As soon as I had coughed up enough water to manage looking around I realized I had no idea where I was. Not an uncommon thing considering I had never left Queen Flore's palace before, but it was nothing I recognized from our depart from the carriage. Beyond the grass lay a road, well-traveled by the looks of it though I didn't recognize any of the trees around it. At least the troop of monkeys were nowhere in sight, though with the sun having already set it was difficult to be sure of anything. Had that brat Gigona been punished? Mirlifiche had seemed to hold nothing against me. I rose to my hind feet and shook the water from my fur. I was a soaking mess, and I felt more like a dog than a monkey and especially a bride-to-be.

Though that whole bride thing did not seem currently in the picture. The river must have brought me further down from the monkey assembly.

I took a moment to wring the remaining water from my tail, and another to dump river water from my bag. The little jade box caught my eye. What about it had impressed Biroquoi so much? It was a beautiful box. I held it up to examine it better. It was beautiful. And apparently opening it was a serious matter. Ridiculous. It sounded like something that Bastien would believe in. Even so , and maybe even in thought Bastien, I let the box fall back into the bag.

It was not good to be still damp in the darkness. I began to shiver. What was the point of having fur if it couldn't even keep me warm? I moved slowly up the road, trying to decided just what I needed to do now. It was dark, it was cold, and I had absolutely no idea where I was. And Biroquoi had decided to send me here? Well, he was a fish, after all; he wouldn't know the details of the roadside. Running back to Queen Flore seemed impossible, and even if I could find the palace I knew I couldn't face Bastien. How silly. After a monkey princess tried to kill me, all I could think about was Bastien.

So what options were left to me? Certainly Mirlifiche was looking for me. I really hoped he had strung Gigona up by her furry little neck. That ape seemed to be the only responsible one of the bunch. Should I sit and wait for him to find me? Did monkeys travel in the dark?

I just didn't care. I wound up doing what I was good at. I climbed a tree, curled up on a limb, and eventually fell asleep.

"Grab it!"

I was jarred awake by someone rudely grabbing my tail and yanking me straight off the branch. My paws tried to grip the branch again, but whoever it was really had some strength. In seconds of waking up I found myself held tight in the arms of a soldier.

"Another one," a man's deep voice said from behind us. "And here we had thought we had driven out the last of them."

"Put me down!" I shrieked. Never in my life had anyone handled me like an… animal. I twisted in the soldier's arms, but he held his grip even as I felt him jolt. My bag had fallen to the ground.

"It talks."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Yes, I talk. Have you not heard of me? Babiole, from the court of Queen Flore."

"So she's not part of that monkey army," another voice said. A total of four soldiers had been sent to fetch me. Or look for monkeys. Which included me.

"Still up to monkey business," my captor said, with his fellows laughing at him. Oh, what a joke. Haha.

"Queen Flore's court monkey," a man said thoughtfully. "Yes, very famous little living trinket. Speaks like anything. Clearly. I doubt Queen Cerise will care."

My captor stared down at me. I met his eyes with as much bravery as I could summon. He didn't seem to be considering hurting me, and as it was I had been taught not to back down to anyone. My station was at least that of a guard and if it wasn't he did not need to know that.

"If this is indeed the pet of Queen Flore, Queen Cerise would not be interested in starting a fight."

"Over what, sir?" I demanded.

All four guards reacted well enough, startled to the point that one answered my question. "Our beloved Queen despises monkeys."

That was the silliest thing I had never heard. Who hated monkeys that much? "She sends soldiers after them?"

"This is the country of King Achille, her husband. Our orders are to drive out or kill every monkey that enters the kingdom."

King Achille. So the river hadn't carried me far enough. I closed my eyes for a moment. "Kill? You are going to kill Queen Flore's talking monkey?" I hoped beyond hope that I was making them realize just how special I was.

My captor sighed. "You will be brought to Queen Cerise. Your fate will be decided then."

It was something. Better than being killed. Perhaps even better than being driven out. This Queen Cerise was royalty, and I knew royalty. They were reasonable. It came with ruling a country. Unless King Achille did all the ruling and Queen Cerise was the spoiled wife who always got her way. Still, I would be positive. I would be a lady, and would not bite or claw the man holding me. With any luck, I could convince the Queen to return me home. I nodded with as much grace as I could manage. "All right. Take me to Queen Cerise."

