When Alice finally awoke, the sun was peeking through the leaves of the bushes in which she was dozing, casting mottled shadows on her face. Lifting herself into a sitting position, she yawned and stretched, not even batting an eye at her strange bed.

"Oh thank goodness. I was worried you were never going to wake up."

Alice turned to find Mary Ann sitting nearby. "How long have I been asleep?" Alice asked.

"Nearly a day and a half," Mary Ann said.

A day and a half! She had never liked sleeping all that much, as it took her away from the exciting world around her. Sleeping for so long made her heart ache, imagining all of the wonderful things she must have missed.

"Hatta had us set up camp here," Mary Ann explained. "We just hoped that you would wake up before it became necessary for us to run. I don't think any of us can navigate the Forest the way you can."

"Where is Hatta?"

"He and Haigha are keeping guard up in a nearby tree. I was on watch with him at first until Haigha finally regained consciousness. That sprint of ours really took a lot out of him."

Alice stretched again and laid down on the hard yet familiar Forest floor. The patches of moss along a large tree root felt soft against her cheek, and she almost wished she could stay there in that little hiding spot forever. But then she remembered the situation she was in. There was no time for lying about.

"Mary Ann," Alice began, sitting back up, "does Hatta actually have a plan?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, does he have any idea how we're going to overthrow the Queen? So far the end result is all he's talked about. But how is he going to actually arrive at that desired outcome?"

"I believe he's hoping it will come to him as he goes."

"That's ridiculous. We need an actual plan. We can't expect to waltz into Hearts Castle and demand that the Queen yield to us. Just getting past the gates is going to require great stealth and forethought."

"He seems to be putting a lot of faith in you."

"I don't know what he's expecting from me. I'm a thief, not a warrior and most certainly not a queen."

Mary Ann's eyes became very sad and distant. "You are not the first to believe you are not monarch material, Miss Alice. Some of the most feared and powerful rulers once doubted their own abilities."

The maid's sorrow and cryptic words fueled Alice's curiosity, and she could not help herself. "How are you all connected to the Queen of Hearts?" she asked

Mary Ann began fiddling with a fallen leaf, shredding it into pieces. "What makes you think we're connected?"

"All of you have made a number of comments suggesting that you know her as more than a ruler."

Mary Ann shook her head. "I really don't think that's relevant to the task at hand."

"Well, I'm the one who is expected to defeat the Queen, and I think it is relevant." Alice leaned forward, causing Mary Ann to tilt back uncertainly. "Please, Mary Ann. I'm desperate to know. I'm very clever. Perhaps a piece of information you believe is unimportant could in fact be something I could use to further our cause. Please."

Mary Ann's eyes darted about frantically before she finally tossed the leaf aside and heaved a sigh. "Very well. I can't tell you much with regards to her relationship with Hatta and Haigha, but I can tell you what I know.

"I was originally a maid employed by the Marquess of Rock Turtle Cove. While working in his home, I became best friends with his only daughter, Lady Catherine Pinkerton. She was a lovely girl who adored baking, despite her mother's disapproval. Her passion and talent paired with my logic and business sense gave birth to a wonderful dream: opening the finest bakery in all of Hearts.

"However, being the daughter of the Marquess and Marchioness made this dream somewhat of an impossibility. To top it off, Cath—Lady Catherine was adored and admired by the King of Hearts. To her mother's absolute joy, and Lady Catherine's horror, he was intent on making her his wife and queen.

"Then came Jest. He was the new court jester and a close confidant of the King. As it would turn out, he and Lady Catherine became very close. He took quite a liking to her, even absconding with her to late night tea parties. I believe that is where Hatta and Haigha met her. They were both friends of the jester. Anyhow, obviously their relationship was forbidden, but that did not stop them. Even while being courted by the King, Lady Catherine was still enamored of Jest.

"One night there was an attack on the theatre where Lady Catherine and the King were enjoying a show, chaperoned by myself. I'm sure you've heard about how the kingdom was plagued by a Jabberwock?"

