It was something of a dream when Frances walked into the castle a second time. So many things were happening all at once that it was difficult to look everywhere and see everyone. On his far left, a bunch of guards had shackled Anita and Joseph next to each other with strong metal chains while the pair dozed off. Behind them, a flood of men in green armor stood in the longest straight line with their heads low whilst King Adam addressed them. Frances smiled as the King gestured calmly while he spoke. If there was one thing Adam was good at, it was making people feel the pressure and consequences of their actions but like, in a good way. He could bet those men felt like crying but held together.

In another part of the large throne room, François held on to Antoinette who was now standing up straight by some miracle. She no longer gazed on the floor. Her teary eyes were focused on three people in front of her - Belle, Bree and Melinda. The trio looked rather displaced with Bree and Belle covered in dust and Melinda's jacket missing a sleeve. All in all, the group looked sad and regretful.

Everywhere else across the room, Frances spotted old familiar faces that had been the new faces that joined the battle; Cogsworth, Lumiere and Chateau, to name a few. The king's friends had rallied to support him even if it meant trashing half the castle and doing it in their most unimpressive outfits.

As he walked further into the room, a strange silence fell and all eyes turned on him. Again, Frances froze. He hated being in the spotlight. It made him giddy and uncomfortable. After all those years, he thought he'd be able to handle it being a grown up and all but he still felt like melting into his shoes.

His gaze locked with Bree's first, she smiled at him and gestured for him to come over. He suddenly became conscious of how different he looked from his townsfolk. The day he'd left or was forced to leave rather, he'd worn a dress shirt, brown trousers and his hunting boot and gear. Now, he was back in a black shirt, black jacket, jeans and a pair of Reeboks. Yup, he definitely did stand out in a crowd.

He took slow calculated steps toward his family that King Adam had now joined. The green armor wearing guards were being led away to give some privacy to the royal family.

After a few more awkward steps, he finally stood in front of them. A thousand pairs of different color eyes staring at him with different emotions. He wanted to scream and run. A part of him knew his family was still mad at him but he hoped they would give in to the part that missed him.

Almost on cue, his mother walked forward. Her big brown eyes were doe-like up close making Frances think he was staring directly at a pool of chocolate. Her eyebrows contorted, her face muscles tightened and relaxed on repeat as if her entire system was confused on what to feel at the moment. Frances became alarmed at how much he paid attention to the details in her face. It was like he was waiting for a feature to give away the fact that she was really mad at him.

She placed both hands on his cheek and a distant memory came flooding back.

He was five, playing fetch with Sultan in the grounds. His mother sat by the fountain, a book upturned on her lap as she watched him keenly. At such a young age, Frances was alarmingly indisposed to injuries. He threw a blue ball to the other end of the grounds and Sultan went after it. Frances made to follow then suddenly tripped and fell forward. Antoinette stood up and darted toward him as he spat leaves from his mouth. She cleaned him up, gently pleading with him to not run around so much and then went on to describe him as her whole world.

"I bet i could fit my whole world in my hands." She said cupping both her hands.

"Mama, that's not possible!" Frances argued.

She placed both hands on his cheek. "But i just did it!"

They both giggled as he tried to wiggle himself out of her hands.

Antoinette stifled a sob. "You're back!"

"Hello mama!" He whispered.

She pulled him into a tight hug, kissing his cheeks repeatedly. It took Antoinette quite a while to let go so the others could hug him as well but she did at last. Belle came forward and buried her face in his shoulders. He had noticed how small she'd become and wondered if some magic in the old castle had shrunk her.

François came next.

He studied Frances for a short while then nodded almost satisfactorily, "that's better." He gave his son a tight hug and a proud pat on his back.

Then came Adam. He locked eyes with Frances and the prince didn't have to feel awkward or remove his gaze. He had always felt intimidated by his grandfather and also sort of admired him to the fullest. Adam searched his face then out of the blue, said something Frances least expected to hear.

"I'm sorry!"

