A bunch of footmen and cavalry soldiers come running through the woods. They are all quite clumsy, even the horses, and trip over themselves often. Alice jumps out of their way and then sees the White King. He asks Alice if she saw anyone on the road ahead, and she replies that she sees nobody. He remarks that he wishes his eyes could see Nobody. A messenger appears named Haigha (pronounced Hare), and he reports to the king that the Unicorn and Lion are fighting again.

They hurry to town, where the Unicorn and Lion are fighting in a giant cloud of dust. They are fighting for the king’s crown, as they always do, but no one ever wins. Alice meets Hatta, the White King’s other messenger, who has refreshments of bread, butter, and cake ready for when the fighters take a break. The King calls for a break, as the Unicorn and Lion are tired.

The Unicorn is amazed by Alice, refusing to believe she is a real child: “‘I always thought they were fabulous monsters!’ said the Unicorn. [...] ‘Do you know, I always thought Unicorns were fabulous monsters, too?’ [...] ‘Well, now that we have seen each other,’ said the Unicorn, ‘if you’ll believe in me, I’ll believe in you’” (163).