Back at the castle dining hall, the families were still enjoying Lynn Sr. and Rosa's meal. But the whole time, they couldn't stop worrying about Lincoln and Ronnie Anne. As they were nearing the end of their meal, Lynn Sr. brought a tray to the table which was covered by a lid.
"Well, me family," Lynn Sr. said in his Scottish accent, "I hope ye dinnae expect dinner to be o'er yet because now it be time for dessert. It's me own design: Chocolate tiff-Lynns!" He placed the tray close to the table as everyone watched him…but then the door slammed open!
"Everyone!" Lincoln called as he came running in alongside Ronnie Anne. "It's awful!"
Lynn Sr. jumped suddenly and threw the tray into the air. "Ding-dang-darn it!" he gasped as the desserts went flying. But as if by magic…one of each of them landed safely on everyone's plates! All the rest landed on another empty plate in the middle of the table, so none of them were spoiled.
Awestruck by what just happened, everyone cheered and clapped for Lynn Sr.
"Wow, honey," Rita declared, "that was amazing!"
"Yeah Dad," Luan agreed, "you really hit the 'sweet' spot!" She laughed, and everyone else chuckled, too.
Lynn Sr. just smiled in embarrassment. "Well, thank you all," he sighed. "I do take pleasure."
Lincoln frowned. "Um, excuse me," he replied, "but I believe I had something I needed to say." But nobody paid any attention to him, so he called out louder. "Hey! Everyone!" Still, nobody heard Lincoln.
At that moment, a loud blasting noise silenced everyone else. Sergio was blowing into a set of bagpipes, and once everyone piped down, he stopped. "Alright, people," he squawked, "give Sir Dukey some room, since there's more than enough here anyway."
"Thank you, Sergio," Lincoln muttered, and then he and Ronnie Anne walked up to the table and looked at everyone else. "Now, as I was saying, it's awful." He took a deep breath, and then he said it firmly. "Morag hates Christmas!"
Right away, everyone gasped dramatically.
"Morag hates Christmas?" Lynn repeated. "Dude, are you serious?"
"That really stinks," Sergio replied, "and more than Ol' Lori's farts, no less," he cackled.
Lori growled at Sergio. "It's your attitude that stinks!" she snapped.
"Focus, everyone!" Rosa interrupted, and then she spoke to Lincoln. "Tu Gracia, how do you know that?"
"Ronnie Anne and I just saw her, and she outright said so," Lincoln explained. "And by the way she sounded, she obviously meant it."
"May I remind you, brother, that Morag has demonstrated strong distaste toward all of us since our previous trip," Lisa explained. "It is only natural she would repeat said behavior upon our return."
"But sweetie, it's only a few days until Christmas," Rita explained. "I think that if Morag is showing any sort of hatred at this time of year, she must really mean it."
"Aye, milady," a voice replied, "she does."
Everyone looked toward the door leading out of the dining hall, and there stood Angus. He looked rather unhappy as he approached the table. "Morag indeed does dislike Christmastime. That be part of the reason why the Louds' gala hasn't occurred even before your arrival."
"Well, what are we supposed to do about that?" asked Lana.
Lincoln stepped onto his chair. "I know just what to do," he declared. "I'm just going to have to show Morag that Christmas is the most special time of year."
"If you're going to do that, Lincoln," Ronnie Anne told him, "then I'm with you." Then she looked at everyone else. "Now who's with me?"
One by one, all the other family members and pets stood up and agreed, and so did Angus.
"Great," Lincoln declared. "Now we just need a plan!" But as he stood tall, he suddenly began thinking about his dad's desserts. "But maybe dessert first?"
Everyone agreed, and they all sat down and began eating their tiffin.
The next morning was December 23. The gala was scheduled for tomorrow night, so Morag had a lot to do under Angus's orders before it could take place. First, she woke up and got herself cleaned, dressed, and fed. As she finished fixing her hair, she grabbed a checklist Angus had made for her. It had all the duties she had to perform listed on it.
Morag grabbed a winter coat from the coat hanger and put it on. "Well, here goes," she muttered to herself. "The most dreaded time of year: Christmas groundwork around the town." She folded the checklist and placed it inside her coat pocket, then she put on some gloves.
