Teaparty à la Mære

A drastic change of scenery met them on the other side of the door. Lilith stepped onto a grand marble path that led straight to the palace doors. Sir Albus hopped beside her, still hand in hand. The path to the palace was yards long and lined with guards staggering on each side for the full length of the walkway. The two guards closest to them stood at attention; however their eyes fixated on Sir Albus. It was a piercing, menacing glare, and Lilith squeezed his hand tightly, as if silently telling them he was with her.

Sir Albus whispered, “We should head into the castle swiftly. I do not know what the Red Queen has in store for you, but I am not supposed to be here.”

Lilith heard him, but was hesitant because she wasn’t sure what the guards would do if they both proceeded down the path. She studied the guards and noticed their legs were quite short, and their playing card bodies seemed flimsy and inefficient for running. Almost as if Sir Albus had read her thoughts, he eased her mind.

“If they were going to attack us, they would have done so already. The Red Queen must have pardoned me.”

Lilith nodded, and they both briskly hurried down the path. With each guard they passed, a new set of eyes bore into them; however, the card guards remained unmoved. Once they were at the grand door, Sir Albus slipped his hand from hers and began fixing himself up. He then turned to Lilith and straightened out her outfit, checked her hair, and made sure nothing was out of place.

“The palace…is a rigid place. While faces will smile, do not trust anyone. One must wear a mask to survive, and tread carefully around the Red Queen.”

Lilith listened to his words; the causality in the way he spoke said volumes in itself—he had long acclimated to surviving in this place. Her brow knitted as she quietly sighed. While she was listening to his words of wisdom, she wasn’t sure of how peaceful she could be towards Cheshire. “I will keep it in mind.”

He nodded and positioned himself face forward, towards the door. “Stay close at all times; I will help you navigate this place while I am able.”

Her brow rose; while he is able?

Sir Albus stood up even straighter than normal, his head held very high, and his voice boomed, “The Red Queen’s Guest, Lady Lilith, enters.”

Lilith watched in awe as the doors magically opened immediately after Sir Albus’s announcement. Confidently, he stepped into a grand marble foyer, nodding for Lilith to follow. She walked slowly behind him as he traversed the long red carpet leading straight through the and into an inner room. While she determinedly tried to follow Sir Albus’s example to keep her head straight, her eyes could not help darting around the room to examine the creatures and faces of those who stood off to the sides. They all acted very haughty—noses high in the air while wearing sneering grins; all while flaunting their strangely styled garb. Almost making eye contact with one creature, she re-focused her eyes forward. She couldn’t give them the satisfaction of knowing how uncomfortable she was at being the center of attention. They all whispered around her, too softly to understand their words, but an overwhelming sense of dread crept upon her. She took deep breaths in and out, calming herself without being too obvious.

I’m going to be fine, she repeated in her mind until she felt more at ease.

Sir Albus stopped in front of the next door and waved at the card guard to the right, who clacked his tall scepter onto the floor three times, which signaled the next door to make way; however, nothing happened. Impatiently waiting, Sir Albus loudly cleared his throat, but the guard remained unmoved.

Before Albus could turn to Lilith, a side door to the left opened and a red stuffed rabbit cookie, dressed in fancy garb, stepped out. Sir Albus’s eyes narrowed as the red rabbit—practically Albus’s doppelgänger—took dainty steps towards him until they were nose to nose. Sir Albus, as tall as he could get, was in the end shorter than the red rabbit. Their natural heights were the only difference between the two, aside from their colors. They stood silent, sending intimidating stares toward one another. In the end the red rabbit spoke first, tersely.

“Albus.”

Sir Albus, without missing a moment, replied just as tersely, “Ruber.”

Ruber scoffed, “Albus, you know better than to announce a guest who is not fit for the sight of palace maids, let alone the queen.”

Ignoring the sneer in Ruber’s tone, Albus replied, “Lady Lilith, may I present to you the mouthpiece of the Red Queen, Ruber.”

“Sir, Sir Ruber.” He quickly corrected.

“Oh?” Albus clicked his tongue. “Since when were you knighted?”

“I am your equal in every way; if you were knighted, I must be,” Ruber smugly stated.

