Baekhyun awoke with a jolt and sat upright, heart beating fast and sweating. The constant nightmares he had really shook him up, and not being able to wake up from them was perhaps the most awful experience he had had. To calm himself, he glanced down and saw that Chanyeol was not brutally murdered. The only thing different that he noticed straight away was that they weren’t in separate beds -- he was snuggled up against Baekhyun’s hip snoring like a freight train. With a settled heart, Baekhyun ruffled Chanyeol’s hair and smiled.

When he noticed that the room was brighter, he looked up. As he examined the room closer,  he realized that the small cabin windows were replaced with gigantic, single-paned French windows which allowed the morning light to stream through; the room itself had doubled in size; lining the walls, instead of antique dolls, were shelves upon shelves of books. His fear rose exponentially when the realization hit him. Baekhyun vigorously shook Chanyeol.

“Chan! Chan! Park Chanyeol!” He hissed.

With disgruntled groan, Chanyeol loosened his grip on Baekhyun’s waist and sat up, rubbing his eyes, “What time is it?”

“That’s the least of our worries. Look!” Baekhyun waved his arms around hysterically.

“At what?” Chanyeol mumbled and blinked the sleep from his eyes. Impatiently, Baekhyun grabbed his friend’s hands and shook them. When Chanyeol finally looked around, his eyes grew wide with fear and confusion.

“See now?” Baekhyun huffed.

“Oh my -- where are we?” Chanyeol whispered, gripping Baekhyun’s shoulders.

“I don’t know! That’s why I woke you!”

“I thought we were in a smaller room!” Chanyeol yelled.

“Me too!” Baekhyun shouted back.

Suddenly, a woman’s voice called out from behind the wooden door in a sing-song voice, “Dearies, I hope you’re up! Please get dressed quickly, for we need to get you fitted straight away.”

Chanyeol and Baekhyun gave each other wide-eyed looks and responded in unison, “We’re up!”

“Wonderful! The carriage will be here a quarter after.” Then, she walked away and the two waited until they couldn’t hear the loud clacking of her heels. Once the sound was almost inaudible, the two jumped out of the single bed and rushed to the dresser, flinging the doors open with haste.

 

From the closet burst frilly pastel colored dresses, laced clothes, scarves, hats, and skirts, but nothing that a man would wear. Baekhyun scrunched up his nose in disgust and held up a pastel blue dress and put it to his body. Laughing, Chanyeol took the light green dress and pretended he was wearing it and spun around.

“Are we going to dress up as women?” Baekhyun exclaimed angrily and chucked the dress aside.

“Look, Baekhyun, I’m a beautiful princess!” Chanyeol joked and curtsied.

“Chanyeol, this is not the time to be making jokes, alright? I don’t want to wear a dress, and I won’t put one on either! What is going on? We need to get out of this place, like, now. I told you we shouldn’t have listened to that lady!” Baekhyun complained and began to pace nervously.

“I know, sorry. I should’ve listened to you. I just… I was just really tired and…” Chanyeol hung his head in guilt. Baekhyun stopped pacing and sighed sympathetically. He was weak to Chanyeol's actions when the younger acted like that -- like a child. There was something about it that was kind of...  endearing.

“I -- I -- I’m sorry, I’m not angry.” Baekhyun sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I just am really… scared.”

Chanyeol smiled widely and threw his arms around his best friend, “There’s no need to worry. I’ll protect you, like when we were kids.”

Baekhyun chuckled, “Chanyeol, I’m a grown adult. I think I can take care of myself.”

Suddenly, there was a knock from the door and both boys whipped their heads towards it, fear evident on their faces. Baekhyun clutched Chanyeol’s shirt and tensed. Neither of them said a word, and only stared at the door like it was on fire.

“Hello? Girls? Are you ready?” The same woman called kindly.

Baekhyun’s heart started to beat loudly in his chest and he responded, “J-just a few minutes!”

“Alright! Please hurry, or else mistress will be angry.” Then she walked away again.

“C’mon Baek. We’ll figure this out as we go. First, order of business, don’t make ‘mistress’ angry.” Chanyeol said in a serious tone and began to strip. Baekhyun followed in suit, a wide smile plastered on his face. It was times like these when he really loved being around his best friend. Chanyeol could go from cute and puppy like to completely serious in record time. How he deserved to have such an amazing person in his life simply baffled him.

