Racing down the steps, the cold night air hit Georgiana like a slap, robbing her of the adrenaline that had led her to that moment. She slowed, composing herself as she continued down the stairs and out into the gardens. Uncertainty and doubt began to creep into her mind like vines, insinuating themselves into unguarded corners where her fears slept. What had seemed like such a romantic and freeing notion in the suspended reality of the masquerade now seemed harsh, even absurd.

She had long outgrown the fairy stories of her youth as she realized there would be no escape from reality. Yet here she was, chasing a phantom under a starlit sky. Sighing heavily, she reached up and pulled the ribbon to release her mask. There was no place for it out here.

The gardens loomed before her and she headed towards them, longing to feel the familiar solace of solitude, knowing there were fates far worse than being alone.

A sudden movement caught her eye from across the garden. The flash of moonlight off a lion mask.