~12 Years Later~

Years past and Prince Johnny had grown from little boy to a young man of eighteen. Despite living in the kingdom of Dellort all his life, people always seemed to get the wrong idea with Johnny. Sure, he was a prince who seemed to have it all. True, he had fame, influence, riches and every girl in the Kingdom would step over their own mother for a chance to lock him down. And although it's true that he never had to work or want for anything, Johnny's life was not without sacrifice.

Johnny was raised as a royal, that means he was constantly in the public eye. When he was six months old, a Paparazzi photographer managed to break into his nursery. His mother, Queen Betty had to fight him off with a bottle warmer so he wouldn't get a photo of the infant prince. At age five, Johnny attempted to wander outside the palace gates to play with some kids in the village, but reporters swarmed him before he got the chance. The paparazzi started snapping pictures as Queen Betty grabbed him and pulled him back into the palace, the next morning the tabloids took the photos out of context and were accusing the Queen of abusing her son. It took their personal relations people over a year to smooth it over and prove it was a misconstrued story.

For nearly his whole life, Johnny was taught to care more about what other people thought of him, than what he thought of himself. Because as the heir to the throne he had to be loved, least the people revolt against him and his family.

But today his life was about to get even more complicated...

That morning, Jerry, his bodyguard, walked into his bedroom to wake him up. Just as she had done for the past eighteen years.

"Boss!" He announced as he threw open the drapes. "Wake up! Let's go! Meet the day and rise for the occasion."

Johnny moaned, pulling the pillow over his face. "I had a rise going" he muttered sleepily. "But then I remembered my forced fiancée arrives today and it drooped."

"Great" Jerry rolled her eyes. "Wonderful opening line for the day."

"What's a rise?"

Johnny jumped as he heard a small voice from his bedside. He pulled the pillow from his face and saw a group of Depplings peeking at him from his bed.

"Oh... Morning, girls" Johnny waved.

"G'morning, Johnny" the Depplings giggled.

Funny story about the Depplings, it all started when Johnny's mother, Queen Betty-Sue came to the realized that her youngest child was in his teens. Queen Betty wondered what she would have when Johnny grew up and got married, her children were always her support system, she was the kind of woman who needed someone to take care of. Thus Johnny's sister, Princess Deborah suggested that she look into adoption and there just happened to be a group home for orphaned girls right there in Dellort.

Johnny was ecstatic when his mother agreed to adopt. Finally he would no longer be the baby of the family! Finally he would have a little sister to care and look out for! Johnny could still remember that fateful day when he and his elder siblings waited on the front steps of the palace to greet the newest addition to their family. Johnny held a teddy bear in his hands for his new little sister.

It wasn't until Queen Betty's car came rolling up the hill to the palace, followed by not one, but two school busses that Johnny realized... just one teddy bear wasn't gonna cut it!

As it turns out, Queen Betty had bonded with all of the girls at the orphanage and felt guilty about adopting only one. So she decided to clean out the entire orphanage! Adopting every one of the girls living there!

Long story short, Johnny was now the big brother to an army of little sisters and each and every one them idolized him.

"C'mon, Johnny!" One Deppling named Sandy said. "Time to wake up!"

Johnny groaned and rolled over. Sandy leaped onto the bed, crawled on top of his abdomen and started bouncing. The other Depplings giggled and following suit.

"Wake up! Wake up!" They chanted, jumping on both the bed and Johnny.

"Alright, I'm up!" Johnny told them, flinging his legs over one side of the bed.

"Piggyback ride!" A Deppling named Erica said and all five of them dogpiled him to the floor. Thank goodness for his mother's discison to put in shag carpeting.

"Helena! Help!" Johnny cried. "It's attack of the Little Siblings!"

"Depplings!" The little girls corrected.

Johnny smiled, correcting him on that was basically their catch phrase.

As Johnny got up of the floor, Jerry handed him his suit. He sighed looking at the dark navy blue suit, slacks, white shirt and blazer. The perfect outfit for a prince... but not for Johnny. It seems like he always had to dress like his title insinuated, instead of just being himself. He often thought about what he would dress like if he wasn't a prince.

Once Johnny had dressed, Jerry read him his schedule for the day.

"So, you have breakfast with the family in ten minutes" Jerry read his daily schedule off his clipboard. "Then you're to meet your bride-to-be, Princess Amber of Taustix, at the front steps of the palace. She'll be arriving at ten o'clock this morning."

"Grand..." Johnny stated sarcastically.

"What's Princess Amber like?" One Deppling named Bianca asked.

"I'm not entirely sure" Johnny said. "I only met her once."