*

A few minutes later, Baekhyun was clopping around the room in heels awkwardly while holding the front of the dress up, as not to trip on it. The way he stood was quite hilarious, really. He was hunched over, legs bent and apart, and he held the dress between his pointer and thumb with disgust. Chanyeol, on the other hand, looked like he was made to be in a dress and heels. Although his broad shoulders looked slightly strange in a strapless, when he walked, it was like he had been wearing heels his entire life.

“Chan, how come you can wear these -- oh what the !” Baekhyun cursed and threw his hands up in frustration when he nearly tripped again.

“Just walk like you’re on your tiptoes. Don’t hunch either!” Chanyeol scolded and crossed his arms.

Baekhyun rolled his eyes and stood up straight, only to go back to hunching over once he lost his center of gravity, causing him to bend backwards to stay upright. Taking a few tentative first steps, Baekhyun walked around the room with a little more confidence with each one. The only thing he needed to fix was his posture and not holding up the dress to show his legs.

However, he didn’t have anymore time to perfect his walk when there was another knock at the door, and the woman who called for them was definitely not the kind one from before. This time, it was a cold, high-pitched, screech that made Baekhyun want to rip his eardrums out.

“Girls! Whatever could be taking so long? Get out here this instant!”

Hastily, Baekhyun waddled over to the door and opened it, but not before standing up and fixing his posture. Soon after, Chanyeol walked over effortlessly and stood with impeccable posture. With a low curtsey, he bowed his head and apologized.

“I’m very sorry, mother.”

“You are forgiven, Anastasia.” The gray haired woman said in a nasally voice. Then she turned to Baekhyun, “Drizella, I expect the same from you.”

“I -- er -- I’m very sorry, mother.” Baekhyun muttered and tried to curtsey, and almost fell over if it weren’t for Chanyeol quickly catching him.

“Anastasia! I raised you better! Let those in the wrong get what they deserve.” Huffing, Mother pivoted on her heels and beckoned for the two to follow. They both mouthed the names she had given them and walked on. As they travelled down the hallway, Baekhyun felt Chanyeol’s arm link with his when he tripped for the third time.

“I’ve got you, Baek.” Chanyeol whispered and winked adorably; Baekhyun couldn’t prevent the smile from creeping to his face.

 

The carriage ride was hot and uncomfortable. Sitting in front of them was Mother who looked down at them with a displeased look, perhaps even disgusted. As she fanned herself, the two only felt the slight breeze from the windows and savored each moment. They were dying in the corsets, and bloomers. How women wore that all year round truly was a mystery them.

"Sit up straight, ladies!" Mother smacked both on the head, and they immediately changed their posture. At least it kept the corset from squeezing their stomachs.

 

A few minutes later, the carriage slowed to a stop and the driver came to open the tiny door. Getting through, though, proved to be difficult. Baekhyun was unable to bend down to balance himself and he couldn't even see where his feet were stepping. This caused him to fall out of the carriage, but was quickly caught by Chanyeol who had already gotten out with ease.

"Don't worry." said Chanyeol as he set the smaller on the ground.

"Ladies, we must walk with haste. The tailors do not like waiting." Mother pivoted on her heels and the two quickly followed in her path.

 

Inside the shop, it smelled musty. The ceiling was high, and there were racks upon racks of various dresses, suits, and miscellaneous fabrics. Chanyeol and Baekhyun were lead to a small room in the back where there were three boxes and mirrors. They were then instructed to strip and stand on any box. The two looked at each other hesitantly until Mother scolded them for being slow. Carefully, Chanyeol helped Baekhyun undo his dress and it dropped to the floor, revealing his flat chest in a corset and thank their lucky stars that they were wearing bloomers and nothing tighter. However, when both were down to their underwear, they were told they needed to take everything off so the tailors could get accurate measurements of their bust, waist, and leg length.

With a shaky hand, Baekhyun reached back and pulled the string on his corset, allowing it to flop down and expose his milky white chest. Chanyeol did the same, and gave Baekhyun a reassuring look. As they were about to take their bloomers off, the three tailors came in and said it was unnecessary. The erratic beat of Baekhyun’s heart slowed, and he stood up on his respective box next to Chanyeol.