Their squabbling was so intimate and easy that it was clear this was a normal transaction.

Albus was simply waiting for him to take the bait he had laid out, “How humble of you to admit that you are simply a clone the Red Queen created from my original, one-of-a-kind, self. Made by the White Queen very hands. Well, I suppose by that logic, you are somewhat knighted. Perhaps more of an Esquire?” Albus faintly smiled at Ruber’s reddening face. They both knew Ruber would never admit to being inferior to Albus, even though what Albus had said about him was true.

Ruber contained his anger, but stood even taller than he had been. “The Red Queen will entertain your lady in the sunroom for tea. Make sure she is presentable.” With that he huffed back through the door whence he came.

After he was gone, Lilith thought she heard a faint chuckle from Sir Albus, but couldn’t be sure. He turned to her and bowed, “Forgive my unsightly behavior with Ruber, as it was transparent, we have history. Still, you should have been spared our trivial rivalry.”

Lilith shook her head. “It’s fine…” she trailed off. She wanted to ask if he was alright, but he seemed intent on not speaking any more on the subject, so instead she changed the subject entirely. “What did he mean by ‘presentable’? Do I need to dress up?”

Sir Albus shook his head, “No, I take it the Red Queen dressed you so?”

She nodded.

“Then your outfit is fine; however…”

Lilith waited for him to continue, but he was stuck in thought. Finally, she tried getting his attention, “However?”

Sir Albus took her hand and turned to the right. “There are too many ears here. Come, we must go elsewhere.”

They followed the wall until they reached the corner, and then Albus placed her hand that had been holding onto the wall, instructing her, “Touch the wall and don’t let go until I say.”

Curious but obedient, Lilith followed his lead and placed her hand on the wall, like him, and allowed it to trail across the variety of textures decorating the marble facade. Albus continued to lead her across the side wall until they reached a large, embroidered tapestry draping from ceiling to floor. He rustled himself behind the fabric and motioned for her to follow. Lilith looked out at all the faces in the room, but not one fell upon them. How does no one notice us? We are so obviously escaping behind this curtain…

“Come,” she heard from the corridor the tapestry created. She stepped behind the tapestry and awkwardly moved behind it, trying to keep her feet from getting tangled in the tassels while also creating a little barrier with her arm so the heavy fabric wouldn’t impede her face. It was darker, but her eyes adjusted in time to see Sir Albus turn into a hidden door. She quickly followed, and he shut the door behind them.

Sir Albus’s voice softly stated, “There is a magic in the palace; while we touch the walls, we become invisible to the court. It only works for those who have touched the White Queen, and while we can become invisible to the court, we can never be invisible to the Red Queen.

Though the room was dark, Lilith could tell where Sir Albus was because his voice traveled across the room as he spoke. A match skitched to light and Lilith watched as Sir Albus swiftly fired up all the lanterns around the room. Now that she could see, she quickly ascertained that it was a very humble space. A vast difference from the splendor of the marble and cathedral ceiling of the previous room. This room was wooden and worn. Her brow rose as she recognized a familiar marking on the walls; the same claw marks she had seen in the cedar tree. Noticing Lilith’s hand tracing the deep scratches in the wood, Albus commented.

“The Red Queen’s first assault on Dreamland was vicious and methodical. There are very few spaces left that have the evidence of that attack.”

Both hearing his words and lost in thought, she responded, “Cheshire made these marks?”

Albus nodded, “Yes, with a dark aura.”

Lilith nodded; she was familiar with that “dark aura”. She squirmed as she recalled how tightly it had held her. But an entirely different thought occurred: “Does Cheshire not know of this place?”

Albus sighed, “The Red Queen knows all in Dreamland; this space is merely overlooked. Anything of value it once held is gone, and this place was ‘gifted’ to me as my quarters.”

Her brow furrowed as she realized she was standing in his bedroom. This small, worn space was all he had to call a “home”. “I…” She didn’t know what to say to that.

“No time for sorrow, Lady Lilith, we must see what teatime skills you possess.” He was busy setting up his modest table and chair for her to sit on. “This could very well be a trial, and we must prepare you for it. Come, sit.”

