The Projection Room:

Blackstone and Florence packed.

Florence removed a DVD case off the shelf, hid their faces behind a DVD cover, and kissed, but Griffin saw the kiss reflected on the metal projector. Their mouths slightly opened. Griffin glanced at the wall clock and counted two minutes before Blackstone and Florence's lips parted.

"Friends don't kiss like that." Cora removed her red wig, revealing short black hair. She pulled out contacts, and her eye color was darker. Her fingers peeled off her prosthesis, which changed her chin and nose shape. Blackstone hugged her.

"You're not coming with us," Griffin said to Florence. "We don't need you to protect Blackstone anymore. It's all your fault that I've been messing up."

"How did she cause you to screw up this time?" Cora rolled her eyes.

Florence grabbed her bags. "Only Blackstone and I are needed for this journey. I'm in charge, and you can stay home if you try to pull rank."

Blackstone spoke to Griffin. "I'm not listening to you."

"No, I'm in charge." Griffin thumped his chest, and he kicked over a small backpack.

Cora sat on the small table. "Griffin, I'm sorry, but Florence is the boss. Not merely because you messed up, but she actually completed training. You're acting like a bigger damsel than my brother, and Florence is tired of rescuing you."

Griffin yelled and grunted. "But I've read the oracle book."

"Great, but it hasn't changed you yet. Gaslighting us doesn't make it not your fault," Cora snapped. "She was right about Alva. And she was right about you being a hotheaded, poorly trained, disgusting cheater."

"Her brain is broken. Just like yours." Griffin wagged his finger.

"Don't make excuses, Miriam told me." Cora glared at him and stood. The non-magical fire in her eyes resembled pure hatred. Her entire body tensed and a vein in her forehead bulged.

Griffin trembled and backed off. "I only kissed Miriam once because Victor asked me to, and she threw me out of the theater."

"So, you tried to commit adultery with Florence's mom," Cora said.

"Miriam's not your mom, is she?" Griffin asked Florence.

Cora laughed. "I found out because I accidentally got Miriam's mail, and she told me what you did. Griffin, you just became bad at cheating. You also tried with Tribeca, and I have a list of the four women you succeeded with."

"It was only Queen Izz," Griffin stammered. "Are you going to marry Dex? Your brother likes him, a lot better than me." He grabbed her hand.

Cora batted his hand away. "I won't share a tent with you."

"Okay! I'm a lot less smooth than I carry on." Griffin mewed.

"I'm going to marry the man I was supposed to before you cheated..." Cora paused. "My father killed Alva's men to save you. He loves you because you helped Petunia and saved me once. But I deserve better, and I didn't cheat on you in kind. And I wouldn't have kissed you if I knew you were engaged. Yes, I wanted Florence for my brother, but you acted like she was crazy."

"My breaking your heart was your father's idea because you didn't have his permission to marry Dex. But I didn't plan for you to find out for a year," Griffin blurted. "How was I to know that Izz was going to come to the wedding?"

"Wow." Florence packed a rope. "Griffin, you can go on your own. We're not broken, you are."

Cora spoke. "No, we're coming and Griffin and I need this. I read the book, and we can return Griffin's magic if he learns to take orders from you. Wendy doesn't have to die, and if traveling with him saves her life, I'm doing it."

"But you're the real queen," Griffin said. "The book said I had to love the woman who was more important. I did that even before I read it."

"If I were valuable, you wouldn't have hurt me and tried to destroy my chance of being with Dex," Cora yelled. "You were supposed to listen to the better strategist."

Florence spoke. "It's not that you make mistakes; you never take responsibility."

Cora stood up. "And I shouldn't have sided with Petunia in the war against her mother. Being queen feels like dressing up. And I need to stop being petty. Thackeray wants Florence on his side for a reason. He's the only one acting like an actual leader. When this is all over, I'm going to share the crown with him or give it to him outright."

"I was part of The Magical Four. We were special." Griffin bowed his head. "And now Tribeca doesn't need me, but a pretty boy who can flip a burger. Wendy will die if I don't get my powers back." 

Florence ignored him, shoved another tent into a sack, and spoke to Blackstone. "You have given me my purpose back. I'm a leader."

Blackstone's sister, Cora, took two hours re-gluing the prosthetic nose over her own to make herself appear even older. "They'll last three days, and you will switch."

Blackstone smiled at Florence. "How about a wedding kiss? We'd carry three tents instead of four. If you have to come with me, then share everything."

"I won't be the reason you die." Florence held him. "Blackstone, I'm in love with you, but I'm not sure that I can marry you. Petunia will find you that way, and I need to kiss you a couple more times to be sure."

Blackstone kissed her twice. "Are you sure yet?"

"More confused than ever." Florence kissed him again and backed away. "I'll love you forever."

He pulled her towards him. "My aunt won't know for weeks until the site's update, but we'll figure it out. But maybe we want her to know, but at the correct time, like after we reach Tribeca. It's a good idea to draw her to us."

Florence nodded in agreement.

The Settlement:

Queen Petunia's troops marched towards Tribeca's village.

They did not see Hansel crouched behind the rock. He picked up his cell phone. "Wendy, they're here."