For ten minutes they stood there in agony. The tailor kept remeasuring their arms and body to be sure he got the right numbers. As he went, he kept muttering something about how “Anastasia” was strangely tall for a female. Baekhyun couldn’t help but giggle, but was quickly shushed when Mother sent him a warning glare.

Once the tailor finished all of his measurements, he called in his assistant to bring in the fabrics and colors to choose from. The colors ranged from black to extremely light pastels. The fabrics were wide in variety too. There was velvet, silk, tulle, and satin. Although Baekhyun did feel the other textures, he was immediately drawn to the silk. When he lifted it in his fingers, he was tempted to rub it between his forefinger and thumb. The tailor snatched the textile away, though, and all three left the room.

Once completely dressed again, the three left the shop and headed back to the house.

Chanyeol fiddled with the tie of his robe, and watched Baekhyun pace back and forth. There was nothing left to do except wait. They had already finished all of the tasks to get ready for the ball that Mother had asked them to do, one of which was a shower.

Chanyeol closed his eyes and listened to Baekhyun repeat “oh my god” as a mantra. He could hear the unease and tension in his friend’s voice. The “oh my gods” would go from just a mumble to a frantic shout. Chanyeol opened his eyes, and saw Baekhyun pulling at his hair. He was throwing his hands in the air, and his jaw clenched when he wasn’t speaking.

“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol called softly.

Baekhyun stopped, put his hands on his head, and turned to his friend.

“Calm down. What are you getting worked up over?”

Eyes wide, Baekhyun groaned in frustration. “What do you think? Maybe it’s because we’re stuck in this wretched place where we have to wear dresses, people think we’re girls, there’s a ball, this ‘Mother’ woman is scary, and, oh, I don’t know, maybe because you got us in this mess in the first place! Christ, Chanyeol. Don’t you realize that we can’t ever get back home? Don’t you see that there’s no way out of this place no matter what we do? Do you not?” Baekhyun took a deep breath, and covered his eyes with his hand. His shoulders began to shake, and there was a sniffling sound.

Chanyeol stood up, and walked over to his panicked friend, and hugged him. “We’ll find a way. Please don’t cry, Baekhyun.”

“How can I not though?” mumbled Baekhyun.

“We’ll find a way.”

“You keep saying that, Chanyeol, but we haven’t.”

“I know, but being pessimistic doesn’t get us anywhere.”

“Neither does optimism.”

“Baekhyun, we’ll be ok.”

Baekhyun pushed away, and looked to Chanyeol with an enraged expression. He clenched his jaw. “We will not be ok.” he whispered and turned around to stare out the window. The way Chanyeol brushed off the impending doom infuriated Baekhyun.  He wasn’t even thinking about how to get home. He wasn’t thinking about the future. Chanyeol always went with the flow, even if that meant dying.

“Baekhyun,” called out Chanyeol in a soft voice.

“No.”

“But --”

“Shut up, and don’t talk to me.”

“I think --”

“What do you think, oh great Park Chanyeol?” Baekhyun snapped. “That ‘we’ll make it through this’ that ‘we’ll be fine’ and that ‘we’ll get home?’ Is that it? Because that certainly is far from the truth. For once in your life, think about the consequences and what will happen. Sometimes, you have to stop living in the ‘now’ and start thinking about how we may end up.” He could feel tears coming on again. Glaring at Chanyeol’s reflection in the window, he wiped his eyes and shook his head.

“Are you done?”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything.

“Think back to this morning.”

Baekhyun remembered, quite clearly. He woke up next to Chanyeol when they were still on good terms. When he wasn’t angry. When they were trying to get through things together.

“Remember how we woke up in a different room? Remember how the night before we went to bed in a cabin?”

Baekhyun gave a slight nod to his own reflection.

“What if we only have to survive tonight? What if everything goes back to the way it was before?”

“Why the hell --”

“Baekhyun, just calm down and think about it for a moment.” Chanyeol pleaded.

Thinking. He had been thinking. He had been doing all of the thinking for the past few hours. How dare Chanyeol be telling him to think. Baekhyun started to pace and bite his fingernails. Sometimes he would steal a quick glance at Chanyeol who was watching him pace. He tried not to notice, but he did, and it made him feel uncomfortable.

“Stop doing that.” mumbled Baekhyun.

“Doing what?”

“Staring at me.”

“I’m not staring at you.”

“Liar.”