But as Morag opened the door to the groundskeeper's hovel, she was shocked. All around the courtyard, the Louds were rushing here and there. They were hard at work, performing the errands she had to do.
"What…" Morag gasped.
Lincoln passed by the hovel, but as he noticed Morag he stopped and came back to her. "Good morning, Morag," he smiled cheerfully.
"What's going on here?" Morag asked.
"Well, since it's the Christmas season, we thought we'd help you out with your preparations for the gala tomorrow night," Lincoln explained.
Morag was puzzled. "But…you all are here on holiday," she explained.
Lori passed by the hovel. "Oh, we literally don't mind," she told Morag.
Next, Luna passed by. "I'm givin' you my heart," she declared, "just don't give it away."
Morag was still confused, but after seeing the Louds performing her courtyard duties, she smiled. "Well…thank you, everyone," she said slowly. "I guess I'll go prepare the castle for the gala tomorrow night." She walked off to the castle as everyone watched her.
Lynn was hauling a wheelbarrow filled with mashed foodstuffs. She glared at Lincoln as she passed him. "I hope this plan works, Stinkin'," she replied, "cause I'm not trekking this stuff to Lela three times a day."
Lincoln gazed at the hash and smiled. "I don't think you'll have to," he told his sister. "Look."
Lynn glanced and saw Lela immediately eating the food straight out of the wheelbarrow. As she did, Lana popped out of the top of the pile, and she was also eating it.
"Mm, this stuff's pretty good," Lana responded, "I can see why Lela really likes it." She dove back in and hash flew onto the ground near Lincoln and Lynn.
"Eww," Lynn muttered.
At the front door to the castle, Morag stood at the door as it opened. But when she saw the inside of the hallway, it was already decorated with several Christmas decorations and paintings.
Morag stepped inside and was surprised. But the instant she did so, a voice stopped her:
"Halt! Manten esa pose!"
Morag glanced to her right and saw Frida sitting in front of an easel with a canvas. She held a polaroid camera in front of her and snapped a photograph, then it came out of the photo slot. Once it was developed, Frida placed it on the canvas and began painting.
"May I move now?" Morag asked.
"Si, you may," Frida explained. "Gracias."
As Morag stepped further into the castle, she was suddenly trampled by Carl and CJ running from behind her, arguing. As they argued, they were holding Christmas decorations.
Frida noticed and angrily pulled them apart. "Enough!" she declared. "Do not give Morag more work to do on our holiday, comprende?"
Carl and CJ nodded and helped Morag stand up. "Sorry, Morag," CJ told her.
"We didn't mean to run over you," added Carl. "We're just trying to help out." He and CJ smiled at each other and shared the decorations.
Morag brushed off her coat and looked at the decorations. "Wow," she gasped, "these are…beautiful decorations."
Maria and Rosa noticed Morag and brought her a mug. "Good morning, Morag," Maria smiled. "May my mother and I interest you in a cup of hot chocolate?"
"Oh, no thank you," Morag replied, "I appreciate it."
"Aye, mi amiga," Rosa insisted. "Please, try it."
"Oh, very well," Morag relented, so she took the mug and took a sip of the hot chocolate. As she tasted it, she smiled. "Well, blow me down," she gasped, "this is delicious."
"It's my secret family recipe," Rosa explained.
"Well, it's very good," Morag replied as she finished it. "Thank you very much."
"Can we interest you in anything else?" asked Maria.
"No, not now, thank you," Morag answered. "I've already lost some time from my duties as groundskeeper. I should be heading down to the town."
"That will nae be necessary, Morag," Angus's voice told her. Morag looked ahead and saw Angus and Ronnie Anne standing in front of her.
"What are you talking about?" Morag asked. "You gave me a checklist of groundwork duties that I have to complete today in time for your gala tomorrow."
"Ah, that's the thing, Morag," Ronnie Anne told her. "We're all helping you out by doing them for you."
"But why would you do that?"
"Because it's Christmas time," Ronnie Anne explained. "And back in Royal Woods and Great Lakes City, we all enjoy helping each other at this time of year."
"Yes," added Carlos, "the practice of altruism at Christmastime can free one from internalized thoughts and selfishness. Often, those are feelings we may not know are within us."
