Back at Derek's castle, the ball has already begun as the stars twinkled in the night sky but sadly, there was no moon. Every carriage and boat were heading straight towards the castle. And every footmen approach to bring the beautiful princesses out of their rides.
Footmen: Every single princess on the planet
Prayed to be invited to the ball
Every Portia, Gwenevere and Janet
Would come by coach or boat to be here
Most would swim the moat to be here
Just to be at this historic gala
Girls would walk around or even crawl
Rumor is that at this joyous scene tonight
The prince will likely choose
His future queen tonight
In one of the guest rooms, Alex was already dressed in the finest, formal, attire that the tailors have made for the ball. Once he put on the touch on the outfit, which is his cloak, Alex looked at his reflection for a moment and then looked out through the window. It was indeed a beautiful night. Sky's dark, stars are shining bright, but... there was no moon. Now Alex is becoming concern about Madison's transformation if there is a New Moon. Suddenly, his thoughts were immediately snapped back into reality as he heard knocking from his door.
"Come in." he spoke so suddenly, and the door immediately opened.
"Pardon me, sir." the Chamberlain spoke who just entered the room, "Prince Derek wants me to inform you that the ball has just begun."
"Is the prince there?"
"Not yet. He is still getting ready. And so is the queen."
"Very well." Alex replied as he starts exiting the room and followed the chamberlain.
A moment later, Alex entered the ballroom. It was filled with so many guests and of course princesses. He let out a sigh as he starts walking around hoping to see if Derek is around as he waits. Of course, he did excuse to everyone as he was just passing by also heard the Chamberlain's voice as he walks through the crowd.
The chamberlain exits the ballroom and walked down through the halls until he stopped at a certain door. With a few knocks, the chamberlain slowly opened the door and Queen Uberta at the vanity and Derek putting his cape on as he was looking at the mirror. As he cleared his throat, he started to speak.
"Excuse me, Your Highness!"
"Yes, yes, Chamberlain." she answered as she looked at him from the reflection from her vanity mirror.
"It's getting rather crowded." he said and saw the queen smiled with excitement.
"Very well, you may begin the introductions." she replied and saw him exit the room until she stopped him. "And Chamberlain?"
"Yes?"
"No mistakes this time! Everything must be perfect." she said.
"Oh no, no, no, oh yes, no, no, no, madam, everything will be p-p-perfect." he laugh nervously and quickly closed the door but got his feather caught.
Uberta sighed happily and looked back at her reflection, but then looked at her son.
"Promise me, Derek, you'll tell me who is the moment she arrives." she said to him.
"Don't worry, mother, you'll know. Believe me, you'll know." Derek replied to her with a smile as he finally got his cape on.
At Swan Lake...
Puffin, Speed, Jean-bob and Zor were trying to think of someway on how to get Odette and Madison out until the puffin finally thought of something as jumped.
"Aha!"
"What?" Speed asked as he look at him.
"It's coming!"
"What is?" Jean-bob asked.
"An idea! A substantial idea! A large, colossal idea!"
"Sounds big." said Speed.
"And it must be a good one." said Zor.
"I got it! Ha! Water leaks into the dungeon, right? Well, if there's a leak, there must be a hole. We'll find the hole, make it bigger and Boom! she's loose and so will Maddie." said Puffin.
"That could work." Zor spoke as he was liking the idea, "I can get this necklace to my mistress." the Bearded Dragon showed his collar to his new friends. "Besides, my collar that my mistress made for me, can change into anything I want. Even into something that can swim under water."
"Brilliant!" Puffin agreed as he smiled.
"I think you're forgetting two things." said Jean-bob as he pointed at the alligators in the water.
"His Majesty's got a point." said Speed.
"Ha! If I turned back to a dragon, I could scare them off." said Zor as he glared at the alligators.
"Not to worry. Now, first we need a scout." said Puffin.
"Are you crazy? Who's going to jump into this moat?" Jean-bob questioned.
"He's got to be a good swimmer." Puffin spoke as he looked at the frog.
"I should say so."
"A fast one as well." said Zor.
"Not really fast, but a good fast."
"And he's got to be small, too." said Speed.
"Teeny weeny, not to be seen."
"And it wouldn't hurt if he was green, for camouflage purposes." Puffin smirked.
"Precisely. Small, good swimmer, green." said Jean-bob as he smiled at the idea until...
The words suddenly hit, and Jean-bob looked at the three with smirks on their faces.
"Good grief, you're talking about me?!" He tries to walk away and ignoring to their gestures.
Puffin: You're off on a mission
You're tough, in good condition
A hero, warts and all
No fear
"Absolutely not! I can't hear you! I can't hear you!" Jean-bob covered his ears as he continues to ignore them.
At the Derek's castle, in the ballroom, the crowd were applauding as Queen Uberta was standing in front of the guests with a smile of excitement on her face.
"Oh, thank you, thank you, I know that some of you just abhor beauty pageants, but being a puff, puff girl myself way back in 39, ah, I just couldn't resist." said Uberta as she speaking to the guests, "Right, and girls? A one, a two, a one, two, three!"
