Chapter Text
As she walked into the castle, Mirabel didn’t realize that one building could be so big. Casita was the biggest house in the Encanto by far, with ten bedrooms, a nursery, and many other rooms for the family to use. That didn’t even include the actual sizes of rooms like Mirabel’s or Antonio’s. But this was something else. The entryway to the palace of Rosas was absolutely massive. Just by looking around, she could tell that all of Casita could fit just in this room. Ornate trim lined the ceiling and walls that were painted a mixture of blue and purple. Several beautiful paintings in golden frames showing scenery and the daily life of Rosas were in prominent places, but the big draw to the eye was the staircase. Two grand white marble staircases arced up along the wall to a central dais. Handrails gilded with spiraling silver and gold gleamed in the light all the way up. Hanging between the two staircases was a gorgeous crystal chandelier that was at least twenty feet tall. It was absolutely stunning. “This is amazing!”
“It really is,” Asha replied as she walked next to Mirabel. The rest of the group had left them after Dahlia mentioned something about overwhelming Mirabel, and everyone remembered the things they were doing before their sprint to the beach. “It’s incredible to walk through those doors. It never gets old. Sometimes, I come down here and just look at the paintings and the light reflecting off the chandelier.”
“I can see why. Who painted them?”
“Bazeema. She’s very quiet, but she’s also very observant and talented. She painted them all from memory. They remind me just how important it is that I do my best at my job.”
“Where do you work?”
“Here. I’m the queen’s chief advisor.” She touched a necklace with a golden star pendant. “She asks me for advice, and I help her how I can. We work on ideas to make Rosas better, plan things, come up with projects, and a lot more. My friends help me a lot.”
“Really? How?”
“I have seven best friends, including Simon, who you’ll meet in a second. All of them have different points of view, so when I want to get a sense of what people might think, I go to them. Dahlia’s my very best friend, and she does her best thinking while she’s baking, so I go to her first and come back to her later. Hal and Gabo give me the positive and negative extremes, Bazeema tells me what people in the city might think, Safi helps with the farmers’ perspective, and Dario-” Asha hesitated and smiled. “He’s so sweet, but it takes him some time to really grasp what’s going on. Typically, I go to him early in the day, tell him what I need his opinion on, remind him a few times, and then around dinnertime, he says something so smart and profound that it sticks with me all day.”
“He’s really nice.”
Asha nodded. “He’s the nicest person I know.”
“I take offense to that,” a man in knight’s armor said as they reached the top of the stairs, making Asha laugh.
“Mirabel, meet Simon, the queen’s guard and the person I go to when I need to know how something might affect the safety of Rosas.”
“Nice to meet you,” Mirabel said as she shook Simon’s hand.
“Hey!” Valentino said from the floor. “I help you, too!”
“Yes, you do,” Asha replied. “You always make sure there’s enough apples.”
“That’s right!”
Simon shook his head in amusement, yawned, and knelt down to scratch Valentino’s ears. “So, Mirabel, when did your boat get in?”
“About that,” Mirabel said nervously. “I, uh, didn’t come by boat.”
Simon looked at her, confused. “We’re only accessible by boat. We don’t have an airport or anything. How did you get here if not by boat?”
“By magic?”
Simon looked at Asha, clearly needing an explanation. “I don’t know how her magic works, Simon. It definitely isn’t like mine. I’m taking her to see the queen so we can try and figure out what‘s going on.”
His expression turned serious. “Do you want me to go with you?”
“Mirabel won’t hurt anyone. But I’ll make sure to tell the queen that you asked.”
Simon nodded and opened the door for them. “I’ll be right here if anyone needs anything.”
Asha led Mirabel up another winding staircase, this one seemingly even longer than the first. There was something different about this one. It was the same colors and materials, but the front one very much seemed like it was meant for the people to see. This one felt different, more private. The air felt different, too, like there was something in it that wasn’t there downstairs. As they neared the top, Mirabel looked at Asha, who was a step in front of her. “Did he think I was going to hurt the queen?” she asked. “Because I would never.”
“I know you wouldn’t, don’t worry,” Asha replied with a kind smile. “Simon takes his job very seriously. It was always his wish to be the bravest knight in the kingdom. Magnifico took his wish and twisted it to fit his own needs, so now Simon feels like he needs to make up for it, which he doesn’t. Now that he protects the queen, he gives everything he has to this kingdom. Anything that could potentially be a threat is handled like one. When I go to him for advice, I have to take it with a grain of salt because he worries a lot. He’s very sweet, he just takes it a little too far sometimes.”
“So does he not like me?”
“I wouldn’t say that. He just needs to know you’re okay. I’ll make sure he knows how this goes. He might keep an eye on you, but he’ll like you, don’t worry.”
“He gives very good ear scratches and hugs,” Valentino added.
Mirabel smiled. “He sounds a lot like my sister Luisa. She’s always looking out for people and she gives the best hugs.”
“She sounds pretty great,” Asha said. “Hopefully, we’re about to find out when you’ll get to see her again.”