Lilith sat immediately, but she remained silent as she watched him in a new light. He was a proud individual, and yet he had lived like this for how long now? She smiled at him, though he didn’t see it. He is truly a friend to Alise; he would live like this and keep his head held high because of his love for her. Her thoughts lingered for a moment, then switched back to finding Alise. It was then that she had an idea. “Albus, you know this place well, right?”

He nodded as he collected everything related to tea that he had in his quarters.

“Well, if Alise is here somewhere, then would you know where to look?”

Albus shook his head. “Sadly, I have looked everywhere I could, but I have not found her.”

“Are there places you may not go?”

He nodded his head. They were both thinking along the same trail, “Yes, since the Red Queen has taken over, I have never once been permitted to enter the Red Queen’s quarters.”

She was a little confused. “What about the White Queen’s quarters? Have you checked there?”

He shook his head and clarified further, “The Red Queen’s quarters are the White Queen’s quarters. Everything that was once the White Queen’s became the Red Queen’s. It is as if the White Queen’s very identity was swallowed, and the doppelgänger of the Red Queen took her place. Like I have a clone that mocks me, the White Queen’s doppelgänger mocks us all.”

“Then, the only proper place to look is the queen’s bedchamber…a place that them both has used…”

Sir Albus nodded, “And I intend to get you that far. Now pay attention, there is no time to waste; the Red Queen hates to be kept waiting.”

Lilith focused on the items he had placed on the table. “I’m ready.”

Cheshire checked the timepiece chained to his dress pocket and looked out into the garden. All the awkward creatures outside strutted around, dolled up in all sorts of odd combination attire. He had become so bored with their flaunting and wondered if he should send them all away. Smiling to himself, Cheshire imagined Lilith trapped within the boundaries of Dreamland, his toy for the rest of time. At least until he got bored with her too.

Though time stood still in Dreamland, Lilith’s search had an expiration, and her luck would ultimately amount to nothing. Alise would eventually wake. Cheshire snickered to himself; the cards were stacked against her from the start; and no one who had searched for Alise within Dreamland could ever find her. Why should Lilith be different?

Outside the sunroom, a guard announced Lilith, and the door opened to usher her in. Cheshire’s wide grin crept creepily over his face; a face that looked just like Alise’s. Lilith shuddered; she hated to see her friend’s face twisted and menacing, but she watched her manners. Sir Albus stood at the door, unsure if he could enter as well.

“Your attendant should wait outside; this invitation is for you and you alone, Lilith.”

The door closed behind her, leaving the two alone. Lilith smiled and curtseyed to greet Cheshire, “Greetings…” she still had a hard time with using polite speech, “Red Queen Cheshire.” She was instructed to say, “Your Majesty”, but she couldn’t bring herself to.

“Hah,” Cheshire chortled, “I see that white rabbit has tried teaching you a bit of etiquette.” He watched her eyes—they displayed her truth; they burned with determination and defiance. “Do not bore me with your false placations; continue to be that cheeky girl who dares attempt to challenge me.”

Lilith’s forced smile dropped as she stood up straight. “Very well, but if this is a trial, you must be fair and announce it as so.”

Cheshire leaned into the table towards her, “I see. Fear not, afternoon tea is simply what it is. Come and join me so we can discuss your past and upcoming trials.”

With no ceremony in her actions, Lilith sat across from Cheshire. She knew she would never trust him, and instead of letting her guard down, she decided to have afternoon tea just as Sir Albus had instructed. Cheshire could sense she was on highest alert and thought of a fun way to knock her off-kilter.

“I realize I requested your attendance at this intimate party; however, I am more interested in seeing how you would host a tea party, Lilith.”

Her eyes widened for a second. Only after realizing she had worn her feelings on her face did she force herself to seem void of visible response. It was too late, however.

“So this is a trial.” Her eyes shifted towards his.

He smiled as he pushed his teacup toward her. “No, simply a challenge of a different kind.”

“What are the stakes?”

Cheshire’s eyes narrowed; he liked how she thought. “Well, how about your little white rabbit friend?”

Lilith gnawed the inside of her lip before responding, “What about him?”

