Alice was jolted awake by the sounds of crackling wood and burning leaves. The evening air was chilly, yet Alice was rather warm thanks to the cloak around her shoulders and the campfire burning beside her. She sat up slowly, her head pounding and her eyes swollen. Roger, who’d been sleeping on her lap, hopped around with joy now that she was awake. Alice smiled and gave his fluffy head a gentle pat.

“Feeling better?”

Alice tensed as she saw her assailant tending to the flames.

“Don’t worry,” he glanced at her briefly, “I believe your tale of woe. And since you obviously weren’t the one responsible for the snake, I no longer view you as a threat. So, you are free to go whenever you please.”

“How gracious of you to spare the life of an unarmed woman,” she grumbled.

“Miss, you aren’t the first person I’ve come across on my travels who seemed harmless.”

Alice could find no fault with his response, though her agitation refused to quell.

“Either way, you should apologize,” she announced.

“For what?”

Alice put both hands on her hips. “For scaring the daylights out of me! I just narrowly escaped my own close call with death when you started threatening me.”

“I wouldn’t have been so harsh had you told me the truth from the beginning.”

“Your actions were still rude and unwarranted! Besides, I wouldn’t have lied had you not been so hostile.”

Amused by Alice’s spirited reply, the young man flashed a playful smirk. “Very well. In that case, I am truly sorry for causing you distress.”

He paused. “I’m also sorry for your loss. There’s no excuse for attacking a town with no part in the ongoing war. Men capable of that should not be allowed to live.”

Alice hadn’t expected his apology to sound so sincere.

“Th-thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Miss…?”

“Alice.”

Suddenly, the bitter smell reappeared and the young man’s smile faded. “What did you say?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Your name! What did you say it was?”

“Alice?”

“Alice what?”

Were his reactions always this erratic?

“I don’t have a second name. It’s just Alice.”

The young man scowled. “That’s impossible. There’s only one person in all of Wonderland with the name Alice, and you’re not her.”

Alice couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but for your information, I’ve had this name my whole life!”

“Then I guess you’ve been an imposter your whole life. Everyone knows any one name can only belong to any one person.”

“Maybe the other Alice you speak of is the real imposter, not me.”

“Unlikely.”

“And why is that?” Alice asked, her frustration building.

The young man threw a large piece of wood into the fire. “Because the other Alice was the one and only daughter of the Queen of Hearts.”

“The queen has a daughter?”

“The queen had a daughter,” he corrected her. “But the princess disappeared when she was six years old. She’s rarely spoken of these days, even among the royal court. It’s no surprise you’ve never heard of her.” There was a wistfulness to his voice.

“Did you, by chance…know her?”

He glanced at her suspiciously. “Why would you assume I have dealings with the noble class?”

“It just sounds like her loss affected you.”

Silence created an awkward tension between them. It was broken only by the growl of the young man’s stomach. He blushed and set his eyes back to the campfire, like a bashful child trying to hide their shame.

Alice pulled the loaves of bread from her purse. “Here,” she said softly, handing one to him.

“I’m not hungry.” The young man pushed her hand away.

“Now who’s the liar?”

He scoffed. “If you must know, I don’t accept food from anyone unless I know it hasn’t been tampered with.”

Alice’s jaw dropped. “You suspect me of attempting to poison you?”

He nodded seriously. “It’s nothing personal, but I don’t view you as trustworthy.”

It certainly sounded personal!

“Then I’ll prove that my bread isn’t poisoned,” she muttered, taking a bite of both loaves. “See? Perfectly safe!”

“I’ve heard some poisons take time to activate.”

“You think I’d risk my own life just to hurt a perfect stranger?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Would you?”

“No!” she shouted, throwing a loaf at him. “But do what you want! I don’t care anymore.”

Alice and Roger finished their meal and the uncomfortable silence returned. The young man continued tending to the fire, his eyes occasionally meeting with hers. At some point, there was a shift in his scent that revealed a measure of remorse.

“I only met her once,” he suddenly blurted out. “The princess, I mean.”

Alice hated to admit it, but she was intrigued. “Go on.”

“She was the most beautiful sight I ever beheld. Her hair was as golden as the sun and her eyes as blue as a forget-me-not.”

Alice wondered what her brown eyes and red hair resembled to him. Probably nothing as lovely as a flower.

The young man smiled to himself. “Yet, the princess was by no means as delicate as she appeared. On the contrary, she was clever and full of spirit.”

“And what did the princess think of you?”

His solemn expression returned. “I’d rather we talk about something else now, like where you were headed before our paths crossed earlier.”

Alice had been so caught up in the romance of his story, she’d forgotten her own plight. “I was on my way to Cobbles, a town just south of Cogs.”

The man’s eyes grew wide with shock. “Then why are you trekking through the Tulgey Wood, a forest that sits some two hundred miles from your destination?”

Alice assumed he was joking, but then she recalled her uncanny encounter with a glowing tree trunk full of floating furniture.

“I must have lost my way…” she replied vaguely. “But isn’t The Tulgey Wood considered part of the Mad Hatter’s territory? Does that mean his soldiers could be close?”

The young man shook his head. “You needn’t be concerned. This area is part of a neutral zone.”

“A what?”

“A place the Queen of Hearts and the Mad Hatter King have agreed not to fight.”

“So…it’s a safe haven?”

“More like a mutually beneficial agreement that protects important roads dedicated to importing and exporting. As an additional benefit, people may also find refuge.”

Alice frowned. “And what about an agreement that could protect the lives of their citizens? Are they not worth more than silver and silk?”

“Negotiating peace with the enemy is a lot more complicated than making a few concessions.”

Alice held her locket closely. This was all the Mad Hatter’s fault! If not for his war, no one would have to worry about fleeing their homes.

“You should get some sleep,” the young man said. “I’ll take you to the nearest town at first light, as thanks for crushing the snake before it could crush me.”

“What about you? Aren’t you going to get some rest?”

“I’m not tired, so I’ll keep watch for the night.”

Alice eyed him warily, which only made him laugh.

“If I meant you any harm it would be evident by now.”

That was a good point…

Alice yawned loudly as she laid down to rest. Roger cuddled against her chest until they fell asleep together.