Mario quietly went to the front door, knocking loudly. "Hello! Is anyone there?" Mario called out as the door opened. "Hello?" He called out again. "It's getting cold outside; I was wondering if I could stay here for the night? . . ."

Little did he know there were several eyes watching him? They were hiding in the shadows of the castle. They were cursed along with their princess, though they never blamed her for it. After all she was only around ten years old when this all happened. Actually all of them were close to her age. He continued to look around, there was no one to be seen.

"HELLO!" Leo screamed, it nearly startled Mario stiff.

"Stop screaming . . ." Amu tells him, covering her ears before putting her hands down. "Look you're scaring him."

"Naturally we would be scaring him . . . look at us . . ." Tusk informs them, he had his arms folded.

"A Tiger?" Mario pointed at Amu, his voice full of terror.

"A Lion!" He moved his finger as he pointed to Leo.

"An Elephant . . ." He moved his hand again to Tusk. Right after Mario said this, he fainted.

"Now look what you did . . ." Tusk informed them, annoyed.

"Is he dead?" Amu questioned.

"No, dummy he just fainted." Tusk tells Leo.

"You don't have to be so mean."

"The mistress is not going to like this at all . . . If she finds out . . . " Tusk worriedly let's out.

"She won't find out. So don't worry . . ." Leo assures them.

"I am telling you, she will...the princess knows everything that goes on in this castle."

"Quickly, let's bring him to the fireplace. The poor thing." Amu tells the both of them.

"I agree." Leo shakes his head.

Amu and Leo both help carry him to Sera's chair. Tusk refused to take part of it.

"Not, in the Mistress's chair." Tusk protests.

"WAKE UP!" Leo screams right at Mario as he startled him awake.

"Well, that's a way to make him up." Tusk sarcastically remarks.

"Oh good you're awake." Amu says, holding a tray as she pours some tea into a teapot. Handing it over to Mario. "Here you go . . . it would keep you warm."

"Thank you." Mario tells her as he takes a sip.

"You're probably curious about our appearance . . . we weren't always like this . . ." Leo begins to tell him.

"Don't tell him what happened . . ." Tusk interrupts.

"Perhaps he can help us. It's been 10 years . . ."

"His too old . . ." Tusk points out. Knowing that Princess Sera would love someone like him. So it was pointless.

"He may know someone . . ." Leo points out.

"Will you be quiet? You may wake up the mistress!" Tusk angrily tells him.

Unknown to them Sera was in the shadows, she was not happy that someone intruded into her castle. She didn't want anyone there. No one was ever going to see her like this.

"What is he doing here?!" Sera questioned.

Leo begins to speak, knowing he would scream Tusk covers his mouth. He knew that his loud voice would hurt Princess Sera's ears. He knew that he would be even more irritated

"It's cold outside, he needed warmth."

"You know, no outside guests are welcome in my castle." Sera addresses them angrily.

"I am very sorry to trouble you. I will just leave."

"No, you won't be going anywhere." Sera tells him. "You tell everyone about me. About this castle? Take him to the dungeons."

"As you wish, princess . . ." Tusk tells her as he grabs his chain. "come with me." He pulled the chain and dragged him.

"I am very sorry about this. We must obey the princesses orders." Amu shackles his arms. "She is not a bad person, really." She assures him as she looks back over at Sera.

"Princess, you can't keep pushing people away." Amu warned her.

"Did, I ask you?" Sera angrily tells her. She didn't even look at her. Trying to hide the fact she had tears in her eyes.

"How can you find anyone to break this curse?"

"LOOK AT ME?!" Sera cried out. Not being able to hold it in anymore "No one will love me. I am nothing more than a monster to them. It's better to push them away before they hurt us."

"You don't know that. I am sure there is a young man who won't care about your appearance."

"You really think so."

"As long as you can control that temper of yours . . ."

"Thanks Amu. You're a good friend."

"I will always be here for you. Whether we're cursed or not." Amu assures the princess.

Meanwhile back in town…

Minako was in a wedding dress as she had some of the girls fix the flowers in her hair. She planned to have her wedding day today. She believed everything to perfect. Naturally any man she picked would have to honored to have her as his wife. There was only one person in particular she wanted to marry.

