Belle 

"What's wrong?" I say as I enter the room. 

"What do you mean?" Amphi asks. I raise an eyebrow and he adjusts his sleeves nervously, "Oh, you mean the pacing...." 

"Yes I mean the pacing." 

"I'm just really really nervous." 

"Why?" 

"What if she doesn't come?" 

"What?" 

"What if she decided she wants to wait and fall in love with someone else in the future? What if-" 

"Amphi," I catch his hand in mine and hold it between us, "She loves you, I could see it in her eyes, and you could too." 

"But it's been a couple months-" 

"No buts, it's Ella. Close your eyes. Remember how she looked, remember how she smiled when she saw you? And how she looked at you?" He nods and his face relaxes, "She loves you." 

"Okay, thanks." 

"Anytime, after all it's what little sisters are for." 

"Oh so that's what they're for." 

I giggle and playfully hit his shoulder, "Rude," I say and he laughs. 

"Seriously Belle, thank you." 

"Are you ready to announce your engagement to the world?" 

He nods, "I can't wait. Shall we?" 

"We shall." 

He offers his arm and I take it; "M'lady," He gestures towards the exit. 

Amphibious

"All rise for the crown prince of our land and the heir to the throne: Prince Amphibious!" I hear the trumpets blare and the roar of applause. The double door before me swing open and I wince as a blinding amount of light floods the small room. I look out over the sea of beautiful women all dressed in silk and bedecked in jewels. My eyes search for her-Ella. 

I cannot find her in the crowd. I swallow and place my hand on the hilt of my sheathed sword. I take one step at a time down the sweeping staircase. It feels like an eternity of walking as the audience of a thousand fancy do-gooders watches me. I muster all the dignity I can as I reach the bottom and search for my sister's face. 

Belle walks slowly across the room to join me and curtsies low before me. I bow to her and smile as I hold out my hand. She takes it and I lead her to the middle of the dance floor. She places her hand on my shoulder and I take her waste. We stand erect and proud as the applause ceases and the crowd holds their breath. I feel my sister shake slightly from all the attention and I tighten my hold on her hand. She looks up at me as we hear the conductor count to three and we begin with the music. 

One two three one two three one two three twirl jump pause. One two three one two three one two three twirl jump pause. Swing around right, swing around left. Put my arm around her and dip. The sequence repeats over and over, by the end Belle's smile looks unrehearsed, genuine. I release her and bow, she curtsies and takes my arm. I walk her to the side of the room where I nod to an attendant who yells, "Let the festivities begin!" 

A roar of applause and excitement fills the air as people begin to pair and dance, the buffet is opened and the lights brighten a thousand shades. "The Princess Snow White and the Lady Rose Red," Our attendant announces. 

Two girls who could not look more alike curtsy to us. They look a little younger then my own sister, barely old enough for a ball. Snow has pale porcelain skin and stunning raven black hair. Her eyes are large and her lips are a striking red color. The other girl has flushed pink features as if she has been dancing, she has auburn hair that falls in curls around her face, her features are not particularly awing and although she is beautiful she seems dull in comparison to her companion. 

"Your highness," Snow addresses me, "My companion and I were just leaving, we are too young to remain for the festive portion of a ball for I am not yet in my teen years. But with the permission of our attendants we came to wish you well and offer our continued gratitude at the promise of peace between our nations." 

"Your efforts do not go unseen," I respond, "And the formalities are quite numerous in your speech, please, call me Amphibious; as we grow we will see much more of each other in order to secure continued harmony. I welcome the peace and pray it continues for much longer."

"Thank you your high-Amphibious; and you must call me Snow." She curtsies. 

"As you say Snow," I bow. She turns and her companion follows her out the door. 

"Have you ever seen someone that beautiful?" Belle whispers. 

"Twice actually," I say nonchalantly. 

"Really?" Her eyes widen. 

"Of course, first Ella; and then you." 

She rolls her eyes and giggles, "Of course, how could I forget me?"

I dance all night with Belle and shake lots of hands, but Ella doesn’t seem to come. I wonder what happened, she said she would be here. I hope she’s alright. If she does not come then I will have to go visit her to make sure she is alright.

The night is going so well, I spin my little sister around for the hundredth time, she giggles and I laugh. Her eyes light up as her hair whips around, I lean down and dip her close to the ground. I pull her back up and we hop, skip, laugh and jump around. And then the trumpets blare, the doors open at the top of the stairs and the usher announces, “Presenting the fairy Wicked.”

Belle spins away as my hand goes limp and my back stiffens, what’s Wicked doing here? She wasn’t invited. The room goes quiet and the sudden silence sends a shiver down my spine. 

“Why the long faces?” Wicked asks, her wings twitch behind her and her jaw tightens, “I thought this was supposed to be a party.”

“Welcome,” I hear my mother’s voice behind me and my head whips around. She is pale and I see her hand trembling. She lifts her arm onto my father’s shoulder and snaps him out of his stupor.

