Page 53 of Knot My Wonderland

I removed my hat, placing it carefully on the side table. "The King of Spades will have sensed it too. He wouldn't have mentioned the First Queen otherwise."

"He's trying to plant ideas in her mind," Chi agreed, his tail curling pensively. "Suggesting a destiny that serves his interests."

"The King of Spades has always played the long game," I noted, adjusting my cuffs with practiced precision. "Unlike the Queens with their brute force or the King of Diamonds with his endless calculations, he shapes perception itself."

Chi's form rippled with vexation, "He compared her to the First Queen, Varik. That's not manipulation—it's recognition."

I fell silent, considering the implications. The First Queen was more than history to me—she was memory, flesh and blood and magic that had once walked these very halls. Before the division, before the wars that tore Wonderland into competing courts.

"If Alice truly carries the pattern," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper, "if she could reunify what was broken..."

"Then every monarch will seek to either control or destroy her," Chi finished, his eyes darkening to midnight teal. "The Queens have already proven they'll burn Wonderland to ash before allowing anyone to challenge their authority."

I nodded grimly, memories of past conflicts weighing heavy in my chest. "The Red Queen's forces are mobilizing. The Queen of Clubs has recalled her ambassadors from neutral territories." I stood, moving to the window where Chi's form cast strange shadows. "They sense the change coming, even if they don't understand its nature."

"And Alice sleeps upstairs, as half of Wonderland's nobility is plotting her capture or put her to death," Chi murmured, his tail flicking with restless energy. "We need more than the Tweedles' paths and the Caterpillar's wisdom. We need a real sanctuary."

"The old places," I said quietly, the words carrying weight neither of us wanted to acknowledge. "The territories that existed before the courts divided the realm."

Chi's form stilled completely. "You're suggesting we take her to the Forgotten Lands."

"I'm suggesting we consider all options," I replied, though the very thought made my chest construct with old pain. "The Forgotten Lands exist outside the monarchs' influence. They remember the old ways, when magic flowed freely without political constraint."

Chi form seemed to solidify, his expression uncharacteristically grave. "The Forgotten Lands are called that for a reason, Varik. Most who enter are lost to time itself—their memories scattered across centuries until they forget who they were entirely."

"Not all," I countered, though my voice carried little conviction. "Some adapt. Some find peace in the timeless places."

"And others become echoes," Chi said sharply, his tail lashing behind him. "Fragments of consciousness trapped between moments, neither alive nor dead." His teal eyes fixed on me with unusual intensity. "Is that what you want for Alice? To risk her becoming another ghost in the borderlands?"

I turned away, unable to meet his gaze. The fire crackled in the hearth, shadows dancing across the walls like memories I couldn't quite grasp.

"Of course not," I said quietly. "But if the monarchs unite against her—if they decide she's too dangerous to exist—where else could she go? The Forgotten Lands are the only territories that remain truly sovereign unto it’s self."

Chi's form rippled with agitation, transparency spreading from his edges inward. "There are other options. The White Rabbit offered safe passage. The Tweedles control the hidden paths."

"Temporary measures," I countered, pulling my pocket watch from my vest to check the time—a habit from centuries of carefulplanning. "The White Rabbit serves the courts, whatever his personal sympathies. The Tweedles may control the paths, but they're neutral observers, not protectors. If all four monarchs united against Alice..." I trailed off, the implication hanging heavy between us.

Chi materialized closer, his form solidifying as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "The Forgotten Lands should be our last resort, Varik. You know better than most what happens to those who venture there unprepared."

I closed my eyes briefly, memories washing over me like dark fog—a woman's laugh, the scent of wildflowers, a promise broken by time itself."I do."

"Then let's explore other options first," Chi urged, his voice gentler than usual. "The Caterpillar may have insights we haven't considered. And there's still the March Hare to consult—his networks extend even beyond the Queens' reach."

I nodded, forcing myself back to the present. "You're right. We shouldn't rush to the Forgotten Lands unless absolutely necessary." I adjusted my gloves, a nervous habit from centuries past. "The Caterpillar first, then the March Hare. Perhaps between them, we can find a path that doesn't lead into timelessness."

Chi's form relaxed slightly, transparency reclaiming his edges. "The Caterpillar sees all possibilities at once. If anyone can identify a safer route for Alice, it would be him."

"And if he can't?" I asked, voicing the fear that had haunted me since Alice arrived.

Chi's smile returned, though it lacked his usual mischief. "Then we adapt, as we've always done." His tail curled thoughtfully. "Wonderland hasn't survived this long by being predictable."

I gave him a glance, a bitter smile crossing my face, “That is true. For now let's prepare for meeting the caterpillar.” Thenwith one last glance at Chi, not bothering to stay for his response before I headed outside to clear my head for a few minutes.

The memoirs of the past were close to the forefront and I needed a minute to gather myself before I could focus on the task at hand.

Chapter Nineteen

Alice

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