“Narcissistic.”

“That’s not narcissistic.”

“Are you sure?”

“Chanyeol.”

“Baekhyun.”

“Can you not?”

“Can you?”

“Jesus christ.”

“Christ Jesus.”

“I swear to God, Chanyeol…”

“I swear to Satan, Baekhyun.”

“I’m done with you.”

“I’m not done with you.”

“Can you stop?”

“Can’t you stop?”

Baekhyun screamed in frustration, and pulled at his hair. He shot a furious glare at Chanyeol who was trying to stifle a laugh. “Hey Baekhyun,”

“What the fu --”

“I saw a magic tractor a few days ago. It was driving down the road and turned into a field.”

“Oh my God!”

“Mine too!”

Baekhyun tried to hide a smile. “Stop it!” he said in a semi-laugh.

“Stop what?”

“I’m trying to be angry at you.”

“Is that a smile?”

“No…?”

“Because that’s not funny, Baek.”

Chanyeol nudged Baekhyun.

“I never said it was funny.” replied Baekhyun, attempting to frown deeply.

“Stop smiling Baek. It’s not funny.”

“Chanyeol!” Baekhyun shouted, trying not to smile.

“Don’t laugh.”

“I’m not!”

“It’s really not funny, Byun Baekhyun.”

“Stop doing that!”

“Baekhyun, you know, laughing at a time like this…”

“Park Chanyeol!”

“Don’t laugh.”

“I’m not --!” but he burst into laughter, and clung onto Chanyeol’s shirt. His shoulders shook, and his stomach hurt. Only seconds later he was on the ground laughing, weakly gripping Chanyeol’s legs. “I hate you.” he said between breaths.

“It’s a mutual feeling, my friend.” Chanyeol smiled in triumph, sitting down next to his friend. From experience, he knew Baekhyun could never stay mad for long. He just had to say the right things to make him laugh, and it seemed he chose correctly.

“Girls?”

All of a sudden the laughter stopped, and Baekhyun hustled to his feet. He stared at the door, nervous. “Yeah?” Chanyeol called out.

“Your dresses are here! They look wonderful!”

The friends looked at each other. It was time. With a nod of agreement, they both walked to the door and flung both sides open. At their feet were two boxes labelled ‘Anastasia’ and ‘Drizella.’

“Which one are you?” Baekhyun asked, staring at the boxes with his hands on his hips.

“I don’t know, but we’ll find out.” said Chanyeol. He bent down and opened the boxes revealing a pale lime green dress, and a dark orchid colored dress. For a moment he stared at them. Then gave the lime green dress to Baekhyun, and stood up with the dark orchid one. He held it to his body, and then nodded. The length was perfect, and the same went for Baekhyun’s.

“Do we have to wear these?” whined Baekhyun, stomping his feet.

“Do you want to live?”

“Yes.”

“Put it on.”

“Fine.”

The next time the maid came back to check on them, the two were dressed in their appropriate dresses. For Baekhyun, the silk dress hugged his hips nicely, but it that was put off by the way he stood -- with his legs open and doing a semi-squat. Chanyeol, on the other hand, had a fluffy dress with copious amounts of tulle underneath. He spun around, and pranced around in the heels.

“C’mon Bae -- er, Drizella.” Chanyeol held out his hand, and gestured to the waiting maid. Straightening himself, he bunched up the dress, to avoid stepping on it, and followed the others out the door.

As they approached the stairs, a young man, also wearing a dress, but more ragged, flew down the stairs right for Chanyeol.​ Once close enough, he whispered something in Chanyeol's ear.​ Chanyeol glanced around, first to Baekhyun, then to the maid, and finally back to the young man.​

"Could we have a moment, miss?" Chanyeol asked the maid who frowned, nodded, and left.

"Chan, what is this?" Baekhyun hissed in his ear.​ He grabbed Chanyeol's arm, and pulled him off to the side.​

"Baek, this guy is like us!​ Don't you see?"

"No, I don't see because all I see is a man in a dress.​ I have no idea what this place is, but they certainly like putting men in women's clothing."

"Pardon me, but I think I know how to get out of here." The young man leaned in.​

Baekhyun's eyes went wide."So wait...​ No, I'm so confused.​ What is going on?"

"You two were staying at that old lady's house, right?"

