Across from Queen Pirouette’s bed was a long, full-length mirror. Behind the mirror was the entrance to a secret passageway that led directly to a secret location. Only a few people were aware of the existence of this security measure: the captain of the palace guards, the Prime Minister, and Lady Abigail. To access the passageway, one had to press an enamel button the was hidden in the inlay around the frame of the mirror.
One night, shortly after her convalescence, a strange occurrence disturbed her. One of the duties of her ladies was to sleep on a pallet at the foot of her bed. They took turns doing this. The name for this office came from Greek: parakoimomenos, or one who sleeps nearby. At any rate, this particular evening, Pirouette was roused from her slumber by a scratching sound from behind the mirror. Her lady in waiting was snoring peacefully, as if she hadn’t heard a thing. Pirouette, pulling a blanket around herself, got off of the bed, retrieved a lit candle that was always burning and went to the mirror. When she pressed the button, the door to the passageway opened just a crack, but there was no one and nothing on the other side. She scurried back to the safety of her bed and pulled the blanket over her head.
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