The Castle:

Queen Petunia rummaged through the bag of tokens in her new treasury. She attempted to open the vault, but it wouldn't budge.

Her brothers walked in behind her.

"I know that New Joy hid, Tribeca. Why do they treat that middle-aged bat like a celebrity?" Petunia asked. "Is it her magic? I don't want her as Victor's wife."

Thackeray stepped over piles of stolen money. "Tribeca donated blood and taught children to read. Wisps have different definitions of what it is to be a hero."

"She's so wonderful, and you like her more than me." Petunia pelted the coin at her uncle. "Her kindness is fake, ugly people can't be kind."

Ronda spoke to her from the necklace. "Did you rig Alva's Magical Chewie Stick?"

Petunia scrunched up her face. "Of course not. Apparently, Blackstone was right and Magical Chewie Sticks are dangerous."

"Petunia's troops are nothing," Thackeray said. "Why waste your time?"

Victor spoke to him. "While our thieving troops kept the citizens occupied, our real troops took over four small kingdoms with the help of the royal elders."

She left the room.

An Hour Later: Dog Pen

The hounds growled at Victor as he approached Thackeray and Ronda.

"The dogs smell evil." Ronda petted a puppy.

"Did you really try to kill me?" Wendy asked Victor.

"It's no big deal." Prince Victor entered the pen, the dogs whimpered, and Ronda transformed and slithered into the locket.

"You're a fake hero," Ronda said from the locket.

"Did you help Alva?" Thackeray tossed his brother to the ground. "If so, it's your fault what happened to Blackstone. Do you know what they did to him?"

Victor leaped up. "I really don't know or care. I'm trying to save lives. It's better if a few survive than no one."

"Victor, shut up! You had no right to keep my brother from me, and Petunia is an idiot," Wendy snapped.

Thackeray spoke. "Everything I've done is for Blackstone's benefit."

"Yes, everything we do is for our family." Victor lowered his voice.

"No, it's for power," Wendy said. "You've never treated us like family."

The Projection Room:

Edgar loaded Blackstone's mini refrigerator with produce, stepped down, and placed the other produce in the bottom communal. "I was going to ask you a question. Should I start dating? I attempted to ask Tribeca out, but it didn't go well, and I hope she doesn't remember me."

Blackstone placed his arm around him. "You're a mature adult in your thirties, and you can do this."

"I'm in my mid-forties, and Miriam is a lot older than most people think she is. She's my stepmother and raised me. I have another half-sister who is closer to my age, and she moved to the ice village to raise her children."

"I didn't realize you were around the same age as Tribeca," Blackstone said.

"Sadly, we crossed paths a lot when I wasn't fully sober." Edgar rubbed tears from his face. "Warm-Ivy and I never got around to having kids, but we planned to adopt."

They talked about longing and sadness for an hour, but eventually, the mood lifted.

"I've lived through doom, but I'd still marry Warm-Ivy today, knowing how our love story will end. If you leave, please visit me in New Joy."

"Florence is coming with me." Blackstone grinned.

"And you're both in love, I bet." Edgar sat on the floor because the chair would hold his hulking frame.

"Yes. If I searched for anyone better, I'd be disappointed because no woman in the world compares to her."

Saturday Night: Projection Booth

Blackstone went through the thousands of films in the cabinets and even more in the digital library, and he located four perfect musicals. He prepared a picnic and let the first movie play for Florence.

She sat alone and watched. When the credits ended, he ascended from the booth and held her close. He felt her heart quicken against him, and her body trembled.

"It's going to be hard when we leave," she whispered.

"I'm planning to cook for you before you go to sleep, and then the rest of the meal is breakfast when you wake up."

"But that is two dates," Florence said. "I thought I'd plan date two."

"This date is broken in parts, and it officially ends Monday evening. I'm going to make every moment count. Church at home and dancing in the basement. Even your dreams will count because you'll be dreaming of me."

"I'm already impressed." Florence kissed him.

He handed her a bouquet of cookie roses and they ate them.

She climbed up to her apartment, opened her door, swung around, and blew him kisses.

He blew a kiss back to her and climbed into his apartment.