“He was never meant to enter this place with you. If you satisfy me here by hosting this tea party, I will allow him to be your attendant for the rest of your trials.”

She sighed long and hard. She knew very well that he would do as he pleased in the end, and if the only way to keep Sir Albus with her was to host this tea party, she would do it.

“Fine, shake on it.” Lilith extended her hand to Cheshire, who extended his hand in return.

“You are learning quickly how my contracts work.” Just as he was about to take her hand, she withdrew hers.

“Glove off.” Lilith was stern. “I don’t want you to use any kind of excuse later.” She had become even less trustful of him than she had been in the beginning.

His smirk turned sinister, “Such confidence.” He slid his glove off. “Very well.”

Lilith watched skeptically, making sure she could always see both of his hands. “No crossing your fingers or toes, or anything else.”

He laughed, “Yes, yes, let us continue.”

She took his hand firmly and shook it, thus sealing the deal. Lilith’s attention focused on the table. She had a lot of practice being a guest, and a little crash course on being a “proper” guest, but the only knowledge she had of being a host was from Alise. I know I’ve gleaned much from watching Alise host all those times; I simply need to channel them somehow. And from the protocol Albus just taught me, maybe I can reverse it and combine it with what I know…

She studied everything and found her first problem: she didn’t know what tea was prepared, and if she didn’t know which tea, she wouldn’t be able to pair it with an appropriate snack. She took deep whiffs of the tea’s scent as Cheshire chuckled to himself, bemused at her various expressions.

The tea smells kinda…tart? Maybe it’s fruity. Is it green..black, white? No, maybe not white… She thought about all the teas she had smelled and sighed, I wish I had taken Alise more seriously when she used to challenge me to guess the tea by its scent…She took a deep breath and then her mind whirled. Wait, Cheshire is Alise’s doppelgänger; they are similar but not the same. They look the same but have different tastes…and Cheshire’s patch is on the opposite side, like a mirror’s reflection, so maybe they have opposite tastes in tea. I may not know Cheshire, but I know Alise, and Alise’s preference is a bitter black tea with a sugary sweet to offset the aftertaste. If Cheshire prepared this tea, I bet it’s a sweet tea, so I should pick a non-sweet treat.

Confidently, Lilith collected her thoughts and poised herself for serving tea, mimicking the motions that were ingrained in her memory from Alise’s example. “Milk? Sugar?” She asked politely.

“A dollop of milk and two sugars.” Cheshire commented.

Lilith smiled and poured Cheshire’s tea to the perfect amount and then expertly added a dollop of milk; she had had much practice at that. Then she navigated two sugar cubes from the bowl into the cup and stirred until they dissolved completely. Lilith was certain the tea was a black tea, as Alise said time and time again that “milk goes best with black.”

She handed the cup and saucer to Cheshire, who accepted with both hands. Lilith then glanced around the table for the best snack to serve; there were many choices, even some she was unfamiliar with; however, she didn’t have time to think too long. It was not only rude to keep a guest waiting, but if the tea went cold before everyone was served, she’d be a failure as a host. Taking a small plate into her hand, she was about to choose a raspberry tart but thought it would be far more fitting to choose something with meaning.

Lilith placed a buttered crumpet on the plate and then smiled a little mischievously as she spotted a familiar jam. Gooseberry jam is sour. I made that mistake once with a muffin…I want to see that face pucker just once, and paired with a sweet tea…it should technically be acceptable, right? With no hesitation, she picked up the glass jar and smeared the buttered crumpet with a thick layer of sour jam.

Cheshire’s brow rose as he inwardly chuckled at her choices. Alise handed him the snack and quickly made her own cup of tea, pairing it with the same treat. As host, I can’t offer my guest anything I wouldn’t eat, but I’m confident I can manage eating this with a stoic expression. I know what I’m getting into.

Sir Albus had stated that it was impolite for the host to drink before a guest, so Lilith waited for Cheshire to make the next move.

“I see you are well-versed in tea-parties.” He made small talk as he sipped his tea.

Lilith watched carefully, and Cheshire brought the crumpet to his mouth and slowly bit into it. She had hoped he’d make a sour expression, but he was unaffected. She sighed; she really had hoped for a different reaction, and now it was her turn.

