Every Winkie maid and servant was forcibly taken by the Winkie Guards and led to the junior ballroom of the castle. Many were simply grabbed by the closest Winkie Guard while they were in the middle of cleaning or performing other chores.

"Where are we going", many of them said worriedly. Others were terrified. Some were weeping and sobbing knowing what was to come. It was never good when the castle guards would nab every maid and servant and take them to an undisclosed location.

This meant the witch was angry. And something very bad was going to happen.

"Oh, there are you", a relieved Bella said to Betsy and Daisy as she was led towards the center of the room by one of the guards. She then hugged her two younger companions. "What's going on?" In the back of her mind, she knew whatever was going to happen was not good.

"We don't know", the girls said in unison. There were at least two dozen other maids and servants now gathered in the smaller ballroom as the space became increasingly crowded.

Suddenly, the entire group heard distant cackling laughter. It became louder and louder until a figure dashed into the ballroom. She was levitating off the floor and floating at a rapid pace. She stopped at the doorway entrance. As she entered, the gold-plated door slammed shut behind her. This sound startled the Winkies and made the quiet individual conversations among them cease.

"THE WIZARD DISAPPEARED THIS MORNING", the witch screamed with a scowl on her face. SOMEONE HERE KNOWS WHERE HE IS. WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE WIZARD?"

One gasped at the witch's fury. Another started to sob. The witch was wearing her riding outfit, which was never good for those who worked for her. She usually wore this outfit when she was outside and wanting to dole out punishment. If she wore it inside, it meant she was going to terrorize her maids and servants until she got what she wanted.

"TELL ME NOW!", she screamed.

"We don't know where he is", one of the little Winkie maids squeaked.

"Oh…REALLY!", she barked. She then dashed over to a small Winkie child while levitating off the floor. "YOU BETTER TELL ME WHERE THE WIZARD IS…OR I WILL GASH OUT YOUR EYEBALLS!"

The Winkie child tried to respond, but he was so scared he was on the verge of wetting his pants. "IF YOU DON'T ANSWER ME, I WILL BURN YOUR EYES RIGHT OUT OF YOUR SOCKETS", she roared.

He still didn't respond but was instead shaking and nearly on the verge of tears. The ballroom had become incredibly silent.

"LAST CHANCE", she yelled in anger.

"I…I…I…I don't know where he is! I…don't even know what the Wizard looks like", the little child pleaded. What he was saying was in fact the truth. He had never even crossed paths with the Wizard while he worked at the castle.

The witch was fuming. She furrowed her brow as she looked up and addressed her maids and servants. "SOMEONE BETTER TELL ME WHERE THE WIZARD IS!"

Still, no one dared to speak.

"Very well", the witch grumbled. She then slowly removed her red hat with her hand and slowly lowered her head. With a flick, she turned her hat inside out. This made the Winkie maids and servants start to yell and scream. Some started to sob. Others begged and pleaded.

And when another Winkie Guard entered the ballroom carrying her broom, all hell broke loose. Many started to run away from the witch and began to pound on the walls, hoping against hope that the wall would break, and they could flee. Others desperately looked for a door—any door—to escape. Some stood around crying while a few had wet their pants. Almost every Winkie was now in full panic mode.

"Oh my! Faeries protect us!", one Winkie servant pleaded.

"Please! Help us! Get us out of her", others said.

As the Winkie Guard handed her the broom, the peach skinned witch raised her head and glared at the group of terrified Winkies. A malevolent smile slowly crept across her face.

"Don't make this hard for the rest of you." The room became silent once more as every Winkie merely froze in place. The ones who were banging on the walls stopped and slowly turned around. Many were now shaking and trembling, with others doing the best they could to hold back their tears.

The witch raised her brow as her devilish grin remained. "I know one of you knows where the Wizard is. And one of you are going to tell me…"

"We don't know where he is", one servant proclaimed for the group.

"You can't speak for us!", another said. "If someone knows where he is, they better tell the witch!"

