Beatrice DuPont was traipsing around a strange city in a strange outfit with a strange man in the middle of a strange night. “I hope I wake up soon, these shoes are killing me,” she complained.

“You’re not dreaming.”

“Says the figment of my imagination... Wait.” She stopped walking abruptly. Taking out the chalk she had stolen from the wizard’s office, she bent down and began drawing on the ground.

“What are you doing?”

“Voila!” She was now holding a pair of black flats with a metallic sparkle like the stone they had been sketched from. She promptly replaced her towering heels with them. “Much better!” She handed Mad Hat her discarded footwear and he stored it in his ‘new’ cap.

They walked farther on and a wrought-iron gate came into view. Mad Hat took out the key he had been entrusted with and the gate swung open revealing a beautiful, lush garden that lay beyond.

He stepped forward. “You staying, Bunny? I don’t know how much time we have.”

Beatrice had remained on the street with a frown. “Why are you helping me?”

He considered the question. “I find you fascinating. I’ve heard stories about your world, but I’ve never met anybody from it.”

“That’s not really an answer. If you find me so fascinating it would make more sense that you would try to keep me here.”

“Not if keeping you here meant handing you over to the Prince.”

“But you’re his go-to guy. Why are you so ready to defy him all of a sudden? He doesn’t exactly seem the type you’d like to cross.”

“True. If he found out I was helping you that would mean my head.”

“So why, then?” she pressed.

He shrugged. “Just buttering my watch I guess. I’ve gotten a bit bored with things around here. You on the other hand, seem like you’re an adventure.”

“And how do I know I’m not walking into a trap.”

“You don’t, and quite frankly I don’t either, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take. And I promise you, I’m on his side a lot less than you think.”

She regarded him warily, but stepped into the garden. Over-sized flowers as high as her chest danced lazily in a soft breeze. She stared around in wonder. “Amazing,” she breathed.

“The Royal Gardens. Only a few have ever laid eyes on it in ages. Consider yourself very lucky.”

The two crept towards the door into the castle. Cracking it open ever so slowly, Mad Hat peered into an empty hall and they both slipped quietly inside.

“Kelebeck must be in the dungeons.” Mad Hat led the way down a set of stairs and down another hall. “All the extra guards must be out looking for you.”

“What does the Prince want me for anyway? I’m nobody special. Can’t he just find someone more willing to go out with him? One of your tarts he’s so fond of?”

“Once Prince Jacques sets his eyes on something he’ll spare no expense to obtain it.”

“Oh, well that’s comforting.”

“I don’t see how that could be.” Mad Hat held up a hand that signaled both ‘be quiet’ and ‘stand still’. He sent one eye around the corner then promptly stepped back again. “There’re two soldiers guarding the cells.”

Beatrice looked down at her outfit and smirked. “I think I can manage to distract them.”

“What?”

“Stay here,” she ordered and stepped boldly out from hiding.

“Yoo hoo! Anyone here?” she called. The soldiers immediately snapped to attention. “Oh, hullo! I’m terribly lost - do you think you fine gentlemen can help me?” Her voice was at a slightly higher pitch than normal and she was poorly mimicking her tour guide’s accent.

“How can we be of service, Miss?”

“I’m supposed to be in the Grand Hall, or something, I think… no matter. You two look more fun anyhow. Would you boys like to play a game?”

The two men looked at each other.

“There are prizes,” she enticed in a sing-song voice.

“What sort of game, Miss?”

“A riddle game!”

They both shrugged an “okay”.

“Great! What do a raven and a writing desk have in common?”

“They’re both brown!” the men chimed in unison.

“Ah... uh, close enough - here, take your reward.” Beatrice pulled out what looked like little candy mushrooms from a pocket and awarded them to the winners. “Well, go on, eat up!”

No sooner had the sweets been chewed and swallowed then the two were in a heavy slumber on the stone floor. Her accomplice stood over the snoring bodies.

“What did you do to them?” he asked, nudging them with his foot.

Beatrice held up a little package labeled “SLEEP”.

“Where did you get those?”

“The wizard.”

“I told you not to mess with any of his stuff.”

She shrugged innocently. “They worked, didn’t they? I have some “AWAKE” too, just in case.”

Mad Hat frowned disapprovingly and moved on to look through the cells. “Kel? Are you in here?”

“Who’s that?” came a gruff reply and the rescuers walked into sight of a little old man. “Little Madoc! What are you doing here?”

“I think I should be asking you the same thing.”

“Hmph… not my idea!” He regarded Beatrice. “Who are you?”

“Someone who needs your help Kel,” Mad Hat answered for her.

“Last time someone said they needed my help I ended up in here,” the man retorted.

“Exactly what were you helping the Prince with, anyway?”

“Bah! Some plan to rule the worlds… are you going to get me out of here or not?”

“Rule the worlds? Plural?” Beatrice tried to clarify.

“Yes. Now get on with it!”

Mad Hat found the answer to the lock on the belt of one of the slumbering soldiers.

“Finally!” the little man stepped quickly out of his prison. Standing next to Beatrice now, she supposed he couldn’t be much more than three feet high.

“I guess that stuff really does stunt your growth,” she mused to herself.

“Wait!” Mad Hat called after the little man who was walking away briskly. The three exited back into the garden and the wizard was soon lost among the tall flora.

“Kel!” the club owner called out in a hushed tone.

“How’s the business going?” a voice called back.

“Fine, but can we focus on the more important stuff at hand?”

“More important?”

“Like how we’re all wanted by the Prince right now and we should probably come up with a plan to not get sent to the guillotine?” Mad Hat elaborated.

“You’re not wanted by the Prince,” Beatrice pointed out as she and company stepped back on to the cobblestone.

“I am now. Aiding and abetting is a crime too.”

“Oh, you’re not a bedding anything…”

He tipped his hat with a smirk. “Excuse my diction.”

“They don’t know you’re involved.”

“Not yet.”

“You two should keep up!” The shop owner called from where he had skipped ahead quite a distance.