Joseph slowly opened his eyes as light flooded the room. He let out a slight groan, but he knew he couldn't sleep too much today. It had been three days since Alcina announced her new plans for the castle and things have been rather tight due to the place being short staffed. Everyone had been playing their part in keeping things in shape, but nobody really minded. In fact, everyone was happy about it, because it served as a reminder of the new life they had forged for themselves.

Today however wasn't about work, or at least for the most part. It was the day before Halloween and Joseph wanted to do something special for the holiday. So he convinced Alcina to invite the other lords to the castle for a Halloween movie night. It wouldn't be anything too fancy, but it would be a great opportunity for everyone to socialize.

As Joseph tried to get up, he was halted by a weight on his chest. He smiled and looked down to see Cassandra snuggled up against him. Since they had gotten together, they had both been sleeping in Joseph's room (after Alcina made them promise there would be no 'funny business'). It was then that Joseph learned the brunette had been having nightmares about the bear attack she had suffered through when they first met. She tried to wave it off saying that they were just dreams and nothing more, but Joseph could tell they were bothering her, and told her not to hesitate to come to him if she needed anything.

Putting this thought out of his mind for now, Joseph reached over to his girlfriend and shook her shoulder.

"Wake up, Cassie. We got a lot to do today."

The brunette groaned.

"Mmmmfine. Just…give me a minute."

Joseph chuckled. Like him, Cassandra hated being woken up, and it took her a moment to find the will to open her eyes.

"Do we have to get up? I'd rather sleep in." She said

"Same here, but we don't have a lot of time to get things ready. So the earlier we get started, the better."

Cassandra let out a sigh.

"Fair enough. Let me grab my cane and I'll get dressed."

After they had both finished getting ready for the day, they both headed downstairs for breakfast where Bela and Alcina were already seated at the table.

The Countess gave a warm smile.

"Good morning you two! Did you sleep well?"

"We did, thank you Alcina." Joseph said. "Where's Dani?"

The Countess chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"Still sleeping, no doubt. She was up for half the night getting her Halloween costume ready."

"Yeah. She really wanted to make sure it looked perfect." Bela said.

"Well, in her defense, we didn't have much time or resources to prepare. Hopefully next year will be better." Joseph said.

"Yeah, but to change topics, what smells so good?" Cassandra asked.

"Oh yes. Olivia invited her uncle and cousin over to make pancakes. I've never actually tried them before, but the smell is certainly promising." Alcina replied.

"Leonardo and Elena?" Joseph asked.

Alcina's eyes widened.

"Oh. So you've already met them."

"Yeah. They were the ones who sold me the ingredients for the Japanese food I made that one night." Joseph said.

As if on cue, the doors to the kitchen opened and Olivia came out with her relatives wheeling out stacks of pancakes. Leonardo noticed Joseph and smiled.

"Ah Joseph. It's good to see you again." He said as he shook his hand.

"Good to see you too, Leonardo. You too, Elena. Those pancakes look really good." Joseph said.

Leonardo beamed.

"It's an old family recipe. Believe me, it will not disappoint."

Joseph nodded before adopting a slightly more serious face.

"So, what do you guys think of the new way we are doing things now?"

"Well, when over a dozen maids from the castle returned to the village and told everyone what had happened, it certainly had everyone talking, but most people seem to at least be thankful for it." Elena said.

"That's really all I could ask for." Cassandra said with a sad face. "I'm not expecting forgiveness from anyone really. I don't know if I even deserve it."

"Deserve's got nothing to do with it, Lady Cassandra." Olivia said. "This is about rebuilding your life, and it is for you, and you alone."

"Exactly. To hell with what anyone else says." Joseph said as he wrapped his arm around his girlfriend. "The only thing that matters is that we're happy."

This helped lift the brunette's spirits. At that moment, Daniela came buzzing in from the main hall.

"I was awoken by the most delicious smell! What is it?"

Bela chuckled.

"You can always count on food to wake Daniela out of a dead sleep."

….

The pancakes were a huge success as everyone enjoyed them. They discussed their plans for the day as well as what costumes and movies they would be using tomorrow night. At some point, Joseph and Cassandra noticed Bela and Elena chatting and laughing, and they looked like they were really enjoying each other's company. They both whispered to each other that they would help those two out, just as Bela and Daniela did for them.

After breakfast, Joseph and Cassandra made their way out of the castle (Alcina made the latter wear a heavy coat) and headed towards the market to pick up some supplies for the movie night. Surprisingly, Donna asked if she could meet them there as she wanted to be able to get out and socialize more.