"When?" Erica asked him.

Johnny slung his blazer over a chair and sat on the settee with them. "A long time ago" he answered. "Before any of you were born. I was about the same age as Sophie here." He picked up one Deppling and sat her on his lap.

"Do you think she'll be nice?" Sophie asked.

Johnny thought back to his first encounter with his Bride-to-be all those years ago. "I certainly hope she is" he nodded. "She was a little rough around the edges the first time I met her, but we were just kids at the time. I assume she's matured and learned to be better. Sometimes when we're kids, we do silly things without thinking it through."

"But you're grown up now and you do silly things all the time!" Erica told him.

Johnny turned to her and smiled. "That's only cause I love to make you guys smile."

"Or maybe it's just cause you're silly!" Milly told him.

"Nah!" Johnny stuck out his tongue at her.

"Naaah!" She did it right back.

"Well, if you don't like Amber" Carrie told him. "Remember, we're all still available."

"But you guys are my sisters!" Johnny exclaimed.

"Adopted sisters!" Milly corrected. "So it technically doesn't matter..."

"But you guys are still little" Johnny told them. "You shouldn't worry about getting married just yet. Heck, I'm not even all that sure about it yet."

Jerry looked over at the clock. "Breakfast time!" She said. "Let's go, your mother will be waiting..."

Johnny walked out the door and down the hallway. He turned his head and saw the Depplings following behind him in a straight line. He grinned watching them.

When the girls first arrived they were all smitten with Johnny because none of them had ever had an older brother before. They soon developed a habit of following him everywhere, they often formed a single file line behind him as he walked around the palace.

They look like ducklings Johnny thought the first time he noticed it. Ducklings...? Siblings...? Depplings!

And thus his army of little sisters were dubbed Depplings. It was actually a time saver, the girls all had names but there were so many of them it was hard to remember who had what name.

👑🏰👑

Johnny walked into the dining room with the six Depplings trailing behind him, the rest of the family was seated at the long dining room table. The rest of the Depplings took up most of the table, but also seated was Johnny's older sister, Princess Deborah, his brother Daniel and at the head of the table sat his mother, Queen Betty-Sue.

"Hi Johnny..." the Depplings at the table chimed.

"Hey girls..." Johnny waved to them, taking his seat at the table, between Deborah and the Depplings that walked in with him.

"Here comes the groom..." Debbie sang.

"Shut up" Johnny groaned.

"Deborah, don't tease your brother!" Queen Betty told her.

Deborah was the undisputed golden child of the family. In fact, if you asked her if she was the golden child, she wouldn't deny it. Then again who would deny that? But overall Debbie did stand out in the family. Every one of the Depp kids was good at something, but Debbie was the one who was good at everything! Probably because she was willing to try anything once. The twenty five year old princess had spent the last two years traveling to a number of foreign lands, educating refugees. Surprising no one, since she was always at the top of the education game, learning to speak twelve languages, being fluent in fairy-ese. She even found the time to earn her Pegasus-piloting liesense.

"Don't think of marriage as the end, John" Daniel told his younger brother. "Think of it as a new beginning."

Johnny stifled an annoyed sigh as he gave his brother an agreeing smile.

If Johnny was the Karate Kid, then his brother Daniel was his Mr. Miyagi. The Master Yoda to Johnny's Luke Skywalker. Daniel was always the quiet, but wise and cultured one of the family. So when he finally spoke up and said he wanted to join the priesthood... everyone was shocked. The logical bookworm wanted to spend his life serving God? No one saw it coming! But Daniel was living proof that one could be logical and religious at the same time. Till this day, if Johnny wants good advice on making his next decision, he goes to Daniel and he gives him a profound and professional answer. But he always leaves room for Johnny to interpret the words given and turn them into his own action. Although Johnny wasn't sure if Daniel did this because his older brother believed in him or because he wanted to see what kind of comedic chaos would ensue when his little brother finally put his words into action. At one point, an eighteen year old Daniel told Johnny that rubbing an ice pack on his groin would help him achieve pubes. Knowing full-well that eight year old Johnny would be just crazy and naive enough to try it. Looking back, it's a real wonder how Daniel ever became a man of the cloth...

Queen Betty voice suddenly broke the silence. "Johnny, hurry up and eat" She told him "Your bride will be arriving soon."

Johnny visibly cringed at the reminder and decided to put in a last ditch effort to get out of this royal wedding from hell.

"Mom, to be honest I'm not sure I can go through with this arranged marriage" Johnny said softly. "I'm far too depressed with the death of poor Buggles..."

Queen Beth glanced up from her plate at him. "Buggles was a dog and he died because you fed him too many table scraps and gave him a heart attack!"

