It was nearly four months after relocating the creatures. Everything was still quiet. No one was nearly killed (which seemed like the first time in a while, for Isabel). No one was dealing with any drama. Isabel nearly forgot she was poisoned, not long ago, because everything seemed so calm, as if nothing had happened.

Isabel and Dante started planning their wedding, since there was no commotion distracting them.

They sat in the library together. Isabel laid against Dante and talked about layout.

"So, what colors do you think we should have for the theme?" Isabel asked.

"Easy. Blue and red. Red for you, the queen of fire..." Dante said winking. "And blue for me. My favorite colors. Plus... I am the prince with water powers."

Isabel winced.

"Eh. I don't know. Red and blue clash. Those colors won't look good together. However, we could do blue and purple. I love purple. And you look really good in blue." Isabel said pecking his cheek.

"Sounds great." Dante said.

"Okay. Now, we have the outfits to worry about. The invitations, too, of course. And with this being a royal wedding, we're going to have to hold a big gala. The entire kingdom will be invited." Isabel said.

"Okay... so where are we starting?"

Isabel groaned.

"I don't know. There is so much to do. And I don't even know where to begin. I have never attended a wedding. Let alone planned one. I'm lost and don't know where to start."

Dante laughed.

"It's going to be fine. It's not about the wedding, Isabel. It's about you and me. As long as we both end up saying 'I do' by the end of that evening, I don't care who all is there or how big of a party we throw. I don't even care where we are. We could get married right here right now and I would be happy. Just me, you, and the king and queen. That's all we need. No need for so much pressure, Isabel." Dante said tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Isabel took a deep breath.

"Your right. But I want to have a big wedding. It's tradition. Plus, I think it would be fun and beautiful. I want to make our day special." Isabel said.

Suddenly she got an idea.

"Ha. Of course. Why didn't I think of it before. Um, I'll see you later, babe. I gotta go see my aunt. Love you bye." Isabel said running out of the library.

She ran to the throne room where the king and queen were addressing the concerns of the people.

"I know you all are scared but I assure you everything is fine. The problem has been taken care of. No need to worry." the king was saying. He was trying to calm down a mob of angry people.

"My house was destroyed in the battle with Merlin. It was in the process of being rebuilt when a huge green dragon burned it down. We need these dangerous creatures killed!" one man yelled in the crowd.

"Whoa. Hey. Sir. That creature isn't dangerous. She was scared. She was protecting herself." Isabel said.

"And how do you know that, Princess?" the man said.

"Because. I rescued her from some evil men. If they got a hold of her, you would've had to deal with more than your house burning down. The whole kingdom would've been in danger." Isabel said.

The king cleared his throat.

"Isabel. May I have a word?" he said.

The princess nodded.

"Excuse me." she said to the man.

"Yes, sir?"

"We are trying to keep what happened quiet. We don't want to cause yet another panic." the king whispered. "If it got out that whoever wants these creatures can use them for dark magic, it would cause a huge panic. People could get hurt. We don't want that to happen."

"You're right. Sorry. Do you need me to do anything?" Isabel asked.

"No, we can handle this. Don't you have a wedding to plan?" the queen asked.

Isabel shrugged.

"That's why I'm here. But it can wait. The kingdom is more important. If I may?" Isabel asked gesturing to the crowd.

The king and queen nodded.

"Attention, everyone. I know you all are scared and hurting. We still have plans in place to replenish your crops and rebuild your houses. I just ask that you remain patient with us. We have so many people to help and not enough people to work. I promise that everything is taken care of. There will be no more creatures terrorizing the kingdom. It's been nearly four months, and there hasn't been a single problem thus far." Isabel said addressing the people.

The people were silent for a second and then they started whispering amongst themselves.

"So, when can we expect more food?"

"Where do we stay until our houses are rebuilt?"

"You will have food by the end of the day. And we will figure something out about your houses. Come back tomorrow and we will have a plan. But for now, let us think of something. We promise everything will be fine." Isabel said.