"First I would like to thank everyone for coming to my wedding." Minako addresses a whole bunch of people. The men were not particularly happy. They were holding back tears. "Of course, I still have to get him agree to it . . ." She starts to laugh as everyone begins before she makes a gesture to silent them.

"Now, listen carefully. When Yamato and I come out that door. I want the band to start playing. Do you understand, Nami?" Minako held by the collar, she was being very forceful. Nami tried her

"Yes, of course." Nami nervously tells her.

"Good!" Minako puts her down, "because if you fail . . ."

"I won't fail . . ."

Yamato was reading his book in a chair, he heard the knock on the door, and he put the bookmark in it. He goes over to the door, looking through the peephole as he sees Minako. Yamato had the look of disgust on his face. He dreaded the thought of seeing her.

"Hello . . . Minako . . ." Yamato greets her, forcing himself to smile. "My uncle isn't here if you're looking to make fun of him." He watches as Minako steps inside as he closes the door.

"Oh, I am here to see you, silly." Minako giggles.

"Why?!" Yamato questioned, he knew she wouldn't want to see him want to see him unless she had some kind of motivate.

"Because . . ." She sees her reflection in the mirror as she fixes up her hair. "This is the day all your dreams will come true."

"And what do you know about my dreams, Minako . . .?"

"Because I know you . . ." Minako insisted.

"That's a lie. You don't know me at all."

"You don't want settle down and be with the most beautiful girl in town." Minako referred to herself, though Yamato hadn't picked up on it yet.

"Yeah, but it's not about how beautiful a person is . . . I also want a girl who is kind, adventurous, fun-loving . . ." Yamato begins to say, all the qualities he wants for his dream girl.

"I can be all those things." Minako interrupts.

"Oh, you're talking about me marrying you." Yamato finally got whom she was referring too.

"What do you say?" Minako asks as he advances towards him.

"I would say no thanks." Yamato admits. He wasn't afraid of Minako. So rare for a man to reject her. Well he may be the first too reject her. Yamato just knew that he wasn't the girl of his dreams. Yamato wasn't going to be forced to marry someone he didn't love.

"I know you mean that." Minako walks over to him, pretty much backing him to the door.

"I don't deserve a girl like you." Yamato remarks as he reaches to touch the door knob. As Minako leans in to try to kiss him, he opens the door and steps aside as she falls forward out the door.

Minako ended up tripping as she lands in the mud pit. Nami takes notice, as she signals the band to play the music. Believing that Yamato is coming down Minako for their wedding. Not realizing Minako was rejected by him. Nami stops the music, realizing Yamato wasn't with her.

"What happened? I thought Yamato was with you?" Nami questioned.

"Yamato will be my husband. I don't care if he want to or not. I will find a way to make him mine." Minako angrily tells her as her as she pushes him aside. "I can promise you that."

"Are they gone?" Yamato questioned as he opened the door to look around. He sighed in relief. "I can't believe Minako wanted me to marry her. She will never change no matter what she says. All she cares about is herself." He opens his book to where it was bookmarked. There was a drawing of a couple in the story dancing with a princess. It was before the boy in the story found out she was a Princess in disguise. "I want this kind of life. Adventure, A princess in disguise . . . it's better than this plain, simple life in this town." He confesses. "Oh, who am I kidding. It's never going to happen." He slams him book in frustration. Just then he hears a horse coming from the forest. He turns around to see it was his Uncles. His eyes widened as he realized that his Uncle wasn't there. He rushed over to try and calm him.

"What happened? Where's Mario?" Yamato asked the horse as he starts taking the stuff off him. "You have to lead me, there. Take me to him. Something must have happened to him. He could be hurt." He hops on the saddle. He looks back at the house. Without any hesitation he galloped into the forest. He didn't know what was going to be in the forest. This was the closest thing he had to any sort of adventure.

Author's Note: Yamato will be heading to Sera's castle in the next chapter. Her fear of being rejected due to her beastly appearance and short temper will not start out well. If you remember what happens in the movie this is based on. Hehehehe.

Please Read/Review...I can't wait to know what you think . . .