When Julieta had agreed to let Prince Dryft spend time with her in the kitchen it had been mostly out of a desire to finally get something past her mama. While she hadn't thought of it all that much in the previous years Mirabel's return had made her realize just how much control her mama had exerted over her life and Julieta had found herself... annoyed.

Pepa had honestly said it best: "She even tries to ground us"

Julieta had winced at that very true fact. Their mother HAD several times, when any of the triplets had gotten upset, asked them to go to their room and calm down. Only now did Julieta see that her mama was still treating her like she was 5 years old.

So she had agreed to spend the day with Prince Dryft.

Only now... she had to spend the day with Prince Dryft.

Julieta hadn't quite reacted as badly as Pepa had upon seeing Mirabel's friend but she still couldn't help but think "EL DIABLO!" whenever she looked at the capricorn. From his goat face and horns to his cloven hooves and his scaly legs he looked just as she would imagine Lucifer to appear.

"Oh!" Prince Dryft said excitedly as he picked up one of the embroider towels Luisa had gotten her for her birthday last year. "I really like this. The stitching is very nice!"

Though it was hard to imagine the Devil admiring her towels.

"I love how you stitch things. Like your dress. I really can't do clothing... too itchy. But I think I would like what you are wearing." he pointed at Julieta's long skirt. "Anton said I should try pants but where would my tail go? Do they make pants with extra legs? I suppose they must but that seems a waste."

Julieta found herself smiling as the capricorn rambled on, sounding honestly very much like Mirabel. "I suppose it's all up to you, Prince Dryft."

"Oh, just Dryft," he assured her, standing up to his full height. Julieta took a step back but Dryft didn't seem to notice in the slightest, instead moving to look over her cabinets, rubbing his chin. "Prince is a nice title and all but it makes people really scared of me, you know? I noticed a lot of people scream and run away when they hear that I'm a prince. Royalty really frightens people."

"...right."

The capricorn let out a laugh. "Nah, I know I'm big and scary! That's just a little joke. Because I'm not little. But maybe it should be scary because I'm not actually scary. Well," he gestured at himself, "I suppose I am very scary but not when you get to know me."

Julieta just blinked before a slight smile tugged on her lips. "Right, not scary."

He beamed and she found herself reminded of a happy puppy told that it was time to play.

"Now, I think we should get started on lunch. I know you don't heal people like I do but I do it through food so let's go that way, okay? So we'll do Pescado Fritos." She turned, grabbing her apron, reminded of how she used to instruct the girls on what to do when they wanted to "help" her in the kitchen. She'd give Dryft a few simple tasks so he felt useful."First we'll-"

She turned to find Dryft had put on an apron of his own. One perfectly suited for his size that had happy little whales swimming on it. He had gotten the fish out of the refrigerator and was already scaling it while using his water powers to bring over a canister of flour.

"What?" he asked, seeing her look at him. "Oh... did you want me to handle the tomatoes?"

"You... know how to cook?"

He nodded. "Yes. My momma taught me." He went back descaling the fish. "Would you like us to debone it? I know when I've made this I like to go non-traditional and actually deskin and debone it. I've actually figured out how to use grape tomatoes for the eyes but some people get awkward at that. "Dryft, not all of us want our meals staring back at us!" I suppose they have a point but I always thought it made it look cute."

Julieta felt like the world had flipped upside down and she grasped for any handhold to right herself. "You're... mother?"

"Momma," he corrected.

"She taught you to cook."

"Mmhhmm."

Julieta found herself moving to stand next to Dryft, taking up her own fish to descale. "And your mother... she is a queen? Since you are a prince."

"Yes. Merida, Queen of the Capricorn Nation, Goddess of the Sea."

"A goddess cooks?"

"How else would she have fed us?" Dryft said in confusion.

Julieta opened her mouth before snapping it shut. It… was a good point. She'd assumed he had lived with servants but then again she'd assumed a lot of things recently and been proven wrong. As such she began to work on her own fish, knowing they'd need a whole bunch to feed the entire family.

"Have you been cursed or bewitched?" Dryft asked.

"Pardon?" Julieta asked, startled by the sudden question.

"I think you must have been. I'm not strong in many magics… just healing magic, of course. Battle magic is useless for me."

"It is?" Julieta asked.

Dryft nodded politely. "Oh yes. I will be a War God… we have no need for magic when it comes to battle."

"You… will be a war god."

"I assume so," Dryft admitted. "My dad is a war god. My momma is a war goddess. Sea gods, yes, but also war gods. My sisters are war gods too. The ones by blood I mean, because I have many adopted sisters. And I suppose if one considers how someone can be family due to choice Mirabel and Saharah and Ulika are my sisters too."

