Following his disastrous conversation with his brother, Dean decided he had to take matters into his own hands. 

He thought things through before going to sleep and he though things again when he woke up. It was a difficult decision, but he couldn't return to Datram empty-handed. 

"Brother, come join us," Darren said cheerfully. He was having breakfast with Danielle's parents.

Of all the odd things Darren had been doing since last he saw Dean, this was by far the strangest. At least to Dean's eyes. He had never EVER seen his brother having breakfast with the parents of a girl he was seeing. Luckily, Dean was great at controlling his expressions. 

Danielle's parents stood up and her father turned to greet him.

"Your Highness, we have heard so much about you. It is so good to finally meet you,"

Dean glanced at them and nodded. "I'm sure it is," he said a bit curtly and then turned back at Darren. "A word, brother," 

"Anything you need to say, you can say it here," Darren said, much to his brother's annoyance. 

"Have you broken up with her yet?" Dean asked in old Narnian, a pretty much dead language only he and his cousins spoke anymore.

"No," Darren replied, slightly amused by his brother's witty tactic. "And I won't, so why don't you drop it and come meet her parents," 

Dean approached the table, glanced at them for a second, and reached for an apple. "Not likely," Dean said, taking a bite. "You've got one last chance, brother. I'm going back to Datram, and I am going to give you one more chance to do what's right. If by the time I get there you haven't broken things up, it's going to be James who comes knocking next time," he threw the apple at Darren, who caught it easily. "And he doesn't ask," He placed his hands behind his back and strolled out after sparing Danielle's parents one last look.

"Send him my regards," Darren called out, always wanting to have the last word. 

Oh, but leaving wasn't Dean's plan. 

"If you're not going to fix this," Dean said to himself, "Then I will. With or without you,"

He had come to Narnia to fulfil a purpose and nothing and no one was going to stop him from fulfilling it. Not even Darren.

No, he had to take matters into his own hands. However, for that, he needed help.

He didn't wish to do it, but he felt like he had to. If taking had failed, then other measures would need to be taken. There weren't many he knew and trusted in Narnia that would endorse his plan, and with his cousin gone, there was only one person he could turn to.

"Forgive me, Your Highness, but this... this is mental," Lord Stryder said.

"Unusual, yes," Dean said. "Drastic? yes. But mental?" he shook his head. "Mental is Darren going through with it. Do you know what he said to me back in Datram?" he waited a second before answering his own question. "He said he was tired of her and that he was going to end things in order to pursue other women. He said she had gotten too clingy and needy and that it was hardy fun anymore. He said he had started finding her annoying. Am I suppose to think he changed his mind as soon as he got here and decided he's going to wed her? Now that is mental,"

"I understand," Henry said. "But is this necessary?" 

Dean had explained what he wanted to do and more importantly what he needed Henry to do. Not only did Dean want Henry's help, but he also wanted to borrow his home and a few other favours. 

"It is," Dean said. "I will give him one last chance, but that's it. If he says no, we do it,"

Henry looked conflicted. He didn't want to say no, but he wasn't exactly jumping with excitement over the prince's plan. It was just too risky.

"If you worry about the repercussions, don't. I'll take care of it. Look, all you need to do is get my brother to your place," Dean said, trying to get Henry to agree. "I'll talk to him, you don't even have to be there, and if I can't convince him to break up with her, then I'll take care of him myself. You need not get involved. I just need to know I can count on your discretion and your house," 

He wanted to say no. We wanted to tell Dean to wait until Imira returned, but Dean seemed to be in a bit of a rush to get it all sorted before she returned. 

"Alright," Henry agreed at last. "I'll find someone trustworthy for the snooping and meet you at my place tonight,"

"You need not worry, it will all work out," Dean said and left to notify King Edmund and Queen Susan he'd be leaving. 

"Thank you for the invitation again," Darren said as they arrived at his home. He had invited Prince Darren, as Prince Dean had asked, for dinner under the pretence of celebrating his betrothment to Lady Danielle. 

"Ah, don't mention it," Henry said, feeling a little guilty by the trap he had helped set up. 

"Who else did you say was coming?" Darren asked as they headed for the dining room. 

"Oh, just people," Henry said. 

"They're here, they're here!" Becc ran into the dining hall where his mother was speaking to Prince Dean. 

"I suppose that is our queue to leave," Lady Phoebe said, receiving help from Prince Dean to stand up. She was seven months pregnant. 

