The Infinity Ball

Chapter 7

Caroline

"Your majesty, the chefs I hired made a feast for you and your family," I bow as I greet the king before standing on two paws. "I selected a rabbit for the main course."

His favorite meat. Arnold had researched for weeks and had asked Millicent many questions and recently he had discovered what King Peter likes. He had completed his list a few months ago and now I've been making sure I find every item and give them to King Peter. The rabbit was the last gift Arnold had thought of.

"From the Prince of Calceus I assume?" asks King Peter.

"Yes," I answer. "The Crown Prince of Calceus."

Arnold does not know that I have been telling the king that the gifts are from the Crown Prince of Calceus and not him, but he must be oblivious to it for now. I will tell him when I get the chance. When I become a human. If that is possible. Although, Arnold himself was turned into a horse when I was cursed to be a cat. Four years ago, his curse was broken. He told me it was because of Lucinda, but I barely know her so I doubt she would be of assistance. Being a cat has not been a horrible experience. But now that Arnold and I are together again, I want to be a human. I have to be a human so I can tell him who I am.

Millicent

I enter my closet and grab a puffy white coat. It's one of my more casual coats. I'm going to wear it on my date with Arnold this afternoon. We're riding in a horse-drawn carriage. I'm curious why Arnold would be interested in a carriage ride after being a horse for so many years. I suppose a few years as a human might have helped. I put on my coat and grab a pair of gloves before leaving my closet. I go to my mirror. I just put on my make-up so it looks great. And my hair isn't tangled, so I look nice enough to leave the palace. Some of my sisters are so dramatic that they'll stay in their room as if they're sick on a bad hair day.

I leave my room and go to the elevator. I wonder where the carriage will go. Arnold only told me where to meet him to get on it, not where we'd be going. I trust him to find an interesting carriage ride. I'm sure it'll be fun. Besides, all dates with Arnold are. Opal teases me for dating a guy that used to be a horse, but it's not like he acts like an animal (unlike some men I've dated.)

I go outside to my family's parking lot and get in my limo. My chauffeur is already there. Soon, we get to the park where the carriage ride starts. I get out of the car and thank my limo driver before greeting Arnold.

"Arnold, this is such a nice park!" I exclaim. "It even looks beautiful in the winter!"

"Have you never visited the Freesevain Valley before?" he asks.

"No," I answer. "Actually, I've only visited a few of Norillia's gardens before."

"This garden is my favorite because it always has flowers in season," Arnold tells me. "We should come back to see the spring flowers in April."

"I'd like to come back," I say.

"Speaking of flowers in season," Arnold hands me a bouquet. "I selected some winter flowers for you. Crocuses and camellias. They both grow in Calceus actually."

They're even white, my royal gem color!

"Thank you, Arnold," I reply. "I love it!"

The carriage comes and stops. Arnold and I get in it, sitting next to each other. We chat as the carriage goes around the park. After half an hour, the carriage stops at a monument. Arnold gets out and I follow him to the monument. He gets down on one knee. Is he proposing to me now?!

"Princess Millicent," he starts. "Since my curse was broken, I have gotten to experience human life again. But no moments have been as great as the ones I have spent with you. Will you marry me?"

Arnold

"Millicent said yes!" I exclaim as I walk into my house.

"I'm so happy for you, Arnold!" exclaims Caroline. "And I believe King Peter will be happy to have the Crown Prince of Calceus as his son-in-law."

"The Crown Prince of where?" I raise an eyebrow at her.

"Nevermind," she responds. "Did she like the carriage ride?"

"She loved it!" I tell her. "But I feel bad for the horses driving the carriage. They have to trot around the garden all day in the cold weather."

"Now that you're a human, do you feel as if there's any of Adventurous left in you?" Caroline asks me.

Adventurous was my name when I was a horse.

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused. "I'm completely human, inside and out."

"Did your life as a horse impact you?" Caroline continues. "Or are you the same as you were before Zora cursed you?"

I reminisce on the past decade. When I was younger, I never cared that much about horses. I only thought of them as pets for rich people or a fun form of transportation. But now, years later, I know that animal life isn't easy. Sure, people do things for you as they would for a kid, but there's a lack of hygiene and you're outside often.

"I've learned that it's hard to be an animal," I reply. "And that animals should be given more care. Why did you ask me?"

"I'm curious," Caroline says wistfully. "I wanted to ask you since you used to be cursed."

She didn't fully answer my question. I wonder why she was curious about my life after I was cursed. I don't feel like asking her more about it. I want to talk to her about the engagement.

"I couldn't have gotten King Peter's approval if it wasn't for you," I say, changing the subject. "You gave me so much advice and gave the king all the gifts I thought of."

I should do something for her after how much she helped me. All I did was buy her a pair of boots.

"Arnold, I'm so happy I got to do something for you," Caroline says. "I know you were disappointed when you didn't receive much of your father's company or the inheritance."

"You're better than money and a company," I tell her. "You may have gotten me the respect of the king, but your friendship is the best thing I could have received from my dad."

I look at Caroline as she does something I had no clue was possible for a cat. She teleports over to me as her dark purple collar glows and hugs me. I hug her back as her paws glow, shocking me. Wait, isn't this what happened when I turned back into a human? Was Caroline also cursed? She grows, her paws becoming hands and her tail disappearing. A minute later, a blonde woman in a fancy dress is hugging me. I pull back from the hug, surprised.

"You were cursed?!" I exclaim.

"I was," she answers. "I was also cursed by Zora at Princess Sydney Noelle's Christening. I was turned into a cat. I found your adoptive mother and she and your father adopted me. They knew who I was."

"But why did you choose not to tell me that you were cursed?" I ask.

"I wanted to become a human first," she replies. "I wanted to focus on helping you get King Peter's approval first. I didn't want you to shift your focus to breaking my curse."

"But who are you?" I ask her another question. "How did you get invited to the Christening? And why did you try to find my dad?"

"I am your mother," Caroline answers. "Queen Carmella of Calceus. When you were a baby, there was a war with Calceus. You are your father and I's only child. The Crown Prince of Calceus. We were worried that something bad would happen to you. So, we looked for someone we trusted to raise you. We chose your adoptive parents after getting to know them on a trip to Norillia. I wanted to find you when you were grown up, but then we were both cursed. I am so glad that I was able to find you, Arnold."

I can't believe it. My birth parents were royalty. I...I could rule Calceus someday! How have I caught on to this? How has no one looked for me? Well, at least I have my mom now. I hug Caroline again.

"I love you, Mom," I say.