Asha opened a door and let Mirabel walk in. Once again, her jaw hit the ground. The room was huge and had massive bookcases stretching from the floor to the ceiling. There was a large fireplace with comfortable-looking furniture surrounding it on one side, and a throne with other chairs around it for official business. One entire wall was made of dark blue glass, obscuring what was on the other side. Before Mirabel could even begin to form a question to ask, a woman stood from an ornate desk in the corner of the room by the throne.
“I see you brought a visitor, Asha,” she said.
“Yes, your majesty. Queen Amaya, this is Mirabel-” Asha stopped. “You never told me your last name.”
“Mirabel Madrigal, your majesty,” Mirabel said before curtsying.
“Bienvenidos a Rosas, Mirabel,” Queen Amaya said. “What brings you to our kingdom?”
Mirabel looked at Asha for help, but Asha just nodded, so Mirabel took a deep breath and started from the beginning. She told the queen everything, starting with an abridged history of her family and their magic, an even shorter explanation of what had happened almost a year earlier with the family losing and regaining the magic, and ending with what had been happening with her family when they made wishes that they felt in their hearts. It took so long to explain that Valentino curled up in a ball on a pillow by the fireplace and took a nap. All throughout Mirabel’s story, Asha and Queen Amaya stood and listened, only interrupting a couple of times to ask questions when necessary.
“So that’s how I ended up here,” Mirabel said finally. It had been at least thirty minutes, maybe an hour. No one said anything for a few seconds while the queen tried to figure out what to say next. “Do you need me to go over anything again? I know that was a lot.”
“It was,” Queen Amaya said. “But my husband was an exceptional magician, and Asha made a wish which literally made a star come down from the sky and made everything so much better for us. There isn’t much that surprises me anymore where magic is concerned.” The queen looked at Asha. “Did she write down her wish?”
“She did.” Asha waved her wand, and the yellow ball of light appeared in front of them. “Can you tell what’s going on?”
“I’ll try.” Queen Amaya turned to the glass wall and waved her hand. The panes of glass slid off to the sides and revealed the other half of the queen’s office. Lining the walls were tables with all sorts of crazy-looking things clearly used for magic. There were vials and jars with brightly-colored liquids, more jars with components for potions, books, scrolls, and so much more. But the main event was on the ceiling. Floating at the top of the room were hundreds of yellow orbs bobbing up and down in the air. “What are those,” Mirabel asked with wonder in her voice.
“Those are wishes just like yours,” Asha explained. “Before, Magnifico used to take wishes for “safekeeping” and grant them when they were “good” for the kingdom. The problem was that taking someone’s wish took their joy, the best part of themselves. Today, we have the representation of the wishes of Rosas above us. I take them from the papers they write at the statue, and the queen and I see what we can do to grant them. People can keep their wishes, they can even change their wish, and they can keep being themselves while the queen and I work to make their and everyone’s lives better.”
“That’s amazing,” Mirabel replied. “So you have mine?”
“And then some since I actually used magic on you.” Asha waved her wand, and the yellow ball of light appeared in front of them, then expanded to about a meter across. It showed Mirabel’s family, but it also showed what Mirabel dreamed of at night when she dreamed about seeing the world. Scenes of adventure, different cities and towns, festivals, and maybe even romance flashed across the yellow scene. After about thirty seconds, the yellow orb shrunk back down and rose to join the others near the ceiling.
“That was what I always envisioned seeing the world would be like,” Mirabel said. “What do you think it means?”
Queen Amaya looked at Mirabel. “Your wish is clear to me. It’s exactly what you said- time. I think you want to see the world, and thanks to your Gift, you might get to do that.”
“But in my family, we only have these wishes for a day. How am I supposed to see the world in a day?”
“The magic Asha used on you can be unpredictable. It could be that her magic will grant you that time. But we won’t know for sure until the morning.”
“So I’m supposed to go to bed here tonight and hope I wake up here?”
“I think so. You have no control over this power right now?”
“That’s correct.”
“But you teleported at times when you were very happy or passionate?”
“I guess so.”
“Then your emotions might have something to do with it, too. We’ll have to see.”
Mirabel nodded. “Thank you for your help, Your Majesty.”
“It was my pleasure. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting to attend. Asha, why don’t you keep showing Mirabel around? I’ll have the chef make a big dinner, and you can invite your friends.”
“That’s very kind of you,” Asha replied. “I‘ll do that, and she can stay in my quarters with me tonight.”
“Very well. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mirabel.”
Mirabel curtsied again as the queen left, then she looked at Asha. “There’s more to see?”
Asha chuckled. “Come on. Let me show you my home.”
