A/N: Hey so I just found out I can post CPC fics on here whoohoo let's go

Maria is curious about the beautiful princess always attending to the swans.

It was a beautiful day in the pastel plaza, lively and bustling as always. People dashed in and out of shops, market stalls displaying their finest produce.

Of course, Maria was not alone. She was with numerous guards, as well as her siblings. Naturally, the male guards were looking away, standing a good ten feet away.

I wish Father would just let us come here without all these guards… Maria sighed, eyeing the platoon surrounding her family. Then again, convincing him to let us go out at all was hard enough.

"This one serves a pretty decent spag bol," Jamie pointed to a restaurant nearby.

"Ooo," Lorena eyed it up.

"And that one makes great smoothies," Jamie pointed to a different restaurant.

"Wow," Gwen clapped. "We'll have to go there sometime!"

"Ehhh, maybe not," Jamie sweat-beaded. "Although their smoothies are good… their food tastes like old socks."

Maria smiled at her younger siblings. She was always glad to spend time with her family.

She eyed the lake nearby; it stretched out for a while, its pale blue water shimmering from the sunlight. It was just past the wooden bridge, a little walk away from where she stood. She noticed the wildlife around its murky blues, including all kinds of plants and birds.

There were quite a few swans in the lake. Many of them seemed to be grouped in one particular spot, however.

And that was when Maria saw her.

The swans were surrounding a beautiful princess. She had fair skin, long, strawberry blonde hair, and a golden crown. Her long red and white dress flowed around her.

Wow… Maria thought. She's so pretty!

The princess noticed Maria staring. Maria sweat-beaded, looking away. The swan princess simply smiled and waved at her. Maria gasped, then returned the grin, waving back. She swore there was something strange about the princess' mouth, but it was hard to tell from so far away.

She almost wanted to go over and say hello, but…

"Maria!"

Maria spun around. Her younger sister Lorena had grabbed her shoulder.

"Hmm?" Maria asked.

"Come on, we're going to this café!" Lorena pointed to a very sparkly cafe. "Jamie says they have the best food in town!"

Maria chuckled, gazing over her shoulder once more. "Ok ok, I'm coming!"

Maria stood on her balcony, singing into the sky. She thought about the princess she'd seen with the swans.

Before she knew it, she was humming swan lake, blue birds flying around her face. She had to wonder if she'd see that girl again…

She also thought of her siblings; they were so happy to get the chance to leave the palace and actually visit their kingdom.

Maria sighed. I wonder… how many things have we missed out on in our own kingdom…?

Around a week later, the Pastel children were in the plaza again. Jamie was being swarmed by chefs who heard he was in town. Lorena and Gwen were checking out a florist nearby. That left Maria to view the same old lake.

And of course, she saw her there - the same swan princess, surrounded by swans once again.

Maria wanted to go and say hello… but not with all these guards surrounding her.

Ugh, she thought. I swear there's even more than last time…

She looked around, thoughtfully. She gazed at Jamie, who was taste-testing some cupcakes. She caught his eye, and tilted her head at the guards. Jamie gave her a wink.

"Oh, guards!" he cried. "Help me! This cupcake is too spicy!"

He jumped up, throwing off his jacket. He bounced around, eyes welled up.

"Your highness!" a guard cried, running towards him.

"Stop him before he gets naked!" another one shouted.

Thank you, Jamie, Maria breathed out. She was so lucky to have a brother like him.

Now that the guards were off her case, Maria was free to traverse the lake. And so she did. She walked by the lake, gazing at its pale blue depths. Birds gave her friendly chirps as she stepped on the grass.

Maria gazed at the swan princess, whose hair was flowing in front of her face. The swans were gazing at her, adoringly.

"Hello!" Maria greeted.

The swan princess jumped, using her hair to cover her mouth. She gave Maria another wave.

"Um, it's nice to meet you!" Maria smiled at her. "What's your name? I'm Maria."

The swan princess fiddled with her hair, looking away.

"I don't mean to make you feel awkward or anything," Maria sweat-beaded. "I, uh, really like your swans!"

I really like your swans? Maria thought, cringing internally. Why did I say that…?

The swan princess' eyes lightened up as she pulled out a notepad and a pen.

I'm Princess Renée, she wrote.

"Oh, that's a lovely name!" Maria clasped her hands together. "What kingdom are you from?"

The Velvet Kingdom, Renée wrote.

"Wow, that's a bit far from here," Maria raised her brow. "What are you doing in the Pastel Kingdom?"

Renée paused for a moment.

I came to visit friends, she wrote.

"Ahh, I see," Maria nodded. "Well, I-"

"Princess Maria!"

Maria groaned, rolling her eyes. The guards were about to run over.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, but I have to go now," Maria bowed. "Bye, Renée!"

Renée waved at her as she raced off, patting one of her swans on the head.

Close one… she wrote down.

Well, the siblings had finally managed to convince their father to let them go out with slightly less guards than before. It still had taken quite a lot of whining and pleading.

Maria, of course, went straight to the swan lake. Renée was there again, still tending to the swans.

The male guards weren't looking at Maria, which gave her a chance to sneak off to see Renée.

"Renée!" she called out.

