The castle was a lot more imposing up close. From far off, it'd seemed magical when the white turrets had caught the sun. But now, up close, the turrets looked a lot more like spikes. It was still beautiful and everything Virgil had imagined, just in a crueller, less dreamy way.

"What are you doing?!" Someone hissed beside him. Virgil jumped and whipped around. Janus was standing behind him, on the ground for once, his scales glinting in the light.

"I'm, um, I'm just psyching myself up? To go in?" Virgil tried. Janus looked at him dead-pan and hit him on the head with his wand.

"Go in." They said. "I did not waste my magic on you for nothing." And without another word, they disappeared.

Virgil blinked and looked at the castle again. Yeah, no way he was going in there.

"Maybe I'll just go for a walk in the gardens." He muttered to himself, already heading off in that direction.

Roman looked around the ballroom. So many clashing colours. So much light, so much sound. It was getting too much. Trailing his hand along the wall, he tried to find an open door.

"I just need a breath of air." He told himself. "A breath of air and I'll be good. I'll be back. And who knows, maybe I could find a partner." That is, of course, if he could remember how to dance. The only good thing about having forced dance lessons was that Remus never wanted to lead, so Roman at least knew the male part. Roughly.

The good thing about this stupid ball was that all the windows and doors had been opened and Roman found a door that lead out into the garden. A small smile crossed his face as he stepped out into the night air.

Roman had never mourned the fact he couldn't see. But some things, he felt his imagination just couldn't do justice. Like the night sky. He knew it was black and blue with white stars and a moon. He knew the cycles of the moon. He knew the names of the stars and their distance from Earth. He knew all these things. Still, he didn't know what it looked like. And that was the only thing he mourned.

"When you wish upon a star," Roman sang under his breath, "makes no different who you are. Everything your heart desires will come to you. If you heart is in your dreams, no request is too extreme. When you wish upon a star as dreamers do."

Roman hummed the rest of the tune, losing the words as he walked through the dimly lit garden. The night did something to the air. Spiced it with freshness and excitement. Though maybe that was just the ball.

"I don't get it." Roman thought. "This is meant to be the first best night of my life. And here I am in the garden, with no chance of seeing anyone."

"Fate is kind, she brings to those who love," Roman sang quietly, "the sweet fulfilment of their secret longing."

"Glad I'm not the only one who knows that song."

... First night of three. We'll get the whole Cinderella-enters-really-pretty scene, I'm sure.
Bye,
Blaize