For the rest of the afternoon, Asha showed Mirabel around Rosas. Now that she wasn’t teleporting uncontrollably, she could really appreciate the market, which was so much bigger than the little one at home. Asha and Safi led her around to the different stalls, letting her see all the different spices and crops that the people who came to Rosas brought with them from their home countries. Safi also insisted that she see the chicken coop, which was a little weird to her, but seeing someone so excited about animals reminded her of Antonio. When they got there, she saw a chicken that was absolutely massive, at least twice her height and many times her weight. After hearing Safi geek out over how many people a single egg could feed, they went to the castle kitchens, where Dahlia was directing all of the cooking. Dario was also there to help. He was making soup, which smelled amazing. Before they left, Dahlia made sure to slide them a couple of beautiful star-shaped cookies. Asha and Mirabel went into the woods next, heading toward the tree Asha and her father sat at all the time. They made sure to stop by the grove that had all the talking animals and plants, which was slightly terrifying for Mirabel until she realized how nice they were. Their last stop on the tour was to see Asha’s saba Sabino and Asha’s mother. Sabino played them a song and they enjoyed a cup of tea before making their way back to the castle for dinner with all of Asha’s friends, including Simon. There were so many different styles of cuisine Mirabel had never had before, so many different smells, and so many incredible flavors. It was almost better than anything her mother had made before- almost. After dinner, they sat around a fireplace drinking Dario’s famous hot cocoa, his apparent specialty because he loves hot drinks. They stayed up until almost midnight, talking, chatting, and having an amazing time. Mirabel felt right at home among these new friends of hers, and she wasn’t ready to leave them yet. So when the time came for everyone to go, she made sure to give everyone a hug and thanked them for the fun afternoon. She and Asha headed upstairs, Mirabel holding a sleeping Valentino as they entered Asha’s quarters, which were modest at Asha’s request. There was one bedroom, but it had an alcove with a second bed in it for when Dahlia or another one of her friends wanted to spend the night. There was also a nice-sized sitting room with a fireplace that Valentino slept next to, and its own bathroom. The walls were just as grand as the entryway, with one beautiful painting from Bazeema in the sitting room and another in the bedroom. Mirabel changed into a provided set of pajamas and laid down on her bed facing an open window that allowed her to see the stars. The events of the day had been so exciting that she didn’t want it to end, especially if it meant going home. But she was so exhausted. Throughout the day, there had been several times where she had teleported uncontrollably, but Asha was able to stop her with a wave of her wand. Using Gifts for the first time had always been exhausting for her family, and Mirabel was no exception. She knew she wouldn’t be awake long, so she looked out at the stars one last time, closed her eyes, and whispered, “Please give me more time. Please. I’m not ready to go home. Please.” Mirabel fell asleep, her sleep deep and comfortable.
The next morning, Mirabel woke up, stretched, and blinked heavily. She had slept so hard that she was kind of out of it. The sun was rising, birds were singing, and the roosters were crowing so loudly that she could hear them from there. Her eyes hadn’t even fully opened yet as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, expecting the feel of cool grass and completely forgetting that she had gone to sleep in a different country. But her feet didn’t touch grass. It was a cool wooden floor. Confused, Mirabel reached for her glasses, but they weren’t where they normally were. Things started coming back to her, but she was so drowsy that they didn’t make sense. Then she realized she wasn’t wearing her normal pajamas. Instead, she had on a shimmering blue and purple nightgown that seemed to sparkle in the light. That was when things started to click. She picked up her glasses off the little table, put them on, and nearly screamed with joy. “Asha!” she yelled. “Asha, it worked!”
Asha ran into the room from the sitting room. “I know! I got up super early to make sure!”
Mirabel ran forward and gave her a hug. “I can’t believe it!” Happy tears streamed down her face. “I actually get to stay.”
Before Mirabel could break the hug, the warm feeling returned. Mirabel teleported to a different side of the room, somehow still hugging Asha. The two froze. “Did you just-” Asha began.
“Yeah!” Mirabel replied. In her elation, she only saw how incredible what just happened was. “I can’t just teleport myself, I can teleport other people, too! This is amazing!”
Asha could see how brightly Mirabel’s hands were glowing. “Mirabel, you need to take a breath.”
“How can I? I can teleport people places! And I get to stay here until I know how it works!” Mirabel teleported across the room. She was so incredibly happy that she forgot she needed to try and control her emotions like Queen Amaya had said. She teleported again, standing on top of her bed. “Just think of what I can do!”
“I don’t need to, I’m watching it. Stay right there!” Asha ran out of the room to her sitting room where her wand was sitting on the table. By the time she got back into the room, Mirabel was perched precariously on her bedside table, her hands glowing so bright that Asha couldn’t look at her. “Mirabel, please, take a deep breath for me!”
“Asha, you don’t understand! I made a wish to see the world, and I can, and I wished on a star last night that I would get time, and I did! How can I possibly calm-”
Mirabel’s sentence cut off and was immediately replaced by a scream. She had teleported out the window and was plummeting toward the ground. Asha desperately waved her wand, creating a cloud below her that would hopefully catch her, but Mirabel never made it that far. With a golden flash brighter than the sun, Mirabel disappeared. There was absolutely no sign of her at all. Asha slumped against the window, completely shocked and confused. Valentino ran in and stood next to her. “What happened to that girl? She screamed so loud it woke me up.”
“I don’t know, Valentino.”
“Well, where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
Valentino stood there for a second, watching Asha stare at the spot where Mirabel had last been seen. “Well, my guess is she’s by the apple cart because she likes apples. I’ll go check there.”