The two nodded slowly, and they huddled together.​ One last time, Baekhyun looked around and then closed the huddle.

"So you were lured in too?" Baekhyun whispered.​ The young man nodded, solemn.

"I had been lost in the mountains.​ She told me that I was close to civilization.​ Then she invited me in for the night.​ Worst mistake I made.​ Next thing I knew, I ended up in this place."

"Really?​ What's your name?" Chanyeol asked, off topic.

"Kim Jongdae."

"Oh, hi.​ I'm Chanyeol, and this is Baekhyun."

"Nice to meet y'all."

"This is not the time for introductions.​ Now tell us how to get out of here." Baekhyun grumbled.​ Jongdae nodded.

"I don't know how this came to me, but I think we have to finish the fairy tale." Jongdae whispered.​

"Excuse me?" Baekhyun rocked on his heels, and put a hand to his hip.​ What an absurd thing to say, he thought.​

"Don't you see?" Jongdae gestured to his attire, then to theirs.​ "It's like Cinderella, the fairy tale.​ You're going to a ball, right?"

They nodded.

"Now we have to finish it!​ I haven't been able to because, I think, you weren't here."

For a moment, they both tried to process it.​ Chanyeol was the first one to come around.​ He slapped Baekhyun's arm with excitement.​ Baekhyun rubbed his chin.​ And then his eyes went wide.

"So that means...​ We have to rip your dress after you come down in the dress you made for the ball."

Jongdae nodded his head enthusiastically.​ "If that's the case, then I better go."

Baekhyun and Chanyeol nodded, and bid "Cinderella" goodbye.

"See, I told you we'd find a way." Chanyeol said as they walked down the stairs.​

"But what if he's wrong?​ Then what?"

"Well, we'll think of something else.​ Let's just see where this leads, okay?"

Baekhyun nodded, and bit his lip.​ Now that there was a possible light at the end of the tunnel, he felt guilty for snapping at Chanyeol earlier.​ But the stress and magnitude of the situation was becoming clearer, and it was scaring him.​ He took a deep breath.​ Looking at Chanyeol, he nudged his friend.​ Chanyeol looked over with a content expression.​

Chanyeol hummed.​

"I'm sorry, Chanyeol." Baekhyun muttered.​

"For what?"

"I had snapped at you.​ I was in the wrong, though.​ I'm so sorry.​ I just am so scared that we'll never make it back home.​ I never meant to --"

Chanyeol stopped at the bottom of the stairs, and caught Baekhyun's wrist.​ He pulled his friend into a tight hug, holding his head to his chest.​ They stood there for a moment, wrapped in each other's arms.​

"I know, Baek.​ I'm not angry or anything.​ I'm just glad you're happy."

Baekhyun laughed, throwing his head back.​

"What's so funny?"

"I never thought I'd see my best friend dressed in drag with me comforting me.​ We're so screwed, but I hope when I'm old and disgusting that I'll never forget it."

Chanyeol laughed.​ "I hope for the same thing." He caressed the back of his neck gently; that was Baekhyun's sensitive spot.​ Then he kissed the top of his friend's head, burying his face in the fluffy locks.​

"Chanyeol," Baekhyun whispered.

"Yeah?"

"What if --"

"Enough of the heartfelt hugs.​ We must get going." Mother's voice rang loud and clear in the gigantic room.​ The two boys let go of each other, and straightened their dresses.​ When Mother beckoned them over, they followed obediently.

 

As they neared the front door, Cinderella -- Jongdae -- rushed down the stairs, holding up the skirt of a frilly pink dress.​ "Wait!" he called.​ When he reached the bottom, he ran to Mother.

"Please let me go to the ball!​ I was invited too!" he pleaded.​ Jongdae glanced at Baekhyun, as if to say "get on with it." Baekhyun got the message, and cleared his throat.​

"Not in that!" he sneered, surprised at how convincing he sounded.​ "That necklace is hideous." He reached over and ripped the beads from Jongdae's neck, mentally wincing at the way it dug into his skin.​ The beads clattered to the ground.​ Mother watched with an indifferent expression.​

"That dress is a disgusting color." Chanyeol said, joining in.​ He reached over and ripped the sleeve right off.

"Stop it!" Jongdae cried out, forcing out fake tears as he fell to his knees.​ Knowing that it wasn't over, Baekhyun took the flower clip from his hair, and stepped on it.​ Jongdae bent over and plucked it off the floor gingerly.​ "Please..." he whispered.

