Featured song
"Es La Noche Del Amor" (Can You Feel the Love Tonight? from The Lion King- Spanish version) by Anolita Dominguez and a few other artists
Guests soon arrived at the Madrigal Casita Castle for the royal ball. There were royals from neighboring kingdoms. Kings, queens, dukes, counts, and so many other aristocrats. People Queen Alma believed would have many possible suitors to present to her two daughters.
Queen Alma greeted the guests politely and happily welcomed them to her home. Both Julieta and Pepa were both dressed up in two of their best gowns to welcome the princes. Each held a fan to add to their beauty in the hopes of attracting a perfect mate, and they stood at the top of the stairs to make their entrances.
The royal steward
"Presenting, her royal highness, the lovely healer Crown Princess Julieta. And her royal highness, a storm of beauty and fire red locks, Princess Pepa."
People clapped as each princess walked down the stairs to join the festivities and present themselves to all the eligible suitors there to meet them. However, no one was aware of a single party crasher who was intent on joining in the fun as well.
Bruno knew his mother would throw a fit if she saw him attending the ball... but that was where he came up with his plan. Tonight, no one would see Bruno. Tonight, they would see... Hernando.
Bruno peeked from around a corner. He managed to find some brown garments, knowing he would be too easily recognized in green, as well as stand out too much. He put on a mask so no one would see his face, and covered his hair with a hood, which also concealed his face some.
Quickly, he hid himself behind the wall and took a deep breath.
"Okay, Bruno. You can do this. It's just a big party... with a lot of people you don't know and who don't know you exist or that Encanto even has a prince." Bruno said. "You just go and have fun while avoiding Mama and your hermanas. No pressure."
Bruno facepalmed with how crazy he was beginning to hear himself sound.
"Who am I kidding?! This is the craziest plan ever!"
But Bruno looked again, and recalled a little discussion he'd had with the rats earlier. The only way through an open door is through.
Among the visiting royals was the family of Castle Martinez, leaders of the kingdom Musica, one of the most respected kingdoms in the world.
"Princesa Julieta y Princesa Pepa," said the royal steward of a visiting kingdom. "May I present, the heir to the crown of Musica. Crown Prince Marco Martinez."
"A pleasure to meet you, Princesas." Marco bowed.
"A pleasure, I'm sure." Julieta curtsied.
"Buenas tardes, caballeros." Pepa curtsied.
But the prince wasn't alone either. With him was a man a year or two younger, as well as a beautiful young woman with gorgeous hazel green eyes and gorgeous brown hair tied in a high ponytail.
"His younger brother, Prince Ricardo." the steward continued. "And the youngest, the very lovely Princess Alicia."
"Would you care to join me in a dance, Princesa Pepa?" Ricardo offered his hand.
"Sure," said Pepa, taking Ricardo's hand, Julieta doing the same with Marco, mostly to please her mother.
Sadly, with her brothers both going to dance with the princesses of Encanto, Alicia was left alone. And, she didn't find nearly any guy at the ball the least bit close to catching her eye. Ever since her parents passed away, and with Marco's twenty-fifth birthday coming soon, it fell to her big brothers to be the men of the palace and to look after their younger sister and the kingdom until Marco's coronation.
Alicia, as beautiful as she was, despite her gorgeous smile and seemingly simple innocence, she was sad. Her parents were lost in a tragic accident when she was very young, and she could barely remember their faces. But the saddest thing was that since then, she spent all her time in the castle, never leaving the walls of her own home. People knew she existed and admired her great beauty and graceful perfection, for they had seen her dance her ballet once upon a time long ago.
Princess Alicia's earliest memory was the first time she ever danced with her father, and she discovered that through dance, she felt graceful, lighter, free. And so, while she was trapped in the castle Martinez, she danced by herself while dreaming she would find someone who truly loved her. A special man to take her hand, sweep her off her feet, and perhaps someday be the one with whom she would say 'I do'.
"Permiso senora?" said a voice Alicia didn't recognize.
The princess looked to see a hooded figure beside her. At first, she was startled.
"Would you care to join me in a dance?" the figure asked in a deep, mysterious voice.
Somehow, that seemed to make him a little more attractive to Alicia.
"I'd be delighted, Senor..."
"Call me Hernando. Scared of nothing."
Alicia giggled and followed her mystery prince to the dance floor. And they danced to some beautiful music.
Es la noche del amor
El cielo trae paz
El mundo está perfecto en su quietud
Con todo en su lugar
Bruno got a good look at Princess Alicia. She was so beautiful, and a great dancer too. She had lips as pink as a new spring rose and a pearly smile like the Golden Princess in his dream. But, this princess was wearing purple.
He was hesitant to dance at first because he was sure he might accidentally step on her foot or trip and fall down or something. He thought about telling Alicia about who he really was, but he worried. He could see everyone's future but his own, so he had no way of knowing for sure ahead of time how she would respond.
Quisiera ser sincero
No sé que voy a hacer
¿Decirle la verdad? Imposible
Hay mucho que esconder
Alicia, on the other hand, felt something odd when she looked at this 'Hernando' guy. Something about him seemed... lost. Like he was unsure of himself. And the way he was hiding underneath his hood, and seemed to pull it down further when they got anywhere near Queen Alma or her daughters, he seemed scared. But she wondered if he would respond if she asked him why.
No quiere hablar, ¿qué esconde?
No puedo comprender
¿Por qué no quiere ser quien debe ser
El rey que veo en él?
Before Alicia could speak, Bruno began gracefully twirling her round and round, making her feel like she was dancing on a cloud as he caught her in a dip and held her close.
Es la noche del amor
El cielo trae paz
El mundo está perfecto en su quietud
Con todo en su lugar
Es la noche del amor
Con todo en su lugar
Más allá de toda oscuridad
Hay amor y paz
For the first time ever, Bruno felt something he never though possible with anyone else when he held Alicia in his arms. He was in love. And for what felt like the first time in forever, he smiled.
But then, he noticed one of the royal guards approaching Queen Alma.
"We have a situation, Your Majesty!" whispered the guard. "Bruno isn't in his room!"
"What?!" Alma whisper yelled. "Find him before anyone else sees him!"
Uh oh!
"Uh, it was nice to meet you, Princesa." Bruno said nervously. "But I must be running now!"
And before Alicia could say anything else, Bruno made a run for it.
"When can I see you again?" she got out too late, sadly.