"You!", one Winkie servant pointed accusingly at Bella. "You speak to the Wizard a lot! You must know where he is!"

But Bella nervously began to shake her head. "I don't know where he is! I haven't spoken to him since yesterday!"

Her denials provoked boos from the crowd. "Lies!" She's a liar!", one proclaimed. "She knows where the Wizard is!"

"I don't!"

A dark expression then covered Theodora's face. "If someone doesn't tell me, then that means some of you may have to say goodbye to your pets." She turned to the Winkie Guards who were standing silently on the opposite side of the room. "Bring them in!"

A fresh contingency of Winkie Guards then entered the ballroom, each carrying a pet that a Winkie maid or servant kept in their home.

"For the ones who have pets, you are lucky", Theodora said as she taunted her subjects. "For the ones who don't have pets, my guards gave me…a surprise for you." This made the witch burst into cackling laughter.

"We are going to play a little game! I am going to ask each of you where the Wizard is. If you tell me, your little pet is spared. If you don't, then your pet dies! The stakes are higher for those who don't have pets…" The witch's words then ended on her tongue as she snapped her finger with her free hand.

"…Then it's your parent who dies! If you can't tell me where the Wizard is and you don't have a pet, I'll kill your parent! Nice and slow!" Theodora began to cackle again as more guards entered the ballroom with a line of Winkies who were chained and blindfolded. An outpouring of cries and pleas were heard from the servants and maids.

As a guard carried her pet hamster in its cage, Bella became indignant. "Put my hamster down!" She then turned to Theodora. "Have your despicable guard put my hamster down right now! You evil, malevolent and wicked…"

"Go ahead. Say it", the witch said, daring her to say the name she despised the most. She wanted to make an example out of her.

"…You…WICKED! WITCH!", Bella screamed, emphasizing every word that came out of her mouth to inflict the maximum amount of emotional pain on Theodora.

"That's it!", the witch said as she barged towards the girl. "You've been more trouble than you are worth! You and your pretty face! I should end you right now…my pretty!"

But Bella was having none of it. "We are tired of being terrified by you!"

"Oh…really…", Theodora said in her shrill voice. "Have a look over there!"

Bella turned her head and saw a line of Winkie farmers who were chained and blindfolded.

"For you, my dear, I've brought your pet and your father so you can see both of them die at the same time!" The witch cackled nefariously again.

Theodora's face then came within an inch of the terrified maid's eyes. "I know you know where the Wizard is. Tell me now! And maybe I'll only just kill your hamster instead!"

"B-b-b-but I really don't know where he is", she answered tearfully. "Honestly, I don't know! Please…let my hamster go…"

"Wrong answer!", the witch barked. She motioned with her hand. Several Winkie Guard's grabbed Bella's father and hurled him into the center of the ballroom. "On my order, I will strangle your own father myself! And then I will light your little fluffy on fire, too! Yes!", the witch began to threaten the young maid, who was now beginning to sob.

"Please don't…", she cried.

"All you need to do is tell me where the Wizard is…", the witch calmly said.

"But I don't know where he is…", Bella said through her tears.

Suddenly, a small Winkie child took off running and dashed as quickly as he could towards the door. Even though the entrance was guarded, the door was now open, and the little child wanted to slide under the guard's legs when they would try and grab him.

But the witch was fast. She held out her free hand and froze the child in place. She then raised her hand as the child started to float in the air. He started to gag as he dangled helplessly. A petrified look was palpable on his little face.

"You see that child's life!", the witch roared. "I will snap his neck if you don't cooperate with me." She then scowled at Bella. "I am only going to ask you one more time. Where is the Wizard!" As a terrified Bella stared at the witch, it almost appeared to the maid that the witch's peach complexion was starting to change into a light green hue, but she told herself that she was simply imagining things from being in an intensely stressful situation.

"Time is almost up!", the witch screamed. Her free hand then lit a fireball.

A masculine voice then pierced the ballroom. "STOP!"