"White Rabbit! White Rabbit! Grinzor! Where are you?" Nine-chan shouted into the forest.
She saw no one, but found herself on a path paved with gold with red hearts in the middle. Figuring this must be the path to the castle, she walked until she, sure enough, reached a tall, ivory gate. She looked around and saw a rope attached to a bell. She tugged on the rope several times, until a guard came, who looked oddly like 50yencoin.
"I’m sorry, but the bell doesn't work. Try the knocker."
"But...you came, did you not? So surely it works!"
The guard shook her head.  "No, no, but you must knock; it's against the law, you see."
"The law?" asked Nine-chan, shocked.
Yen nodded.
"Aye, the law; isn't that what I just said?"
"Oh, you were very clear, thank you. But why the law?"

"Well, it generally works this way: Queen Calamari thinks up a law, writes it down, and gets it enforced. That's the way it is around here," explained Yen.
"I see....  So, where is the door knocker?"
"It hasn't arrived yet, I'm afraid."
"Hasn't arrived? So how can I get in if no one can hear me and I can't ring the bell and there is no door knocker?"
"Well, you can't, in that case. You'd have to wait."
"'In that case?'" quoted Nine-chan.  "Meaning there's another way in?"
"Of course!" Yen scoffed.   "You could ask!"
"But.....I did-" Nine-chan began to protest.
Yen shook her head.  "You did not. Nothing about opening a door without the use of a bell or knocker."
"I'm sorry. Will you please let me in?" asked Nine-chan politely.
"I'm afraid not. Against the law, you see."
"Oh, what NOW?" asked Nine-chan in despair.
"You need an invitation to come in; honestly, do you know anything?" Yen said scornfully.
"Well, I know who the Queen is and who the White Rabbit is, and I must see them."
"Why must you see them? Can't be that important," said Yen.
"But it is! The White Rabbit knows the way home, and I must go back home!"
"Well, can't it wait? Today's Queensday, for the love of Cal!" said Yen. "Don't you even know what Queensday is?"
"No, I'm afraid not," admitted Nine-chan, but, remembering Mack, said in her defense, "but I have heard of it."
"Oh, so you've 'heard of it.' And I suppose that makes you clever?" Yen laughed.  "Queensday is the Queen's birthday.  Most important day of the year, it is. Comes more than once, if she's bored."
"But there's only one birthday a year.  How-"
"She’s the Queen! She makes the rules; it's her word that counts, not ours," replied Yen bluntly.  "But it all comes down to this: You cannot see the Queen or enter her premises unless you have an invitation. That is all," said Yen, and walked away.
"But.....but!" Nine-chan began to protest, but sighed, and slumped against the wall, feeling hopeless, hiding her face so no one would see her tears, until, minutes later, she heard a voice cry,  "I'm terribly late! Oh...."
Nine-chan looked up. Standing in front of her was Grinzor, the White Rabbit!
"Gri-The White Rabbit!"
Grinzor looked down at Nine-chan, who was sitting down.  "Who are you?" he asked.
"I'm Nine-chan, and I've been looking for you everywhere!" said Nine-chan.
"Oh, aye? Well, I be late, thank ye very much!" snapped Grinzor as he rung the bell.
Nine-chan was about to tell him that it wouldn't work when Yen swung the gate open.  "Come in!" she said, briskly.
Nine-chan followed Grinzor in, and turned to Yen.  "But I thought you said that the bell wouldn't work!"
"You think or you know? What you don't know, obviously is that the Queen has now proclaimed that the bell is in order," said Yen, motioning for Nine-chan to hurry in.
Nine-chan marched in, angrily.  "Who's she to make ridiculous laws and then change them and cause confusion?" she fumed.
"She's the Queen; it's her right," said Yen.  "It's the Law, you know."
"The Law, the Law.....  Curse the Law!" murmured Nine-chan, "Oh, do wait up, Grinzor, please! I must speak to the Queen!" she said, and ran up to catch with Grinzor.