Bree's breath caught when she stepped into the throne room. It was filled to the brim. It was as if some magic had dragged everyone out of their hiding place. The room was bursting with color, laughter and dance. A bunch of kids in tailcoats ran around chasing a beagle that kept on going under the skirts of some ladies earning a small yelp from them. The castle looked brand new as if someone had blown the dust off it and washed it repeatedly. The smell of food and chocolate washed the air strongly making Bree's stomach rumble. She realized she hadn't eat anything filling ever since she arrived. Her excitement had gotten the best of her, whisking away hunger without her noticing.

She spotted the King seated in his throne, in his royal attire which was promptly hidden by a flowing red robe. His golden crown rested on his hair in a regal but relaxed manner. His attention moved from one end of the room to another indicating he enjoyed the scenery in front of him.

Bree found herself staring for too long. He looks so different yet so familiar. She thought.

Belle moved from behind her and went over to sit next to Adam on a throne just as large as his but slimmer to indicate it was for a lady. Belle's dress matched the King's robes but her crown was silver and not gold. Bree blinked when she saw that Belle was wearing a modern cocktail dress. How had she missed that?

She inadvertently looked at Antoinette who was still wearing her blue plume dress but it was more old fashioned. Her own dress was yellow with needlework designs across the sleeves, hem and bodice. For the first time ever, she wore heels but they weren't as uncomfortable as she'd imagined. They were comfy pumps with actual silver studs on each heel base.

Antoinette led her to King Adam who immediately smiled when he saw her. Bree felt bugs running around her scalp. The king was deathly handsome.

"A most joyous evening." He said stretching an open hand toward her. Bree was dumbstruck. She didn't know what to do. Kiss it or shake it? Low five? No five?

But the King took her hand and gently kissed the back of it. Oh, so that's why!

"Good evening, your Highness!" She said bowing slightly and the tiara that she had no idea was on her head slipped off and hit the ground with an awkward CLINK!

Bree mouthed a small "oh".

Adam gave a deep chuckle and took Belle's hand as if they had just shared an inside joke.

"As clumsy as he himself. My grandson's crown also never stayed on his head." Belle said laughing slightly.

"I'll take her, mother." Antoinette said smiling.

"You do that!" Belle nodded.

"take me where?" Bree whispered but Antoinette was already leading her away from the party. Bree turned to her mother who quickly made a gentle shooing motion with her hands then waved goodbye.

Antoinette led Bree through a long hallway and past the kitchen where Bree felt the urge to run into and grab a plate. There was more food in the castle than there was in a five star restaurant. As they passed, every servant bowed or curtsied or stood at ease and Antoinette made sure to reply each one but Bree was hardly paying attention. A large bowl of salad on the far end of a vast table caught her attention. It was filled with lots of greens and freshly cooked shrimp the size of cellphones dripping with thick juicy sauce.

You can have salad with shrimp? Bree screamed internally. She'd heard it was a thing but had never really tried it.

Antoinette finally brought her to a quiet part of the castle where the music didn't seem to reach because here, a different music was playing. The Queen suddenly stopped halfway. Bree turned to her questioningly.

"Go on then!" She nodded with a small smile.

"It's --- it's okay?" Bree asked gesturing at the exit. It was rimmed with a certain decor of stones that Bree hadn't seen before.

"It is. Go on!" Antoinette replied, her smile never leaving her face.

As Bree began to walk forward rather awkwardly, she realized she hadn't seen Frances all afternoon. Where was he?

As she stepped into the fresh air, her breath caught again. She had come out into a large garden with perfectly mowed grass and blooming flowers. The garden stretched all around and ended where a small ornate gate met the castle wall. Above it, green creeping plants graced the granite all the way to the base of a large window.

Flowers of different kinds grew in batches in a wide circle around a huge pavilion. The whole place smelled like wafers or maybe Bree was still intensely hungry. From behind one of the pillars, Frances suddenly stepped out.

He was dressed a lot simpler than everyone else. He wore a strawberry red shirt, black trousers and his Reebok sneakers. His hair was held back in his usual low ponytail. Behind him, a young man played the violin. Bree never liked the instrument because it made a noise she described as "itchy" but the young man seemed to be a pro because the tune he played was far from itchy. Each note was compelling and it made Bree want to slow dance even though she wasn't much of a dancer.

"You look amazing, well, a little bit more than you usually do." Frances said then smiled.

Bree felt like she had been dipped in warm rosewater.

"And you -- look like you, a lot more than you usually do!" She chuckled.

