good 20 minutes, leaving him bloody, bruised, and silent. I couldn't take it anymore, I honestly thought this man was going to kill him. I couldn't just sit here and hide.

I noticed a sewing needle in Tarrant's pocket, and with great determination, I grabbed it, revealing my hiding spot. Tarrant looked at me panicked and shouted

"ANNIE NO!"

And I stuck the needle straight into the foot of the knave. The man let out a cry of pain before realizing my presence. He growled and kicked me roughly causing me to shout before flying into the wall.
Tarrant struggles in bounds as Stayne makes his way over to me and roughly by my small arm raised me to his level. I felt weak after that blow but I struggled anyways trying to maybe at least punch this ass in the nose.
He laughed
"Oh I remember you. What a gutsy little thing you are. Andromeda was it?"

"Put me down you son of a-"

Suddenly he threw me up and caught me tightly in his grasp squeezing me hard causing me to shout in pain.

"Let her go." Tarrant growled causing the knave to raise a brow.

"I can tell torturing the both of you is pointless at this point as much as I enjoy it. And this one..." he caresses my hair gentle and I tried to bite him, he laughed pulling his hand back "Is just to pretty to do serious damage on. Well Ms. Annie let's get you to regular size, then I believe the red queen wants to have a word with you both."

___________________

I was given a bit of that cake that helps make you grow, and practical rags as clothing. When I was taken back to the ceil so we can get Tarrant, I was brought there in chains, and he was pressed against the bars almost straining to look at me.

He seemed almost taken aback having seen me at my normal size for the first time. He smiled weakly at me, and I smiled back.

"Well let's go then."

We were surrounded by red knights as we matched towards the thrown room.

"Why did you do that?" Tarrant whispered to me softly

"I couldn't just sit there and watch them beat you to death."

"You have a habit of getting yourself in trouble I'm learning."

I chuckled softly
"Now you sound like Alice."

He hummed softly a small smile on his face trying to ease the tension of the situation and scanned me up and down

"I rather like your normal height. Still a tad short however."

I gave him a amused smile and nudged him
"watch it hatter."

I was roughly shoved by a knight who snapped
"Stop talking and keeping walking."

____________

"BRING THEM!"

I heard a horrid voice shout from behind large red doors. They opened and we were marched in side to what looked alike a thrown room. Large red marble pillars stood on both sides, the ceilings were high and sun, only a little bit, shined it through glass windows. However something highly disturbed me, and it was the furniture in fact.

Live animals made up the furniture, the light fixtures, practically everything. Forced to stand still. Some looked tired and weak and no doubt frightened if they moved.

I glanced down the middle and realized we were walking towards the thrown and next to a smug looking Stayne was a... odd looking women.

She was sitting on a thrown of red with hearts. Red fabric and a golden crown on her head.

Her head.

Suddenly I knew why they called her "bloody big head". Her head was huge with large curls of red hair shaped into a heart. Her eyes had thick light blue eye shadow and narrowed at us distastefully.

She wasn't always like this. Watch your tongue.

That voice was ringing in my ears again and I glanced around but was greeted with no hint of any presence.

When went to our knees and suddenly my heart froze. I tried to keep my reaction at bay, when I noticed a third person at the front next to the thrown.

It was Alice dressed in red also, larger then life quite literally. She gave me a remorseful look, and I snapped my attention back to the queen

"We know Alice has returned to
Underland. Do you know where she is?"
Her voice is despite the theme, is heartless and demanding.

We don't answer for a moment, well in till Tarrant started with some nonsense

"I've been considering things that start with the letter M... Moron."

I couldn't help but chuckle bitting my lips as he continued

"Mutiny, murder, mmmmAlice."
I give him a warning side glance at that last one.

"We're looking for an A word now, where is Alice?!" She says losing her patience.

"Oh that wee little boy, I wouldn't know."

"What if I take off your head will you know then?!"

The hatter starts laughing madly making me smile
"Stop that!" She ordered once more then... she glanced at me.

She gets a look on her face I can't read but it almost softens
"And who are you?" She questions

I stick my chin out determined and hide any fear that might come from my voice
"My name is Andromeda. From Whitzel."

I remember Tarrant telling me that's where he was from.

Her eyes widened
"D-did you say Andromeda?"

I gave her a confused look at her change in ton.
"Ummm yes I did."

"My Queen are you alright?" Asked Stayne

She got a distant look in her eyes before anymore could be said on the subject Tarrant promptly changed it.

"What a regrettably large head you have."

Everyone snapped their heads to his attention and I my eyes widened at the statement given him a look to shut up. But he glanced at me and with his eyes telling me to to trust him.

"I'd very much like to hat it."

"Hat it?" The queen questioned

Suddenly Tarrant stood up causing the guards get on edge and point their spears at him.

"Tarrant..." I whispered warningly but he ignored me.

"Yes, I used to hat the White Queen, and the Lunar princess you know, but there wasn't very much for me to work with, poor dears. Their heads are so small."

"For forbid the mention of my youngest sister in this kingdom I'll have you know."

The lunar princess? That was the first time I had heard that name since being here and based on that reaction it was a sour subject. However a load beating in my chest started thinking harder on it.

Iracebeth

The name was whispered in my head with such remorseful tone.

"My apologies. It's a sour subject in all of Underland as well." Tarrant muttered his eyes turning sad.

"But yes my other sister has a pimple of a head."

"Yes but this." He started walking forward the guards watching his every move. The knave himself going for his sword "But this... What I could do with this, monument, this orb. Nay, this magnificently heroic globe!"

He's in front of her now, and the queen looks interested

"What could you do?"

Tarrant gestures his bound hands towards her and swiftly she orders

"Unbind him, Stayne!"

Stayne gives her a hesitant glance growing her impatience
"How can he work if his hands are bound?"

Swiftly with his new command the knave takes his sword and I flinched as he strikes hatters chains which break on impact.

"Well then..." he starts to circles her and I think for a moment as he goes behind the thrown that he's gonna make an attempt on her life "Shall it be a bonnet or a boater, or something for the boudoir?"

Suddenly to my shock his speaking starts getting faster almost manic

"A cloche, dunce hat, death cap, coif,
snood, barboosh or pugree, , yarmulke,
cockle-hat, pork-pie, tam o'shanter,
billy-cock, bicorn, tricorn, bandeau,
bongrace, fan-tail, night cap,
garibaldi, fez..."

Suddenly Alice and I both say gently

"Hatter..."

He stops but gets out meekly
"Fez.." then he clears his throat and gestures to me "And my lovely friend here is the best seamstress and clothing designer in all of Underland I assure you. I'm sure she'll make you a line of gowns making you the fairest in all the land."

I was shocked by this accusation but the look Tarrant gave me told me to play along. I stood up and bowed slightly at her

"Is that so?" She questioned me

"Yes your majesty. Any type of gown you desire I assure."

"No doubt a trade you learned from your mother..."

My eyes widened at this accusation and I gapped at her like a dying fish. Alice and I exchanged a look but I composed myself

"Um... yes my lady."

She looked between the hatter and I. Then made her choice.

"Leave us."