Cherry told Tino and Hazel all about how Kiku had shown her around the kingdom. Tino was reading the small scroll Kiku had given Cherry while Hazel was styling Cherry's hair in an elegant braid that was befitting for a mermaid princess.

"And you still don't know his name?" Tino wondered.

"I don't want to put him at Gothel's mercy..I don't want to know what she is really capable of" Cherry explained.

Tino nodded in understanding.

Hazel snorted in disbelief. "Gothel? Merciful? Never. But it's a good idea nonetheless. For her to curse anyone, all she needs is a name and face. Without either, her curses are worthless. Since most magic is admittedly very...finicky" she remarked.

"Is that how she killed Emil? And turned Tino into a rabbit?" Cherry asked.

Hazel nodded. "Yes. And how she killed Matthias and Berwald..I never figured out exactly how she knew their names and faces as well as Tino's since she's never met Berwald or Tino. Matthias was probably stupid enough to tick her off, though" she added.

"Matthias?" Cherry wondered, curious about her friends' past. Since learning that Hazel and Lukas once had a son, she had been wondering about how things once were for them and Tino. Before Gothel had almost killed off their kind.

"Mine and Lukas' other cousin. He was not a bright one, despite being the oldest. After him was Lukas, then Berwald and finally me. He was always jealous that Lukas was the first out of us four to get married and to later on become a father...anyway, Matthais was shot out of the sky by humans while he was in dragon form. His wing was damaged and he was stabbed before he could turn back into a human. You were lucky to have never met him..Hazel hated him so much" Tino explained, hesitating to remember Matthias in a fond manner.

"The way I always thought that reckless idiot would go. He was always such a show-off, always had to be better than everyone else. Especially when it came to competing with Lukas. Berwald lost his life when Gothel cursed Erin to kill Ber when they secretly met up..Lukas was more surprised about what had happened to Berwald more than Mat" Hazel continued as she remembered her husband's other two cousins; the two that had been there when Hazel had first met Lukas.

"And Emil?" Cherry pressed.


Hazel sighed. "It happened the night before his birthday. Lukas and I were talking, as we always would after putting Emil to bed. The minute he started crying for us, I knew something was wrong just by the desperation in his cries. A spell, no a curse, had been cast on Emil's door so we couldn't get in. Lukas and I tried everything to get to Emil. All either of us cared about was getting to our defenceless little boy in time. It's true what they say about parents displaying incredible strength when their child is in danger, especially if their child is still just a baby. Parent Dragon-Shifting Sorcerers are especially very powerful when it comes to protecting their children. Lukas and I were no exception to that fact. By the time we'd finally broken down the door and rushed in...our son had stopped breathing. No mother can forget seeing her baby lying lifeless in his crib" she explained. She felt her heartache all over again, almost tearing up at the memory. Just as she had cried when she and Lukas had broken down that door only to find their son dead.

Cherry was still confused. "How did you know it was Gothel who killed him?" she asked.

"She'd met Emil once. When she came to our castle to try and convince Lukas to accept her offer. The stare she gave Emil was unsettling. Almost like she intended to harm him. And when Lukas and I came here, she had this smirk that gave it away. A mother always knows these things. I've despised her ever since. For killing my sweet, innocent son and putting this unbearable strain on my marriage" Hazel answered.

Cherry now wore a look of sadness.

Hazel sighed. "He was the same age you were when Gothel stole you from your family...almost a year old. I think he would've loved to have a little sister..I chose to be your guardian because deep down, I'm still a mother. So there's no need to feel like that.." she assured.


Cherry then turned to ask Tino about his fiancé and how he was turned into a rabbit.

"I was flying to gather some materials for magic. I stopped at a cave to rest up. In ran this human princess. She had such beautiful caramel hair and the brightest hazel eyes I'd ever seen. We ended up talking - she was hiding from a giant troll that was trying to eat her or something. She left a little while later..." Tino began. He then took a breath. "...But when I heard her scream, I immediately rushed over to see that the giant troll was trying to scare her out of this tree she was hiding in. I took my dragon form and fought it. When I won, I flew the princess back to her kingdom and explained everything to her father. He'd thanked me and asked if there was any way to repay me.." he continued.

"And then?" Cherry asked.

Tino chuckled. "I was at an age where all dragon-shifting sorcerers like me start settling down. I was third out of me and my cousins to do so. In that time I'd spent in the cave with the princess, I'd really fallen for her. So I told him that the only thing I could possibly want was his daughter's hand in marriage. And he'd allowed it. It was such a happy time. One day, when I was visiting my bride-to-be, I was turned into a rabbit. When I ran into her father, he didn't recognise me and tried to kill me. So I had to run away. Now my true love thinks I'm dead" Tino explained.

Cherry was shocked. "Oh, Tino, that's so sad" she stated.