"Girls, I think you've had your fun.​ Let's go.​ The carriage is waiting."

In sync, Baekhyun and Chanyeol upturned their noses and followed Mother out.​ Before they left, Jongdae gave a small thumbs up.​ They had done well.​

"Now, ladies, Prince Oh Sehun is looking for a possible wife.​ You must be on your best behavior, and not embarrass yourselves." Mother said as a grand castle came into view from behind the trees.​

It was gorgeous.​ Spires reached to the clouds, and the tops sparkled in the setting sun.​ They went from a warm orange to a deep violet in a matter of minutes.​ Baekhyun gasped in awe, and pressed his palms to the glass window, staring out.​ It was nothing he had ever seen before.​ Something about it was majestic.​

He continued to stare as they pulled into the gates.​

The chauffeur dropped the three off at the equally grand staircase where others were also ascending the steps.​ With Mother in lead, Baekhyun grabbed Chanyeol's arm for balance and they walked through the heavy, mahogany doors.

The ball started not long after they arrived.​ In an instant, they were both swept away by a charming prince from a small kingdom a little ways away.​ As Baekhyun stumbled across the dance floor, he watched as Chanyeol danced so gracefully with the short prince with a sharp expression.​ He saw Chanyeol toss his head back in a hearty guffaw.​ The short prince smiled slightly.​ Baekhyun frowned.​ He didn't like that pairing at all.​ Chanyeol looked much better --

"Hello, my name is Kim Jongin."

Baekhyun tore his eyes from Chanyeol, and focused on his own prince.​With tanned skin, a sharp jaw line, and plump lips, Kim Jongin was the epitome of perfection.​ "Byun B -- Drizella."

"I know you're a man."

Baekhyun tripped on the edge of his dress, and tumbled to the floor.​ Seeing this happen, Chanyeol stopped dancing, and rushed over to his best friend.

"Baekhyun, are you okay?​ What happened?" Chanyeol asked, bending down to help his friend up.

"Who the hell are you?" Baekhyun growled as he stood.

"I'm the soul of a traveler who was trapped here." Jongin said.

"Here?​ Where is here?" asked Baekhyun.

"The old woman's cabin."

"What?" Chanyeol and Baekhyun said in unison.

"Excuse me," came a quiet voice.​ They turned and found Chanyeol's prince standing with two drinks in his hand.​ "Is everything ok, Prince Jongin?" He handed the drink, not to Chanyeol, but to Jongin.

"Nothing to fret over, Prince Kyungsoo.​ If you wouldn't mind, we need a minute.​

Kyungsoo nodded and left.

"What?" Baekhyun repeated.

"Right now, you are sleeping in one of her rooms, totally vulnerable.​ This is just your dream, but she has you locked in.​ You can't get out until she is done feeding."

"Feeding?" Baekhyun exclaimed, starting to shake.

"On your life force."

"Sorry to break up your conversation, but this lovely lady caught my eye, and I would love to dance with her." a voice interrupted.​ Baekhyun looked to the source, and found a tall man with a fierce look about him.

"Who?" Jongin asked.

"You," the man bowed, and brushed his lips against the back of Baekhyun's hand.​ Chanyeol clenched a fist.​

"Well, we were finishing up, Prince Sehun."

"Then you wouldn't mind me sweeping her away?"

Jongin shook his head.​ Sehun held out his arm.​ Nervous, Baekhyun glanced to Chanyeol whose jaw was clenched tight.​ He knew he shouldn't stray too far, but Sehun was already linking their arms, and pulling him away.

"You look lovely tonight. What's your name?"

"Drizella." Baekhyun answered quietly.

"What a beautiful name."

"Thank you."

Sehun smiled, and he swayed gently to the rhythm of the music, occasionally smiling, sending Baekhyun's heart into turmoil. It was so perfect, so alluring, and beautiful. He was drawn to it.

"What are you staring at, Drizella?" Sehun asked halfway through the second song.

Baekhyun averted his eyes, and spotted Chanyeol. He was talking to Jongin who pointed out Baekhyun staring. Before Chanyeol fully turned, Baekhyun focused back on the prince.

