All Violet could feel was pain. Her head throbbed, but there was someone trying to dress her wounds, though they were failing miserably.

     "Are you awake?" A voice whispered. It certainly wasn't anyone from the Troupe: It sounded like a teenage girl. Violet nodded slightly. She was blindfolded, had tape over her mouth, and was bound to a chair. She seemed to be in a very short dress, and she did not feel comfortable in it at all. She was very cold also.

     "Okay, I'm going to take off the tape and blindfold," The girl said, and then following through with what she said.

     "Who are-" Violet started, only to be stopped by the girl.

     "Do. Not. Say. A. Word. I do not want to be caught by my sisters or anyone else."

     The voice belonged to a girl of about fifteen, as Violet had thought. She had bright red hair and piercing blue eyes.

     "Hello. I'm Grace Duperow."

     "Duperow?" Violet asked worriedly, "What are you going to do to me?"

     "Nothing!" The girl said, sounding shocked, "But what they," (She pointed to the ceiling) "Would do to you would be far worse than what my dear older sister did to you yesterday."

     "How long have I been out for?"

     "Approximately twelve hours."

     "Why are you here?"

     "I'm Regan and Colette's younger sister. They're my legal guardians- not that I like them- so I had to move here after my parents died."

     "In a fire?" Violet asked gently.

     "No. Nobody knows. The police think it was suicide, a theory heavily influenced by Miss Squalor. Her highness just insisted. But I'd bet my life that it was Regan- she hated them, and she's certainly evil enough. So I had to move back to my old school here- where one of my closest friends had moved away."

     "Who?"

     "I thought you may not recognize my name," Grace said, half laughing, "What did Klaus say to you when he got back from his first day of school?"

     " 'Violet!' " Violet said, smiling slightly, "'I met someone else who's heard of Edgar Allen Poe! Her name is Grace, and she let me borrow a special edition of his works!' "

     "That was me," Grace said, "When your parents died, I had already moved out of the city with my parents. Well, you know Esme's plan?" She asked out of the blue.

     "No!" Violet said, stunned.

     "They think you're eighteen. Does that help?"

     "A-are they going to try and marry me again?"

     "Yep! I'm the only one who knows that you're only seventeen!"

     "Who am I supposed to be married to? Hugo? Fernald? Ernest?" Violet shuddered at the thought.

     "No, of course not, silly! You're being married off to Esme's cousin's nephew, Cormac! And he's hawt! In fact, he's supposed to come and meet you in-" Grace froze, looking at her watch, "Shoot! Two minutes! I gotta get out of here!" And with that, she blindfolded Violet and put the tape back on her mouth. Just before she left, she whispered,

      "Go with what they think you are and I'm sure you'll find a way out of this!"

     Just a minute later, Colette was stomping downstairs and untying her. The blindfold and tape were removed and her hair was being combed out.

    "Come on, orphan and bride to be!" Colette snarled as she finished violently combing Violet's hair.

     "Oh, am I being a bride in a play again? I loved that last time, except for the whole 'actually marry me and steal my fortune' thing! Who's going to be the groom this time?" Violet said, faking her excitement.

     "Cormac, Esme's nephew or something. Oh, and you will be actually proposed to onstage and will have a lot more lines than last time, and you will know every single one by heart, or else!"

     Violet saw the man who she would be married to if she didn't think of a way out of this, and she had to admit that Grace was sort of right. He was only about twenty, and was decent.

     "But he's nothing compared to Quigley," she muttered to herself.

     "Who is this... Quickly?" Cormac said, standing next to her. "No matter! As poems say, 'Cormac and his bride were meant to be!' And that is so true!" He began racing his fingertips up and down her back, sending shivers down her spine.

     "Come on, we have to practice your parts!" Colette said, leading the two to a large room. On one side was a table for two and what seemed to be a wedding scene on the other.

     "Hold on, the director is coming," Colette said. Violet opened her mouth to ask a question, but it was answered.

     She had on a business suit with, apron over top, and a director's hat and sunglasses.

     Carmelita Spats had entered the room.

     "Carmelita!" Cormac said, pointing to the suit, "Is that mine?"

     "Yes, but," Carmelita said, batting her eyelashes, "Esme said I can borrow it!"

     "Fine, but if it's ruined-" Cormac said, letting the threat hanging in the air.

     "Yes, yes, Mr. All Cakesniffer bark and no bite! Now, let's get this show on the road!" She shoved scripts into Cormac and Violet's hands. They both took opposite seats at the table.

     Time seemed to slow to a stop as Carmelita made them practice the same scene over and over again. Finally they moved on the the wedding scene, which took even longer. 

     Little did Violet know that her family and friends' progress in a rescue plan had slowed to a stop.

***

     There was a silence in the air for several seconds. Klaus gulped and said,

     "Well, I think we have this part simplified- and I've discovered a flaw in the plan."

