Silly Rules | PG | Alice in Wonderland
Title: Silly Rules
Prompt: “no nectarines at noon!”
Challenge: A to Z Drabble Challenge
Fandom: Alice/Miranda, Alice in Wonderland
Requested by: cranky__crocus
Rating: PG
Word Count: 567
Disclaimer: Not mine. Wish they were. Please don't sue.
Author's Note: Just a silly little AIW drabble. Let me know what you think!
-
Alice cannot help herself. Despite the bell chiming in the distance, alerting her to the coming of lunch, she reaches out a tentative hand and snatches a plump fruit from the tree. She passes it between both hands, inspecting its orangey red flesh as she licks her lips. She’s been thinking of nothing but this nectarine for hours and when she sinks her teeth into it, she exhales a euphoric breath as the sweet juices pass over her tongue. This, she decides, is better than anything else in the world.
Her moment of bliss is interrupted by the sharp calling of her name. She spins on her heel and hides the nectarine behind her back, plastering a sweet smile on her face.
The White Queen stands before her, her dark lips agape. “Alice,” she says again, stepping closer. Her eyes are wide as saucers. “Are you…” She tears her disbelieving eyes away from Alice’s face and inspects the tree. “Have you eaten a nectarine?” She continues to look past Alice into the billowy branches of the tree, as if she is waiting for it to answer.
Alice cannot lie to her queen. She also cannot hide the droplet of nectarine juice that is slowly creeping down her chin. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself,” Alice offers, revealing the fruit stashed behind her back.
“But it’s noon.”
“I was so hungry…”
“Lunch is ready.” The queen’s dark eyes search her face. “You’ve broken the rule.”
“It’s a very silly rule, isn’t it? No nectarines at noon?”
“It is a rule nevertheless. As a guest in my kingdom, I expect you to abide by them.” The queen glares down at the perfectly round bite mark in the fruit. “That is not suitable for lunch.”
Alice wonders what could have possibly happened in Mirana’s lifetime to have necessitated such a rule. She pictures a miniature version of her queen sitting amongst hundreds of nectarine pits, clutching her belly from the pain of a nectarine overdose. She giggles to herself.
“Champion or not, my rules are not to be laughed at.”
Alice bites her bottom lip to stop herself from breaking into uncontrollable laughter. She tastes the remnants of nectarine and circles her tongue around her lips, longing to take another bite. “I’m sorry,” Alice replies. “I did not mean to laugh. I simply…” Alice watches a butterfly as it passes. “I just really, really wanted this nectarine.”
“You couldn’t wait until after lunch was served?”
Alice shakes her head. “No.” She’s surprised at how disappointed the queen looks. “Have you ever wanted something so badly that you could think of nothing else…not even what’s right and wrong?”
Mirana swallows.
Alice takes another bite of her fruit and sighs pleasurably. “I thought I’d go crazy if I didn’t taste this. I just couldn’t help myself.”
The queen nods and clears her throat, her eyes passing back and forth between the nectarine and Alice’s mouth. “You should get ready for lunch.”
Alice smiles. “As you wish, my queen.” She bows graciously, her teeth already tearing into the nectarine by the time she is upright again. She heads for the castle and, behind her, hears the rustle of a tree branch. Alice giggles and casts a quick glance over her shoulder, watching as Mirana regards the fruit as if she’s never had one before.
Alice beams. Silly rules are made to be broken.
---
Prompt: “no nectarines at noon!”
Challenge: A to Z Drabble Challenge
Fandom: Alice/Miranda, Alice in Wonderland
Requested by: cranky__crocus
Rating: PG
Word Count: 567
Disclaimer: Not mine. Wish they were. Please don't sue.
Author's Note: Just a silly little AIW drabble. Let me know what you think!
-
Alice cannot help herself. Despite the bell chiming in the distance, alerting her to the coming of lunch, she reaches out a tentative hand and snatches a plump fruit from the tree. She passes it between both hands, inspecting its orangey red flesh as she licks her lips. She’s been thinking of nothing but this nectarine for hours and when she sinks her teeth into it, she exhales a euphoric breath as the sweet juices pass over her tongue. This, she decides, is better than anything else in the world.
Her moment of bliss is interrupted by the sharp calling of her name. She spins on her heel and hides the nectarine behind her back, plastering a sweet smile on her face.
The White Queen stands before her, her dark lips agape. “Alice,” she says again, stepping closer. Her eyes are wide as saucers. “Are you…” She tears her disbelieving eyes away from Alice’s face and inspects the tree. “Have you eaten a nectarine?” She continues to look past Alice into the billowy branches of the tree, as if she is waiting for it to answer.
Alice cannot lie to her queen. She also cannot hide the droplet of nectarine juice that is slowly creeping down her chin. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself,” Alice offers, revealing the fruit stashed behind her back.
“But it’s noon.”
“I was so hungry…”
“Lunch is ready.” The queen’s dark eyes search her face. “You’ve broken the rule.”
“It’s a very silly rule, isn’t it? No nectarines at noon?”
“It is a rule nevertheless. As a guest in my kingdom, I expect you to abide by them.” The queen glares down at the perfectly round bite mark in the fruit. “That is not suitable for lunch.”
Alice wonders what could have possibly happened in Mirana’s lifetime to have necessitated such a rule. She pictures a miniature version of her queen sitting amongst hundreds of nectarine pits, clutching her belly from the pain of a nectarine overdose. She giggles to herself.
“Champion or not, my rules are not to be laughed at.”
Alice bites her bottom lip to stop herself from breaking into uncontrollable laughter. She tastes the remnants of nectarine and circles her tongue around her lips, longing to take another bite. “I’m sorry,” Alice replies. “I did not mean to laugh. I simply…” Alice watches a butterfly as it passes. “I just really, really wanted this nectarine.”
“You couldn’t wait until after lunch was served?”
Alice shakes her head. “No.” She’s surprised at how disappointed the queen looks. “Have you ever wanted something so badly that you could think of nothing else…not even what’s right and wrong?”
Mirana swallows.
Alice takes another bite of her fruit and sighs pleasurably. “I thought I’d go crazy if I didn’t taste this. I just couldn’t help myself.”
The queen nods and clears her throat, her eyes passing back and forth between the nectarine and Alice’s mouth. “You should get ready for lunch.”
Alice smiles. “As you wish, my queen.” She bows graciously, her teeth already tearing into the nectarine by the time she is upright again. She heads for the castle and, behind her, hears the rustle of a tree branch. Alice giggles and casts a quick glance over her shoulder, watching as Mirana regards the fruit as if she’s never had one before.
Alice beams. Silly rules are made to be broken.
---