The crowd dispersed.

The king put a hand on Isabel's shoulder.

"Well done, Princess." he said winking.

Isabel smiled.

"Thank you. So what are we going to do about food?" she asked.

"We've got that covered. Now you go and start your planning." the queen said.

"Aunt Alicia, will you help me plan later tonight?" Isabel asked.

The queens face lit up.

"Oh, I'd love to!" she said. "I'll meet you in the library tonight at eight?"

Isabel nodded.

"Sounds great."

Isabel headed back to the library where Dante was waiting.

"So, where did you go?"

"Well, I went to ask Aunt Alicia about wedding planning, but they were dealing with an angry crowd so I helped diffuse the situation. She's going to meet us here at eight tonight to work out some details for the wedding."

Dante smiled.

"Sounds great." he kissed her forehead. He stared at her with a far off gaze.

"What?" Isabel asked.

Dante shrugged.

"Just thinking about my parents and how much they would love you. I wonder what input they would've had for the wedding. I don't know if you know this. But my mother was a bit of a control freak." he said laughing.

"Kinda like me?" Isabel asked smiling.

"Exactly like you. That's why I think she'd love you. She'd say 'you. my dear, Isabel Grace, are a magnificent person. Dante chose well. I'm sure you would be able to keep my son in line, won't you? And I can't wait to have grandchildren running around the throne room.'" Dante said in a fancy tone.

"Maybe eventually." Isabel said laughing.

Dante smiled.

"What about your father? What would he think of me?"

Dante cleared his throat and spoke in a deep voice.

"He would've said, 'Princess, Isabel, you are a mighty warrior. I know you will do fantastic things. This kingdom is in great hands with such a strong young woman. My son sure knows how to pick 'em.'"

They both laughed again.

"I wish I could've meet them. From what you tell me, they sound like wonderful people." Isabel said.

"They were. They treated the kingdom with kindness and equality. They loved everyone. They were great parents. And great rulers." he said smiling.

"I wish I knew what my parents were like." Isabel said melancholily.

Dante looked at his fiancé. He felt a sudden wave of guilt.

Isabel hadn't know her parents. They died when she was just an infant.

He decided he needed a distraction.

"How about we go for a walk? And maybe a swim?" he whispered.

Isabel smiled.

"I'll go anywhere with you." she said.

"Okay. That was a little cheesy."

"Eh. Cheesy is my middle name."

Dante rolled his eyes and stood up. He pulled Isabel up to her feet and they went out the door.

It was late afternoon. They went to the waterfall and sat at the bank.

"This time, I brought a change of clothes. My auntie would have my head if I walked into the palace soaking wet again." Isabel said.

Dante laughed.

"I thought she was going to murder us."

"Me too." Isabel said.

They stared at the water for a long while.

Isabel looked up at the clear blue sky, then, suddenly, a wave of water splashed her face and knocked her backwards.

She sat up sputtering and coughing.

"Dante! What was that for?!" she said.

Dante was looking around, acting like he didn't know what happened.

"What as what for?" he said smiling.

"Oh.... you! You want to play that game?" Isabel nodded. "Okay. Fine. Two can play at that game."

She smiled and shot a green fire ball at Dante.

"Hey! You almost hit me!" he said jumping up

"Good. You nearly knocked me out with a wave of water!"

Dante blasted her with more water and she threw more fireballs at him. Isabel cornered Dante in the water. His back was against a cliff. Isabel conjured up another fire ball.

"Okay, okay! You win!" he said throwing his hand up in surrender.

"Humph. Not so tough are you now?" Isabel said crossing her arms.

Dante smiled. He had her right where he wanted her.

Water spewed out of the creek like it was a guizer. Dante tackled Isabel and they both splashed into the water.

Isabel came back to the surface, sputtering water, with her wet hair plastered on her face.

"Dante Ramirez! Look what you've done!" she hollered.

"Isabel, come on. I was playing. I'm sorry." he said laughing.

