Chapter 4

Sparkleworks ran with Lady on her back till they reached the fork in the path which Sparkleworks ran to the right where she last walk with Chief. . Lady held the reins of Sparkleworks when she saw her father's broken cart where she saw the box that held the toy mill had open spilling it's stuff as her eyes widen. .

She kept on ridding the horse till she reached a dark and mysterious castle where Sparkleworks stopped by the hay and water as before, Lady got off her horse as she ran up to the doors of the castle but not before grabbing a stick just in case. .

She slowly opened the door and as it slowly swung open she walked in with caution as she held on to the stick. .

"Look Sebastian . .A beautiful girl!" She heard a voice whispered. .

"Yes! I can see it's a girl. I lost my hands, not my eyes." Another voice said crabby like as she heard the first one whispered again.

"But what if she is the one? The one who'll break the spell?"

"Who said that? Who's there?" she said as she turn to see a stuffed animal and crab like statue. . She walked toward them slowly as if something would jumped out in front of her. .

Suddenly she heard coughing as she grabbed the statue and dropped the stick as she crabbed a candlestick as she quickly ran up with the two items toward the sound of coughing as the stuffed animal whispered, uh-oh. .

She quickly ran up some flight of stairs as the coughing got louder, "Papa!? Papa, is that you?" She yelled before she reached a jail cell where her father was trapped inside.

She place candle stick on a holder as she got on her knees and grabbed his hands. .

"Lady! How did you find me?" He said as he coughed.

"Your hands are ice. We need to get you home." She said loudly as Chief hushed his daughter. .

"Lady, you must leave here at once! This castle is alive!" He whispered before he added, "Now go, before he finds you!"

"Who?!" Lady yelled as it echoed before they heard a low roaring sound as Lady gasped as she grabbed the statue and held it high, "Who's there? Who are you?" she demanded. .

"Who are you?!" A deep voice roared/demanded back as Lady glared at the darken figure. .

"I've come for my father." She answered as she heard loud thumping as the figure walked down the stairs toward her. .

"Your father is a thief!"

"LIAR!" Lady snapped, her father would never steal!

"He stole a rose. ." The figure snapped back. .

"I asked for the rose. Punish me, not him." Lady said as Chief shook his head.

"No! He means forever. Apparently, that's what happens around here when you pick a flower. ." Chief snapped as Lady was shocked before she turn to the darken figure.

"A life sentence for a rose?" She asked.

The figure roared as it landed in front of Lady who gasped and jumped back yet she still couldn't see the figure's face, "I received eternal damnation for one. I'm merely locking him away. Now, do you still wish to take your father's place?" The figure snapped as Lady tried to look at the figure. .

"Come into the light." She demanded but when he didn't move an inch she grabbed the candlestick and walked toward the figure and gasped in shock at seeing a monster, he had the features of a wolf yet he was dark blue with horns on the top of his head yet. . . His eye were a dark brown. .

"Choose." The monster demanded. .

"Lady, I won't let you do this. . I lost your mother. I won't lose you too. Now, go! Go!" Chief snapped before he coughed as Lady looked at her father sadly. ..

"All right, Papa. I'll leave. ." she said then looked at the monster, "I need a minute alone with him. ." the monster rolled his eyes as he turn around as Lady glared at his back.

"Are you so cold-hearted you won't allow a daughter to kiss her father goodbye? Forever can spare a minute." She pleaded as he sighed before he turned around and opened the door with a glared.

"When this door closes, it will not open again." He snarled. .

Lady placed the candlestick up and dropped the statue before she ran to her father, "I should have been with you. ." She whimpered as she slowly turned him around.

"Oh, no, no. Lady, listen to me. It's all right. Now go. Live your life. And forget me." Chief said as he held his daughter as she whimpered and shook her head.

"Forget you? Everything I am is because of you." Lady said as she tried not to cry. .

"I love you, Lady, . Don't be afraid." Chief said as he pull Lady away gently with a sad smile.

"I love you too, Papa. I'm not afraid.. ." She said as she hugged him before she whispered in his ear, "And I will escape. I promise."

"What?" he said before he was shock when she pushed him out and closed the door of the cell as the tiger monster looked at him before at her with a look of shock.

"You took his place. ." He said as Lady looked at him with a glare.

"He's my father."

"He's a fool. And so are you." The monster spat with a roll of his eyes. .

"Lady. . " Chief coughed as the monster grabbed his arm and began to pull him down the stairs roughly. .

"Papa! Don't hurt him! Papa!"

"No! I'll come back! I promise!" Chief's echoed as he was pulled down the stairs as Lady watched her father dragged away. . As the day soon became evening. . Lady stayed in her prison cell with her arm hiding her head as she lightly cried, she never noticed that a stuffed animal had climbed up the stairs as he pulled the lever to open the door.

Lady gasped when she heard the door being open as she got up and grabbed a small stool, as a voice said, "Forgive my intrusion, mademoiselle... but I have come to escort you to your room."

"My room? But I thought..." She walked toward the entrance where she saw a figure of a person with a huge ears and a long beard. .

"Oh, what? That "Once this door closes it will not open again"? I know. He gets so dramatic. Hello." She gasped when she saw that the stuffed animal was talking to her as she screamed a bit before she threw the stool at the creature as it fell down with a thud as the stool broken in pieces. .

The creature shook his head as he smiled at Lady, "Oh, you are very strong. This is a great quality." He said as Lady stood watching the creature stood up. .