"Wait ten minutes." Her consciousness moved. "I'll cause a rainstorm when you make it home."

Hansel located his bike and sped ahead of them, taking a shortcut and bypassing the main road with the pub.

He leaped over a patch of flowers and the trench he had dug. His bike crashed into a bush, and he grabbed a thick rope. Hansel rang the bell and motioned to his mother and Astrid.

Villagers fled into their homes, locking their metal shutters and doors.

Hansel called Wendy. "Did you see me make it home?"

"No, I'm still spying on them." Wendy made sure her rain was icier than normal. "Her main troops are stuck."

Tribeca grabbed the phone and texted the barkeep. "The barkeep will offer them free food for soldiers. He'll distract them when the police arrive."

"I'll light the fireplace, so they don't try to come in through the chimney." Astrid shook a book.

"It is too small for a humanoid to fit through," Tribeca said.

Astrid frowned. "Yes, I know that, but if they're drinking, they might try. I don't want them to become stuck inside and suffocate to death. I read it in a true-crime book you gave me for my birthday."

Tribeca. "If we are going to light the fire, and not use the oven, we might as well have roasted chicken for dinner. My magic needs food. I have a camping pie pan and can bake mini marshmallow pies."

"No, Hansel and I have to make dinner. The magic works best when someone else cooks," Astrid said. "I finally read the rules."

Tribeca and her family huddled in the warmth of their house as rain flooded the street. Her now children fell asleep sitting upright on soft chairs in the pantry because the small windowless room was the hardest to break into.

She took out a phone and called Wendy.

Wendy whispered over the phone. "I'm not sad today. This is one of the best days of my life. I'm using the rain to water the fields and redirect the drunk troops to spend the night in an abandoned barn, so they don't impale themselves riding unicorns."

"The highway police and army will find them. But I don't want them to find you. Queen Petunia and her brothers need to come themselves, and they will head here."

"If they go after my son or sister, awful things will happen. No, Astrid is now my daughter," Tribeca said.

"Yes, I am the daughter!" Astrid yelled from another room.

Blue Carnation Inn:

Florence and Blackstone dressed as a goth bride and groom, to meet Kyle to say goodbye before the wedding. They pulled him to the corner, away from his customers, an hour before opening.

"Yes, and we can trust you. Would you like to come to our wedding as a guest?"

Kyle hugged them. "I'll let the staff take over for an hour."

Florence's Dad's Apartment:

Blackstone decorated the living room with handmade paper flowers, and he strung silk lanterns.

"I wanted to host your wedding in the theater. You deserve a massive wedding." Dad hugged Florence. "I don't know who I'll miss more, you or Blackstone."

Dex kissed Cora. "I'll meet you in New Joy after I make more underground booby traps for Petunia's troops." He left.

Cora's face twisted in a grin. "Griffin is preparing the carriage. It's hard for him, and since our marriage is over, I think he's eyeing Florence as a mate."

"Not changing my mind." Florence kissed Blackstone on the cheek and fumbled for his hand, her heart racing. "Wendy's finally back from The Lyric Kingdom."

Blackstone kissed Florence on her forehead. "You're my forever." He located the vent plates and opened them, removing the outside screen. "Can you hear and see everything?"

A pink, translucent hand formed, reached through the vent, and waved. "Yes, and I'll make sure no one else hears. I've attended outdoor weddings and have never been an honored guest."

Florence's father stepped out to cry but came back.

Miriam played the wedding officiant. The vows took three minutes, but the documents were signed and legal.

"I'm going to cry, but joyous tears that will feed crops. Our relationship is going to change. Florence will be your best friend from now on, which she should be."

Blackstone handed her a piece of blackberry cheese and two tiny apple caramel tarts.

Wendy giggled. "My favorites, thank you."

"I'm glad you're here," Blackstone said.

Kyle hugged everyone. "Be safe."

Blackstone set the bride and groom's gingerbread stack cakes that he baked himself.

"I'm glad I didn't miss the wedding with all my blubbering," her dad said.

"Me too." Miriam kissed her husband.

Dad hugged Blackstone. "Your coming to my family was like a gift from heaven, and if you come back, I'm willing to hire you to bake wedding and birthday cakes for theater parties."

"Or I can open a small bakery in my inn," Kyle said.

"If a miracle happens, I might do both. I love baking the art of pasties." Blackstone dug into a piece of the bride's cake.

Miriam tapped Florence's dad's arm. "This marriage didn't happen, but it is legal in all kingdoms but this one."

"I've never told anyone your secrets," Florence's dad said.

Blackstone smiled and spoke to his sister. "There will be 12,500 couples named Florence and Blackstone listed on the wedding registry in six weeks because I flooded the record with duplicates all in different places. But we'll be public before then. We need to bait Petunia."

"He ran the idea past me, and I helped him work out the bumps, but it's brilliant," Florence said.

"She's my mate." Blackstone kissed Florence's hand and lips. "I have a mate. Anyone else can take the crown."

Griffin rushed in. "We need to leave now! Victor is sending troops to the theater."

Blackstone spun around. "Where is Edgar? I wanted to say goodbye."

"My brother has already left," Florence replied. "He is going to try to help us enter New Joy. We can say goodbye to them there."