"I know and I blame myself!" Johnny pouted.

His mother scoffed. "The dog died eight years ago and you're just starting to grieve now?!"

"I have stunned emotions." Johnny shrugged nonchalantly. "Which is why marrying me off is a bad idea! I might not even begin to like her until our kids are graduating high school..."

Queen Betty wasn't buying what her son was selling. That's one thing that sucks about being the youngest child in your family, after raising her three other kids, Queen Betty was a pro at seeing though Johnny's BS and excuses.

"John Christopher Depp II" She told him. "If you don't want to get married... just tell me."

Johnny's hope soared.

"...So I can dig a new grave beside the dog and bury you as well!" Queen Betty finished her sentence.

Johnny's hope crashed and burned. "MA!" He protested.

"Don't you Ma me!" She snapped. "I spent nine hours giving birth to you in the backseat of a Rolls-Royce..."

"Here we go..." Johnny and his siblings groaned in unison. They had heard the story of Johnny's birth before. So much so, that if Johnny could go back in time, he could probably deliver his infant self.

"...No modern medicine! No morphine! No anesthesia! And you ruined a perfectly good Italian leather upholstery!" Queen Betty carried on regardless. "I went through all that to bring you into this world, John Junior! So no one better try to tell me that I don't have the God-given right to take you out of it!"

Johnny moaned. "But I barely know Amber!" He complained. "How can you expect me to spend the rest of my life with her?"

Queen Betty sighed. "The only reason I'm doing this is because I love you, sweetheart" she told him. "And I won't be around forever, but before that happens I want to make sure you're in a good place. I know the pressures of running this kingdom and I want to make sure you have a sturdy foundation of people to help see you through it. And that includes a wife. I just want to make sure you're happy and taken care of in life."

Johnny smiled gratefully. "You don't have to worry about my life, mom."

"Too late..." Queen Betty shook her head. "Your whole life worries me..." she turned and looked at the clock. "Just hurry up and eat! They'll be here any minute!"

Johnny rolled his eyes and huffed. There were times he hated being the heir to the throne. His whole family fretting over him, making sure his life was planned out, ten years at a time. Johnny loved his family and always appreciated their concern, but it gets annoying after a while. His whole life was planned out, his public appearances for the next two years? Planned. His outfits for the next six weeks? Planned. The woman he was supposed to marry and spend the rest of his life with? Planned!

Johnny was never even given a choice! Everybody just assumed the safest and most appropriate option was the one for him! It was frustrating! He barely knew this woman! And they expected him to marry her, reproduce the next heir to the throne and spend the rest of his life with her! It was his life, he had the right to make some choices in it as well!

"Mom!" Johnny stood up from his chair. "I love you, but this is my life and I'm entitled to some decisions in my future. Now... I refuse to be forcefully married to someone I barely know."

Queen Betty slowly looked up at her youngest child and pursed her lips and raised a brow. Her head was nodding so slow and gentle, you could have sworn she was moving in slow motion. Johnny swallowed the lump forming his throat, had he went too far? His mother was a very caring woman, but she tended to make it known that she was not someone to be messed with. Johnny, his siblings and everyone in the Palace of Dellort knew you were never to challenge Queen Betty. The woman ruled over an entire kingdom for over thirty years and gave birth to four kids... it goes without saying she was strong and had a short temper.

"I'm sorry, Mom. Say and do what you will, but--" Johnny deliberately sat back down. "--I'm not moving from this chair!"

Betty-Sue turned to the Depplings. "Girls..." she called to them.

👑🏰👑

...As it turns out Johnny didn't need to leave his chair at the breakfast table. Because when you have an army of little sisters, their collected strength can lift the chair up with you still in it and carry you to the front steps of the palace.

Upon Queen Betty's orders, the Depplings did just that. They bounded Johnny to his chair with a sparkly pink jump rope and began lifting the chair and parading Johnny down the halls of the palace... and towards his doom. A.K.A His bride...

"Put me down!" Johnny pleaded. "Girls! Please, stop it!"

"Sorry, Johnny!" Sandy called up to him. "We love you, but not enough to disrespect Queen Mommy's orders!"

Johnny heaved a sighed and slumped back in his chair.

"Would you like some travel music?" Sandy offered.

Johnny shook his head. "No, thank you. I think I'm go-"

"Hava nagila, hava nagila! Hava nagila, venis mecha!" The Depplings sang the Chair Song like a heavenly choir.

"Girls, that's nice but--" Johnny tried.

"Hava neranena, hava neranena! Hava neranena, venis mecha!" The Depplings carried on singing in perfect Hebrew.