"Not Gahoole."

"She's grandma," Dryft said like it was utterly obvious.

"Of course." She glanced at him. "Dryft, I don't mean to offend you but… you don't seem like a war god."

"I don't?" he said, blinking in surprise. "My dad and momma think I am. 'Dryft, war is more than battle. A general that can not bring his soldiers home is not fit to lead!' That's what dad always says."

At once Julieta understood; yes, Dryft would be a War God but in the sense that he would appear to those that were injured on the battle field and nurse them to health so they could return home to those they had fought for.

That made her smile.

"So magic isn't my focus, unless it is healing. But… I think all of you might have been cursed."

"And what makes you say that?" Julieta asked as she finished with her fish and grabbed the next one from the bowl.

"Because I think you must have a capricorn in your family."

"I think I'd have remembered if I had a fish tail," Julieta said only to gasp as she looked at what they were making. "Oh my goodness! Is this offensive to you?"

"Is-" He looked down at the fish and then smiled. "It's fine. If it isn't a capricorn I'll eat it. With goats… I never thought about it because I don't eat goats because the meat is too sweat for me. Ulika says I don't know what I'm talking about…" he trailed off.

Assured she hadn't made a horrible faux pas she went back to work. "Why do you think we have capricorn blood?"

"Two reasons," Dryft stated. "First… you operate like capricorns."

"What do you mean?"

"How you care for others," Dryft answered. "We are taught when we are young that it is the duty of those with power to aid those without it. My father is our king but he is also a teacher and a hunter and he regularly will travel to the kelp farms to help with the harvest. My mother teaches as well but also works in the kitchens. My sisters… well, all of us work. We help others. We have been blessed and thus we help others."

Julieta smiled at that. "Well… I suppose we just all had the same idea."

"Yes," Dryft said. "But your mama is not a capricorn. Not a drop of blood in her."

That made her frown as she realized what he was getting at. "She is the one though that taught us to help others."

Dryft though shook his head. "You can not help if you do not care for them. A loaf of bread given with a frown feeds only for a day. A loaf of bread with a smile feeds for a lifetime. My dad does the most work, far beyond me. Your mama… does not. She just tells you to do things. She is not a capricorn."

Julieta swallowed at that simple but powerful statement.

"Also I can sense someone has placed a curse on the valley."

"Wait, what?"

"Dryft!" Gahoole snapped, startling the capricorn and causing him to nearly drop his fish. The Owlkin marched into the kitchen, Antonio asleep curled up under her wing. "What did you just say?"

"I sense someone has placed a curse on the valley. Is your hearing going, Gahoole? Let me check your canals-"

"What do you mean there is a curse?" she demanded.

"There is a curse." He shrugged. "Can't you feel it?"

"…godly blood," Gahoole muttered to herself before shooting the capricorn an annoyed look. "And you didn't tell us because…?"

"You said they were cursed. That's how they have powers, remember? Are you sure you are feeling okay?"

"They have powers because of an encanto, not a curse Dryft. Are you sure you aren't feeling the encanto?"

He looked around. "No… I sense the encanto which is weakening because it was built on love and Mirabel's mean grandmother is causing the love to leave casita, which helps protect the source of the encanto." He rubbed the counter. "She doesn't feel well… she's very tired. I have tried to help by cleaning the pipes but it's not doing enough. I think Bureau is lending her strength… its flexing weird though so that might be-"

"Dryft," Gahoole cut him off, "the curse."

"Oh, that's completely different. That's around the entire valley. But every city you take me too has a curse or two and you asked me to stop mentioning it-"

Gahoole sighed. "Yes, sweetheart, we did ask you to stop mentioning it."

"I didn't know I should begin telling you again. Should I?" He lowered his head, clearly distressed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Oh sweetheart," she said, reaching up and stroking his cheek. "My sweet boy… I'm sorry, you just startled me. I forget that for someone so big you are still so young. Forgive a silly owl, okay? You did nothing wrong." She rose up on her talons and nuzzled his cheek.

"What… what is going on?" Julieta asked.

Gahoole cupped Dryft's face with her free hand. "I'll find Anton and we'll consult the grimoire. You keep helping Julieta, okay? I love you."

"I love you too!" Dryft said happily as she left.

"Is everything okay?" Julieta asked.

"Oh no, we are all very much in trouble," Dryft said simply… before returning to the fish. "Would you like to fry these now or after we face the looming threat?"