Blackstone dreamed he was back in his cell, but Florence stood with him.

He awoke, dressed, showed the 10:00 am movie, prepared breakfast for Florence and himself, and wrote her a love letter tucked under her juice.

She swung down with the rope and sat next to him. "Happy morning, sweetheart."

"We are playing romantic musicals all day. I texted your dad. Today is the romance festival," he asked.

"So, what movies are you playing?" she asked.

"They're a surprise, but all Miriam's recommendations all end tragically." He rubbed Florence's shoulders.

"She's a mood watcher." Florence sat at the little table.

Blackstone placed a stack of shortcakes with gravy and poached eggs in front of her. "Edgar also brought me a hand mixer before I made the pumpkin cheesecake, whisking everything with a makeshift beater was annoying."

"Of course, you have been whisking everything by hand," she said.

Settlement:

Tribeca prepared potato soup for Astrid's birthday and traded her magic for a stack of books.

Astrid spent her entire birthday reading wrapped in wool blankets while it rained.

The next day, the sun was shining, and Tribeca was outside.

She built three more cottages with her magic, and people traded her things.

"Take this money." A man tried to shove it into her hands.

"I can't take money for using magic. All magical gifts must be free. And we're doing well with land rentals. Now, if you want to give a runt goat to my son, I'll accept it. Oh, I'm also teaching village children to read and cook for barter or pay."

He bowed to her. "That is acceptable."

She waved her hand.

Oak trees and loose rocks, not for the heck of it or boredom, but because she wanted her house not to stand out as the sole purchaser of the land. A settlement appears less weird because groups were always running from Victor and Queen Petunia.

Most citizens stayed in rises, built because Wendy expanded upwards more easily.

Hansel dug a trench around the cottages, and he and others built large wooden fences for added safety.

Wendy called.

Tribeca, Astrid, and Hansel rushed into the cottage and entered a den.

"Hi Wendy," Hansel said.

Tribeca placed her phone on speaker mode. "Any more information on Hansel?"

Wendy spoke. "Seeker is the one you need to talk to. Florence had a fantastic idea. Dex blocked the entrance to Lower Labradorite with boulders and fled. Petunia's best troops will have to backtrack, and she'll have to send her drunks. I can't promise I'll be awake to spot them, so you need a lookout."

"I can do it," Hansel said. "I'll look like any of the other kids playing out there because I won't allow them to take me back." The boy left and Tribeca talked to Wendy for an hour and called Seeker.

"Mom, I have the records and will email them to you. He's yours."

"Thank you so much." She talked longer with her daughter.

Tribeca walked into the den.

Astrid and Hansel were eating at the kitchen table.

"So, if they took me, would you miss me?" Hansel guzzled leftover soup and set the bowl on the sink.

Tribeca used magic to wash the dishes. "They will be arrested. I'm officially adopting you through New Joy because you were born there and not Lower Labradorite like we thought. Everyone here will fight for you. My oldest daughter set it up. You haven't met her yet, but we'll move back to New Joy when this is all over."

"Really?" Hansel asked.

"All you need to do is sign and talk with a lawyer." Tribeca hugged him.

"Were my parents war criminals?" he asked.

"None of that matters." Tribeca bent over to speak to him. "You're my family, but we've been calling you Hansel, but it's your actual name—well, your middle name." Tribeca hugged him.

"And I have the best mom." Hansel jumped up and down.

Monday Morning:

After church at home, Blackstone and Florence napped in their loft apartments, and they prepared breakfast.

There was a knock on the projector door. "It is your dad."

Florence opened the door. "Blackstone is teaching me how to cook. I fried eggs."

She prepared her dad a small plate.

Her dad sniffed them before trying. "These are good, but leave room for the potluck," he said.

"Oh, I'm planning to spend the day with Blackstone."

"He's healthy and can be left alone. Unless there is another reason." Her father grinned at her.

"Dad, I'm in love with Blackstone."

"Your mother was right. That is so cute, but Prince Victor still has you listed as a romantic understudy if he can't find Tribeca. Maybe you need to leave soon." Dad snatched another runny egg. "Blackstone is perfect, he can even teach you to cook. May I ask what happened with the last guy? He wasn't my choice for you, but his father is friends with Petunia."