"How do you even know this song?!" Johnny asked them. "We're not even Jewish!"

"We're coming up on a low hanging doorway!" Milly exclaimed. "Watch your head, Johnny!"

"What?" He asked.

The girls passed under the doorway, but Johnny hit his forehead on the crown molding of the doorframe and went flying backwards to the floor while he was still tied to the chair.

"Ooh!" Sandy hissed. "Back it up, girls! We lost our precious cargo!"

The collected group of Depplings walked backwards through the doorframe.

"Beep! Beep! Beep!" The girls chimed as they backed up.

Queen Betty smirked, watching them pick up Johnny.

"Don't worry, girls! It ain't the first time!" She told the Depplings. "His Daddy dropped him once was he was a baby! Didn't effect him though... he got his heart and eyes from me and his stubbornness and thick skull from his Daddy!"

"What?!" Johnny squawked.

"Nothing, Baby!" She said, pushing his hair out of his face and kissing his forehead.

👑🏰👑

The Royal family stood on the front steps of the palace, awaiting the arrival of their new fiancé/in-law. The Depplings released Johnny from his bonds and slid him off the chair.

"Thank you, darlings" Queen Betty said. "Now could you put the chair back in the dining room where it belongs, please?"

"We're on it!" Sandy said, helping to lift the chair back into the palace.

Queen Betty looked her son over, she buttoned his blazer and then began pushing his bangs out of his face. Johnny rolled his eyes annoyed. His mother always had to mess with his appearance, she's been doing it since he was a kid!

"Mom! Please stop fussing!" He pleaded. "I look fine!"

"No, you don't!" Queen Betty told him. "Now stop pulling away when I'm trying to fix that mop top of yours. If you combed your hair properly, we wouldn't have this problem!"

The Depplings returned from putting the chair back in the dining room.

"We're here! We're here!" Erica cried as they came rushing back. "What'd we miss?"

"Nothing yet" Daniel informed them.

"Aww... Queen Mommy's grooming Johnny like a monkey mama" Milly cooed.

"You missed a spot on the left..." A Deppling named Dawn told Queen Betty.

"Dawn Honey... please don't encourage her" Johnny shook his head.

"I'm here! I'm here!" Jerry walked up to them. "Did I miss anything?"

"Nope" Deborah answered.

"Your majesty, what are you doing?" Jerry asked Queen Betty.

"She's prepping the virgin for the final sacrifice" Daniel snickered.

"Virgin?" Debbie stifled a chuckle. "He's engaged, not twelve again!"

Queen Betty stared at her "What?!" She turned to stare at Johnny "WHAT?!" she repeated.

Johnny's eyes widened. "Uh... oh, look! Look!" He cried. "I think that's Princess Amber now!"

They all turned to see a white limousine pull up into the palace courtyard, with the Taustix flag flapping from the front and back of the vehicle.

"Oh, wow... it actually is Princess Amber" Johnny's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He bent down to the nearest Deppling, whispering "Is that timing, or what?"

The chauffeur exited the limo and jogged over to the back of the car, opening the door.

"For Christ's sake, Winston!" Came a scratchy and commanding female voice. "You're job isn't that hard! Simply drive the car and open the door before your passenger dies of old age!"

"I'm sorry, miss" Winston said sincerely.

"Not as sorry as you'll be when you're in the unemployment line!" Amber told him, stepping out of the car.

Johnny watched with frightened fascination as his bride-to-be exited the limo. The once fair-colored blonde hair she had as a child, was now a sandy blonde with chestnut highlights. Her complexion was washed out enough to make her blood red-painted lips stand out. Her emerald green eyes reminded Johnny of a black cat, hissing at the moon on Halloween. She was dressed in a white pantsuit that was slightly baggy against her thin frame.

Princess Amber squinted in the sun as she stared up at the steps. Her green cat eyes finally landing on him and her mouth curling into a tight grin. Like the cat that had just cornered the canary.

"Oh my God!" She walked to the bottom of the stairs and held her hand out to him.

Johnny was confused, until he realized she wanted him to do. He awkwardly walked down the steps and took her hand. Upon grasping his hand, Amber immediately pulled him close and linked his arm with his. She smiled at him as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Johnny was confused as to why she was putting on such a show. Until the flickering of a light caught his eye in the bushes about fifty feet away, outside the palace gates. Paparazzi photographer's were hiding and taking photos of them. But how did they know where and when Amber would arrive? They had been so secretive about it.

"I am so happy to see you again" Amber pulled him around to walk up the steps with him. "I've been waiting for this moment for so long. The day when I'm reunited with my fiancé and finally get to marry him. It's like a real-life Cinderella story!"

