Alice's Heart : The Lullaby of the Wild

Silas’ gaze remained fixed on the figure sleeping in front of him. Alice. Her blonde hair, like spun gold, fanned across the pillow, the delicate strands framing her face. Her pink lips were slightly pursed, as if she were contemplating something even in her dreams, and her dark eyelashes rested gently on the skin beneath her eyes. She was beautiful, utterly and undeniably. Each detail held his gaze captive.

His gaze fell on her bandaged wrist. It was her blood that had saved him. At that time, he was too weak, too close to death.

Their blood was now intertwined. He could feel it. And with it, something else was stirring, something more profound and unsettling. He shifted slightly, and a wave of weariness washed over him, not his own; It was hers. He looked at her sleeping face then, and saw a slight frown tugging at her lips. A vague sense of anxiety then passed through him. He touched her forehead lightly, and the anxiety dissolved into a vague sadness. Alice was feeling sad, he could feel it.

Alice stirred, groaning softly, and her eyelashes fluttered against her skin before opening, revealing her beautiful eyes. “Silas?”

“Morning,” whispered Silas. His voice thick with emotion. He wasn’t sure how to explain what he was experiencing; the way he could feel her emotions.

"Why are you here? You should be in your room. You need a lot of rest,"

“I'm okay now," Silas wanted to tell her about the connection. But how did he start? How could he tell her that he felt her as if she were a part of himself?

Alice shook her head. To her, Silas still needed a lot of rest.

"Alice," Silas called her softly, stopping her from worrying too much. He decided to test, to see if what he was experiencing was truly real. "You look..." He paused, deepening his gaze. "Sad,"

Alice's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing her face. She looked at her own fingers, picking at a stray thread on the blanket. "I dreamed about Mrs. Greyson. I think I missed her so much that I brought her into my dreams. This happened several years ago and after that I never dreamed of her, apart from last night."

Silas gently, careful not to touch Alice's delicate body, moved closer and pushed a strand of hair over her ear. Their eyes met, and a silent conversation passed between them, a shared understanding that transcended words.

"You miss her, and I'm sure she feels the same way."

Alice shook her head, a sad smile playing on her lips. "We believe she's dead. That's why she never came back,"

"She's still breathing, Alice. I can feel it. She's my people, and I can feel the breath of my people."

Alice sighed, the sound heavy with resignation. "If she's still breathing, why didn't she come back?" The question hung in the air. "Forget it. I need to check the others,"

Silas just nodded, understanding her need to escape. He followed her out of the room.

They went to the grand ballroom, and Silas found himself gaping. It was no longer the stark, quiet space he remembered. The room was bustling with activity, tidying up, and preparation.

Alice gasped. Zoe was right. All the servants, the people they had known as humans, were now revealed in their true forms; creatures with elongated, pointed ears and eyes that shimmered with an unnatural light. They bowed low as they saw Alice and Silas enter, their movements graceful and deferential. The castle, once a place of lonely shadows, now felt vibrantly alive.

"Alice!" exclaimed Zoe, running to her. Her face was a bit hysterical. She still wasn't used to seeing the servants in their true form, despite having lived with them for so many years.

Sebastian was there, lounging in a chair, a glass of vodka in hand. Alice felt a pang of déjà vu, recalling their previous confrontations.

“Hey there, sleepy head.” Sebastian’s voice, laced with amusement, broke the silence.

Alice put her hands on her hips, her chin lifted. “I think you owe me an apology, Mr. Umeboshi.”

Sebastian smirked, a flash of his old arrogance. He knew he had broken Alice's heart, knew he had hurt her once. And he was, in some twisted way, proud of it.

Silas watched them, a strange feeling taking root in his chest. It was a heavy, uncomfortable emotion, an inexplicable agitation that pulsed through him. As Alice began to argue with Sebastian, her words sharp and her eyes flashing and Sebastian replied with a smirk, Silas felt the emotion grow, tightening his fists at his sides.

“It's not the first time they've fought like cat and mouse,” informed Zoe to Silas, even though she was still afraid of him.

Silas still watched them, his jaw clenched. He felt a strange possessiveness, a primal urge to step between them. He didn't understand it, didn't know what to do with it, but he knew for sure he didn't like it. He didn't like the way Sebastian looked at Alice, and he certainly didn't like how it made him feel.

“Don’t you know Alice likes Sebastian?” Zoe dropped a bomb. She couldn't resist the urge to see how Silas would react to that particular piece of information. “She has had a crush on him since childhood,"

Silas gave no response. He just kept his eyes fixed on Alice and Sebastian.

Zoe was about to say something more, eager to poke at his reaction, when Silas just disappeared. One second he was there, a dark, hulking presence, and the next he was gone. She looked around, finding no trace of the ugly creature.

The lady-bear, Ginny, approached Zoe. She towered over the slight girl. "What do you think you're doing, young lady? I know you don't like Alice living with creatures like us, but what you did was terrible."

The lady-bear’s voice, carrying across the suddenly hushed room, made Alice stop arguing with Sebastian. Both of them turned around. Alice stared, her brow furrowed with worry. Sebastian, on the other hand, smirked, enjoying the sudden shift in attention.

Zoe was nervous. She swallowed hard, her eyes darting between the imposing lady-bear, the surprisingly concerned expressions of Alice and the smirking Sebastian. "I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just a fact, isn’t it?”

Alice drew closer to them, her worry quickly turning to concern. "Hey, what's going on?"

