Now, everything was okay.

The Queen was okay, the kingdom was safe, and Maddox Hatter, while temporarily imprisoned, would soon be released with a second chance.

There was even a grand celebration being held inside the Wonderland Palace.

Every hallway was overflowing with music, laughter, and colorful decorations that looked as though they had been dreamed into existence. Floating lanterns drifted lazily beneath the painted ceiling, oversized flowers bloomed from crystal vases, and servants hurried between guests carrying trays piled high with impossible-looking pastries and shimmering drinks.

For the first time in his life, he was being accepted.

Trusted.

People smiled at him instead of watching him with suspicion. They greeted him as they walked past instead of crossing the room to avoid him. It was a strange feeling, one he still wasn't entirely convinced was real.

But it was.

He felt...happy.

So he stood among the guests with a glass of some strange pink drink that tasted different with every sip and a plate of warm sugar cookies in hand. Gone was the weirdly long jacket.

Instead, he was dressed simply in a dark purple leather jacket over a gray turtleneck, paired with black jeans and worn boots.

He looked better than ever.

And, somehow, he felt even better.

His shoulders weren't constantly tense anymore. The guarded expression he'd worn for years had softened, replaced by something almost peaceful. Every now and then, a genuine smile found its way onto his face without him even realizing it. And he hand't even pickpockted anyone yet.

Because, finally...

He belonged.

That was exactly what he was thinking about when he noticed you leaning casually against the table beside him, almost perfectly mirroring his relaxed stance.