• They walked quickly through the castle and into the courtyard. As Pin Joker held her hand, Alice began to remember something.

    The sweet smell of a rose, its blood drenched petals and thorns dripping with the pale elf boy's blood. She looked over the rose at him as he sat there smiling at her, hiding his bloody fingers from her.

    "You stupid boy," she remembered saying to him as they held hands behind their backs.

    "You stupid man! I can't walk that fast in these shoes!" Alice suddenly shouted and he stopped, the memory coming to him too.

    "That's okay, we're here now," he said as he faced her.

    Alice looked around her. This was the new part of the garden that she hadn't seen yet. They stood on top of white cobblestone that broke off into several paths from a fountain with a mermaid on top of it. Could she really be related to those mythical creatures? A few trees had been planted, young saplings dotted the area. The foundation for the garden was laid out with signs of the types of flowers to be planted there. Along the castle wall, signs of roses were posted.

    "I must tell you quickly, he may have followed us," he looked around nervously. "Alice, you are indeed a princess, a descendant of sea nymphs. For years, both of our families have kept in contact, discussing a tentative marriage. Finally when you and I were born, they decided that we would be the match. I visited you a lot, courting you when you were young. But then the massacre happened, I think HE is the one who caused it. My life fell apart when I saw your name on the deceased list. But when we were coming here, many years later, he came to me in human form but I did not think it was him. He told me of a princess who loved the ocean and looked like the girl I knew a long time ago. When he told me your name, I knew it had to be her," he took her by the hands. "Believe what you want but Mr. Cheshire and I are telling the truth."

    "I just... can't remember," Alice whispered as she stared into his eyes.

    "Give it time, you will remember soon," he leaned in and kissed her cheek. She allowed him.

    Another memory came to her, a party inside a grandoise house with gold leaf banisters and red carpet. Everyone was dressed in expensive clothes and wore flamboyant masks. She could remember being in a corner, unmasked as the elf boy came up to her and took his mask off before gently kissing her cheek.

    "I see you two are getting re-acquainted," Chester said as he rubbed up against the mermaid on the fountain. Both Alice and Pin Joker looked up at his grinning cat form. "Let her memories be, Jorik. She will remember within due time."

    He stared up at the cat coldly. Why did his family give him to Alice? He was such a menace. Suddenly, Chester disappeared.

    "I hid the book, in case you were going to show it to her," Chester whispered in Pin Joker's ear. He had wrapped himself around the clown's neck like a scarf.

    "Why would I think of such a thing?" Pin Joker gulped, obviously acting innocent.

    "What thing?" Chester said out loud to confuse Alice. He grinned, "Nevermind. Now, run along you two."

    He disappeared again except for his jagged cat tooth grin that walked off into the garden. Pin Joker grabbed Alice's hand and walked her back towards the castle.

    "I'm sure you're confused but I cannot explain to you everything that has happened, especially with him around. He's plotting something, I'm sure of it," he whispered to her as the walked through the large halls, still being remodeled.

    "Jorik, I'm starting to remember things from our childhood," she said suddenly, he stopped and looked at her. "Just fragments of events."

    "I'm sure you'll be able to piece it all together soon. I just hope you will remember the time I spent with you when we were little," he reached up to touch her face but stopped just inches away from touching her lovely skin.

    "Those were the most important memories," Alice said as she took his hand to her face. Forget Borodo, she felt that Jorik was really the boy she knew so long ago. He was her prince, the one who tried to find her and restore her to her former life.

    That night, Alice hurried into bed before Pin Joker came in. She thought that if she was under the covers, he would not see her in her undergarments. He came in and got undressed in the bathroom. Alice kept her eyes closed as he walked across the room and crawled into the bed next to her.

    "Please Alice, try not to feel awkward and not get enough beauty sleep," he told her as he laid on his back under the covers. "I will stay on my side if you promise me that you will try to get some sleep."

    "Okay," Alice said, stretching her legs out from her curled up position.

    "Good night, my princess," he said to her, sitting up on his elbows.

    "Good night, my prince," she said, laying still.

    Pin Joker sighed and rolled away from her. He would have to give her time to adjust. He couldn't wait to tell her all of those good memories from their childhood but it was best if she remembered them on her own.

    Chester, in his cat form, curled up at the couple's feet after he kneaded the area on the bed. He watched them carefully with bright yellow eyes as he purred loudly. The love between them would be restored soon.