[Verse 1] Silk and velvet, candlelight, Masked figures dancing through the night. The violins begin to play, The king has come to join the fête. A folded warning in his hand, He knows of whispers, knows the plan. Yet through the doors he makes his way, Into the crowded masquerade. [Chorus] Round and round, the dancers turn, A hundred candles slowly burn. Behind the silk, behind the lace, No one knows the stranger's face. [Verse 2] A pistol hidden underneath, A whispered word, a held-in breath. Three men approach him through the crowd, A greeting spoken soft, not loud. Bonsoir, beau masque! [Verse 3] A flash of fire, a cloud of smoke, The dancers freeze, the silence broke. The king falls wounded to the floor, The guards rush in and close the doors. [Chorus] Round and round, the dancers turn, A hundred candles slowly burn. Behind the silk, behind the lace, No one knows the stranger's face. [Outro] The masks remain, the music dies, A wounded king beneath the lights. The ballroom doors are locked tonight, No one leaves before first light.
