Dancing on Glass

The Fox and The Princess

Cinderella jumped a foot in the air; convinced her stepmother had found her out already. 

She whirled around to see a man stood behind her, fingers gently holding her elbow and, for a second, she had no idea who the red haired man dressed all in black was until he said, "I thought it was you, I almost didn't recognise you."

"Friend of yours, Duchess?" Beldon asked behind her.

Jazz looked up then down at her again. "Duchess?" he copied in confusion and Cinderella clamped a hand over his mouth and smiled as Beldon.

"An acquaintance, I suppose," she said.

"Ah," Beldon said with a slow grin, "I see. Well, do enjoy yourself." He leant forwards then, so he could whisper. "Feel free to pretend not to know me or anyone else, it'll be easier to keep cover."

Cinderella nodded and Beldon smiled before giving Jazz a small bow of the head and walking away.

Cinderella watched him go, a sudden wave of panic catching her off guard as her one protector walked away, and then Jazz licked her palm.

"EW!" she cried, wrenching her hand away from his mouth. "You're disgusting!

"What did he say?" Jazz asked as she wiping her palm on the fine panelling of his waistcoat.

"Nothing," Cinderella said, grimacing.

"How do you know The General?"

Cinderella paused for a moment, pretending to concentrate on smoothing out her skirts. "We met outside, both arriving late, he offered to escort me in."

"And why did he call you Duchess?"

"Because that's who I am tonight," Cinderella said.

"Why?" he asked in confusion.

"Because I can't let my stepmother know I'm here."

Jazz was quiet for a moment, then let out a slow breath, folding his arms. "She didn't let you come? Even though you had an invitation from The Crown Prince himself?"

"Means nothing to her," Cinderella said, "As far as she's concerned, I'm at home crying over a ruined dress and a torn up card."

"And yet you're here."

"I had some help," she said, smiling at him.

"From The General?"

"What? No. We just met outside, remember?"

"So you don't know him?"

"Why are you being suspicious?"

"What?" Jazz said innocently, "I can't help it. You turn up with one of the kingdom's most eligible bachelors, what's a man to think?"

"Seriously?" Cinderella said, staring at him, "I thought he was joking."

"Oh no," Jazz said, rolling his eyes, "Eeeeeveryone loves Beldon – it would be infuriating if he wasn't so nice."

Cinderella laughed right before a group descended on them from nowhere, a woman linking arms with her, flicking open her fan.

"Whomever do we have here?" she cried, smiling, eyes flashing brightly behind her fox mask, "I don't believe we've met before."

"Not at all, we'd surely remember you," said a young man dressed like a crow.

"I hear you're the mystery of the night! Oh do give us a clue to your identity," said another girl with a mouse mask.

"Or just tell us," added another man, adjusting his plain blue mask.

"There's no fun if she just tells you," Jazz said and the girl with the fox mask frowned at him.