Tori rushed home to find her father in his workshop. He had been working on a new contraption for the fair in the next town over. He'd tired many years to get first prize for his inventions, yet somehow, they never saw his true genius as Tori did. Every year, Tori's dad promised her that as soon as he won first prize, he'd pay to have a glass case built for his first prize trophy, then give the rest of the money to Tori to go on an adventure somewhere.

Tori's father had just finished an automatic woodchopper. He showed Tori how it worked then packed up to go to the fair. He hoisted the machine onto the wagon pulled by their Clydesdale, Philippe, and went on his way. Tori stood on the stoop until her father disappeared behind a hill and went inside to practice songs from her new book.

Not two hours after Tori's father had gone, Ryder was at the front door with half the town having a party on Tori's front lawn. Ryder was dressed in a clean, pressed suit with a flower pinned to the breast. He strode to the door and addressed the crowd before knocking.

"I'd like to thank you all for coming to my wedding. First I've gotta go in their and propose to the girl!" Ryder chuckled and the townspeople convulsed with laughter at the mediocre joke as the three saloon girls sobbed at a nearby table.

Tori shook her head as her reading was interrupted by a sharp knock at the door. She set her book down, carful to keep her page, and walked to the peephole to see who was there. She sighed as the dopey smirk of Ryder met her eye. She opened the door and Ryder brushed her aside, entering uninvited.

"Ryder, what a…pleasant surprise," said Tori as he strolled toward her.

"Isn't it though?" he sighed, looking especially pleased with himself, "I'm just full of surprises. You know, Tori, there's not a girl in town who wouldn't love to be in your shoes. This is the day…this is the day your dreams come true" Added Ryder, pausing to he clean his teeth with his tongue in a mirror.

Tori looked on with disgust as Ryder proposed to her and offered a life that sounded nothing less than dreadful to her. She declined, saying she didn't deserve him and pushed him out, and locked the door for good measure. Tori breathed a sigh of relief now that a locked door separated her and that overconfident, inconsiderate buffoon. Ryder was a man whose manners could try the kindness of even a girl like Tori.

First checking to make sure Ryder had gone, Tori slipped out the back door. She couldn't believe the nerve of him asking her to marry him. Tori needed the person she loved to understand she wanted more than to be a housewife in a quaint town for he rest of her life. Although she couldn't understand why, perhaps the meaningless existence did suit some women, but not her. As she strolled to through the field behind the cottage that over looked a grand valley with a river flowing through it, Philippe appeared. He galloped through the grass toward her with the wagon but Tori's father was not with him. Tori grabbed Philippe's bridle and pulled his giant head towards her own, trying to calm the frazzled horse.

"Philippe! What are you doing here? Where's Papa?" She patted the horse, bringing their faces ever closer in a questioning manner, "Where is he, Philippe? What happened? We have to find him! You have to take me to him!" Tori unhitched the wagon from the horse, grabbed a cloak off a hook in the back of the house, and scrambled onto the saddle of the large animal.

Philippe hesitantly took Tori through the woods to a dark, gloomy castle. There was no light in the windows and the palace looked as though it had once been grand, but had since fallen into disrepair. The inside was no different. The dingy foyer was a bone chilling temperature and gargoyles lurked around each corner and in every shadow. A little ways off, an enchanted candle stick and clock were discussing the arrival of this beautiful, young girl.

"Beck! This is her! The girl who is to break the spell!" exclaimed the candlestick.

"Don't be ridiculous, Andre!" retorted the clock, "The Master isn't going to be impressed by some silly, little farm girl."

"But just look at her! She'd brave enough to come here isn't she? She must be looking for Monsieur Vega. I'd bet my flames that this is the old man's daughter. Besides, Master has never shown quite an interest in men as many women of her age!" replied Andre cheerfully. Beck rolled his eyes as Andre hopped off to light Tori's way to her father.

Tori followed the moving light, thinking there must be someone here who knew where her father was. She called out to them but no one responded.

"Tori?" came a weak voice.

"Papa?" called Tori as she raced up the stairs of a tower to find her father in a cold jail cell. He held out his hand and she ran to him.

"Tori!" a smile spread across his old face and his voice was warmer, "I thought I'd never see you again!"

"Papa, you're freezing!" Tori observed.

"Tori, you have to get out of here!" Her father warned. Just as Tori was about to protest, the light from the torches on the wall were extinguished. The only thing lighting the cold room was moonlight that came in through a barred skylight. Tori and her father heard a low growl coming from the shadows.