He beckoned on her to come to the pavilion and as Bree approached, she felt light flicker across her face. She was about to ask where they had gotten light bulbs from when she realized the pavilion was rimmed with gemstones. Each one caught the sunlight and seemed to give the garden the warm glow that it had.

Frances took her hand before she missed the first step that led up to the pavilion. She suddenly reminisced on her first date with Norman. It felt like years ago and the memory was so distant that all she could recall was a joke about crabs.

"May i have this dance?" Frances asked bowing slightly.

"I'm not a good dancer." Bree said chuckling and shaking her head.

"Well, neither am i so if maybe we stepped on each other's feet then ---"

"The other would understand!" Bree completed and took his hand. She felt incredibly happy to be alone with him, far from the rest of the party. She even forgot there was someone there playing the violin with his back facing them.

They slow danced for such a long time that it was beginning to grow dark. Bree's head rested on Frances's chest and she felt immersed in the moment that seemed to never end - exactly the way she wanted it to. But just as she thought of it, Frances called her name.

"Hmm?" She hummed looking up at him. She was thinking he would suggest they joined the party but he only drew her closer, lacing his fingers in hers. His face came incredibly close until they were nose to nose and at the last minute, he kissed her.

Bree didn't know how long that kiss lasted but it made her brain full of random specks like TV static. She leaned in a second time and Frances kissed her again.

When they pulled apart, he smiled at her. "I know you're wondering why we're out here and not in there."

"I wondered but i thought you were just running away from your birthday again." Bree replied jokingly.

"My birthday was yesterday." Frances said.

"Doesn't matter, you're royalty which means your birthday can last as long as the whole month if you want it to." Bree countered.

"I guess you're right." He said.

"But you still have to tell me why we're out here and not in there." Bree stated. As she looked into France's eyes, she felt like she had when he was Beasley and had apologized for nudging her into the Pendulum after her fiasco at the lake. He had that sad look like he was about to leave and never come back.

"Is something wrong?" Bree asked when he hadn't spoken for quite a few minutes.

He broke out of whatever thought he'd been lost in. "No, everything's fine. I just wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?" Bree asked. She silently prayed he wasn't going to break up, reasons being that he had important princely duties to attend to now that he was home and so they couldn't be with each other anymore, blah blah. She loved him too deeply to let him go. As Bree looked into his solemn blue eyes, she seemed to detect a slight certainty that what she feared was exactly what he was about to do.

She braced herself for the worst. Her heart already generating a long crack.

But instead of speaking, he reached into his pocket and produced a small silver box.

"What is ---?" Bree started.

But Frances suddenly went down on one knee and opened the box. Inside was a slender engagement ring and a square shaped lump of gem at the tip.

"Will you marry me?" Frances asked.

Bree felt her heart flutter, do a double back flip, do the hula and multiple freestyles she couldn't do in real life even if she tried. She covered her mouth in shock, tears escaping her eyes.

In her head, she was screaming YESSSSS! But in reality, she was crying and staring at the ring and Frances as if both might combust any minute and shimmer into a dream.

She must have taken too long to speak because Frances curiously tilted his head.

"Bree, are you okay?" He called, his tone sounding very unsteady.

It was then Bree caught herself. "Yes! Yes, i'm fine. And yes, i will marry you."

All the worry in his face melted as Frances slipped the ring into her finger and gave her a tight hug.

"I love you!" He whispered in her ear.

"I love you too." Bree replied and a sudden cheerful applause caused her to jerk back.

Standing by the entrance from which she'd come was the royal family and by the ornate gate, was a bunch of other guests. They had all been watching the scene in utmost silence. Melinda stood next to Belle dabbing at her face with a pink hanky.

Bree had never felt so fulfilled in all of her life. Watching the crowd applaud, in the arms of her truest love and in the presence of her soon to be family and her mother, she felt peace.

The following week, the pair was joined in marriage before the entire kingdom in the most grandest wedding you could ever think of. Too grand to explain so you'll just have to use your imagination.

I hope no one forgot i am telling the story here. Good!

A few months passed and the couple were living quite happily ever after but something still bothered the prince.

One morning, he leaned against the balcony railing of his room in the company of his bluebill, Jane.

Bree came out to join him having noticed how worried he was of late. She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his back.

"Are you going to tell me what you're worried about?" She asked.

Frances sighed and stroked her arms. "I found something. A couple of months ago when i went to rescue mother from The Hall Of Kings."

"What did you find?" Bree asked.

