Soft sunlight and gentle bird song awoke Lily the next morning. It was an unusual occurrence for her. She had grown up in the Outlands after her parents' banishments. Though she had heard much of the land was beautiful, the part they had been regulated to was nothing more than flat grasslands. Almost no wildlife had ever come near their sorry company.

She found their chirps to be the most delightful sound.

Yet they wouldn't last. Her mother had made it abundantly clear that once the White Queen was defeated and her supporters swept under the rug, Salazen Grum would be the seat of her rule.

Still, perhaps the White Castle could be a spot to visit every now and then when the weight of ruling became too much …

A knock at her door made her jump and desist in her quiet contemplation.

She hurried to answer the door and was further surprised to find the White Champion standing outside with a tray laden with food. Breakfast foods from the smell of fresh bread and jam.

Lily's stomach made its delight known before she did, prompting Alice to grin.

"May I come in?" She asked gently. Lily could only nod dumbly in response. Alice slipped through the door way and placed the tray on the bed.

The Champion's gaze slowly studied the room. Lily tried to see what she saw.

The room was small and simple. A fire place with a painting above the mantle faced a canopied bed. The drapes were pulled back from a floor to ceiling window. To most people it would have been subpar with what was expected of a castle, but to her it was a luxury.

Clearing her head, Lily decided to address her unexpected guest.

"What do you want?" She winced at her tone. She sounded like a scared little girl and not the queen her mother expected of her. Alice smiled at her again, but this time the grin was almost feral.

"I already know your … parents … so I thought I'd get to know the person who wishes to destroy everything I hold dear. Once you finish breakfast, we'll take a walk. Get to know each other."

And with that she plopped herself on the floor to wait.

Unsure of how to proceed, Lily simply began to eat. The toast was superb and she was surprised to find she liked the framble berry jam. Her mother had always told her squam berries were the best.

What other surprises might this place have in store for her?

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Alice decided to simply take Princess Lily on a tour of the White Castle. It allowed her to question the young woman yet keep her body active so that she kept her at ease. An innocent enough plan yet an effective one.

And it seemed to be working well!

Once she had food in her stomach and blood flowing in her veins, Lily became quite talkative. They started in the Gallery of Portraits. It was a good exercise for Alice. Lily asked endless questions about the royalty and history of Underland.

With each question it was becoming obvious that Iracebeth and Stayne had kept the princess in the dark about herself and her family. Why it wasn't until they had made it half way down the hall did the young woman realize that these were her ancestors too!

Alice had to grit her teeth to keep from raging at the fools.

At the end of the hall, Lily came to an abrupt stop. Alice followed her gaze and readied herself for the onslaught of questions that was sure to come.

They never came.

"I'll never understand how families can come to hate each other." Princess Lily whispered sadly.

Alice sighed and shook her head at the portrait of the Mirana, Iracebeth, and their parents.

"Jealousy and fear are a deadly combination, and unfortunately took root in Iracebeth's heart." Alice glanced sideways to see Princess Lily's reaction. The girl merely shook her head.

"I don't believe you, you know." She started to walk away.

"I didn't expect you to." Alice whispered sadly.

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After several hours of roaming all the White Castle had to offer they made their way back to Princess Lily's room. Alice had been observing the young woman all day. Her curiosity and gentle heart were obvious signs she was Mirana's child. The only thing she seemed to have gained from Iracebeth was the ability to turn quite red in the face when her temper was snapped. Alice had to admit it had been a rather amusing experiment, though she would probably get hell for it from Mirana later …

"Why don't you let your hair down more? It's such a lovely color." Alice said offhandedly. Lily came to yet another abrupt halt. Alice looked at her in confusion. Lily seemed stunned by her comment.

"Really?" She asked a bit breathlessly. Alice cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Yes … surely you've noticed?" She asked slowly, trying to understand the situation. Lily glanced away, shame washing over her face.

"Actually no. I've never seen my face. There were no mirrors or still bodies of water where we were in the Outlands." She muttered. Alice's mind sprang into action, quickly followed by her body. Moving fast she tugged Princess Lily into the Queen's apartments and led her to the large, standing mirror in the bedroom. She carefully placed the Princess in front of it and stepped back to wait.

"Oh!" Lily's gasp caused Alice to smile slightly.

Lily's fingers trembled as she reached out to touch her reflection. The sight of her face was unsettling. It was almost like looking at the White Queen … but surely that could be explained by the fact that the woman was her aunt …

Right?

The soft sound of a voice singing made Lily freeze in place. Alice frowned, not understanding what was going on but turning in the direction of voice.

Not a minute later did Mirana enter the chamber.

"Oh Alice! I'm sorry I didn't realize you were …" Mirana's voice trailed off at the sight of Lily standing before the mirror. Alice was about to reply when Lily spoke.

"Sing that again please." She begged brokenly. Mirana swallowed, looked to Alice for encouragement, and then started to sing softly.

"Sleep my dove, sleep my dearest love.

Sleep my heart, lay your toils to rest here in my arms.

Sleep my child, my precious darling child.

Know that mother loves you so."

Mirana's breath caught and she stopped. Lily took a shaky step toward her as Alice backed away.

It couldn't be this simple, could it?

"Where did you learn that song?" Lily asked, eyes swimming with tears.

"I've always known it. It was the lullaby I used to sing to my daughter before laying her down to sleep at night." Mirana eyed Lily warily.

"Your daughter?"

"Yes, the baby daughter Iracebeth stole from me nearly fifteen years ago." She replied softly.

"Stole?" Lily asked haltingly. Mirana nodded slowly.

Alice watched the Princess carefully as realization flooded the young woman's countenance. With a deep, shuddering sob, Lily slid to floor. Alice tried to rush to her, but Mirana was quicker. She caught her daughter up in her arms and began to cry with her.

They clung to each other and wept until they could no longer breathe. After quieting slightly, Mirana looked at her daughter expectantly, seeking the same explanation Alice sought.

"I always remember a voice singing to me like that. I knew it was my mother, but when I asked her – Iracebeth – to sing it to me when I was older, she would always tell me I was too old for such things. I know now that all this time that voice was you!" Lily looked at her mother with a sense of wonder and deep love. Mirana, too over come with emotion to speak, simply nodded and clutched the girl tighter.

Alice let them sit like that a moment longer before kneeling before them. They looked up as she placed a hand on each of their shoulders. Taking a deep breath, she spoke.

"I know this is a lot right now, but there are things we must discuss. The challenge is tomorrow –"

"Just call it off now that I know the truth!" Princess Lily exclaimed. Mirana shook her head at her daughter's words, but softened it by stroking her hair.

"Unfortunately darling, we can't. We need Alice to win this challenge to finally stop you aunt and Stayne." She whispered softly. "The situation is a delicate one …" Mirana raised her eyes to Alice who nodded in affirmation.

"So let us handle it with silken hands now." She spoke firmly as she folded herself into a seated position on the floor.

And so a new plan was hatched on the carpet of the Queen bedroom.