She smiled emptily, “You are too gracious; I have only managed to the best of my abilities.” It was discourteous as a host to be too proud when in the company of someone of higher status. Sir Albus had given her many useful tidbits of information, and she was going to use everything she could. Lilith sipped her tea and steeled herself for a sour bite. Instead of dragging it on, she quickly took her mouthful, chewed, and swallowed as quickly as possible. Her cheeks puckered ever so slightly, but she was determined to win. The intensity of her glare fixed back on Cheshire, as if she were daring him to take the next bite.

Cheshire broke out in boisterous laughter, “Very well, let us call this a draw. For humoring me so I grant you the white rabbit.”

All the tension building within Lilith released, and her shoulders slightly slumped. “No take-backs.”

Cheshire scoffed, “He is of little concern to me.” He sipped more tea. “You have done well with the previous three trials, better than I had expected, to be frank.”

Lilith was pleased that she had disappointed him, and it was obvious.

Cheshire sipped some more. “However, your next trials will be of a whole new caliber. I will not be as lenient.”

Her brow rose, lenient?

“I am hosting a ball in honor of your arrival. As the guest of honor, it is your obligation to entertain me and the court—it must be a grand spectacle.”

Lilith’s stomach churned; the very thought of being on display with all eyes upon her already made her knees tremble. But she held steady. I won’t give him the pleasure of seeing my discomfort…She nodded and replied simply, “I see. And what type of grand spectacle do you require for satisfaction?”

Cheshire smiled, “Well, it is customary for the guest of honor to have the first dance, so perhaps you should start there?”

Again, her stomach churned, I don’t know the first thing about dancing…and dancing alone, to entertain these…ugggh.Her face was getting paler by the minute, but her expression remained calm.

“And if I fail in entertaining you—what happens?”

Cheshire sipped tea very poised as he spoke, as if talking about business, “Then, it would be the first of your three losses, and you will be ushered into a bonus trial.”

Her brow instinctively rose at his comment, “‘Bonus trial?’ And that is?”

“Think of it as a limbo, of sorts. You cannot progress until you pass a bonus trial. If you complete a bonus trial, then you can continue your ‘regular’ trials.”

Her nose scrunched a little in confusion, “What is the difference between them, then?”

His smile grew sinister as he took another bite of crumpet, “Only non-bonus trials unlock places within the palace, while bonus trials allow you to continue to play the game.”

Lilith gnawed at the inside of her cheek again. He was very sneaky, but there was no other option. While in Dreamland, she was at his mercy.

“How many trials must I complete before I can search every corner of the castle?”

He placed his teacup on the saucer and finished his last bit of crumpet. His smile was still as devious as before as he leaned into the table, “As many as it takes.”

Lilith practically growled; there could be no end to this. She always knew there would be a catch, but her patience had reached its end, and for a moment she lost her temper. “If that’s the case, then you’ll drag this out until Alise wakes up!”

He laughed, everything had finally sunk in for her, “And?”

A quick skriiiit shrilled the air as Lilith’s fingers curled across the tabletop. “Then this is what you had planned for me since the start.” She took hard, deep breaths to try calming herself, but the sight of Cheshire’s smug grin was enough to break her forced smile, and while her inner dialogue tried to bring her back to her senses, it was drowned out with a brief rage. “You’re just a lonely, miserable creature who forces others to be as miserable as you are. I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t have any friends!”

Cheshire’s brow rose in amusement at her outburst, but remained silent.

“And you know what? You’re a bad person!”

Cheshire’s growing low chuckle slowly boomed into a full-fledged laugh. He laughed so hard that his tea spilled all over his glove, but he still continued to laugh. Eventually his cackles dwindled, and he met her gaze, his cat-eye glossy from guffawing so hard. “And your point being? Did you expect me to be other than I am?” he casually stated as he placed his cup down and removed his wet glove. “Oh, my poor, poor child, do not place your own expectations on others; you will only set yourself up for disappointment. Whatever it is you think you ‘know’ about me is based on your own personal experiences and perceptions.” Cheshire gently patted his hand dry with a cloth napkin as Lilith watched in dismay. His words, while spoken lightly, weighed heavily. “I have never pretended to be anything other than I am, and you may be right; perhaps by your standards I am a ‘bad person’. However, our standards are very different: yours and mine. By mystandards, I am very, very good—good at what I do, good at what I am—and you, this place, everything here, is mine to feed off of.”