He pushed her hair out of her face.

"I'm so sorry. Did I hurt you?" he said.

Isabel smiled and hit the water in front of Dante with a fire ball. Steam surrounded them and she tackled him, splashing into the water, once more.

"HA! GOTCHA!" she yelled.

"You always get me." Dante said.

He stole a kiss from her and then pushed her off of him.

"Okay, okay. Let's call a truce. Wanna walk with me?" he asked.

"Where to?"

Dante shrugged.

Isabel stood up in the creek and walked onto the bank. Dante followed.

She wrung out her dress and her hair. Dante wrung out his shirt and pants. He shook his head violently, slinging water onto Isabel, accidently.

Isabel looked at him with her arms crossed.

"Really?" she asked.

Dante chuckled.

"Sorry."

"Yeah. Whatever. Let's go, you dimwit." Isabel said taking her fiancé's hand.

They walked through the woods, for what seemed like forever, until they came to a clearing. They were on the outskirts of a small village.

There were people wondering the streets, talking and browsing the food stands in the street.

One person noticed the royals. Then two more. Than five. Then, pretty soon, the whole village knew the royals were there.

"Your highnesses." one man, working a food stand, said as he bowed.

"Hello." Isabel said.

"Could I offer you one of my fresh crisp apples? Picked them fresh this morning. On the house."

Isabel smiled.

She took two apples.

"I won't accept this for free. Here." Isabel said kindly. She held out four gold coins and placed them in the man's hand.

The man stuttered.

"Bu--but your highness, this... this is two much. I only charge one gold piece per apple. You have given me twice as much." he said staring at the four gold coins in his hand.

"Please, take it. It's the least I could do." Isabel said.

"Oh thank you!"

The man bowed again.

The royals walked down the street of the small town.

One man, a shop owner, asked if they needed dry clothes. Isabel had forgotten that they were soaking wet from their 'fight' at the waterfall.

"No thank you. We just went for a swim. We have extra clothes. Thank you for offering." Isabel said.

The shop owner bowed.

The royals kept walking through the village.

In the center of the town was a huge garden. Dozens of villagers tended to the garden.

"Oh it's lovely." Isabel said.

Dante nodded.

"Beautiful. Needs more water. But it's still beautiful." Dante said. "But I can help that."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

A large cloud appeared out of no where. Water fell at a light drizzle then picked up speed when everyone was cleared out of the garden. After a few moments of a down pour, Dante made the clouds dissipate.

The plants looked greener, healthier. They were taller and smelled fresher.

The villagers gawked at the garden in utter amazement. Then they looked at Dante.

"Thank you, Prince Dante! We struggle to keep our garden properly hydrated. You have done us a huge favor." an old woman said bowing.

"Please. No thanks needed. It was my pleasure. It is our duty to help our citizens, after all." Dante said.

The royals spent a few more hours in the village, tending to the peoples' needs.

Some needed help with a fire that had engulfed the bakery. Isabel and Dante teamed up and took care of that situation in a matter of seconds. Then, they helped a young mother tend to the animals in her farm, while she looked after her children. Her husband had just recently died. She had a toddler and an infant to take care of, so the two royals volunteered to help her with the animals.

After a few hours of helping the villagers, it was getting dark. It was time to get back to the palace so they could plan the rest of their wedding.

When they reached the palace, they headed straight to the library.

"Oh for goodness sake! You two are supposed to set an example. You're supposed to be dressed nicely in public. Look at you both. Filthy!" the queen said as they walked through the library doors.

Isabel looked down at her dress. It was covered in ash and dirt. Her hair had twigs and leaves sticking out. Her hair was curly and tangled, since she didn't brush it after it was wet. Her face had streaks of dirt and ash, as well.

Isabel looked at Dante. His unruly, curly black hair was even more messy. Isabel didn't even think that was possible. His outfit was wrinkled and dirty. He had dirt on his shoulders from the debris that Isabel's fireballs left when they exploded.

