Prologue
Dangerous. That's what my brother was at the moment. With his hair down and face devoid of any makeup he stalked across the floor of his tent to face me. "I can't have ye complainin' all the time to the others." He said. With one hand he yanked on the knot around his neck and ran the other through his hair. Nervously, I fidgeted under his strong gaze. "You're important to me Em. I can't have ye up on the ropes with Doll or havin' Dagger throw his knives at ye. You're not happy as my assistant, so what DO ye want to do?" he asked, finally sitting on the edge of his small bed. I smiled at him and walked over to stand in front of him. Cautiously I reached out and untied his silk bow, draping it over the back of the chair next to me.
"I want me own act." He scoffed at me and began to unbutton his vest. "I'm serious Joker! Give me a chance; I'll prove it to ye. I can dance on the ground just as well as Wendy does in the air." He looked at me with calculating eyes.
"Right then. Say I let ye show me this dance of yours. Who'll be you're partner?" I blushed, I hadn't thought of that. "See? That right there is why you don't have an act in the show. Ye can't even talk to your own brother without puttin' roses in your cheeks."
"Well, what about Smile? He seems graceful enough to take me on as a dancin' partner." He shot me a look and thought it over. I held my breath in anticipation.
"Right. Meet with Smile in the trainin' tent an' teach him this dance of yours." I stared at him, open mouthed. He looked back at me and shut my jaw with his skeletal hand, tenderly patting my cheek in the process. "Go on then. Hop to it."