Chapter 23: At the Ball

A few minutes later, Becca and her friends made it to the entrance of the palace. "Oh, Becca, I forgot to tell you!" said Fantasy, "My magic only works until the last stroke of midnight."
"Like in Cinderella?" asked Becca.
"Mm-hmm," said Fantasy. She looked at Sheila and added, "I also think it would be best for your kitty to stay outside and not get into trouble."
The girl looked at her kitten and said, "Okay. I think it's for the best that you stay out here, Sheila. Just don't wander away too far." With that, she set Sheila down in a little flower bed to play in.

Upon entering the palace, all the guests stopped what they were doing and looked at Becca. They were amazed by her beautiful gown, and they whispered questions like, "Who is she?"
"Where did she come from?"
"Do you suppose she is a princess?"
"Is she the lost princess?"
Sci Fi saw what was going on and whispered to Becca, "Just ignore them. You're doing fine!" Becca continued walking, and everyone became more confident about her.
Mystery then pointed to a golden balcony above the ballroom and whispered, "There he is! The Pagemaster!"
Becca looked up and saw the old wizard happily looking down at his grand ball. "I hope he'll listen to me," the girl prayed.

Just then, the music conductor played some music. Everyone in the ballroom gathered around, picked partners, and began to dance. "I think we should be dancing," said Fantasy, who teamed up with Adventure. "How would you like to get hooked on a good book?" she asked him. Adventure only blushed deep red.
Mystery looked at Sci Fi, gently took her hand, and asked, "May I have this dance?"
Sci Fi smiled and said, "Of course!"
While the two pairs danced, Becca looked at Horror and asked, "Would you like to dance with me?"
Horror couldn't believe his ears! "Dance?" he asked nervously, "With you?"
Becca smiled and took Horror's hand. "Here, I'll help you," she said convincingly. She put his left hand behind her waist and his right hand into her left hand. Becca began to dance slowly, and Horror picked up on the steps; then he decided to take the lead.
Sci Fi looked over her shoulder and saw Becca dancing with Horror. "Look at that," she said to Mystery with a smile, "It's Beauty and the Beast!" Mystery chuckled and beamed when he saw the two.

At around eleven o'clock, the dancing ended, and everyone went about at engaging in conversations, drinking wine, and enjoying little hors d'oeuvres at the refreshment table. Sci Fi walked up to Becca and gently put her hand on the teen girl's shoulder before asking, "Are you ready?"
"For what?" Becca asked.
"You know, to meet the Pagemaster and tell him that Bethylasia can finish breaking the curse!"
"Oh yeah," Becca remembered, "I think so."
Sci Fi then motioned for Adventure, Fantasy, Horror and Mystery to gather around and follow her. Everyone went up a grand staircase, and came to a set of large, red doors. "Sci Fi," said Fantasy, "I don't think that meeting the Pagemaster will be easy."
"What do you mean?" asked Sci Fi with a raised brow.
"Well, the Pagemaster probably doesn't wanna see just any girl right now," remarked Fantasy, "I think he just wants to see his granddaughter herself!"
Sci Fi whispered to Fantasy in an annoyed tone, "Don't you remember? Becca IS Bethylasia! The Pagemaster will have to see her!" Science Fiction walked over to Becca and told her, "I'll tell you what – Mystery and I will go behind those doors and make the Pagemaster think you're Bethylasia, that way, he can talk to you easily!"
"Guys, whatever you're planning sounds like it won't work," said Becca. She sighed and continued, "I've met this guy before, and he seems like a nice man."
"He is," said Mystery, "But I promise – we won't let you down. We'll make sure you get back to your own world, and we'll find the lost princess on our own!"
"And you can also check us out, too!" added Horror.
Becca thought for a moment and then nodded. "Alright," she said, "But I hope we get this over with soon. My parents are probably calling the cops by now!"
Sci Fi gently shushed her and coaxed, "Don't worry. Your parents will be fine. Mystery and I will just try to talk to the Pagemaster, and everything will work out." The girl smiled a small and sad smile as Sci Fi and Mystery prepared to go behind the red doors. The others just stayed behind.

Mystery and Sci Fi knocked on one of the doors, opened it, and then went in. But instead of closing the door all the way, they left it open a small crack. Mystery cleared his throat and announced, "We would like to announce to the Pagemaster that we have found his long-lost granddaughter, Princess Bethylasia! She is waiting outside the door to speak to him."
A servant walked up to the couple and said with an apologetic tone, "I'm sorry, you two, but the Pagemaster will not see anyone."
"What?" Sci Fi said with shock.
The Pagemaster, who was sitting in his balcony, angrily called the servant, "You can tell that impertinent couple that I've seen enough Princess Bethylasias to last me an eternity!" Over the past several years, The Pagemaster offered a huge reward to anyone who could find Bethylasia and bring her to him to end Malaria's curse. However, all the hundreds of people who brought the "princess" were really con artists who searched far and wide for Bethylasia imposters. The wizard believed that Mystery and Sci Fi were another couple of con artists looking for money, and refused to see them.

