Had Bae known then how the stars watched the earth, he would have been mortified by the thought of an audience to his humiliation. Fortunately for him, the stars were focused elsewhere that night, on the kingdom beyond the wall where the king of Misthaven lay on his deathbed.


"Belle? Belle?" King George called turning his head to the left. "Where's your sister? Where's Belle?"

James frowned and looked to his twin in confusion, a question forming in his eyes. David glanced at his brother and gave the smallest shake of his head before turning to answer their father, a look of sympathy and pain in his eyes, "I'm sorry father but no one's seen Belle in years."

"Oh…," George nodded, saddened by the thought that he wouldn't be able to see his only daughter one last time before his imminent death. "Well then, onto the matter of succession…"

David and James tensed at their father's words; they had spent their entire lives silently competing to prove who was more worthy of being named their father's successor…and now his last words would finally confirm the winner.

"Tradition dictates that the eldest son shall take the throne," George glanced between his sons, "however, you are the first twins in our line so we shall resolve the situation in a non-traditional matter."

George smiled slyly as he lifted the heavy gold chain from around his neck and held it up. David and James stared at it with bated breath, focusing most of their attention on the large ruby hanging heavily from the chain as it began to glow, losing its deep red color.

King George motioned towards the colorless jewel that now hung suspended in the air. "Only he of royal blood can restore the ruby—whichever of you does that is the new king of Misthaven."

And with that, the king took his last breath.

His sons exchanged nervous looks, glancing back and forth between each other and the pendant, tension building as each second passed.

Suddenly, they both lunged for the pendant only for it to escape their grasp and instead fly towards the open balcony and into the clear night sky.

David and James stared after it, stunned as each silently vowed to be the one to find the pendant, restore the ruby, and secure their future as the new king of Misthaven.


The pendant sailed through the heavens until it collided with a star sending a shockwave through the skies and knocking the star out of its place.


"A shooting star!"

Ruby watched the star's graceful descent towards the earth in awe.

"It's beautiful," she sighed, her eyes full of wonder and awe.

Bae glanced at Ruby as a sudden thought struck him. "More beautiful than a ring from Ipswich?"

"What?" Ruby tore her eyes from the sky and looked at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Ruby," Bae said earnestly as he turned towards her, "for your hand in marriage, I'd cross the wall and I'd bring you back that fallen star."

Ruby stared at him, mouth hanging slightly open in question. She shook her head in exasperation and scoffed, "You can't cross the wall. Nobody crosses the wall. Now you're just being silly," she said with a toss of her hair.

"But I could," he insisted, paying no mind to her stern tone, "for you."

Ruby pursed her lips and considered him for a moment, taking note of the pleading, almost desperate look in his eyes.

"Hmmm, my very own star," she smiled realizing that she quite liked the idea. "Alright, we have ourselves a deal," she smirked as she raised her glass to his. "You have one week or I'm marrying Graham."