Carlota pulled at her dad's arm. "That's great knowledge, Dad," she told him, "but we shouldn't try to put too much of it onto Morag."
"Yes," Morag replied, and then she cleared her throat. "Well, I should be going. I must check in on Loch Loud's citizens as well."
"That also shall not be required," said Lucille's voice, and she rose from the floor in front of Morag. "My siblings and I have taken it upon ourselves to care for the town. Here, let me show you."
Lucille led Morag to an upstairs castle window and handed her a pair of opera binoculars. Morag looked through them down to the town and saw the other 1600s Louds helping the other citizens. They were each doing some of Morag's duties.
"Well," Morag said, "I suppose that takes care of my to-do list."
"Indeed," Lucille confirmed. "So please, enjoy a day of peace and quiet to yourself. You deserve it." Lucille vanished in a swirling glow.
As Morag came out of the room, she glanced at the wall. On the wall hung a portrait of the Louds' original castle keeper, Aggie. Aggie was Morag's own ancestor as well as the one who originally drove away the Louds with the Dragon Stone.
Morag stared at the portrait and sighed. "Oh, dear old Aggie," she replied, "how I wish I knew how you handled things at this time of year. The Louds are going to hold the first Christmas gala to be seen in four centuries, right here in this castle." She gulped and frantically finished her sentence. "It will be torturous."
Morag walked down the hallway and entered the bathroom where she had first been relaxing when Lincoln and his family came for the first time. "Even though those Louds and Casagrandes have done quite heartwarming deeds for me today…I still hate Christmas." She entered the bathroom, expecting nobody to have listened to her… But she was wrong.
Lincoln had come inside the castle onto the same floor as Morag. She hadn't noticed him as he'd been hiding around a corner, listening to her words. After hearing what she had said, Lincoln felt sad.
"I can't believe it. We went through all this, and Morag is still upset?" Lincoln sat down on the stairs and sighed. "Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all…"
That night, everyone had gone to bed in one of the many bedrooms inside the castle. Lori and Bobby slept together while just about everyone else had their own rooms. All six pets had their own room as well.
Everything was calm and quiet for everyone else, but not for Lincoln. As Lincoln slept, he was tossing and turning vigorously. Lincoln was having a nightmare…
In Lincoln's dream, he was having his family's grand gala in the castle courtyard. There were lights, decorations, music, and lots and lots of food. Everyone in Loch Loud had come, and everyone was worshipping Lincoln for putting it all together.
Lincoln stood on the upper floor of the castle, where he held his coronation. Ronnie Anne stood beside him proudly, and Angus was dressed formally as well. They were all smiling as the party went on.
Lincoln stepped towards the edge of the balcony and spoke into a microphone. "Well, my good people," he declared proudly, "I must admit, this is the grandest party we have seen in a long time. So now, I hereby declare this party to be officially begun!"
Everyone cheered and threw confetti and banners into the air. Everything was going great…until something broke down the drawbridge to the castle. Lincoln squinted, and in the distance, he saw Morag. She was holding the Dragon Scepter and dressed in her robe from her brief tyranny as Loch Loud's Duchess.
Morag stepped angrily into the castle courtyard as everyone watched. They moved aside for her as she came to a stop in front of the castle, and she stared up at Lincoln. "So, this is how you plan to torture me?" she scowled. "By hosting the wretched gala of your esteemed ancestors and not inviting me?"
"You said you hate Christmas, Morag," Lincoln reminded her, "so I didn't feel the need to invite you."
Morag smiled evilly. "Oh, don't worry, Duke," she replied, "that won't be an issue…" She reached into her robe and pulled out a gemstone that looked exactly like the Dragon Stone! "Because now I am in command!" She placed the stone inside the mouth of the scepter, and then a bolt of lightning shot from it into the sunny sky.
The sky suddenly darkened and turned an ominous red, and a giant shadow loomed over the castle. It was Lela, and she was even bigger than before! Her eyes were glowing purple, and she growled as she stared at Lincoln!
Morag swung the scepter, and Lela swooped down upon the gala! People screamed and began running for their lives as Lela devoured all the food. Then she breathed fire upon all the decorations and set them ablaze!
Lincoln stood firmly at the edge of the balcony. "Lela, as your master I command you: Stop this at once!"
