Thank you so much to Guest, Southun Lady, Celina79, sarahb2007, Rugbygirrl and LacytheRomanWerewolf for reviewing. Many thanks to those who followed or favourited as well. Chapter 3 here, read and review! I'd love to know what you all think of my story. Enjoy!
Oh yes, I hope you all won't kill me too badly when you see what I've done to the characters. I hope I didn't write them too badly. Let me know what you thought worked or didn't.
The story continues with the Dragon Lady and Lapdog's departure for the royal ball. Where's the magic, you say? Patience, dear readers. Magic, more often than not, comes in the most unsuspecting forms which we often dismiss. Enough with the tarrying, along with the story, and how magic finally found our forlorn heroine.
The moment for Erin and Beth, who henceforth shall be known as the Dragon Lady and her Lapdog, to leave for the ball came. A golden gilded carriage waited outside the mansion, and the Dragon Lady led the way, the Lapdog trailing behind her. Both had their noses high in the air, and as the last of the feathers on their resplendent hats disappeared out the doorway, Emily slammed the door shut, satisfied when she heard an anguished squeal from the other side of the door. The smile slid from her face when she realized just where Beth was going, and where she was staying. At home. Working.
Scrubbing her hand across her tired face, Emily stared longingly at the carriage leaving, being led by two proud white horses. The glimmering lights of the castle caught her eye, but Emily gritted her teeth and whipped her head away from the window. She'd be damned if she let some silly ball down her spirits. And yet, for all her fierce words, Emily couldn't help but be saddened by the fact that she was missing out on something she, in what seemed such a long time ago, was entitled to go to. The King was her nonno, and she belonged within the warm confines of the royal castle. Alas, how quick fate changes.
But what fairytale is complete without magic? Or talking creatures, for the matter? Just then, two mice, one dark and one light, came to a scurrying halt before her. Emily smiled and bent down, a finger stroking the downy heads of the mice fondly. "Hello Derek, Spencer. How are my favourite mice today?" The problem with talking animals, however, was that they did talk; only it was amongst themselves.
Derek reared up on two legs, grinning as only a mouse could. "Hey Princess! We had a great day! Kid and I here got a load of cheese of from the Dragon Lady's larder. It was a mighty fine feast, I can tell you. Mm-mm! Derek's got a bellyful of cheese and he's happy!" Spencer narrowed his beady mouse eyes and piped in, "It was only because you ate all the cheese Derek! You left absolutely none for Spencer!" Derek rolled his eyes (Emily was unsure if it was her imagination, or did her mouse friend just execute a perfect eye roll?) and his tail smacked the smaller mouse on the head, "Hey don't blame Derek, you slowpoke!"
Oh yes, it appears I failed to mention that talking mice often referred to themselves in third person. It's a talking animal thing.
What Emily heard was really just a series of squeaks, not the duo's recap of their day. Nonetheless, the brunette chuckled and patted the mice on their heads before standing and heading back to the kitchen. "I suppose you both had a better day than I had, at any rate. Come along now, I must make sure the kitchen is spotless for Erin's inspection."
Derek and Spencer stared at each other haplessly; work, while the Dragon Lady and her horrid daughter were off to the ball? Derek shook his head, nose twitching furiously, "No no, this can't do! Spence! We gotta get a pretty dress ready for Princess!" Spence wrinkled his long nose, "How are we gonna do that, Derek?" The dark furred mouse thought for a moment, and his eyes brightened, "We get Ellie to help us! Yeah, yeah! Ellie can help us get pretty dress for Princess! And Jason can help!" Spencer pouted, whiskers drooping, "But Ellie's in a bad mood! She won't help us!" Derek winked at the younger rodent and turned tail to head upstairs, to Emily's room. "Derek will ask her! And Jace-jace! Let's go! No time to waste!"
An extremely articulate mouse with silky brown fur stared incredulously at the two, "You want Elle to make a dress, for Emily, right now?" A soft hoot sounded on the dresser, and the three mice turned their heads to stare at a scowling owl perched sleepily on top. "For talking animals, the two-oo of you-oo are extremely dim. Pray, ho-ow would Elle sew a dress by herself?" Derek scratched his head, "Couldn't Jace-jace help?" The owl swooped down silently onto Emily's bed next to the mouse name Elle and sighed, "I have no fingers, hoot. I couldn't possibly help you. And Elle couldn't possibly sew a dress in such short notice. And don't call me Jace-jace, lest you wish me to devour you."
Derek scowled at the bird, "Meanie." Elle clapped her paws loudly, "Derek, Elle can sew the dress if you and Spencer help. Now, let's get working. Jason," she turned pleading eyes towards the owl, "Couldn't you help us? We do want Emily to be happy, don't we?" Jason gave a few indignant hoots and rearranged his feathers, "Of course! But I say this is most certainly a fool's errand!" Spencer cleared his throat, "Spence suggests we start sewing dress, else Em won't have her pretty dress." Jason peered at the two male mice before hooting resignedly, "Very well, on with it then. Elle, I presume you'll be in charge of the sewing. Derek and Spencer please acquire the required materials for the dress, and I shall complete the final touches."
Derek and Spencer bounded off, and in time tugged back swathes of silk and ribbon and lace, and Elle whipped out her miniature sewing kit while Jason, seated comfortably on his perch directed the mice as to which cloth should be used and what shape the dress should take place. Now, magic has always defied the rules of logic and time, and not an hour had passed before the mice had gotten the dress ready for Jason's final perusal. The owl hopped up to the mannequin and peered and hooted, adding tasteful lines of ribbon and lace to accentuate the dress (Who knew owls had such fantastic sense of fashion?). At last, a beautiful burgundy silk dress adorned the mannequin, and even Jason the skeptic owl had to admit that the mice had outdone themselves this time. Stretching his wings, he fluffed his feathers and hooted loudly. "I shall fetch Emily, wait here."
Swooping down the spiral staircase, Jason found Emily hard at work, scrubbing the floor of the kitchen till it sparkled and shined. He hooted loudly, tugging at the woman's hair gently. Emily smiled to see him, but her brows furrowed at Jason's insistent tugging. "What's the matter, Jason?" He flapped his wings impatiently and tugged once more at her apron, urging her to follow him. Light dawned on Emily's eyes as she realized what her feathery friend wanted her to do. "Very well, I'll follow you. I hope the mice haven't gotten into trouble."
As Jason led Emily up the stairs, a grey form with piercing yellow eyes slinked out from the shadows. Ian 'Valhalla' Doyle, Erin Strauss and Beth's precious cat padded silently out from his makeshift bed and stretched his lanky body lazily. For some reason apparent only to the Dragon Lady and daughter, it didn't seem strange at all that their (slightly maniacal) cat be given a proper name and surname, including a pet name that seemed to make no sense whatsoever. The cat narrowed his gaze towards the back of Emily and Jason and he crept stealthily up the stairs; he just might be able to catch some mice after all.