"You have a beautiful complexion." Sehun said in a gentle voice, reaching up to caress Baekhyun's face. "It is unsuited to be with Prince Jongin, for you are much too gorgeous."

Flustered, Baekhyun glanced to Jongin, trying to catch his eye, but he was too busy with Chanyeol. He gave the prince a lopsided smile, but kept looking over. C'mon, Jongin. Look over. Help me. It's not that he didn't like the prince, but that he was much too awkward to be with him. All of a sudden, Baekhyun's dress was caught under his foot, and he tripped. He grabbed onto the prince's body without thinking twice, and buried his face into the broad chest. A pair of arms wrapped around his waist as they helped him up.

"Don't worry, love, I'll keep you safe." chuckled Sehun, hugging back. Baekhyun's "mhm" was muffled in cloth.

After another song or so, Baekhyun was feeling more comfortable with Sehun, and even smiled at the prince's cheesy jokes. It wasn't as bad as he had made it out to be. Well, only that he tripped a few more times, but Sehun was always there to keep him upright.

In the middle of probably the fifth song, Baekhyun felt a gentle hand grab his shoulder, and then it yanked him back forcefully. Sehun gasped at the sudden movement, and stood tall when he saw who it was.

"Your sister, miss Drizella." said Sehun stiffly.

Baekhyun turned around, and sure enough, Chanyeol was standing there with a furious look. He didn't say anything, and pushed Baekhyun toward one of the many exits. As they walked out, they could hear Sehun yelling at them.

Chanyeol slammed the door shut, and let out a breath. The two stood in momentary silence. In this time, Baekhyun's annoyance grew, and he smacked his friend's arm.

"What the hell, Chanyeol?" he shrilled.

"Ow, Baek! What do you mean 'what the hell?'"

"That was uncalled for. Everything was going fine, and then bam! You pulled me away." Baekhyun threw his hands up in exasperation.

"He was... He was, like..."

"What was he like, Chanyeol? We're supposed to follow the story!"

"First of all," said Chanyeol in a firm voice. "He was getting too close to you -- no. Don't say anything and let me finish. Second, that was not how the story went. The prince is supposed to be bored when Cinderella comes in, but he instead approached you. That's not how it goes."

Baekhyun frowned, and looked through the glass door into the ballroom. "Let's check." From afar, he saw Sehun sitting atop his throne watching the ball with disgust. "Everything is fine, Chanyeol. My god, and I thought I overreact." sighed Baekhyun, turning back to his friend.

Then there came a tapping on the glass. Looking around, they saw Mother glaring down at them. She was not happy. Furious, she pointed to the prince, and opened the door.

"What do you think you're doing, girls?" she fumed. "Get back in here right now. One of you has to win over the prince, or you'll be working with Cinderella in the stables."

They hung their heads, and obediently walked back in.

However, when they catch a glimpse of Prince Sehun again, he was already dancing with a girl in a beautiful gown. As the pair spun around, and they could see her face full on, it was obvious that it was Jongdae. When Jongdae spotted the two, he winked and continued to dance.

"See, you freaked out for no reason." muttered Baekhyun.

"He was touching you."

"He thought I was a girl."

"But still."

"We were dancing! What else did you think we were doing? It's not like he was coming on to me ually or anything."

"He was going to, I could tell!"

"No he wasn't, and what is it to you anyway?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Baekhyun said, voice small all of a sudden.

"Nothing."

They didn't talk to each other for the rest of the night. Baekhyun busied himself with the catering, and Chanyeol made small talk with Prince Jongin and Kyungsoo.

While eating his third sandwich, Baekhyun sat on the large steps in the front watching the minute hand move ever so slowly toward midnight. Above him, the stars twinkled against the navy blue sky, and he wondered if the old woman was just pleasuring in his last few moments.

He stared in wonder as the minute hand finally moved to midnight, and he shoved another sandwich in as the bell chimed. At that moment, everything seemed to happen too fast. First he heard the bell ring, and then he heard a flurry of footsteps down the stairs toward him, and Chanyeol calling out his name. While all of this was going on, the clock face became blood red, and dark liquid began oozing out of the middle and running down the face.

Then it was all black.

Is this the end?

He could hear Chanyeol's voice becoming more distant.

"You two have done well." a disembodied voice said softly. "Another dawn, another day."

"You may proceed."

---

Word count: 5487

A/N: I don't know where this is going.