But Lela didn't listen. She instead flew straight through one of the castle towers, and then another one! As bricks and stones fell from the crumbling towers, everyone hurried away from the disaster.
"Sire, we must make haste!" Angus declared. "The castle is going to fall!"
"No!" Lincoln declared. "I'm not leaving behind my family's heirloom! I'm going to put a stop to this myself!"
"Forget it, Lame-o!" Ronnie Anne insisted. "We're gonna die if we don't get out of here!"
"Then you guys go," Lincoln declared. "I'm staying here, where I belong." But at that moment, a large stone fell from the wall above him and crashed through the balcony floor! Cracks spread out from the hole, and then Lincoln realized he was in trouble.
"I'm getting out of here!" Lincoln gasped, and he hurriedly ran into the castle with Angus and Ronnie Anne. But once inside, it was so dusty that Lincoln couldn't see either of them!
Lincoln coughed and fanned away the dust from his eyes, but he saw that he was alone. "Angus? Ronnie Anne?" he called, but he was rudely interrupted by Lela's roaring! "Gotta go!" he gasped.
As Lincoln ran through the castle, it began crumbling all around him as Lela repeatedly smashed through it. He had to narrowly dodge stones and jump over gaps in the floor as he hurried down to the ground floor.
Once Lincoln made it to the courtyard, he saw the remains of his party all around him. Tears filled his eyes as he looked around. "Oh, what have I done?" he cried. "I'm the worst party host ever!"
"And now you're the worst Duke ever!" Morag's voice ominously echoed.
Lincoln looked into the sky and saw Morag standing on Lela's head. Morag cackled as Lincoln sadly fell to his knees and began to cry. And this time, none of his sisters came to comfort him.
Morag raised the scepter and pointed it skyward. "Now, Lela," she declared, "it's time you had your dessert." Then she pointed the scepter at Lincoln. "Bon appetite!"
Lela rocketed down towards Lincoln and opened her mouth. As Lincoln saw her coming, he screamed and closed his eyes…and then he woke up.
Lincoln found himself back in his bed inside the Duke's room. He was breathing heavily as he sat up frantically and looked around. Everything in the castle was still standing.
"Phew," Lincoln said to himself, "it was all just a bad dream."
At that moment, the door opened and Lincoln's sisters all came inside the room. They were all looking worried for him, so they turned on the light and came to the bed, and they sat down around their brother.
"Lincoln, are you okay?" asked Leni.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Lincoln answered. "I just had a bad dream."
"What happened, big brother?" asked Lola.
Lincoln explained his nightmare to his sisters, but as he did, he started shivering. It wasn't clear whether he was scared or cold, but that didn't matter to any of his sisters. They each began comforting him to help him settle down.
"So that's what happened," Lincoln finished.
"Well, it was only a manifestation of the worst-case scenario," Lisa told him. "It does not mean Morag will definitely ruin the party."
Lincoln frowned. "Well…I'm starting to think maybe we should just cancel the party."
Lincoln's sisters gasped. "What?!" they all declared at the same time.
Lola slapped Lincoln's face. "Pull yourself together, Linky!" she declared. "We can't cancel this gala now! It may be my one chance to attend a Scottish ball!"
"Why do you want to cancel the party, Lincoln?" asked Leni. "We were planning it for so long!"
Lincoln frowned. "Well, I overheard Morag talking to a portrait of her ancestor this morning," he explained. "Morag said she was happy for all the good deeds…but she still hates Christmas. I don't think there's anything that will change her mind." He took a deep breath and slowly finished speaking. "Besides, she'd probably just want us to cancel the party anyway."
"Well, we're not going to let that happen," Lori declared.
"Yeah," agreed Luan. "You're our brother, and we're going to stand beside you the whole way."
"Even if Morag does try something," Lynn added, "we'll stop her just like we did before."
Lincoln felt better hearing his sisters' confident words. "Thanks, you guys," he told them. "I'm really lucky that I have all of you here for me."
Lily smiled and hugged Lincoln. "We love you, Lincoln," she told him.
Lincoln's other sisters saw Lincoln holding Lily, and they all embraced him together in a group hug. "We love you, Lincoln," they all said together.
Lincoln smiled and closed his eyes. "I love you too," he sighed.