"I won't cause much trouble," Dean said. "Though I do suggest you keep that one away," he whispered, glancing at Becc. 

"You need not tell me twice," Phoebe said.  "Let's go, son," 

Dean opened the door for her and then went back to wait for his brother. 

He heard him talking to Lord Stryder as the door opened, something about inviting him to his wedding. 

"... I'm certain we can-" and then he saw him. "Dean? I thought you were gone. What is this?" Darren turned to Lord Stryder. 

"Forgive me, your Highness," Henry said and closed the door. 

"Don't blame him," Dean said. "He wanted me to wait until Imira's arrival, but I am afraid we do not have time to spare," 

"Dean, if this is another attempt at persuading me to break things up with Lady Danielle-" 

"Yes, yes it is," Dean interrupted. 

"Dean," Darren said tiredly. He had heard enough people telling him it was a bad idea and he was sick and tired of it. "Just let it go. What do you care who I wed?" 

"Is it not clear enough?" Dean asked. "Darren, when you became interested in that Princess, I asked you to be careful. James asked you to be careful. Even Maxwell asked you to be careful. You knew how bad it could turn out and you assured us you knew what you were doing. You said that you were going to get your act together and break things up with the Galmian so as to not cause any problems. You know they'd love a reason to start a conflict and lay claim to any land on our side of the Western Sea, and you just gave them one," 

"I just don't see what the problem is," Darren said. "It is not as if I had asked for the princess's hand. What do you want me to do? End things with Danielle, go back and marry the princess?" 

"I am not asking you to marry anyone. I simply wish to know what made you change your mind," Dean said frustratedly. 

"Change my mind?" Darren asked confused. 

"Has he not been listening?" Dean thought. "Why are you marrying her?!" 

"Because I love her," Darren replied simply. As if he had been asked why he drinks water and he'd replied with a because I'm thirsty. 

"That makes no sense whatsoever. Nonesense, that's what it is. This is not you. Three weeks ago you said you didn't love her, you've cheated on her on numerous occasions, you've said to me you wish to leave her repeatedly. I don't see how you go from that to marriage. I don't see how you go from anywhere to marriage. I thought you weren't interested in that," 

"I do not know what you're speaking of. I love Lady Danielle. It is you who is making no sense," 

"I am making no sense?" Dean laughed cynically. "Brother, you said to me less than a month ago that you did not love her and that you had grown tired of her," 

"I would never say that. I love her," Darren said, profoundly confused by what he was hearing. He had no recollection of ever saying such things. 

"Have you lost the plot?!? Did you.. hit your head on the way back? Are you - have you smoked something? or... does she have something against you? Is she- is she manipulating you?" Dean spat out all his theories and took a break to catch his breath. He sighed exasperatedly. "I simply do not understand what is going on inside your mind. You told everyone on Datram that you were going to leave her. This makes no sense," 

"I would never say that. I love her," Darren repeated. "Look, clearly, you are not going to let this nonsense go, and, arguing any further seems pointless, so why don't I go back to Cair Paravel, you go back to Datram and sort your problems and I'll see you at the wedding, eh?" 

Dean was this close to strangling his brother. The conversation did seem pointless. Darren's response to everything was denial and because I love her, which was really vexing his brother. "One last chance, Darren," Dean cautioned his brother. "Agree to end things and come home. You are not thinking straight. I'll... look, I'll find you the best doctor in Datram, you can stay with me at Goldstone and we can figure this out because you are making no sense," 

"Dean, my mind has never been clearer. I love Lady Danielle and I am marrying her. What's more to say?" Darren said and went for the door, but when he opened it he found two of his brother's guards on the other side, blocking his path. 

"Move aside," Darren said, but the guards did not move. "Let me through," Darren said, but with a nod from Dean the guards grabbed hold of him. "What is this?" he turned to his brother. 

Dean took off his jacket. "With or without you, your betrothal to that girl is ending tonight," 

The realization of what his brother planned to do hit him like a splash of cold water in the morning. "You wouldn't dare," 

"I'd rather not," Dean said. "I haven't passed off for you in years, but I'm afraid you leave me with no choice," 

"Dean, stop this. This is madness!" he screamed as the guards restrained him, pulling him forward.  

"No. Madness is you changing your mind so drastically in a matter of days and putting that girl before the wellbeing of our kingdom," 

"Let go of me!" Darren ordered the guards, but they weren't listening to his orders. "Let go of me at once!" 

