Page 16 of Knot My Wonderland

The Hatter nodded and moved toward the door. "I'll prepare some real breakfast. Tea is lovely, but you'll need proper sustenance." He paused at the threshold, half-turned. "Alice?"

"Yes?" I titled my head to the side in question.

"Welcome home." He slipped out, the door clicking softly behind him.

Alone, I let out a shuddering breath. Home. The word sat strangely in my chest—both right and wrong at once...but maybe I could find a place here where I felt like I really belonged.

Chapter Seven

Alice

Istepped into the main room of the Hatter's house, wearing the new clothes he'd given me. The leather pants hugged my legs but allowed for easy movement, and the cream blouse felt impossibly light against my skin, almost like wearing mist. The embroidered jacket settled on my shoulders with a weight that felt strangely comforting, like armor that didn't need to be heavy to be effective.

The Hatter stood by a crooked table that hadn't been there yesterday, his long fingers arranging plates that didn't match. Each dish seemed to have a personality of its own—one painted with tiny dancing mice, another rimmed with gold that shifted position when I blinked, a third that appeared to be made of something like porcelain but hummed softly when food touched it.

"Ah, there you are," he said without turning. "The clothes suit you."

I ran my hands down the front of the jacket, feeling the subtle warmth of the silver threads beneath my fingertips. "They feel... alive somehow."

"All things in Wonderland have a touch of life to them," the Hatter replied, finally turning to face me. His eyes widened slightly. "Yes, quite suitable indeed. The Caterpillar has outdone himself."

I approached the table cautiously. The breakfast spread before me was both familiar and utterly foreign—what looked like scrambled eggs shimmered with an iridescent gleam, bread that steamed despite having no visible heat source, and fruit I couldn't name that seemed to pulse gently with its own heartbeat.

"Is it... safe to eat?" I asked, gesturing at the strange feast.

The Hatter's laugh was a short, sharp thing. "Define 'safe,' little Alice. It won't poison you, if that is your concern.”

I settled into a chair that seemed to adjust itself to fit me, watching as the Hatter poured something from a twisted silver pot that steamed with rainbow-colored vapor.

"It's not poison I'm worried about," I admitted, eyeing a fruit that appeared to be breathing. "It's more the 'Eat me' cakes that made me grow twenty feet tall last time."

His lips quirked into a half-smile. "A valid concern. But no, these are simply Wonderland provisions. They may enhance your senses or warm your blood, but they won't change your size." He pushed a plate toward me. "You'll need your strength."

I took a careful bite of the scrambled eggs. Flavor exploded across my tongue—not just the expected egg taste, but something deeper, like sunshine and fresh grass and a hint of spice I couldn't name. The sensation spread warmth through my body, making me blink in surprise.

"It's... intense," I murmured, taking another bite despite myself. The warmth continued to spread through my limbs, chasing away the lingering ache from my fall.

"Wonderland food nourishes more than just the body," the Hatter explained, watching me with those bright, keen eyes. "It feeds the senses, the spirit. Makes you more... present."

I reached for what looked like bread, tearing off a piece. Steam curled from the exposed center, smelling of honey and something wild, like crushed herbs. When I took a bite, it melted against my tongue, leaving behind a clarity that sharpened every color in the room.

"This is incredible," I admitted, reaching for the fruit next.

The Hatter smiled, pleased. "The food here remembers you, just as Wonderland does. It knows what you need."

I paused with the fruit halfway to my mouth. "What do you mean, it remembers me?"

The Hatter stirred his tea with a small silver spoon that seemed to bend at impossible angles. "Everything in Wonderland has memory, Alice. The trees remember the birds that nest in them. The rivers remember every stone they've touched. And Wonderland itself remembers those who walk its paths." His eyes met mine over the rim of his cup. "Especially its Dreamers."

I bit into the fruit. It burst with juice that tasted like starlight might—bright and fierce and somehow ancient. My senses sharpened even further, the room coming into almost painful focus.

"So what exactly is the plan?" I asked, wiping juice from my chin. "You said I can't hide forever."

The Hatter set down his cup with a deliberate click. "No, you cannot. Nor should you.” He took a deep breath before he continued.

"First, we need to establish your position," he said, those green eyes calculating. "You are under my protection, which carries weight with most of Wonderland's denizens. But protection alone won't be enough."

I swallowed another bite of the strange fruit, feeling its energy pulse through my veins like liquid starlight. "What will be enough?"

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