Meanwhile, the servant wearily told the couple, "I think you two should go."
Mystery started, "But you see…"
"Now if you'll excuse me," interrupted the Pagemaster, "I wish to continue waiting for my real granddaughter to destroy my cousin's curse in peace!"
Sci Fi tried to say something, but the servant reluctantly took her hand and Mystery's while saying, "Come now, off you go! To the exit, please!"
Mystery motioned for Sci Fi to hide behind some curtains for a while. Then the two of them snuck out and approached the Pagemaster. "Pagemaster, please," said Mystery, "We intend you no harm. It's us – Mystery and Sci Fi, two of your book servants!"
"Nonsense!" scoffed the Pagemaster, "Malaria turned all my servants into animals, not humans!"
"But Fantasy used some of her magic to change us!" protested Sci Fi.
"Fantasy or not," remarked the Pagemaster, "I'd say you're still imposing!"
As the wizard got up from his chair, Mystery cried, "Wait! Don't go! If you'll just listen to us, please!"
"Haven't you two been listening?" the Pagemaster shot at them angrily, "I've had enough with my granddaughter for now! I don't care how much you two have fashioned this girl to look like her, sound like her, or even behave like her! In the end, it never is her!"

On the other side of the doors, Becca held her ear up to eavesdrop when she heard the shouting. When she heard the Pagemaster talking, the girl gave a look of shock and anger.
Back at the balcony, Sci Fi pleaded to the Pagemaster, "This time, she's the real thing!"
"Cut the balderdash, already!" said the Pagemaster, "I know people like you. You're just another couple of con artists who train these teenage girls in royal ways until you find the perfect Bethylasia imposter!"
Becca gasped when she heard this on the other side.
At the balcony, Mystery pleaded, "But sir, this girl has come all this way from the real world just to see you!"
"And others have come from as far as Middle Earth," remarked the wizard.
"But, Pagemaster!" Sci Fi protested, "Mystery and I promise we won't bother you anymore. We just want you to understand!"
When she put her hands onto his hand, the Pagemaster asked her angrily, "Just what good is there for you two to waste your time troubling an old wizard for money?"
Becca gasped again when she heard that part on the other side.
Meanwhile, the Pagemaster snapped his fingers for two of his guards and ordered them, "Remove these two at once!"
Each guard took Mystery and Sci Fi away while Mystery pleaded, "But we're telling you – she's the real Bethylasia!"
"Yeah!" added Sci Fi, "She's the actual princess – if you'll just listen for a minute!"
The guards then dropped the couple outside the door by Becca as they walked away.

Mystery and Sci Fi got back on their feet, and became surprised when they saw the teen girl glaring at them. Fantasy, Horror, and Adventure, who had gone off to get more wine, approached the three and also became surprised when they saw Becca. "Honey, are you okay?" Fantasy asked with concern.
"No, I am not okay," Becca said under her breath, "Because I know now… that all of you were hiding something from me this whole time, weren't you?"
Sci Fi gave a look of shock and asked, "What are you talking about?"
"Come on!" Becca said, "You guys USED me? I wasn't really a customer, or a kingdom's savior. I was just part of your guys' little con to get his money, wasn't I?"
"Becca, please!" said Mystery, "What you heard back there was a misunderstanding. None of us would EVER use you as a part of anything, because you know what? Sci Fi says that you are really Bethylasia – you are!"
"STOP IT!" Becca shot at her friends angrily, "Stop it, all of you! Ever since I first came here, you guys lied to me! I can't believe I was so stupid and naïve to not only believe all of you, but actually think that…. Ugh! Never mind what I thought!"
As the girl walked away furiously, Sci Fi stopped her and said, "Becca, wait! Remember when you spoke about running away through this place with an old man? And about a certain dream? Listen, that…"
"NO!" the girl furiously shouted, "I don't wanna be reminded about ANYTHING I recalled or dreamt about! So all of you traffickers should just leave me alone!" Sci Fi put her hand on Becca's shoulder, but the latter half turned around and smacked her in the face!
"And we thought she would be so happy to get home," said Fantasy with a sad look as the girl walked away. But then she frowned and told Sci Fi and Mystery, "But you two just had to do it, didn't you?! Now look what's happened!" She pointed to Becca storming down the stairs, past a crowd of surprised onlookers, and out the palace doors.