Frances was tongue tied for a few seconds then finally spoke. "for what?"

"A lot of things. My mistakes almost ruined my family and my kingdom and most of all, it ruined your life. For that, i apologize deeply. Forgive me, grandson."

Frances felt himself shudder for he had been thinking all along that what would really heal his heart was reunion with his mother but hearing an apology from his grandfather made him feel whole. He didn't understand why he suddenly felt relief but he never realized he was angry at the King.

"I bear no grudge, grandfather. I'm just really glad to see you again." He replied.

Adam stretched a hand and Frances shook it. "You've done well today. I had no idea where your grandmother was taken."

"I found her in an old palace about three hundred leagues past the forest."

Adam frowned and briefly glanced over at Belle. "The Hall of Kings?"

"Is that what it's called? I think that is it." Frances replied.

"A couple of days ago i would have said that it is not possible you have found the Hall because it was destroyed thousands of years ago."

"I believe it was destroyed again, right before my eyes." Frances said.

"Anita conjured it and put me there." Belle added coming up to the pair. Adam wrapped his arm around her shoulder protectively.

"Why? What's so special about it?" Frances asked.

"You forget? The Hall of Kings is where the first king of Villeneuve ruled. It is where Anita's father was adopted and thus, her home." Belle explained. "It was there she received her curse of carrying the blood of the witch that made her what she is."

Frances frowned. "Is that why the village looked a lot like ours, because it was the first Villeneuve?"

Belle nodded.

Nothing was making a lot of sense to Frances, it felt like he was back in those days when Belle used to tutor him, telling him stories upon stories even though he couldn't quite remember them all and tried his best to understand.

"So you're saying our ancestor, King whatever-his-name-is, had married a witch without realizing it and in turn, she made an enemy out of someone from her own household that wasn't really a part of her household but wanted to be part of it by all means?"

Belle and Adam glanced at each other in confusion.

Frances sighed. "At least all of this is over and we can move on. I don't really enjoy fighting against magic."

"You are correct! We should move on!"

"After you've told me all about your adventures!" Belle winked.

"Yeah about that, there's someone you should meet." Frances said. He walked over to Bree and took her hand.

By late noon of the next day, the entire royal family was already acquainted with their new guests from a different world. Bree on the other hand, was still very perplexed as to how storybook characters were real.

She spent all afternoon talking to Belle about it and kept coming back to one question.

"But, Your Majesty, you're sure you don't remember doing a movie or a documentary about your life?"

Belle smiled. "I don't think i have ever done any of those, whatever they are. And i have to say, i am quite astonished by how you have come to know so much about us even though we never met until yesterday."

"Are you kidding? You've got books and merchandise and all that lot where i come from and your own theme park. This is amazing." Bree said beaming gladly.

"You must promise me, my dear, something you should never do." Belle said, her face taking a serious expression.

Bree stopped smiling. "What is it, er, Your Majesty?"

"Frances must never know his grandfather suffered a fate such as his. You mustn't tell him that." Belle said.

"Oh, why do you want to keep him in the dark about it?" Bree asked.

Belle sighed and stood up. Her library was the largest one Bree had ever seen. It felt like she was drowning in it as the shelves were almost five storeys high. She knew this library had been a gift from King Adam himself. The curtains had been drawn, filling the entire room with sunlight and fresh air.

Bree watched as Belle clasped her hands under her chin then let it fall still in that manner. "You seem to know better than he does about his family history."

"Well, only a little." Bree said nervously.

Belle turned to the window. The sunlight reflected on her tiny silver crown making it look like an actual star was resting in her hair. "The same witch that had cursed my husband, she is the same woman that cursed Anita."

Bree sat up. "She was the King's wife."

"She was! A few years after the King's heir was poisoned and Anita's family was cast out. The  people found proof that his wife was indeed a witch. The council ordered her to be tortured beyond human imagination. They showed her no mercy and kept her a prisoner for years."

