To Princess Ella, the day seemed perfectly normal. The glow of the afternoon sun delightfully colored the cottony clouds in the sky and the lacy fabric of her pink and white gown. The woodland path she was strolling along was covered in green stalks of fresh grass and wildflowers. Even her fellow bird companions were able to join her in song as she skipped merrily on her way:

"Oh, my heart is merry

While I skip along.

It feels like nothing

Could go possibly wrong.

The only little thing

That could falter how I sing

Is if, for me, a lover was found

Amongst these magical woodland grounds.

A lover who could rule beside me

And could dedicate themselves wholly,

And look dashing in a royal crown."

As the young princess sang to her heart's content, she failed to notice that she had attracted some strange company. The scorned sorcerer Max the Malicious couldn't help but overhear the last few lines of Ella's melody while searching the woods for ingredients for his many nasty spells. Being a man hungry for power, the potential of gaining a royal status was enough to perk his interest. After dusting dirt off his cloak and smoothing the locks of his hair, Max scurried ahead of Ella and blocked her way on the path.

"Hello, young Princess," Max greeted while bowing politely before her.

"Oh! Goodness, you frightened me." Ella giggled at her own shock before curtsying in return. "Hello, kind sir. Lovely day isn't—"

"Yes, yes, quite nice. Now, may I be so bold as to ask where your chaperones are? Surely a princess as young as yourself must have guards accompanying her." Max glanced behind Ella, trying to spot any knights from the palace.

Ella shook her head with a kind smile. "Well, my father had asked me to take two of his men out with me for protection, but they were taking so long to put on all their armor and dress their horses. I thought I'd die waiting so I snuck passed them and came here alone."

A maniacal smirk crossed his face. "How convenient—I mean, courageous of you to wander these woods alone…especially at this time of day."

"What do you mean?"

Max shrugged as he nonchalantly lied, "Oh, it's just that the Afternoon Beast has been known to travel around these parts." He began to walk away from the slightly worried girl, only to hear her anxiously follow behind him.

"The Afternoon Beast?"

"Oh yes. It's eight feet tall with claws and fangs made of pure iron while its skin is made of rigid ore. It also has the interesting knack of being invisible to anyone born without magical powers. Being a sorcerer myself, I can easily spot him out miles away and know where not to bump into him. A little princess such as yourself would definitely be the perfect target for it."
Ella gently gripped onto the stranger's arm as a huge gust of wind blew their direction. Once it passed, she spoke in a shaken voice.

"F-father's never told me about this beast before. Then again, he barely tells me any important information. D-d-do you think you could help me get back then?

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Max gently held her hand and looked her square in the eyes. "I'm sensing the Beast is lingering on the path you wish to take home."

Ella gasped in fear, clasping her hand over her mouth for a short while. "Oh! W-what am I to do? I can't get home any other way, and I have nowhere else to go."

Max made himself look as if he were in deep thought for four seconds. "Well, I may have a solution to your problems. You could…oh, I don't know if this is appropriate."

"What is it, sir?"

"Well, my place isn't far from here. By the time the Beast returns to its cave, it will be too dark for you to wander home. You're free to rest at my home for the night. There's a spare room for you to stay in."

Ella bit her lip and thought for a moment. Normally, she would think twice before going home with a stranger, but facing that Afternoon Beast was the more menacing option in her mind. After all, this stranger wasn't so intimidating in her mind. Along with his short and chubby stature and his purple bowl cut hairstyle, he had a hint of genuineness in his voice and a small, innocent smile on his face. She nodded with a smile and allowed Max to take her gloved hand in his much larger one.

"Don't be afraid, princess. I promise not to let you out of my sight."