"Yeah" Johnny nodded. "Except the fact that Cinderella was an orphaned servant and you were already born a princess."

"Oh, I'm not that pampered" Amber told him. "This one time my chamber maid, Sylvia called in sick because she had to get a tooth pulled. And I had to make my own lunch... like, all by myself and everything!" She groaned. "I felt like such a domestic!"

"I'm sure it must be hard, if you're not used to it" Johnny nodded, trying not to sound sarcastic.

"Although it seemed unnecessary that Sylvia had to take the whole morning off!" Amber shook her head. "I mean, her job benefits do cover dental expenses. So there's really no excuse for her not to take better care of her teeth."

Johnny was thankful that they finally met his family at the top of the steps, because he couldn't think of any polite reply for that.

Amber curtsied to Queen Betty. "Your majesty, it is an honor to meet you" she said.

"Well, I must say I admire your patience after all these years, Princess" Queen Betty nodded.

Amber smiled until she felt something tug at her pantleg. She looked down and saw Bella, a timid and shy Deppling who had just celebrated her second birthday. She held a tulip up to Amber, a welcoming gift she had plucked from Queen Betty's garden earlier that morning.

"Oh! She's so... small!" Amber smile grew so wide it was beginning to seem fake. She reached down and picked little Bella up.

Bella's eyes grew wide and she seemed visibly confused and scared.

"That's Bella" Johnny informed Amber. "She's--uh... she's very shy with new people."

"Relax, kids love me!" Amber assured him. She turned Bella around in her arms to face her. "You love me, don't you...?"

Bella's little blue eyes began to fill with tears as she whimpered. Frightened by this unknown and strange lady.

"Okay, take it back-- I mean, take her back!" Amber snatched the tulip from her and practically tossed her into Johnny's arms.

Poor little Bella clutched his chest, relieved to be back in the arms of someone warm and familiar.

Next a Deppling named Zoey smiled as she approached Amber and did some hand gestures.

"What?" Amber's smiled faltered.

"She said 'Hi, my name is Zoey'" Debbie translated. "Zoey's had a terrible illness as a baby and it left her deaf. So she communicates via sign language. She can read lips pretty well, just make sure she's looking at you when you talk to her."

Zoey signed again to Amber.

"I could teach you sign language, if you like?" Johnny interpreted.

"Mm... no" Amber shook her head. "I can't imagine how it would be useful."

Zoey's eyes fell to the ground upon reading her lips.

Amber stared around at all the Deppling's. "Is this... Is this one of those class field trip tours... that went awry?" She asked. She leaned into Johnny's ear. "Don't be afraid to call palace security on them. It's good for kids to know when they've done wrong. Helps them to learn..."

"No, no!" Johnny said. "These are my little sisters, the Deppling's!"

"Oh... all of them?" Amber asked.

"Yeah!" Johnny nodded.

"Hmm..." Amber frowned. "So if you could show me to my suite?"

"Of course!" Queen Betty said. "If you'll follow me!"

The rest of the family parted from the palace entrance as the palace guards struggled up the stairs with Amber's copious amount of luggage.

"Hey Johnny!" Sandy tugged on his shirt and Johnny kneeled down to her height.

"Remember when you took us to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs?" Sandy asked.

"Yeah..." he nodded.

"Well... Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho! That girl of yours blows!" Sandy sang.

Johnny gently shushed her, while trying not to bust out laughing himself. As he stood up again, he noticed the same photographer in the bushes that he saw before. Why did Amber turn them both directly towards the photographers when he helped her out of the car? How did photographers even know where to set up for them? Johnny couldn't help but suspect Amber tipped them off. But still Amber was a royal like him, it was common practice amongst Royal's to preserve privacy, for safety and governmental reasons.

Considering Johnny was stuck in this arranged marriage, he decided to make the best of it. Prehaps he could grow to love Amber. If not love, he could manage to coexist with her. He had to do this, for the good of his family and his kingdom...

👑🏰👑

Later that day, Amber insisted that Johnny come with her to the palace's indoor swimming pool. Johnny agreed, but not before he invited the Deppling's to come with him. The girls loved the water and Johnny wasn't completely comfortable being near Amber in a bikini yet. He had only met the woman for the second time, this morning for God's sake!

Amber and the Depplings were in the pool as Johnny sat on a lounge chair with a book nearby. He glanced over at Amber as she taught the Depplings how to dive.

"Alright, keep your legs together when you dive this time, Sarah!" Amber called to the next Deppling on the diving board.

"I'm Sally!" She yelled back.