It wasn't an easy trek for Cassandra. Her leg was still weak so it took some time for her to make her way down the path. This irritated her, but she had to remind herself that she was in a wheelchair in the beginning, and she would take a cane over a wheelchair any day of the week

When they finally arrived, Donna wasn't there yet. So they decided to start browsing amongst the stands for anything they thought could be useful. The brunette got some nervous and even judgemental looks from some people, but she didn't care. This was her new life now, one where she was happy. If people didn't want to let go of her old one, then screw them.

As the couple went from stand to stand, they pondered as to exactly what kind of materials would work best for them, and as they browsed, they smiled as they were greeted by a familiar face.

"Oh ho! We meet again!"

"Hey Duke! It's good to see you!" Joseph said as he shook the merchant's hand.

"As it is good to see you, Joseph! You too Lady Cassandra! I must say, you and your family have got this village in quite the buzz. No pun intended, of course. Word is quickly spreading about House Dimitrescu turning over a new leaf."

"Heh, yeah. Elena said most people seem to be at least grateful for it." The brunette said.

"That they are. I can already feel the tension begin to slightly fade from this place. Oh! Lady Beneviento! What a surprise to see you here!"

Joseph and Cassandra turned around to see Donna and Angie walking towards them. Donna still had her veil on, but the fact she was out in public really meant she wanted to improve herself.

"Hi Aunt Donna!" Cassandra said as she hugged her.

"Hi Cassie. It's good to see you." Donna said as she hugged back.

"Hey! What about me?" Angie said offended.

The brunette rolled her eyes and picked up the doll.

"Of course Angie, how could I forget about you? Especially after that remark you made about me and my cane…"

"You're still on that?!" Angie cackled. "Jeez Cassie, learn how to take a joke!"

Joseph chuckled.

That doll has one hell of a personality. He thought. He then made his way over and greeted Donna as well.

Though Donna was wearing her veil, he could tell she was smiling.

"Thank you for the kind words you said to me the other day, Joseph. It really helped me feel better about myself, and I really want to start improving for myself and my family. I'm nervous about doing it, but you said it yourself. I can't get better if I keep living in fear." The lord said.

The Duke gave a hearty laugh.

"My, your kindness is spreading like a healthy plague, Joseph! I can't begin to say how joyous it is to see this village be given new life."

Joseph blushed and scratched the back of his head.

"I mean, yeah I helped people, but it's really them that made this happen. They found the strength in themselves to get the motivation to take that first step. I just gave them advice that I hoped they would take."

The Duke gave another hearty laugh.

"Yet again with the modesty! I assure you there is nothing wrong with taking credit for something, my friend!"

Cassandra walked over and took her boyfriend's hand.

"Yeah, we need to work on that. It's almost infuriating how humble he is." She said.

This caused Joseph to blush even harder. He quickly tried to shake it off.

"A-anyway. We were looking to get a few things for Halloween tomorrow, and I was wondering if you had pumpkins available."

"I most certainly do, and in various sizes no less! Here, take a look and see if you find anything that suits you."

Joseph shook his head.

How does he always manage to have exactly what I need? He wondered.

After getting the pumpkins, the group made their way to the other stands to see if they could get some arts and crafts supplies for tomorrow night. Lady Beneviento already had a lot of the stuff they needed so thankfully they didn't require much.

"What's your favorite color, Donna?" Joseph asked.

"Ummm. Purple I would say." The veiled woman replied.

"Would you like lavender then, lady Benneviento? I think it would suit you." The lady at the stand said.

Donna paused for a moment before nodding.

"Yes, that would be fine. Thank you."

"So what exactly are you planning to do with these fabrics, Aunt Donna?" Cassandra asked.

"Well, your mother told me that everyone is making their own Halloween costumes, so I was hoping I'd be able to help you with that."

The brunette's face lit up.

"That's a great idea! I'm telling you right now, Dani is definitely going to need help. She wants her costume to be perfect and not cheap looking ."

"What costume is she making?"

"A classic witch's outfit, but with a Dimitrescu touch".

Angie laughed out loud.

"Oh yeah, that has Dani written all over it! You bet we're gonna help her with that! It'll be the best witch's costume ever!"

Joseph chuckled.

"I'm sure it will, and I'm also sure it'll make Dani very happy.

Just then, the group heard a voice speak from behind them.

"Donna? My, I can't remember the last time I saw you out like this."

They turned around to see a tall woman standing there. She wasn't as tall as Alcina, but had an impressive stature nonetheless. She had long blonde hair and was wearing what looked like a black priest's robe in addition to a golden bird mask. She was also wearing what looked like clawed golden gloves as well.

Joseph felt himself tense. He had no doubt in his mind who this was, but Donna's next words confirmed it.

