Page 34 of Knot My Wonderland: Part Two
I closed my eyes, feeling the pattern pulse beneath my skin with increasing complexity. Through the temporal bond, I glimpsed fragments of what that potential might look like—reality bending around my will, bridges of light spanningimpossible distances, the very fabric of Wonderland responding to my intentions.
"How long do we have before the Queen finds us here?" I asked, opening my eyes to meet Seth's dark gaze.
"A week tops. Enough time to do your training," he replied grimly. "Her network is already spreading word of the 'kidnapped princess.' Soon she'll have half of Wonderland searching for you."
I blinked, absorbing his words, “Kidnapped princess?”
"The Queen has declared you her adopted daughter," Heart explained, his jaw tightening with barely controlled fury. "She's claiming we abducted you during a diplomatic visit—that you were willingly staying with her to learn about your royal heritage."
Chi's tail lashed with agitation. "She's painting herself as a grieving mother and us as criminals who stole her child."
I felt a chill run through me despite the warmth of the sanctuary. "Will people believe her?"
"Many will," Seth confirmed, his shadows darkening around his feet. "The Red Queen has spent centuries cultivating her public image. To most of Wonderland, she's a tragic figure—a mother who lost her daughter to plague and has ruled alone ever since."
Through the temporal bond, I caught glimpses of possible futures—wanted posters bearing my face, bounty hunters scouring the countryside, well-meaning citizens who would turn me in believing they were helping a mother reunite with her child. The pattern beneath my skin pulsed with anxiety, responding to my emotions.
"Then we need to move quickly," I said, pushing myself fully upright despite the lingering weakness in my limbs. "If the Chronos Pocket gives us time without the Queen finding us, we should use it."
Vee nodded, his silver eyes reflecting something ancient and knowing. "The preparations are nearly complete. We merely awaited your conscious consent—temporal manipulation of this magnitude requires willing participation from all involved."
"You have it," I said without hesitation. "When do we begin?"
"Dawn," Dee replied, consulting his temporal devices. "The transition between night and day creates natural instabilities in the time-stream that we can exploit…..then we will move"
Heart rose, his protective instinct radiating through our bond. "You should eat something first. I am sure my mother didn’t give you much or filling wanting to keep you weak as she could.”
I nodded, suddenly aware of the hollow emptiness in my stomach. "Food would be good. I can't remember the last proper meal I had."
Varik appeared as if summoned by the mere mention of sustenance, balancing a tray laden with steaming dishes. "Nutritional restoration for our recently rescued Alice!" he announced with theatrical flair. "Specially formulated to counteract magical depletion, temporal disorientation, and the general unpleasantness of being the Red Queen's unwilling guest."
Despite everything, I found myself smiling at his characteristic exuberance. The tray held a colorful array of foods—a soup that shimmered with opalescent light, bread that seemed to glow from within, and fruits whose colors shifted subtly as I watched.
"It's all safe," Chi assured me, noting my hesitation. "Varik's eccentric with his food choices especially with adding small things to help you.”
I accepted the tray gratefully, my hands steadier than they'd been in days. The soup tasted like liquid starlight, warming me from the inside out while the pattern beneath my skin respondedpositively to whatever magical nutrients it contained. As I ate, the lingering weakness from my captivity began to fade, replaced by genuine strength rather than the artificial energy the Queen's tonics had provided.
"This is incredible," I murmured, taking another spoonful. Through the temporal bond, I felt the Tweedles' satisfaction at my body's positive response to the magical nutrients.
"Varik's culinary alchemy," Heart explained, settling beside me with his own bowl. "He may be mad, but he's brilliant when it comes to restorative cooking."
The Hatter beamed, his chaotic energy settling into something resembling pride. "Madness and brilliance are simply different words for the same thing, viewed from different angles." As I ate Vee spoke up, knowing I would want to know more of the plan ahead.
"The temporal pocket will require anchors," Vee explained as I worked through the meal. "Individuals who can maintain connection to normal time flow while we exist in acceleration."
"Varik has agreed to serve," Dee added, his silver eyes tracking calculations visible only to him. "But we'll need at least one more for stability…Heart has asked Martha if that is fine with you.”
I nodded, setting down my spoon as I considered the implications. "Martha would be perfect. Heart you trust her a lot…don’t you?”
Heart's ruby eyes softened with something like nostalgia. "Martha was there when I first broke from my mother's court. She helped me establish my territory when I had nothing but my name and determination." He smiled softly.
"She's one of the few people in Wonderland who knew me before I became 'The Heart of Wonderland,'" he said quietly. "She saw me at my weakest and never once used it against me."
I reached for his hand, feeling the golden bond between us pulse with warmth. "Then I trust her too. Is there anything I need to do to prepare for the pocket?"
Dee's silver eyes met mine, his expression unusually gentle. "Rest. Eat. Let your mind process the temporal bonding naturally. The transition will be easier if you're not fighting exhaustion."
I nodded, taking another spoonful of the shimmering soup. Through our new bond, I felt the twins' consciousness—a river flowing in both directions, carrying whispers of what had been and what might yet come. Unlike the Queen's invasive presence, their connection felt like a gentle hand guiding me through unfamiliar territory, showing rather than controlling.