Amber rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Let's go! Again!"

"But I'm getting tired!" Sally whimpered. "We've been doing this for an hour!"

"Don't be a such a whiney quitter!" Amber commanded.

Sally sighed and leaped off the board into the pool as Amber instructed.

Amber sighed and got out of the pool and saunters over to Johnny in her skimpy bikini. She leaned over him and making sure her boobs were at his eye level. Johnny stifled a sigh and forced himself to look up from his book at her.

"Maybe you should hop in and get yourself... wet?" She smiled down at him.

"Uh... actually, I can't swim. Thanks anyways" Johnny informed her. "Would you like a towel? You're kind of leaking all over my book..."

Mia was the next Deppling who dived into the pool "How was that?" She asked when she broke the surface.

"Again!" Amber demanded, still facing Johnny.

"You weren't even watching!" Mia argued.

"Yes, I was! Do it again, Mallory!" Amber told her. "You're going to do it till you get it right!" 

"I'm Mia! She's Mallory!" Mia pointed out one of her sisters.

"Let her rest for a bit" Johnny shrugged. "She's just a little kid..."

"What kind of excuse is that?" Amber stared him down. "I was a kid... only a kid. I learned early, life goes by too fast. You gotta know how to compete and win! Do you want them to grow up to be spoiled royal brats?"

Johnny stared back at her in slight bewilderment. Amber appeared to be ambitious... to a toxic degree.

She sighed her previous rant off and sat down on his lap, Johnny was taken by surprise by that.

"Why don't you feel comfortable with me, Johnny?" Amber placed her palm on his cheek. "I don't bite, you know?"

Johnny gave a quick smile. "It's not you. It's just that we barely know each other, we only met once and... well, we're suppose to be together the rest of our lives..."

"And we will be!" She assured him.

"Yes, but how can you make a decision like that so fast and be alright with it?" He questioned.

"Well... let's take this time to get to know each other" Amber whispered in his ear.

Before Johnny could say anything more, she strokes his thigh causing him to jump and scramble over to the next chair.

"Ooooh-kay!" Johnny said nervously. "Um... I... I heard you were at the Benefit Gala last fall? In Twytopia?"

A breif look of disappointment crossed Amber's face before she sat back in his previous chair.

"Yes. I wore this little hot pink number. It was gorgeous on me!" She nodded.

"I'm sure it was. What did you think of the Benefit Gala itself?" Johnny asked.

"Mm... The catering wasn't very good. But what can you expect from a charity case function like that?" Amber shrugged. "They're always on a budget. And it's like, seriously? Give your guests something nice for the money their donating to brain cancer!"

"Breast..." Johnny sighed.

"Oh! You noticed?" Amber adjusted her bikini top.

"No, no!" Johnny shook his head. "The Benefit Gala! It was to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. That's why they had it in the fall, cause October is breast cancer awareness month. That's why everyone wore pink?"

"Oh! I just assumed everyone copied me and my outfit?" Amber turned to the Depplings. "Who wants to have a swimming race?" She called to them.

"Okay..."

"Sure..."

"Whatever..."

Johnny bit his lower lip in concern. The poor Deppling's looked tuckered out and exhausted. Amber had worked them over hard with that diving nonsense. Usually his little sisters were perky and hyperactive as bunny rabbits on speed, now they looked like a pack of marijuana-smoking sloths.

Amber jumped into the pool, swam over to one end of the pool where the Deppling's had lined up. She commanded Johnny to count them down. He kneeled beside them, on the pool's edge.

"Okay, ready girls?" Johnny said. "On your mark... Get set... Go!"

Amber gave the girls a head start, before shooting off and winning the race across the pool. By the time the Depplings caught up, they're all out of breath and wheezing, hanging off the pool's edge.

"Let's go again!" Amber announced. "C'mon! I'll give you a bigger headstart this time!"

"Maybe they should rest now?" Johnny suggested.

"They're fine!" Amber snapped. "Count us down again!"

Johnny sighed. "On your mark... Get set... Go!" He said half-heartedly.

Amber again paused to give the little girls a headstart, before zooming off and winning. She strided out of the pool with a smug and satisfied look on her face as she snatched a towel for herslef.

The Deppling's scampered out of the pool, some collapsing onto the pool steps, trying to catch their breath. Johnny ran to the pools cooler and grabbed as much bottled water as he could for them to drink. Amber plucked one up before he can offer the younger girls some.

"Oh, thank you, Johnny!" She grinned.

Johnny could barely hide his scowl as he gave the rest of the bottles to the Deppling's.