"Sorry, Aunt Alicia. We can change if we need to." Isabel said.

"Yes. Go and clean yourselves up." the queen said laughing.

After the young royals freshened up, they met back in the library.

"So, Auntie. I was wondering what your wedding was like? I want to get inspiration. I have no idea where to start."

The queen smiled.

"Oh that was a day to remember. One of the best days of my life. The ceremony itself was simple and short. But the reception afterwards was one for the record books. We had a massive feast. Everyone in the kingdom was invited. We served fish, chicken, pork, goose, and of course, cheese, fresh fruits, and glorious desserts. And lets not forget the wine." Queen Alicia said.

The young royals smiled.

"Sounds lovely." Isabel said. "What did you guys do for the ceremony? Who officiated it? Would Uncle Raff officiate ours? And where did you host the wedding? How many people were invited to the actual ceremony? Did you write your own vows?"

Isabel was talking so quickly that Dante was sure she was being deprived of oxygen.

"Hey. Ho whoa. Take a breath. Slow down. The queen's only been here for ten minutes." Dante said putting a hand on Isabel's arm.

Isabel took a breath and then laughed nervously.

"Ha ha ha. Yeah. I'm sorry. I'm just so nervous. I don't know where to start. I don't even know what all a wedding entails. I've never been to one. It's so stressful!" Isabel hollered. She closed her eyes and put a hand to her head.

The queen and Dante locked eyes.

"Um, so, I'm going to go get something from the kitchen. I'm starving. What about you, babe?"

Isabel shook her head without opening her eyes.

Dante winked at the queen and left the room.

When Dante was gone, the queen sat up straighter in her chair, if that was even possible, and cleared her throat.

"Sweetie, what's going on? Surely there's more than just the wedding stressing you out. Planning a wedding is supposed to be fun. What's wrong? Having second thoughts?" the queen asked.

Isabel opened her eyes and shifted in her chair.

"Absolutely, one hundred percent, no. I love Dante. He is the love of my life, my other half. We've only known each other for almost a year, now. But, and this is going to sound cliché, but I feel like I've known him my whole life. Before I met Dante, I was struggling to find my sense of identity. I didn't know who I was or where I came from or what my purpose was. And then Dante came along. He just appeared in the middle of the forest. In the exact spot that I would go to every day to read. That isn't a coincidence. That's fate. So the answer is no. I am not having second thoughts. I can't wait to make this official." Isabel said.

She said it with a fire in her heart. She meant it with every bone in her body. She knew Dante was her one and only. There was no doubt about that.

The queen smiled.

"That is beautiful. Put that in your vows. Write that down. Tell him that." she said.

Isabel nodded and took a quill and paper and summarized what she just said.

"So, if it's not second thoughts that have you all worked up, what is it?" the queen asked.

Isabel folded her paper and put it on the table in front of her.

"I honestly don't know. I want to get married. I look forward to the ceremony and the reception. I can't wait to interact with the citizens at the ball. I just... I think I'm a little uneasy. It's too calm around here. And every time it's calm, something bad happens immediately afterwards. The calm before the storm." Isabel said.

The queen listened as Isabel explained.

"Like with Merlin. We captured him. He was in prison. Everything was calm. Nothing bad happened. And then the storm hit. He escaped. He got to his staff in the heart of the palace tunnels. And then he killed Captain Killian. He destroyed peoples' houses and gardens. If I hadn't stopped him--"

"But you did. The kingdom is safe. You protected us. Just like you were born to do." the queen said.

Isabel nodded.

"But after I stopped him, and he was shipped off, I was poisoned. Dante was nearly stabbed to death. There is a traitor still wondering free. Then the creatures were kidnapped and nearly sold to an evil... I don't even know what he is. The hits just keep coming. I'm just afraid that my special day will be ruined by something else happening. I just want it to be perfect." Isabel said. She held back tears.

"Oh sweetie. You can't let that get to you. Something always happens. I wasn't going to tell you this, but my wedding didn't quite go as planned either."