Alice nodded. "I've heard tell of it. I know that the Queen slayed the beast."

"Yes, she did. But that wasn't until later. The theatre is where she first summoned the Vorpal Sword. However, she ended up terribly injured, and Jest took her to seek medical help. Lady Catherine claimed he took her to the treacle well, although I've always believed that place to be a fanciful bedtime story. All I know is that she was gone for hours, and we all were so worried about her, and..."

Mary Ann trailed off, focusing on the knots she had tied in her bonnet strings. A tear glided down her cheek. Her display of emotions tugged at Alice's heart, and if it weren't for her desperate desire to know more, she would have told Mary Ann not to trouble herself anymore with the tale.

"I regret that I told Lady Catherine's parents about Jest," Mary Ann said, her voice wavering. "If I had known what would happen. If I had known, I..."

She erupted into sobs, and Alice moved closer, wrapping her arms around the maid. Mary Ann seemed surprised at the sudden gesture, but she did not pull away until her tears were at last under control. Taking a deep breath, she continued her story.

"In the end, Jest was killed. Lady Catherine went somewhat mad and ended up marrying the King. And then that terrible scene with Sir Peter Peter and the strange little girls. After that, Lady Catherine—Her Majesty—was even further from the lovely young woman I had known and loved."

"How did you come to work for the White Rabbit?" Alice asked as Mary Ann dabbed at her eyes with her skirt.

"The Queen made it clear that I no longer had a place in her life. She sent me to work for him. In all honesty, it is a decent position. The White Rabbit is a fair employer if not a tad eccentric. But who in Hearts isn't?"

"Where did this Jest character come from?"

"I have no idea. Hatta likely knows, but he never speaks of him. In fact, the mere mention of him often sends him into spouting riddles."

"What about Haigha?"

"I believe he knows more of Jest than I do, but he seems somewhat terrified to speak of him."

"Curiouser and curiouser," Alice mumbled to herself. She returned her attention to Mary Ann who was still sniffling and fidgeting with her snot-stained skirt. Alice reached over and took the maid's hand, squeezing it tightly. "Mary Ann, you are not to blame for what became of your friend."

Mary Ann again seemed surprised by Alice's friendliness. "But I am. If I hadn't told Cath—the Queen's parents about Jest, and if I hadn't gone to confront Sir Peter Peter, she may still be the sweet young lady all of Hearts loved. And many citizens would still have their heads intact."

Alice was a bit confused with the comment about Sir Peter Peter, and while she ached to know more, she felt she had pried enough into the maid's past. At least for the time being.

"We are all in charge of our own actions," Alice declared. "Perhaps circumstances and the people around us may influence our decisions to some degree, but we are ultimately the ones who choose. The blame for the consequences of our choices can lie only with us."

Mary Ann wiped her nose on her sleeve. "You are very kind, Miss Alice. However, I know I caused my friend great grief with my words and actions. I take full responsibility for my role in what occurred."

Alice wished she could convince her otherwise, but Mary Ann seemed quite determined to bear the blame. "I will say," Alice said, releasing Mary Ann's hand, "her tale of tragic love is very intriguing. I actually feel some pity towards the Queen. To not be allowed to be with the man she loved, and then to have him killed! It's absolutely devastating."

Mary Ann nodded. "Her heart was broken. Once that happened, I believe in her mind there was no going back." She looked up at Alice, her gaze intense. "Miss Alice, you must believe me when I say that I do not wish harm upon the Queen. She was once my best friend, and I still feel great tenderness towards her. If there were any other way to end her reign, I would gladly choose that over what we are intending. But I simply do not see another solution."

"I understand."

Mary Ann gave a sad smile before rising to her feet. "I should go let Hatta know that you're awake so we can decide on our next move."

As Mary Ann disappeared through the bushes, Alice's mind raced with thoughts of bakeries and jesters and Vorpal Swords. Was there another way?

Could she find another way?