"I have to head to the kitchen and get more water!" Johnny exited the pool. "Just a minute, girls! I'll be right back with more!"

"You lost, girls!" Amber shook the water from her hair. "Prehaps royal life has made you all soft?"

"But it's wasn't fair!" Faith told her. "You're bigger than we are! It's not fair you got to win twice!"

"Well, whoever told you life was fair was a liar!" Amber glared at the little girl. "I'm bigger and I'm faster! Therefore I will always beat you! That's just the facts!"

"Then maybe we just won't play with you anymore! Or ever!" Sandy told her off.

"Don't you ever use that tone of voice with me, Missy!" Amber threw her towel down. "Who do you think you're talking to?! You know what you're gonna do?! You're all gonna march yourselves to your room right now!"

"We won't!" Erica cried.

"Oh, you won't?" Amber raised a brow.

"You have no right to send us to our room!" Erica told her. "You're not our mother! You're not Jerry! You're not even a part of this family yet! You only got here two hours ago, why should you be allowed to boss us arou--"

"I am the future queen of this whole kingdom! And you will do as I say!" Amber cut her off.

"No!" Erica crossed her arms, glaring up at her.

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Johnny returned from the palace kitchen five minutes later, with a cart of water bottles and handed them out to the girls.

"I got one for each of you girls" Johnny said. "Drink it up even if you're not thirsty. You need to stay hydrated on hot days like today."

Amber walked over from the pool shed and snatched one of the bottles off the cart.

"I'll be in my room" she said curtly.

"Alright" Johnny said, not really caring.

After Amber left, Sandy tugged on Johnny's shirt to get his attention. She whispered something to him in a soft voice.

"What?" Johnny asked.

"I said... make sure to do a head count before we leave" Sandy said in a small and meek voice. "Please promise me you'll do a head count, Johnny."

"Sure, sweetheart" Johnny stared at her with concern. "Are you alright?"

"Mm-hmm" Sandy nodded softly.

Johnny knew she was lying. Sandy was usually the brash and fearless leader of the Deppling's, but now she's looked up at him like she was scared and helpless. As Johnny stared around at the rest of the Deppling's, he noticed they all looked like Sandy. They kept their heads down and they didn't talk to each other. It was so unlike them.

What has them so spooked? Johnny couldn't help but think.

As the Depplings each grabbed a towel and headed back to their room, Johnny counted them ten by ten to make sure they were all there. Suddenly as the last girls leave, Johnny notices that they were one girl short.

"Someone's missing... Where's..." he looked amongst the girls. "Where did Erica go?"

The Depplings looked down or try to avoid Johnny's gaze. They seem uncomfortable and too scared to answer.

"What's wrong?" Johnny asked. "Girls, where is Erica? If you know you have to tell me."

Sandy tugged on Johnny's shirt again. Johnny leans down to her height. She motions for him to come closer, Sandy whispers into his ear:

"Amber locked her in the pool shed out back. Amber told us not to tell. Please don't tell her we said anything..."

Johnny stared at her in shock. Amber locked a child up? And threatened a bunch of kids to secrecy? What the...?!

"I won't tell" Johnny promised. "Head up to your room and get dressed with your sisters. It's okay..." he patted her back.

As the girls left, Johnny ran out back to the pool shed and let's Erica out. She was curled up  in the corner, scared and crying when he found her.

"Johnny! Johnny!" Five year old Erica went running to him.

"What happened?" Johnny asked her. "Is it true Amber did this to you?"

"I can't tell you" Erica shook her head. "She said she'd find me and throw me in here for good if I said anything."

"Erica, if someone does something like this to you, you have to tell someone!" Johnny explained. "You know that! You can tell me or Debbie or Danny or Mom or Jerry or one of the staff. You do not have to feel scared in your own home!"

Erica sniffled."A-Amber said I had to go in time out! I-I tr-tried to tell her I don't like the dark! But she wouldn't listen!

"It's okay, Angel" Johnny hugged her. "It's alright, you do not have to stay here all alone."

He wrapped a towel around Erica's shivering frame and carried her back to the Deppling's bedroom. He asked one of the Palace Staff to have some hot chocolate sent to the Deppling's bedroom for them to try and soothe them.

Then he marched straight to Amber's room. He needed to make sure his fiancée knew how and how not to treat people in this palace.

Johnny knocked on Amber's door.

"I'll leave my laundry outside the door!" Amber yelled through the door. "You're not allowed in my room, so you can't steal my things! ...Por favor!"

"It's Johnny!" He yelled back.

"Oh! In that case, come in!"

Johnny walked into the room and stared around for Amber. Suddenly the bathroom door opened and she emerged in a robe with her hair wrapped in a towel and black goop smeared all over her face.

