Immediately she yanked her wrist from the grasp of the stranger. She sent a sharp glass heal into the foot of her attacker. He released letting out a gasp of pain.

He too wore silver, a much darker silver that lit up his blue eyes, which his behind a green mask. His suit had the metallic color as well as emerald accents.

"Ow, Ella! That hurt." He groaned.

That voice... It was so strikingly familiar. Ella leaned closer to him.

"Chase?"

"Yes, it's me." He stated. "Remind me never to upset you. You've got one hell of a stomp."

"How did you realize it was me?" She wondered.

"I heard you mumbling to yourself and recognized your voice, obviously." Chase lifted his own mask to reveal his charming and beaming face.

Ella smiled. Finally someone pleasant. She lifted her own mask.

"You look... Wow." He gasped. "But I thought you weren't coming."

Ella shifted her skirt. "I wasn't planning on it. It's a long story."

Chase leaned in close to her. "I've got time."

Ella raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be off mingling or something? It is a party. What are you doing behind here anyway?"

Chase blushed. "Oh I'm hiding from Viola. I fear she is trying to find me a wife or something."

Ella grinned, but the smile slowly slid from her face. "My sister is- was- the same way."

Chase held out his arm. "Well shall we go somewhere more private?"

Ella hesitated. She had a sister to cure... But then again perhaps she could use an ally. She took his arm.

"Lead the way." She commanded.

He gestured behind them. The fountain hid a little tunnel that led into a hedge maze. The disappeared without a soul noticing.

"So why are you at this party if you are so desperate to leave?" Ella wondered.

Chase shrugged. "Not much of a choice. My family forced it upon me."

"I know plenty about 'family' forcing things upon oneself. Terribly sorry about yesterday." Ella mumbled.

"Yes your stepmother, Marabeth, seemed like a..."

"Tired, old shrew?" Ella suggested.

Chase laughed. "I was going to say a handful."

Ella straightened up. "Well I suppose that is much more polite."

"So why are you here, if you hadn't intended in coming?" Chase wondered, laughter still stuck to his voice.

Ella stopped, turning to look Chase dead in the eyes. "Do you believe in fairies?"

Chase paled. "Why I- Yes indeed I do. Why?"

Ella told him the entire story as they continued to stroll through the hedges. From the fairies being a common nuisance to Zera's frequent forest visits to the curse to Ella running away to Paisley. She divulged everything to him, unafraid to trust him.

"And now I have to figure out a way to wake her up." Ella stated. "Only I have no clue where to start. I probably sound insane-"

Chase took her hands in his. "I believe you. I truly do. My family... Well to put it lightly we've had our own issues with fairies. A bit of a history really."

Relief washed over her. He did believe her! Perhaps she wasn't insane like her "family" believed.

"You don't know how good it is to hear that. I suppose... I need to figure out a plan. All I know is that this festival was a major detour that I didn't intend to take." Ella shifted her skirt, angrily.

"I uh... I hope I'm not being too forward but... would you like a traveling companion? Or two?" Chase wondered.

Ella stopped. "I mean I'm certainly not opposed to such an idea but I'm unsure if you should really want to join me."

"I do. My sister and I... We'd like some closure with the fairies and it sounds to me like the only way to save your sister, besides true love, is to track down this Niamh. That or find some other magic user, which is unlikely on this side of the kingdom. What do you say?" Chase suggested.

"I say... It's a good idea. Frankly the only idea we have right now." Ella grinned.

They reached the center of the maze where a glass fountain laid.

Chase took out his pocket watch. "Only ten thirty. Perhaps we can celebrate having a plan with a dance?"

Ella took his out stretched hand. "One dance couldn't hurt."

One dance turned into two which became ten and before they knew it it was nearly midnight. They'd spent the evening talking and waltzing and just getting to know each other.

Something in Chase's blue eyes made time stand still. As if magic, one she'd never been subjected to prior. Her sister weighed on her mind, but her heart spoke for her in the moment. The future stopped existing.

"Chase?" A voice called. Bubbly and smooth like a fine cider, her voice wasn't alien to Ella. She'd heard it before, but placing exactly where was the difficulty. "Listen, buddy, Dad is going to go crazy if you're not standing next to him in ten minutes."

They broke apart. Chase took a pocket watch from his pocket, his face whitening as he realized the time. Ten minutes until midnight. Ella paled as she glanced at the clock too.

Midnight her dress would disappear. Midnight she'd stick out like a sore thumb. Midnight the sheriff would find her, if she wasn't smart.

"Chase, we have to go. If you're with me, you're with me. Do you understand?" Ella gazed into his sapphire eyes.

He nodded. "Ella, I'm with you."

"Good. We need to run."

She grabbed him by the hand.

A girl in violet blocked their path.