"I don't believe it!" Serena cries with joy as she and Yuto go into the back ally where the dress shop is. Lulu kept her promise! She is going to sing at the palace! "The princess sent for me!"
"I came because-"
"I'm going to sing at the castle. . . . me! Wait, I'm not ready. I have to rehearse!"
"If I may just. . . ."
Yuto's words are drowned out as Serena continues, lost in her own thoughts. "I have to change my dress. Who am I kidding,I only have one dress." Serena then looks over at Yuto and sees the look on his face, it's sadness and determination and heartbreak all mixed together. "That is why you are here, isn't it?"
Yuto shakes his head. "I'm sorry, but no. The princess is missing and I need you to help me find her."
"Me?" Serena raises an eyebrow. "What can I do?"
"Pretend to be Princess Lulu." He suggests.
Serena gasps at him in surprise. "Are you out of your mind?" She hisses.
"Just listen," Yuto tells her calmly. "I suspect Julia, the king's adviser, has taken Lulu off somewhere so the Royal Wedding will be called off."
"That's awful" Serena comments.
Yuto nods, continuing as if she hasn't said a word. "If you pretend to be the princess, just for a short while, I believe I can trick Julia into revealing where she's hiding Lulu."
Serena thinks about it. "Pretend to be royalty? I could get thrown into prison, or worse!"
"As can I," Yuto agrees, after all he is the master mind behind all of this. "But. . . "
Serena looks at him again and sees the determination is more present than the other two emotions he had earlier. "She's in real trouble, isn't she? Hmm. . . . A girl like me. . . . Count me in."
Yuto smiles as she goes back inside and quickly tells Saya that she is going to be visiting the palace while grabbing her cloak. Saya asks her what she means but in her haste, Serena tells her that she will explain everything once she gets back. After all, if she is discovered as pretending to be the princess then Madame Camula, and more importantly Saya, will be able to say that they truthfully didn't know anything about it.
Yuto takes the reigns of the royal carriage as Serena and Yuya (whom Serena can not leave behind with Madame Camula) go into the cart part of it and lay on the floor as to not catch any unwanted attention.
"Would you look at the size of this place!" Serena exclaims once in the safety of Lulu's room. She doesn't know how-maybe because Yuto has worked here for so long that he knows everyone's schedule's-but they somehow made it without being seen.
"The likeness between you two is remarkable." Yuto compliments.
"Except for my hair. . . . and eyes."
"I've thought about that." Yuto goes over and brings out a cylinder box and opens it. Yuya barks as he brings it over.
"Yuya, be nice." Serena tells him gently.
"Wig in a box. . . and contacts." He pulls out a long purple wig that is an exact copy of Lulu's hair. Then two clear circular items that Serena places over her eyes.
Serena takes it from him and puts it on; it fits perfectly. "Um, Yuto, we're missing one teeny tiny detail. I don't know a thing about being a Princess."
"Leave that to me." He goes over and picks up a blue book with a gold tiara on it and puts on a music stand. "It's all here in the Princess's Book of Etiquette. Let's begin. No nagging, bragging, sweating, fretting, slipping, tripping, slurping, burping, twittering or frittering allowed. Stay present, stay pleasant, stay proud."
Yuto: To be a princess is to know which spoon to use.
To be a princess is a thousand pairs of shoes.
Yuto takes Serena over to Lulu's shoes closet and opens it up to reveal her many pairs of shoes. Serena stares at it in awe; Yuto slipping some of the shoes on her until they find the one she likes best. It's a pair of black heels with red straps.
Yuto: To remain a regal gait leave the parsley on your plate.
And be charming but detached and be amused.
To be a princess is to never be confused.
Do a plie and never fall don't ever stray from protocol.
All through the day there's just one way you must behave.
Do keep a grip and never crack,
stiff upper lip and arch the back.
Bend from above and always wear your gloves,
and waves.
Shoulders back and tummy in and pinky out,
Serena mimics Yuto as she sees the way he is posing, hoping that she is getting it right.
Yuto: And lift the chin and slowly turn the head from side to side.
Serena: I see now.
Yuto: Breathing gently,
stepping lightly.
Smile brightly, nod politely.
Never show a thing you feel inside.
Glide!
Yuto gently pushes Serena into Lulu's closet for her to pick out a dress she likes best. She comes out wearing a light red dress with white accents and black in the middle.
To be a princess is to always look your best.
To be a princess is to never get to rest.
Sit for a portrait, never squirm.
Sleep on a mattress extra firm.
Speak and be clever, never at a loss for words.
Curtsy to every count and lord.
Learn how to play the harpsichord.
Sing lullabies and always harmonize in thirds.
Both: Thirds, thirds.
Yuto then goes over to a portrait on Lulu and Shay in the room, painted a few months before their parents died and Shay took to the throne. Lulu is sitting down and smiling, Shay standing behind her in a purple trench coat, black pants, brown shoes, and a red scarf. His hand is on her should while she cradles Zuzu, smiling as well.
Yuto: And... she has beautiful eyes Your spirits rise when she walks in the room.
Serena: I see.
