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Description
The festival preparations were in full swing when Rogers came up to Derek, Odette and Belle, looking rather panicked. "Derek, something horrible has happened." He glanced at Odette and Belle, uneasily.
"You can tell me in front of Odette and Belle," Derek said.
"I, um, I'm not sure."
"Rogers, we have no secrets."
"Actually, you do have that...one...secret."
"Go on, Rogers," Odette said.
"Yeah, go on."
"Well, there's a rumour going around about Rothbart's notes. That they're being hidden in the castle."
"What?" Belle, who had been reading and not paying much attention to the conversation just in case it was some private matter that didn' concern her, looked up at once.
"That's ridiculous," said Odette. "If we knew those notes existed, they'd be destroyed immedietly."
"Actually, Odette..."
"You found Rothbart's formula for the Forbidden Arts and you didn't tell me?"
Belle dropped her book in shock. Rogers began to twiddle his thumbs uneasily.
"I didn't want you to worry," Derek said. "You see, after Clavius and the orb were destroyed, Rogers and I found this underground chambed. There were all sorts of things Rothbart left bhind, including his formula for the Forbidden Arts. We destroyed everything, of course, except Rothbart's notes."
"Derek, please tell us this is a joke," Belle said, retrieving her book, Odette stared at her husband. "How could you?"
"Apologise, Derek," Rogers muttered in an undertone.
"I really think that one day we can use their power for good," Derek insisted.
"Derek, nothing good can come from those notes!" Odette cried. "You must destroy them!"
"You're right, Odette," Rogers said, immitating Derek. "I'll destroy them right away."
"Rogers and I are the only ones who know where they are." Derek glanced at Belle. "I never even told Adam."
"But if there's a rumour," Odette persisted.
"Look, even if someone did find them, they'd never be able to figure them out without my help."
"Apologise, apologise," Rogers muttered. Belle had to agree with him; what was Derek thinking? What good could ever come from Rothbart's evil magi that had once turned Odette into a swan and herself into a rose?
"Derek, Odette's right. That's powerful magic; we shouldn't even be thinking about trying to use it ourselves, even for good. It could be dangerous."
"I would NEVER put you in danger, Odette."
"Promise me you'll destroy those notes, Derek!"
"I promise," Rogers immitated. "I was careless, foolish and selfish."
"Don't forget thoughtless," Belle put in.
"I was not!" Derek snapped at Rogers. "Odette, I did this for us, for the kingdom; please, just trust me, Odette."
Odette turned and walked away from him. Derek sighed and turned to Rogers. "Please, Rogers, no long speeches."
"I only need two words," said Rogers, tapping his forehead. "Numb. Skull." And he walked away too.
"Derek," said Belle, "I know you probably think that what you're doing is right, but if those notes fell into the wrong hands, who knows what could happen? Just think about it."
She walked away from him, and suddenly, unexplainably felt the desire to be with her husband, so she ran to find him. He was mending a broken fence on the sheep pen; he smiled as she approached. "Hey," he said and then he noticed the look on her face and stopped what he was doing. "Belle, what is it?"
She felt she had no choice but to tell him; he was her husband after all and they shouldn't keep secrets from one another. Adam listened patiently. "I mean, is Odette over-reacting, or is it Derek who's in the wrong here?" she finished.
"I'd say Derek," Adam replied. "I mean, we all saw how powerful that magic was at Clavius' hideout. What good could come from it?"
Belle smiled. "I knew you'd see it that way." She reached up to kiss him. "I love you."
"I love you too."
"I have to go; Odette wants me to help her with the talent contest."
"Alright, I'll meet you there once I'm done with this."
Feeling slightly happier than she had done a few minutes ago, Belle sprinted off to where Odette and Puffin were taking names for contestants; a queue of which were lining up beside the table.
"Anything I can do to help?" Belle asked.
"If you could put these in some kind of order, that would be great," Odette replied, handing her the many sheets off parchment.
"Wow!" Belle exclaimed. "Just look at how many people have entered."
The entry papers built up still, but Belle found that she was able to maintain some kind of order for them. By the time Adam found her, she was having to lean on the pile of papers in order to keep them from blowing away.
"I've come to enter the talent show," said a familiar voice.
"Certainly," said Odette, taking up her quill. "Your name?"
"The Lady in Black."
"And your talent?"
"The Tango!"
"Oh, the Tango! Partner's name?"
"I don't have one yet," said the woman, lifting her veil.
"Uberta?"
"Sh!" hissed the Queen. "No one can know it's me. I want to win because I'm the best; not because I'm the Queen!"
Belle, Adam and Odette laughed. "I hope you find a partner soon," Odette said.
"Ooh, I know someone who'll just leap at the chance!"
As Uberta hurried away in her disguise, Odette turned to the others. "Who do you think she means?"
Belle and Adam glanced at each other. "Rogers!" they both chorused.