They all seemed a little surprised at being commanded by a monkey. Queen Flore had taught me too well.

"Prepare the cage," my captor said.

"No!" I exclaimed. I had never ever been put inside a cage and I had no desire to start. "You will carry me. I am not an ordinary monkey!"

I was just as surprised as they must have been when they nodded.

Being carried by a foursome of guards was one of the weirdest things I had ever done. I felt something like a prisoner, but not quite. It was… unusual, to say the least. I felt like a baby, especially when my captor climbed onto his horse and started off. He always kept a firm grip on me, and I was bitter to realize escape was not going to happen.

At least we arrived at the palace of King Achille. It lacked the trees of Queen Flore's palace, but instead boasted a clean field of grass. The palace itself was stunning, gleaming yellow in the morning sun. The stone was beautiful. Yes, I was impressed by the stone. The guards lost no time in requesting the Queen's time, and within minutes of arrival I found myself in the courtroom, still in the arms of the same guard, comparing the décor with Queen Flore's. I had to say, the King and Queen of this country had good taste. Lots of plants. I liked it.

I would like it better if I got to go home.

At last a woman entered. Queen Cerise. It could be no one but, and the moment she entered the room all I could do was stare at her.

She was beautiful. There was no doubt about that. She was small for a human, probably not even five feet and quite lean, but had the presence that made her seem larger and stronger. A golden tiara was set on unbound black hair that fell to her waist. Her skin was pale, her eyes bright blue. But her beauty wasn't why I stared. There was something else about her, something completely intangible. Suddenly the fear of what would happen to me vanished.

Those bright blue eyes fell right on me, and widened in a mix of fear and anger as her mouth bent down. "What is this?"

"A monkey," said my captor.

"I know it's a monkey!" snapped Queen Cerise. "What it is it doing here? You had reported that you had driven those monkeys out."

"We found one more, my Queen. She is from the court of Queen Flore."

Queen Cerise's face paled even more. "Oh." She paused. "What is she doing here?"

Such a long story.

Queen Cerise dropped into her throne. "I had heard of Queen Flore's monkey. You talk, don't you? She had often invited me to see you."

And I had never heard of this woman. I took a deep breath. "Your Majesty, may I speak?"

"You do talk." Queen Cerise put a hand to her heart. "I… Forgive me, Babiole. But I'm infamous for my distaste for your kind. But since you speak, I have… difficulty seeing you as a monkey. Yes. Yes, what was I saying? You have my permission to speak?"

I glared at my captor.

"Put the monkey down," the Queen commanded.

The guard put me down.

I felt more comfortable on the floor. No longer being held was like freedom. I remembered my manners and curtsied. "The monkeys you drove from your kingdom, Queen Cerise, were my escorts. I am to marry the Monkey King Magot, but your soldiers attacked us and I… I wound up in the river. I spent the night in the tree, only to have your guards unceremoniously snatch me from it this morning. Queen Flore had given the monkeys her blessing. I apologize on behalf of everyone for disturbing your kingdom."

Queen Cerise's eyes flashed. "You shouldn't have come through."

"I had no choice, Your Majesty. I had no idea of your feelings."

"I hate monkeys. I hate your kind."

I couldn't decide if I liked her or hated her, but I did like how she spoke and there was a part of me desperate to like her. And that same part was desperate that she liked me. I lowered my eyes demurely. "There's nothing I can do. I am what I am."

"A talking monkey," she said softly. "Amazing. Babiole, I say what I say because it's the truth. But you intrigue me. You speak. I have never known a monkey to speak. What is your history?"

"There isn't much to tell, I'm afraid. Queen Flore was traveling about sixteen years ago, and came across some men trying to drown a baby monkey. Myself. So she took me home, and I have lived with her until yesterday."

Queen Cerise gasped and slunk back into her throne, hand at her head.

"Your Majesty?" I queried. "Are you all right?"