And she does. With the way he is looking at her portrait and singing about her, Serena can tell how Yuto feels about the princess. She has speculated this since yesterday when she saw how her interacted with her, and his body language is just proving her theory to be correct.
Yuto: Doors close and the chemistry grows. She's like a rose that's forever in bloom. Do a pliƩ and don't
Serena: Ever ever fall
Yuto: Never show dismay
Serena: And be there when people call
Yuto: Be prepared for whatever royal life may bring.
Do keep a grip and don't
Serena: Ever ever crack
Yuto: Take a dainty sip
Serena: Never ever turn your back
Yuto: There's a time and place and way for everything!
To be a princess is to never make your bed.
To be a princess is to always use your head.
Serena places her hands over her head to try and spin around while doing a plie only to fall. Yuto sees this and helps her up, only to hear a the sound of a clock ringing, indicating the time and what it means for the real Lulu and the fate of the kingdom.
In the throne room, Julia stands as she sees Ambassador McField and Ambassador Bismark standing near Shay. She sees the sadness in his eyes as the realization that his sister may have "run away" far from the kingdom that Julia and her search teams could not find her. Now if everything goes according to plan, then the wedding will be cancelled then Julia can return with Lulu in a day or so and have Shay betrothed them. Then nothing can stop her.
"It's official," Ambassador McField says. "Then. Due to the disappearance of the princess, the wedding to King Yuri is cancelled."
"Your Highness, wait!" Yuto comes bursting into the throne room in his attire that he insisted on keeping even after he started working for the royal family. Julia scoffs at the sight. A black shirt with a black and cream colored jacket, dark pants and shoes with a necklace hanging around his neck. Out of all things for him to wear, a man should not wear jewelry unless given to him by someone he cares a great deal for, and Julia has been working for the royal family a few years longer than Yuto and never really saw him wear a necklace until he started working here.
Maybe he's using it a symbol that he wants a more financial and stable home when he gets older and no loner works here. That will be the day. Yuto is going to be one of the first few people to go once she is in charge.
Julia then sees that everyone is looking at the grey-eye young man, as they all wait for an explanation as to why he suddenly just burst in here.
Yuto, realizing this himself, gains some-self composure before coughing and standing like he should be. "May I present, Princess Lulu."
Then, Lulu enters the throne room and everyone is in disbelief. Julia because how did the princess escape from the old house in the forest?
Shay soon softens and is filled with relief as that his sister does not seem hurt and is safe and sound back home.
Yuri as he sees his soon-to-be wife appears and she does look like the portraits he has seen, but there is also a fire behind her eyes. As if she is determined to do something and see it be done.
"Sister?" Shay asks cautiously as he approaches his sister. Taking her in to make sure that no one is playing a trick on him, Julia, the ambassadors and Yuto. Shay knows that Yuto will be heart broken if he discovers that there is a person impersonating Lulu. "Lulu? You're back." Shay hugs his sister, just glad to have her back. "Where have you been?"
"I am sorry." Serena returns King Shay's embrace before pulling away. "I should not have run away."
"Promise me you'll never do it again." Shay replies reassuringly.
"I still think we should cancel the wedding." Dennis says aloud. Yuri coughs beside him and Dennis retracts his thoughts. "But an agreement is an agreement. The wedding is back on! King Yuri is. . . . is. . . . due tomorrow!"
Shay nods. "That sounds great."
"Uh, tomorrow?" Serena asks worriedly. Sure, she may have been able to fool Shay and the others but that does not mean she may be able to keep up the act tomorrow.
Yuya comes by his mistress's side and starts smelling something weird coming from Julia. It smells similar to Zuzu and Lulu and goes over to her to investigate.
"And then, just a few short days before the wedding." Shay informs.
A few short days before the wedding? Serena thinks. She hopes that Lulu is found and soon because she isn't sure if she can fake being here on the actual day of the union.
"If you'll excuse me, I must be off to the. . . ack!" Julia says when Yuya starts barking at her. "The arrangements. Who let this mangey beast in here?"
"Is everything all right, Julia?" Yuto asks her.
Julia recovers from the barking cat and faces Yuto with a stern look. "It soon will be." The raven-hair woman laughs as quietly and wickedly as she leaves.
Yuto looks at Yuya and sees some green from a plant on the ground where Julia just was. "What have you got there, boy?" Yuto kneels next down to the cat. "From a silver fir tree. What is Julia doing in the Western Forest?" Just as Yuto is about to leave, Shay calls out to him.
"I would like to hear all about how you found Lulu!"
"Ah, of course." Yuto bows. "Your Majesty."
Dennis and Yuri leave the throne room as Yuto starts to dive into his story about how he found the lost princess, thinking that the moment is better suited for the tutor and friend of the royal siblings.
"Yuri," Dennis starts as they make their way to their rooms. "Are you sure that you want to go ahead and still have the wedding? I mean she did runaway so she did not have to marry you."
"I am sure, Dennis. I cannot explain it, but when I saw her. . . . there is just something about her that I just want to get to know. I can't explain it." Yuri tells his friend.
"Just as long as you are sure."
