Furious was an understatement. When they returned to the camp, Bill was initially overcome with relief, pulling Alice into a tight embrace without speaking a word. But once that moment had passed, a fire burned in her eyes, and she instructed the three of them to follow her into her private tent. From the looks of the other Swans, they had good reason to be afraid of Bill's icy silence.

Once they were inside and out of earshot of the others, Bill turned on them and began her scolding. "What were you lot thinking?" she hissed. "Running off like that without telling anyone. We thought you'd been kidnapped. We were this close to raiding the Black Swans."

She pinched her fingers together before tangling her fingers in her hair. Setting her attention on Alice, she pointed at her. "And you. Do you know what could have happened to you if the Black Swans had gottemn their hands on you?"

"I'm well aware of the dangers," Alice said softly.

"I don't think you are! If you were well aware, you wouldn't go running off on your own while the Black Swans are hunting you down."

"I am not an incapable thief. I know how to—"

"You have no idea what you were about to run into, Alice. You don't understand the danger."

Her patronizing manner was grating on Alice's last nerve. "I'd like to remind you that I have successfully led a rebellion. How many have you staged?"

Bill's face went red, but she did not respond.

"And besides that, I'm a talented thief who has even managed to steal a queen's heart." She didn't add that the heart had basically followed her back to Hearts. "And I killed a Bandersnatch and fought off soldiers. I am no stranger to the dangers around me. I think I'm more than able to take care of myself."

Shaking her head, Bill heaved a sigh. "You are just a child, you don't understand."

Alice clenched her hands into fists and took a step towards her. "I am not a child. And if that's how you see me, why do you even want to reinstate me as the Queen?"

Bill opened her mouth to respond but nothing came out.

"Or is it that you're just using my name to gain power for yourself," Alice said, narrowing her eyes at her. "If you help me take back my title, you can use me as a puppet to rule the tribes. Because I'm only a child who doesn't know any better."

Hurt flashed across Bill's face, but Alice refused to listen to any more of her scolding. Turning away, she stormed out of the tent and through the camp. Ace and Ina followed after her as she trudged back into the forest. None of the other Swans tried to stop her, though she heard them whispering. But she didn't care about what they were saying. What did it matter what they thought of her? She hardly knew them. Sure, they looked at her like she was the best thing since sliced tea, but they were only remembering her as a precocious child, a memory from the past. And that's all she would ever be to them. She was fed up with being treated like a fragile little girl who couldn't do anything for herself. They could lead this rebellion on their own. She was done with it.

"Alice?" Ace said hesitantly once they were a ways from the camp.

Though she didn't feel much like talking, she knew Ace had done nothing wrong. Heaving a sigh, she stopped and turned to him. Both he and Ina took a step back, and she wondered what sort of expression was on her face. She attempted to soften it, but she wasn't sure that she was successful.

"I'm just tired of it all," she said. "I feel like they want me to be my mother, but since there's no possible way I can meet up to those expectations, they're just going to treat me like a poster child instead."

"You are very much like your mother, Alice," Ina said.

Arching an eyebrow, Alice crossed her arms over her chest. "Really? Would they have treated my mother like this? Forcing her to stay behind while they did the planning and the scheming? Scolding her for taking risks and doing things on her own?"

Ina cast her eyes downward. Her silence was enough of an answer on its own.

Suddenly becoming very emotional, Alice turned away to keep them from seeing the tears that were spilling down her cheeks. Rubbing at her cheeks, she cursed herself for being so ridiculous. She had never been ashamed of crying before, but somehow it seemed wrong now. It would only make her look weaker than everyone already thought she was. And she hated feeling that way.

After a moment of silence, Ina spoke again. "So what's our next move?"

Alice paused. She looked back and found them both watching her expectantly. "Next? What do you mean?"

"What's our next move in the rebellion?" Ina asked.

Squinting at her, Alice shook her head slowly. "Don't you get it? There is no rebellion. At least not for me. It's their thing. I was just a pawn."

Taking hold of Alice's arm, Ina forced her to face them. "You are a queen, Alice Liddell, not a pawn. You have never been a pawn once in your life."

Alice blinked at her, shocked at her sudden vehemence. "You've hardly known me for half of my life."

Ina sagged at her words, unable to refute them. However, Ace stepped forward. "But I know you, Alice," he said.

She shrugged. "I think you've known me almost as long as she has."

A sad smile tugged at his mouth. "True. But I like to think I know you rather well. Considering I'm your husband and all."

She scrunched her lips up, unable to deny that fact.

"I have seen you beat the most impossible of odds. You've befriended madmen and maids and hares and ghosts."

Her heart ached at the mention of ghosts. Pierrot's face—no, Jest's face appeared in her mind. She remembered exactly how he had looked the very moment before he and the Queen had disappeared.

"You brought together the oddest of characters, people and animals who barely got along, and you managed to unite them in a shared cause. They were all fighting for different reasons, but you were the glue that kept them together despite that fact." His eyes grew soft. "And I saw the home you shared with Mr. Ferret. It's very clear he viewed you as nothing less than royalty."

Sniffling, Alice wiped at her cheeks as fresh tears slid down them.

"And besides all that," he took a step towards her, pulling out a handkerchief and handing it to her, "you rule my heart. From the moment I met you, I knew that my life was never going to be the same. Alice, you are the only person who I would follow to the ends of Wonderland. No matter what anyone else thinks, you will always be the only queen that matters in my life."

His gaze was so warm and sweet. It caused her stomach to flutter and flip in ways it hadn't in weeks. She took the handkerchief from him, running her finger over the embroidery of the familiar A. Just like the one he had given her back in the prison cell. The one still tucked away in her pocket, right beside Mr. Ferret's sock and Jest's red scarf. Keepsakes from all the people who believed she was stronger than she felt.

Glancing up, her eyes darted between Ace and Ina. They were still here with her. Even with the lack of faith she had in her own abilities, they were still following her lead. How had that happened? When had she become a leader? It was never something she had wanted, but apparently it was her fate.

Squeezing the handkerchief, Alice cleared her throat and straightened up. "All right then. I suppose we're going to need a new base for planning this rebellion." She gave a crooked smile. "Any suggestions?"