She smiled. "The dairyman was the one who provided Edgar with most of his mead," Florence said.

"Okay, he didn't tell me that." Her dad turned to Blackstone. "How many women do you want?"

Blackstone spoke. "Honestly, I've never wanted anyone else, and she's the only woman I dated. It only takes one to find love."

Miriam whispered from the other side of the door as she knocked.

The door creaked open. Miriam rushed inside.

"Wendy needs to speak to you. Why is your ringer off?" Miriam asked.

"We've been sneaking around," Florence said.

Basement:

Miriam placed a blanket on the floor and removed a metal door. A teacup-shaped mesh screen came into view.

"Florence, this is my friend Dex, and he's Cora's betrothed..." Wendy paused. "I don't think you met."

"Oh, you're back together," Blackstone said. "I'm so glad."

Dex's shape was that of a human male until he turned into a translucent green ball. He moved through the door and turned human. His skin turned blue, red, and then purple.

Florence spoke. "Wendy said such nice things about you. Are they true?"

Dex shrugged. "I travel four days a week. It's my job to pick up those adventurers who become lost in the Wastelands and return them to the closest communities. I was a bounty hunter, but I have to take my place in the royal court soon."

"Do you love Cora?" Florence asked. "I want you to treat her well."

"Dex is cool," Blackstone said.

"I made mistakes, which is why Victor and Griffin were able to manipulate us both."

"Have prisoners attempted to shank you?" Florence asked.

Dex grinned. "Sometimes, but most of the time, they underestimate the weather and are thankful," he replied. "Finding a kind woman like Cora who also has the gene is rare."

They all chatted for hours.

Wendy spoke. "If Florence's plan doesn't work, we'll figure something else out."

Dex smiled. "I will help. The elders will listen to Cora and me, and they only agreed to help Petunia because she threatened their lives."

"Blackstone and I have to leave for a few hours. It's why our ringers are off."

Castle:

Florence and Blackstone sat next to Wendy's edge, near the movie theater. Disguised as servants, they walked to the castle and entered through a window that Thackeray had left open.

Florence and Blackstone dove behind a gold couch and moved a bookshelf to disguise them further.

Victor rushed in but stumbled. "What did you do? I tried to kill Wendy twice, and one of my toes rotted off each time."

Blackstone and Florence crawled closer to hear.

Thackeray stood up. "Tribeca's mother felt guilty before she died and cast a spell. It was a protection spell that whoever was trying to kill my daughter would die with her."

"Why would you do that? You're passive." Victor asked.

Ronda reached out to shake her fist at him. "He had no idea it was you, and it's not a murder spell, but for self-defense. Most stop at losing a few body parts. And I helped cast it, not my husband."

Victor yelled. "But I'm trying to save everyone from dying."

Ronda lost her form again. "If only a few survive, it's not going to be you or me. I know you tasked Petunia with poisoning me with dark magic, and when she chickened out, you did it. It's why I'm losing the ability to keep a solid form. I have to become the dome or die."

"You convinced her to do this." Victor swung at his brother but missed. "But I could lose power. Why would you do that to me?" He lunged at Thackery and choked him, but lost his footing.

"I also cast the spell to protect my husband," Ronda sang out from the pendent. "I know that you are not stupid. You're purposefully starving the orphans to distract Petunia."

"Victor, you already lost everything that matters," Thackeray said. "Don't risk warning, little sister. My lovely wife used a binding spell, and you can't tell Petunia this is a trap. You already have chains around you."

Ronda laughed. "Why would I do that? You kept us here, working for you, stole our son, had him tortured, tried to kill our daughter, wasted the kingdom's money on a fake war, and bought pretty gowns for Petunia. You're angry that my daughter's going to fall, but it was all because of you. Griffin could've used his powers to save her, and that is why you corrupted him."

"Stop saying that!" Victor covered his ears. "I'll consult the Oracle."

Victor left and Florence locked the door.

Blackstone sobbed about his mother, and his father and Florence held him.

"You need to leave, and your father, and I'll eventually follow."