Dancing on Strings

The Twelve

"Oh no," Angelique said, "The legend is not a story; it's fact. The princesses did, indeed, vanish one night with a man – a solider. For months they had been slipping into the shadows and dancing all night at a ball held by the fairies, returning after sunrise with nothing but ruined shoes to prove they had been away. And one day, their father declared that whoever to discover their secret could marry the princess of their choice. For months men came to defeat the princesses and for months they were defeated. And then a young solider came and ruined everything."

Mai frowned at her. "I know the story," she said, "But fact... thirteen people in one night?"

"Do you know the name of that solider? Or any of the princesses?"

Mai looked at her, then her brow creased slightly.

"The solider went by the name Griffin Black and, of the princesses; the fourth in line to the throne was named Angelique."

Mai stared at her, mouth opening with nothing coming out.

Angelique smiled, picking up her tea as she let Mai process.

"You're... you're one of the lost princesses?" she slowly said.

"I am," Angelique said.

"And... Griffin was..."

"Griffin was the solider who vanished with us, though make no mistake, he was no unwitting victim. For months, we were drawn into a dream world – this world, just like you – and we delighted in the pleasures we found here, just like you. We danced the night away before returning to our real world. We thought things could continue like that forever. Nothing could stop us. The Prince of Dreams gave us all we desired. But it was not simply that we could do as we wished and then move on. Griffin arrived, acting the part of yet another mastery seeker, intent on discovering our secrets. He paraded as an entertainer, amusing us, delighting us through the short day we had with him. He gained our trust without effort. My youngest sister adored him. be pretended to be baffled the first two nights when we slipped his guard – I doubt he even tried. The final night, we went to sleep, as usual. He followed us into the dream world. And, once we were all safely inside... he locked the door behind us."

Mai instantly sat up, the story told like a fairytale instantly being pushed aside to the mention of a single word.

Door.

"Door? There's a real door?"

"Of sorts, yes," Angelique said.

"Where?"

Angelique smiled. "I would not be here if I knew that," she said and Mai slumped back. Angelique took a sip of her tea and looked towards a mechanical bird that flitted by a rose, examining it before joining a friend on the table between them. "I must have known where it was once, I suppose," she said.

Mai glanced up at her.

She was watching the birds still. "I know I did because I escaped," she said.

Mai raised an eyebrow. "You escaped?" she copied.

"I got out of here. I woke up in a time that I was not meant to live in, in a kingdom no longer my own. I ran and remade my life as best I could. And I loved what I had – as strange and surreal as it was, they were the best years of my life and it breaks my heart I could not see them to completion. But alas, after only a few decades, Griffin found me and when I woke up and found myself here again... I could not remember where that door was located."

"But, if Griffin can open and close that door, surely he knows where it is," Mai said, "He said he didn't know."

"Oh, I doubt he does," Angelique said, looking at her. "He is very genuine when he says that. He would not be given such knowledge to use at his own free will because, if not he, then Black Rabbit would use it and abuse it. Black would destroy everything The Prince of Dreams has built in this world – with great delight."