Pirates!

The nobles shrieked in terror as heavily armed female pirates charged in through the main door. Several ran to the other exits, only to find them chained shut. An exceptional specimen of martial grace and leadership seemed to be leading them. She wore brown pants and a blue corset, and an eyepatch covered one of her eyes. She charged across the room without a word and secured the kitchen door, the only one that hadn't been chained closed.

Cassandra looked at Elard, who was asleep in his chair. "Guards!" she shouted. Some of her knights were in attendance at the party, but they were wearing formal clothes and unarmed. The heavily armed pirates had the crowd at their mercy. Her hope was for the castle guards to break open the doors and rescue them.

"They won't be coming," said the mysterious figure with the eyepatch, "They're....indisposed right now."

"You!" Cassandra said. Something about this pirate looked very familiar to her--in fact, most of the older nobles felt they knew her, but couldn't place why. What's more, what were pirates doing at the castle ballroom?