Down the Rabbit Hole

Chapter 19 March Hare

I can still feel my rage and embarrassment thrumming in my ears. Not only did Hatter insult Dina, he made a fool out of me. And Alice. That fucking bitch just had to come back. She just had to return here. She couldn't just leave us alone and let us all stay a dream.
Duchess wasn't going to be pleased that Hatter wasn't going to court Dina like I'd been promising. Dina was difficult enough when she wanted something as a passing fancy, but she's been almost obsessed with Hatter since he took her out for the day. And no one else had even peaked her interest. Duchess and her parents doted on their youngest and it has spoiled her rotten. I don't know how I was going to fix this mess. Dina's warning was still running through my mind as I walked away from Hatter's table. I could hear Hatter and Alice climax together and I couldn't help but sneer.
I never expected to come across the sight that we did when I promised Dina that she could have tea with Hatter alone and I'd make myself scarce once she was settled. Having her excitedly chatting down the path distracted me from hearing those two at the table. I still can't believe they were actually fucking at the table. At the damned table. At least Hatter had enough sense to cover up Alice as he defiled her in front of us. Even the animals around here had the decency to run when people accidentally stumble upon them.
No. Hatter had to just keep at it while me and Dina watched. From the look at Alice's neck I got I know he bite her hard enough she was bleeding, I could only hope that she hadn't sealed their claim by drawing his blood as well. Hatter always carried on about finding a love match or finding his claimed half, but he never did the research on the rituals to seal the magic between the two halves. If they draw each others blood while they mate their bond is sealed and only the death of one of them would break it. No, Hatter never thought of what he'd be doing if he did that. What would happen if she had to leave back to her world? What would that do the our world? It was bad enough the last time she left her damned magic put us all to sleep. What would happen to us if they both left?
I was lost in thought when I finally reached the familiar fork in the path. Do I walk back to my home and try to forget what all I saw or do I walk to Duchess's home and confront the storm that's no doubt waiting for me. Sighing I take the left path towards Duchess. Might as well get the worst over with now.

It's not far of a walk before the pink flowered trees that line the property boundary comes into view. All the family lands were marked by a single botanical marker. The higher status families chose prettier flowers trees for their scents and the effect of the petals had leading to their home. The surviving royal lands were lined with fruit trees. The Hatters had their lemon trees, the Spades had apple trees, and my families land had peach trees. When the royals decided to abandon ruling Wonderland they decided to mark their lands with something to also help those who may need help being fed.
"Hare! My bunny boo we need to talk." Duchess calls out to me from their side garden when I come into her view. At least she wasn't mad at me. She only called me her bunny boo when she was in a good mood. I hated that nickname at first, but I've grown quite fond of it as we've been courting.
"Coming my Duchess." I quickly followed the path towards the side garden where she was waiting for me. Thankfully she was alone so I wouldn't have to deal with Dina's temper tantrum yet. Duchess was sitting at the small table and chairs with a small lunch laid out for us.
"Hare, do you want to explain what happened today? Dina was so upset when she came home that she didn't say a single word to anyone." She sips at her lemonade as I sit across from her.
"What did Hatter say this time? She's never been this upset before even when he's been harsh in his rejection." She sighs and crosses her legs. She knows that Dina has a passion for being dramatic, but she normally is more composed when Hatter rejects her.
"Hatter wasn't alone when we got to his table." I feel the embarrassment from the memory pricking at the back of my neck again.
"Who could have been there? He doesn't court any one, everyone knows that. And the guardians never minded if others joined in for tea." She looks at me confused. She knows of Alice, but nothing more than Alice is from the lost royal line. No one knows that Alice is also supposed to be Hatters claimed half. It wasn't my news to spread and Hatter had been refusing to leave his property since she had started dream walking.
"Hatter was with Alice." I want to continue, but I don't know how to say what we had witnessed.
"And? So the lost line is back in Wonderland. It would make sense that she'd go somewhere familiar. Dina really is overreacting." She chuckles and picks up a small sandwich when she finally looks at my face and sees the mix of emotions I can't seem to hide.
"Hare. What aren't you telling me?" Her eyes narrow at me.
"Alice isn't just the lost royal line." I try to swallow around the lump in my throat.
"Then what else could she be?"
"She's also Hatter's claimed half." She looks at me with slight shock in her eyes. After she processes the new information she merely shrugs.
"So Hatter was right. Dina isn't meant for him. I fail to see why that would set Dina off." She laughs and takes at bite of her food.
"We may have seen them together." I try to keep it vague so I don't have to repeat what we saw.
"What? Were they kissing or cuddling at the table? Is that why she freaked out so bad?" Duchess rolls her eyes and smiles.
"No. It was..." I trail off and she looks at me annoyed.
"Oh just spit it out, bunny boo. What could have been so bad?" I put my face in my hands and feel my cheeks heat up as I finally confess.
"They were fucking! At the head of the table. Facing us they were just going at it. He didn't even stop while he made introductions to Dina. He had marked her and she was bleeding so they may have fully bonded each other. I heard them finish before I got far enough away. It was embarrassing. I've never seen Hatter so heartless and snarky. It was like he was a different person." I want to throw myself into my mothers rose bushes just so I could blind myself. I never wanted to see my friend that way again, but if she claimed him as he claimed her then they'd be insatiable. I hear Duchess's giggle before she starts roaring with laughter.
"Oh my bunny boo. With how much you've researched claimed half's could you expect anything else?" She's still laughing but I feel her hands gently pry mine away from my face. She kisses my red cheeks and sits down in my lap.
"Hatter will still be the same once their bond settles. Don't you remember how we were when we first started?" She winks at me and I'm reminded of when we first started getting physical. She's right. We may have never been caught, but those first few times I know I wouldn't have been able to stop myself even if I had tried. I sigh and rest my head against her chest. She strokes my hair and starts to hum.
"Give them time. He's been pining for her for so many seasons now. I bet even while we were sleeping he was dreaming of being with her."
"He could have told me. He could have said anything to me." Duchess huffs and grips my hair tightly pulling my head back to look at her. She gives me her sternest look before she says.
"As much as I love you Hare, you really are a few cards short of a full deck. You have spent so much time trying to get him to settle down with someone, mainly Dina." I open my mouth to protest but she gently places her free hand over my mouth.
"No. Shut up. I know you thought you were doing what was best for your friend and for my sister, but what was best for us obviously wasn't meant for him. Give them a bit to keep going at each other then we're going to go make proper introductions and you are going to apologize to them both." I nod and she allows me to nuzzle against her again.
"What about Dina?" I ask and she sighs.
"I will deal with my sister and my parents in a bit. No doubt she's gone crying to them. It's time she grows up."
We sit together for awhile and I think about my friendship with Hatter. We've been friends since we were babies. I know Duchess was right. I've been blinded to how much my actions have been harming our friendship. I needed to fix this.

~~Dina~~

That vicious little cunt. She must have spelled my Hatter into believing she was something more special than she was. She had to be ticking him somehow.
I saw Hare cuddling with my sister in the garden so I knew he was going to be useless. Duchess would say what she always said 'Let him go. If he doesn't want you don't bother'. What did she know? She has Hare, she doesn't know what it's like to love someone so completely and they refuse to love you back. I just needed Hatter to see that little slut wasn't what he needed.
I needed Hunter. The human/Bandersnatch hybrid was known for helping with some of the darker dealings for Wonderlands superiors who wanted to be discreet. He could take care of her for awhile, while I made Hatter see that she wasn't right for him. And I had more than enough coin to pay off Hunter's fee.
I didn't have a lot of time and I had to move quickly. First to find Hunter and then sit back and wait as my plan unfolds.