The end

Once upon a battle

Dion the once-good guard strood foward to the black clad motionless figures in the doorway. 

"Took you long enough. I thought they were gonna leave." His words were slightly slurred and his walk gad a hint of a stagger, and Jack realized this guy had tossed back at least one goblet. Of beer. Or wine.

The second Dion went quiet was all it took for the chaos to start. Jill ran for Dion begging him to stop, that he didn't have to do this. Philip lunged for a sword hidden behind his throne and Penelope took pf her crown shaking her hair loose, revealing she had hidden cursed splinters in it. Jack grabbed a sword- that was probalby meant to be decorative- from the waist of a passing, screaming, drunk man. May positioned her fingers to whistle for Theo.

At the same time the crowds rushed for the door- the back one the front still blocked by the dark clad goons.

Penelope and May ran for Jill telling her to abandon her attempt to convince Dion to stop. 

Dion cackled stopping her in his tracks and called, "charge!" As if that wasn't the most cliché line ever.

Jill hand instinctivly flew to her waist scrambling for her sword, but it wasn't there.

Gilliwins.

She ran to Penelope, snatching some of her splinters and ripping off the hem of her long gown so she could fight better. The cute boy who had asked her out and saced her from these crazies was gone. She was ready to fight now.

Jack and Philip ran past them toward the fight. Jack did a flip. 

"Oh showing off now are we?" Philip was grinning her spun tossed his sowrd up, punched the baddies in the face and caught his sword with a theatric flourish. 

When failed to notice the black clad man sneaking up on him Penelope's dart always found its enemies neck. 

May whistled for Theo become kneeing a short guy in the groin.

"What the heck was that?" Jack sounded incredulous.

"Tai Kwon Do," answered May, dead serious. 

Seven splinters and fifteen minutes later Dion held Jack's arm firmly with one hand and his sword to his neck  with the other.

Jack shook and jerked as if trying to break free every few seconds, but was ynable to. May was restrained by Penelope, Philip and Jill as she watched his wall out.