Hazel rolled her eyes; obviously losing Emil was much worse. She said nothing as she finished her task. "There you go" she announced.

Cherry stood up. Looking in the mirror, she realised that her dress was too plain. She then had an idea. She took her paintbrush and painted different dresses to try. She soon settled for a violet and pale pink dress that sparkled like the stars. She gave a spin. "This is the one" she decided.

Hazel wiped away a tear. "So beautiful" she stated. Just like the princess she really is.

"Hold on. You can't go to a masquerade party without a mask" Tino pointed out as he handed a homemade half-mask to Cherry. It was a pale pink.

"You two made this for me?" Cherry asked.

Hazel smiled as she held Cherry's face in her hands, like a mother would do. "My little Cherry, all grown up" she stated.


The room grew tense as Gothel suddenly appeared. She had an unusual smirk; a smirk Hazel had seen before. The same smirk that she wore when Lukas started working for her.

Hazel's stance became rigid.

All Lukas could do was stand by the window and watch everything pan out.

"My, my. You look lovely in your new party dress..but your hair..there's something wrong with it" Gothel mocked in a patronising tone. She suddenly used her magic to cut Cherry's lovely long hair to barely reach her shoulder.

Cherry was horrified. "No.." she gasped.

"Oh, come now. Hair grows back, child" Gothel remarked. She then picked up the violet paintbrush and shattered it.

Hazel was now seething so much. She knew Gothel had a nasty plan for the poor boy Cherry had met.

"Why, you spiteful, nasty, old hag!" Tino seethed.

"Francis..you can eat him" Gothel merely stated.

Francis leapt for Tino but Tino dodged by jumping straight into Hazel's arm. She merely moved the disgusting French ferret aside with her foot. "Go away, Francis, you pest" she scolded

Gothel took a menacing step towards Hazel. "You gave her that paintbrush, didn't you?! I know it was you! Although I expected it from you, you still continue to defy me! You arrogant piece of.." she ranted.

Lukas now looked visibly angry.

"Gothel, stop! Hazel and Tino didn't do anything wrong!" Cherry cried, trying to defend her friends.

Gothel was then distracted by the mural. She went over and touched it. "What kind of magic is this?" she demanded as her hand went through. To her, it felt like an incantation Hazel had used to inelegantly boot Gothel out of her home.

"I don't know" Cherry admitted.

Gothel, still believing that Cherry was lying, then shattered the mural. "More lies!" she accused.

Hazel had had enough. She stormed over to Gothel, her eyes a furious red. Her free hand had turned into a dragon claw and she swiped Gothel's face, scratching her. "If anyone's a liar, it's you! Cherry knows you'd stolen her! I've put up with you for years but you've finally crossed a line!" she snapped.

"Hazel!" Three different voices exclaimed; that being Cherry, Tino and Lukas.


Gothel grabbed Tino by the scruff of his neck and threw him out the window. As she calculated, Hazel jumped out and turned into her dragon form to catch him.

Gothel commanded Lukas to take his dragon form; she then got on his back. "You have one last chance, Cherry. The boy. Tell me his name!" she demanded.

"I told you, I don't know" Cherry answered.

Gothel made an angry look. "Wrong answer" she remarked. She then proceeded to cast a spell. "Tower, tower, know your part. Never release your prisoner with a dishonest heart. Of all the vicious words ever spoken, my fearsome curse can never be broken" she cackled. She had Lukas land by the fortress grounds. "That wife of yours is far too unruly for her own good, Lukas" she complained as Lukas took his human form.

Lukas sighed; he'd now had enough of Gothel's tendency to insult Hazel behind her back. "It's not her fault...she's always known you killed our Emil. You're not a parent nor are you married so you can't understand the true consequences of your actions. I hadn't gone back on my word but you're the one not holding your end of the deal..you said you would leave her be" he remarked.

Gothel got an idea; the only way she came close to crushing Hazel's pride was by threatening to endanger Lukas. After all, despite the strain on their marriage, the two still loved each other and would do anything for each other. "Maybe she'd change her ways if she was made to believe that her beloved husband was about to be destroyed.." she mused, which confused Lukas. Gothel then conjured an iron clasp on Lukas' wrists and a chain attached to the fortress wall.

Lukas tried to tug the chain out of the wall or turn into his dragon form but nothing he attempted worked. "What the hell, Gothel?!" he demanded, angered by Gothel's betrayal.

"I'll deal with you later. This will show that wife of yours that I'm not messing around. Just like I showed her husband by taking the life of their only child" Gothel answered and left.

Lukas growled lowly to himself for not realising Gothel would turn on him and go back on her word. He glanced over to where Hazel was examining Tino for injuries. He sighed. What hurt more was that he knew that he had already lost his wife, just as he always feared he would. "I've failed you, Hazel. Just like I failed Emil..I'm sorry, my love" he muttered.