While Davi and Toshiro liked Frida immediately T.J wasn't so accepting of her. You see after Carmelita banished the miners he didn't trust royals. He thought that they were all selfish, greedy, and mean so he acted very hostile toward her. Try as she might, Frida just couldn't get T.J to like her. However Davi and Toshiro loved her, she kept the house clean, mended all their clothes that had tears and holes, told them stories, sang them songs, and cooked them delicious food. For instance today for dinner she was cooking them some hot beef stew, fresh warm bread, and for dessert sweet apple dumplings and cool milk to drink. When the three of them smelled the food cooking they rushed down stairs toward the table.
"Now wait a minute." She said. "Supper's not ready so it will give you three plenty of time to wash."
"Wash?" They said confused.
"Yes, you three work in mines all day so no doubt your hands are filthy and you can't eat with dirty hands."
"Our hands aren't dirty." Davi said.
"Then let me see them if you're so sure."
All three of them looked reluctant to do so but they gave in and showed her their hands which were covered in ash and coal dust.
"Not dirty huh?" She said raising her eye brow.
Davi and Toshiro blushed and grinned with embarrassment, T.J rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"March right outside and wash up or you won't get a bite to eat." She declared firmly.
"Yes ma'am." Davi and Toshiro said.
They walked outside where a tub of cold water with a bar of soap was waiting for them. T.J groaned and followed after them but he had no intention of washing his hands.
"Do we have to do this?" Toshiro asked.
"It'll please the princess and you got admit we are pretty dirty."
"Don't do it!" T.J objected. "I'm warning you, you give that girl an inch and she'll walk all over you."
"Don't listen to that warthog!" Davi said. "Come on let's get washing."
The two of them wet themselves with the water and scrubbed with the soap. They washed their hands and their faces until they were squeaky clean.
"You guys are such sissies!" T.J teased. "You won't get me to wash for anything! Next thing you know that crazy girl with have you wearing bows and perfume."
Davi grunted at his teasing and at that moment decided to teach him a little listen. He pulled Toshiro aside and whispered something in his ear. Toshiro nodded then the two walked over to T.J while whistling innocently.
"Get him!" Davi shouted and the two tackled him and forced him into the tub where they began scrubbing him.
"Get off me! Let me go you idiots!" T.J shouted as he was forcibly bathed. "I'll get you two for this! I'll get you good!"
"Supper!" Frida called.
The three boys then hungrily ran back into the house to eat their dinner. Frida was a very good cook and her food was delicious and the miners enjoyed it even T.J thought it was tasty but he wasn't going to tell her. He just sat at the table, ate his food, and gave her the silent treatment. He just didn't trust royals like her.
Meanwhile back at the castle Manny had successfully been captured by the royal guards and locked in the dudgeon on the charge of murder of the princess. Within a week he would be would either been sentenced to eternal in prisonment or immediate exceution by beheading because everyone was convinced that he had abducted Frida and killed her. He sat there in the cold cell with shackles on his wrists and ankles, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. He looked up and saw Zoe standing on the other side holding a wooden box.
"Zoe you know I didn't kill Frida." He said. "You know I'd never hurt her."
"I know and I'd gladly have you released...on one small condition."
"What?"
"Well I hear you've been seeking a wife, to marry the fairest in land to be exact so I will order your release if you take me as your bride."
"You can't be serious."
"I am. So what do you say?"
"Ummm...No."
"Why? Because you're in love with that brat?"
"Maybe I am."
"Well then you can rot in this cell for eternity for all I care and your affections for her are wasted because she's dead."
"I don't believe that. She's still alive, I know it." He declared. "I'm going to get out of here Zoe and when I do I will find her and I will marry her. And she'll be the most beautiful queen in the world, more beautiful than you for sure."
"Silence!" She said slapping him and walking off.
"And you hit like a girl." He mumbled rubbing his cheek.
Zoe slammed the door to the dudgeon angrily and returned to the room where she kept the mirror. She stared proudly at her reflection then asked her usual question.
"Magic mirror on the wall, who now is the fairest one of all?"
The mirror flashed and the misty image appeared again.
"Over the three jeweled hills, past the third fall, in the cottage of the three miners." The mirror spoke. "Dwells Frida fairest one of all."
"Frida lies dead in the forest, the huntsman has brought me proof." She opened the box and showed the mirror the organ inside. "Be hold her heart."
"Frida still lives fairest in the land. Tis the heart of a pig you hold in your hand."
"The heart of a pig?!" She gasped in horror and disgust. "I've been tricked!"
Her eyes and face flashed with a great boiling and seething envy and rage. Tonio fell victim to Frida's beauty so deceived her which meant she was still alive and still possessing great beauty that outshined hers. Overcome with anger and jealousy greater than before she stormed down into the secret room where her mother kept all her spells and potions.
"The heart of pig! The plundering fool!" She screamed throwing down the box. "Well Mother always said if you want something done right you have to do it yourself! And that's exactly what I plan to do!"
She grabbed a book of dark spells and black magic. She opened it and began flipping through the pages until she found one that had disguise spells inside.
"Perfect! She'd never suspect that!"
She chose to disguise herself as an old peddler woman, she'd be old and ugly and completely unsuspected by Frida or anyone else. It was a potion which consisted of mummy dust, black of night, an old hag's cackle, and a scream of fright. She added the ingredients then mixed them with a blast of wind and a thunder bolt. The potion smoked and bubbled inside the goblet.
"Now begin the magic spell." She commanded.
She drank the potion, every last drop until the goblet was empty. It took immediate effect, her black hair turned white, her skin became wrinkled, her hands became bony with long finger nails, her voice became a horrid cackle, and her face disfigured into that of a hideous old woman.
"My hands!" She gasped. "My voice!"
She grabbed a nearby hand mirror and looked at herself.
"A perfect disguise!" She cackled when she saw her reflection in a in the mirror. "Neither Frida or anyone else will know it's me! This plan is brillant! And now how to deal with my little stepsister?"
She flipped through the pages of the book looking at plenty of dark and evil spells and potions until she found a page containing the contents for a special death for one so fair.
"The poisoned apple." She said reading the page. "Just one bite from the poison apple and the victim's eyes will close forever in the sleeping death."
She gave a vile grin. This deadly fruit would put an end to Frida's life once and for all. She just needed to gather the right ingredients needed to make the poison, convince Frida to take a bite, and then she would once again be the fairest one of all. She immediately began to gather up the ingredients and set to work.