After the not-eating-pie challenge, Myrielle was at the bottom but still in the running. With a few more days until the next challenge and the first elimination, Myrielle would need to turn things around to avoid being the first one to go.

Gianni and Fairy Godmother were glad that Myrielle hadn't been knocked out just yet, but only because it would allow them to execute a plan.

They set out to do exactly that as their carriage rolled through the village's main dirt road. One by one they passed decrepit-looking cottages and hungry children.

"Dreadful," said Fairy Godmother, taking a swig from her flask.

Gianni shook his head. "Could you please just go one day without drinking?"

"It's medicinal," she said. "I need it to deal with all the village squalor." She shuddered as they rolled up to the ugliest cottage of all, the one belonging to Myrielle's family.

Inside their humble home, the daily routine of being poor was underway, a.k.a. Rose trying to cook while the children acted 'hangry' and annoying.

Emilia ran circles around Rose, repeating her favorite chant over and over. "Tart! Tart! Tart!" she cried. "Mummy I want a tart!"

Rose sighed. "Emilia I've told you three times, the festival was a special occasion!"

Thomas pushed his way forward to get a word in. "But Myrielle had tarts and biscuits and turkey legs and fruit stuffed up her skirt, remember? We helped her and she ended up keeping it all for herself!" Thomas had no factual basis for his claim, but could only assume he was right since he hadn't seen his sister in three days.

As for Rose, she'd been thinking about Myrielle every minute of the last three days. Had the kingdom found the food she'd stolen? Had she been banished to a dungeon?

The constant worry plagued her, but she was momentarily distracted when she heard the sound of knocking.

She froze. "Who on earth is that?"

The knocking persisted so she hurried to the door, with the children creeping closely behind her. To her utter surprise, she opened the door to find Gianni and Fairy Godmother standing in the doorway (along with a crowd of fascinated onlookers).

She knew this was the moment, the moment when she would find out whether her daughter was on trial. She gulped loudly. "Good day your...excellency." She bowed her head in reverence to keep herself from bursting into tears. "Please come in."

Fairy Godmother and Gianni squeezed their way inside, both of them annoyed by the lack of real estate.

"Can I make you both some tea?" she offered, trying to be hospitable in the hopes that it would help her criminal daughter out of a jam. "My specialty is a blend of weeds locally grown at the side of the road."

Gianni recoiled in disgust. "Thank you but I...already had my quota of tea for the day."

Fairy Godmother shook her head. "I've been staying well hydrated in the carriage," she said smirking.

"Then what may we do for you?" she said nervously, unable to contain her questions any longer. "Is Myrielle in trouble? Is she in pain? Whatever happened it's a big misunderstanding!"

Fairy Godmother and Gianni exchanged a confused look.

"Trouble?" Fairy Godmother mused, inching forward as best she could. "There's no trouble at all." Her warm smile hid their true motive well. "Your daughter...in fact, has made it to the final twelve."

Rose jumped up in excitement and hit her head on the low ceiling. "Ow!"

Fairy Godmother watched her and frowned. "And people say I drink too much," she muttered.

Rose shook off the dizziness and clapped her hands. "This is wonderful news!" She stepped forward. "I must speak to her at once!"

Gianni blocked her path. "Family contact is prohibited for as long as she's in the contest."

Rose's heart sank to the floor. If there were ever a time when Myrielle needed advice it had to be now; so why couldn't she see her just once?

Fairy Godmother placed her hand on Rose's shoulder. "I know it's difficult, but there's still a way you can help..."

***

The tailor shop was a shadow of its former self, with unfinished designs scattered about and the furniture covered in sheets.

The main door creaked open and Gianni helped Peter limp inside to the nearest chair. The children rushed in next with Rose trailing slowly behind.

"Can I have my old bed chamber back?!" Thomas begged. He bounded up the stairs and Emilia followed.

This shop had also served as the family home until a year ago, when the citizens had run out of money for basic clothes and other luxuries.

Rose smiled nostalgically as she took stock of her former shop, but Peter's expression proved more skeptical.

"You still haven't specified our payment for these services," he said. He glanced around the shop. "Where's Fairy Godmother? She should have an answer for this."

Fairy Godmother was passed out in the carriage after vomiting on the ride over, but Gianni wasn't foolish enough to share that information.

"Fairy Godmother won't be joining us," he explained, "as she periodically needs to rest to keep her magical powers fresh." He told the lie with ease, just like any ambitious biographer obsessed with the next bestseller.

"Then perhaps you could tell us?" Peter urged. "If my wife is required to make dresses for the contest, we will certainly require payment."

No no no," said Gianni, wagging his finger at Peter like he'd been a naughty boy. "Your compensation is the comfort of your former home, and lest we forget...the finest fabrics imported from the Enchanted Kingdom, a cook to lend a hand while Madam Rose is hard at work, and of course...the honor of being the exclusive dressmaker hired for the competition." He raised an eyebrow. "Need I go on?"

Rose stepped forward. "Will I still have to make these dresses if Myrielle is eliminated from the contest?" While Rose loved her daughter, she didn't have illusions about her becoming the prince's husband, and she didn't like the idea of working for free.

Gianni studied her closely as if he was assessing her emotional state. "Rose...Rose darling, your daughter needs your positive energy right now." He put his arm around her for comfort. "You must believe that she'll succeed, otherwise your doubt will reflect in the quality of your work." He gestured to a finished dress that had never been worn. "I hope I'm not wrong in assuming you take pride in your work."

The blood immediately rushed to Rose's face, partly because her life's passion made her emotional, and also because Gianni's pure sandalwood cologne made her nauseous.

"I'll do the best work you've ever seen," she said proudly, her eyes now watering from Gianni's bold stench.

Gianni nodded in satisfaction, as another thread was sewn into the master plan...

***

While Gianni was busy manipulating Rose, Fredrick was busy tiptoeing through Gianni's guest chamber. He was searching for any documents that might offer up a clue of the next challenge. He was convinced Myrielle had been unfairly judged by being lured into gorging that pie, and if he didn't find a way to help her soon she'd be gone.

Fredrick knew he wouldn't find Gianni's notebook--which he always carried with him like a third arm--but his room was also littered with countless scrolls. He grabbed the first one he saw and scanned it top to bottom; it was a series of fashion designs for Gianni's latest outfits. He grabbed another and the theme was the same; a series of designs for outlandish hats.

Fredrick tossed it aside and sighed, convinced that the only clues to the challenges were contained in the notebook he would never see.

Feeling dejected--and very unfashionable--Fredrick turned to leave but halted when he noticed a different scroll underneath Gianni's desk. It was partially open and contained some sort of blueprint. He reached under the desk for a closer look and spotted a title that said 'Challenge 2.'

He studied every inch of it and grinned. It was a different sort of grin for Fredrick, the slightly evil grin of a servant who had figured out a plan...

[WRITER COMMENTARY: The stakes are getting high and the contest will only get more intense, with Myrielle's family in the thick of now, and Fredrick pulling strings that no servant would dare pull; but is he enough of a leading man to pull it off?...More to come and thanks for reading!]