     But Duncan and Quigley were looking directly at Klaus. Fiona, noticing this, got up and left. Sunny followed her out, carrying Beatrice. The second the door closed, Duncan and Quigley rounded on Klaus.

     "We want-" Quigley said.

     "To know-" Duncan interrupted.

     "If you're going to-"

     "Keep toying with our sister's emotions."

     "Fiona or Isadora?"

     "You have to choose."

     "If it's Isadora, you better not harm her-"

     "But if it's Fiona, let Isadora down gently."

     "Or else," They finished together.

     "I've been thinking about it, yeesh!" Klaus said, "You'll see soon enough, okay?"

***

     Klaus quietly resumed his work, trying to figure out the rest of the words, but he heard the two Quagmire's shoes clunk along as they headed towards the door.

     "Should we go see Isadora?" Duncan asked.

     "No," Quigley answered, "Give her some space. Wanna go... I don't know, talk to the islanders or something?" He sounded like he had a head cold, and his voice also sounded braced, as if he was very close to breaking down, but trying so hard to prevent it.

     "Why not?" Duncan asked, and the two left, leaving Klaus all alone.

--

     After Sunny left the room, she took Beatrice and laid her down for her afternoon nap. The moment the infant was asleep, she got up and went to the Quagmires room.

     Sunny could hear barely audible crying from just outside the door. She hesitantly knocked.

     "Duncan, Quigley, leave me alone!" Isadora's voice was muffled, but by what Sunny couldn't tell.

     "It's not-" Sunny said.

     "Then go away, Klaus!" Isadora said, sounding a little angrier.

     "It's not Klaus, either," Sunny said.

     "Then who-" Isadora said, as Sunny opened the door. Isadora looked terrible from what Sunny could see when she was laying down. But when she sat up, she looked ten times worse.

     Her hair was a rats nest, her face was completely red from crying, and her eyes were watering horribly. Her lips were firmly closed, as if she was determined to not cry. The look Isadora's face held was all Sunny needed to tell that she was completely heartbroken and felt betrayed. One look into Sunny's eyes, and her bottom lip quivered slightly. Sunny shut the door behind her, and then rushed over to hug Isadora.

     "Why, Sunny? Why?" Isadora asked, staring off into space, "I think of myself as transparent, at least feeling-wise, around him. I thought he knew. Though, I suppose I know better now. And to believe that I used to trust that- what did Fernald call her? A Triangle-Eyed traitor? That's about right. I-"

     "Isadora?" Sunny softly interrupted.

     "What?"

     "What happened when we left you and Fi-"

     "Do not say her name!"

     "-her at the front of the island?"

     "It was all such a blur. All I remember is her telling me what had happened between her and Klaus. Then we were whisper-yelling at each other about who loved him more, and Fiona then began- y-yelling-" Isadora dissolved into tears for a few minutes, before trying to recompose herself. She gave a weak smile, and then asked,

     "Can you go get Duncan and Quigley? I- I think I'm ready t- to talk to them," Isadora said, wiping her eyes.

     Sunny got up and quickly got Duncan and Quigley. The two hesitantly entered, as if they were sure, but then not sure, that a bomb was rigged. Isadora ran over to them, nearly tackling Duncan to the ground. He regained his balance, but not in time. Isadora poked him in his chest, and he fell over.

     "Who's attacking the floor now?" Isadora teased, before her eyes welled up with tears again. She threw herself at Quigley, beginning to cry into his shoulder. His eyes said he was very uncomfortable, but he stiffly patted his sister on the back.

     The door flew open. To Sunny's horror, she saw Fiona come in, laughing, pulling Klaus by the hand.

     "Oh," Fiona said, drawing up short at the sight of the Quagmires and Sunny. Klaus turned red, but seemed to be glued to the floor.

     "Oops, wrong room!" said Fiona, and she backed out of the room, giggling. The door swung shut behind her.

     There was a horribly awkward silence. Duncan and Quigley were glaring daggers at Klaus.

     Isadora was staring at Klaus, who refused to look at her, and instead turned to Sunny, and he said awkwardly,

     "Hello Sunny! I was wondering where you were!"

     Isadora let go of Quigley, who looked sort of relieved. She walked across the room, opened the door, and gestured to Klaus.

     "You shouldn't leave Fiona all alone," Isadora said acidly, "She'll wonder what happened to you."

     Klaus slowly walked to the door, glancing at Duncan and Quigley, who still glared at him. Duncan and Quigley glanced at each other, glad nothing worse had happened. Sunny turned the other way, until-

     "Ow!" she heard her brother's voice. She turned around to see a cut on her brothers arm. And a pair of scissors on the floor.

     "Isadora!" Quigley yelled as Klaus practically ran to ensure no more harm came to him. But hearing her brother yell her name was all the provoking Isadora needed to run out the bedroom door, and from what Sunny could tell from the noise, into the backyard garden.