"What are you?" She asked in fear.

"I am Boris." Boris said as he introduced himself as Lady looked at him with a little fear in her eyes. .

"And you can talk?"

"Well, of course he can talk. It's all he ever does!" Another voice said beside him as Lady gasped and squealed in fright at seeing the statue had come alive as it turn to Boris with a glare.

"Now, Boris, as head of the household I demand that you put her back in her cell at once!" It demanded as Lady went back in side to grab a metal jug as she held high.

"What do you want to be for the rest of your life, Sebastian? A man, or a Krabby statue?" Boris whispered to the krabby statue.

"Ready, miss?" He said to Lady with a smile as he whispered, "Trust me." he whispered to Sebastian who groaned in worried.

"You must forgive first impressions. I hope you are not too startled." Boris said as Lady chuckled nervously as she looked at him.

"Why would I be startled? I'm talking to a stuffed dog. ." Lady said as Boris chuckled at her.

"Mightyena, please. Enormous difference. But consider me at your service. The castle is your home now so feel free to go anywhere you like." He said as Sebastian stopped walking and turn to look at Lady.

"Except the west wing." Sebastian said as Boris coughed to which he added, "Which we do not have."

"Why? What's in the west wing?" Lady asked as Boris and Sebastian gulped before they both looked at her with smiles.

"Oh, nothing. Storage space. That's it." Boris and Sebastian said quickly as Lady looked over to the west wing with curiosity in her eyes. .

"This way, please. To the east wing." Sebastian said as Lady kept on following them.

"Or as I like to call it, the only wing. Watch your step, s'il vous plaît!" Boris said with a chuckle, they entered through a small door as they opened a door with a smile well from Boris anyway. .

"Welcome to your new home. It's modest, but comfortable. ." He said as Lady gasped at the beauty of the room . .it was a master suite with golden chandeliers. .

"It's beautiful. . " She said in wonderment. .

"But of course! Master wanted you to have the finest room in the castle." Boris said as he then jumped on the bed only to cough when dust went in his mouth, "Oh, dear. We were not expecting guests."

"Enchantée, mademoiselle." said a fox-like, quadruped creature with was covered with a thick, luxurious golden-white fur. It has nine, long tails, each tipped with pale orange. There is a fluffy crest atop its head, and a small mane around its neck. She had gleaming blue eyes as its ears are pointed, and it has long, slender legs with three-toed paws.

She came running in as she started to dusk the place, "Don't worry. I'll have this place spotless in no time." She said before she danced into Boris chest as she whispered, "This plan of yours is dangerous."

"I would risk anything to kiss you again, Peg." Boris whispered back as Peg back up with a shook of her head.

"No, my love. I've been bitten by you before. We must be strong." She said. .

"How can I be strong when you make me so weak?" Boris said as Sebastian coughed to signal that he and Lady were still here as Lady was smiling at the couple who if they could would have blushed.

"Is everything here alive?" Lady asked as she walked to a toy ballerina, "Hello. What's your name?" she said as she picked it up as Boris and Peg chuckled and giggled while Sebastian rolled his eyes.

"That's a toy. " He said before Lady jumped back in fright when she saw a large, bipedal blue statue with distinct reptilian features. Its body is encased with extremely hard scales it has a blunt snout, narrow brown eyes, and large ears with brown insides. There is a small horn on its forehead, and single spine on each ear, and there is a line of toxic spikes running down the length of its back. Each hand has three short claws and each foot was two claws. Its lower jaw, the front of its abdomen, and two plates on its chest are cream-colored. It has a thick, powerful tail began to scream..

"Do not be alarmed. This is just your wardrobe helper. Meet Madame Hyacinth Hippo A great singer." Boris said as Madame Hyacinth yawned toward the people.

"When she can stay awake." Sebastian whispered as Hyacinth glared at him.

"Sebastian! A diva needs her beauty rest. ." She began to yawn again as Boris sighed.

"Stay with us, Madame. We have someone for you to dress!" He said as Hyacinth gasped in happiness as she looked at Lady with a smile.

"Finally... a woman. Pretty eyes. Proud face. Perfect canvas. Yes! I will find you something worthy of a princess." Hyacinth said as she looked at Lady face.

"Oh, I'm not a princess." Lady stated as Hyacinth scoffed.

"Nonsense! Now, let's see what I've got in my drawers. Oh!" She said when she opened a drawer only to have moths come flying out, "How embarrassing. ." she said before she pulled out a crinoline skirt .

"Toby come help Mama. ." She sang as a light brown, canine creature, It has oval, brown eyes, a red nose, and its face covered by an abundance of cream fur. It has large pointed ears with a tuft of fur near the base of each. Its fur puffs out above its paws, and its back has a spiky dark blue blaze. Each paw has three toes, It has a short, tufty tail, came running in.

She began to dress up Lady till she was wearing a beautiful grown with a Victorian wig with ribbon in it, Boris, Peg and Sebastian were slowly backing up toward the door.

"Subtle. Understated. I love it!" Boris said as he slowly closed the door but not before Toby ran through barking as Hyacinth yelled.

"Toby, send my love to the maestro." She yelled as the door closed and Hyacinth fell asleep standing up as Lady got out of hte dress with a frown as she looked outside her window and gasped at seeing it was a long way down. .

She then looked at the dress. . An idea came to her. .