Renée looked up, hair covering her mouth once again. She gave Maria a wave, getting out her notepad.

Hi, Maria, she wrote.

"You're visiting friends again?" Maria asked.

Yep, Renée wrote back. What are you doing out here?

"Well, I'm a princess of this kingdom," Maria giggled. "My father hasn't let my siblings and I leave the palace for, um… basically our entire lives. Until recently, that is! So now, we're all out here, visiting our kingdom."

The swans cooed up at Maria, small fish swimming around her feet.

The swans like you, Renée wrote.

"Most animals do," Maria chuckled. "They seem to like you even more!"

Renée nodded, petting the head of the nearest swan.

"Um, Renée?" Maria tilted her head. "If you don't mind me asking… is there something wrong with your mouth…? You always have it covered…"

Renée sweat-beaded, scribbling down in her notepad.

Ugh, that was way too personal, Maria groaned.

Maria held out a hand. "Sorry, Renée, I-"

"Your highness!" the guards cried out. "Where are you?"

"Ugh," Maria made a face. "Can't they leave me alone for five minutes?"

She turned away, gazing at Renée, who had a solemnity in her eyes.

"Bye bye!" Maria waved. "I hope to see you again!"

Renée smiled behind her hair. Yeah, you too…

Maria raced off, greeting her guards. Her sister Lorena came over, sporting a big grin.

"What were you doing at the lake?" Lorena asked, tilting her head.

"There's a really lovely princess there who feeds the swans," Maria replied. "She's nice to talk to!"

"A… princess who feeds the swans?" Gwen asked, looking thoughtful.

"Yes," Maria grinned. "I'll have to introduce you sometime!"

"Renéeeeee!"

That sing-songy voice came from Maria, of course. Renée sighed, gazing over her swans. She remembered when she used to sing. She missed those days…

Hi, Maria, she wrote. So, um, about my mouth…

"Oh, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Maria waved it off. "I shouldn't have asked… I barely know you, after all."

It's hard to explain, anyway… Renée wrote. I know exactly how people react when I tell them. They all treat me like some disgusting monster…

"Well, whatever it is, there's no excuse to be treating you like that!" Maria stomped her foot. "You are no disgusting monster, Renée! You're beautiful!"

Renée gasped, covering her mouth.

Thank you, Maria, she wrote.

She sighed.

… but I don't know how you'd feel if you learned the truth… she thought.

"I should introduce you to my siblings," Maria grinned. "I'm sure they'd love to meet you!"

Wait… you're Maria of the Pastel Kingdom, aren't you? Renée wrote. That means… you're Gwen's sister!

"You know Gwen?" Maria gasped. "I see! You must've met her at that fancy princess school she attends!"

That's right, Gwen's family thinks the CPC is some kind of elite princess school… Renée thought.

"It's so great to know you're already Gwen's friend!" Maria clapped. "I'm glad her friends are nice… because if you weren't…" Her expression darkened.

Crows flew around her face. The swans cooed. Renée moved back ever-so-slightly.

"I'll go and get my family right now!" Maria began racing off, grinning once again. "And, um, the guards will probably come too!"

Oh no, there's no way I can hide my curse from so many people… Renée began sweating. Crap… think!

Hopefully Renée won't mind the guards, Maria thought. I'm sure Gwen will be glad to see her friend!

"Wait, Maria…!"

Maria spun around. Renée's mouth had a zipper around it, which had been opened up.

"Renée?" Maria asked. "Wait, you just-"

"Oh no, here they come…" Renée groaned.

A whole pile of frogs spilled out of Renée's mouth, crashing onto the ground below.

Renée bowed her head, zipping up her mouth. The frogs croaked.

Welp, that's it, she wrote. Now you know the truth, Maria…

"No way…" Maria looked away, clenching her fists.

I knew it…Renée sighed.

"… you're a fear vomiter too?!" Maria gasped.

… what? Renée wrote.

"We have so much in common!" Maria cheered, kneeling down. "Aw, look at the cute little frogs!" She sighed. "Some people say that when I'm in a bad mood, my singing sounds like frogs croaking…"

The swans looked down at the cute little frogs, salivating.

Um… Renée grabbed Maria's shoulder, pulling her away from the frogs. So… you don't… you don't think I'm a monster?

"Why would I ever think something like that?!" Maria gasped. "Like I said… you're beautiful, Renée!"

But I'm cursed, Renée wrote back. I can't speak without frogs spilling everywhere. My mouth's been stitched up! I bring shame to my family…

"Then that's their loss," Maria waved it aside. "You've got your friends from the school… and me too! We all know you're not a monster!"

Renée's eyes welled up. She unzipped her mouth.

"Thank you…" she sobbed, frogs spilling all over the place. "You're just as lovely as Gwen said…"

"Maria? Renée…?"

Both the princesses gazed up at Gwen, who had run over.

"Gwendolyn!" Maria stood up. "You never told me this girl goes to your school!"

Renée gave Gwen a friendly wave.

"I knew you two would get on well…" Gwen chuckled.

"Come on, Renée!" Maria held out a hand. "Just wait until you meet Jamie and Lorena!"

Notepad in hand, Renée just drew a little happy face. But the one on her own face was even bigger.