Ten Years Ago...
Bells rang loud and clear in the air and they sparkled in the glow of the street lamps as the horses trotted down the snow covered road. This road led right up to a grand palace. Carriages decked in gold and silver pulled up at the palace steps, dropping off party goers of royal descent. Tonight's celebration was the biggest event of the year, nobody wanted to miss it.
"Look Rhonda, our people are having the time of their lives," Emperor Pops boasted, a joyful grin painted across his face. Seated beside him on her own throne, Empress Chloe sighed quietly and muttered, "Oh yes, I can see that dear." She didn't even bother trying to correct him on her name. She had been trying to do so for the past forty years with no success.
"Your majesties," captain of the guard Rooster declared with a deep bow. Pops motioned for him to speak, to which the Welsh sheepdog continued, "Your children and their families have arrived at the gates." Clapping his paws together excitedly as he pushed himself up onto his crutches, Pops boomed, "What are we waiting for? Let them in, can't have them missing the party!" He hobbled away, leaving Chloe alone to her thoughts.
"Grandma!" a cheerful high pitched voice cried out. Her ears perking up with interest, Chloe raised her head to see a young Pomeranian puppy scampering up the steps towards the thrones. A small smile painted on her face, the tabby cat outstretched her arms as she purred, "Hello my dear!"
"Hi Grandma!" the puppy yipped, leaping into her grandmother's open arms. The young pup's tail would not stop wagging. Stroking the soft white fur on her granddaughter's head, Chloe meowed, "How are you my special snowflake?" Spinning in a circle, the pup cheered, "I'm absolutely spectacular!"
"Puffball, don't bother your grandmother too much now, you hear me?" Puffball's father, one of the many sons of Chloe and Pops, called out. Chloe scowled silently. Puffball, what a ridiculous name. Of course her husband Pops had started this tradition of ridiculous names for all of their children and now their children were passing it down to their own children. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Chloe put a smile back on her face as she declared, "My snowflake, I have something for you."
"Ooh, what is it?!" Puffball asked, clasping her paws together. Chloe proceeded to look around in her bag that she had close by. In the meantime, a young Jack Russell terrier puppy snuck out of the kitchen and into the ballroom, conveniently behind the thrones. Taking a bite of the apple he had snatched, he took a bite as he watched the empress and one of the princesses. He never even realized his father was standing right behind him until Rooster barked in a hushed voice, "Max! What have I told you about leaving your post?! Get back to the kitchen now!" The Welsh sheepdog himself escorted the pup away.
"Here it is," Chloe rasped, at last pulling out a small ornate box. Her sky blue eyes lighting up at the sight of such a beautiful object, Puffball's tail wagged even faster in excitement as her grandmother turned a hexagonal key in the side thrice. The top of the box opened up, revealing a tiny dancer and allowing sweet music to play. Recognizing the tune, Puffball gasped and blurted out, "It's our lullaby!"
"You can play it at night, to help you fall asleep," Chloe pointed out, her tail gently swishing side to side to the music. Together, she and Puffball sang, "On the wind, across the sea. Hear this song and remember. Soon you'll be home with me, once upon a December." During their little song, Chloe had passed the music box over to her granddaughter. Admiring the gift in her paws, Puffball remarked, "I love our lullaby."
"As do I, my snowflake," Chloe replied. Carefully taking the hexagonal key out of the music box, she handed it to Puffball as she pointed out, "Read what it says." Handing the box back to her grandmother, the Pomeranian puppy inspected the key and read aloud, "Together in Paris." Gasping with delight, she asked, "Are you and Grandpa going to Paris?!"
"When your grandfather passes the crown to your uncle in a few days time, yes. At least I'll be going to Paris, I don't know about him," Chloe answered. Taking her granddaughter's paws in her own, the tabby cat went on, "My dream though is that one day you will join me there, where we can live happily." Giving her grandmother another hug, Puffball yipped, "Oh Grandma, that would be wonderful! Us, together in Paris!" Hopping up onto Chloe's lap, she proudly stated, "I've always wanted to go to Paris."
"Me too, my special snowflake. Me too," Chloe admitted, chuckling softly. Both of them, as well as the rest of the party, remained blissfully unaware of what was about to come in the near future, that their plans weren't going to go in the way they hoped they would. After tonight, nothing would ever be the same again.
It all began when the ballroom doors swung open with a clatter.