She nodded after a few moments. "Yes. I think so. I… I haven't eaten this morning. Babiole, I'm sorry for the way you were treated my guards and I'm sorry for how I treated you. I wish to help you with your situation. But for now, I will have to find you some quarters. Excuse me." And with that she stood up and left the room.

Something was off. I knew enough about humans to know that the Queen was very upset. And she had done nothing in the way of addressing anyone to do anything with me. Without thinking, I scrambled after her barely making it through the door before it closed.

The guards did not follow me. Perhaps my sudden acceptance into the palace had scared them off. I didn't care. I had to follow Queen Cerise. There was something about her. I looked up the hall in time to see the edge of her train disappear around the corner.

I moved fast.

It was a chase. She moved fast for such a tiny woman, and she certainly knew the corridors of her palace. At last she entered a room and slammed the door behind her. No way I was getting in

I was being stupid. I had no reason to be stalking a queen. No matter how much she intrigued me. Still, I stopped outside the door and hoped no one would come by.

"I was told she was dead." Queen Cerise's voice was much softer through the door, but still audible enough. "They all told me she was dead."

"Those were your instructions!" responded another voice, one belonging to an older woman. "You needed my advice, and sent the creature to be killed."

The Queen sighed angrily. "I don't even remember what servant it was. She's here, Therese, she's there in the throne room. Alive. She can be no one else. A talking monkey. Hah! I should have suspected when I heard the stories of Flore's court. Sixteen years ago."

"My Queen, does the King know?"

"Of course he doesn't. He's out hunting. And he doesn't need to be troubled with this. All he knows is his daughter was born dead and he doesn't need to know anything else. Especially about this monkey!"

My heart caught in my throat.

"Are you sure it's her, My Queen?" the woman called Therese asked. "What's the coloring of the fur?"

"Black," Queen Cerise replied. I had never heard a more distressed voice. "Therese, those markings were burned into my mind. The moment that hemlock branch touched my daughter and turned her into that thing back there. This is her. You advised me to get rid of her, to tell the King she was dead. You promised me it would work. Advise me again. What do I with this creature?"

"What does she want?"

There was a sigh. "To marry a monkey king, I suppose. The ones that we drove out. I suppose I could return her to Flore, but I hate dealing with that woman. I certainly don't want a monkey around here." Queen Cerise sighed again. "I still have the hemlock branch. In its box. Perhaps… perhaps we can reverse the curse somehow."

"We tried that, My Queen," said Therese. "You can't send her away now that you know she's alive. You wouldn't be able to handle it. Have her killed and be done with it. That fairy is continuing to torture you. End it now."

"I can't kill her, Therese! I… I can't do that upon seeing her again!"

"She's hardly your daughter. Hardly the beautiful baby girl you gave birth to. Keep her, then. You can even tell her what she is, who she is."

"And tell the King?"

Therese sighed. "No. I advise against that. Put her in a tower. Give her everything she needs. No one needs to know."

Queen Cerise was silent for a long time. "Fine. I will take that advice."

Their conversation seemed over.

Slowly, very slowly, my mind became aware of itself. And of me. My body. My furry little monkey body. I brought up my paws and stared at them, flexed my fingers.

This wasn't me.

The fullness of what I just heard was like a dream. I didn't understand. It made no sense.

Queen Cerise was… my mother? And I was… cursed? I wasn't a monkey? This wasn't my body?

Then what was it? I stared at my fur in horror. But this was me! This was who I had been my entire life. I was a monkey. The enchanting monkey of the court. That could talk. I loved me. I was happy.

No I wasn't. Had I not known something was wrong? I had felt it for the past few years. I had never been able to explain it. But somehow I had known. When I had hated my reflection, I had known.

What I didn't know was what I was.

I had felt like a human for so long. I had thought it was because of being around them. Of course I didn't feel like a monkey, I knew nothing about them.

I wasn't one of them.

I couldn't breathe. It was drowning all over again.

I was supposed to be human. I had been born human.

The palace was stifling. I had to get out of it.

I ran through the halls on all fours, as fast I could go. I knew how to do that. I was a monkey that way. Soon enough I saw a window. I was enough of a monkey I could make my up to it and squeeze out.

I was monkey enough. I was only supposed to be human.