~Prologue~
A woman with brunette hair and blazing brown eyes sits upon a throne in a ghostly realm, flipping through a novel wielding the title "The Prince and the Raven" with interest.
"My, Drosselmeyer, you've outdone yourself once again.. Your work never fails to amaze me.." She praised as she read the last few words of the story. "..Too bad those meddling characters had to ruin such a precious tragedy.. …" She paused, and then without warning, slammed the book shut, causing the teacup full of a steaming beverage and the plate of toasted and buttered raisin bread sitting on her armrests to jump and clatter miraculously for a few seconds.
She ran her fingers along the jeweled, leather cover. "I could re-create the story to my own desire.." She said ambitiously. She gently scratched the gold wording of the title with her finger nail, chipping some of the paint off. "..The tragedy will be re-written and shan't be toyed with. I will surpass Drosselmeyer in the art of story writing… As Mistress Madevery, this I swear."
A snow globe rose before her as she took it in her hands. She shook it and a list of her favorite marionettes and play toys began to unfold, a new being appearing with every shake."First, we'll need a prince… Someone suitable to fit the role of the prince in this story. Ah, yes! He'll do beautifully."
She shook it once more. "..We'll need a knight. Ugh, no, not you." She had a look of disgust and shook the snow globe violently, desperate to have it change to a different person. "…But you'll do magnificently."
"…And our first primadonna princess." She shook it for about two minutes until she found a desirable character, and then smiled an all-knowing smile. "..You, my dear. One of my favorites, indeed."
She set the globe aside to float beside her as she took her teacup of what must have been hot apple cider and sipped it, before setting it back on its saucer. "I feel as if I'm forgetting an important role.." She pulled the novel back to her and flipped through the pages until she laid her finger on the text, clicking her fingernail on the thick layers of the book. "Ah, right here! The role that none of the other characters of the original story wanted to take on.." She pulled the snow globe back over to her in one hand, and shook it. "I must pick just the right character for this role.." It didn't take many shakes until it fell upon the perfect character, and the mistress smiled an admiring smile. "This character shall fill this role.. The only character suited to fill the role."
She chuckled to herself and took her buttered toast, biting it and letting crumbs fall onto the book as she laid it in her lap, shaking the snow globe with her other hand as she began to fill the roles of the minor characters.