"Hello Mother Miranda. It's good to see you."

So this was her. This was the Mother Miranda he had been hearing about. The one who ruled the village and turned Alcina and her daughters into mutations against their will, and the one who mentally manipulated them into killers. He slowly felt his rage begin to boil over. He had so many things to say to this woman, none of them good.

As he gritted his teeth, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Cassandra giving him a worried look. She slowly shook her head before whispering to him.

"I know. I'm pissed at her too, but we can't make a scene. It would be better if you got on her good side."

Joseph let out a sigh. She was right. As angry as he was, he couldn't just lash out. He smiled at his girlfriend.

"Looks like our roles are reversed from when we originally met."

The brunette giggled before Joseph approached Miranda.

"You must be Mother Miranda. I'm Joseph Brody. It's nice to meet you." He said as nicely as he could before reaching out his hand.

"Yes. It's nice to meet you as well Mr. Brody. I've been hearing quite a lot about you." Miranda said with a smile as she shook Joseph's hand.

"Good things I hope." Joseph said, smiling back.

The Priestess laughed.

"Nothing but good things. Everybody is talking about how you tamed the Dimitescu family. It's quite obvious the effect you've had here."

Tamed?! They're not animals! Joseph thought. The look on Cassandra's face told him she was thinking the same thing.

He kept his rage at bay as he continued.

"That's not the word I would use personally, but I hear what you're saying. I was quite shocked when I heard of their full history." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't entirely directed at the Dimitrescu family.

Miranda didn't seem to notice though.

"Yes, things were pretty unpleasant for quite some time, but I am happy to hear that things are improving for the better."

Joseph was a little surprised. She actually sounded half genuine when she said that. The other half sounded displeased. Interesting how both of those were present.

"You and I both." He said. "I'm glad to have helped. I hope that things will start getting easier for you in the future. It must be stressful to run a village like this."

Miranda gave another smile, this one fully genuine.

"It most certainly is. You're very kind in thinking about me and how I must feel. Alcina wasn't exaggerating when she said you had a lot of empathy."

Joseph was surprised again to hear that at first, but it made sense. Alcina did technically serve under Miranda, so it would be expected for Alcina to tell her about that.

"I try my best." He said with a smile "And hey, I've already made a lot of great friends so far so win win right?" He purposefully left out his relationship with Cassandra, since we wasn't sure how The Priestess would react to it.

Miranda laughed.

"Absolutely. You seem to already be quite integrated with the castle. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I've seen the Dimitrescu family this happy."

Joseph couldn't tell what she was implying with that statement. Was she thankful, or angry at him for it? Hell, maybe it was both. Regardless he could feel himself getting more nervous. Thankfully Cassandra stepped up.

"I hate to do this Mother Miranda, but we have a lot of work to do today. We've been short staffed since the other day so It's been pretty hectic."

Miranda nodded.

"Of course. I won't take any more of your time. It was nice meeting you Joseph." She said with a smile.

"You too Mother Miranda. Have a nice day." Joseph said, smiling back.

As the group departed and made their way back to the castle, Miranda's smile faded and unknown to them, she was giving them a curious look, more specifically at Joseph.

There's something about him that's very…different from the others. She thought. I would like to meet him again to get to know him better.

….

The group waited until they were well out of earshot before speaking to each other.

"Man. You could have cut the tension there with a knife." Angie said.

"No kidding. I'm honestly impressed you kept your cool as well as you did." Cassandra said

Joseph growled.

"I almost didn't. Seriously, who does that woman think she is?! She treats her lords like shit and then acts like it's no big deal! Also, 'tamed' them?! You guys are people, not fucking lions in a circus!"

His girlfriend was stunned. She had never seen him like this, and it was starting to scare her. She stopped him and started rubbing his shoulders.

"It's ok Joseph. Deep breaths, remember? Don't let it control you."

Her touch and words began to calm him down. Though it was clear he was still pissed.

"You did the right thing by being nice." Donna said. "Miranda wouldn't have taken kindley to hostility, and that wouldn't have gone well for anyone."

"Yeah. It's scary how strong she is. You would need a lot to be able to fight her." Angie said.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far. Joseph is very skilled, but I agree. Taking her head on without a plan is a bad idea." Cassandra said.

Joseph let out a sigh.

"You guys are right. It would be better to stay on her good side. Hell, maybe if things continue to change like this, she'll want to turn over a new leaf too. You never know."

The group all nodded in agreement.

"Ok, enough with the doom and gloom! Let's get this stuff to the castle! I'm itching to make something!" Angie shouted.

The rest couldn't help but laugh.

"That's the spirit Angie!" Joseph said with a smile.