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Her eyes adjusted to the scene before her, where she had not been but a moment before.
Looking in all directions she couldn’t believe it was actually true. She pinched herself, hard, making sure this wasn’t a dream, because if this were a dream it would be the cruelest one of all. Everything was so vivid, so real, real as the pain that bloomed at the site of her vicious attempt at waking herself. She gently rubbed at the spot with a hiss, trying to soothe the sting.
She stood in the shadow of the entrance, one more step and she would be with them. Was she ready to take that last step? She was happy where she stood, she could stay in the shadows forever, watching them as they danced was a treasure all of its own, but with one last step she would join them in the light and could enter the dance with them.
All these years, all this time. All the daydreams, songs and stories. The music, the magic, her unbreakable belief, it had all finally led to this one moment.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she took that last step, a warm feeling and comforting weight enveloping her entirely, a feeling of peace and light.
In the light things were even more vivid, the music and laughter clearer and louder. All the sights, scents and sounds, this was real, she was finally there. But how? Why now? What changed?
A clearing throat to her left startled her from thought.
“May I take the lady’s cloak?” Said the fair haired man she’d failed to notice, as she was too busy taking in the splendour of the room.
Cloak? But she wasn’t wearing her cloak, she was wearing… looking down she saw she was in fact wearing her beautiful green cloak. How did that get there?
“Ummm, yes, yes you may.” Reaching up she unfastened the closure at the neck, while the man gently lifted it from her shoulders.
“If you would be so kind as to wait here, I will inform his Majesty of your arrival.” Said the man, with a slight bow.
“His Majesty? Ok, yes I… I’ll be right here.”
As the man quickly made his way down the stairs and through the swirling crowd of revellers, she took notice of the gown that had been hidden by her cloak, while the cloak was a familiar old friend, the gown was something of dreams. One she had imagined time and time again, the colour of midnight, bursting with a million stars on the bodice and attached cape that flowed to the floor behind her. Twin waxing and waning crescent moons mirrored each other at the base of the v-neck, glittering in the light of the candles that surrounded the room.
She saw the man weave his way through the crowd, to an area not far from where she stood at the top of the stairs. A pearl and crystal ladened chandelier blocked her view of the face of the wild haired man he spoke to, but it could only be him, the Goblin King.
With a nod the king turned and made his way towards her, looking up at the woman before him, she whose unwavering belief had sparked his attention for so many years. He held out his hand as he spoke to her.
“May I have this dance?” He asked.
“ Of course your Majesty, I would be honoured.”
“But it is I who is honoured to finally meet you, one of my most faithful scribes. You have brought so much belief back to the Underground and my kingdom has flourished because of it. You have my thanks and gratitude for all that you have done.”
As they neared the dance floor the familiar first notes played, ones she had heard time and time again, her brow furrowed in confusion.
“You’re kidding me right, this is a joke?”
“I assure you it is not, this is the national song of my kingdom. A song which is the first dance of all our most honoured guests, and you my dear as one of my most faithful scribes are to be honoured.”
“But this song?” She questioned in disbelief.
“Honestly my dear, what did you expect?” He chuckled lightly as he spoke.
The revellers had begun the dance and all eyes were on their King and his guest of honour, waiting for them to join in as they clapped and danced the oh so familiar steps.
“Perhaps something a bit more orchestral, refined, magical? A bit more… not this.”
“It certainly was not my first choice, but in a kingdom such as mine you sometimes have to expect the unexpected.” With a wink he took her arm and led her into the dance in the centre of the crowd.
The notes filled her ears and with a laugh she let go, she knew just what to do, because after all it really was fitting.
She clapped and flapped and shimmied with all her might. Laughing and twirling as the sounds of polka filled the room.
The ballroom was filling to the brim, as more and more creatures joined the dance and cheered on their most honoured scribe. Goblins, pixies, brownies and dwarves seemed to pop out of nowhere as fairy’s filled the air, the candlelight dancing on their gossamer wings as they too joined in the clapping and flapping.
Never in all her years had the thought of doing the Chicken Dance ever been thought of as a possible magical moment in her life, but now it would forever be a memory to be treasured.
The king smiled seeing the joy radiating from the woman before him. He leaned in close to her ear and spoke.
“Welcome home, we’ve been waiting for you.”