The lady-bear just sent Zoe one last annoyed glare before leaving, with a stomp that made the floor tremble. The other servants watched her go. They all knew better than to mess with Ginny when she was angry.

Zoe, feeling the weight of everyone’s gaze, signaled to Alice that she was okay, then turned and ran into her room.

That made Alice chase after her, concern making her move faster than she ever had before. When she finally got to Zoe’s room, she found her on the bed, curled into a fetal position, crying. She wanted to go home and leave the castle, to forget everything about the strange creatures and the weird magic.

“What’s wrong?” Alice asked softly, sitting next to her.

“I want to go home," sobbed Zoe, not looking at her. “I hate this place, and I’m scared. Please, let's go home, Alice.”

Alice put her arm around Zoe, pulling her close. “I can’t, Zoe."

“But I don’t want to stay," cried Zoe, burying her face into Alice’s shoulder. “Please, you need to come with me. I don’t want to be alone,"

Alice was silent for a moment, torn. She knew Zoe was scared, and she wanted to help her.

"Alice?"

"Zoe, do you remember? We were so excited to go to this place, to find out what kind of creatures lived on this hill."

Zoe rubbed her face, nodding. She remembered vividly how excited they were for it as kids, how they'd spent hours poring over fantastical maps and whispered legends.

"And now we are here," continued Alice, her voice soft and reassuring. “We saw them. They're good creatures, Zoe.”

"I know, but..." Zoe took a breath, held it for a moment and released it into the air. "I apologize,"

Alice smiled, her arms wrapped around Zoe's shoulders. "Calm yourself, Zoe. I will always be by your side, so you don't have to be afraid. I'm here,"

Zoe nodded, feeling a sense of calm after hearing Alice's words, then something snapped in her mind. "Ummm Alice, I think you need to take care of something." Her voice sounded very firm.

"And what is that?" Alice asked, surprised by the change in her tone.

Hesitantly, Zoe finally told Alice how she told Silas about her silly, long-standing crush on Sebastian.

Alice didn't take long to go to Silas' room. But the same thing happened again, the door was slightly ajar. There was Elizabeth's voice in it, which prompted her to immediately peek inside.

“Why should you be jealous, Silas? Sebastian has your appearance; it attracts Alice. It's you who makes her fall in love,” said Elizabeth. Her tone suggesting she was trying to soothe the creature in front of her.

Silas looked fragile, vulnerable even, his expression a confusing mix of pain and confusion.

Alice stayed there, glued to the spot.

Silas said nothing for a long moment. Suddenly, as if sensing her presence, his face turned abruptly towards the crack in the door and their eyes met. Their gaze locked together, and for a moment everything seemed to freeze.

"Alice," Silas whispered, his voice barely audible, yet to her it felt like the loudest sound in the world. He got up, his movements slow and deliberate, and went to her.

Elizabeth, with a knowing smile, quietly slipped out of the room, leaving them alone.

"I didn’t mean to eavesdrop," Alice began, her voice barely a whisper.

Silas slowly took a step closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "But you did," He murmured, his voice low and husky, sending a shiver down her spine. "You heard,"

"Silas," started Alice. "You know it wasn't truly him. It was the form, the human form. But even then, even when I thought I was drawn to Sebastian, it was the echo of you in him. You bewitched him, after all, didn't you? You gave him your face. I never felt anything, not the way I look at you."

Silas studied her face carefully. “But you did, you had that reaction. I saw it, Alice.”

Alice reached up, her hand covering his, her thumb caressing his fur. "That's a perfect copy of the man you used to be, and that's not what I need. The real you is the one who captured my heart. The one who fought for me, who made me feel more alive than I ever have before. It's you, not the man who was bewitched."

"Do you truly mean that?" Silas asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He knew Alice meant it; he could feel her honesty.

"With all my heart," Alice affirmed, her eyes locking with his.

Silence fell over them, broken only by the soft rustle of Silas' fur. Then, he took her hand, their fingers interlocked, and led her out of the room.

They walked through the silent castle, bathed in the soft light of the setting sun, until they reached the garden. It was a secluded paradise, filled with fragrant flowers and whispering trees. They stopped under a broad willow tree, its branches covering them like a curtain.

Silas pulled her close, his embrace tight and gentle. Alice rested her head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. For a long time they remained like that, just the two of them, lost in their quiet world.

Suddenly, a melody floated through the air, a soft, lilting tune that seemed to weave through the garden like a living creature. It was a traditional waltz, both haunting and beautiful.

Alice pulled back slightly, looking up at Silas. "What's that?" She murmured.

Silas tilted his head, a hint of a smile touching his lips. “That would be Elizabeth. She has a flair for the dramatic. She wishes us to dance,” He offered his hand with courtly formality, a twinkle in his blue eyes. “As they did in my time, in my place…”

With a laugh, Alice accepted. Silas pulled her into his arms, and they began to move, their steps hesitant at first, then growing more confident as the music moved. Strange; even in his animal form, he moved with a grace that belied his size, their bodies blending together as if they were meant to be.

As they dance, Alice noticed a change in the atmosphere. Looking up at the balcony overlooking the garden, she saw a group of figures gathered there.

Sebastian, his expression unreadable, studied them with calm intensity.

Beside him stood Zoe, a wide smile on her face, her eyes sparkling with a touch of mischievous glee.

And further back, the lady-bear, with a confused and fascinated face, was peering over the fence, her gaze fixed on them.

Behind them, the servants looked on as well, heads peeking out from behind ornate pillars and arches.

Alice smiled, leaning closer to Silas as they continued dancing.