"What happened?"

"Well, I was about nineteen when your uncle and I were to get married. You parents were the best man and maid of honor. I said it was one to remember. And I was not kidding." the queen laughed. "When we got to our vows, a jealous ex boyfriend of mine, well, he interrupted the ceremony. He had hired a sorcerous to ruin our wedding. The sorcerous had been in love with my ex. She was more than willing to get payback. She had turned me into a dog, which was a metaphor for, well you know. And then she changed Rafael into a pig."

Isabel busted into laughter.

"No. Really?"

The queen nodded. She was laughing so much she accidently snorted. This made the both of them laugh even more.

After a moment, they collected themselves.

"Excuse me." the queen said, clearing her throat. "After the sorcerous changed us into animals, my ex had a change of heart. He told her to change us back. This infuriated her. She changed him into a snake."

"Oh, my lord. What happened after that?"

"The details are blurry, but, eventually, Rafael and I got changed back, we had our wedding, and, overall, everything was perfect. The moral of the story, Isabel, is to not let things get in the way of what you love. People and situations will always make you doubt yourself, and your decisions. But you have to stay true to your heart. If you love Dante like you say you do, then nothing can ruin that."

Isabel contemplated that for a minute.

"You're right, Aunt Alicia. I'm not going to let anything get in the way." Isabel smiled and took a deep breath.

Just then, Dante walked through the door, with a plate of fresh cookies.

"Cookies anyone?" he asked.

Isabel and the queen reached for a cookie.

"So, how's the planning going?" Dante asked settling back in his chair, with his plate of cookies.

"Better." Isabel said taking his hand. She looked into her fiancé's sparkling eyes.

He kissed her nose and turned to the queen.

"So, what do we have planned?"

"Well, like I was telling Isabel, the ceremony doesn't have to be big and grand. You can just have a few people. Then, the ball and the reception is what everyone will receive an invitation to."

"Huh. Sounds exactly like what I was telling her." Dante said, narrowing his eyes at Isabel.

Isabel rolled her eyes and smacked his arm.

"Shut up, you simpleton." she said smiling.

The queen smiled.

"Do you know who you would want to be there?" she asked.

"Obviously the king and queen." Isabel said winking. "Melody, of course. She makes some wonderful cookies. Um, beyond that, I honestly don't know. Dante?"

Dante shrugged.

"We'll think on that later. What's next?" he said

"Colors. What is the colors for the wedding?"

"Blue and purple." Isabel said.

"Oh, that sounds beautiful! Okay, what about the decorations? The flowers?" the queen asked.

The royals spent a couple of hours working out some of the wedding details. The king called his wife up to the throne room to finish up the duties for the night.

Isabel and Dante snuck out and rode their horses to the top of the mountain. Dante took Isabel's hands and lifted her off her horse.

"Watch the stars with me, Milady?" Dante asked.

Isabel smiled.

"Absolutely."

They laid in the grass peering at the sky. Dante pointed out constellations. Isabel tried, but she didn't know much.

"You know... I can't wait to marry you." Dante said.

Isabel studied his face.

"I can't either. The Fates knew what they were doing when they put you in my life. We can't disappoint them now, can we?" Isabel said laughing.

Dante smiled.

He twirled a piece of Isabel's curly hair in between his fingers, lost in thought.

"What is it?" Isabel asked when she saw that he was staring at her, blankly.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"You. Me. Us." he said.

He kissed her.

"All good things, I hope?"

Dante nodded.

"I was picturing our future. What we'll be like in ten years, twenty, fifty." he said smiling.

"Oh. And?"

"And I'll love you just as much then as I do now, if not more so."

Isabel kissed his cheek.

"You're so sweet. I love you." she said.

They laid for a while longer, watching as a star shot across the sky.

Isabel made a secret wish. She wished that everything would remain this perfect forever.

Soon, the two royals fell asleep, in the grass, in the moonlight.