Belle paused waiting for the information she'd revealed to sink into Bree. Bree remembered Frances mentioning that Belle used to be his tutor when he was younger and now she believed it. The Queen spoke and acted like an actual school teacher.

"One day, she managed to escape her bonds and promised revenge on the royal family. She was never seen or heard from again until. . ."

"until your husband's birthday." Bree completed. "The night she showed up asking for shelter and he refused her."

"She was looking for a reason to punish him for his family's past deeds."

"So she cursed him and turned him into a beast."

"Exactly!" Belle answered. She sounded solemn as she spoke but her face was void of sadness. Her expression looked strained but glad like she had found a missing jewelry after searching for a long time.

"He remained that way until you came along right? You broke the spell." Bree stated happily.

"It wasn't easy. I'm sure you can relate to that." Belle said.

"Ugh, tell me about it. Boys and needing rescuing amongst other important things i have to do." Bree said rolling her eyes and Belle laughed out loud, so loud that it drew attention. The library door slid open and someone peeked in rather shyly.

"Mom!" Bree said with a hint of surprise

"You may come in, please." Belle said still laughing a little.

Melinda slipped into the room. She looked different in her new attire. She wore a white bodice and a flowing floral skirt and graceful white slippers. Her hair was also done in a light bun with a chaplet around her head that looked to be made of actual gold.

"You got a complete makeover, that's awesome. Now you look like one of the triplets." Bree said with a chuckle.

Melinda laughed. "I need to speak to you, if you're not in the middle of something important."

Bree turned to Belle who hadn't realized they were asking permission. She caught herself when she finally understood, "oh please, i'll excuse you both."

As soon as the doors shut, Melinda turned to Bree. "Sweetheart, i know you're really excited to be here."

"I am!" Bree said. "Can you believe it? All of those stories are actually true, the talking clock is Cogsworth. And the lamp, and oh mom, I'm just so happy you believe now that fairytales aren't tales, they're real. Just not in our world."

"Of course i do believe but have you thought about the most important thing yet?" Melinda asked taking Bree's hand.

"What is that?"

"How to get back home."

Bree paused. The thought had never crossed her mind at all in the hours she'd spent in Villeneuve. She felt very happy. She had met her favorite fairytale characters (something that rarely ever happens if not not never), she was madly in love with Frances and he with her, she had a whole room thrice the size of her old one, she had servants to wait on her and she didn't have to work till her back ached. This was the exact kind of luxury she'd wanted from the start which was why she'd taken that brochure for Lake Donna. Even if she had saved up for years, she still couldn't afford to live in a castle.

Bree frowned. "Do you want to go back, mom?"

Melinda sighed. "I don't know how to answer that. But what i do know is, i want you to be happy. If we do find a way back  home, i am not going to force you to go back with me because you, my dear, you deserve all of this. This life, this world, it's all meant for you. You've believed in it from the start even when everyone else didn't believe you or thought you were crazy. You've held on with so much faith and now it's here."

Bree smiled then faltered. "So you're saying.... "

Melinda gripped her hands tighter. "I'm saying that you can stay here and i'll go."

"But mom...." Bree started, her heart thumping in her chest. All she'd ever wanted was to share the luxurious life she would have with her mother but now, Melinda was asking to leave, to be separated again and Bree couldn't quite handle it.

"Shh! Think of it this way....." She led Bree to the window where the sunlight made her hair look faintly blonde. "I'll be the bridge between our world and this one. Whenever you need to come back home, i'll be there waiting to welcome you. You'll have a reason to exist in both worlds, you'll have a family in both and you'll have a wonderful life as well."

"Oh, mom!" Bree sighed and hugged her mother, tears dripping down her left eye.

Melinda rubbed her back, tears streaming down her face as well.

"You can stay a little bit longer, right?" Bree asked wiping the tears from her face as she pulled away from her mother.

Melinda chuckled amidst tears, "of course i will. There's a reason why i came to get you anyway. You have to go get dressed."