Description
The festival preparations were in full swing when Rogers came up to Derek, Odette and Belle, looking rather panicked. "Derek, something horrible has happened." He glanced at Odette and Belle, uneasily.
"You can tell me in front of Odette and Belle," Derek said.
"I, um, I'm not sure."
"Rogers, we have no secrets."
"Actually, you do have that...one...secret."
"Go on, Rogers," Odette said.
"Yeah, go on."
"Well, there's a rumour going around about Rothbart's notes. That they're being hidden in the castle."
"What?" Belle, who had been reading and not paying much attention to the conversation just in case it was some private matter that didn' concern her, looked up at once.
"That's ridiculous," said Odette. "If we knew those notes existed, they'd be destroyed immedietly."
"Actually, Odette..."
"You found Rothbart's formula for the Forbidden Arts and you didn't tell me?"
Belle dropped her book in shock. Rogers began to twiddle his thumbs uneasily.
"I didn't want you to worry," Derek said. "You see, after Clavius and the orb were destroyed, Rogers and I found this underground chambed. There were all sorts of things Rothbart left bhind, including his formula for the Forbidden Arts. We destroyed everything, of course, except Rothbart's notes."
"Derek, please tell us this is a joke," Belle said, retrieving her book, Odette stared at her husband. "How could you?"
"Apologise, Derek," Rogers muttered in an undertone.
"I really think that one day we can use their power for good," Derek insisted.
"Derek, nothing good can come from those notes!" Odette cried. "You must destroy them!"
"You're right, Odette," Rogers said, immitating Derek. "I'll destroy them right away."
"Rogers and I are the only ones who know where they are." Derek glanced at Belle. "I never even told Adam."
"But if there's a rumour," Odette persisted.
"Look, even if someone did find them, they'd never be able to figure them out without my help."
"Apologise, apologise," Rogers muttered. Belle had to agree with him; what was Derek thinking? What good could ever come from Rothbart's evil magi that had once turned Odette into a swan and herself into a rose?
"Derek, Odette's right. That's powerful magic; we shouldn't even be thinking about trying to use it ourselves, even for good. It could be dangerous."
"I would NEVER put you in danger, Odette."
"Promise me you'll destroy those notes, Derek!"
"I promise," Rogers immitated. "I was careless, foolish and selfish."
"Don't forget thoughtless," Belle put in.
"I was not!" Derek snapped at Rogers. "Odette, I did this for us, for the kingdom; please, just trust me, Odette."
Odette turned and walked away from him. Derek sighed and turned to Rogers. "Please, Rogers, no long speeches."
"I only need two words," said Rogers, tapping his forehead. "Numb. Skull." And he walked away too.
"Derek," said Belle, "I know you probably think that what you're doing is right, but if those notes fell into the wrong hands, who knows what could happen? Just think about it."
She walked away from him, and suddenly, unexplainably felt the desire to be with her husband, so she ran to find him. He was mending a broken fence on the sheep pen; he smiled as she approached. "Hey," he said and then he noticed the look on her face and stopped what he was doing. "Belle, what is it?"
She felt she had no choice but to tell him; he was her husband after all and they shouldn't keep secrets from one another. Adam listened patiently. "I mean, is Odette over-reacting, or is it Derek who's in the wrong here?" she finished.
"I'd say Derek," Adam replied. "I mean, we all saw how powerful that magic was at Clavius' hideout. What good could come from it?"
Belle smiled. "I knew you'd see it that way." She reached up to kiss him. "I love you."
"I love you too."
"I have to go; Odette wants me to help her with the talent contest."
"Alright, I'll meet you there once I'm done with this."
Feeling slightly happier than she had done a few minutes ago, Belle sprinted off to where Odette and Puffin were taking names for contestants; a queue of which were lining up beside the table.
"Anything I can do to help?" Belle asked.
"If you could put these in some kind of order, that would be great," Odette replied, handing her the many sheets off parchment.
"Wow!" Belle exclaimed. "Just look at how many people have entered."
The entry papers built up still, but Belle found that she was able to maintain some kind of order for them. By the time Adam found her, she was having to lean on the pile of papers in order to keep them from blowing away.
"I've come to enter the talent show," said a familiar voice.
"Certainly," said Odette, taking up her quill. "Your name?"
"The Lady in Black."
"And your talent?"
"The Tango!"
"Oh, the Tango! Partner's name?"
"I don't have one yet," said the woman, lifting her veil.
"Uberta?"
"Sh!" hissed the Queen. "No one can know it's me. I want to win because I'm the best; not because I'm the Queen!"
Belle, Adam and Odette laughed. "I hope you find a partner soon," Odette said.
"Ooh, I know someone who'll just leap at the chance!"
As Uberta hurried away in her disguise, Odette turned to the others. "Who do you think she means?"
Belle and Adam glanced at each other. "Rogers!" they both chorused.