When the Emerald City of Seattle came into view, Daphne could hardly believe her eyes. This was no ordinary place. It was a magical city that had previously only existed in her dreams. And in her dreams it wasn't half as beautiful as this. In the center, directly in front of her was a magnificent castle of pink, blue and purple. Even from the far distance, not only was it enormous, but it was sparkling and majestic; worlds away from her small, crowded house in Manchester that she shared with her family. Why, she supposed that the entire city of Manchester could easily fit inside!

When they neared the castle, the road became bumpy, but with Eddie leading the way, she wasn't worried. The dog (or in this case, horse), loved her and she knew that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. Still the thought did little to calm her nerves. She could hardly believe that she, Daphne Moon was going to the ball! And not just any ball; the ball in honor of Prince Niles!

Prince Niles…

She'd never seen him of course and now she couldn't help wondering what he looked like. Was his hair wavy or straight? Was it blonde, black, red, brown or a combination of shades? Was he tall, short, thin, fat, shy or outspoken? He could be any of those things, anything at all and she wouldn't care. Besides, she was here to live out her dream, no matter how silly. The prospect of true love was itself a dream and she knew it would never happen. But what a wonderful dream it was. There were bound to be at least a few eligible men at the ball, the way there were in her romance books. Perhaps a handsome man, or any man, would ask her to dance tonight. She could just see herself dancing and twirling in the arms of a man who-

"Miss Moon?"

The voice of the coachman caught her off guard. "Yes?"

"We've arrived at the castle."

Her heart swelled with anticipation and in a daze, she held out her hand, allowing him to help her out of the carriage, careful not to break her glass slippers.

"If you don't mind my saying so, Miss Moon, you look absolutely beautiful." The coachman said.

She blushed deeply, for never in her lifetime had she ever been complimented on her appearance, much less anything else. And he had no idea how to react.

"Th-thank you." She stammered in response.

"Now, go and have a good time and don't forget what Roz said!" the coachman cautioned.

She nodded with a smile. "Oh, I won't." She reassured him. "I'll leave promptly at midnight."

"Excellent, Miss Moon."

"But if you don't mind my asking, what happens at midnight?" She whispered discreetly.

"The spell will be broken and everything will return to its original form. Could be a problem getting home by means of a dog and a watermelon, don't you think?"

She laughed, grateful for the coachman's humor and turned to leave. But before entering the castle, she walked over to Eddie who had led the way and stroked his soft mane. "Thank you Eddie, for getting me here safely and quickly. I promise I'll be careful."

She took a deep breath and headed for the castle where she found two large doors. It took some doing to open them, but when she did, she gasped at the sight. She might not have known what the evening would hold in store for her, but she knew that it would be an evening that she'd never forget.