"JESUS!" Johnny jumped.

"Oh, relax!" Amber said with a wave of her hand. "It's just my beauty routine!"

"That's fine..." Johnny nodded, starting to edge back towards the door. "But you should really wipe that black paint off your face! There are some African-American staff members in this palace that would find that seriously offensive! Hell, I find it offensive!"

"I'm not doing blackface! This is a charcoal-infused face mask!" Amber told him. "It's suppose to help remove impurities and make my pores look clearer and smaller."

I wonder if it'll help remove the impurities in her soul too... Johnny thought.

"Amber, I need to talk to you about something that happened with the Depplings" He decided to go straight to the point.

"Yes, Emily was mouthing off to me and I put her in time out" Amber explained.

"Her name is Erica" Johnny told her. "And according to her, you were raising your voice to her and her sisters for unjustifiable reasons."

"She's lying!" Amber raised her voice.

"The Depplings have never lied to me or anyone else in this family" Johnny said. "And I'd say Erica's story checks out, considering you're now raising your voice at me!"

Amber huffed and plopped herself down on the bed, crossing her legs.

Johnny sighed before taking a different route. "Amber, I'm sorry I lost my temper. But... were you aware that Erica has anxiety issues?" He asked her.

"Are you sure that isn't just another lie she told you?" Amber raised a skeptical brow.

"She's scared of the dark!" Johnny began to lose his temper again. "Before we adopted her, Erica's original mother was abusive to her! She would lock her in the basement for days and leave her in the dark! She spend the first three years of her life like that! Since then, she's goes into a panic attack when left in the dark! If you leave her alone in a dark space, she's liable to worry herself into a heart attack!"

"Now who's raising their voice?" Amber smirked.

"You shouldn't try to punish a child that's not yours!" Johnny told her flat out. "Especially one that didn't do anything wrong to begin with!"

"She was questioning my authority!" Amber retorted.

"You don't have any authority here! You haven't even been here a whole day yet!" Johnny said.

"So that's where those girls get it!" Amber pointed out. "You're a bad influence on them!"

Johnny heaved a sigh. This was pointless...

"Leave the Deppling's disciplining to us... that's all I wanted to say!" Johnny threw his hands in the air as he turned and left the room.

He sighed and tried to massage the headache out of his temples. When he looked up, he jumped as he saw his mother.

"We're you two just arguing?" Queen Betty inquired.

"No, Mom" Johnny sighed. "We were just having a serious conversation."

"Mm-hmm..." His mother nodded. "Well, I'm not gonna judge. I use to have much more 'serious conversations' with my first two husband's. Anyway, I wanted to tell you I booked us a table at that steak joint we like. So prepare yourself for a family dinner tonight."

"Does that include people that haven't married into the family yet?" Johnny tried to keep his tone nutural.

"Yes..." Queen Betty sighed.

"Great" Johnny rolled his eyes.

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When Johnny finally made it back to his room, he took a moment to sit down with his guitar and play for a bit. Music usually calmed him down, but even that didn't work today.

"You've gotten better at that..." came a voice behind him.

Johnny whirled around and grinned, putting the guitar down. "Christi!" He walked over to hug his sister.

Christi was Johnny's best friend in the world. When you're brought up in a castle,  under a strict set of safety rules and copious amounts of guards and security protocols, suffice it to say you can't just go play at the park with other kids. Johnny was forced to make his own fun and Christi was really the closest thing to a friend he had. Daniel and Deborah were much older then he was and were already going through their moody teen phases. Christi was only two and a half years older than Johnny. She understood his weird hobbies and always stood up for him. She was his rock.

"Sorry I'm late" Christi said. "What'd I miss?"

"Well, my forced fiancée is a total bitch as expected..." Johnny informed her.

"No shit! I could've told you that one!" Christi rolled her eyes, sitting down beside him on the couch. "Remember when she dislocated your spine when you were kids?"

"I know, I know" Johnny nodded. "But I had hoped she would've grown out of it. If anything I think she got more disagreeable over time. Or maybe she was always that level of disagreeable... I don't know we didn't see each other much after that, so I don't have anything else to go on?"

"I wish there was something I could do to get you out of this marriage" Christi told him.

"It's alright..." Johnny put his head on her shoulder. "Just knowing that you're here with me now is helping."

"Aww... you're sweet-talking me... you precious lil' candy ass" Christi rested her head on top of his.

Johnny laughed. "Apparantly my initial thoughts about this arranged marriage were right..."

"What was your initial thoughts about it?"

"You can't arrange love..." Johnny sighed.