Dean didn't want to, but since his brother was resisting, he had to knock him out. He had his brother carried upstairs, disguised himself in his clothes, combed his hair like Darren's, shaved his stubble, and left the guards to look after him. 

"Avoid going in there," he instructed Lord Stryder as he came out of the room his brother would be held in. "I shall return tomorrow and take my brother back to Datram with me," 

"What happens when he wakes up?" Lady Phoebe asked. 

"Just, give him some food. The guards will make sure he causes no trouble," Dean assured her and left for Cair Paravel. 

"Sneak into Lady Danielle's," Roy muttered to himself. "As if it were so easy," At least I don't have to help kidnap Prince Darren, he thought. 

He had dodged the guards and managed to reach the house, but he had never been inside and he knew not where her chamber was. He had a fairly good idea of which areas to avoid. He had scouted the house all evening and mapped things out in his head, but he could always be wrong. What if a servant spotted him? Or if he broke into the wrong room and ran into someone? How would he explain that? 

He waited until all the lights were out and all the guards were gone and tried the door. To his amazement, it was unlocked. 

As carefully as he could he opened it and stepped in. 

Darkness and perfect stillness. Not a sound to be heard. He held his breath as he entered. 

The stairway was right there in the foyer and, after looking at both sides to make sure there was nobody around, he went for the stairs. The first step creaked. In the middle of all the stillness, the noise was amplified through the entire house. Roy cursed his luck and held his breath, waiting for someone to appear and accuse him of trespassing. He could see himself, sitting in the castle dungeon lamenting his choices. Luckily, nothing happened. No one came to chase him out or arrest him. He skipped the first step and, miraculously, the second did not make a sound. 

He was about to reach the top when a shadow appeared from the left upstairs corridor. 

"That's it. I've been made," he thought and he started to back down. Thinking he could probably hide behind a curtain or maybe sneak out a window. 

The shadow grew closer and closer in a matter of seconds and, before Roy could run away or hide, it made its way to the stairs. A grey fluffy cat. Roy sighed in relief. The cat stared at him for a little, but apart from that, he couldn't have been bothered less. He kept on walking and disappeared down the other end of the hallway. 

"This better be worth it," he whispered to himself. 

Up the stairs, down the left corridor, overlooking the sea. That was the general location he had to search. He tried a few doors until at last, he hit the right one: Danielle's bed-chamber. 

How, you may ask, was he certain he was in the right room? For one, the place reeked of her perfume, for the other, there was a portrait of her hanging over the chimney. 

What exactly he was looking for, Roy did not know, but everyone had secrets and his task was finding Danielle's. He went through her things. Ribbons, trinkets, clothes, some jewellery, hairbrushes, nothing groundbreaking. He was about to call it quits and sneak back out, when something underneath the wardrobe caught his attention. A glimmer hit his eye. He knelt down beside the wardrobe and reached under it. His hand touched something metallic and cold and he pulled it out. A large heavy silver box. He placed it on the desk by the window so he could look at its contents properly, only when he tried to open it, he found it required a key. Roy grunted.

Where could it be? Where could it be? 

He remembered his sister used to keep a journal hidden under her pillow, so he tried under Danielle's, striking luck. 

"Predictable," he smirked to himself and went to open the box. 

There were many strange things inside that box, but three things caught his eye. The first was a piece of paper with names crossed over. More specifically, names of men crossed over. Some he did not recognize, but others were had to miss, including his own. The last name of the list must have meant something because it was that of Prince Darren's and it was the only one circled. 

"What the hell," he thought and placed the list down. He would for sure have to mention the list to Lord Stryder. Prince Dean would be highly interested in it. 

The second thing that caught his attention was a big old leather-bound book. It was clearly a grimoire, for it was full of plant descriptions and incantations and ingredient lists for brewing potions. 

But the third thing that caught his eye was perhaps the most significant. A dozen of small glass vials filled with a purple-looking liquid, though it may have just been the glass that was purple. And on the purple vials, written in neat script, was a tang hanging from each with a single word to label them: love. 

It didn't take him long to put two and two together, it made complete sense. Why prince Darren was acting so different, why Queen Imira was so insistent Danielle was not to be trusted, why Prince Dean became suspicious and asked for her to be investigated. Danielle was using magic on the prince! 

Roy had been so focused examining the contents of the box and formulating a theory that he failed to see the door opening and he missed the shape staring at him, until at last, she made herself known. 

"Looking for something?" Asked Danielle's mother.