Episode 2: Case 1 Dancy Conspiracy

## Episode 2

**Episode 2: Case 1 *Dancy Conspiracy*** is the second overall episode of *Princess Principal* season 1. It was first broadcast on July 16, 2017.

## Summary

From a chronological perspective, episode two contains the first events of *Princess Principal*. Ange and Dorothy are undercover at Queen's Mayfaire Academy to work on Operation: Changeling, a mission from Control to replace Kingdom of Albion Princess Charlotte with Ange, a Commonwealth spy. They have to get close to Princess Charlotte, who attends the school as a student. At night, they follow Princess to a ball, but are given a spontaneous mission to obtain a key from Foreign Affairs Committee Member Morgan before the Duke of Normandy, leader of the Kingdom's spies, gets to it. Ange says she has a plan, and approaches the Princess to befriend her. She then pretends to accidentally spill a drink on her dress. While Princess is waiting for a new dress, Ange uses the dress to disguise herself as Princess and obtains the key from Morgan.

However, Princess then reveals that she knows that Ange and Dorothy are spies. She offers to side with the Commonwealth if they help her become the queen of the Kingdom of Albion, and threatens to expose Ange and Dorothy if Control does not meet her demands. Ange relays this information to Control and tells them to ring the nearby church bell if they accept Princess' offer. The Duke of Normandy then arrives at the ball, shoots Morgan, and realizes the key has been taken. He orders a search of all attendants at the party. As he approaches Ange, the bell tower chimes and Princess takes the key from Ange right on time.

The next morning, Princess and Ange meet on the roof of their school. It is revealed that Ange had secretly told Princess that she and Dorothy were spies through a note. It is also revealed that Princess' real name is Ange, whereas Ange's real name is Charlotte, and that the girls knew each other from ten years ago.

## Story

    Episode two is the first episode of *Princess Principal* from a chronological perspective. The episode starts out with Ange le Carré being introduced by an unnamed dorm mother to the female students of Queen's Mayfaire Academy as a transfer student from the colony Incognia. Unamused by Ange's cover, Dorothy sits among the students.

Around the same time within Commonwealth spy organizaion Control's room of operations, L, Dollyshop, 7 and Colonel talk about battleship blueprints that the army had requested. They also discuss Operation: Changeling, which is an opertion of their to replace Kingdom of Albion Princess Charlotte with one of their spies, Ange. This is because having a mole in the Kingdom's ruling family would be greatly beneficial to the Commonwealth's efforts. Ange and Dorothy have been sent to Queen Mayfaire's Academy for the purpose of this mission. They are to investigate and get close to the princess, who is a student there.

    Back at Queen Mayfaire's Academy, Ange intercepts Dorothy while she is talking to her friends and subtly informs her to head to the roof. Dorothy does so, and finds Ange using her C-Ball to hide on a wall nearby. Dorothy muses that the two of them being assigned to the same mission is a coincidence; while Ange mocks her cover as a student, much to her annoyance. They are interrupted briefly by three students before spying on Princess Charlotte from the roof. Dorothy informs Ange that the princess is both intelligent and loved by her grandmother the queen. She also has a close friend named Beatrice, a noble who is Princess' only friend. Ange suggests she and Dorothy crash a ball which the Princess will be attending later that night to approach her.

    The ball is held at the Foreign Secretary's Town House. Ange and Dorothy attend the ball and start discussing the situation. Unexpectedly, another undercover spy from Control relays a message to Dorothy about new urgent orders. It turns out that the Duke of Normandy, enemy of the Commonwealth and head of the Kingdom's spies, is planning on receiving stolen blueprints from a safe in Zurich. Foreign Affairs Committee Member Morgan, who is also attending the ball, is tasked with delivering the key to this safe to the Duke. In order to prevent a war with Northern Europe, Ange and Dorothy must retrieve this key before the Duke arrives at the ball in thirty minutes.

Dorothy approaches Morgan, guarded by Highlander veterans, with the intent of honey-trapping him; only to be repelled by Gazelle, one of the Duke of Normandy's spies. Ange then tells Dorothy that she has a plan. She wants to both obtain the key and make contact with Princess. Ange approaches Princess and introduces herself, asking to be Princess' friend. Princess hastily accepts this, surprising Beatrice and Dorothy. She offers her hand to Ange for a handshake, only for Ange to pretend to trip and spill wine on Princess' dress. Moving to a private room to take care of the dress, Ange proposes to clean it only to use it for herself and disguises herself as Princess.