All the frustration that had boiled to Lilith’s surface deflated all at once; this was the first time she had felt any kind of defeat while in Dreamland. Her brow furrowed as she gnawed at the inside of her cheek. She sank back into her chair and sat dejectedly across from him. She watched as Cheshire removed new gloves from his pocket and, for a moment, glimpsed something that seemed like a flaw in his appearance. However, before she could get a better look, the imperfections slipped under the protective cover of new, dry gloves. Trying to remain stoic as she registered what she saw, she could not help but regain a sense of hope. Lilith sighed; she knew better than to be obvious to her excitement and instead continued as though she was still ruminating on his words.

“What is it you feed off of?” She was curious about the statement he made, but decided not to be disappointed if he chose not to answer.

He smiled, as though proud, and interlocked his hands in front of him. “Despair.”

Lilith’s brow furrowed as she automatically followed with, “What…are you?”

His eye became wild as the question left her lips, “What, indeed? I am but a nameless obscurity; however, I have had many epithets: the Eater of Dreams, the Denizen from the Dark, the Shadow Beneath, are but a few.” He leaned into the table and challenged, “Why? Would you like to give me a new one?”

Her brow knitted; he was clearly mocking her. However, she might use this in her favor. “Yes, I do.”

“Oh-ho-ho, do tell.” He leaned back, ready to be “named”.

Lilith calmed herself; she wanted to be sure to catch every visible change in his demeanor. If there was even the slightest twitch, she wanted to see it. She took a breath and let her eyes rest on him, then she smirked at what was to come. With a single long breath she strung an epithet together, “He-Who-Has-So-Little-Originality-That-He-Stole-the-Likeness-of-My-BFF-And-When-He-Doesn’t-Get-His-Way-Is-Probably-Going-To-Be-Exposed-As-A-Munchkin-Faced-Tantrum-Trowing-Petty-Bratty-Ankle-Biter; HAH!”

Articulating every syllable, her head jerked from side to side, and as she had become so engrossed with her insult, she even stood, leaning into him to further emphasize her tone as she finished. His brow rose slightly at her insinuations; jokes or not, she was the only one who dared to mock him, to his face or otherwise.

He chortled in response, which was not the reaction she had hoped for, and his retort was concerning. “Oh, Lilith, you are everything that I had hoped for. So full of vim and vigor. I wonder how long it will take for your cheery hope to snuff out and be replaced with the sweet, savory, empty resignation of despair. M’yeess, how long indeed.”

A chill ran up her spine; it was not a fate she was keen on. Still standing, she quickly stuffed the rest of the sour crumpet into her mouth and guzzled down the remaining tea. She then plastered on an obviously forced, skewed smile, tilted her head cutely to the side, and mechanically stated, “Thank you for attending this tea party, since I have a ball to prepare for I must go, so please excuse the discourteousness of my abrupt departure.”

Cheshire could not help but laugh at the performance unfolding before him. Lilith was the perfect example of a “bad” actor, but he fully understood that was her intention. “Yes, thank you for serving. It was the most fun I’ve had in a long while.” Cheshire was indeed in an excellent mood; however, he couldn’t simply leave things as they were. He did have a reputation to consider, and while he relished Lilith’s spunk, he delighted more in disparaging. “I’m afraid I’ve just decided that there is still one trivial matter to attend to: dessert.” His brow rose as he smirked, “And by 'dessert’, I mean a trial.”

Lilith tensed at the word, “You said the next trial was a ball and now you are throwing a new trial at me?”

Shrugging his shoulders, Cheshire stood. “I am the spontaneous type.”

Her hand balled as she fretted away in her mind. I don’t have time for a trial right now; I have to learn how to dance…unless this is his plan, to keep me so busy that I won’t have any time to prepare myself. Her eyes narrowed as Cheshire walked outside towards the garden. He turned back towards her and held out his hand as if to say, “Follow me”.