After a few minutes, Lincoln lay back down in his bed. As he closed his eyes, he felt his sisters one by one kiss his cheek goodnight. Once he had gone back to sleep, his sisters turned off the light and went back to bed. And Lincoln slept peacefully the rest of the night.
The next morning was Christmas Eve. Morag woke up and got herself ready for the day, but as she opened the door she was stopped by Angus, the Louds, and the Casagrandes! They all stared angrily at her.
"Oh, good morning, everyone," Morag smiled.
"Save it, Morag!" Lori scowled. "We know all about what you're really up to!"
"It's one thing to hate Christmas," Hector replied, "but planning to sabotage a party? That's very low!"
Morag was puzzled and nervous. "Wait, wh-wh-what are you talking about?" she asked.
"Lincoln told us last night," explained Luan.
"He told us all about how you only want peace and quiet to yourself," Lucy added. "Normally I would approve, but not this time. This was too dark, even for you."
Lola grabbed Morag by the chest of her skirt and pulled her closer to herself. As Lola stared at Morag with her intimidating face, it made Morag shiver.
"You listen to me, lady!" she said angrily. "Nobody takes my brother for granted and gets away with it!"
"But—" Morag tried to explain, but she was cut off again.
"We went to all this trouble and you just want to throw it away?" added Bobby. "And Lori and I were really excited as well."
"But—"
"This was going to be one of the greatest holidays I've ever attended," Arturo added, "with mis hijos and the Louds! I didn't get that privilege back in Peru!"
"But—"
"We don't have to stay here," Rita declared. "In fact, we'll just go home so you can enjoy all the peace and quiet you want."
"Yes, just as your family wanted when they drove us away!" added Lynn Sr. He and everyone began to walk away, but as they did, Morag shouted at them:
"But I don't want you to leave!"
Everyone stopped moving and stopped being angry. They turned toward Morag again in confusion.
"What do you mean?" asked Maria.
Morag dropped to her knees and looked miserable. "Yes, I do prefer peace and quiet," she explained, "but after all that you sacrificed for me yesterday…it made me realize that too much of it is a bad thing."
Everyone listened to Morag as she explained to them.
"My ancestors since Old Aggie have been trying to keep the Louds away to retain peace and quiet," Morag answered, "but all that time we have spent in isolation made us forget the most important thing of all: family." Morag stood up and looked at the two families, and tears ran down her face. "You all are lucky that you have such big families to spend Christmas with. I don't!" With that, Morag ran back inside, sobbing loudly.
After hearing the story, everyone felt bad for Morag. They all looked sadly at each other as they spoke.
"Wow, so Morag only hates Christmas because her family has been in isolation for so long," Carl sighed.
"And now she doesn't have any family of her own to spend Christmas with," Lynn added. "That's awful."
"I know, sweetie," Rita agreed. "At the same time, we are a big family and have each other every day."
"But Morag doesn't have anyone," sighed Rosa.
"Aye," Angus frowned. "That I dinnae even know myself."
Lori hugged Bobby in tears. "Oh, Boo-Boo Bear," she sighed, "I wish there was something we could do to make things better again."
"So do I, Babe," Bobby agreed. "But what?"
Lincoln thought for a moment, and then he smiled. "Well, I guess there's only one thing we can do," he answered.
"Go home and pretend all of this never happened?" asked Ronnie Anne.
"Nope," Lincoln smiled. "I have an even better idea…"
At last, evening came, and the citizens of Loch Loud were arriving at the castle courtyard. The gala was still being done, but the party was lit by Christmas lights and decorations, as the sky was covered by dark, heavy clouds. Morag sat inside the hovel all by herself. She stared out the window and looked miserable.
"Look at all those families," Morag sighed, "all coming together for Christmastime. And here I am, all alone and miserable."
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Morag walked up to it, and as she opened the door, there was Angus, smiling.
"Good evenin', Morag," he jovially responded.
"What do you want, Angus?" she asked.
"I want to take you to the Louds' gala tonight," Angus told her. He reached for the coat hanger and gave Morag her winter coat. "And I won't be takin' no for an answer," he added, "so chop-chop!"