“Yes, yes welcome. It is wonderful to have someone of your caliber present.” My father takes my mother’s hand in his and shifts forward as if to put himself between her and the wicked fairy.

“It is a shame I did not get an invitation your majesties.”

“An oversight I assure you,” My mother nods as if to back her statement and somehow make it true.

“Be that as it may, there is only one thing I hate more than humans, and that is people who forget me.” Wicked’s voice breaks and she frowns in a mocking, over exaggerated motion.

She begins to walk down the stairs one step at a time, the people around me and my sister back up. I feel her at my elbow and push her behind me. I put my arm in front of her and her hands clasp around mine. Her hands are cold and shaking ever so slightly.

Wicked takes a deep breath and sighs, her eyebrows knit together. Her black wings remind me of a vultures and as she steps the twitch behind her in tune with a throbbing vein on her forehead. I can hear her heels click against the marble floor, like the noise of someone who believes themselves to be very important.

“I am only here your majesties because I wish to begin to be good natured towards your kingdom. I was waiting for this party for many months because I thought I would be invited and it would be a marvelous opportunity to sow seeds of good will. But,” My mother’s eyes once hopeful that maybe, just maybe, Wicked really wasn’t there for malicious reasons, fall to the floor, “Unfortunately, I was not invited. At first I thought I should come down here and make some grand demonstration of my hatred for your highnesses like turn you all to stone or knock your castle down. But I can only do three more acts of grand power in your world before I break the laws of magic, so why waste them on people so useless that they forget me. Then I thought perhaps they weren’t inviting any fairies at all. But wait, who is that? Is that my sister? Wonderful?”

My eyes scan the room and fall on Wonderful, the good fairy. She is my sister’s fairy godmother. She is the only person still standing on the dance floor with me and my sister, I realize that everyone else has slowly inched towards the walls leaving us in the middle of a big space in the center of the hall.

“Hello Wicked,” Wonderful whispers. Her wings flit, they are huge and look like an angel’s. Her voice is high and soft like a song bird, and her eyes are kind.

“You will not interfere dear sister,” Wicked stops a stair away from the very floor we are standing on.

“You know I cannot stop you, I can only alter your magic, not reverse it.”

Wicked laughs but it is cold and hollow. “Yes, you chose good.”

“And you chose evil.”

“I chose power sister, power is right. Power is the only way. Good and evil are relative. Power is objective. Now,” She steps onto the dance floor and begins to walk directly towards us, “You boy, what is your name?”

“Prince Amphibious,” I say, jutting my jaw out and trying to stand tall. I am afraid but I can’t show it, because Belle is probably more afraid. So I have to be strong for Belle.

Wicked has reached us and begins to walk in a circle around us, “What a name. This party is in your honor is it not?” I nod. “I thought so,” She continues. “Why wasn’t I on the guest list. Should I blame you, your parents or the kingdom?”

I take a breath, I had nothing to do with the guest list, the only person I invited was Ella, and she didn’t even come. “I-I am at fault.” I say, responsibility is the number one rule of a good king, it may not have been my fault, but taking a responsibility that is not mine is part of a leader’s job. I hear my mother gasp and Wicked smirks.

“I don’t believe you, but if you insist on taking the consequence of another’s actions I won’t argue. It’s your stupidity, not mine.” She stops in front of me, but a few paces away, “And is that your sister? Little girl, if I were you I would run. My qualm is with your brother, not you.”

“Go,” I whisper pushing her away, “Run, go,” I mutter under my breath.

“No!” She yells and I stop, “You are no more at fault for this then me, if you are going to accept a consequence you don’t deserve then so am I.”

“No,” I whisper.

“You heard now, now whether or not she leaves, if she insists on being cursed then so be it.”

“No!” My mother yells.

“Guards seize her!” My father orders.

I hear the guards begin to move but Wicked lets out a bellowing laugh and waves her hand. Suddenly everyone’s feet cease to move, including mine. It’s like they suddenly weigh a thousand times and I couldn’t lift my legs even if I tried. 

I look at Wicked and she grins, “So, shall I do your sister first? She seemed so eager, nah better make her wait.”

She motions forward and I glide toward her as if my feet are on wheels and I’m being pulled by a rope. She begins to circle me slowly.

“Did you ever have a favorite animal your highness?” I don’t move, “Anything really? No? Such a shame, I guess I’ll have to pick.”

She stops circling me and flicks her hands. A chill fills the room and the candles on the walls grow dim and flicker. “Make him small as my heart, make him green as the grass, make him slimy as a snail, as bug eyed as can be and as ugly as his name.”

I feel a jolt in my gut, a searing sensation comes over me and I feel my limbs fold in on themselves. My eyes pop out of their sockets and grow three sizes. My tongue swells to the size of a small melon and my skin begins to sweat some liquid. I feel the liquid cover me like residual, dew; part water part gunk. I feel sticky and suddenly the world begins to grow and grow and grow and grow. My head spins as my vision becomes wonky and suddenly I feel a hand clamp down on my torso.