Disguised as Princess, Ange invites Morgan to dance. During their dance, she talks him into revealing that he is married and that he and his wife are from Cornwall, in the West Country. She also learns that his health is failing, and that he wants more than anything to live out his last years with his wife; hence his willingness to defect. Ange, still disguised as princess, offers to hide the key for him, and then return it later along with his wife; allowing them to return to the West together. Amazed, Morgan accepts her offer and hands Ange the key, still under the impression that he is talking to Princess.

     Meanwhile, inside the private room, Princess is looking at a small note (which is later revealed was secretly given to her by Ange). Out of nowhere, she asks Beatrice her opinion on whether an angel or devil would be a liar. This bewilders Beatrice, to whom the answer is obviously a devil. Princess tells her that in that case, she would rather befriend a devil.

     Ange later returns the dress to Princess. When all four girls return to the ballroom, Princess suddenly says that she knows Ange and Dorothy are Commonwealth spies. She asks Ange to reveal her true intentions. Ange sheds her shy school girl disguise, and her and Princess start bargaining. Princess wants to join Control with the intent of gaining the throne, since she is currently only fourth in line. Ange decides to agree to her demands, much to Dorothy and Beatrice' bewilderment.

Morgan leaves the ball, rebuffing Gazelle's attempt to stop him. It is then that the Duke of Normandy finally arrives at the ball. He shoots Morgan using his Petit Protecteur shotgun and searches Morgan for the key. When he does not find it, he orders the soldiers present to seal all exits and search all attendants to the ball.

The soldiers ordered by the Duke inform the guests of the ball that they will be searched. This puts Dorothy and Ange in a bind, because if Ange is searched then the key will be found and she and Dorothy will be arrested. Princess once again asks the two spies about her proposal and Ange agrees to her terms if Princess hides the key on her person. Ange goes to a window and subtlety flashes in Morse with the C-Ball to an agent outside about the negotiation.

     The leaders of Control are now faced with the decision of accepting Princess' offer or not. They debate whether they should keep Operation Changeling, the original mission, going or not. Meanwhile, Dorothy asks Princess how she knew they were spies, but Princess bluffs about it. Control wonders the same thing and Colonel is worried about starting a World War with Albion if it ever gets out that Princess is a spy.

Princess asks Ange about the proposal once more. Ange assures her that Control will agree to the proposal, and will let this know by ringing the nearby clock tower. The Duke then appears in front of them and asks that Dorothy and Ange must be searched. Ange quickly sends another message to Control. She reassures Control that if it later turns out that Princess is a double agent, that she herself will kill her. This convinces the spy organization, and they accept the offer, prompting Princess to take the key from Ange and safely leave the room with it. The key has been secured and Ange and Dorothy are no longer in danger of being arrested.

The next morning, Ange and Charlotte meet up on the roof of Queen Mayfaire's Academy. Ange says that Control is still clueless about how Princess figured out that she and Dororthy were spies. Princess says it was simple, because Ange told her it in a note that she had secretly handed to her. This was the note that Princess had previously been holding in the side room, when she asked Beatrice the question about whether an angel or devil would be a liar.

On the note, the spy named Ange actually addresses Princess Charlotte as "Ange" and signs the note as "Charlotte." Meaning that for whatever reason, the two girls have switched names: "Ange" was originally named "Charlotte,", and "Charlotte" was named "Ange." (Hereon forward, the spy will be referred to as "Ange" and the current princess as "Princess (Charlotte)".)

Princess welcomes the spy Ange back home, revealing that Ange is not actually from the colonies, but rather from the Kingdom, and that they had known each other ten years ago. The episode ends with the girls holding hands.

## Trivia

* Dorothy identifies Gazelle's companions as Highlanders from their walking motion; citing their march of 112 steps per minute.
* An entity known as 'Northern Europe' is mentioned. It is implied to be powerful, as Colonel - and the military - fear going to war with it. The Duke of Normandy's mention of Berlin as an enemy capital in Crown Handler Chapter 2 suggests that this entity is or includes Germany; perhaps the German Empire.
* Soldiers of the Kingdom's army are seen in colour for the first time; accompanying the Duke of Normandy to the ball. Their uniform is reminiscent of late Victorian British army uniforms, but in two-tone - with dark red as the primary colour, and a lighter red on the outer chest, inner arms, and round the back - with gold edging and buttons, black trousers, and white belts.