The entire audience straightened when the spotlight went out of The Black Rabbit. The Fortune Teller act wasn't that common a performance, but it left its mark, though only really after the fact.

Because everything she predicted always came true. No one ever got to request their fortune, but she still pinpointed what concerned people most. Or what they really needed to be made aware of – usually good, not always. It was why people were aware of the act even if they'd never seen it, the truth of the fortunes coming true later meant word was always being spread.

Marie-Fey had seen the fortune teller once, during the first show she'd seen. During that night, the fortune teller had predicted that Marie-Fey would need to lock her bedroom door the following week. She had been right, of course, because someone had broken into the house and reached her bedroom, attempting to get in when the staff had caught him – following the prediction to her father that he would need to keep his guards ready that night as 'something unwelcome would venture out of the shadows.'

Come to think of it, that same show, the fortune teller had predicted that Rosalia needed to become accustomed to amphibians, that it would do her good in the future – now if that wasn't a suggestion of true power, Marie-Fey didn't know what was.

She had also predicted the beginnings of their mother's illness that night, stressing that it was of the utmost importance that she saw her doctor on the first day of the following month. It hadn't helped in the end – there was nothing anyone could do, but it meant that she'd had warning.

"Dear?" Zaydan asked, his voice low.

Marie-Fey shook her head and looked towards the ring again as the spotlight flickered on and the fortune teller was revealed, exactly like Marie-Fey remembered. Sat at a table draped in purple velvet, a set of cards laid out before her. She was dressed in more purple, the gown made of flowing silk, with a headdress that shielded her face, casting it in shadow.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," she greeted, her voice soft yet carrying. "I hope you have had the most enjoyable night. Tell me, who would care to have their fortune told first?"

A man's hand shot into the air in the seats behind her and she picked up a card without hesitation. "Mr. Rigger. You have a business deal coming up. One, in particular, that gives you pause. I would suggest you go with the option that everyone warns you against."

The man put his hand down, looking relieved.

A young woman put her hand up, the motion hesitant and another card was drawn.

"Mrs Wocombe, you shouldn't underestimate your talents. You are going to face adversity every step of the way, but the academic world will not benefit without you. I suggest you strive on."

The woman put her hand down, hand to her heart, looking almost sick with worry despite the words and the man beside her put his hand up.

"Mr. Wocombe, you will live more than long enough to be her most valuable supporter."

He put his hand down and wrapped his arm around his wife, hugging her tight against him as a ripple of curiosity moved through the crowd before it was swept into the next question. On and on the answered went, talks of romances, business, life choices, health, concerns, so on and so forth.

Almost no one was given a truly straightforward statement – though Lord Winsley was warned point-blank that the woman his family was considering marriage for him would ruin the family wealth and he was advised, post-haste, to secure a marriage with Lady Michaels.

Which caused huge stir as Lady Michaels was sat a mere ten seats away.

Gharam's hand shot into the air when the questions started to work their way around to their side of the audience, her eyes bright with curiosity.

"There will come a time, in the near future, when the two you care for the most shall be in grave peril, watch for Aya and be ready to send help," the fortune teller replied and Marie-Fey looked at Gharam, confused.

Gharam seemed equally confused, looking at Maanah like she might have the answer, but she just shrugged. She looked at Marie-Fey. "Your Aya?"

"I suppose?" Marie-Fey said and Gharam just looked more baffled and uncomfortable.

Someone else lifted their hand and the questions moved on. Rosalia was warned that the upcoming birth was going to be difficult and she would do better to deliver at Rose Castle – drawing gasps at the mention of a pregnancy in public. Antoinette was told that she would be needed to help someone through the halls of The Royal Society – which Antoinette took to refer to her son. Valentine was informed that he was going to deal with a very difficult business deal in the near future, but his gut instinct would always be correct. Constantine was told that it would take close to ten years before everything would fall into place – whatever that meant.

Braydon was warned that during the birth of his next child, it would be very distressing for his twins and his presence would do better for their future states of mind than their nannies. Again, there was a lot of low grumbling from both men and women around the audience – as if it wasn't really the place of men in his rank to be too closely involved in the handling of their children – but then they were regarding the man who currently had both his sleeping sons in his arms after they'd passed out at the start of the fortune telling session.

After that, Luka – who had not raised his hand – was told that, when the day came that Beldon got between himself and a gun, he was not to attempt to reverse the positions. That sent gasps of horror through the audience. For them, the idea that someone would try and shoot at Luka was shocking, but the knowledge that Beldon could be hurt was too much to bare – as if they'd all conveniently forgotten that he was a member of the army and had already been shot twice and was in no hurry to repeat the experience.

The fortune naturally distressed Luka and Beldon for other reasons and they weren't able to do much about it while in public so had to simply sit and act as if the idea didn't much faze them.