As the music started to begin, Alex was standing with the guests and looked to see Derek in the middle of the ballroom. But then he, along with the prince, saw a line full of beautiful princesses at the stairway with the Chamberlain.
Chamberlain: Beauty and glamour and breeding unmatched
Chorus: Princesses on parade
Chamberlain: Lovely, enthralling, and all unattached
The hoi polloi and those well-bred agree
Each enjoy a royal pedigree
Chorus: Born for success
Chamberlain: Each possesses a spark
Each a remarkable maid
Boy oh boy, these royal highnesses
All have pluses, they've no minuses
Gaze upon
Chorus: These princesses on parade
As the music continued, Derek watched as more princesses were in a line, walking towards him, while Rogers introduce to them in song as he was still composing the musicians.
Rogers: This princess comes from Colchester, where corn and cotton grows
She plays croquet and harpsichord and sews her own clothes
Antonia isn't known to take the path of least resistance
She hails from southeast Franisatan and came the farthest distance
Gruzilda lives to help the world, she finds no task too menial
And all the other hopeful girls think she's the most congenial
Brunhilda is from Studgart, where our swords and armors made
Chamberlain: Gaze upon
Chorus: Princesses on parade
This is the likely occasion
When the heir to the throne picks a wife
Princesses: This may be the day
When Prince Derek will say
Chamberlain: "Where have you been all my life?"
Princesses: (swoon)
Chorus: Brilliant, beguiling, the smiling brigade
Chamberlain: Princesses on parade
Chorus: Each the pride of her community
Each a golden opportunity
Princesses: Just the thought that crown prince Derek will
Face this choice and he's hysterical
Chorus: Gaze upon, heap praise upon
Chamberlain: These radiant, glamorous, luminous, dazzling
Chorus: Princesses on parade
The crowd applaud for the performance, even Alex did a little but saw his friend looked exhausted from all the introductions. But as Chamberlain took a bow, he heard the sound of doors banging. He let out a gasp and nervously looked at the queen.
"Chamberlain, all who were invited are present, are they not?" she asked as she was trying not to be embarrassed in front of everyone.
"Well, yes, I mean, well..." Chamberlain looked through the list names until the banging from the doors kept going.
"Open the door!" Uberta demanded and let out simple giggle with a fake smile, "Chamberlain."
Chamberlain quickly ran to the door.
"It's the milkman, it must be the milkman." he said to himself as he opened the doors, he gasped in shock.
The whole crowd stood silent and shock, even the queen, but Derek smiled. The person that entered the ballroom looked like "Odette". She looked at the Chamberlain and winked at him as she walked past him.
"We'll, it's not the milkman." he said to himself.
As this Odette walked down the stairs and through the crowd, the guests looked at her with shock but moved back for her to walk by. Uberta was stunned as she shook her head with disbelief.
"Oh! Oh no, it can't be!" she whispered to herself and decided to follow the mysterious, familiar stranger. "Excuse me, pardon me, could you, please, I've got to get through. Oh oh, yes, she's lovely, isn't she? Queen coming through here, excuse me excuse me." said Uberta as she went through the crowd and came to Rogers.
"Rogers! Rogers, who is it? Do you know her?" she asked him.
"I don't know." he answered.
"Come now, Rogers, I know he confides in you. Who is it?" she asked again as she turned his head to the direction for him to see the young woman.
"I promise I've never seen her before." he answered again but then got a good look at the mysterious guest. "Although she does look a great deal like…"
"But it couldn't be…" the queen whispered, "Could it?"
As "Odette" slowly walked to Derek with a smile on her face, the prince smiled back to her.
"Oh, I was so worried… I almost thought…"
"Nothing could keep me away." she answered.
Derek signals the band, and the music starts playing while the two started to waltz.
Alex watched the two danced and smiled a little. Good thing that Odette finally made it, but then looked around to see if another person came with her.
"Alex..." a whispery voice echoed from the distance. "Alex..."
The young man looked at the direction to where the voice was coming from and starts following it. As the voice kept saying his name over and over, Alex was out of the ballroom and walking straight down the hall.
"Alex... Alex..."
He kept on following it until he came to the balcony. Once he entered there, Alex looked around to see if anyone was around or if he could hear the voice more. But he can hear the music from the distance.
Suddenly, a hand appeared behind him and then touched his shoulder. Alex quickly turned around to see a woman in a black dress with silver lines. Flowing brown hair with curls, and her eyes were different colors. One brown and the other were almost green. Alex looked at the woman for the woman for a moment and spoke just the one name.
"Maddie..." he said softly, and the woman smiled.
"I finally found you, my prince." she said to him.
Alex quickly embraced her, and "Madison" embraced back.
"I was afraid... I was worried that..." Alex was stopped as her hand gently touched his lips.
"Nothing can keep us apart, my Alex." she whispered as she placed a kiss on his cheek that was close to his lips. "Care to dance?"
Alex looked at her for a moment and the smiled a little. He gently took her hand and held her close and then starts waltzing with as the music continued playing from the distance.
To Be Continued...