"Why? What's happening?" Bree asked as Melinda gently pulled her out of the library and up the stairs. The castle which had looked dull and gloomy was now full of life and repairs were already underway. The place was so busy that it took quite a while for Melinda and Bree to sail past the crowd and into Antoinette's room.

"Oh, there she is. Finally." Antoinette said smiling up at Bree.

Bree gasped a little realizing two things at once; first, the room she had walked into could pass for an entire gym but this one was furnished to suit royalty. The floor was covered in beautiful white rugs topped with a large tiger skin rug in the middle. The walls were painted a polished peach that seemed to blend into the curtains and the windows. Bree never understood how paint was able to catch the sunlight but now looking at the brightly colored walls, she could see how the polish made the sun rays go everywhere as if it reflected directly onto a looking glass.

The top of the walls were painted green giving off a jungle theme and the rest of the ceiling was adorned with so many pictures and scenery that Bree felt like she was watching television. The Queen's bed was well, Queen sized and made with gold, peach and white sheets to match her pillows. Up against the wall, a large embossed frame depicted images that Bree didn't have time to study. Next to her bed stood a massive wardrobe that Bree realized with a shock, was meant for jewelry only. She looked around for the wardrobe meant for clothing but couldn't find one. On the far end of the room, a large wooden door stood where the green paint met the peach walls. It stood out from everything else in the room and Bree guessed it led to the Queen's closet. 

The Queen's servants were dressed in neat uniforms and they didn't look anything like servants. They all seemed to be hiding a happy smile with so much effort. Each girl held a different basket with so many accessories and scented candles and perfumes that Bree thought they were going to sell them.

The second thing Bree realized was that the Queen herself was the woman in the photo Beasley had given her. It matched so perfectly that it seemed she was staring at the photo live. Her hair was rolled in perfect tiny buns all connecting in the middle of her head to make a larger bun. She was a couple of inches taller than Belle but one could tell that she was the daughter. She looked a lot livelier and lovelier than she had the previous day, her cherry red lips parting for a smile as she reached for Bree's hand.

"What is going on, Your Majesty?" Bree asked feeling a bit nervous. She had a funny feeling whatever was going on had something to do with her.

"Oh why, you have to get dressed. We're going to have a party." Antoinette said still smiling. Her perfume was something Bree had never smelled before. It was literally out of the world. Her blue dress was warm and so soft and it made the gentlest ruffling when she moved. Bree was tempted to ask for one herself.

"What party?" Bree asked as Antoinette gently placed both hands on Bree's shoulder and pushed her towards the servants.

"You'll see!" Melinda said with a wide smile.

Looking into her mother's eyes, the funny feeling Bree had had suddenly dissolved and was replaced by a sweeter one. She let the servants lead her into the Queen's dressing room which was so magnificent that before Bree could notice every single detail, she was already bathed, dressed and readied for the party.

"You look lovely, my Lady." One of the servant girls said, smiling at Bree with a satisfaction that made Bree giddy. She noticed with a jolt that the girl resembled Delilah, her ex co-worker at Amy's.

From somewhere in the castle, the sound of music floated into the room. Music that wasn't overbearingly loud or annoyingly low, it was just the right volume. The song was serene and Bree guessed it came from a live band.

When she was led out of the room again, all three women clasped their hands under their chin in unison but only Bree had seen it.

"You look absolutely beautiful!" Belle commented, her eyes threatening to flood with tears.

"Thank you!" Bree said with a curtsey even though her heart was threatening to break free of her rib cage. She was dying to know why everyone was acting so weird. The excitement of getting the prince back had died down a little but this, this was a different kind of excitement and Bree could tell.

"Time for us to go." Antoinette said and for a confusing moment, all three ladies beckoned on Bree at the same time. She was beginning to wonder if they realized they were mirroring one another.

Bree took her mother's hand and Antoinette's hand.

"I'll just make sure to admire the back of the dress then." Belle said going to stand behind them and they all laughed.

"Here goes nothing!" Bree mumbled as the door opened wide and she was led out.