Until they were distracted by Beldon fortune, which was, "The door will be unlocked, you need only knock."

Which left Beldon as baffled as Constantine and looking at Luka with the same confused gaze Gharam had given Maanah, as if he could explain away the riddle.

"Lord Zaydan," the fortune teller announced and he visibly grimaced. She wasn't looking at him, and he was cast in shadow, and yet she still seemed to know. "You do not wish to have your fortune told?"

"Not really," he muttered, "But if you must."

The fortune teller considered his card for a moment, then set it facedown. "Then you may remain dead to the world," she said simply and Marie-Fey, and everyone else in the audience, looked at Zaydan.

Zaydan did not look remotely surprised by that statement, merely releasing a small sigh and not meeting anyone's eye.

"Wait," Marie-Fey, cutting the fortune teller off as she started to speak. "What were you going to tell him? What did that mean? What is my husband's fortune?"

The fortune teller turned her head to look in Marie-Fey's direction, though the fabric of her silk headdress hung too low over her face to show anything – Marie-Fey still felt the woman regarding her however as she picked up another card.

She looked at it, then tilted at her. "Ah," she mused, then looked up. "If I might request the ringmaster's assistance for this fortune?"

Everyone looked up and suddenly The Black Rabbit fell out of the darkness above, hand on the brim of his hat to hold it as he landed beside her.

With a neat bow, he took the card she held out to him and examined it.

"Ah indeed," he said, his voice low with a smile, before he held up his fist and then unfurled the gloved fingers. He appeared to be holding stars in his palm.

With a flick of the wrist, their shot upward into the darkness, falling into place and hovering, glittering out a constellation Marie-Fey didn't recognise. Or no... did she?

She frowned as The Black Rabbit blended back into the shadows and vanished while the fortune teller pointed to the darkness.

"When the time comes, and betrayal leaves blood on your hands, the stars will guide you home."

Everyone, including Marie-Fey, gaped at the fortune teller.

"Excuse me?" she said, stunned but the fortune teller moved on, turning her sights on Maanah, who looked at reluctant as Zaydan.

"You are hiding a secret," she pronounced, "One you would kill to protect, and one day soon it shall be discovered by the person you are attempting to deceive most – and there is nothing you can do to stop it. How far are you willing to go to protect your secrets?"

Marie-Fey looked over to Maanah just as Maanah looked at her – and the horror in her eyes was startling before the expression vanished behind her usual calm.

"What secret?" Marie-Fey said, her voice low.

"Nothing," Maanah whispered, her voice almost failing her, and Marie-Fey spied a trembling in her hands despite the calm of her expression, "I'm haven't got any secrets."

"You're lying to me."

"I'm not."

Zaydan looked at Maanah, his eyes narrowed, then he squeezed Marie-Fey's arm and, with a final dark look, Marie-Fey turned away as Zaafira held up her hand.

"You have the chance to gain that which you desire, you need only pick your side," the fortune teller said, setting Zaafira's card aside.

Zaafira sat back in her seat, folding her arms and seemed to simply consider that statement, neither confused nor experiencing a revelation.

And so it went on.

People attempting to unravel each other's fortunes, whispering about them and what they could mean. Almost everyone in Marie-Fey's company sat significantly less comfortably after all their fortunes they didn't outright explain the future to them.

And then the show ended, and the fortune teller vanished and The Black Rabbit was on stage again, smile wide, leaning against his cane.

"Ladies and gentlemen! I hope you enjoyed our glimpse into the future! Somewhere certainly clearly than others but, alas, that is the way of the future, it is rarely so simple. But something I can say for certain of our near future is that, for tonight, our show has drawn to an end. The dawn is fast approaching and it is time for us all to retire to bed. I hope you have had a wonderful, enlightening night and I wish you all the very sweetest of dreams."

And with that, as a roar of applause and cheers rose from the crowd, he banged the tip of his cane against the ground one last time, black smoke rolling up from the point and he vanished into darkness.

Soon after the overhead lights began to illuminate, revealing their exits and a completely empty stage – The Black Rabbit vanished, as if, into the ether.

The audience began to file out, talking excitedly about the show overall, always coming back to their fortunes.

Several approached Yumiko to comment on her home. Others approached Marie-Fey and Zaydan to comment on theirs, asking if their kingdom really did look like that and discussing things they'd seen at the market.

It wasn't until Maanah's concerned voice broke through behind her that Marie-Fey noticed anything wrong.

"Wait," Maanah said, catching Marie-Fey's arm and pulling her to a stop.

Marie-Fey turned an annoyed glare on her, Zaydan stopping alongside her as they both looked back to see Maanah's concerned voice as she looked around the crowds before looked at Marie-Fey.

"Where's Gharam?" she asked as everyone else in their company joined them, present and accounted for.