After Morag was dressed in her winter coat, Angus took her by the hand and led her outside. The two of them went all the way to the front of the castle, and on either side of the door, Rita and Frida blew into trumpets. Lori and Bobby stood proudly at the gates, and Lucille flew over them alongside her brother, the Duke. The rest of their 1600s family lined the walkway in front of the castle.
"Citizens of Loch Loud," Lori declared, "please join me and my Boo-Boo Bear as we welcome the hosts of tonight's grand gala: Duke Lincoln Loud and Duchess Ronnie Anne Santiago!"
The castle gates opened as Lincoln and Ronnie Anne walked out together. There was a round of applause as they came to a stop.
"Thank you, everyone," Lincoln said royally. "Now, before we get started, may I please have Morag come forth?"
Morag shyly stepped up to Lincoln and Ronnie Anne, and she stared at them.
"Morag, for as long as they've been the castle keepers, your ancestors have always wanted nothing more than peace and quiet," Ronnie Anne declared, "but with all that, they have forgotten what the most important thing is: Family. That may be easy for the rest of us to overlook since Lincoln and I each have large families."
"So, to show how much we appreciate you being here with all of us tonight, even though you haven't any family of your own to celebrate with you," added Lincoln, "our families have a song for you."
The Louds and Casagrandes came together, and they began to sing a song. Eventually, Angus, the other villagers, Lucille, her family, and even Morag became inspired to sing along:
Some might say that Christmas is
A time for presents and having fun.
Some might think it's all about
Getting gifts from everyone.
But at this special time of year
When you hold your family close and near,
You shouldn't have to be alone,
And any place can feel like home!
We're all together now as one
So don't forget to take a bow
Under moon and shining sun
We're all together here and now
The Casagrandes are all here
We're singing strong and standing proud
For the most special time of year
And that's what Christmas is all about.
Merry Christmas from the Louds!
After the song, the villagers erupted into applause, and Morag felt so happy. For the first time in as long as she could remember, she felt like she had a family for Christmas.
Morag smiled. "My…that was such a beautiful song," she said.
"By the way," added Lincoln, "we have a present for you."
"A present? For me?" Morag gasped.
"Yeah," answered Ronnie Anne. "It's from all of us." She grabbed a wrapped gift and handed it to Morag. "Here, open it up."
Morag opened the present and took it out. Inside was a pair of fluffy earmuffs, and they were decorated with the same red velvet as her old duchess robe.
"A pair of earmuffs?" asked Morag.
"Yeah, Morag," Lincoln told her. "That way if you ever feel as though it's too loud around you, you can wear these for some peace and quiet. What do you think?"
Morag was so happy, she embraced Lincoln tearfully. "Oh, Lincoln," she told him, "thank you so much. You've reminded me what Christmas really is all about…and that I'm not alone after all."
"Hey, don't forget about me," Ronnie Anne added.
"And the rest of us," Angus put in.
Morag just smiled. "Oh, come here all of you!" she declared, and the other Louds and Casagrandes came in for a group hug. Once they released everyone else, Lincoln and Morag hugged each other again happily as Morag shed another tear.
"Merry Christmas, Morag," said Lincoln.
"Merry Christmas, Lincoln," said Morag.
Leni gasped. "Oh, I almost forgot!" she declared, and she went to the gate opening and hung something above it. "The mistletoe!"
All the couples—including Arturo and Maria—took each other in their arms and began dancing. Even Angus and Morag took each other's hands and began to dance. But as Lincoln and Ronnie Anne stood in place, they stared at each other.
"Uh, hey Ronnie Anne," Lincoln asked shyly, "can I ask you a question?"
"What's that, Lincoln?"
"I know this may sound weird, but since it is Christmas and we are under the mistletoe, maybe you would like—" But before he could finish…Ronnie Anne kissed him on the lips!
"Would you like to dance, my Duke?" asked Ronnie Anne.
"I'd be honored, my Duchess," Lincoln confirmed.
Lincoln and Ronnie Anne took hands, and they too joined in the gala lit by the Christmas lights as the party began. High above the castle, Lela flew to the tallest spire and hung a holly wreath with a star. The star lit up, marking the beginning of the Louds' official Christmas gala.
Lela flew back down to the ground and joined in with the Louds, Casagrandes, and everyone else as they had their party. It even began to snow!