Frances turned to look her in the face. She had grown even more beautiful during her stay in Villeneuve. He took her arms. "I'm sure you'd believe me at once if i told you but i'd rather you see for yourself."

"Okay?" Bree asked raising an eyebrow.

Frances took her with him and they rode into the outskirts of the village where the land stretched until it met the mouth of the Black Forest.

"Years ago, when i was much younger. I went out in search of a creature i stumbled across. For weeks i searched for it and never found it but back at the Hall Of Kings, it came to me."

"What kind of creature is it?" Bree asked as Frances helped her alight from the horse.

Frances gave a low whistle then a piercing one. At first nothing seemed to be happening and for a long time the whole place was quiet until the sound of rushing wind enveloped Bree.

"Is it going to rain?" She asked then screamed when a large figure emerged from over the trees, flapping its wings and causing the vegetation to bow.

Frances held Bree for fear she might run in the wrong direction. "Its okay. She's a friend!"

Bree felt shaky as she watched the dragon descend. It was huge and had a majestic aura. It blew fire into the sky the minute its feet touched the ground. Plumes of smoke exited out of its nostrils and it shook its head in relief. It was almost like it had been holding its breath all along.

Frances edged forward boldly and began to stroke the animal. He looked quite fascinated with it as he had been when he'd first discovered the Tv remote control in Bree's room.

"Come on." He said, calling on Bree to join him.

The dragon wasn't the scariest thing she'd seen but it unnerved Bree mostly because it shot fire out of its mouth and Frances was standing precisely in front of its chew and blow hole. Still, she inched forward until her hands grazed its tough skin. The dragon seemed to warm up to her within seconds.

"Where did it come from?" Bree asked when she finally found her voice.

"That's what i intend to find out. Look!"

Bree followed where her husband was pointing. Across the dragon's body, large rough marks lined up from the edge of one wing going under its belly and connecting to the other wing. The creature had been bound with strong chains but had somehow broken free.

"It looked like it was thoroughly beaten. The wings are frail." Bree stated studying the creature. Its complexion was a mix of red and blue but the colors seemed fake to Bree, almost like the dragon had been painted.

"Whoever did this must be utterly cruel and however were they able to bind a dragon?" Frances asked. His face was creased with fierce anger. If he were able to find the dragon's captor, Bree wasn't sure what he'd do with them.

"I wonder if it has a name!" She said.

"Even if it does, how would we know it? And if there is a baby dragon, there has to be a mother or a father somewhere."

Bree's brain began to work overtime like it used to. She hated the idea of a creature being taken captive. The same had happened to Beasley but he'd broken free just like the dragon had. She wondered where they could find clues as to where the dragon was coming from.

Frances had said it was a baby dragon despite how large it was.

A baby dragon?

Bree gasped as pieces of her memory seemed to fix themselves into the right spots. Being in Villeneuve had made the memories of her world quite fuzzy but this one was not at all fuzzy. It was clear.

She recalled a conversation she'd had in a restaurant a long time ago with an old neighbor of hers.

Sawyer! That was his name. She remembered now. He had mentioned a baby dragon. Someone was keeping them captive, using them to make money.

"I think i have an idea who this dragon's captor might be!" Bree said when the memory seemed to have clicked completely.

Frances walked over to her, his expression filled with anticipation. He held both her arms.

"You know?" He asked.

"Possibly. Remember those little piggies i used to take care of at the pen?"

Frances frowned. He probably didn't like being reminded of his time with pigs any more than Bree did but he seemed to remember and nodded to confirm.

"I think i do. What about them? Does that have something to do with the captors?"

"Yes, in fact. It does."

"Who? Who are they?"

Bree tilted her head, the name she had been trying to remember came back to her in a rush.

"My old boss. Herb!"

Frances nodded. "How do we get to him?"

Bree smiled. "Well, going back home means we'll have to talk to a couple of unfriendly people."

Frances stiffened. He also didn't like being reminded of certain past acquaintances especially ones he'd had ugly encounters with.

"Fine! We'll talk to them but you have to promise to keep this a secret between us." He chided wagging a finger. Bree had grown unbelievably close to Belle and well, she had told her everything about the Prince's time as a beast since he wouldn't do so himself.

"I promise." Bree replied with a small grin.

"Good. Now let's go talk to Anita." He said lifting Bree onto Phillipe.

He walked over to the dragon and whispered to it. The creature suddenly blew fire and took to the skies leaving a violent wind in its wake.

Frances joined Bree and together they headed back for the castle.